FIFA preparations

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. I’ll keep it brief because we have a huge issue for you below. It’s an exciting time for us here at the Lookout. We’ve been hitting the ground hard, talking to people all over the city, and getting more access to people in positions of power and influence. 

We feel like that hard work has been paying off with our in-depth stories about the decisions and trends that shape our city. And we feel that support from you all, as readers continue to support us with your attention and financial contributions. It’s been a great past few months for us here, and we can’t wait to keep evolving in 2026.

With that, let’s get to today’s stories. 

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

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

Wednesday: 9 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Thursday: 8 🌡️ 6 | ☁️

Friday: 8 🌡️ 6 | 🌧️

⚠️ Rainfall warning until Wednesday evening due to an atmospheric river. Read more.

WORLD CUP 2026

Vancouver hits the gas on FIFA preparations

Read the story online here.

Vancouver’s host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup provided a first look at the nearly completed training venue at Killarney Park on Monday.

One of two official training venues, the project is more than 95 per cent complete, “on budget and ahead of schedule,” Park Board Director of Planning Tiina Mack said at the news conference. 

The city has shifted into high gear as it quickly approaches the six-month mark before Vancouver becomes one of 16 host cities across three countries for the massive tournament. 

Mayor Ken Sim, Vancouver Host Committee Lead Jessie Adcock, and other city officials were in Washington D.C. on Friday for the main FIFA draw to learn which countries would be playing in Vancouver next June. 

“As the draw unfolded, you could feel the energy rise throughout the entire thing. And then once teams were named, that was it. It was go time … it's quite something to be a part of that,” Adcock said at Monday’s news conference at Killarney Community Centre. 

“I'm jealous looking at this facility, because it's amazing and not what we had as players,” said Carl Valentine, who was a star player for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Vancouver 86ers, and the Canadian Men’s National Team from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. 

“When I came over to Vancouver to play for the Whitecaps we trained at Empire Stadium. We had turf there, or what people thought was turf, but I think it was some paint that was put on concrete, because it was pretty bad,” Valentine joked, adding that he also trained near Templeton High School in Grandview-Woodland, which was not great either.

Adcock described the work at Killarney Park as an example of “layered on legacy,” for the South Vancouver neighbourhood that builds on the investments there for the 2010 Olympics.

For the Olympics, the city spent $15 million to build a new Killarney ice rink that now serves the community. In contrast, the FIFA training site will cost about $24 million, and lasting upgrades, like new field lights, electronic utility upgrades, and improved drainage and irrigation – while surely welcome improvements compared to soccer facilities of decades past – are comparatively minor. 

Portable player locker rooms and news conference spaces will be removed after the tournament, while the specialty high-performance grass that’s been installed will be replaced with synthetic turf in the next few years, Mack said. 

The city had initially planned to build an additional temporary training site at Memorial South Park for FIFA, but that plan was scrapped early this year – just as construction was scheduled to begin – due to resident pushback and an agreement to use the National Soccer Development Centre in UBC instead.

Mack noted the park board’s “sincere appreciation to the Killarney Park users for their patience and understanding over the past year,” during construction, as well as the support from the Killarney Community Center Association.

Meanwhile, the Squamish Nation has earmarked a “substantial percentage” of its FIFA funding toward building a new outdoor field facility, which is still in early planning stages. “We are extremely excited about this initiative and the lasting benefits it will bring to our community, especially to our youth,” said Tewanee Joseph, who is the CEO of the Squamish Nation’s Major Sports, Entertainment, and Marquee Events Secretariat. 

As government partners, the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations each received $6 million in FIFA funding from the province.  

Coordinating with local businesses and organizations

For Councillor Rebecca Bligh, there’s more work that needs to be done to figure out the best way for Vancouver to host the many visitors coming to the city next summer.

Bligh held a meeting last Friday with businesses and local organizations that want more coordination with the city and information on how they’ll be supported during the tournament. 

“I think what they're looking for is a cross-functional roundtable, particularly around what happens in nightclubs and bars around sporting events,” and how organizations will be supported if and when there’s an increased demand for their services, Bligh said.

“One of the issues that we hear about is increases in gender-based violence and violence in general,” around this sort of major event, Bligh said.

Bligh wants to see the city “provide resources and education” for establishments, particularly where people are drinking, to predict and respond to violent incidents, while also coordinating with frontline services like Atira, Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and Battered Women’s Support Services that support at-risk women and gender-diverse people. 

There is also a need for an ambassador program like the one that existed during the Olympics, co-ordinated through community policing centres and business improvement associations, that can help visitors with wayfinding and public information, Bligh said. 

Bligh plans to bring forward a motion in late January or early February to advance formal coordination between the city and local organizations that will interact with the influx of visitors during FIFA. 

You don’t throw a party to make money

Zooming out to compare Vancouver to other recent World Cup hosts, Vancouver and Canada’s costs are significantly lower than those of previous hosts such as South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, according to Simon Kuper, author of Soccernomics. 

U.S. and Canadian hosts, including Vancouver, are in a “very good place” financially compared to countries like Brazil and South Africa, Kuper told Vancity Lookout, because most 2026 host cities are able to use existing stadiums and surrounding infrastructure. 

In June, the city projected its direct costs for hosting to be between $261 and $281 million, which could also increase due to “various factors outside the city’s control,” stated a city press release at the time. The city expects to eventually offset most of those costs through revenues – primarily sourced through a temporary tax on short-term accommodations, in effect from 2023 to 2030. 

In terms of the legacy of FIFA, the province and tourism advocacy group Destination BC is projecting over $1 billion in additional tourism spending in Greater Vancouver in the five years following the World Cup. “I have quite a bit of confidence in the Destination BC’s predictions,” Adcock told Vancity Lookout, explaining the projections are based on visitor behaviour patterns following the 2010 Olympics.

Vancouver’s host committee is also trying create an operational legacy where the “massive group project” of FIFA planning will strengthen how different levels of government, security agencies, and local industry work together in the future, Adcock said.  

However, Kuper takes a more cynical view. “This economic talk is bogus. No serious economists believe it … This is not going to benefit Vancouver economically, but that's not how we should be thinking about it,” he said. “You've got to understand it as a party. You don't throw a party because you want to make money out of it. You throw a party because you know it will make you happy and your friends happy.” 

Hosting FIFA should be seen as a “social bonus” that brings locals together, he added.

Getting involved 

For those trying to get tickets to the games, there are several opportunities. Fans can apply directly to FIFA for tickets through its random selection draw from December 11 until January 13, while resale tickets will be available for purchase on its platform starting on December 15. Those options require users to make a FIFA ID. 

Tickets to Canada’s first game in Vancouver versus Qatar are currently reselling on secondary sites like Stubhub in the price range of $800 to $4,700 per ticket. The cheapest resale ticket currently for any game at BC Place is just under $400. 

Meanwhile, the city is holding a draw for 26 pairs of tickets for anyone who contributes $26 or more to Level the Field – a charity that supports amateur sports access for equity-seeking groups. Members of CanadaRED, Canada Soccer’s fan engagement program, will get special access to a draw for tickets to a Team Canada game, starting December 11. 

For those who can’t afford or aren’t lucky enough to get match tickets, the city plans to host a free fan festival at the PNE during FIFA, centred around the new PNE Amphitheatre, with capacity for at least 25,000 visitors per day. 

Additionally, the Squamish Nation will host 16 public watch parties, with youth soccer, entertainment and activities. “We're inviting all people to come to our community,” Joseph said. 

As the calendar turns to 2026 the preparations around FIFA will only intensify, like the nervous party host bustling around before people arrive, as city officials refine budgets and logistics, hotels and short-term accommodations book up, and hub venues like BC Place, the PNE, and Killarney get finished and decorated in preparation for the arrival of our guests.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

7
The number of bylaws the city is changing temporarily as part of the upcoming World Cup. This includes larger fines, reduced time for businesses to remove graffiti, and the removal of unauthorized signage that violates FIFA trademarks. Laura Macintyre, a staff lawyer with Pivot Legal Society, says there are lots of grey areas in how these bylaws could be applied. [The Tyee]

THE AGENDA

📉 Renters rejoice because Vancouver’s rental prices continue to fall. In November, rents hit the lowest rate in over three years, with a 1.8 per cent drop compared to October. The average rent for a one-bedroom fell to $2,407. Read more. [Urbanized]

🏠 Also, home buyers rejoice because home prices are expected to decline in 2026, as inventory continues to increase while buyers remain overly cautious. Prices are expected to fall by 3.5 per cent year-over-year in the last three months of next year, for an average price of $1.14 million in the Greater Vancouver Area. Read more. [CTV]

🍕Can a lawsuit be delicious? Metro Vancouver pizza chains Freshslice, HellCrust and Yummy Slice are all involved in a lawsuit, after the owner of Freshslice alleged the former franchisees broke their contracts after setting up pizza shops of their own. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🗳️ Tom Digby was appointed as the Park Board Chair in 2026 and will serve alongside Brennan Bastyovanszky as Vice Board Chair, while Laura Christensen and Scott Jensen will chair the Board Committee. It’s part of a pattern where these four commissioners have been successful in shutting the three ABC party commissioners out of leadership and liaison roles, since ABC announced its intention to eliminate the park board. [Park Board, Vancity Lookout]

🏚️Any owners of abandoned buildings should take note of a new proposed bylaw. It would hold owners accountable for maintaining their property. This came after a heritage building had to be demolished after a developer allowed it to become dilapidated. Staff say there are around 50 properties that could be improved. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🏢 Broadway and Granville could see another major new tower as part of the Broadway Plan. Concord Pacific has submitted an application for a 35-storey mixed-use development, with 257 hotel and 172 strata residential units, along with a seniors centre and gathering place. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

👮 A man was arrested and has been charged with second-degree murder in the alleged homicide of a man in the Downtown Eastside two weeks ago.

🏒 Canucks fans have something to get more excited about as goalie Thatcher Demko could make his return this week. Here’s hoping he can stay healthy! Read more. [Vancouver is Awesome]

HOME OF THE WEEK

Those looking to dip their toes into the market might find a lot to like about this building. The one-bedroom unit has almost 600 square feet of living space, but it’s the building amenities that really stand out, with a pool, hot tub, gym and theatre room. It’s also located above International Village, if spooky malls with great food courts are your thing. 

Is this a steal? Hardly. But in this market, it’s not a bad price. 

THE VANCOUVER BRIEF

Housing policy denied: After six years of planning and engagement, the ABC majority on city council voted down the Social Housing Initiative (SHI), which would have allowed for medium to large-scale non-profit housing developments in nearly every neighbourhood outside the downtown peninsula.  

• Abundant Housing Vancouver (AHV) expressed its disappointment with the decision, saying it means “public dollars will continue to be wasted on red tape instead of going where it’s needed most: affordable housing,” according to AHV director Peter Waldkirch.

The political party TEAM for a Livable Vancouver came out in strong opposition to the SHI, saying the plan allowed for too much height and density in residential neighbourhoods and would be “cutting out residents’ voices” by not requiring public hearings in most cases.

Fifty-seven per cent of public comments on the SHI were negative in the city’s most recent phase of public engagement, which ABC councillors pointed to in rejecting the proposal.

DTES zoning changes: Over two hundred people signed up to speak about the city’s plan to radically alter housing policy in the Downtown Eastside/Oppenheimer District. 

The city is proposing to get rid of the area’s unique zoning rules, where, since 2014, new housing developments need to include 60 per cent social housing. The plan proposes replacing that with a 20 per cent social housing requirement and 80 per cent market rental, similar to other recent neighbourhood area plans. 

• Residents generally worry that the cost of living in neighbourhood will go up due to gentrification, Kabir Madan with the Carnegie Housing Project (CHP) told Vancity Lookout. Madan and the CHP have been organizing community information sessions about the proposal and are helping residents to speak at the public hearing.

There’s good reason for that concern, according to Patrick Condon, a UBC professor and urban design and planning expert. “The recommendations if implemented are likely to cause speculation, land value surge, and gentrification,” Condon said in a letter to city council, adding that claims by the city to the contrary are demonstrably false.

Meanwhile, the nearby Strathcona Business Improvement Association came out in support of the proposal, calling it a “necessary and overdue evolution” for the neighbourhood, which will increase demand for “neighbourhood-serving retail, food services, and daily amenities,” according to executive director Vincent Kwan. 

Taking the free out of freedom: ABC councillors approved a new $10 no-refundable fee for general freedom of information (FOI) requests to the city. A report from staff said the fee was intended to discourage misuse of the system. FOI requests to the city increased by an estimated 32 per cent this year.

• “Charging Vancouverites for information that is rightfully theirs as taxpayers is wrong,” Canadian Association of Journalists president Brent Jolly said in a statement. “Penalizing everyone because some people allegedly misuse the system is not acceptable,” he added.

Report withdrawn: One item that didn’t come before council was a staff recommendation to disband nearly all of the city’s citizen advisory committees ten months ahead of schedule, in order for the city to save about $160,000 in costs and ease “capacity pressures” around the 2026 election, FIFA World Cup, and other public hearings. 

The report was withdrawn on Monday evening, the mayor’s press secretary Taylor Verall told Vancity Lookout. A city spokesperson said it was withdrawn “to allow additional time to review alternative approaches.” The idea had been strongly criticized by opposition parties and councillors. 

VANCOUVER ARTS GUIDE

Performance

It’s winter, and that means it's Nutcracker time. Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet is in town from Dec. 12-14 with multiple shows available at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Anyone who loves Little Women (and who doesn’t) will want to see Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women at the Granville Island Stage. We bring this up because there’s under a month left to see the show. Tickets start at $29.

The classic Jack and the Beanstalk is a comedy event/pantomime for everyone to enjoy. On now at Metro Theatre until Jan. 4, tickets are $53+.

Music

Five-time Grammy Award winner Caroline Shaw will be singing and playing the violin, along with other performers, at this year’s Music for the Winter Solstice. On Dec. 10-11 at Heritage Hall. Tickets are $25+.

Those looking for Christmas music should add the B3 Kings, a Canadian male quartet, to their list of winter events. It’s on at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts from Dec. 18-20. 

And rounding out the Christmas music is the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Handel's Messiah, at the Orpheum Dec. 12-13.

Movies

Cinemateque is showcasing In Dreams: A David Lynch Retrospective throughout December, with some of the director’s most famous movies, including Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune and more. 

All movie lovers need to see The Secret Agent, a Brazilian film garnering huge accolades for Wagner Moura over at VIFF. For kids, you can catch the magic of Fantasia. 

Want to see your event here? Submit them to our event calendar.

Submit your event and it could appear here and reach 28,000+ Vancouver locals.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Powell Street is getting a new Korean restaurant. [Scout]

• The popular Park Theatre is reopening! [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Krispy Kreme is opening its doors in Vancouver literally next week. [Daily Hive]

• Four out of the top five most giving cities, according to GoFundMe, are in B.C., including Vancouver. [Daily Hive]

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VANCOUVER NEWS QUIZ

Today’s Wordle is going to be the hottest ticket in town come next summer. Can you work out what it is?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A mural near Ontario Street and 2nd Avenue, in one of the main areas where the now-defunct Vancouver Mural Festival used to take place.