At long last there is some very significant progress on the Arbutus Corridor. Just last week the City of Vancouver and CP Rail, the owner of the land, reached an agreement. CP will sell this 9-km rail corridor, stretching from Marpole to south False Creek, to the city for $55 million. Many years ago the…
Growing quality, not quantity
With the Globe 2016 conference happening in Vancouver, politicians and leaders from some of the world’s biggest businesses are coming together to try and address “sustainable business” — in other words, how to continue to grow their businesses and the economy while doing so in an environmentally sustainable way. The implied goal — indefinite, continued…
Death Penalty in the US: Implications for Canada and Canadians (March 24)
As a lawyer, I know first-hand and from bitter experience that the justice system does not always get it right. When one takes a moment to reflect, this is not surprising. No system is ever going to be right all the time. South of the border, a wrong decision can have catastrophic consequences for the…
A tip of the hat to my old friend, Harry
Today is the 14th anniversary of Harry Rankin’s passing. Many of you may know that Harry Rankin is my hero and mentor. I know it sounds a bit corny to say it, but he really did have a heart of gold. He also had the most unbelievable work ethic, and he combined these qualities with…
My two bits’ worth on housing matters
This week I’ve literally got two bits for you on our BC housing situation. Here’s the first bit: There’s been lots in the news lately about making housing more affordable but, I’m sad to say, very little about this news is of substance. At the end of the day, the crisis of homelessness will be…
Vancouver-Mount Pleasant voters are a bellwether
Byelections are never easy for whatever party holds power at the time, and Feb. 2 was no exception. The incumbent BC Liberals lost both byelections — Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. The interesting takeaway for me was not the fact that the Liberals lost. I say this in spite of the fact that one of…
The hidden cost of Uber
Uber is in the news again. B.C.’s transportation minister says it’s a matter of when, not if, Uber’s ridesharing business will land in our province. No doubt Uber’s introduction will improve customer service, especially in Metro Vancouver. We’ve all experienced far too many occasions where we’ve had to wait for sometimes up to an hour…