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The latest twitch in the community centre-Adriane Carr-Penny Ballem-whatever schmozzle: Mayor tries to calm things down

February 19th, 2013 · 76 Comments

Chapter 43. BTW, I hear that the park board and associations have selected a mediator and were starting talks yesterday.

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New vision for viaducts promises new streets, better parks, a new “heart of the city”

June 7th, 2012 · 154 Comments

The first open house for the viaducts (4-7 Tuesday in the Woodward’s atrium) was packed. Another one today and then Saturday. Here’s what the proponents are saying that taking down the viaducts will do: create one great street instead of two half-used semi-highways, improve the park space, bring a grand ceremonial street (Georgia) down to […]

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Vancouver is not alone in its battle over light: The anti-light pollution, anti-digital-billboard revolution is going strong

January 28th, 2012 · 25 Comments

BC Place and PavCo have no idea what they walked into by putting up three digital billboards on the side of the arena when it re-opened after renovations last fall. We’ve tended to look at the flashing signs — and the local resident complaints about it — as just some local piece of whininess or […]

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Vision/COPE councillors vote against uncertain tree-preservation plan

June 10th, 2010 · 24 Comments

In spite of a valiant effort by a whole group of people hoping to save the 120-foot tulip tree in the West End, it was a no. Architects Bing Thom and Michael Heeney, the former head of real-estate services for the city, Bruce Maitland, an arborist and a landscape architect were not enough to convince […]

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TransLink on autopilot with no new funding, improvements in sight

May 12th, 2010 · 13 Comments

I wasn’t at the day cruise/TransLink AGM (see previous post) but others were. Here are the reports from two pretty dedicated TransLink watchers, Frank Luba at the Province and Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs.

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Upcoming talks on new transportation plan contemplate “road diet”

May 7th, 2010 · 21 Comments

We’ve been seeing a lot of action at city hall lately when it comes to bike lanes in a few areas. But there’s a much bigger, more comprehensive re-think coming in the fall, when the city will start talking about an update to its 1997 Transportation Plan. One topic for sure that is going to […]

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Vision rental program generates backlash, raises questions about future solutions

April 13th, 2010 · 31 Comments

It was the best kind of theatre, being at council last week when West Enders showed up to voice their concerns about the Vision council’s program to create permanent rentals, the Short Term Incentives for Rental or STIR. Councillors tried to keep the bemusement out of their voices, but weren’t all that successful as they […]

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Big, fat casino downtown likely to provoke “nasty discussion” at council

March 23rd, 2010 · 22 Comments

When I started working the city-hall beat in 1994, I was plunged into furious debates about casinos. The Mike Harcourt NDP government was entertaining a proposal to have a big, destination casino on the waterfront behind Gastown. The NPA city council of the day took the public opposition to that and ran furiously with it, […]

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Fears of a new property tax to pay for Evergreen Line percolate

March 18th, 2010 · 55 Comments

In case anyone missed it, the region’s politicians are buzzing with anxiety about what the province has in mind in terms of paying for the Evergreen Line. It’s difficult to imagine what is getting cooked up in Victoria, given how many options the province has already rejected, so people have taken to guessing and worrying. […]

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City councillor knocked off bike, in hospital

March 10th, 2010 · 52 Comments

You knew this had to happen someday, with so many city politicians commuting by bike these days, but scary nevertheless.

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