It’s that time of year… Water restriction season is almost here

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Good morning,

In my fever pitch of writing every day, I forgot to share a big highlight — we just passed 20,000 subscribers to the Lookout newsletter!

A big thank you to every single person reading the Lookout. People are saying local news is dying, but the fact this newsletter has grown so fast shows me that’s just not true, it’s just that people are tired of a certain type of news.

In today’s newsletter we’ve got big news about water restrictions and what the new temporary shelter rules in parks mean.

Let’s dive in!

– Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

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

WEATHER

Wednesday: 13 🌡️ 7 | 🌤️

Thursday: 8 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Friday: 13 🌡️ 6 | 🌧️

ENVIRONMENT

It’s that time of year… Water restriction season is almost here

What happened: If you’ve been following stories about the snowpack this winter and spring, this will come as no surprise — Metro Vancouver is implementing water restrictions as of May 1 due to the low snowpack and the potential impact on the area’s reservoirs, according to CTV.

Background: The March snowpack survey showed the water levels that feed the region’s reservoirs are at 56 percent of normal historical amount. It was noted by Metro’s water committee chair Malcolm Brodie earlier this year that water conservation efforts would likely start sooner in 2024, according to North Shore News.

The details: For those lucky enough to have lawns, you will only be able to water them once a week. Those with even-numbered addresses can do so on Saturday, with automatic watering between 5 am and 7 am, and manual watering between 6 am and 9 am, and odd-numbered addresses on Sundays during the same times. Trees, plants and flowers can be watered between 5 am and 9 am any day, according to the Vancouver Sun.  

• Last year a full ban on watering was brought in on Aug. 4 to deal with growing drought conditions due to lack of precipitation. 

Inequities?: Last year there were, shall we say, some discrepancies when it came to which municipalities actually cracked down on those breaking the watering rules. West Vancouver issued zero tickets, even though warning letters were sent to eight percent of households who were using too much water, according to the North Shore News. 

• One problem? Those with big hedges can easily hide their water usage. How nice it must be to have a privacy hedge…

What it means: This is likely just the start of restrictions — given the drought conditions last year, and how the region is already starting off in a bad spot, it should be expected that Stage 2 restrictions, where no watering is allowed, will not be far behind.

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🔥 20: The number of outdoor, intentionally set fires around Downtown Vancouver last weekend. [CityNews]

🏗️ 40,000: The number of square feet of retail space that will take over 610 Granville Street. The name of the business moving in has not yet been released. [Urbanized]

🚒 $2.8 million: The amount used to pay for firefighter gear that’s free of cancer-causing chemicals. [CTV]

HOMELESSNESS

Park board clarifies park sheltering rules

What happened: The park board has approved a number of bylaw changes that both alter and clarify existing rules around temporary sheltering in parks, and the motion is raising concerns in the context of the growing homeless crisis.

Breaking it down: The changes include no camping under trees, near beaches, no overnight camping in Queen Elizabeth Park and VanDusen Botanical Garden, or within 25 metres of schools, limits to the size of camp areas to 10 metres by 10 metres, and allowing park rangers to remove unoccupied tents each night, according to the park board report. 

• All councillors present voted unanimously in favour of the motion. 

What they say: Park board chair Brennan Bastyovanszky noted that these rules are already mostly in place, with many already existing in different memos. The changes make the rules easier to enforce, according to reporting from CityNews. Bastyovanszky noted that it’s a constant struggle between urban densification and homelessness creating a strain on the public’s ability to use the parks. 

Those opposed: One lawyer who spoke out against the changes noted that these bylaws may not hold up in court, including the fact park users weren’t consulted, according to the Vancouver Sun.

Zoom out: As of the last homeless count in March 2023, there were 4,821 homeless people in Metro Vancouver, with around half of them living in Vancouver proper. 

What it means: This continues a trend we’re seeing where the city and the park board are seeking to prevent further entrenchment of encampments in the region. The changes to CRAB Park, setting limits on how much space can be used, and refusing to allow new people to enter, exemplify the tougher approach local government is taking. 

THE AGENDA

🏗️ It’s back to the drawing board for one of the signature buildings that would’ve been part of the Granville strip redevelopment. The initial plan was to include 460,000 square feet of office space. However the developer says that the plan is no longer feasible. The developer has speculated that a hotel could make more sense there, which is in very high demand in Vancouver. [Vancouver Sun]

🌒 Well that was a bust. It wouldn’t be Vancouver without clouds, and that meant the partial solar eclipse that could be viewed from the city was obscured by an overcast sky, and was basically not visible. [CTV]

🚗 Could paid parking come to Spanish Banks? Currently parking in the area is free. An upcoming report set to be delivered to the park board in the early summer could set the stage for a vote on it. A previous proposal to do this in 2018 was put on hold because of public backlash. If they were to approve the change, the earliest it could take place would be in June. [Vancouver is Awesome]

👮 A 32-year-old woman was arrested Monday after allegedly assaulting three random people in Vancouver, including stealing a phone and throwing rocks at someone. [Vancouver Sun]

💰 Local Vancouver company Hootsuite has acquired Talkwalker, as it seeks to navigate its business through the challenging environment of social media change these days. [Vancouver Sun]

🛴 Electric scooters and e-bikes are now allowed on the designated cycling parts of the Seawall after the park board approved a bylaw amendment. Electric scooters will be limited to 25 km/hour while e-bikes will be 32 km/hour. [CityNews]

🛑 Thought you were sneaky going down Main to access East Waterfront eh? Well, that’s coming to an end. The city has set up a checkpoint to reduce traffic on the East Waterfront, to only non-commercial vehicles that can show proof of business in the area. The road has become increasingly busy due to construction in Gastown. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🤝 New changes to the Vancouver Charter, the provincial laws governing the function of the city, were announced on Monday. This includes creating a city-wide official development plan and ending some types of public hearings to expedite housing projects. Most other cities have this type of development plan, except for Vancouver. [Urbanized]

🏒 The Canucks won against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday 4-3, after the team came back after being down 2-0. The team is first in the Pacific and second in the Western Conference. [Vancouver Sun]

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Creative pastries on display at Unni Pastries

Sometimes with a first bite, you know you’ve found a great place. That one bite can define an entire review. That was certainly the case at Unni Pastries, a Korean bakery located at 1773 Robson St.

Like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, Unni isn’t the easiest to get to if you’re visiting downtown. Past larger bakeries like Thierry on Alberni, the unavoidable Breka and the industrial COBS, Unni is, for all intents and purposes, off the beaten path for those just visiting downtown for the weekend. 

To read the review and subscribe to our free food newsletter, click here

ARTS

Theatre

The 17th season of DanceHouse has been announced. Vancouver Playhouse will host numerous dancers and troupe performances from October to April of this year. Tickets are on sale May 28. [Vancouver Sun]

Gateway Theatre is hosting Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, it’s a comedic take on the classic. It’s playing from April 11 to 20.

School of Rock will be performed by Theatre Under the Stars at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Tickets are not yet available but will be live May 23. [Stir]

Music

Universally acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman will be performing at the Orpheum on April 16, presented by the Vancouver Chopin Society. [Stir]

Movies 

It’s a mix of award-winning movies, documentaries and animation, like The Boy and the Heron, playing at VIFF this week and weekend.

Cinematheque continues to showcase films by Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang, one of the leaders of the Taiwanese New Wave cinema in the 1980s.

Rio is playing a few classics this week and weekend, including Big Trouble in Little China and the 45th-anniversary screening of Dawn of the Dead.

Art

The Queer Art Festival, from June 17-28, is working under the title of Queers in Space, a theme that leaves much up to the artists to interpret. There will be multiple shows you can attend over that time at the Roundhouse Community Arts Centre. [Stir]

GOOD NEWS

Here’s some good news to start your Wednesday:

Kitsilano Pool and the Showboat will both be open for the summer! The pool was previously losing 30,000 litres of water every hour due to leaks. The expected opening date is during the May Long weekend. [Vancouver Sun]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Reminder — Seymour, Cypress and Blackcomb Mountains are all shutting down their ski operations Sunday, so get in the last runs while you can. [Daily Hive]

• This is a really great interview about the challenges Vancouver’s restaurant industry is facing. [CBC]

• If you’re looking for a bar to visit after working downtown, you may enjoy 515 Bar.

• Vancouver entrepreneur Bran Scudamore is joining the Dragon’s Den as their newest host. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Nearly 60 chefs are expected to participate in the popular Brewery & the Beast event, featuring meats, beers and all sorts of other drinks. [Daily Hive]

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

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Congrats to everyone who correctly guessed the answer to Monday’s quiz. The question was how long ago was Olympic Village promised an elementary school, and the answer was 17 years.

Today’s Vancovuer Guesser is a popular beach. Can you guess the name? Reply to this email with your name and answer to be featured in the next newsletter.