You decide what’s going on here. http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/Council+still+tight+despite+casino+divide+Watts+Rasode/7884685/story.html  

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Vancouver’s community centre associations are the closest thing to participatory democracy the city has. We don’t have the kind of neighbourhood independence that exists in Portland, which gives out grants to neighbourhoods to spend as they choose. But, failing that, the centre associations have operated as the neighbourhood councils. Now the park board is acting [...]

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And …. more fallout. As some councillors noted, casino decisions really strain a marriage. Here’s what they had to say. Story also attached below

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The Surrey casino: a story that just keeps on giving. Just to try to keep on top of the developments, here’s the chronology. After two long nights of public hearings, Surrey council votes at 2 a.m. Saturday on whether to approve a casino licence. Tweeting reporters send out news of the votes one by one. [...]

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I can’t recall when I’ve heard a high-level bureaucrat sound so upset. At first, when I heard about Energy Minister Rich Coleman’s comments about the Surrey decision, I thought it was the usual strong words from our very expressive MLA from Langley. But a lengthy interview with BCLC CEO Michael Graydon made it clear there’s [...]

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To some, Vancouver many historic schools are among the few remaining artifacts of the early city, visible and valuable mementoes that should be saved. To others, they are death-traps, likely to crumble instantly on top of the heads of students the next time there is even a mild earthquake here. The Vancouver school board has [...]

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Sorry, I know some of you are sick of this, but I’m fascinated by this train wreck. Here’s the latest.    

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Hard to keep up with this story, I know, what with new revelations every day that the Waldorf Productions partners weren’t the flushest, or perhaps savviest, of business people (as per Charlie Smith’s story that I tweeted yesterday). Then there’s the whole “Hastings is being turned over to condo developers” meme to contend with. Helping [...]

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Every couple of years, it seems there’s a new high tide of businesses that flow into Chinatown from elsewhere or nowhere. The Fortune Sound Club, Blim. Bombast and Peking Lounge. Bob Rennie’s real estate business and art gallery. Bao Bei and the Keefer. This time, it’s been clusters of small businesses run by 20-something entrepreneurs, [...]

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This just out from the city, along with a link here to the story Rod and I did for today’s Globe, which hinted this was coming. Motion, report coming forward to protect Waldorf   Vancouver – Mayor Robertson has directed the City Manager to bring forward a report to the next Council meeting on protecting [...]

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