City council two votes

Good morning,

It was announced that the Vancouver PWHL team will be called the Goldeneyes. My honest opinion? I love it. The logo itself is really slick, and I suspect these sweaters are going to be popular.

I also love any reference, even if it’s not actually a reference, to one of my favourite Nintendo 64 games.

Today we’ve got Dustin Godfrey gracing out newsletter with an update from council on two votes pertaining to the Downtown Eastside, and how it illustrates the divide on council.

Let’s dive in.

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout founder and managing editor

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WEATHER

Friday: 9 🌡️ 4 | 🌧️

Saturday: 11 🌡️ 4 | ☁️

Sunday: 15 🌡️ 8 | ☁️

Monday: 13 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

CITY HALL

What two votes tell us about competing priorities at city hall

Story by Dustin Godfrey.

What happened: Policing and housing in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) illustrated the rift in Vancouver city council this week, as they approved funding for the Task Force Barrage, a police expansion in the area, before voting down a grant for housing security in the neighbourhood.

• The housing grant would have provided $1 million to the Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust (CLT) to acquire an SRO building in the neighbourhood and convert it to community ownership. 

Meanwhile, the $5-million boost to the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) initiative was just under a third of the overall increase to VPD spending approved this week.

Background: Council heard reports from numerous staff members about wide-ranging initiatives around the DTES this week, including on economic development, housing and public safety.

The CLT grant vote was supposed to happen on Tuesday, after council heard glowing reviews from DTES residents of community participation in the operation of housing of the effect of vacancy control in the neighbourhood in stabilizing housing for residents.

CLTs are co-operative organizations that would see the operations of housing governed by the community, rather than a more top-down structure like a non-profit, government or for-profit company. Staff pointed to examples in Toronto that have proven successful in keeping housing affordable and stable.

SRO Collaborative’s views: DTES residents spoke positively about the effect of vacancy control on single residency occupancy (SROs) that the city has put into place, after provincial legislation enabled it. Nicholas Umphery, a resident of the Empress Hotel, said he’s benefited from vacancy control.

• “I was renovicted twice within the same year,” he said of the time prior to vacancy control. And adding vacancy control, he said, has prevented more of those renovictions for landlords to rent out to wealthier residents.

But he noted the West Hotel is currently undergoing foreclosure proceedings, and the lender wants court-ordered vacant possession, which would see all of the tenants evicted. He said the CLT pilot would provide protections for tenants living in buildings owned by the community land trust.

Provincial responsibility: In council discussions, ABC councillors came out of the gate indicating they were not supportive of the grant.

Staff told council the ask was for approval of the grant with conditions in place. Particularly, the grant would not have been funded if the CLT was not able to find a building to buy, and it would have required evaluations about the market value of the building and the viability of the project.

ABC Coun. Peter Meiszner said he was concerned about the lack of information about which building would be bought by the CLT and about the city taking on what he says is a provincial responsibility.

• “I just feel like I don’t have the information and the due diligence to make a decision around putting this million dollars of city taxpayer money towards this model,” he said.

ABC councillors also said they were concerned about the city funding an SRO building, a type of housing that is not as suitable for living as self-contained apartments.

Council deliberations: Fry, however, said it was a modest investment — “the cost of a fancy ‘Vancouver’ sign on the waterfront’” — and one that would come with $2 million in funding from the federal government.

Maloney, however, said everyone in council would like to see more self-contained apartments, but noted SROs are what the city has in place right now to protect tenants from displacement and growing homelessness in the city.

The vote to approve the grant failed, with ABC councillors in opposition. 

Police funding boost: Wednesday’s standing committee meeting began with presentations by the VPD and Vancouver Fire Rescue Service (VFRS) making the case for budget adjustments for 2025, adding up to $4.6 million for VFRS and $17 million for the VPD.

The VPD’s biggest budget shortfall of $7.9 million was for various budget deficits, including overtime hours and increased staffing related to the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy. But the police force also sought an additional $5 million for Task Force Barrage, $2.2 million for fringe benefit increases and $1.9 million for increased policing around protests and demonstrations.

Task Force Barrage funding feud: VPD senior brass claimed the initiative has worked to reduce crime both in the DTES and outside of it. Chief Steve Rai acknowledged crime rates had been falling across Canada, but said Vancouver’s decrease was uniquely large.

Many DTES residents, however, have decried the initiative as targeting the city’s poorest residents for harassment.

“Quota or no quota, VPD sees expanded budgets to meet every type of crisis with further criminalization,” Molly Beatrice, with Police Oversight with Evidence and Research, told SFU student newspaper The Peak.

COPE Coun. Sean Orr said he’s concerned by the ballooning police budget in Vancouver, and that it could “defund Vancouver.” With finite resources, he said the city may be prevented from looking at the root causes of public disorder and crime and achieving real public safety.

But front and centre in council chambers on Wednesday was the way Task Force Barrage was funded. CTV reported earlier this year that the initiative was never approved by the police board for approval before it was announced by Mayor Ken Sim and the VPD in February, likely in violation of the Police Act.

“We need to be very clear that things are done by the book, in accordance with the Police Act. I do not feel that the deployment of this particular project, Barrage, met that threshold, and as such, I can’t validate this by voting for it,” Vancouver Greens Coun. Pete Fry said.

A question of politics?: Members of ABC accused other councillors of politicizing policing, saying the funding of Task Force Barrage was by the book, because it was going before council this week for approval.

Coun. Brian Montague, a former VPD spokesperson, said Sim is “probably the first mayor who truly supports public safety,” and Kirby-Yung went so far as to say there “are some councillors that don’t value public safety, or in terms of the policing aspect of it.”

• That drew a point of order, and Kirby-Yung withdrew the comment, rephrasing to say some councillors have supported defunding the police

But other councillors pushed back on the claims of politicization, with Orr noting that everything council does, as politicians, is inherently political. “That’s just the definition of our role,” he said.

All funding increases were approved by council, with Orr voting against all police funding increases and Fry and OneCity Coun. Lucy Maloney joining him to oppose the Task Force Barrage funding.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

400

That’s how many jobs could be cut at the City of Vancouver next year, in order to find the savings required to build the city’s operating budget without raising property taxes. There are no job cuts expected in the police or fire departments. Read more. [BIV]

THE AGENDA

🗳️ While we’re on the topic of the upcoming city budget, Mayor Ken Sim told the CBC he’s “proud” of the budget, particularly the increases to police and fire services. CBC noted that in order to fund these increases without raising property taxes, there are proposed cuts to the city’s Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability (a 14 per cent cut); Arts, Culture and Community Services (a 12 per cent cut); and Corporate Services (a 11 per cent cut) departments. Read more. [CBC]

🏪 On Wednesday, Council considered a series of motions about the Downtown Eastside, streamlining business permitting to reduce storefront vacancies, allocating $2 million in grant funding to operators of private SROs so they can update their buildings, and sending to public hearing a proposal to change zoning in the neighbourhood to allow more market housing and taller towers. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🍽️ The management of shuttered Chinatown dim sum staple Floata is speaking out about discussions with the city about their lease. Floata says it tried to initiate conversations about renewing its lease six months before the lease expired at the end of September, but an actual meeting with city staff didn’t take place until the end of August. In the meeting, city staff allegedly told restaurant management repeatedly that there was a “zero per cent chance” that their lease would be renewed. Read more. [Global BC]

⚡️ A new report produced for Metro Vancouver says that the lack of home charging options in condos and apartments across the region is a major deterrent to buying an electric vehicle. Half of strata residents, compared to just three per cent of single family homeowners, said they were unhappy with options for charging their EVs at home. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🏗️ Developers have submitted a rezoning application to more than double the number of purpose-built rental units included in the redevelopment of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. The new proposal includes 630 rental apartments, which would require increasing the number of storeys in two towers from the previously-approved 24 storeys and 26 storeys to 37 storeys and 39 storeys. Read more. [Daily Hive]

🏒 The new Vancouver PWHL team will be named the Goldeneyes, named after the aquatic bird you might recognize by its distinctive — you guessed it — golden eye. The team will play its first game on November 21 against the newly-named Seattle Torrent. Read more. [CBC]

🏒 Speaking of hockey, the Blackhawks beat the Canucks 5-2 on Wednesday. Read more. [TSN]

HISTORY

A happy birthday is in order for the Second Narrows/Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, celebrating its 100th anniversary today. The bridge first opened on Nov. 7, 1925.

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Garlands of Raga: Baithak Series | The Sanctuary, 949 W 49th Ave. | Nov. 8, 7–9:30 pm | Intimate Dhrupad recital featuring rare melodic frameworks, scholar-vocalist Arijit Mahalanabis, accompanied by pakhavaj and vocalists. Beginner-friendly with artist Q&A | Learn more [Sponsored']

Jade Music Fest 2025 | Granville Island, Vancouver | Nov. 5–8, 11 am–11 pm | Four-day Chinese-language music festival featuring 25+ artists, cross-cultural shows, and live performances themed “Mother Tongue, New Beats” | Free

Vancouver Asian Film Festival | Various locations + online | Nov. 6–16 | Canada’s oldest Asian film festival returns with 90+ films, panels, and workshops under the “Beyond Asian” theme | Tickets $15

Ballet BC presents TRILOGY | Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 630 Hamilton St. | Nov. 6–8, various times | Season opener featuring a world premiere by Sofia Nappi, Walerski’s SWAY, and Binyamini’s 50-dancer BOLERO X | Tickets $19–$144

GEE LEE | Fortune Sound Club, 147 E Pender St. | Nov. 7, 10 pm | North London artist blends UK dance, hip-hop, nu-jazz, and funk in a high-energy live show | Tickets $28

Nation Extreme Wrestling: ET Blows The Budget | The Wise, 1882 Adanac St. | Nov. 7, 8–10:30 pm | East Vancouver’s premier pro wrestling night featuring BC’s top talent and title matches | Tickets $19

Art Salon 2025 | Federation of Canadian Artists, 1241 Cartwright St. | Nov. 7–9, various times | Granville Island exhibition reviving the spirit of classic art salons with local artists’ works | Free

Clothing Swap | Steamworks Mount Pleasant, 2275 Main St. | Nov. 8, 11 am–1 pm | Sustainable community clothing exchange with drinks and local donations | Tickets $6

Black Strathcona Walking Tour and Storytelling | 209 Union St. | Nov. 8, 10 am–12:30 pm | Guided outdoor tour exploring the history and legacy of Vancouver’s historic Black community | Free

Stand Up Comedy – Jokes Please! | The RCC, 2114 West 4th Ave. | Nov. 8, 8–9:30 pm | Award-winning Kitsilano comedy show featuring top local and touring comedians | Tickets $18

VanCity Harmony + UBC A Cappella Retreat Show | Sandman Hotel Vancouver City Centre, 180 W Georgia St. | Nov. 9, 8 pm | Free collaborative concert and afterparty featuring Vancouver’s VanCity Harmony and UBC A Cappella | Free

Vancouver Art Gallery – Free First Friday Nights | Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St. | First Friday of every month, 4–8 pm | Explore rotating exhibitions at Western Canada’s largest public art museum during free evening admission | Free

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FROM THE ARCHIVE

Inside the stalled renewal of Britannia Centre

A master plan for the unique site was ambitious, but seven years later little tangible progress has been made and a key partner has distanced itself.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• BC Hydro is handing out $100 bill credits - here’s how to get yours. [Daily Hive]

• Emirates is holding a cabin crew hiring event in Vancouver on November 25. [Curiocity]

• It’s November, so it’s basically Christmas. Here’s a list of places where you can get your photo taken with Santa. [Vancouver Sun]

• Here’s some free and cheap things to do in Vancouver this month. [Daily Hive]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

VANCOUVER GUESSER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Is summer the most photogenic time for the city? I’d argue fall is, and this series of photos makes a strong case.