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Good morning,

Well, we’re getting into the home stretch of the newsletter this week. Friday will be our last day publishing and then we’re taking a holiday break, returning Jan. 3.

Today we’re breaking down the biggest stories of the year here in Vancouver. We also want to hear from you about which ones you thought were the most important. We’ll share the results in Friday’s newsletter.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 8 🌡️ 6 | ☁️

Thursday: 7 🌡️ 4 | ☁️

Friday: 6 🌡️ 2 | 🌧️

CITY HALL

What were the biggest stories of 2023 in Vancouver?

With the year coming to an end, it’s worth taking stock of the stories that shaped our city in 2023. It was a big year, with hot-button issues that not only impacted us this year, but will shape the city in the years ahead.

At the bottom, you’ll find a poll where you can vote on the top story. We’ll share the results, along with some of the best answers in our final newsletter of the year on Friday. 

In Thursday’s Insider member-only newsletter, I’ll be sharing five issues that I believe will be the biggest and most consequential in 2024. Subscribe today for 40 percent off to support the Lookout and get exclusive content like this. 

In Thursday’s Insider member-only newsletter, I’ll be sharing five issues that I believe will be the biggest and most consequential in 2024. As a member, you’ll get it first thing on Thursday.

Encampment clearing

What happened: The city launched a massive sweep to remove the tent encampment that had established itself in the Downtown Eastside during the worst of COVID. Mayor Ken Sim claimed it was because of the potential fire dangers, while advocates argued it was purely political. 

The fallout continues today. Police point to data that says crime and safety have improved in the area after the eviction. Meanwhile, the police will have to deal with an investigation by BC’s Human Rights Commissioner who is looking into the police’s restrictions placed on journalists during the evictions. 

The toxic drug crisis

What happened: Similar to previous years, the toxic drug crisis has shown no signs of abating, and in fact, has only gotten worse, setting new records for deaths per month, with this year’s death count set to to be the highest yet, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. 

The issue of safe supply also returned to the public consciousness, with the arrest of the leaders of Drug User Liberation Front, which provided safe drugs to users who could not access them through normal channels. 

The police and public safety

Entwined in the encampment and drug crisis is the issue of the police and public safety. 

The Vancouver police are now the highest-paid force in the country, occupying an ever-increasing budget line item for the city’s strapped finances. But was this needed due to the rise in crime?

Yes and no. Violent crime was up in 2022, according to CTV, and property crime increased in the first part of the year. But assaults dropped in 2023, according to CTV. The police were also forced to answer questions about whether they misled the public about the rise in stranger attacks, when they actually fell after the pandemic, according to CTV. 

The end of the park board 

What happened: Mayor Ken Sim announced, to much dismay and criticism, that council planned to end the park board and fold its operations and responsibilities into city council. The reasoning was that it would improve service delivery, while those opposed said it would further centralize control in the hands of the mayor. Concerns were raised about selling off parks, which the mayor forcefully quashed. 

Property tax hikes

Breaking it down: After railing against potential tax hikes during the mayoral election, the newly elected ABC party brought in a 10.7 property percent tax increase last year, the largest in a decade. The rationale was that for years the city was underfunding services and an investment was needed to catch up. 

• Context: Vancouver has the lowest property taxes in North America.

Creating a more fun city

The mayor focused on shedding Vancouver’s “no fun” label with policies such as expanding alcohol sales and hours, establishing permanent patio licenses for the summer and revisiting how neighbourhoods like Gastown are operated.

The new housing paradigm

Everything we knew about housing has changed, though not primarily from actions by the city. The provincial government’s policies such as transit-oriented development zones, upzoning single-family lots and restricting short-term rentals, just to name a few, have, in one year, reshaped the entire face of housing in Vancouver and BC. It remains to be seen how impactful this will be in the short term, but it does represent a radical shift in housing policy. 

First Nations reshaping the city

First Nations in the region are leading the charge in reshaping the city and building more much-needed housing. Two of the biggest development projects in Vancouver, the 6,0000 home Sen̓áḵw development in Kitsilano and the 13,000 home development on the Jericho Lands, are First Nations-led.

Both developments have faced opposition from locals, though Sen̓áḵw continues to be built as court challenges have failed. Since Jericho must be rezoned and approved by the city, unlike Sen̓áḵw which is First Nations land, it remains to be seen just how big the project will be in the end. 

NIMBYism’s power declines

Speaking of housing development, a big change in the city, and in cities across Canada, is the declining influence of NIMBYism as a political force. Where once local community organizations were able to end any sort of development, the richest communities in Vancouver are starting to deal with increased development around them. 

Yes, but: Local opposition can still succeed, the best example being the much-publicized refusal to allow a daycare expansion for the Douglas Park Academy.

The rental crisis

What happened: As of August 2023, rental prices had increased 16 percent year-over-year, with a single bedroom costing an average of over $3,000, according to the Vancouver Sun. The city has increasingly become unaffordable for the vast majority of new renters. 

This creates spiralling problems, as those who work in the city can’t afford to leave where they work, younger people bunk up for more years and delay starting families. And with little relief in sight in the short term, the problem will likely only get worse. 

Keep Your SSN Off The Dark Web

Data brokers play a shady game — harvesting your personal data online, and selling it to the highest bidder. No informed consent required.

In fact, every time you accept cookies or download an app from a bad actor, your data could be at risk. Opting out is possible of course — but made difficult by design.

It’d take the average person 304 hours to manually complete all the data removal requests needed to secure their privacy. That’s why the VPN specialists at Surfshark created Incogni: The data removal service that takes care of wiping your personal info from hundreds of databases, reducing the threat of robocalls, scams, and fraud.

Safeguarding your data shouldn’t take up your spare time. Leave it to Incogni — Our readers get 60% off the Incogni annual plan at this link with code PRIVACY.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🍽️ 45,000: The number of square feet that the new Loblaws City Market will take up in the Post Office complex downtown. [Urbanized]

⛽ $1.68: The expected price of gas in Vancouver over the holiday season. [Vancouver Sun]

🚶4,634: The number of people BC lost to other provinces through interprovincial migration. It’s the biggest loss in more than 20 years. [Twitter]

DREAM HOME

To close out this year, I’m doing something a little different. While today’s is a nice-looking spot, I think this truly exemplifies everything bad with the Vancouver housing market.

At a cost of more than $1 million, you do get to live in my favourite neighbourhood in the city, Chinatown. But that’s where the positives stop and things start shrinking.

A trend of new home design places is to make everything smaller, and this one is no exception. Dishwasher? Tiny. Oven? Tiny? Fridge and freezer? Tiny. Patio? Forget about it. 

On the plus side, there’s ample storage space. Sadly, at this price, you’d expect more. But that’s Vancouver’s real estate market in a nutshell! 

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

⛺ Those living in Crab Park will have their complaints about living conditions heard by the BC Human Rights Tribunal. They say that the park board is discriminating against them and not providing living essentials like toilets and water. The board says the complaint will be dealt with in mediation. [The Star]

🌧️ If you thought this winter felt milder so far compared to last year, you’re right. While many places had snow, El Niño is to blame for the milder conditions this year, including for the lack of snow on the mountains. [CTV]

⚡️ The federal government set new rules for green car sales across the country. By 2030, 60 percent of all cars and SUVs must be fully electric or plug-in hybrids. That climbs to 100 percent by 2035. [Postmedia]

📱 Be aware that there’s a scam going around asking people to pay overdue parking tickets over text message. The city is warning the public that they do not notify people over text messages. Do not click on the link! [City of Vancouver]

🌲 It’s a sad time in Stanley Park, as the city is cutting down 160,000 trees, or about one quarter of the entire amount in the park because of an outbreak of looper moth. Experts say these types of outbreaks happen in cycles, lasting roughly three years. [CityNews]

💸 It may be a good year for your pocketbook and a bad year for retailers. Higher inflation means fewer people may be spending more money at BC shops over the holidays, according to a new survey. [CTV]

🐇 More than 24 rabbits were removed from Granville Island, will be spayed and neutered then sold to the public. It’s an alternative way to stop the feral animal population from growing to much. [CBC]

👮 Police are asking for any witnesses for a crash involving a Tesla hitting two pedestrians on Monday at Argyle Drive near Braeburn Street. [CityNews]

PHOTO OF THE DAY

What a shot of Mt. Rainer from Mt. Seymour.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• This is a lovely story about lion sculptures, Vancouver specials and immigration. [The Tyee]

• Vancouver’s 500,000-person-strong Reddit community is doing a charity food drive for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. You can donate here. [Reddit]

• People are loving the new Vancouver sign in Coal Harbour. [Urbanized]

• It looks like the new SkyTrains are finally arriving in Vancouver. [Reddit]

• This Japanese snack bar is a must-visit for anyone wanting a different vibe. [Vancity Lookout]

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

GAME TIME