Frances Bula header image 4

Entries from January 2016

The Olympic village sales strategy: Rennie

November 30th, 2010 · 9 Comments

Trying to get a struggling real-estate project to start smelling like a rose again is one of the more difficult jobs in marketing. The Olympic village hasn’t suffered from just cost overruns and being built on an incredible timeline and some tussles with the city over design and green stuff. It’s also become everyone’s favourite […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

Another day, another poll, a jump in disapproval for Mayor Gregor Robertson

November 30th, 2010 · 43 Comments

This year promises to be the most-polled ever in advance of a civic election, as various polling companies pile on to what promises to be a hard-fought battle for Vancouver city council in 2011. The latest out, another Justason Market Intelligence poll, showing that some noticeable fraction of people are moving from undecided to disapproving […]

[Read more →]

Tags: 2011 Vancouver Civic Election

Death of the livable region plan, says Peter Ladner

November 29th, 2010 · 27 Comments

This thoughtful column from former city councillor Peter Ladner.

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

News today: Foreclosure on Millennium’s West Van development; shelter opens; the other Robertson blasts park board

November 26th, 2010 · 71 Comments

Quick links to news today. – The lenders for Millennium Development’s Evelyn Drive project have gone to court to start foreclosure proceedings, according to the CBC. A real blow for Millennium, even more than the village receivership in a way. It came the morning after Bob Rennie praised them for all the work they’d done […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

After some nail-biting at Vancouver city hall, money for shelters is announced

November 24th, 2010 · 28 Comments

There was huge anxiety at Vancouver city hall the last two months over whether Housing Minister Rich Coleman would come up with the money to fund the four extra winter shelters that operated last year. In fact, people I talked to sounded sincerely dismayed at what seemed to be an uncompromising message from the province […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

Coming to Vancouver downtown: More noise, more efforts to control noise

November 24th, 2010 · 20 Comments

Vancouver’s plan to put 7,000 people in close proximity to two stadiums, an outdoor civic plaza and (potentially) a casino is unique in North America. Not surprisingly, it’s raising questions about how to deal with some of the inevitable conflicts, noise being one of them. The city, trying to minimize the likelihood of any lawsuits […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

Elderly Chinese man becomes first pedestrian known to die in Vancouver after being hit by a cyclist

November 22nd, 2010 · 104 Comments

Kwok Chan’s family contacted me on the weekend, concerned and upset about an accident that took the life of their father last week, four days after he celebrated his 80th birthday. Although they politely hesitated about blaming anyone too quickly, they were distraught that they didn’t know how exactly their father had lost his life […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

Vision to hold first-ever telephone town hall for its members

November 22nd, 2010 · 44 Comments

I’m sure no one here will want to miss this.

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

New Vancouver city hall rule: Staff should be seen but not heard

November 22nd, 2010 · 62 Comments

I’ve seen three new councils come in to city hall in the past eight years and every one has experienced some discomfort about the way reporters go to staff for information, information that is occasionally at odds with what the councillors are saying. There’s occasional grumbling about the level of power they seem to exert. […]

[Read more →]

Tags: City Hall Talk

Goodbye to Mr. Vancouver: Chuck Davis

November 22nd, 2010 · 2 Comments

Tom Hawthorn, who chronicles the transitions of those who have made B.C. the place it is, has a lovely story here about the life and passions of Chuck Davis. Chuck, one of the handful of people in Vancouver who have fought to tell its historical story in spite of this city’s tendency to amnesia, died […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized