With the onset of COVID-19, hospitals throughout BC have instituted a new policy. Patients cannot have visitors, except in rare circumstances. However, the new provincial health policy also supposedly allows for essential visitors — such as vital caregivers for patients with severe disabilities. Prior to this new policy, patients with severe disabilities were clear: They…
Category: Metro Vancouver
COVID-19: The neighbourhood catastrophe waiting to happen
For weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has been totally transforming our lives and devastating economies worldwide, right down to our own local neighbourhoods. COVID-19 is a neighbourhood catastrophe waiting to happen in the DTES. Its first confirmed case appeared yesterday. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, for most of the residents there to keep a safe…
How would you feel about heating your lunch next to a toilet?
The labour dispute has been happening for more than three weeks now, and it’s going to escalate further next week with three days of full shutdown. So far, bus routes and SeaBus sailings have been affected. Soon, we will find out if SkyTrain is, too. But I’m happy to tell you that HandyDART is not…
Let’s follow New Westminster’s lead on renovictions
Congratulations to New Westminster city council on their recent unanimous approval of a new bylaw to protect renters from renovictions. Landlords there will now face the prospect of fines of up to $1,000 a day or losing their business licence and, with it, the right to be a landlord if they increase rents after renovations…
The COPE election victory in context
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — COPE is back! Last Saturday was election day and for the first time since 2011, COPE had candidates elected not just to Vancouver’s city council, where Jean Swanson came in fourth, but also to the city’s school board, with Barb Parrott, and park board, with…
Turn up the taps & cool housing prices more
For many years now housing prices in Vancouver have been moving up at a very fast pace — so fast that most of us have been priced right out of the market. Economists will forever debate the causes of this phenomenon. However, it would appear that at long last relief finally may be here. Provincial…
Faster than driving & having more fun — on a bike!
On CBC Radio this morning, I was listening to an interesting piece about the annual Rush Hour Challenge put on by HUB Cycling to see which mode of transportation is the most time-efficient to get a commuter to downtown Vancouver. The challenge pits cyclists, car drivers and transit users against each other to see who…