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What the latest provincial election promises mean for Vancouver

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Good morning,

I attended an event this week where random strangers meet up for dinner. I didn’t know what to expect going into it. But if there’s one big takeaway, it’s that there’s a desperate demand in this city to meet new people, something that our online-based world has completely failed to replicate.

It’s got me thinking about doing a story on meeting new people in Vancouver, the challenges and successes and answering the age-old question of whether Vancouver is indeed a friendly place.

What do you think? Is this something you’d be interested in reading? I’ve included a poll in the newsletter where you can share whether you think this is a story worth pursuing.

Let’s get into today’s newsletter!

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor

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

WEATHER

Friday: 13 🌡️ 9 | 🌧️

Saturday: 16 🌡️ 11 | 🌤️

Sunday: 17 🌡️ 10 | 🌤️

Monday: 17 🌡️ 12 | 🌧️

ELECTION

What the latest provincial election promises mean for Vancouver

I know, I know, another provincial election story... You’re probably saying, come on Vancity Lookout, why all the coverage? You’re right, we’ve covered it a lot, but for good reason. Each party’s platform will have major implications not just for BC, but for all you readers right here in Vancouver. So strap in, because this week was a big one…

What happened: Well, that’s that. No, the election isn’t done, but a big part of it has concluded — the BC NDP released their election platform yesterday and the BC Conservatives announced a number of major policies, all in the span of a few days.

Infrastructure promises: The BC Conservatives said they will expand the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, and build SkyTrain service to Surrey, as well as more regional transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, according to CityNews. He would also audit TransLink. BC Conservative leader John Rustad has not said how he would pay for all of this. 

  • The BC NDP are promising to expand more rail service in Metro Vancouver and increase Bus Rapid Transit corridors to speed up bus service, including on the North Shore. Seniors would also get free transit during non-peak hours. Their platform also promised to expand the Millennium Line to the UBC campus, from Arbutus. 

Car rate changes?: ICBC, it’s a group we all love to hate, regardless of rates. Now, the BC Conservatives are promising to will end ICBC’s monopoly, in order to, as they argue, bring in more competition, according to Global. The BC NDP say Rustad’s plan would increase rates by $500 per year, and that young drivers would pay 100% more, like in Alberta or Ontario. 

Bark bark: One policy that’s music to many pet owners’ ears (including my dog and me) is the BC NDP say they will end no-pet clauses. Sadly this applies to only purpose-built rental apartments, according to CTV. A good step, but certainly not as far as many pet owners would’ve hoped. 

  • Also, in what I’m sure many Vancouver residents will like given the number of fast fancy cars on the streets, is the BC NDP’s plan to increase speeding ticket costs on cars worth more than $150,000. 

City public safety: The BC Conservatives enjoy a polling lead on this issue, according to the latest Angus Reid polling. Under the NDP plan, Metro Vancouver would get a dedicated gang homicide investigation team.

Zoom out: With only 15 days left until election day on Oct. 19, the BC NDP is facing a decline in electoral support, as recent polls show a resurgent BC Conservative party running ahead of the NDP by a few points. 

What it all means: If the NDP is truly falling in the polls, they will need something to change the momentum. It’s unclear if any of these policies would actually be able to do that. After reading through the NDP platform, my takeaway is the platform is mostly designed to appeal to people outside of Vancouver, where many of the toughest election races are. Tough news for most readers of this newsletter. 

There are likely only two seats that both parties are contesting in the city, Vancouver-Langara and the new riding of Vancouver Yaletown. Langara has historically been a non-NDP seat, but the Conservative candidate Bryan Breguet has made a few controversial statements that may make it winnable for the NDP. Vancouver Yaletown may be a Conservative pick-up due to the many publicized issues of public safety in the area.

Last Chance: Catch some spectacular cinema at VIFF

With over 90 films playing between now and Sunday evening, there's still plenty of time to catch up on incredible cinema at the 43rd annual Vancouver International Film Festival.

The lineup includes:

  • An added screening of Cannes 2024 Un Certain Regard Prize winner Black Dog

  • The North American Premiere of vibrant dramedy 78 Days, a VIFF 2024 Award Winner

  • The exuberant and audacious tender love story Rafiki, part of VIFF's guest-curated FOCUS series

  • The World Premiere of groundbreaking documentary Ninan Auassat: We, the Children, VIFF 2024 Award Winner

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

📉 3.8%: The decline in home sales in September in Vancouver. In total, 1,852 homes were sold last month. [CTV]

🇹🇼 120,000: Taiwan set up a tourist information centre in Vancouver on Wednesday, and is hoping this many people visit this year. Count me as one of them, I visited in January and plan on returning some day in the future! [Taiwan News]

FOOD

Michelin Guide announces latest inductees

What happened: Four new restaurants graced Vancouver’s Michelin Guide list this year. Sushi Masuda received top distinction with One Star, Bravo and Zab Bite  received a Recommended designation, and Gary’s received a Bib Gourmand.

My take: Gary’s is an inspired choice. I visited back in January — you can read the review here — and immediately knew they were onto something. I also visited Bravo, but did not write a review, as it was still in the early stages of opening, and the meal felt a little uninspired. In the case of Bravo, the Michelin team clearly disagreed. I’ll have to make another visit at some point.

Who was snubbed: As someone who eats my way through the city reviewing restaurants, I have a number of thoughts on places that deserve to crack the list. Here are just a few I’m surprised didn’t make it:

  • Zarak by Afghan Kitchen: This one feels especially egregious. The food here is exquisite, with a team exciting at a high level. I still think they’ll crack the list at some point.

  • Any Korean restaurant: As far as I can tell, there’s no Korean restaurant in either the Recommended restaurants or Bib Gourmand, which feels like a real oversight.

  • Autostrada: The folks here have some of the best pasta in the city, and the food is better than some of the places on the Bib Gourmand and Recommended list. It’s an odd oversight.

  • Gastronomy Gastown: Purely for the pizza, this place deserves a spot.

You can find the entire list of Vancouver Michelin restaurants here.

THE AGENDA

🏘️ Vancouver’s housing market isn’t moving much. Listings are up 30 per cent since last year, while sales are down 25 per cent compared to the normal 10-year average. Experts were surprised at the recent numbers, given interest rates have fallen. [CTV]

📈 DoorDash is slapping on an extra $0.99 purchase fee on top of restaurant deliveries, in response to the BC government enacting laws to increase protections and wages for app-based ride-hailing workers. [CTV]

🏗️ In what feels like a serious case of irony, WorkSafeBC is investigating a crane problem Wednesday in Oakridge, which shut down the VCC Clark SkyTrain station, only two days after the province brought in new crane regulations. No other details of the incident were released. [CBC]

🏢 While it’s a difficult time for office construction in the city, many office buildings that were about to enter the construction phase have shifted towards hotels. This is especially true for downtown, as there is still strong demand for them in the city and region. [Storeys]

⚽️ It was a tough loss for the Vancouver Whitecaps, who went down 3-0 against the Seattle Sounders. The team is facing a depleted lineup, with three team members missing the game due to injury. [The Progress]

👮 A 27-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday after an altercation at a home in Joyce-Collingwood where a man was stabbed to death. [CTV]

EVENTS

Today’s event section is sponsored by VIFF

The Vancouver International Film Festival is entering its closing weekend. There's still plenty of time to catch a flick. Here's four films to check out before Sunday!

Cherub | Today, 3.45pm, International Village 8 | Harvey is a lonely, overweight man who discovers new self-esteem when he submits a photo to Cherub, a gay magazine “For big men and their admirers.” A gentle, ambient character study about the healing power of being admired. Includes Q&A.

My Late Summer | Saturday, International Village 10 & Sunday, International Village 8 | Academy Award-winner Danis Tanović (No Man’s Land, 2002) charms with this summer romance about a woman arriving on a small Croatian island to claim her piece of inheritance from the estranged side of the family.

A Traveler's Needs | Saturday, SFU Woodwards & Sunday, Vancouver Playhouse | Isabelle Huppert and VIFF mainstay Hong Sangsoo reunite for a whimsical, winning tale of culture-clash. She plays a French tutor at large in a South Korean city; he deploys his usual mixture of suggestive repetition, oddball humour, and humble profundity.

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point | Sunday, 3.30pm Rio & 8.30pm International Village 10 | There’s no place like home for the holidays and the extended Balsano family gathers to celebrate Christmas Eve together for perhaps the last time. A warmly humorous yuletide rhapsody, this captures the Christmas spirit and puts a bow on it.

Copy/Past Culture | Fingerprint Gallery | Oct 18, 6-10 pm, and other dates | An art show featuring an exploration of repetition, transformations and patterns, to question trends and constant novelty | Learn more

Fright Nights | PNE | Oct 4-6 | Come see the haunted house, grab some spooky food or ride the scary rides | Tickets $33

Nation Extreme Wrestling: Proving Grounds | The Wise | Oct. 4, 8 pm | Come see the new generation of wrestling stars square off | Tickets starting at $15

Improv Roulette | China Cloud Studios | Oct 5, 5:30 pm | An unhinged jam comedy show, with crowd participation in choosing skits | Learn more

The Secret Life Of Crows | 1398 E 3rd Ave | Learn more about crows, with stories and a presentation | Tickets $39

Culture Days | Multiple locations | Until Oct 13 | A ton of arts and culture shows around Vancouver | Learn more

Richmond Country Farms Pumpkin Patch | 12900 Steveston Highway | Until Oct. 31, 11 am-4:30 pm weekends | Learn more

Cirque du Soleil ECHO | Concord Pacific Plac | Oct 9-Jan. 5 | What you love about Cirque, but focused on a story about how actions impact and influence the world | Tickets $73

Vancouver Christmas Market | Jack Poole Plaza | Nov. 13-24 | Yes it’s early, but for those who love Christmas, it’s a favourite and tickets are now on sale | Tickets $15

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Congrats to Thai restaurant Baan Lao which was just named the best restaurant in Canada. [Dished]

  • You can catch a new mural called People of Downtown off Seymour Street near the Granville SkyTrain station. [CTV]

  • I always love a unique story, and this one from author Christopher Cheung is one of those — it’s all about a Pizza Hut that, for some reason, political candidates love to use. [The Tyee]

  • Is Vancouver in the midst of a wine bar boom? I’d argue yes! [Vancouver Magazine]

  • Comedia Jimmy O. Yang, who starred in Silicon Valley, dishes on his favourite Vancouver restaurants, including Phnom Penh, Crystal Mall, Kissa Tanto and Kirin. All great choices! [Michelin Guide]

  • It’s Girl Guides cookie season, with sales of all cookies going to support their programs. You can find a nearby spot to grab some here.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

This was spotted on Commercial Drive. If any readers speak crow, please send me the translation!

GAME TIME

Jacquie was the only one to guess the Vancouver Guesser answer was Trout Lake.

Today’s Vancouver Wordle is not necessarily an easy one, but it is in one of our stories. Play it now.

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