The $4.7 billion hole in TransLink’s budget

Good morning,

Thanks to a few people who pointed out an email I sent yesterday included the wrong link! Here’s the correct one.

For those who didn’t get it, we’re running a small fundraising campaign from now until Oct. 31. We’re about $2,000 short on our budget this month — it could affect our ability to do this newsletter. So if you care about local journalism, you can get a 25% discount on a membership for the next week.

We released a fun members-only newsletter yesterday with a hidden gem food court spot, an Italian grocer I love and a breakdown of where some chefs eat. That’s what’s waiting for you if you choose to become a member.

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got:

• 🚆 TransLink’s massive funding problem

• 👮 A police crackdown on a safe supply organization

• 📅 Weekend events

Let’s go!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity newsletter writer

TRANSPORTATION

The $4.7 billion hole in TransLink’s budget

Unlike a smooth ride on a SkyTrain as it rolls into Vancouver, TransLink’s future finances are facing a bumpy ride…

What happened: A financial update to the TransLink Mayors’ Council shows that the regional transit operator faces a projected $4.7-billion funding hole in the next 10 years, according to Global, or about $600 million per year starting in 2026.

The problem: Pandemic emergency funding is keeping it afloat until 2026, with senior levels of government all chipping in, but that funding is set to expire. Rising costs due to inflation on projects like the Broadway subway, and ironically, declining revenue from the gas tax, are to blame. Fare increases and property tax increases were also reduced.

Why not just run a deficit?: Funny you should ask that. TransLink is not allowed to run a deficit over a ten-year period which means it needs to fix the funding shortfall with actual money

The pandemic blew a subway-sized hole in the budget. While ridership numbers — and the subsequent revenue that comes with it — has recovered to 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, the numbers in 2023 are still 20 percent below 2019’s projections for 2023, according to the Vancouver Sun.

• Less gas, mo’ problems: The gas tax poses a real challenge. TransLink funding includes 18.5 cents per litre tax that is expected to plummet as electric vehicle usage grows.

Looking back: In February a similar problem was identified, with Metro Vancouver calling for $500 million in emergency funding for services beyond 2025, according to Vancouver is Awesome.

What it means: This has been a problem for a while now, but this report brings it back into the media spotlight. It’s clear that more senior levels of government won’t just let TransLink fail. But the aggressive expansion plan envisioned by TransLink may face more scrutiny. Given key political jurisdictions, both provincially and federally, are in areas that desperately in need of greater service — like Surrey — it’s not inconceivable to think different levels of government will step up in the future.

• Dig deeper: You can read the report in detail on page five of the TransLink report.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

📉 50%: The percentage of Canadian restaurants that are breaking even or losing money. [CityNews]

💰️ $4.87 million: How much BC’s top executives earned on average in 2022. This is 82 times more than the average worker’s salary in 2021. [BIV]

🏙️ 72: The number of community plans and land use guidelines that Vancouver city staff are recommending removing, to streamline, simplify and ensure plans do not contradict each other. [Urbanized]

🚁 14: The number of people who were aboard a HeliJet that was struck by lightning on Tuesday. One of the rotor blades was blown off, but the pilot still managed to land it. [CTV]

HEALTH

Police raid safe supply organization

Well, it turns out “trafficking” drugs is still illegal…

What happened: Police raided the homes and office, and arrested two members of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF), a group that provides unsanctioned safe supply and drug testing, after Vancouver’s Police Department accused them of trafficking controlled substances, according to CTV. The two unnamed individuals were released without charges.

Background: DULF purchased and provided clean drugs to users as part of what they called a “compassion club program.” They claimed that their actions had resulted in fewer drug overdoses and zero deaths.

• The issue sheds light on an ongoing problem — while drugs have been legalized and access increased, people are still dying from drug overdoses at record rates, and those seeking treatment cannot access it.

The problem: As noted by the police, there will likely be “unintended consequences” as those who cannot access the drugs anymore could result in people using more dangerous drugs.

What the police said: While the police acknowledged that DULF may be helping reduce the harms of the toxic drug crisis, they say they are enforcing the laws as they’re laid out, according to CityNews.

• The province also stopped funding the group, after giving them over $200,000 through the local health authority, when they claimed the group was using the money in a way that violated the law.

What DULF said: The group claims they never used the public funds to purchase drugs, but only for testing and that their approach has saved lives, according to CityNews. They also claim they purchased it in a revenue-neutral manner, making no money off it.

What it means: On the face of it, purchasing drugs in this way is illegal. But so is selling mushrooms in storefronts, or selling marijuana in Vancouver 10 years ago. It comes down to what laws police choose to enforce.

• Further complicating this issue is that the current approach hasn’t reduced the scale of death, so groups like this believe they need to intervene. Don’t expect these types of situations to decline until people stop dying at such high rates.

THE AGENDA

🧑‍⚖️ Two hit men who were paid to kill a stranger will get 10 years in prison after a botched shooting in 2020. The men pleaded guilty to attempted murder last year. [Vancouver Sun]

⚖️ The charges were dropped by the Crown against a Vancouver escort who was alleged to have drugged a man and stolen his money. No reason for the decision was given. [Global]

👎 Mould. Pests. Those are part of the allegations that tenant groups have levelled at two SRO operators, Cressey Development Group and its subsidiary company Cascadia Apartment Rentals, who are accused of creating unlivable conditions for tenants by refusing to repair their units. [CBC]

🏠 If you’ve booked a home on Airbnb next summer, you may want to find alternative plans. The Minister of Housing has confirmed that even if bookings were made before the new Airbnb rules were announced, those won’t be honoured and will be illegal. [Twitter]

📊 City staff say the Empty Homes Tax, which currently stands at 3.5 percent, should not be raised, even though council agreed to five percent next year. [Urbanized]

⏱️ It’s been five years since an East Vancouver detox centre and affordable housing complex was approved, but it has yet to be built. Back in March BC’s Minister of Housing said he was confident it would begin being built in the fall. So far, nothing. [Global]

🏒 Canucks prospect Vasily Podkolzin, who was playing for the Canucks farm team, was taken off the ice on a stretcher after what appeared to be a head injury when he hit the ice hard. Luckily he took to social media to say he was “all good.” [Daily Faceoff]

HIDDEN GEM

Hearty, unforgettable soup at Chef Liu Kitchen

It’s fall and you know what that means. No, you won’t ever hear me talk about anything pumpkin-related. But you will see me talking about soups. There’s something comforting about tucking into a warm bowl of soup as the fall, or winter, weather rolls it.

Unlike the previous spot I reviewed at the Richmond Public Market, my next stop in the food court, Taiwanese restaurant Chef Liu Kitchen, has at least a mention in English language media, with a story back in 2016 from the Vancouver Sun about cheap eats for under $10. In it, they reviewed the popcorn chicken, with Tourism Richmond’s communications manager recommending the beef noodle soup.

Being the soup lover that I am, my brief research into the place indicated that yes, I needed to try the beef noodle soup.

Read the entire review

WEEKEND GUIDE

Haunted Brewhouse | Strange Fellows Brewing | Now until Oct. 31 | Come see the spoooooky haunted brewhouse | Tickets $35

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert | Orpheum | This Friday and Saturday, 8 pm | Starting at $26

Brehalla Cloverdale | Cloverdale Agriplex, 17798 62 Ave., Surrey | This Saturday, 6 pm-11 pm | 30+ craft beverage makers as well as amazing music | Tickets $40

Streets of Vancity Morning Autumn Photo Walk | Stanley Park Information Booth | This Saturday, 7 am | Join other people and capture the beauty of Vancouver | Free

Spanish Tapas, a Delicious Journey Through Food | Second Floor Bistro | This Saturday, 6 pm | Discover how to make dix different tapas | Tickets $109

Cross-Stitch Workshop | City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main Street Studio | Come learn the basics of cross-stitching, all supplies provided | Tickets $97

Mexican Pavilion Live Latin Music | Granville Island Ocean Art Works Pavillion | This Saturday and Sunday, 1 pm-9 pm | Come listen to local artists, DJs and watch dancers, celebrating the Day of the Dead | Free

Dog Man The Musical | Massey Theatre | This Saturday and Sunday, 1 pm and 4 pm | A performance made by the same people who did Captain Underpants | Tickets $28

Harvest Days | VanDusen Botanical Garden | Family fun event, come play in the maze, eat some treats and explore the garden | Tickets $12.30

Diwali Downtown Vancouver | Roundhouse Community Centre | This Sunday, 2 pm-5 pm | Music and dance performances, food and treats | Free

Pumpkin Painting | Turquoise Goat, 122 W Hastings St. | This Sunday, 12:15 pm | Family friendly pumpkin painting | Tickets $25

Vancouver Halloween Speed Dating Event, Ages 27-36 | Greta Arcade | This Sunday, 6 pm-9 pm | GRETA Bar YVR | Speed dating, but with arcade games | Tickets $68

Photography 101: Mastering the Basics | Henry’s Vancouver, 555 Broadway, Vancouver | This Saturday, 12 pm | Learn about the basics of photography | FreeGOOD NEWS

Good news in Vancouver’s biotech community. A drug that helps repair damaged spinal cord injuries is getting a fast-track designation from the US FDA, according to Business in Vancouver.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Congrats to Surrey on, likely, the first time it’s been recognized instead of Vancouver. We joke of course, but this image by CNN is still very funny. [Reddit]

• Discover ViaTravellers: the newsletter treasure trove of travel insights, news, and insider deals. Check out their website to subscribe.*

• Adopt-a-highway? How about adopt-a-basin? It’s a volunteer program where people, in exchange for cleaning out a water basin regularly, get to name it. And there are some great names, like Dr. Dre’n. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• If you’ve dreamed of visiting Dubai, you’re in luck because Air Canada just launched a non-stop route. [Business in Vancouver]

• Here’s a hand list of cyclist-friendly coffee shops around the Metro Vancouver region. [TransLink]

• Good news for snow lovers, it’s going to be cold next week. Bad news for everyone else, it’s going to be cold next week. [CityNews]

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TOP PHOTO

Another stunning shot of the harbour!

GAME TIME

Congrats to Elaine, Pat, Steve Jedreicich, Anne Kearnan, Iona, Marty Braverman, Barbara, Gloria Chamberlain, Linda Huang and Nancy Herring who all guessed correctly the Vancouver Guesser was Broadway and Granville. That was a lot of answers!

Today, it’s Vancouver Wordle time. Think you’ve got what it takes? Play now.