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What’s going on with public safety on public transit?
Plus, an update on the encampment and why it takes three years to fix a sidewalk
Geoff Sharpe
April 17, 2023
Good morning,
To me, public transit is something that brings a city together. Things like SkyTrains are a testament to a city’s ability to build projects that help people. World-class cities all have it. And having been around Canada, I feel confident saying Vancouver has one of the best.
That’s why it’s really difficult reading the latest news about stabbings on public transit. From public safety to mental health, to affordable transit, it gets at the heart of many issues facing Vancouver.
In today’s edition, we break down what’s going on with public safety on public transit, an update on the encampment and why it’s so problematic to take three years to create a crosswalk.
Thanks for being here.
— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout writer
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WEATHER
Monday: 9 🌡️ 4 | 🌧
Tuesday: 8 🌡️ 3 | 🌧
Wednesday: 9 🌡️ 4 | 🌧
VANCOUVER BY THE NUMBERS
💉 119.2: The average number of overdoses per day in March. This is three more than the previous high of 116.2 from July to August 2021. [CTV]
🏰 $4 million: The price of a 32-acre castle in England, which also happens to be the price of a single family home in Vancouver. It was part of a TikTok video series featuring how housing prices compare in Canada to the rest of the world. [Vancouver is Awesome]
TRANSIT
Public transit facing public safety test
A stabbing death of a 17-year-old on a bus in Surrey last Tuesday and a stabbing Saturday morning on the SkyTrain are raising questions about safety on public transit and what can be done to fix it.
Context: This is the third stabbing on public transit in the last week. Another happened last Monday on the Columbia SkyTrain platform in New Westminster, according to CTV. On Wednesday there was a violent fight on board a West Vancouver Blue Bus, reported Daily Hive.
The causes: Most appear to be random, but the trendline is rising, and some police say it’s partially to do with worsening mental health outcomes after the COVID pandemic, according to CTV.
Vancouver has experienced a 12 percent increase in violent crimes compared to before the pandemic, according to CTV.
The solution: The western regional director for Unifor, the union representing transit workers, says there will need to be culture shift. He also called for an increase and more visible presence of transit police and security on buses, not just transit hubs, according to CTV.
There will be an additional 24 community safety officers patrolling transit locations. They will not be armed, but will focus on community engagement. This will allow armed officers to focus on criminal activity, according to Urbanized.
Of note: TransLink has its own police service, with 184 police officers. This is different from every other city in Canada, which does not have their own service.
Around Canada: This isn’t just a Vancouver problem. In Edmonton, violent events on transit are up 51 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to Global. In Toronto, violence targeting transit passengers rose 41 percent in 2022, for a total of 1,068 reported incidents, according to CBC.
Toronto has especially been hit hard. The issue of safety on public transit has become a major focus by the media and mayoral candidates. You can read a timeline here of the city and police’s response.
Gut check: If the attacks are random, and driven by mental health issues, would an increase in transit cops actually deter people?
QUOTE
“I want to be abundantly clear that everyone has the right to feel safe on transit. These incidents are absolutely unacceptable.… I’m angry, really angry and frustrated. I’m bothered by these events, and as a parent of two transit-riding kids every single day, I’m concerned. The fact is we will not stand for these types of incidents on our system.” TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn discussing safety on public transit on Friday. [Urbanized]
PUBLIC SAFETY
Front-line workers speak out about encampment eviction
Outreach workers are speaking out against their employer and the city about the encampment evictions’ impact on the people they work with, according to a letter issued in the Georgia Straight.
The details: Forty-four Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) frontline workers signed the letter. In it, they explain how the lack of warning of the operation caused huge problems for accessing their clients and providing them with care.
They argue it “has meant potential for increased risk of adverse health and psychosocial events (i.e., onset of sepsis and the worsening of a mental health crisis) for populations who are already marginalized.”
The workers also say many others did not sign onto the letter because they were unsure how their employer, VCH, would respond and fear potential blowback.
VCH noted to Postmedia in an email last week that they did not see “a significant disruption to health care services offered through storefront programs or to home-based services,” according to the Vancouver Sun.
Criticism grows: On Friday 732 academics from 57 universities across Canada signed a letter speaking out against the encampment evictions and the displacement of people, according to the Mainlander. The group says the actions “contravene public health best practices.”
Sim speaks: The mayor spoke to Glacier media last week. In it he emphasized that the city carried out the eviction because they were “enforcing a fire order because of a threat to public safety.”
Mayor Ken Sim also said there is enough shelter space for people. This directly contradicts what Vancouver’s city manager Paul Mocherie told the media during the evictions, saying the city “couldn’t commit” to having enough shelter space for those evicted, according to Global. As of April 14, of the 94 people living in encampment structures, 18 residents have accepted shelter space.
On Friday the city also said that safety has improved in the area. There were 27 fewer overdose-related calls during the week of the sweep, and there were no stabbings or assaults since April 5, according to Global.
NEW JOBS
Find your new dream job in Vancouver:
Manager of owned brands at Canadian Tire
Senior marketing communications manager, executive social media at TELUS
Chief of external relations and protocol at City of Vancouver
Brand ambassador, operations at Canada Goose
Manager, event operations at Pacific National Exhibition
THE AGENDA
🏍️ A Hells Angels property was seized in East Vancouver, along with ones in Kelowna and Nanaimo, as part of a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that ordered their forfeiture. [CBC]
🏢 Another story is popping up about condos changing to 55+ in response to the government’s new law that prevents rental age restrictions on buildings except for those 55+. A few hundred buildings have already made the change, while the province says legislation will be coming to fix the loophole. [CBC]
🚓 Police are investigating an alleged hate crime incident after a woman was racist towards a group of men after hearing them speak Arabic. [CBC]
⛴️ The Vancouver Island Ferry Company is breaking ground this week on a ferry terminal in Nanaimo. The new company will operate high-speed ferries between downtown Nanaimo and Vancouver in 70 minutes. There is no timeline for when service will start. [CTV]
🚨 The Vancouver Chinese Cultural Centre experienced another fire last week. It’s the second fire in the last three weeks. Police believe it was set intentionally. [Global]
🏫 The Ideal Mini School, a 50-year-old program that helps children with higher learning needs, is moving locations and parents are not happy about it. [CTV]
🔥Both good and bad news for dim sum fans. Popular restaurant Sun Sui Wah experienced a fire this weekend, but only the storage area was burned. The rest of the building was thankfully safe. [CityNews]
👩 Police are asking for help to find a missing woman. Maurina Clement was last seen Friday morning at 11:30 am around Lions Gate Hospital. [Vancouver Is Awesome]
INFRASTRUCTURE
Three years to build a crosswalk…
What happened: A busy intersection at Nanaimo Street and East 3 Ave. is finally getting a crosswalk. The bad news? It will take about three years for it to be built, according to Global News.
Context: The area has no crosswalk and has been a problematic spot for students and transit riders. A petition was launched by a 14-year-old student to fix it.
Zoom in: The sidewalk was approved, but it will take three years to paint it as it’s currently at the bottom of the list of projects.
Zoom out: The city faces an infrastructure deficit, according to Coun. Sarah Kirby-Young, in an opinion piece last year for Daily Hive. She argues infrastructure is falling apart, important projects are not being built and facilities are aging, and projects are not being actioned fast enough.
Why it matters? Basic infrastructure that serves citizens’ needs is critical. The lack of urgency and capacity to fix even small problems like this, which impact people’s quality of life, illustrates bigger problems than just the ability to build a sidewalk, it shows that local governments can’t be responsive to citizens’ needs.
EVENTS
Art
Floating on a Dream: The Fantastic Art of Marc Chagall | Chali-Rosso Art Gallery | Explore the world of the famed surrealist and early modernist | Free
The Cream of Clapton Band | Hollywood Theatre | Tuesday 8:00 pm | Musicians bring to life the best of Eric Clapton’s music, including Sunshine of Your Love, Layla and Forever Man | Tickets $29.25
Food
Asian Eats Tasting Tour | Mystery location | Wednesday, 6 pm-9 pm | Experience Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai food and drink | Tickets $54.61
Alchemy: Cocktails and Craftsmanship | 369 Carrall St. | Today, 7:30 pm | An artist bartender night of cocktail creations | Tickets $11.98
Movies
Showing Up | VIFF | Monday, Tuesday multiple times | A story about art, and toiling away at reward or recognition | Tickets $15
My Neighbor Totoro | Rio Theatre | Today, 6:30 pm | The magic of Studio Ghibli, about sisters who encounter a mythical forest creature | Tickets $11.42
How often does this happen…
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So what are you waiting for? Hit the button to contact us.
SPORTS
Vancouver Canadians | 4-1 | 2nd in Northwest League
Win on Apr. 13,10-0 vs Tri-City Dust Devils
Win on Apr. 14, 5-4 vs Tri-City Dust Devils
Win on Apr. 15, 5-2 vs Tri-City Dust Devils
Vancouver Whitecaps | 8-2-2 | 8th in Northwest League
Tie on Apr. 15, 0-0 vs Austin FC
Almost six months after breaking his hand, Canucks player Tanner Pearson is still recovering after he originally was supposed to be out for six weeks. [CBC]
Canucks player Brock Boeser said it was a “blessing in disguise” not to have been traded during last month’s trade deadline. [Sportsnet]
It was a tough season for the Canucks, but there were some bright spots in Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, who combined for 180 points. [TSN]
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
If you have a dog, be careful in Trafalgar Park. A dog was attacked by a coyote and wildlife officials are warning anyone in Arbutus Ridge to be on the lookout for a larger presence of the animals. [CTV]
Miso soup, California rolls and garlic naan were some of the top food types ordered by Vancouver residents. Check out the entire list. [Vancouver is Awesome]
Vancouver once had palm trees and a weather climate like Florida…40 million years ago that is. [CBC]
B.C.’s biggest electronic music festival Bass Coast Music and Arts Festival just released their list of artists, with 150+ performing from July 7 to 10. [Georgia Straight]
VANCOUVER FAVOURITES
A few weeks ago we asked readers for their favorite Italian restaurants. Here’s what you said:
Osteria Savio Volpe (31%)
CinCin Ristorante (17%)
Cioppino’s (10%)
A couple readers had some additional suggestions, including Lupo, La Terrazza and Giardino.
Here’s what readers had to say:
“I love the food and the ambiance at Giardino's! I love their classic cesar salad, burrata salad, beef carpaccio, Linguine Vongole, Spaghetti Carbonara, Tortellini, veal ossobucco! Umberto is usually at the restaurant saying hello to his guests! He is the perfect host!”
One reader also left a lovely review of a new restaurant in town: “NOX is newer on the Italian Resto list. At Georgia & Cardero. Front of House Lucy + Tella are wonderful! The room is comfortable with a gorgeous palette of colors including teal tiles, copper finishing round the bar and for neat light fixtures, and very chic and relaxing cognac leather banquettes round the entire space. Happy Hour is especially great value with BC VQA wine pours and CICHETTI which includes an elevated presentation of delectable bites like braised short rib Arancini. The kitchen is turning out some lovely dishes and the wine list has some pointedly great bottles to pair from across many Italian regions.”
GOOD NEWS MONDAY
Start your day off with some good news:
Nothing like kicking off spring and summer with festivals and parades. The hugely popular Vaisakhi parade returned to Vancouver after a three-year absence, even with the cloudy weather!
The photo above is TransLink’s special Vaisakhi bus.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
I’m a sucker for a dog photo, so had to include this one from Reddit user LeelooandFriends
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