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Community mobilizes to support family of slain man
People are stepping up, SRO costs are rising and the Canucks are… good?
Geoff Sharpe
March 29, 2023
Good morning,
Fun fact, Canada geese defecate every 12 minutes. I learned about it and now I need everyone to know.
It makes sense given the state of Vancouver’s streets during prime geese season...
As some readers informed me on Monday, yes I know spiders are good for the world. I don’t like them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate their value. I just don’t want to run into them!
No spiders in today’s newsletter, just the latest stories in Vancouver.
Let’s go!
PS - Apologies to readers, I included the wrong image in Monday’s newsletter. I promise this time there is a picture of a banana… barrier.
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WEATHER
Wednesday: 14 🌡️ 4 | 🌤
Thursday: 12 🌡️ 5 | 🌤
Friday: 8 🌡️ 4 | ❄️
VANCOUVER BY THE NUMBERS
🍷 2%: The one-year cap on the increase to the federal excise tax on alcohol. It was originally slated to increase by six percent and had faced public backlash for such a steep rise. [CTV]
🚎 4.15%: The expected TransLink property tax increase for 2023. It will cost people on average $15 more on their tax bill. [Urbanized]
🐦 5,900: The number of Canadian geese expected in Vancouver by 2025, up from 3,500 in 2016. [Vancouver is Awesome]
PUBLIC SAFETY
Unprovoked attack near Starbucks leaves one man dead
What happened: Paul Schmidt, 37, was stabbed outside Starbucks at Granville and Pender streets on Monday after a brief altercation with his attacker. He was rushed to the hospital and subsequently died, according to CBC. Paul was with his daughter while his wife was in the store.
It was reported yesterday that the confrontation was proceeded by Paul asking the man not to vape near his daughter, who he was holding at the time, according to the Vancouver Sun.
Police arrived within seconds of the attack. Inderdeep Singh Gosal has been charged with second-degree murder.
The cause: There was a brief altercation, but police believe it was random, according to CTV.
Chinatown’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society has launched a fundraiser for the victim’s family, according to Vancouver is Awesome. Paul left behind a small child and his wife. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to the family. As of this writing, $21,000 has been raised.
You can contribute to the crowdfunder here.
Politics: Politicians were already using Paul’s death to make political points, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre attacking the Liberals for banning hunting rifles while doing nothing about weapons like knives. The B.C. Liberals also raised the issue of public safety in the legislature.
Zoom out: There has been a rash of stabbings across major Canadian cities. According to a story by the National Post, two people died from stabbings just this week alone. Last week a 15-year-old was stabbed in Ajax, and another person was stabbed on transit in Toronto. A week ago three people were stabbed in Montreal, according to CBC. A high school student in Halifax was charged with attempted murder after a school stabbing, according to the Associated Press.
What’s next: Beyond these isolated incidents, federal, provincial and city politicians are focusing much of their commentary on rising crime. Mayor Ken Sim made safety a key part of his campaign last election, and the federal government said they are working on bail reform for repeat offenders, according to CTV.
QUOTE
“At this point we believe these were strangers, they did not know each other and had no prior interaction before the interaction occurred on the patio here of the Starbucks.” VPD spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison on the unprovoked knife attack that killed one man. [CTV]
HOUSING
SRO problems
The rising cost of SROs is putting increased pressure on Vancouver’s rental market.
What’s going on: SROs serve a critical function in the housing supply, a place that’s much more affordable than average rental units in Vancouver. On average, SROs cost $600 a month, according to CBC.
The problem: Like the rest of the housing market, SRO costs continue to rise, with many units being listed for $1,000 a month. Poor living conditions are rife throughout, with cockroaches and bed bugs reported at Grand Union Hotel, according to CBC. For many low-income people, this is the only option that they can afford, and even that is increasingly out of reach.
What they include: SROs have a single room, and shared facilities like washrooms and kitchens. There are two types — nonprofit managed or ones that offer shelter rates.
Background: In 2021, the city passed a law limiting SRO rental price increases in between tenancies. But a lawsuit overturned the decisions and the repeal is still before the courts, according to CBC. Premier Eby has promised to phase out problematic SROs and replace them with better housing, according to Global.
History lesson: Single-room residencies have historically been part of major cities housing stock and were a critical part of affordability in cities. Housing stock was much more flexible, with some estimates saying a third to a half of Americans at one point boarded or took in boarders, according to Bloomberg. In New York during the 1950s they accounted for 10 percent of housing, according to Governing.
But housing bylaws and societal norms slowly made it more difficult to build this type of housing, according to Bloomberg. Cities moved to ban many of these types of housing.
What’s next: Innovative approaches, such as a plan for Vancouver to purchase SRO units by seeking $1 billion in provincial and federal funding haven’t gone anywhere, according to the Vancouver Sun. It remains to be seen how quickly Premier David Eby will move to fix SROs.
DREAM HOME
Shaughnessy
Vancouver-affordable
Affordable? In a place like Shaughnessy? Of course not. But just north is a bachelor pad. It’s described as having a spacious sleeping area (nope) with lots of closet space (I think they mean sleeping area). It’s under $500,000 so I guess it’s affordable?
Kind of affordable
Well this is a first. There’s only one place within $500,000 to $1 million. Shaughnessy, why do you have to go break my heart like this?
And sadly the place is not much to write home about, though the one-bedroom is described as elevating your lifestyle. Hey, at least the patio is nice. And at this price, it won’t break the bank.
The “only in your dreams” home
Fun fact, there are 28 places worth more than $10 million in Shaughnessy, and this place is the most expensive.
Coming in at this price, this seven-bedroom, 11(!) bathroom building screams, “I have so much money I don’t know what to do with it except buy an expensive home.” Sit back and relax by the pool, the immaculate kitchen, dining room fit for a king and a patio bigger than most apartments. You may never want to leave.
THE AGENDA
🚨 Every woman who responded to a survey of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside tent encampment reported having been victims of sexual assault. [CTV]
🐻 Hair spray ban!? Sorry, I meant bear spray ban. Council voted to restrict its sale, with no one under 19 being able to purchase it and products needing to be in a secured area. [Global]
🏘️ In the coming years B.C. will need an additional 20,500 housing units to account for immigration, according to a new report by the BC Real Estate Association. [Urbanized]
🏒 Are the Canucks, gasp, good? Yes, or at least in the last 12 games. The team has gone 10-2 since March 3, which is good enough for second-best in the league since then… [TSN]
…Unfortunately, the team lost last night 6-5 in overtime against the Blues, snapping the team’s three-game winning streak. [Sportsnet]
🚗 Bad news, drivers. The Pattullo Bridge will be closed April 6 to April 11 at 5 am in both directions, to complete paving, and moving the seismic warning system. [Urbanized]
☕ The 25-cent charge on single-use cups will be gone as of May 1, after council voted to end the policy. [CBC]
💊 Surging demand for a diabetes drug Ozempic for non-Canadians has caused B.C. to limit sales. Why the surge? Because it helps with weight loss. [CBC]
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
A new comedy festival was approved by the Parks Board for Stanley Park and includes Bill Burr, Amy Schumer, and many others, from Sept. 15 to 17. [CTV]
A GoFundMe has been set up for businesses impacted by the fire at the 500 block of East Hastings in Vancouver. You can donate here. [Daily Hive]
Here are some of Vancouver’s most interesting and unique comedy shows. [Georgia Straight]
Your city needs you in the epic battle against… The geese. [Georgia Straight]
Why do burial plots in Metro Vancouver cost $70,000? Same reason why all property is expensive in Vancouver! [Daily Hive]
VANCOUVER FAVOURITES
Who’s got the best burgers in Vancouver?
Some days you want a salad. Other (most) days, you want a big juicy burger. So who has the best one in Vancouver? Vote below and share your favourites.
TOP PHOTO
Here’s the photo of the banana (barrier) I promised.
GAME TIME
Google Maps
Today’s VancouverGuesser is a popular spot in South Vancouver. Can you guess what it is? The first five people to correctly respond will be mtne
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