Audit says Vancouver “not effectively managing” non-profit leases

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Good morning, 

Nate here, and it sure feels like summer is hitting these days. Even on a weekday, the city feels full of excited energy, with a bevy of activities and locations to spend the long sun-lit evenings.

During the winter I almost forget how many people actually live in Vancouver. But at this time of year you really get a sense of the sheer number of people out and about, enjoying themselves and all the recreation the city has to offer. 

(Yes, some of these people are surely tourists who don’t actually live here and have just come for a week or month to enjoy the best time of year in B.C. But honestly, who cares!) 

It’s a time of year to count your blessings and enjoy the warmth and long days (putting aside the wet forecast for this weekend 🙃).

With that, let’s get to all the news and events you need to get your weekend started. 

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Friday: 17 🌡️ 9 | 🌧️

Saturday: 16 🌡️ 9 | 🌧️

Sunday: 16 🌡️ 10 | 🌧️

Monday: 19 🌡️ 12 | 🌤️

CITY HALL

Vancouver “not effectively managing” non-profit leases; audit

What happened: Mike Macdonell, Vancouver’s auditor general, released a report on Thursday which found the city is “not effectively managing its portfolio of childcare, cultural and social non-profit leases.” This includes not updating leases in a timely manner, and not fully implementing oversight of the organizations holding these leases.   

The details: Over 30 per cent of the buildings, land, and spaces owned or leased by the city are currently “overheld,” the audit found. Overholding is a situation where a tenant continues to occupy a property without an active lease in place. 

• A “large proportion” of these overholds have been in place for a decade or longer, according to the report. 

“Overholding, especially over the long term, in effect bypasses the Council approval that is required for grants in-kind and is a practice that I believe must stop,” Macdonell wrote. 

The Vancouver Charter requires that grants in-kind – such as the provision of below-market leases to organizations and programs deemed worthy – be approved by city council. 

• Additionally, the report found the city’s 2020 lease management framework was only partially implemented, meaning there was no oversight or documentation of operator performance with regard to their lease requirements.  

“The spaces provided by the City to the non-profit sector at low or almost no cost strengthens the social fabric of our community. But to obtain the best value for everyone, leased properties need to be well managed, and the performance of lessees should be assessed,” Macdonell concluded.  

Recommendations: In addition to reducing lease overholds and fully implementing the lease management framework, the report had eight other suggestions: 

• These included defining performance targets and conducting systematic monitoring of non-profit lease holders, improving funding alignment with other levels of government, creating a comprehensive and accurate list of their non-profit leases, retaining documentation, providing more information to lease-holders during reviews, and providing city council with complete information on financial contributions to non-profits that receive lease grants. 

(phew, take a breath, that’s a lot to digest)

City response: Margaret Wittgens, the city’s manager of arts, culture, and community services, said her team agrees with all the recommendations made in the report. 

“Much of the work to implement these recommendations is already underway, and we are committed to completing the necessary actions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of our non-profit lease management practices,” Wittgens said. 

Wittgens is relatively new to the job, having been appointed to the position at the beginning of 2024. 

What it means: Vancity Lookout has previously reported on two co-ops on city-owned land in False Creek South that are operating under an overholding provision. Generally speaking, these situations can cause financial uncertainty for tenants and, at worst, could end in evictions.  

The report isn’t a good look for the city, particularly Macdonell’s assertion that the overholding situation undermines city council’s ability to approve or reject funding for some non-profit organizations in Vancouver.

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🏫 605,000: The number of students enrolled in B.C. public schools this year. That’s the highest total since 2008, which portends further challenges for school districts already struggling to balance their budgets. [The Tyee] 

😵‍💫 $3.9 million: The sale price of a west side Vancouver home a year ago, where the former owners are still living – for now – after a B.C. Supreme Court decision quashed the new owners’ attempts to evict them. [CTV]

LABOUR

New protections coming for gig workers

What happened: Starting on September 3, the province is rolling out new protections for gig workers who are paid through ride and food delivery apps like Uber and DoorDash. The regulations are the first of their kind in Canada, according to the province. 

• These include a minimum wage of $20.88 per hour for “engaged time,” (the time from when a worker accepts the assignment to when it’s completed), WorkSafeBC coverage, and protection of tips collected. 

These minimum pay standards are not applied to time spent waiting between gigs, according to CTV.

Gig worker’s perspective: “Ultimately it’s a step in the right direction,” Brendan Nagel, a bike delivery rider based in Vancouver, told Vancity Lookout. 

• Nagel said the economics of riding for delivery apps has gotten substantially worse since he started riding for Foodora in 2017.  

“It’s not what it used to be,” Nagel said, explaining that if he wanted to make supplemental income in the past, food delivery was a sure way to do it. 

“If I knew rent was coming up, and I [realized] I need $500 this week, [I could] just turn on the apps and I could almost guarantee that I would make that money,” Nagel said. 

• Now, with low-ball offers from UberEats and DoorDash, and constantly changing payment matrixes, Nagel feels like riding for these companies is often a waste of time, based on his expenses and the small amount of money he can make.  

Nagel added that while he and his fellow riders are excited about the new rules, they’ve got to see the impact to believe it will make a difference. 

In 2022, Statistics Canada found that over half of the 1 million self-employed workers in Canada lacked access to the full benefits of self-employment, such as the ability to set their own work hours and prices.

The numbers: Robert Russo, a labour and employment law professor at UBC, estimated about 40,000 people in B.C. work for online service and delivery platforms, according to the Langara Voice. 

• B.C. government figures put that number slightly higher, at around 46,000. As of late last year, there are over 450,000 people in Canada who use digital platforms and apps as a source of income, according to Statistics Canada.

“These new worker protections represent a starting point in addressing the challenges associated with this relatively new way of working,” according to the province.

• Stats Can defines a “gig worker” as a form of employment where the worker does “short-term jobs or tasks which does not guarantee steady work and where the worker must take specific actions to stay employed.”

The new rules won’t apply to other types of gig work, such as freelance writing, dog walking, or music performances, according to Global. 

Pushback: In what probably isn’t a surprise to most people, companies – like Uber and Skip the Dishes – who are directly affected by the legislation are unhappy about the new rules.

Uber warned of “consequences to British Columbians” (ie. increased costs for their customers), while Skip the Dishes made a similar argument, calling the rules “government overregulation,” according to CBC. 

The multinational company (based in the Netherlands) that owns Skip broke even financially last year, while Uber, an American company, reported a net income of over $1 billion in 2023, according to the same article. 

THE AGENDA

👮 A man has been charged with second degree murder in the stabbing death of a Japanese chef last week in Strathcona. The victim’s friends and co-workers remember him as a positive, kind person and a talented musician. [CBC]

⚖️ A different man was sentenced to 12 years of prison time after pleading guilty to manslaughter for his role in a disturbing 2021 home invasion and robbery in Mount Pleasant that resulted in the death of the elderly woman who lived there. The other man involved in the plot also pled guilty to manslaughter and received a seven-year sentence. [Vancouver Sun] 

🧱 The brick repairs in Gastown’s Maple Tree Square are now complete, with the area reopened to pedestrians, cyclists, and micro mobility riders. However, the area will remain closed to car traffic as the city prepares the area for its Water Street Pedestrian Zone Pilot, which will officially begin in July. [COV]

📊 B.C. Premier David Eby is reiterating his call for more funding from Ottawa, accusing the federal government of giving “special treatment” to Quebec and Ontario to the detriment of western provinces. These days, political fights and announcements should certainly be viewed in the context of the upcoming provincial election this October. [City News]

💸 Several councillors from Metro Vancouver municipalities are calling for B.C.’s auditor general to investigate the escalating cost to build a new North Shore wastewater plant. Estimated costs for the “not optional” facility have grown from $700 million in 2018 to nearly $4 billion today, a nearly 450 per cent increase. [North Shore News, Vancouver Sun]   

🥵 Climate change impacts are disproportionately affecting unhoused people in the Downtown Eastside, according to a report from Union Gospel Mission and UBC. The report found toxic drug deaths increase during extreme heat and cold events. Researchers expect extreme weather will occur more frequently as the climate changes. [CBC]

🏕️ Having trouble finding a campsite for your B.C. vacation this summer? Well, it might be due in part to the fact that some reservation holders are trying to resell their spots at a profit. B.C. Parks cancelled reservations at Alice Lake and Porteau Cove, after a reddit user reposted an ad to that effect that came from Facebook Marketplace. [CBC, reddit]

🏌️🍻 The park board has announced they’ll now be selling alcohol at their Queen Elizabeth and Stanley Park pitch and putt courses. While not technically allowed, for years it’s been commonplace to see golfers carrying coolers and backpacks filled with beer on these courses. Much like their recent projects to allow alcohol on beaches and in parks, this strikes me as an alignment with what people already do, rather than a major change. Officially, outside alcohol is still not permitted. [Park Board]  

🎭 After SFU closed their Downtown Eastside-based Woodward’s Cultural Programs due to funding issues, the director of the non-profit board that oversaw the program is speaking out. Linda Johnston said SFU’s involvement with the board made fundraising for the program more difficult than it otherwise would have been. Now, Johnston is questioning whether the venues at SFU’s arts campus will still be affordable and accessible for local arts groups. [Stir]

WEEKEND GUIDE

Black and White and Everything In Between | On until early November | Vancouver Art Gallery | One of VAG’s newest exhibit showcasing the evolution of monochromatic art | GA $29 or book in advance for Free First Fridays 

Summer Movie Nights | šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza) | Every Thursday from July 4 – August 15 | Presented by Downtown Van, this is a free, family-friendly outdoor movie series. Activations and activities begin at 5PM and movie starts around 9PM (sundown) | Learn more [Sponsored]

Indigenous Summer Market | June 14-15, various times | Emily Carr University | Art school students and Indigenous vendors showcase and sell their work | Free

Theatresports | June 14-15, 9:30 pm | The Improv Centre (Granville Island) | Two teams of highly skilled improv comedians duel in a good-natured competition that will leave you wanting more | Tickets $34

‘Save the Wise’ Concert Series | June 14-15, 7 pm | The Wise Hall and Lounge | Come out for some local music and support the Wise in their efforts to keep the doors of this community hall open | Tickets $35 

Bark Park | June 15, noon | Bentall Centre | Join the pack at this event for good pups and silly dog lovers | RSVP or register for dog yoga ($25) or the canine fashion show (free)

Capilano Mall Foodie Fest | June 15-16, 11 am | Capilano Mall - West Parking Lot | Get ready for a delectable experience as this festival returns for its fourth and (they say) most delicious year yet | Free entry

BC Cider Festival | June 16, 1 pm | The Pipe Shop (North Vancouver) | The fifth annual tasting event will feature cideries from B.C., the Pacific Northwest, and abroad. | Tickets ($64) include samples and swag 

Museum of Anthropology | Reopening for this weekend, 10 am - 5 pm  | UBC | After an 18-month closure for upgrades to the building and its displays, MOA is back on the museum menu | Tickets $25

Vancouver Farmers Markets | Saturdays and Sundays until October, various times | Various locations | All the summer markets are now open for the season, with the False Creek and Downtown markets (mid-week) joining all your favourite weekend locations | Locations and hours + free entry 

Bard on the Beach | Now until September, various showtimes | Sen̓áḵw / Vanier Park | Catch adaptations of Twelfth Night and Hamlet in the evening this weekend at the much-loved annual Shakespeare fest | Tickets $30

Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Art | 639 Hornby Street | Daily | See the George Clutesi exhibit, honouring the work and legacy of the celebrated Tseshaht artist, writer, and actor. | Tickets $13 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A three-foot hot dog, fireworks, or a wasabi-fuelled run is just some of the fun coming down the pipe at the Nat this summer (plus, there’s baseball too 😂)

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• They’ve just opened a location at Knight and King Edward but this sinfully good donut shop is already planning a second location [VIA]

• How many times have you hiked the Grouse Grind? Whatever your total, this guy has more [Vancouver Sun]

• Check out this new contraption, fitting named the ‘pooper scooper’ [Park Board] 

• Ever wanted your own private B.C. Ferries ride without the crowds? If so, the ferry company’s chartering service has you covered. [Global]

Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

VANCOUVER WORDLE

Congratulations to Giselle, Jacquie, Tara, David, Sally, Kate, Steven and Krissy who all correctly guessed that Wednesday’s Vancouver Guesser was Everett Crowley Park, located on the site of a former garbage dump in the Killarney neighbourhood. Prior to development, it was a forest with a beautiful waterfall and a salmon-bearing creek. 

Despite everyone’s best laid plans, this word is unfortunately coming up a lot in the near future. Can you guess what it is?