A week ago, Mayor Gregor Robertson announced that he would not be seeking re-election this fall. So now is the time to reflect on what his 10 years in office have meant. I’ll tell you up front that I do not look back with any degree of fondness at Gregor Robertson’s time as mayor of…
A made-in-B.C. ridesharing solution is the winner!
The provincial government’s all-party committee on ridesharing is in the midst of holding hearings on whether or not to allow this service into British Columbia. I’ve written about this topic before expressing my concerns about the negative impact ridesharing services such Uber and Lyft will have on taxi drivers. One of my biggest concerns is…
A tip of the top hat to the Westender
Last week the Westender newspaper announced they were ceasing publication of their print edition. While they will continue to have a web presence, hard copies will no longer find their way to your doorstep or local business. I still have fond memories of the time in the late 1980s when I began to run ads…
It’s been a great ride!
I’ve been on the COPE executive on and off for some 30 years. But at our AGM in November I did not seek re-election to the executive board. At the same time, I announced I would not be running again for elected office, starting with the 2018 municipal election in Vancouver. I was first attracted…
Short-term rental restrictions: First step or attention diverter?
City council has taken a step in the right direction by voting to prohibit short-term rentals like Airbnb for anything that’s not a person’s principal residence. This much-overdue decision will hopefully bring some relief to long-suffering tenants who are finding it more and more difficult to secure rental accommodation in the city. While I welcome…
Ordinary folks just made a difference!
Vancouver’s development permit board have turned down Beedie Holdings Ltd.’s application to develop a site at Keefer and Columbia in Chinatown with a controversial condo project. This was an historic victory for the community — one made possible because ordinary folks like you and I organised tirelessly to make it happen. Beedie had originally proposed…
It’s no trick — campaign finance reform is here!
It is finally coming! Campaign finance reform will have a dramatic and, I believe, very positive impact on the 2018 municipal election. Our provincial NDP government has just announced that legislation is on its way which will ban union and corporate donations in municipal election campaigns — this just one month after they banned the…