Social housing initiative

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. There are so many major decisions being made right now in Vancouver – along with everything else happening in the world – you’d be forgiven for not staying on top of all (or any) of them. 

But that’s where our service comes in. It’s my job to follow along with these major changes and plans as best I can and send up a flare when there’s an opportunity for Vancouverites to better understand or influence the direction of their city. 

Today is another one of those days. And there will be plenty more where that came from as we speed toward the end of the year, with more budget deliberations and big plans coming down the pipe for the Downtown Eastside.

Let’s get to it!

— 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

Friday: 9 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

Saturday: 10 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Sunday: 7 🌡️ 3 | 🌧️

Monday: 6 🌡️ 3 | 🌤️

HOUSING

The city’s new non-profit housing initiative could reshape Vancouver’s neighbourhoods

The SHI is going to public hearing next week on the evening of November 27th, starting at 6pm. You can sign up to speak at the meeting here. You can add yourself to the speakers’ list up to one hour before the hearing starts.

Vancouver is poised to transform its approach to regulating non-profit housing. The city’s Social Housing Initiative (SHI) would prezone select neighbourhoods all across Vancouver, outside of downtown, for non-profit housing. This could provide a boost for the financial viability of non-profit projects, while fundamentally altering where in the city these projects can be built. 

The idea behind prezoning is to shrink development timelines – it takes about a year off the permitting process according to the city – and save money, which can be particularly helpful to non-profits running projects on tight margins. It’s an approach the city has been favouring of late. Council recently approved a city-led rezoning of nearly 4,300 properties in the Broadway and Cambie Corridor plan areas.

“Definitionally with non-profit housing, there isn't a profit so everything [financially] is constantly on a knife edge,” Brendan Dawe, a real estate consultant and member of Abundant Housing Vancouver, told Vancity Lookout. 

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

15,000

That’s how many fans are expected at the Pacific Coliseum tonight to see the inaugural game between the PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent. The game is sold out, but a handful of tickets are available on resale websites. Read more. [Globe and Mail] 

THE AGENDA

🛟 The Vancouver Aquatic Centre is slated to reopen following repairs necessary after part of the concrete ceiling fell into the pool. Construction on a new Vancouver Aquatic Centre is scheduled to begin next year. Read more. [City of Vancouver]

💩 Metro Vancouver councillors from five municipalities are calling on the premier to reject Richmond’s liquid waste management plan, saying that the plan was made without proper consultations of neighbouring cities, and highlighting the $3.8 billion price tag. Read more. [City News]

🚢 Interim CEO of Hullo Ferries, Ryan Dermody, has been appointed to the position permanently. Prior to that, Dermody was president of Terminal Norcan in Quebec, vice president of the Port of Montreal, and an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. Read more. [CHEK]

💰 The billionaire founder of fast fashion company Zara has purchased The Post office complex from QuadReal. The Post is the single largest office building in B.C., and with the property assessed at just under $1 billion, the transaction is expected to be one of the largest in the province’s history. Read more. [Daily Hive]

🏢 Speaking of offices, one local expert thinks the combination of U.S. restrictions on immigration and the use and development of new AI tools will increase demand for office space in Vancouver. Read more. [BIV]

👩‍⚕️ The Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Vancouver Coastal Health, and the Provincial Health Services Authority have reached a settlement agreement that will amend B.C.’s liver transplant guidelines to help Indigenous British Columbians overcome systemic barriers that can prevent them from being eligible recipients for liver transplant. B.C.’s three hospitals that perform liver transplants -- BC Children's, St. Paul's and Vancouver General -- are all located in Vancouver. Read more. [Vancouver Coastal Health]

⛄ It’s going to be cold next week, but it probably won’t snow. Read more. [Daily Hive]

🧖‍♀️ Victoria’s HAVN floating sauna is set to expand to a second location at the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Read more. [CHEK]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

East Van Panto: West Van Story | York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr. | Nov. 19–Jan. 4, various times | Annual comedic holiday panto blending music, romance and Vancouver’s neighbourhood tensions | Tickets from $59

Bread Table: A History That Repeats Itself | Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver | Nov. 22, 1 pm | Outdoor installation exploring Ukrainian cultural memory, Holodomor history, storytelling and film | Tickets $25–$60

Eastside Flea Holiday Markets | Astorino’s Hall, 1739 Venables St. | Nov. 22–Dec. 14, Sat–Sun 11 am–5 pm | Weekend market with 50+ vendors offering handmade goods, vintage finds and artisan eats | Tickets $5

Stories of Salish Wool Dogs | Museum of Vancouver, 1100 Chestnut St. | Nov. 23, 1–3 pm | Indigenous knowledge event with film screening, panel discussion and cultural storytelling 

Emily Carr University’s Legendary Student Art Sale | Emily Carr University, 520 E 1st Ave. | Nov. 27–29, various times | Annual sale showcasing original art, ceramics, prints and design from emerging artists | Free

Emily Carr Student Art Sale & Indigenous Winter Market | Emily Carr University, 520 E 1st Ave | Nov. 27-29 | Annual sale featuring emerging artists’ work, including ceramics, prints, wearables and Indigenous art | Free

Heritage Hall Christmas Market | Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. | Nov. 29, 11 am–4 pm | Local vendor market with handmade gifts, door prizes and festive community shopping | Free

Japan Market Christmas 2025 | UBC Robson Square | Nov. 29–30, 10 am–5 pm | Japanese-style holiday market with 90 vendors, food offerings and cultural entertainment | Tickets

Got Craft Holiday Market | Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr. | Nov. 29–30, 10 am–5 pm | Large craft fair featuring 100 makers, workshops, swag bags and family activities | Tickets $5–$8

Vancouver Game Expo | Roundhouse Community Centre, Yaletown | Nov. 29, 12–7 pm | Interactive exhibition showcasing indie video games, vendors, demos and an evening afterparty | Tickets $6–$32

Toque Craft Fair | Western Front, 303 E 8th Ave. | Dec. 5, 5–9 pm; Dec. 6–7, 11 am–5 pm | Curated craft fair with textiles, ceramics, jewelry and homewares by BC artisans | By donation

Winter Market at Vanier Park | Vanier Park, Vancouver | Dec. 7, 12 pm | Outdoor seaside market with artisans, cultural venues, entertainment and cozy holiday treats | B donation

Free Spirit – Non-Alcoholic Tasting Event | Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. | Dec. 8, 6:30–8:30 pm | Tasting event with 50+ non-alcoholic drink makers from BC and beyond | Tickets $48

Good Stuff Market – Everything $50 or Less | Heritage Hall, Vancouver | Dec. 20–21, 12–6 pm | Affordable curated market offering handmade gifts, accessories, décor and stocking stuffers | Tickets $2

Submit your event and it could appear here and reach 30,000+ Vancouver locals

VANCITY EATS

Nero Tondo takes local to new extremes

We are republishing our review of Nero Tondo, which was announced as one of Air Canada’s best new restaurants of the year. Written by Geoff Sharpe and originally published in June of this year.

There is a flow to Nero Tondo, like a lapping of the Pacific Ocean. You give yourself up to the current, the restaurant’s energy, forgetting who’s around you, your worries, your problems.

For us, it started with the very first dish, a lightly complex dashi broth with seaweed from Haida Gwaii, and it ended with milky ice cream, slightly frozen and almost melting, infused with light honey. It’s a journey from British Columbia’s sea to the farm.

Opened in February by co-owners Devon Latte and Lucas Johnston, Nero Tondo is a small restaurant with big ambitions. Located at 1879 Powell St., it takes up the spot formerly occupied by Elephant. This area has quickly become one of the most concentrated areas or high-quality restaurants in the city. And in that sense, Nero Tondo fits in snugly.

To read this review and instantly subscribe to our restaurant review newsletter, click here.

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

A gorgeous shot of Sunset Beach, the West End, and the North Shore, pictured from the Burrard Street Bridge.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Congrats to Cambie, recently rated one of the coolest streets in the world. [CTV]

• With talk of a new SkyTrain rap anthem on the tracks, how about a classic battle with this early 2000s banger. Which MC are you backing for the SkyTrain crown? [YouTube]

• Two local drag queens are featured on the latest season of Canada’s Drag Race. [Vancouver Sun]

• You can fly from Vancouver to Japan for just over $300. See ya! [Vancouver is Awesome]

• UBC was ranked fifth highest in the world for sustainability in the QS World University Rankings. [Daily Hive]

• Aritzia is opening a new flagship store in what was once Nordstrom. [CBC]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Well done to all of you who knew last week’s Guesser was Lynn Creek. It’s truly a jewel of the region. In a bit of a changeup for today’s challenge, I’ll give you the location (it’s Trout Lake) and you give me the year.