Frances Bula header image 4

Entries from January 2016

NPA new board: Peter Armstrong leaves as president; Kirk LaPointe comes on as director

February 26th, 2015 · 2 Comments

NPA had its annual general meeting last night. (My gilt-edged invitation must be lost in the mail somewhere.) Elected a set of new directors, see a clip from the news release below, and officially clarified that the NPA is a party. Gregory Baker, Johnny Cheung, Erin Chutter, Carling Dick, Jay Jagpal, Jason King, Kirk LaPointe, […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

Campaign spending reports show Vision spent a million more than NPA in city’s most expensive election ever.

February 23rd, 2015 · 7 Comments

Gets boring to write election after election, but … most expensive election ever. Campaign finance reports are over on the Elections BC website, for those anxious to scrutinize them. I so look forward to having someone note that somebody gave some sum of money every time their business licence or development is approved. The basics: […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

New interim TransLink CEO will focus on customer service

February 19th, 2015 · 52 Comments

We’re all curious as to what this new interim CEO of TransLink might do, given that it was so important to bring him in a month for the transit plebiscite voting starts and to take the risk of adding more executive pay to the TransLink suite. Doug Allen was still getting briefed on a lot […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

City planning keeners: A one-day symposium Feb. 27, including an appearance by former Portland mayor

February 12th, 2015 · 1 Comment

For when this blog and livestreaming council meetings just aren’t enough: Former Portland mayor Sam Adams is the keynote and the program is diverse, as it always is with the SCARP crew.    

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

TransLink shuffles CEO to side, brings in new boss, promises change

February 11th, 2015 · 123 Comments

You all used to care about bike lanes. Now it’s just transit tax all the time. Okay, so here you go. Ian Jarvis is out, Doug Allen is the interim CEO, the search is on for a permanent one. An updated version with more reaction coming out later.    

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

Vancouver: Home of $2-million starter bungalows and a thousand grubby little nail bars and vegetable shops

February 3rd, 2015 · 22 Comments

Vancouver is such a city of contradictions: endorphin-inducing natural beauty and some of the tackiest housing and development in North America; the glass condos of Coal Harbour and the hovels of the Downtown Eastside. One that has always perplexed me is how, in a city where it’s hard to find a shack with a piece […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

The transit file: Yes coalition train finally leaves the station; province makes U-turn on separate congestion tax; Vancouver warns of dire consequences of No

February 3rd, 2015 · 134 Comments

It’s now up to 250+ comments on the post about the last transit plebiscite. Time to start afresh, folks. The latest stories on the transit plebiscite. The launch The province’s very fast switch to a harmonized tax after the Retail Council said it would go to war over a new, separate third tax And, in […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized

The origami tower — meant to be first step to new Vancouver waterfront — sparks debate over both tower and waterfront

February 3rd, 2015 · 7 Comments

Been a lot happening recently, so I’m catching up here and packaging a few things together since things are sometimes changing daily in the fast-paced civics world these days. First up, the “origami” tower came to the urban design panel, where it was not supported in a 4-2 vote. My story here. For those not […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized