Questions about City Plumber

Question: Why is the box for City Plumber so big? Will you answer impossible questions? Answer 1: Apparently, the question box for City Plumber intrudes into the main block of text on some browsers. It’s because you have old browsers that haven’t refreshed. It’s supposed to fix itself. Answer 2: I’ve already gotten a huge [...]

A Davie Street history

Question: The Shoppers Drug Mart building on Davie Street. What was it originally? Was it a bowling centre, was it a roller rink? Answer: Oh, I was dearly hoping it was a roller rink. Or at least a bowling centre. I have fond memories of the block from the 1970s, when the only French bookstore [...]

311: Making life better?

Question: Has the COV 311 contact centre improved the delivery of municipal services? Answer: In pursuit of answers to this question, I have gone where no one has gone before — well, hardly anyone, except for the 100+ employees of 311 and possibly a reporter whose story I’ve forgotten. Anyway, the city invited me down to [...]

The neon on the Vancouver Block clock — a mystery

Question: A general manager removed the neon from the clock on top of the Vancouver Block in 1998. Who put the neon back on the clock in 2000? — from regular poster Bobbie Bees Answer: Oh, what a delightful trail of breadcrumbs this set out for me, with a surprise ending. Follow along, dear readers, and [...]