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Council acts to increase safety on streets
Plus, St. Paul’s Hospital is at the centre of drug use safety concerns
Geoff Sharpe
April 12, 2024
Sponsored by
Good morning,
This is completely unrelated to this newsletter but I finally purchased a pizza oven. And I have to say, if you enjoy pizza, then it’s worth every single penny. I used to make it in the oven with a pizza stone, but it’s just not the same. Happy to share my recommendation if you’re interested, just reply to this email.
Alright, enough with food, you’re here for the news! Today we’ve got a story on street safety news from city hall, and a story about drug use at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Let’s get to it!
– Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor
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WEATHER
Friday: 14 🌡️ 16 | 🌤️
Saturday: 16🌡️ 6 | 🌤️
Sunday: 14 🌡️ 6 | 🌤️
Monday: 12 🌡️ 3 | 🌤️
TRANSPORTATION
Council acts to increase safety on streets
What happened: After a week of attention over public safety when it comes to safe streets, council passed a motion to look at reducing speed limits on certain residential streets to 30 km/h, according to CityNews.
Background: The motion came from Coun. Pete Fry after an April Fool’s joke organized by Vision Zero Vancouver went viral, where people could pick up a foam brick and wave it at traffic to get them to stop on the busy Granville Island road entrance where the Seawall crosses, to raise awareness about pedestrian safety.
Breaking it down: The motion specifically asks council to look into the issue, and focuses on roads in residential areas that don’t have a centre line. The motion also asks the city to seek information from Victoria on their 30 km/h speed limit initiative.
The city was also directed to look at adding modal filters on designed Local Street Bikeways. These filters prevent cars from using the roads while still allowing bikes and other non-vehicle forms of transportation to go through the street, according to the Tyee.
Yes, but: Again, it’s worth reading the fine print. It asks the city to look into the issue, not specifically do something about it yet. That may change, but for now, it’s the status quo.
Over in Victoria: You may think of Vancouver as the bike capital, but Victoria has been implementing many designs to improve safety for both bikers and pedestrians. They’ve expanded their 30 km/h roads in many neighbourhoods throughout the city. Victoria has a goal of Vision Zero, to reduce all traffic fatalities and injuries on the roads to zero, according to CTV.
In other news: Residents on E 16th Ave between Main Street and Kingsway are dealing with multiple damaged vehicles along the street due to cars crashing into parked vehicles at high speed. Families are considering moving due to the speed of the road and the potential danger posed to their children, according to CityNews. There have been two dozen crashes around the area in the last five years. The city says there’s nothing they can do about the speeds because it’s a major road and they won’t install speed cameras.
Note: I would’ve included this story regardless, but for transparency, one of the people mentioned in the story about E 16th Ave is a good friend.
SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN VAN
Downtown Van releases 2024 State of Downtown Report
Downtown Van (BIA) has released their highly anticipated State of Downtown report, offering a comprehensive look into the downtown Vancouver core.
The 2024 edition showcases:
Insights into downtown retail corridor visits and retail spending
Information on visitor data in downtown Vancouver
Insights into transit boardings
Office and storefront vacancy rates
Downtown hotel occupancy rates
VANCOUVER NUMBERS
📉 76%: The percentage of Canadians who don’t own a home who say that owning one feels out of reach. [The Canadian Press]
❄️ 50 years: The last time that the snowpack was this low in BC. Currently it’s at 63 percent of normal measurements, compared to last year’s 88 percent. Usually by April 1, 95 percent of the snowpack will have accumulated. [CTV]
🧑🚒 34: The number of Vancouver firefighter deaths from cancer that were caused by work-related issues, since 2007. The city is spending $2.8 million to purchase new gear that is free of the chemicals that caused much of the cancer. [Vancouver is Awesome]
📈 1.68%: The increase in rental prices from March for a one-bedroom unit in Vancouver. The average price is now $2,376 per month. [Vancouver is Awesome]
THE AGENDA
👮 Police have charged three teens over a violent assault and kidnapping at an East Vancouver home last year. [CTV]
🍄 You might have to put that mushroom-based trip on hold… City council voted down a motion to regulate magic mushroom dispensaries 5-2, with the ABC Party voting against. Councillors voting against it noted that it’s a federal issue. The motion would’ve taken the same approach to regulations as cannabis shops back in 2015 when the city began regulating them, without federal approval. [CityNews]
🔥 The country looks to be in for another intense fire season. Wildfires, and the smoke that comes with them, are of particular concern in the west where much of the country is in at least a moderate state of drought. [CBC]
🎉 Is Vancouver still no-fun city? With eight days until the playoffs, there are currently no public viewing events set by the city for the Canucks, while many other Canadian cities with teams in the playoffs are planning them. It seems like the perfect opportunity for the mayor to shotgun a beer again! [Global]
🔎 You get an investigation, and you get an investigation… Unlike Oprah giving away cars, this isn’t as fun. Elections BC is investigating almost every major Vancouver political party, including Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC Party, the NPA, Vision Vancouver, Forward Together and Progress Vancouver, along with political parties in other cities, for possible fundraising and advertising violations. [Business in Vancouver]
⚖️ A man who crashed a car, injuring a man and killing their toddler, was acquitted of dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm. The man’s many instances of speeding and other driving violations were not admissible during the case, only sentencing, which did not occur since he wasn’t convicted. [CBC]
🚗 Wayve, a Microsoft-supported self-driving car company, is opening up a research centre in Vancouver. The software differs from other companies because it teaches itself to drive, rather than requiring rules to be programmed in. [Bloomberg]
👷 Unifor has filed applications to BC’s Labour Relations Board to conduct a vote at two Amazon processing facilities in Metro Vancouver, with the hopes of forming a union. [Unifor]
HEALTH
St. Paul’s Hospital at centre of drug use safety concerns
What happened: BC’s opposition party BC United is raising concerns that drug use at St. Paul’s Hospital is posing a danger to workers, including reports of drug trafficking, according to CBC.
At issue: One nurse told reporter Rob Shaw at Business in Vancouver that drug use is rampant in the hospital, as well as drug dealing. The union also says its members are getting sick from walking through fentanyl smoke, saying the workers are not being supported enough.
Yes, but: One addiction medicine physician told CBC that substance use at hospitals is not new. The nurses union also said they support harm reduction, but that it “should not come at the cost of harming a nurse or any other healthcare workers.” Health Minister Adrian Dix noted that hospitals have hired additional security to deal with these concerns.
Dig deeper: The hospital houses a peer-run overdose prevention site for injectable drugs, the first of its kind in BC. Back in 2022, the Vancouver Sun reported that the program had saved dozens of lives, with 90 overdoses reversed by nurses.
One of the challenges with the program seems to be around inhalation. The hospital does not have proper ventilation to support those using inhaled drugs, even though it’s the most popular form of drug use. So those users have to go to the roof, where one nurse told Business in Vancouver that much of the trafficking takes place.
EVENTS
Dance Dance Dance: Pop-Up Latin Dance Classes | Annex | April 12, 7 pm | Learn the Argentine Tango in this fun class, no experience necessary | Tickets $11
AMS Block Party | Nest Plaza | April 12, 5 pm-10 pm | The 16th annual block party, featuring music rap and EDM music, food trucks and drinks | Tickets $129 for non-UBC students
Chris Hadfield at Science World | April 12 | 3 pm | Hear from the famous astronaut, as he shares his insights on leadership | Tickets $75
Vaisakhi Festival | Punjabi Market Area, starting at Khalsa Diwan Temple | April 13, 11 am-5 pm | Come celebrate Vaisakhi at one of the biggest Sikh parades in the world | Free
Sakura Days Japan Fair at Vandusen | Vandusen Botanical Gardens | April 13-14 | Come celebrate all things Japan, with food, drinks, music and art | Tickets $20
BC Distilled Tasting Festival | Italian Cultural Centre | April 13, 6 pm-9 pm | Try some of the best distillers in BC, along with food | Tickets $75
Over the Ridge | Massey Theatre | April 13, 4 pm | A contemporary dance number exploring Vimy Ridge | Tickets $45
Slow Art Day | Evergreen Art Gallery | Take part in the worldwide event where people view art, but slowly, allowing you to experience art in a different way | Free
FOOD NEWS
🥐 We’ve started ranking croissants in Vancouver. First up is Batard Bakery. One reader said it was the best they’ve had in Vancouver. Me? Well, you’ll have to read to find out. (Insiders)
🎂 Speaking of pastries, Unni Pastries is worth a visit over in the West End for their brioche donuts.
🧋And finally, in a dessert-heavy section today, I enjoyed a tofu brown sugar dessert from the Philippines at this little hidden gem (and yes, I use the word hidden gem because that’s what it is, I promise!). (Insiders)
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COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Neighbours in North Vancouver have named a marmot that’s taken up residence in their hood. His name? Marty. [Vancouver Sun]
A new book explores the pressures around development, and how the city has changed, through watercolour paintings. [The Tyee]
Here’s a fun video comparing the price difference of public toilets in Japan and Vancouver. And if you enjoy that, I recommend the movie Perfect Day which builds in Japanese public toilets as part of its story. [YouTube]
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VANCOUVER WORDLE
Congrats to Kathleen, Devon, Favia and Adriana who correctly guessed the answer to the Vancouver Guesser was Third Beach. That was a tougher one, a few people got it wrong!
Today’s game is Vancouver Wordle. Can you guess the answer? Play it now.
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