Why Vancouver has too much and too little water

Good morning,

This one is tough to read. One of my favourite bakeries in Vancouver, Kouign Cafe, is closing down. The owner is vague on why, but nonetheless, it’s sad to see. In a city full of bakeries offering similar food, Kouign Cafe stood out with unique baked goods you couldn’t find anywhere else.

I’d suggest everyone check it out before it closes in late November. I’d recommend trying the Treasure Chest, Pot of Gold and the White Rabbit, all unique creations you can’t find anywhere else.

Speaking of food, I’ve got another Insider newsletter for paying members dropping tomorrow with new Richmond Public Market hidden gem food stalls to check out. Plus, I’ll be exploring a spate of lawsuits from the mayor targeting a certain city councillor, and what that could mean for the next election.

Today, we’ve got:

• 🌊 Water problems facing Metro Vancouver

• 🏠 A federal crackdown on Airbnbs?

• 🍽️ New Michelin Guide restaurants to check out

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity newsletter writer

ENVIRONMENT

Metro Vancouver water — too much? Too little? Both?

Water defines Vancouver, from the shores to the lakes to the rain. But as climate change continues to reshape the region, Vancouver is dealing with two challenging water problems — droughts and too much water.

Droughts

The problem: Metro Vancouver’s water supply outlook shows that the city will need new sources of water by the end of the century. Why? Because the snowpack that the region relies upon for drinking water will become less reliable due to climate change, according the Vancouver Sun. Even with the expansion of water drawn from Coquitlam Lake, the region could run out of water by 2070.

• Nothing illustrates this challenge more than the expansion of drought stages this year, from Stage 1 to Stage 2, which was the first since 2015.

Solutions: Raising dams at Capilano and Semyor and new water intakes on nearby lakes are potential options. Each will be expensive (in the billions) and take time. Metering water usage, to charge more for more water usage, may also be required.

Yes, but: Before we get too worked up, Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program, noted that the Metro Vancouver regional government has been successful at dealing with water supply issues.

• Another option is to try and reduce demand since Metro Vancouver uses more water than any other region in North America. Other options include upgrading leaking pipes and rainwater collection.

Rainwater

The problem: The humble water that falls from the sky could increase by six percent in the next 28 years. The problem? Vancouver’s infrastructure is not ready to deal with that, which could cause flooding and — gross — sewer overflow, according to Vancouver is Awesome.

Solution: The city launched the Rain City strategy to address this issue. The goal is to make green changes to the city that create more rainfall retention rather than diverting to the pipe system. Some solutions include:

• Bioswale which acts as an eco gutter. This includes more soil and vegetation in critical areas.

• Rain gardens which treat water coming off hard surfaces.

• Green roofs which capture rainwater on top of buildings. Think of it as gardens in the sky.

You can read the entire strategy document here.

What it means: We get caught up in the day-to-day challenges facing the city. But Vancouver, and by extension, all cities in Canada, will need to take a long-term approach to dealing with complex climate change problems, which in our short-term political climate, can be challenging. Metro Vancouver residents may also need to prepare for a future where we need to use less water.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🦃 2,200: The number of people in Metro Vancouver that the Union Gospel Mission fed during its Thanksgiving lunch. They served 2,500 pounds of turkey and 800 pounds of mashed potatoes. [CityNews]

🏀 $10,000: The amount the Toronto Raptors players, through the National Basketball Players Association, donated to the Simon Fraser University's Teaching Support Staff Union who are currently on strike. [CBC]

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HOUSING

Is the federal government planning to crack down on Airbnb?

Beyond just the city and the province planning to crack down on Airbnbs, it looks like the federal government may also be planning to get involved, according to the Globe and Mail.

What’s happening: A federal official, who would not speak on the record, told the paper the federal government is considering limiting the number of Airbnb units to address the housing crisis, especially in cities, but also in places like Whistler where tourism workers cannot live.

• Like the federal government is already doing, the housing accelerator could be used as an incentive to encourage their preferred policy outcomes. Airbnb regulation changes which would need to be done by each municipality.

Dig deeper: Want to see how another city is tackling the Airbnb problem? According to Ricochet, Montreal created an Airbnb enforcement squad which is going door-to-door to inspect the problem. It’s just one part of their larger solution.

Zoom in: in Vancouver are 4,084 active short-term rental listings on Airbnb. Illegal units face a $1,000 fine according to CTV, which is quite low compared to what they can generate. According to the Vancouver Sun, the compliance rate of Airbnbs following the rules stands at 68 percent, meaning 32 percent are operating illegally.

What it means: While cracking down on Airbnb will likely help affordability, it should be understood as a political move rather than a major way to reduce rental prices. Targeting a foreign company like Airbnb, and the small number of people benefiting from it, presents an easy political win for all levels of government, with little potential blowback. It’s an easier policy action than, say, forcing greater density in low-density cities.

DREAM HOME

A three-bedroom for under $1 million? Yes, it does exist.

This place caught my eye for the price, but also for what it offers. Located next to one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Vancouver, Commercial Drive, this place boasts 1,276 square feet, beautiful hardwood floors, a modern kitchen and not one but two spacious patios. Honestly, I’d move there if I could!

The price is quite reasonable for Vancouver, though it’s still expensive. [Realtor]

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

🧑‍⚕️ B.C. is the first province to sign on to the federal government’s healthcare funding plan. The province will get $1.2 billion over three years to fund more acute care sites, reduce diagnostic and treatment backlogs, increase mental healthcare centres and allow nurses to spend more time with patients. [CityNews]

🇮🇱 Ben Mizrachi, a 22-year-old Vancouver resident, was killed in Israel after an attack by Hamas at a music festival. [CTV]

👮 Now this is a real oopsie-daisy moment… Several men were wearing body armour and carrying guns in North Vancouver, resulting in a police confrontation. It was short-lived, and no one was hurt, because the men were just actors filming an amateur movie without a permit. Multiple officers were called, including off-duty ones. [CBC]

🚌 Metro Vancouver is launching a transit sub-region encompassing Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, UBC, Squamish, Musqueam and the University Endowment lands. The idea is to better coordinate transit through a dedicated approach, dubbed the Burrard Peninsula Area Transport Plan. [Urbanized]

🧑‍🦼 A woman is raising concerns that the new Hullo Ferries, which offers private passenger ferry service between Vancouver and Nanaimo, is not accessible for wheelchair users. Hullo Ferries says they are reviewing the decision not to allow them, but part of the reason has to do with the speed of the ferry and Transport Canada’s High-Speed Craft Code. [Global News]

🥾 As a hiker, I cannot stress enough the need to be prepared. Unfortunately, most people aren’t planning well, with North Shore Rescue sharing that over the holiday weekend, they dealt with a large number of hikers stuck in the North Shore Mountains because of the earlier darkness during the evenings. [CityNews]

CHART OF THE DAY

This chart, courtesy of a story from Urbanized, illustrates the differences in how rental costs compare for new versus old rents. While this data is from 2021 — and rents are now over $3,000 for a one-bedroom — the data shows that newer renters are paying almost $600 more per month than existing renters.

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FOOD

Food nirvana round two — Michelin drops new Vancouver restaurants

Some tasty news dropped this weekend — the Michelin Guide announced their new Vancouver restaurants.

What is it: The Michelin Guide is the most famous restaurant rating guide in the world. They break out restaurants into three categories:

• Stars: The highest recognition possible, indicating higher-priced extravagant destinations that are worth building a trip around.

• Bib Gourmand: Value-for-money, but high-quality food.

• Recommendation: A great meal, but not at the level of the other two.

Key info: Sushi Okeya Kyujiro located at Yaletown at 1039 Mainland St., is an omakase sushi restaurant with meals costing $300. It received one star, bringing the total number of starred restaurants in Vancouver to nine. You can read the entire list here.

• New Bib Gourmand winners include Sushi Hill, Seaport City Seafood, Farmer’s Apprentice, Motonobu Udon and Karma Indian Bistro.

Insider info: If fancy dining isn’t your thing, skip the higher-priced options and check out the new recommended list. It includes some of the city’s best restaurants, including Bao Bei, Suyo and Hānai.

Here’s the recommended list:

• Archer

• Bao Bei

• Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

• Elisa

• Folke

• Hānai

• Moltaqa

• Regal Mansion Cuisine

• Sushi Jin

• Suyo

• Tetsu Sushi Bar

• Wildlight Kitchen + Bar

View all the restaurants over at the Michel Guide website.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Did you catch this amazing sunset? Thanks to Reddit user anonymouslovelyme for sharing.

Fancy yourself an amateur photographer? Want to feature your photos? Send us an email with your phot and name, and we’ll feature it in the newsletter.

GOOD NEWS

Normally we do good news to start your Monday, but since we didn’t publish on Thanksgiving, we’re sharing a good news story today:

A Chinese dissident who was stuck in Taiwan after he refused to fly to China has been granted asylum in Canada. He spent two weeks at the airport after fleeing China to Laos in July. He told the Guadian, “This kindness will be remembered forever, I would like to express my sincere gratitude.” He arrived in Vancouver on Saturday. [The Guardian]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• A “heated” discussion took place on Reddit about how to pronounce Smithe Street. How do you say it? [Reddit]

• 📊 Love a good statistic? Check out Stat Significant, a weekly newsletter of data-driven insights on culture, sports & more.*

• The Canucks announced their opening-day roster, which you can see here. [NHL]

• According to social media users, Sunrise Market in Chinatown, Tin Lee on Georgia and Donald’s Market are all great places to get cheaper groceries. [Reddit]

• Want to snack at places featured in Netflix movies? Now you can with Netflix’s new In Your Neighbourhood feature. [Netflix]

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GAME TIME

Today’s Vancouver Guesser game is a popular restaurant. Can you guess it? Here’s a hint — it was recommended by the Michelin Gude. Reply with your name and the correct answer to be mentioned in the newsletter.