Vancouver’s Mayor Ken Sim was not elected by the Government of China. Before I go further, let me be very clear. I worked tirelessly for Ken Sim’s opponent, Kennedy Stewart, in Vancouver’s October 22nd municipal election. Kennedy Stewart shares many of my political views. Ken Sim, on the other hand, shares very few. What Vancouver’s…
Stop ABC’s School Cuts and Closures
The ABC dominated Vancouver School Board is seriously considering the permanent closure of up to eleven schools, including at least two high schools. Where are these schools located? You guessed it – they are almost all on the east side. The ABC School Trustees have so far refused to identify which specific schools might be…
System-Wide U-Pass?
Is it time for TransLink to introduce a system-wide U-Pass? Most of us are familiar with the existing U-Pass. Introduced a number of years ago for secondary students, it dramatically reduced the cost of a monthly bus pass for them and did so in a revenue-neutral manner. It was able to do this by having…
Now I Know My ABCs
On the morning of Wednesday, February 15tth, I listened with interest as my very favourite radio host, Stephen Quinn on CBC’s Early Edition interviewed Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim on the 100-day anniversary of the Mayor and his ABC (A Better City) colleagues being sworn into office. Here are certain highlights (some, including me, might say…
Canadian Healthcare: Half Empty or Half Full?
Do we finally have a breakthrough on healthcare funding from the feds to the provinces? On Tuesday February 7th, my jaw dropped when I heard the announcement that Prime Minister Trudeau was prepared to increase healthcare funding by almost $200 billion over the next ten years. This is an enormous amount, albeit that some of…
Learning to COPE with Vancouver Politics
Wow! The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, January 28th and it was a huge success! Considering COPE’s poor showing in Vancouver’s municipal election on October 15th, 2022, many expected a poor turnout at the AGM. Instead, over 120 members attended both by way of zoom and in…
Is the Vancouver Folk Fest Really Gone?
My life partner Penny and I were so sad and in fact stunned to learn on Tuesday January 17th that not only will the annual Vancouver Folk Festival not occur this year, but it may never happen again. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society will be considering a resolution to dissolve the Society at their…