West Vancouver offers a cautionary tale to Vancouver

A new study highlights the problems of inequality in the region, plus some TransLink news

Author

Geoff Sharpe
September 25, 2023

Good morning,

I’m currently travelling in New York, where a tropical storm has me jumping from restaurant to museum, while stepping outside as little as possible. But it sounds like many of you had to do the same in Vancouver, with all the rain you had this weekend.

Unfortunately, the rain is set to continue throughout the rest of the week. Fortunately, it’s Lookout newsletter day, which means lots of great stories and hopefully some smiles… And also frowns.

Speaking of both smiles and frowns, Translink ridership is recovering well, but that’s posing some new problems. And we explore how unequal West Vancouver really is and what that means for Vancouver.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout newsletter writer

PS — You may notice more types than normal in the coming weeks. My colleague Robert, who reviews the newsletter, will be away for a while, so more errors than normal may slip through. We’re all part-time on the newsletter, so apologies in advance!

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

WEATHER

Monday: 17 🌡️ 13 | 🌧️

Tuesday: 15 🌡️ 11 | 🌧️

Wednesday: 16 🌡️ 11 | 🌧️

ECONOMICS

A warning sign for Vancouver over in West Vancouver

What happened: If you thought Vancouver had an inequality problem, look across the water. A new study reported by Global says West Vancouver is Canada's second most unequal city. Vancouver “only” ranks 11th on the list.

The reason: West Vancouver is essentially composed of two groups — a rich, older population and a younger, most student-heavy population.

Housing-related? West Vancouver also has the most expensive property values, and it’s not particularly close. The average property value in the region in Aug. 2023 was $2.6 million compared to $1.34 million in Vancouver, according to WOW.ca. The lack of affordable housing means seniors can’t age in place, and young families can’t move there.

Those home prices are directly related to NIMBY actions of the local city government, according to the Globe and Mail. The city is mostly zoned for single-family homes. And unlike other cities, West Vancouver relies entirely on property taxes to fund services.

  • Around three-quarters of the people who work there don’t live there. That poses problems for creating a liveable city for those who spend time in it but don’t have any say over it. And only nine percent of municipal workers actually live there.

What it means: Bringing back the focus to Vancouver, West Vancouver should be considered a cautionary tale. When a city becomes too unaffordable, it’s no longer a place for seniors, workers or families, but an enclave for rich property owners.

Thought-bubble: Having divergent populations like this makes it more difficult for policymakers to address problems due to the competing needs of different groups. This was especially apparent in a recent decision by West Vancouver council to cancel a planned sidewalk for students after an outcry from residents, according to the North Shore News.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

📈 500: The amount in pounds of a Vancouver couple in Dunbar’s pumpkin. That’s a giant gourd! [CBC]

🔥 12+: The number of residents displaced after a fire broke out in an SRO at Molson Hotel at 166 East Hastings on Saturday afternoon. There were no injuries. [CBC]

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TRANSIT

TransLink problems

What happened: Translink is facing two challenging problems — the need for more funding and a changing ridership — which could both shape the transit authority in the coming years, according to the Globe and Mail.

Key data: Travellers are changing their usage habits, with fewer day trips, more evening trips and increased ridership in the suburbs. TransLink ridership has recovered better than every other city, at 88 percent of pre-COVID travel. Meanwhile, the system has more boardings, at 1.1 million, than any other system besides New York, Montreal and Toronto. Not bad for a smaller region!

While business district trips are down as fewer workers commute, TransLink now has to deal with overcrowding on many routes and planning for expansion. That could pose problems as overcrowding reduces people’s willingness to use the system.

What’s next: The region will need to deal with finding more funding. Different regions also require different levels of service. For example, Maple Ridge needs more buses, while Vancouver wants to extend the SkyTrain to UBC. Balancing all of this will pose challenges. But if there’s one thing that unites the region, it’s asking other levels of government for more money!

JOBS

Discover your new dream job in Vancouver:

Local jobs are selected by the Lookout team and are not paid ads, unless specifically noted.

THE AGENDA

👮 A suspect in Vancouver was arrested, let go, and arrested again in just five days. He committed four acts of violence and was released after only 24 hours, then re-arrested on Sept. 20 after breaking his release order. [Global]

➕ Due to the violent attack at Lights Up Chinatown, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden on Sept. 29 and 30 will have greater security than previous events. [Global News]

❌ The city is scrapping the Vancouver Economic Commission, and it’s function will be brought under the city manager. The institution has been around since 1995, and the new office will seek to understand the implications of city policies on local businesses. [Vancouver Sun]

👎️ Many Vancouver restaurants are ditching gas in favour of electric induction stove tops, while others say it’s too expensive for many restaurant kitchens. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🚔️ An RCMP officer was killed and two others were injured Friday morning after trying to search a place in Coquitlam. [CBC]

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Vancouver International Film Festival | Spots around town | Sept. 28-Oct 8 | It’s here! Vancouver’s biggest film festival features hidden gems, big premieres and local favourites | Ticket prices vary

Vancouver Oktoberfest Harvest Haus | PNE Forum | This Friday and Saturday, 6 pm | Beer, bratwurst, chefs and entertainment, what’s not to love? | Tickets $35

Vancouver Fall Home Show | Vancouver Convention Centre | Sept. 28-Oct. 1 | Events, and more for all you home nerds | Tickets $16

More Than a Movie: Little Mermaid | BC Place Stadium | This Sunday, 3 pm | Come see the Little Mermaid on the massive jumbotron, plus other events for kids | Tickets $15-$50

SPORTS

🏒 So, how is Vancouver looking this season? According to an analysis, Captain Quinn looks great, the goalie Thatcher Demko stood out, and you should expect more movement for the power play units. [Canucks Army]

🏈 The Lions beat the Edmon Elks 37-29 on Friday.

⚽ The Whitecaps lost 1-2 against Real Salt Lake on Saturday. [The Province]

SURVEY

What Lookout readers think about short-term rentals

Here’s what readers said about whether they believed short-term rentals like Airbnb had an impact on the rental stock in Vancouver:

  • Huge, probably the biggest impact on long-term rental stock — 52%

  • A problem, but there’s lots of issues — 42%

  • Not a huge deal — 3%

  • It’s not a problem — 3% 

A big thank you to everyone who wrote in. Some were extremely long and well thought out. My recommendation in the future is to write a little shorter, as I only have so much room in the newsletter!

Reader: ​​Short term rentals fill a gap in available accommodation. I travel frequently and prefer the convenience of choosing a location near the family members or friends i'm visiting. There are no hotels in neighbourhoods outside of downtown Vancouver. Parents visiting a family member living in Kitsilano, for example, may prefer not to stay in a hotel downtown, or on Broadway. At the same time, I have friends who were quite happy to stay in a hotel with access to Vancouver's great restaurants and the Vancouver Art Gallery

Geoff: I get this point. I rely on Airbnb for travelling just about anywhere, given how expensive hotels are. And it’s especially expensive in Vancouver. But I also believe cities have to put residents first, creating a place where people can live. Let’s solve our affordability problem first, then worry about tourists.

Reader: My apartment block has multiple Airbnb rentals-and they are all one bedroom apartments - difficult to see how the owner can also be living there - so how do they get a license?

Geoff: Fraud is a huge part of the problem. Twitter user Mortimer_1 has chronicled an astounding number of rentals that use fake registration numbers and break the rules set by the city. Better rules are needed, hopefully, the city adopts something like what Quebec has done, which places the onus on platforms to track legal units and not the city for enforcement.

Reader: What this city needs is rent control! It’s absolutely ludicrous that I can’t afford the city accommodation I had when I was in my twenties. My income far exceeds what it was thirty years ago but sky rocketing rents have forced me out to the burbs and into micro accommodations.

Geoff: The city sort of already has rent control, at least for current residents, where the province sets the yearly rent increase for existing tenants. Ontario got rid of it for units built after 2018 in an attempt to get more built, which didn’t really happen. Now, residents face triple digit rent increases, and in one case, a $7,000 increase. BC has ruled out vacancy control (more on this in Thursday’s Insider newsletter), so we’re mostly stuck with the status quo.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Hastings Sunrise, South Vancouver and Strathcona were the top three rainiest neighbourhoods in Vancouver this weekend. [Vancouver is Awesome]

  • There’s still time to share your opinion on expanding local corner stores with the city.

  • If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch tp visit, you can’t go wrong with this one in Abbotsford. [Vancouver is Awesome]

  • According to a poll by Vancouver is Awesome, Downtown Vanouver and Yaletown were rated the rudest neighbourhoods in Vancouver. [Vancouver is Awesome]

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GAME TIME

Congrats to everyone who guessed last Friday’s Worlde. The answer was ROAD.

Today’s news quiz question — where does Vancouver rank compared to other cities when it comes to overall transit boardings? Send the position number, along with your name, and I’ll include it in the newsletter!

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