City parking officers to get body-worn cameras amid rise in violent incidents

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. I’m always so impressed by you all, our readers. Your thoughtful comments and feedback, fascinating ideas and insights for great local stories, and willingness to support us financially during these tough economic times are all to your credit. 

Hearing almost every day from readers in my inbox, or, increasingly, out in the world, is truly such a highlight. It really feels like we’re on an upward trajectory right now, where, as more people reach out to share their stories, the more we can use this space as a mirror to reflect back the experiences of our fellow Vancouverites. 

Geoff and I have been talking and are working on exciting new stories, formats, and collaborations that we can’t wait to share and show you all in the next few months! 

I’ll be away for the next 10 days or so for some scheduled time off, but please keep the messages coming – especially your story ideas and what you want to see covered in our community publication in the months ahead. 

Thanks, as always, to every single one of you. You are all part of creating neighbourhood-based news that’s by locals, for locals.

With that, let’s get to today’s edition!

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

Editor’s note: Last week, we mentioned that Pacific Theatre would pause programming at its longtime venue in South Granville. However, we incorrectly said the pause would be until December when, in fact, the programming pause will begin in December. Pacific Theatre will still be running a smaller fall season starting in September.

As always, you can send your tips, leads, and story ideas to Nate at [email protected].

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

WEATHER

Friday: 21 🌡️ 12 | 🌧️

Saturday: 21 🌡️ 13 | 🌧️

Sunday: 22 🌡️ 14 | 🌤️

Monday: 25 🌡️ 16 | 🌤️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

On my to-eat list: 20 menu items under $20? Described as classy and trashy? Hot dogs and caviar? While it could in fact be an Instagram fad, everything I’ve read about Breeze Bar at 210 Carrall St., which opened last fall, says otherwise. It’s now on my must-try list this summer.

What we’re watching: BC and Vancouver residents are making their feelings clear by not visiting America. In fact, travel to Washington from BC has dropped five months in a row. And why wouldn’t it? There’s so many better places in the region and our province to visit than America right now. Send your favourites and we may even feature them! [Vancouver Sun]

Japanese snacks: All credit to the team at Scout for catching this event, but it’s too good not post here. At this event on July 10, you’ll learn how to make Daifukumochi, a sticky rice mochi snack. Tickets will likely run out soon.

SAFETY

City parking officers to get body-worn cameras amid rise in violent incidents

What happened: The city is moving forward with a plan to have its parking enforcement officers wear body-worn cameras, in an effort to prevent abuse and assaults by the public. 

The use of cameras is “being assessed as a potential preventative measure to reduce rising incidents of violence against staff,” the city told Vancity Lookout. The cameras will be used as part of a six-month pilot project, according to city documents. 

Why?: Incidents of inappropriate public behaviour toward city staff are increasing in frequency, complexity, and intensity, according to a city presentation from late 2024. 

• Behaviours commonly experienced by city staff ranged from verbal aggression and intimidation to threats and physical violence. The report stated that these sorts of incidents have become regular occurrences.

Parking enforcement officers reported daily “verbal abuse or threats while on patrol,” with an officer being assaulted once every two weeks in 2023. The report noted that the frequency of assaults has increased since then. 

Warren Williams, president of a union representing parking enforcement officers, said he welcomes the initiative and believes it will begin with a small number of officers, according to BIV. 

The details: The city has given notice that it intends to enter into a contract with Axon Canada to “acquire services and supply” for the pilot project. The city won’t be charged a fee during the pilot project. However, the contract’s length and pricing can be changed by mutual agreement. 

• When reached for comment, the city could not provide a specific timeline for when the pilot would begin, telling Vancity Lookout they are still finalizing plans and will share more information in the “near future.”

Background check: Axon, a multinational technology and hardware company that creates products for law enforcement, already has a supply agreement for body-worn cameras with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), which began using Axon cameras in 2024 as part of a pilot project. The VPD is now expanding the program from 100 to 900 officers.  

• The city’s agreement with Axon to get cameras for parking enforcement staff is separate from the VPD contract; however, the city’s new agreement would be “leveraging on the current contract,” according to the notice.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

86

The number of active wildfires in B.C. right now, with 29 classified as ‘out of control’. Anyone planning to travel through or to Hope and Lytton should monitor the current fires in the area. [BC Wildfire Service]

THE AGENDA

🏨 Mayor Ken Sim said the city has provided the province with five options for city-owned sites where new supportive housing could be built. It’s the latest development in the city’s effort to move three current facilities—old hotels bought by the province during the pandemic—off the Granville Strip. With that step complete, the ball is now back in the province’s court. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon has said tenants won’t be moved until the new units are ready, a process that typically takes several years at minimum. [CityNews, Vancouver Sun, Vancity Lookout]

📉 Business owners in Punjabi Market, located around Main Street and 49th Avenue, say the South Asian commercial area is in decline, with fewer customers and online shopping taking a toll on shops in the area. At least two longtime retail stores plan to close in the coming months, with one owner saying the end is near for the distinct character of Punjabi Market. [CityNews] 

🛍️ The Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Vancouver is getting a rebrand, after the hotel and retail space were sold for an undisclosed amount. The luxury hotel, located in the lower portion of one of Vancouver’s tallest buildings, will be redesigned and begin operating under the Hyatt Hotels brand. [Vancouver Sun]

☕ What’s the right amount to tip for your morning coffee, and would the service be as good if you weren’t paying part of the barista’s wage? Cowdog Coffee, which has cafes on Oak and West 4th, is going against the cultural grain by not asking for tips and instead paying employees a living wage. But do most businesses, staff, and customers want to change the current arrangement that puts servers’ pay into the hands of patrons? [The Tyee]

🤔 The Tomahawk Restaurant in North Van – which will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year – has an uncertain future. Second-generation owner Chuck Chamberlain says there are no plans to shut down the restaurant/art gallery, despite the property being listed for sale last month. The listing has since been deleted, and Chamberlain has been coy about any plans to sell. [North Shore News]

Outside Vancouver 

⛴️ A pair of incidents on BC Ferries sailings last week are raising concerns about worker safety on board the transit vessels. On Saturday, a passenger allegedly attacked BC Ferries staff in the cafeteria after punching another employee on the vehicle deck, according to the Marine Workers Union. In an unrelated incident on Canada Day, a passenger was “erratically” driving their car on the vehicle deck while the vessel was still sailing and acting aggressively toward crew members, according to BC Ferries. Both people were arrested by police and face charges. [CityNews]

🚘 Uber drivers in Victoria now have a certified union, the first of its kind in Canada. This could set a new precedent for collective bargaining for app-based workers, according to the union. [Urbanized]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Greek Summer Fest on Boundary 2025 | 4541 Boundary Rd. | July 3–6 & July 10–13, 11 am | Greek food, music and dancing all day | Free

Deckchair Cinema | The Polygon Gallery, 101 Carrie Cates Crt., North Vancouver | Thursdays from July 3 to Aug. 28, screenings at sundown | Weekly outdoor films with music, drinks, and waterfront views | By donation

Greek Summer Fest on Boundary | 4541 Boundary Rd | Now until July 6, 11 am | Greek food, live music, cultural shows | Free

LindyBloom 2025 | Russian Hall, Strathcona | July 4–6 at 7 pm | Dance weekend with workshops, socials and live music | Tickets $205+

Khatsahlano Street Party 2025 | West 4th Avenue in Kits | July 5 at 11 am | Summer street party with music, art and vendors | Free

Vancouver Craft Beer and Wing Fest | 2901 E Hastings St. | July 12, 12 pm | 150+ breweries, food, cider and wine garden | Tickets $60+

Summer BAZA-Q Bash | Sunset Beach | July 12, 11 am | Food, games, music and outdoor good vibes | Free

Carnaval del Sol 2025 | Jonathan Rogers Park | July 12–13, 11 am | Latin music, food, soccer, art & dance | Tickets $15+

Summer Craft Fair | Granville Island | July 13, 11 am | Handmade items by kids at this family event | Free

Punchbowl Festival | PNE | July 26, 12 pm | Summer drinks, live music, and tacos | Tickets $31

BACH & MOZART: In Endless Ascent | Various venues, Vancouver | July 26–Aug. 8 | Classical festival blending Bach, Mozart, and modern works | Various prices

Pleasant Day Festival | Mount Pleasant | Aug. 9, 12 pm | Live music, patios, beer gardens, food trucks | Free

Want to see your event here? You can purchase them through our self-service portal here.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Family, country and history collide at Selene Aegean Bistro

By Sarah Harowitz

Brothers Yianni Kerasiotis and Petro Kerasiotis are becoming Vancouver’s princes of vibe. 

The duo’s restaurants are places to see and be seen: the cozy, just-walked-into-your-Greek-grandmother’s-house Nammos Estiatorio; the sexy, lively, dimly-lit Ama Raw Bar (stay tuned for an upcoming story on that one); the immersive indoor-outdoor Santorini feel of Loula’s Taverna; and, most recently, the airy, whimsical, coastal aesthetic at Selene Aegean Bistro. 

Each one is decidedly different, but together they represent a whole picture, a whole vision: serving delicious, authentic food in rooms that are equally as memorable—if not more so—as the menus.

With Selene, which opened in Hastings-Sunrise last October, the Kerasiotis brothers decided to explore a different part of their heritage.

Read the full story.

SPORTS

Canucks re-sign three key players, putting trust in current core

What happened: The Vancouver Canucks are keeping the band together. Earlier this week, the club locked up three key players with multi-year contracts, re-signing forwards Brock Boeser and Conor Garland, and goaltender Thatcher Demko. 

The deal no one saw coming: The most shocking and urgent of the deals was the one for Boeser, a fan favourite since he was drafted by the Canucks in 2015. Despite being a free agent, with as many as six other teams interested in signing him, Boeser and the Canucks were able to get a deal done on Canada Day. 

It was widely expected that Boeser and the Canucks would part ways this summer after the club couldn’t get a good offer for him at the trade deadline, and Boeser himself saying it was unlikely that he’d return. 

It’s very rare for a player to reach free agency only to re-sign with their previous club, but a last-minute phone call from the Canucks with a better offer gave Boeser the opportunity to stay. Now, he’s signed on to a seven-year contract that could see the 28-year-old play his entire career in blue and green. 

• “I had other guys in my ear, like [Conor Garland] and [Thatcher Demko], all those guys kind of pushing my buttons to come back. It obviously plays a big part to have such good friends and have belief within the guys in the room,” Boeser said, according to Daily Hive.

It’s a great outcome for Boeser (“The Flow,” as he’s affectionately known), his long-time teammates, and his many fans in the city. The big unknown is how the deal will look for the club in four or five years, but given their lack of scoring and thirst to win now, it’s a gamble worth taking. 

Crease confusion: Thatcher Demko is among Boeser’s good friends and teammates who were relieved to see him re-sign in Vancouver. Demko, who had one season left on his current contract, also signed a new contract on July 1, albeit only a three-year deal. 

However, it definitely feels like there’s a shoe (or skate in this case) still to drop. 

Demko is an above-average goalie in the NHL, and one of the best in the league when he’s on his game. Unfortunately, he’s also been very injury-prone, with serious injuries taking him out for big chunks of the past three seasons. 

• Last year, Canucks backup Kevin Lankinen was excellent filling in for the injured Demko, and was rewarded with a five-year contract of his own, at about half the price of Demko’s new deal. 

With Calder Cup MVP Arturs Silovs also patiently waiting in the Zamboni tunnel, the Canucks’ crease is looking crowded, and Demko would be tantalizing trade bait for a team in need of a great goalie to put them over the top (looking at you, Edmonton). 

The sizable return commanded by a Demko trade would also be a good way for the Canucks to acquire a top-six centre, something they’re desperately lacking at the moment. 

Last but not least: The most straightforward of the three big signings was getting Conor Garland on a new six-year deal. The diminutive forward has been a consistent offensive contributor for the Canucks, and plays with an intensity and drive that’s made him beloved by teammates, management, and fans alike. 

Keeping the 29-year-old American over the long term is a positive legacy of the controversial 2021 trade that brought him and the aging and highly-paid defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Vancouver. 

What it means: Overall, the signings indicate that management still believes in its current core players. That’s something that was seriously in doubt after the disastrous season they just endured, which included the forced trade of star forward JT Miller due to personality conflicts and head coach Rick Tochett’s decision to walk away from the club. 

However, by re-signing Boeser and Garland long term, the Canucks have committed to them as key cultural carriers and offensive contributors for what they hope will be a contending team over the next couple of years. 

VANCOUVER GUESSER

More than a few of you knew last week’s photo came from Hastings-Sunrise. The building in question, in the middle of Burrard View Park, was built in 1924 and has served as a palliative care hospice since 1999. 

For this week’s Guesser, can you tell me which neighbourhood this pair of popular baseball diamonds can be found in? 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Vancouver is getting another Vietnamese restaurant at 2141 Kingsway. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Congrats to Vancouver’s Metro Theatre in Marpole which is celebrating 60 years! [Vancouver Sun]

• If you’re looking for a fun trip to Bowen Island, here’s a great list of things to do. [Vancouver Sun]