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Entries from January 2016

An obituary for a Vancouver city hall tree

August 29th, 2014 · 17 Comments

And now for a break from politics (though I expect some people will find a way to work it in even here): I noticed a while ago that one of the two big cedars in front of Vancouver city hall on the south side had turned completely brown. When I happened to ask about it […]

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Divided Riley Park community centre members will have to hold a new meeting to elect directors

August 28th, 2014 · 37 Comments

I got a note from a Riley Park member yesterday asking why she had been notified about having to renew her membership and vote in a new meeting for directors. I received a letter from the Riley Park Association today because I am a member. It is very strange. It asks me to renew my […]

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CP suspends track work (aka ripping out gardens) while talks on with city

August 27th, 2014 · 28 Comments

This just out from city hall this morning: Track work suspended for talks between City and CP Rail   Senior officials at the City of Vancouver and CP Rail have agreed to meet to discuss the future of the Arbutus Corridor.   While the two sides meet, CP Rail has agreed to suspend all track […]

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Burnaby opposition hopefuls try to capture anti-development feeling in that mostly placid city

August 26th, 2014 · 24 Comments

Interesting for me to see the new Burnaby First party trying to ride the anti-development horse there. Burnaby has been building towers for quite a while now, apparently with no backlash from anyone. But I have heard more grumbling about the Brentwood development in the last year than I’d heard the previous decade, so maybe […]

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Car-share comes right to the doorstep of city halls

August 21st, 2014 · 7 Comments

I was roaming around the city website looking at open bids when I came across the RFP for the next three years of car-share services at the city. That prompted me to make some phone calls to find out how much it was used and if it resulted in getting rid of any city cars. […]

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Latest poll: 46 per cent approval for Robertson, 40 per cent disapproval, few know who LaPointe is

August 21st, 2014 · 31 Comments

For the poll junkies, the latest poll from Insights West and Mario Canseco on the municipal scene. While most of the results make sense (particularly the lack of transparency and engagement). one thing that is going to rankle Vision for sure — and does surprise me a little — is the low ratings they get […]

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When politicians promise to run clean campaigns, what does it mean?

August 19th, 2014 · 26 Comments

When the NPA made a big splash out of signing Code of Conduct pledges last week promising no personal attacks and a campaign based on the issues, it made me curious about how frequent something like this is. (I thought I heard a suggestion at the signing that it was the first ever in Canada.) […]

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Robertson: CPR is “bullying”; LaPointe: Vision has been “incompetent” on CP file

August 15th, 2014 · 174 Comments

So CPR sent out the bulldozers to take down the zucchini plants and raspberry bushes this week along its long-unused line, which apparently is now so critically in need of work that the clean-up couldn’t wait until, say, the end of the season. As someone on Twitter remarked, the PR in CPR sure doesn’t stand […]

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The NPA plan for more “openness and accountability” at city hall

August 12th, 2014 · 161 Comments

First written-down piece of policy from the new NPA team. Your thoughts on the specific remedies here? Tuesday, August 12, 2014, Vancouver BC – The Non-Partisan Association’s mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe says an NPA government would create a bylaw requiring the City to disclose information routinely, strengthen the City’s freedom of information office to ensure records are […]

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Tags: 2014 Vancouver Civic Election

In five months, all condo owners, businesses have to be ready to recycle food scraps. Ready? Umm

August 12th, 2014 · 14 Comments

Like Andie McDowell in sex, lies and videotape, I’m kinda obsessed about garbage. Where does it all go? Does anyone really recycle any of that stuff we put in the blue box or is it just a little story to make us feel good? Who is making money from it? My latest small contribution in […]

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