On Wednesday, October 27th, Vancouver City Council convened a session of their Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities to address, among other issues, “The Future of False Creek South: Advancing a Conceptual Development Plan and Addressing Lease Expiries.” In deciding how to move forward on this issue, Council considered a report from the General…
Category: affordable housing
The Rankin File: Legacy of a Radical
This Friday, October 22 at 7pm, my partner Penny and I are hosting a virtual screening of The Rankin File: Legacy of a Radical, a documentary film about my hero and mentor, Harry Rankin. You can register to join us and see this wonderful film here, which will be followed by a political panel and…
The uncertain future of False Creek South
In the early 1970s, Vancouver’s Non-Partisan Association (NPA) lost its control of City Council. A new party led by Mayor Art Phillips, The Electors Action Movement (TEAM) came to power. My mentor Harry Rankin, who was on City Council at that time, described TEAM as simply a fresher, slicker, younger version of the NPA. While…
End sweetheart deals for Vancouver developers
I have long been concerned about the sweetheart deals a majority of Vancouver City Council has given developers when approving developer rezoning applications. Two of Vancouver City Council’s best councillors, Jean Swanson and Pete Fry, kindly took time out of their busy schedules to assist me with researching the policy details involved. Here is what…
David Eby: A big heart and no fear when it comes to housing
In the past, I’ve been very critical of the provincial NDP with regard to housing, with one notable exception — NDP Premier Dave Barrett’s 1972-75 administration. I still remember the day, while on a high school field trip to Victoria, I had the good fortune of running into Premier Barrett outside the legislature. In a…
Make a commitment to change!
Here we are in the holiday season with its many celebrations and events coming up. This has been a challenging year. But we’ll all do our best to follow Dr. Bonnie Henry’s sensible advice and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. So I’d like to remind us all about a few action items. Close…
Hats off to council — for getting behind $1 billion for housing!
Last week, I tipped my hat to Mayor Stewart Kennedy for his $30-million proposal to address homelessness. This initiative was a welcome and significant step forward in addressing our current emergency homelessness crisis due to COVID-19. It was also a major first — never before has a Vancouver mayor proposed spending such an amount of…