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Entries from January 2016

Bula Blogolytes Beer Bash: Feb. 28

February 24th, 2014 · 32 Comments

Jenables and Kirk — two people I’ve never met except through pixels, so this will be exciting — have called for a get-together of all of us blog lurkers so that we can insult each other to our faces. Or perhaps not. At any rate, we/they have suggested we convene at the Elephant and Castle […]

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Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts make heavy bet on new downtown — but it won’t come instantly

February 24th, 2014 · 35 Comments

Surrey’s efforts to remake itself as an urban place, rather than just a bedroom suburb, are exciting and have generated a lot of media coverage. What that coverage (some of it mine) doesn’t always convey is the reality of what a big job this is. Surrey doesn’t even have a vestigial version of a downtown […]

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Oakridge public hearing will see opponents, supporters line up over $1.5-billion mini-city of apartment towers

February 20th, 2014 · 165 Comments

Aaaand here we go to another fun public hearing. Council voted to send this on its way to a few nights of meetings. Vancouver gears up for fractious debate over future of Oakridge mall FRANCES BULA VANCOUVER — Special to The Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Feb. 18 2014, 8:30 AM EST Last updated Tuesday, Feb. 18 […]

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Real lawyers (as opposed to armchair ones) weigh in on HootSuite/Robertson conflict lawsuit

February 20th, 2014 · 24 Comments

This is what people who’ve actually argued these kinds of cases in court have to say about it the whole issue of conflict. Those interested in the various law cases referred to in this story can find them, or references to them, here, here (do a search with Control F for King) and here.

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Park board abandons plans for Kits Point bike path

February 17th, 2014 · 172 Comments

This just out. Statement from the Park Board Chair on the Hadden and Kitsilano Beach Path Park Board Chair Niki Sharma issued the following statement this evening regarding the proposed path in Hadden and Kitsilano Beach parks, and the related lawsuit. “We’ve heard clearly from the public that there is significant concern with any proposed […]

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Lawsuit alleges Robertson conflict over HootSuite deal as election campaign ramps up early

February 17th, 2014 · 27 Comments

So here is the actual text of the lawsuit that the Cedar Party’s Glen Chernen and Co have launched against the mayor with respect to the HootSuite lease, which various other media have been reporting on. I have yet to talk to any municipal-law lawyers about this, but my understanding from past coverage on this […]

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Can a giant bureaucracy and a bunch of idealistic missionaries really save the Downtown Eastside?

February 17th, 2014 · 13 Comments

The Downtown Eastside has become our regional mental-health institution, as most of the world knows. What that means, among other things, is trying to deliver health care to thousands of people who are spread out across a few dozen city blocks instead of one convenient large institution, who can’t be compelled to show up for […]

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Latest round in confusing TransLink-province tussle: Decision has to be made re Surrey/Vancouver priorities

February 17th, 2014 · 5 Comments

Anyone who thinks the mainstream media is dead should have been at the scrum with Transportation Minister Todd Stone and TransLink mayors’ council chair Richard Walton Friday, where there was a multiplicity of cameras, recorders, and reporters. And, since the talks that had just happened between the minister and council were fairly inconclusive, everyone was […]

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Secret plan by Vancouver to increase social-housing requirement? The answer is here

February 11th, 2014 · 13 Comments

On City Plumber. Over to the left, people.

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Who will take on the job of running against Gregor Robertson for mayor? The hunt is on

February 4th, 2014 · 93 Comments

The favourite parlour game among the political watchers these days is discussing who is being approached to take a run at the mayor’s job. Most of the chatter is about potential NPA candidates, although TEAM and COPE also see getting a high-profile candidate as key to their success. The names circulating? Carole Taylor, of course; […]

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