Proposal to create city-owned housing developer ends in frustration

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. It feels like everyone knows someone (or many someones) who is sick right now. It’s a common season for illness with schools back in session and most gatherings moving inside with the colder, wetter weather. 

It might be trite and obvious, but it’s a good reminder to take care of yourself and people around you by frequently washing your hands, and covering your mouth to cough or sneeze, even if you feel healthy. And of course, stay home (and let employees stay home!) if you’re feeling sick. 

Anyone who’s gotten a COVID vaccine should be registered with the province, and will (or has already) receive a notification and link sometime in October or November to book a free COVID and/or flu shot. If you’re not registered but want to be, you can do that here. Again, trite and hopefully obvious, but immunizations are a safe and effective way to prevent serious illness caused by COVID and the flu.

Personally, to avoid sickness, I also find it helpful to get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, and take vitamin C if I feel the beginnings of a cold. 

With those routine reminders out of the way, let’s get to today’s story and events for your weekend!

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

Correction: In Wednesday’s Comment Corner, we made a mistake by saying that the wage increase negotiations in the BCGEU strike are over two years, rather than accurately indicating that those increases would apply for each year. Thanks to the eagle-eyed reader who pointed that out!

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: 11 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️ 

Saturday: 9 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Sunday: 8 🌡️ 4 | 🌧️

Monday: 7 🌡️ 2 | 🌧️

⚠️ Weather warning for strong winds and moderate rain on Friday

HOUSING

Proposal to create city-owned housing developer ends in frustration

Read the story online here.

A proposal to create a city-owned development company failed this week after city councillors failed to effectively negotiate the particulars of an idea they all generally supported. The plan would have created a government business enterprise (GBE), which would have received $8 million in start-up funding and six vacant city-owned sites to develop 4,000+ homes and generate revenue for the city. 

ABC Coun. Peter Meiszner characterized the breakdown as a “fundamental disagreement” between members of the ABC party and other city councillors about the purpose of the initiative, he said in a conversation with Vancity Lookout. However, during the council meeting, the key disagreements were over specifics like what the revenue would be spent on, and a lack of specifics about the proposed company. 

The plan was supported by Mayor Ken Sim and ABC, the majority party at City Hall that has consistently forwarded the idea of leveraging city-owned land to develop market rental housing and generate revenue for the city. ABC’s policies and directives, like the 2023 request for staff to come up with ideas to use city-owned land to “unlock the delivery of new middle-income housing,” led staff to come back with the concept of a city-owned development company.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

56%

The decline in missing middle housing builds — townhouses and mid-rise buildings — in Vancouver from 2018, falling from 2,300 to 1,002. Calgary built 15x more of these than Vancouver last year. The high cost of land makes smaller-scale projects less financially viable. Read more. [CBC]

THE AGENDA

🗳️ Vancouver city councillor Pete Fry still won’t say if he’s running for mayor, but his party has filled out the paperwork that would allow him to do so. Fry says he’ll probably make a decision in the new year. Read more. [City News]

☔ The City will be opening additional shelter spaces through Saturday to accommodate people who may be impacted by the heavy rain. Read more. [City of Vancouver] 

⛽ City Hall has reversed course on a requirement for gas stations and pay parking lots to install EV chargers or face a significant increase to their business license fees. According to city staff, who spoke anonymously to BIV, the change was made by new city manager Donny van Dyk, leading Pete Fry to question the influence of his past connections to the oil and gas industry. Read more. [BIV]

👮 B.C.’s police watchdog says a Vancouver police officer’s use of deadly force against a violent suspect threatening staff at the 7-Eleven at the corner of Robson and Hamilton streets in December 2024 was justified. Read more. [CBC]

📊 A new poll found that just over half of Metro Vancouver residents think Premier David Eby is doing a good job, and half think he should be re-elected. Read more. [City News]

🏗️ The saga around the proposed Beedie Chinatown condo development continued on Monday, with more than 200 people protesting at City Hall, where Beedie’s revised proposal appeared before the city’s development permit board. Community activists from Chinatown, representatives from the Vancouver Tenants Union, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, and former city councillor Jean Swanson protested and spoke before the board, which was not able to make a decision, as 40 people are still registered to speak. The meeting will reconvene in mid-November. Read more. [BIV]

🎨 Emily Carr University and The Narrow Group are proposing a renovation to the Granville Island building that used to be occupied by the university. The pitch calls for the building to be turned into an event, studio, and community space where the university could offer classes, workshops, and host performances. CMHC, which manages Granville Island, is currently reviewing proposals for the space. Read more. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🍿 Two spots we highlighted in our recent profile of Cambie Village businesses have announced they’re closing down. The 1940s-era single-screen Park Theatre, a long-time anchor in the area that was bought by Cineplex in 2013, is shutting down this Sunday. Nearby, Potluck Hawker Eatery closed last week. Plans are in the works for Potluck’s sister restaurant, Street Hawker on Main St., to open a new location in the former Potluck storefront this winter. [Vancity Lookout, CTV, Instagram]

🚓 The VPD arrested three individuals and seized over $300,000 worth of drugs, weapons and stolen goods from an SRO on Carrall Street, following a weeks-long investigation. None of the individuals arrested were Downtown Eastside residents; all are alleged to be connected to organized crime. Read more. [Black Press]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Amour, acide et noix (Love, Acid and Nuts) | Vancouver Playhouse – 600 Hamilton St | Oct. 24–25, 8 pm | Daniel Léveillé’s contemporary dance work set to Vivaldi and pop music | Tickets $40

Vancouver Comic & Toy Show #28 | PNE Forum – 2901 East Hastings St | Oct. 25–26, 11 am–5 pm | 400+ tables of comics, toys, art, and collectibles in 45,000 sq. ft. of pop-culture fun | $Tickets $12

VMS Fall Mushroom Show | VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5251 Oak St | Oct. 26, 10 am–5 pm | Annual fungi festival with exhibits, kids activities, and mushroom displays | $5 / Free under 12

Fall Pop-Up Market – Hosted by Madeinthe604 | Heritage Hall – 3102 Main St | Oct. 25–26, 11 am–5 pm | 50+ local makers selling handmade art, crafts, and cozy fall treats; dog-friendly | Free

Halloween Spooktacular | Granville Island | Oct. 26 | A family-friendly Halloween celebration with costumes, games, and activities for all ages | Free

44th Annual Fall Mushroom Show | Floral Hall – VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5251 Oak St | Oct. 26, 10 am–5 pm | Exhibits, art, vendors, and contests celebrating fungi and mushroom education | Tickets $5

Halloween on The Drive | Commercial Drive | Oct. 31, 3:30–5:30 pm | Trick-or-treat along The Drive with local shops offering treats for kids in costume | Free

Main Street Safe Trick or Treat | Main Street, Mount Pleasant | Oct. 31, 3–6 pm | Candy giveaways, kids’ performances, and face painting along Main Street’s local shops | Free

Man Up Halloween: MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR | The Birdhouse, 44 W. 4th Ave. | Nov. 1, 9 pm | Undead disco drag because disco never dies! | Tickets $16

Vision Zero Vancouver Presents: Life After Cars | SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 W Hastings St. | Nov. 8, 6:30 pm | A discussion with The War on Cars podcasts hosts Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear about their new book! | Tickets $35

2025 Eastside Culture Crawl | Eastside Arts District | Nov. 20–21, 5–10 pm; Nov. 22–23, 11 am–6 pm | Four-day open studios with 500+ artists, galleries, and crafts | Free

Submit your event and it could appear here and reach 29,00+ Vancouver locals

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Don’t call it a pop-up: Dual usage gives Vancouver bar and restaurant owners a leg up

By Sarah Harowitz.

By day, the space at 213 Carrall Street is a hopping brunch restaurant — one of Vancouver’s most popular, in fact. 

Located at Gastown’s busiest intersection, Twisted Fork serves up cozy, comforting dishes such as baked eggs with smoked gouda and bacon; asiago scones with house-made jam; and shakshuka with eggplant, cucumber salad, and corn salsa. 

By night, though, 213 Carrall Street transforms into something else entirely. Come 6 pm, a “classy but trashy” wine and snack bar takes over the space. Don’t call it a pop-up, though: Breeze Bar is its own permanent business. It just so happens to be located in the same space as Twisted Fork.

Read the story

PHOTO OF THE DAY

It’s mushroom season! Pretty to look at, but important to avoid for fungal novices like me and my dog.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Nero Tondo was recently recognized by the Michelin Guide. You can read our review of it here.

• Here’s a touching Q/A about VIFF. [Straight]

• Here’s how to book cheap-ish tickets to Europe from YVR. [VIA]

• A new seafood restaurant is opening in Chinatown, from the folks who brought us the Michelin Guide-recommended Suyo. [VIA]

• Former Pacific Centre Apple Store employee Sam Sung changed his name to avoid being linked to the internet joke that briefly made him famous. [MacRumors]

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Well done to all of you who knew all about the West End’s best little thrift store! Today’s Guesser is one of the properties that the city was looking to develop with its ill-fated development company. Can you tell me what kind of service they currently offer here?