Good news — Metro Vancouver reservoir levels return to normal

Good morning,

Today’s main story is something many of you ask for often: good news! It turns out the warnings about water levels at the reservoirs may not be as bad as feared. 

It’s a bit of a slower news day, so I’ve got some recommendations of places to check out in Gastown during the weekend, all vetted and approved by me. 

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 18 🌡️ 9 | 🌤️

Thursday: 21 🌡️ 11 | 🌤️

Friday: 25 🌡️ 15 | 🌤️

ENVIRONMENT

Good news about reservoir levels

It’s okay to hate how much rain Vancouver has got lately. But even though you’ve had fewer beach days, it’s actually really good news for the region.

What happened: After worries over how much water reservoirs would have in the early summer, the recent rain has helped refill them as the city heads into the warmer months, according to CityNews. 

• All reservoirs are back to normal levels, with the expectation that they will be at maximum levels by mid-June.

Background: In March there were rising concerns that drought conditions could be much worse due to the low snowpack, sitting at 39% of normal, according to North Shore News

The rain has also reduced the potential for fires in the area.

• Dig deeper: Author Tim Smedley’s book The Last Drop: Solving the World’s Water Crisis looks at what happens when countries run out of water, and innovative ways to solve it, according to The Tyee. You can read about his book here. 

Don’t expect much to change right now in terms of water restrictions. The city is still at Stage 1, which means limited watering set to only weekends depending on your residential address.

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🏠 650,000: The number of construction workers in Canada, which is at an all-time high in 2023. Unfortunately, that’s not helping with the housing crisis, as the number of housing starts fell to 240,300. [Urbanized]

📉 20%: The drop in home sales in Metro Vancouver in May. The number of homes listed in Metro Vancouver increased 46% year-over-year, which is now 20% higher than the 10-year seasonal average, but they just aren’t selling. Experts are calling it a surprise. [CityNews]

💰 $2 billion: The cost to build the Richmond Hospital. That’s an increase of $1.1 billion over the projected cost and follows a recent trend of big infrastructure projects running over budget. [Urbanized]

DREAM HOME

So is this the best unit available in Vancouver? Let’s take a look.

The cons? It has one bathroom.

Now let’s get into the pros — almost 1,000 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, recently renovated, a massive kitchen and, get this, an 800 square foot patio space.

Another pro? The price is just under $1 million. 

House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labeled as such. If you’re a realtor who wishes to feature your home in our newsletter, please contact our sales team.

THE AGENDA

🚍 TransLink is leaning on RapidBus as a way to improve transit service along key routes, without needing to spend on infrastructure upgrades. They’re also designed to reduce the overcrowding that the system is experiencing. But some municipality residents, like some in Burnaby, are pushing back against the expansion because it creates bus-only lanes, meaning fewer cars can use them. [Vancouver Sun]

🎤 If you’re looking for more insights on the transit system in Metro Vancouver, this interview with TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn is worth a read. [Urbanized]

🏗️ While things look bad now, city staff insist that Vancouver is on track to surpass BC’s mandated five-year housing targets. So far, only 1,607 units of the 5,202 target for this year. Staff cautioned that while they can approve the units, factors outside their control may stop them from being built. The Minister of Housing called on the city to increase the number of units on single-family lots and open up Shaughnessy to housing, amongst other things. [Vancouver is Awesome]

👎 One additional challenge to solving the housing crisis in Metro Vancouver? Developers are reticent to do any land deals lately. The key problem is rising costs around building supplies. [Western Investor]

🏢 The Safeway redevelopment at the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain Station is set to be even larger, assuming it’s approved by council. The developer has submitted a revision to increase the number of rental units, with the highest tower proposed to be 43 storeys. [Urbanized]

🔎 Certn, a company that does background searches on potential tenants for landlords in BC, is under investigation over whether they are following proper provisions and laws around data collection. The company boasts on their website that they do online automated checks. [Vancouver Sun]

🚶 The Seawall from Third Beach and Prospect Point will be closed until June 7 to deal with problems from the recent heavy rainfall. [Parks Board]

FOOD

Four under-the-radar food and drink spots in Gastown

All of these reviews are places that we’ve visited and reviewed. We don’t recommend places we have never personally tried.

We’ve spent a whole lot of time in Gastown lately. And why not? The area is set to be a summer destination and with so many restaurant and bar options, it should be considered a top spot to spend an afternoon or evening, even with the crowds of tourists (they’ll just end up at Spaghetti Factory). 

We’ve personally reviewed each of these places and can attest their worth your time. Enjoy!

Sadacci Cafe

What is it: A new cafe focused on creative espresso drinks.

Where is it: 8 E Cordova St.

Why visit: They’re focused on Persian-inspired drinks including creative espresso tonic drinks, the perfect way to ring in the summer. Try the Good Morning Gastown or grab one of their infused teas.

Bar Tartare

What is it: A natural wine bar located in the same spot as Birds & The Beets.

Where is it: 55 Powell St.

Why visit: Beyond the helpful approach to choosing wine, they rotate chefs each week, allowing you to sample different types of food. It’s a great concept and I can’t wait to return. From all the photos I see online, they also have a lively patio. 

Gastronomy Gastown

What is it: They say their menu focuses on modern-day Italian influences, but I recommend them entirely due to their pizza. 

Where is it: 62 E Cordova St.

Why visit: The. Pizza. It’s in the running for the best in the city, and with one bite, you’ll understand why. They’ve perfected the dough in a way that, as someone who enjoys cooking pizza, physically hurts because I know I’ll never come even close. I recommend the Big Pep Energy or the Princess and the Pea. 

Aiyaohno Cafe

What is it: A small cafe located on Carroll serving coffee and food.

Where is it: 425 Carrall St.

Why visit: Don’t let my simple description fool you. The husband-and-wife team is serving up some creative food and drinks. The unni butter udon is something I still think about. 

ARTS

Theatre

Comedian Marc Maron will be in town on June 21 at the Vogue Theatre. Tickets for the popular comedian start at $50. Personally I’m a fan of his work in the Netflix series Glow.

Continuing the comedy trend, Emmy award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby will be performing at the Orpheum Theatre on June 10. Tickets start at $63

Music

Vampire Weekend is playing at Deer Lake Park on June 18, with tickets starting at $75.

Ukrainian folk music ensemble Zeellia returns to Vancouver on June 7, with shows at the Clutch until June 9. [Stir]

The Chan Centre for Performing Arts has announced its shows for the 2024-25 season, with a diverse set of musical performances. 

Movies 

Two well-reviewed movies are on this week at VIFF. Evil Does Not Exist is by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi who directed the unforgettable Drive My Car and The Taste of Things is being called one of the greatest movies about food. 

Missed the Dune Movies? The Rio is showing them as a double feature on Saturday. 

In the coming weeks Cinematheque will be showcasing movies by Yorgos Lanthimos as part of the Greek International Film Festival, including Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster. 

Recommendation — I saw Furiosa this weekend. Not as adrenaline-inducing as Fury Road, the story builds on the mythology of the Max Max series, allowing George Miller to expand the world he built with a compelling and more personal story. 

Art

A new exhibit dubbed Creation Stories: Carrying Our Traditions Forward will open on June 19 at the Museum of Vancouver featuring emerging and known Indigenous artists. Tickets are $15

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• I’m a big bubble tea fan so this Bubble Tea Festival looks very intriguing.

• Subscribe to The Starglow Weekly to get the TLDR on all things purposeful parenting, help lessen screentime, and find that balance we're all seeking. [Sponsored]

• This new Northern Vietnamese restaurant on Cambie is serving up a different type of pho than you may be used to. (Members-only)  [Vancity Lookout]  

• Here’s a helpful map for anyone looking to attend Pride events in Vancouver from July 26-Aug. 4. [Straight]

• Congrats to the Vancouver Film School which was ranked among the best North American film schools. Not anytime soon, but I’d love to take a court there one day! [Vancouver Sun]

• Bad news for beach bums, this summer is expected to be wetter than usual. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• This organization is helping wheelchair users find new homes. [CBC]

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VANCOUVER GUESSER

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