Study shows potential of new SkyTrain line

Good morning,

Good to be back writing today’s newsletter! It’s been great having Nate and Dustin sub in for the last few editions, but it’s always wonderful getting to dig back into things after a break. 

But first, a mea culpa. You were probably wondering why Monday’s teased provincial election story wasn’t included. I removed it due to size constraints in the email but forgot to ask Dustin to change his introduction. My bad! So today I’ve included the full story for you to read. 

Let’s dive in!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

Editor’s note — On Wednesday the Planted Expo Vancouver event was listed as free. That’s only for kids, normal tickets start at $23 for one day. The Lookout apologizes for the error. 

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Wednesday: 15 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

Thursday: 16 🌡️ 11 | 🌤️

Friday: 19 🌡️ 12 | ☁️

ELECTION

BC NDP will go into this election with a non-united conservative flank

Written by Dustin Godfrey

What happened: BC United Leader Kevin Falcon confirmed Friday that there would be no cooperation between his party and the BC Conservatives going into this year’s provincial election — he also revealed that he had proposed a “non-competition framework” that was also shot down, according to Global.

• Talks have been loud in recent weeks about the two parties either merging or somehow collaborating to bring down the ruling BC NDP, but the merger talks collapsed, and it looks like they won’t be revived before the October election.

BC Conservatives polling ahead: All year, the BC Conservatives have held a comfortable lead over the BC United, with CityNews reporting a month ago on one poll even showing the party ahead of the BC NDP.

• The BC United, the former BC Liberal party that holds the second most seats in the legislature, has been in a distant third place, with pollster Mario Canseco writing last week for Glacier Media that his firm, Research Co., found the party in a tie with the BC Green Party.

What does it mean for the election? The BC NDP is still dominant in most polling, with 338Canada putting the odds of an outcome based on polling up to May 18 at most likely landing in an NDP majority (77%). The BC Conservatives are currently the most strongly positioned to overtake the NDP, with an 18% likelihood of forming a majority (both parties are at a one per cent likelihood of forming a minority government).

The BC Conservatives’ momentum: If the party keeps this movement going, they could well topple the BC NDP come October, marking the first time the party was in government since a Liberal-Conservative coalition government dissolved in 1952.

• But election time could bring some stumbling blocks for the party, including infighting between the two right-wing parties and the potential for the party’s culture war politics to turn off more centrist voters.

The infighting: It seems clear the two parties have some animosity for one another. In Global’s reporting, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad said his party was told before Christmas “to fuck off,” and that the BC United insisted it would dictate the terms in later talks.

• Falcon said no one “with any authority to negotiate on behalf of BC United has ever told the BC Conservatives to ‘Fuck off,’” according to Global.

It’s possible that the two conservative parties could expend considerable resources fighting one another, leaving them unable to capitalize off of the BC NDP’s slipping position in the polls.

The culture war: Rustad hasn’t shied away from debates about sexual orientation and gender identity matters in schools, as well as transgender healthcare and other transgender-related issues. As recently as last month, he introduced legislation that would effectively ban trans athletes from competing in publicly funded sports teams and events, according to Global.

• He also allied with the anti-SOGI march last September, used National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to compare SOGI education to residential schools, and took aim at SOGI with his first question period remarks as party leader in legislature.

Whether the public is aware of this stance remains to be seen, but given BC’s historical acceptance of the LGBTQ2S+ community, it could come back to bite the party in the election. And the BC NDP has already leaned on this — the question remains where the BC United will land on the issue, and just how much pressure they will face on it.

THE NORTHERN PITCH

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🎤 50 Cent: No, not a money amount, but rather the artist 50 Cent will be performing at the BC Lions home opener on June 15. [CTV]

🌲 2x: A new park announced for West Vancouver will be twice the size of Stanley Park. Parts of the new park sit south of Cypress Provincial Park. The entire area will become one of the largest protected park areas in the world that sits next to a major urban centre. [604Now]

🏒 11: Out of 25 of the Canucks players who participated in the Stanley Cup finals, there will be this many who will be pending free agents next year, including Filip Hronek, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. [Vancouver is Awesome]

TRANSPORTATION

Study shows potential of new SkyTrain line

What happened: A new study by the District of North Vancouver is showing that ridership on a SkyTrain system between the North Shore and Burnaby would dwarf that of the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, according to Urbanized. But don’t expect anything like that in the near future…

Background: If you’ve ever tried to get from the North Shore to Burnaby, you know how long it takes. TransLink’s plan is to create a transit route from the North Shore to Burnaby through a bus rapid transit route, from Park Royal to Metrotown, with a goal of completing it in 2027 according to North Shore News. That is assuming the project can get the required funding. 

Study: The analysis showed that the SkyTrain would get people from Park Royal in West Vancouver to Metrotown in Burnaby in about 23 minutes, with 120,000 boardings per day. BRT will take around 58 minutes with 41,000 boardings per day, while an alternative street-level LRT would take 47 minutes with around 100,000 boardings per day.

In Vancouver, the Broadway Subway will see between 135,000-150,000 riders in its first year of operation, according to Urbanized. The numbers cited above for the North Shore route are based on numbers in 2050. For comparison, the Broadway Subway will have between 167,000-191,000 riders by 2045, assuming the UBC extension gets built.  

• According to TransLink, BRT is a “high-frequency rapid transit service with dedicated bus lanes and rail-like stations.” High capacity buses are used, mimicking a rail system with real-time info of travel times and convenient boarding. 

Costs: The bus rapid transit system already planned will cost around $250 million to $300 million.

• The study also looked at replacements for the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge which could include more multimodal options. 

Zoom out: The BRT system connecting the North Shore to Burnaby is part of three new rapid transit corridors planned by TransLink, the other two connecting Surrey to Whiterock and Langley to Haney Place Corridor in Maple Ridge

• These systems matter greatly as they connect different communities, allowing people to move around and commute more easily. 

What it means: There are no plans to do this, so don’t expect it anytime soon. When a council commissions this type of study, in this case North Vancouver, it can serve a few different functions, including generating press, indicating a government’s policy preference without saying so, or putting pressure on other levels of government to act. It remains to be seen if this is a policy outcome that the North Shore would push for collectively, considering the cost of such a project. 

DREAM HOME

As someone who scrolls through Realtor.ca far too often, you start to notice trends. And one thing I’m seeing is more two-bedroom and smaller units on the market at lower than historical prices.

With 826 square feet and two bedrooms, this unit has a lot going for it. A nicely sized kitchen with plenty of space, a living room fireplace, a spacious bedroom and the best part, a small solarium. 

This two-bedroom isn’t the cheapest, but it’s also not outrageously expensive…

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

⚽ Over 1,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Whitecaps to refund tickets for the Miami game after it was announced Lionel Messi would not be participating. The Whitecaps offered fans free tickets, while the team lost to Inter Miami 2-1. [CTV]

🧑‍💻 The one challenge holding back Vancouver’s tech sector is, you guessed it, how expensive it is to live in the city. A city like San Francisco is a place where workers can absorb the higher costs because salaries pay better. Not so much in Vancouver. [Daily Hive]

🏞️ A company with lots of extra money? You may be able to name a park. The city announced it will use naming rights for assets owned by the city and park board as a way to generate more revenue for the city. The mayor said it could raise up to $100 million a year. [Vancouver Sun]

⚡ Some people were without power Tuesday morning due to a four-car crash at the 800 Block of West 12th Ave. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🚇 The Broadway Subway Project delays aren’t just annoying for riders, it’s causing problems for businesses. The recent delay from 2026 to the fall of 2027 will impact business owners along the line, many of whom are dealing with lower revenue due to construction. [CityNews]

🏢 NIMBYs won’t like this. There are two new towers proposed for Kitsilano, as part of the Broadway Plan that will see large new developments along the corridor. [Vancouver is Awesome]

📱 A vote on a motion to restrict cell phone use in Vancouver schools has been delayed again after there were not enough committee members present to vote on it.  A date has not been set for the new vote. [CityNews]

ARTS

Theatre

The famous Broadway musical Guys and Dolls at the Stanley Industrial Alliance is getting rave reviews and will be on until June 30. [Stir]

Music

The popular Khatsahlano street party is back on July 6 with a bunch of performers, like Uncle Strut, Hotel Mira and NADUH. [Straight]

Indigenous composers will be featured at the Vancouver Chamber Choir on June 8. [Stir]

The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra’s Global Soundscapes Festival will feature classical music from around the world from June 6-9. [Stir]

Movies 

Some great movies this week at Rio Theatre, including La Chimera, Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2, and Monkey Man.

It’s next Monday, but VIFF is showing Perfect Days, one of my favourite movies of last year, a humanist study of a bathroom cleaner, and a journey through Japan that’s a meditation on how to live a full life.  

Art

Fingerprint Gallery is featuring an exhibit called Painting for the After-Culture starting June 7 which focuses on Vancouver’s urban landscape using spray paint with an “innovative style of painting.”

The Vancouver Art Gallery’s latest exhibit is Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines, showcasing how artists have used the format for self-expression and to build community. As a big magazine fan, I’m really looking forward to seeing this. 

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

Sometimes as soon as the smell of a dish hits your nose, you know it’s something special. And that was the case with my latest visit to one of my favourite Italian restaurants, Fiorino. I’ll be sharing this dish later in June, so subscribe to our restaurant review newsletter to read the review. Subscribe instantly here.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Vancouver has some beautiful public art, with some you may not be aware are public art. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Ba Le, one of my favourite Banh Mi shops in Vancouver, is expanding to its third location at 3779 Rupert St. in June. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Elisa was named as the 20th-best steakhouse in the world. [World Best Steaks]

• Speaking of food, five popular local Vancouver chefs are sharing their favourite recipes as part of a promotion to encourage people to use induction stovetops. [B2Electrification]

• Is this the best Middle Eastern grocery store in Vancouver? 

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

GAME TIME

Can you guess today’s VancouverGuesser? Reply with the name of one of the streets featured and your name to be featured in Friday’s newsletter.