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The unsurprising resignation of Estelle Lo

November 17th, 2008 · 22 Comments

This just in from the emails at city hall, messages from both city manager Judy Rogers and Estelle Lo about the chief financial officer’s resignation. From: Lo, Estelle To: Sullivan, Sam; Anton, Suzanne; Ball, Elizabeth; Cadman, David; Capri, Kim; Chow, George; Deal, Heather; Ladner, Peter; Lee, B.C.; Louie, Raymond; Stevenson, Tim Cc: Hurford, David Sent: […]

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The Bonfire of the Olympics continues: The Raymond Louie chapter

November 14th, 2008 · 11 Comments

Okay, people, this may be a little incoherent because I’ve had a few glasses of wine — it’s all you can do under these conditions. But, really, aren’t you finding this Olympic-loan, hunt-for-the-leaker saga is all really like a Tom Wolfe novel? We have the mass media in full hyena mode (I’m one of them, […]

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Chapter 237: The case of the purloined Olympic-loan documents

November 13th, 2008 · 13 Comments

This the latest: One of the city clerks who works with the councillors has sworn an affidavit saying that the missing documents relating the the $100-million Olympic loan turned up in B.C. Lee’s office at a different time than he has said. Cecelia Smith says B.C. Lee called her into his office around 4 p.m. […]

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Mayors defend Olympic Village

November 11th, 2008 · 15 Comments

The media circus continues; Ex-mayors Philip Owen and Larry Campbell are going to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. to defend the current Olympic village loan. And this news release just came out from Mayor Sam Sullivan’s office. Open Letter from Mayor Sam Sullivan Southeast False Creek planning a decade in the making – […]

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Tags: 2008 Vancouver Civic Election

What happens after Nov. 15 when the smoke clears

November 10th, 2008 · 9 Comments

Everyone is focused on this Saturday. But given the turn that this campaign has taken in the last few days, victory is not going to be simple if Vision wins on the basis of public uproar over the $100-million loan to the Olympic village builders. Nope, the city’s troubles — and Vision’s — will only […]

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Tags: 2008 Vancouver Civic Election

Peter Ladner spent $150,000 on mayoral campaign, posts donors

November 9th, 2008 · 4 Comments

The Non-Partisan Association’s Peter Ladner has been attacking Vision’s Gregor Robertson for not telling the public who the donors were to his mayoral campaign against Raymond Louie and Allan DeGenova. He’s also said a number of times that Gregor’s campaign is reputed to have cost $400,000. I don’t know if there’s a shred of truth […]

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The ticker-tape on the Olympic village loan story

November 8th, 2008 · 10 Comments

Hey all, Sorry I disappeared but it’s been a crazy few days and almost impossible to keep up with events as they unroll unless you pretty much type non-stop, which tragically leaves no time to actually interview anyone or get any facts. While some people may prefer to operate that way, I don’t. It was […]

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Vancouver lends $100 million to keep Olympic village going

November 6th, 2008 · 48 Comments

That’s the story from my Globe colleague Gary Mason this morning, plus more little bombshells, like the apparent news that finance director Estelle Lo has tendered her resignation.

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The latest on Fortress, Millennium and the Olympic village

October 23rd, 2008 · 2 Comments

Not a lot to report except that, like everyone else, the city is watching the news closely to see what happens with Fortress, the lender that is financing Millennium Developments for its construction of the Olympic athletes village. Here’s my story in Thursday’s Globe.

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Vancouver development industry slows and re-thinks; Fortress evaluated

October 9th, 2008 · 1 Comment

While the focus so far this week has been on Millennium Developments and its current problems with cost overruns and financing, there’s another story in this city about what’s happening with development generally. As many people told me over the last two days, it’s been disastrous the last few weeks since the financial crisis started. […]

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