Any chance the city would use some of the fees collected from developers on Cambie for a new Canada Line station?

Q. There have been numerous rezoning applications recently for Cambie Street near 33rd Avenue, listed here: http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/rezoning/applications/ Given that 33rd Avenue was a proposed future station on the Canada Line, will development there allow that station to be built soon? Is the city doing anything to collect amenity money from developers as part of the [...]

How many shelters are there for homeless people in Toronto? And other skill-testing questions about homelessness

Q. How many shelter facilities are there in Toronto? Name them. Name them? NAME THEM? What is this, some kind of Reach for the Top game, Municipal Issues version? Mind you, I was on Reach for the Top (the antecedent to Jeopardy, for those who didn’t know) when it was just a high-school competition, back when [...]

What will happen to Buy-Low — our little slice of ungentrified Vancouver — if the Kingsgate Mall gets redeveloped?

Q. What happens to my beloved Buy-Low if/when Beedie Developments goes ahead with their plan to redevelop Kingsgate Mall, per the recent article in the G&M http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/kingsgate-mall-tagged-for-redevelopment/article5152540/ A. Well, Chris (I know it’s you because you are the first person to have signed your name to a City Plumber question in almost a year now. [...]

What is with the empty lot at Robson and Broughton, prime real estate sitting undeveloped?

Q. What’s the story behind the vacant lot on Robson at Broughton? A. A lot of people seem to want to know this. In Vancouver, no vacant lot goes unnoticed. When I googled “empty lot Robson and Broughton,” it brought up about half a dozen references to it on various blogs around town. I guess [...]

Why can’t everyone at the Olympic village use the Gold Medal fitness centre? Like the people in the rental and co-op buildings?

Q. Can you tell me if you have any further information on the Gold Medal Club in the Olympic Village? The city rental buildings (2) and the Coop (1) are not allowed access to that fitness centre. With strata fees going up 30% in some buildings, you’d think the city of Vancouver would be eager [...]