The party talk this weekend is all about the Visionista’s move to replace Judy Rogers with former deputy health minister Penny Ballem, a highly unusual move at a local government level. It’s not unusual to get rid of a city manager. It is unusual to put in someone with zero experience in city issues. Typically, […]
Judy Rogers-Penny Ballem 3
December 14th, 2008 · 2 Comments
Tags: City Hall Talk
What good will a city inquiry into the leak do?
November 27th, 2008 · 10 Comments
I called up my various friends and acquaintances who work in investigative reporting across the land, as well as checking with some local media lawyers on this issue. I’ve posted the good bits from what I found on my CTV blog here.
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The unsurprising resignation of Estelle Lo
November 17th, 2008 · 22 Comments
This just in from the emails at city hall, messages from both city manager Judy Rogers and Estelle Lo about the chief financial officer’s resignation. From: Lo, Estelle To: Sullivan, Sam; Anton, Suzanne; Ball, Elizabeth; Cadman, David; Capri, Kim; Chow, George; Deal, Heather; Ladner, Peter; Lee, B.C.; Louie, Raymond; Stevenson, Tim Cc: Hurford, David Sent: […]
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Mayors defend Olympic Village
November 11th, 2008 · 15 Comments
The media circus continues; Ex-mayors Philip Owen and Larry Campbell are going to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. to defend the current Olympic village loan. And this news release just came out from Mayor Sam Sullivan’s office. Open Letter from Mayor Sam Sullivan Southeast False Creek planning a decade in the making – […]
Tags: 2008 Vancouver Civic Election
What happens after Nov. 15 when the smoke clears
November 10th, 2008 · 9 Comments
Everyone is focused on this Saturday. But given the turn that this campaign has taken in the last few days, victory is not going to be simple if Vision wins on the basis of public uproar over the $100-million loan to the Olympic village builders. Nope, the city’s troubles — and Vision’s — will only […]
Tags: 2008 Vancouver Civic Election
The ticker-tape on the Olympic village loan story
November 8th, 2008 · 10 Comments
Hey all, Sorry I disappeared but it’s been a crazy few days and almost impossible to keep up with events as they unroll unless you pretty much type non-stop, which tragically leaves no time to actually interview anyone or get any facts. While some people may prefer to operate that way, I don’t. It was […]
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Vancouver lends $100 million to keep Olympic village going
November 6th, 2008 · 48 Comments
That’s the story from my Globe colleague Gary Mason this morning, plus more little bombshells, like the apparent news that finance director Estelle Lo has tendered her resignation.
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A new, second blog on CTV
October 26th, 2008 · 1 Comment
If you just can’t get enough of me — which, weirdly, some people say is the case — I am doing a blog for CTV these days in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 15 civic election, as well as continuing with this one. My first post is about what’s really going on with […]
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The latest on Fortress, Millennium and the Olympic village
October 23rd, 2008 · 2 Comments
Not a lot to report except that, like everyone else, the city is watching the news closely to see what happens with Fortress, the lender that is financing Millennium Developments for its construction of the Olympic athletes village. Here’s my story in Thursday’s Globe.
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One tower that’s not in any financial trouble at all
October 17th, 2008 · 1 Comment
There’s a lot of hysteria out in Developer World, with all the rumours flying about whose projects are in trouble and whose aren’t. Adding to the problems, people are transferring the details of one project to another as they pass rumours around. As a result, the news that the Infinity Towers project in Surrey has […]
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