Should the Vancouver School Board sell off its land?

Good morning,

A big thanks to the 400+ people who’ve completed our community survey. You can do so here if you haven’t already, there are five days left before I tally up the results!

One thing readers have mentioned frequently is better spelling, grammar and punctuation. I hear you and will keep trying to improve! But here’s the thing — The Lookout is a part-time effort, with an entire team of three people across Canada working in other cities on other newsletters. We want to do better, but sometimes we’ll miss things.

I say this not as an excuse but so you understand the challenges we face. We can and will do better, but all I ask is you give us time to improve. 😀

Anyways, enough of that, let’s get to today’s newsletter.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout newsletter writer

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WEATHER

Friday: 24 🌡️ 16 | ⛅

Saturday: 26 🌡️ 18 | ⛅

Sunday: 29 🌡️ 19 | ⛅

Monday: 29 🌡️ 20 | ☀️

CITY HALL

What to do with prime school land?

A dispute over back taxes on a property owned by the Vancouver School Board (VSB) illustrates the ongoing debate over what to do with prime land in the city.

What happened: The Vancouver School Board owns the Kingsgate Mall property, which is currently leased to a developer. Currently, there is an ongoing dispute over back taxes which the city says the developer owes the school board, which if it ends in VSB’s favour, could mean they’d pursue a default with the developer, allowing the VSB to develop the land, according to Global.

• At $250 million, the property is worth a pretty penny and sits on some of the most valuable real estate in the city.

The problem: Whether the land should be used to generate cash, or set aside for future school development is the question facing the VSB. A former chair of the Vancouver district parents advisory council told the Globe and Mail he believes that space could house new schools and other buildings, rather than being sold off.

Zoom in: Areas nearby Mount Pleasant, such as Olympic Village, and the expected housing growth from the Broadway plan, will likely increase schooling needs in the community. Vancouver already faces massive waitlists for kindergarten, according to reporting from CBC.

Yes, but: The VSB says there will be declining enrollment in Vancouver, which is part of the reason they are starting to sell more schools. Yet B.C. Stats project the number of students to grow and not decline. It’s part of an ongoing debate about how the VSB projects enrolment, according to experts interviewed in the Vancouver Sun.

What’s next: The court case against the developer will determine if they owe a large amount of back taxes. As most court cases go, any changes in land sale or development are likely a ways off. But it does raise critical questions about planning for the future. If the city keeps growing, will it be able to afford new land for schools?

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🌊 359: The number of fines for those breaking Vancouver’s water restrictions. Most were for Stage 1, but 14 were for Stage 2. A total of 539 warnings were also delivered. [Global]

⛽ $2.20: The amount per litre gas prices could rise to in the fall. Yikes [Global]

🏠 $18,000: The amount this property is making on a short-term rental basement suite and laneway home. Technically, a person needs to live in a basement suite or laneway home to rent it out… [Global]

PUBLIC SAFETY

Vancouver, Vancouver, Vancouver is on fire

Vancouver is dealing with an epidemic of fires and unlike the song from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three, we need to put the fires out.

What happened: It’s a record year for battling blazes in Vancouver according to Global. There has been a 31 percent increase in fires in the last six months compared to the same period last year. So far four people have died and dozens have had their homes burned down.

• The problem: The fire department says the majority of fires are caused by matches, lighters and other flammable items.

Current situation: One ray of positive news is that dangerous tent fires have fallen, according to CBC. Unfortunately, fires in SRO units are up, with on average one fire per day. The big problem? Butane lighters with flames that lock on and do not turn off, even when dropped.

• It’s not just indoor fires that are up. Outdoor fires have risen 42.3 percent so far this year.

Some people are also, for some unimaginable reason, starting fires themselves — the force estimates that 25 percent of fires are from arson, according to the Toronto Star.

Other problems: The Tyee reported that a building which caught on fire July 27 in Mount Pleasant, which left 70 residents without homes, did not have sprinklers on three levels. Tenants also took the building owner to court “for a second time in three years for fire safety bylaw violations.” It’s part of a whole host of problems that were identified.

THE AGENDA

🤳 Infamous Vancouver Instagram star Lil Tay was reported to have died suddenly, with the cause of death unknown…Or not? Outlets were saying she died on Wednesday, but now it appears that’s not the case, and instead she’s alive and well. The cause of the rumour? An apparently hacked Instagram account. [The Guardian]

🏢 Will the province act to protect roommate tenants? Based on comments by the BC housing minister, it’s unlikely they will enact new legislation to protect tenants from rate increases when a roommate leaves. [CityNews]

⚽️ Unlike Seattle, Vancouver has not released their host contract for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If it’s anything like the Seattle one, there are quite a few risks, though the payoff is expected to be massive for the tourism industry. [Business in Vancouver]

🏗️ Metro Vancouver will build an affordable housing project at Old Dollarton Road and Riverside Drive in North Vancouver. [Urbanized]

🏥 A patient at Vancouver General Hospital claims when she looked for psychiatric help from Vancouver General Hospital, she was asked if she had considered legalized assisted dying through MAID. Vancouver Coastal Health claimed it was to understand whether she was at risk of suicide. It’s part of an ongoing debate about the use of MAID. [Globe and Mail]

✈️ YVR has paused construction at the South Airfield after they discovered what could be Musquem artifacts, including stone tools and bone fragments. [Global]

🏘️ If you’re looking to understand how a city can play a role in supporting affordable housing, this interview and deep-dive on the Burnaby Housing Authority, and what Burnaby has done to buy up homes, is worth a read. [Urbanized]

🦝 Raccoons are cute until they aren’t. Two Vancouver residents were attacked by the furry critters at West First Avenue and Arbutus Street in Kitsilano last week. [CBC]

Local news doesn’t have to boring…

But many times it is. Here at the Lookout, we’re trying to change that.

We want you to discover the best ways to live in and learn about Vancouver, all in a way that’s actually fun to do.

We need your help to shape our newsletter and the stories we cover. Take two minutes to share your opinions — we read every single response!

FOOD

🍷 Vancouver Magazine has released its full list of Best Patios of 2023. Reflections, Popina Canteen and Robba Da Matti all made the list. [Vancouver Magazine]

🇻🇳 Reddit users shared their favourite Banh Mi’s in town. Topping the list were Banh Mi Saigon reigned supreme but Pho Goodness, Merci Beaucoup Cafe and Viet Sub all made the list.

🗞️ Tangent Cafe on East 5th Avenue will now become Daybreakers, as a way to show they’re now open in the evening. [Scout]

🎉 There are still two more times to check out Pac Rim Patio Pop-Up series featuring chefs from L’Abattoir and Bacaro. [Scout]

🇨🇳 Lao Cai Chinese Cuisine is the place to go to find Chinese food from the Xi’an region. [Foodgressing]

🧀 What goes better together than cheese and meat? Now you can enjoy them at the Cheese and Meat Festival, returning November 4 at The Pipe Shop in North Vancouver.

EVENTS

Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival | Deer Lake Park | Saturday | A massive lineup of free shows, with family-friendly activities and food | Free

Farmhouse Fest | UBC Farm Events Field 3461 | Saturday, 12:30 pm | Come celebrate ales and ciders, natural wines and more with over 50 breweries and cideries with over 150+ options | Tickets $85

BC Dumpling Fest | Town Centre Park, Coquitlam | Saturday, 11 am-8 pm | Oh yeah, it’s a celebration of dumplings and Asian arts and culture. A massive festival with food pavilions, art zones, picnic area, music and of course, all-thing dumplings | Free

VIFF Back to the 80s | VIFF | All weekend | It’s a big week for 80s movies with the Best Picture winner Platoon, the classic Dirty Dancing and the cult favourite Ferris Bueller’s Day Off | Tickets $15

Kits Fest | Friday-Sunday | A massive sporting event, come watch and play tennis, beach volleyball, chess, music food and more | Free

Harmony Arts Fest | Throughout West Vancouver | Now to Sunday | A celebration of music and visual arts, with kids' art workshops and family-friendly activities | Free

Vancouver Mural Festival | Throughout Metro Vancouver | Now to Sunday | Explore the outdoors with beautiful artistic murals, with artists, performers and tours throughout the city | Free and paid

Mountain Music Series | Sea to Sky Gondola | Every summer Friday, 5 pm | Visit every Friday for different musical performances, bbq and scenery that can’t be beat | Free with lift pass

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• You don’t need to visit Cuba, because it’s about to be as hot as Havana next week, with temperatures set to feel like 35˚C. [Daily Hive]

• Congrats to Evanna Brennan and Susan Giles on winning the Order of B.C. for their work helping people in the Downtown Eastside. [CBC]

• If you’ve ever been interested in Ukrainian history, UBC now offers a course on their language and culture. [Ubyssey]

• Apparently it’s hard to find Coca-Cola products in Vancouver due to local striking workers. [Vancouver is Awesome]

SURVEY

On Wednesday, we asked, “How happy are you with transit service in Vancouver?”. Here are the responses

• 47 percent said “Great, but could be improved”

• 28 percent said “Incredible, we’re lucky to have TransLink”

• 11 percent said “Transit? I take my car everywhere”

• 10 percent said “It’s okay, but is late often”

• 4 percent said “Terrible, it’s late often”

Here are a few responses from readers and some comments:

GAME TIME

It’s Friday and that means it’s Vancouver Wordle time. Think you know the answer? Play it here.