Ken Sim and ABC just pulled a no-notice special urgent meeting to approve nearly $5m to keep the Granville Street Fan zone going for seven weeks after FIFA. While we love the FIFA fan zone, what’s the plan to sustain the vibes after FIFA has packed up and gone?

Five years after the heat dome that killed 117 Vancouverites - what we’re doing where we’re failing

I'm not running for mayor for status, swagger, or the cool jacket. I'm running for mayor for the people of Vancouver. Because this: vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e...

Opinion: Vancouver is a beautiful city, but its people can't afford to love it anymore

Opinion: A city's people can't show up for each other when rents keep going up and they have to work more or move further out. Do you agree?

vancouversun.com

Attended the opening of Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum, a new building offering 87 affordable rental homes, 25 supportive homes with rent held at the shelter rate, and 56 market-rate rental homes. It underscores how important the Community Housing Fund is. @lucymaloney.bsky.social @ptfry.bsky.social

The Straight captures a bit of our toxic workplace at City Hall… ABC deliver in pettiness that we opposition councillors have sadly grown used to (like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot).. but often it causes real harm to the public we are charged to protect www.straight.com/city-culture...

How a motion about sex worker safety told the story about Vancouver's current City Council

The motion showcased a recent trend at City Hall.

straight.com

CLIMATE SCIENTISTS HATE THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK Ken Sim is pushing fossil gas infrastructure under a false narrative thst it will make housing more affordable. 📖 Vancouver Council report from November 2024 for the truth about electric vs gas and affordability council.vancouver.ca/20241126/doc...

The thing about conflict of interest is *perception*. A normal taxpayer-funded plaza takes 6-10 months to approve, but if you are a neighbour in the employ of the mayor Ken Sim's office it takes less than four? 🤔 *perception* www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Did the Vancouver mayor’s office fast-track a public plaza to benefit a staffer?

A newly constructed temporary plaza built next to an East Vancouver restaurant is raising questions as to whether it was accelerated due to the business’ connection to the mayor’s office.

ctvnews.ca

Yesterday, an adversarial City Councillor leaned into my office uninvited to call me a “f#@!ng donkey” I think he meant it as an insult. But donkeys are intelligent, loyal, tough as heck, and regularly deployed to protect livestock from predators. That’s a nice compliment. Thanks! #donkey 🚫ABC

Lots of talk about the capital plan - what is it, where does the money come from and what say are you going to have in what priorities your tax dollars are spent on?

After Cllr Lenny Zhou is caught publishing defamatory libel, manufacturing falsehoods accusing us of being drug users/dealers and fomenting ugly divisive rhetoric --this statement is not an apology, it's not even an excuse. Zhou, communicating solely to media, while mayor so far fails to disavow.

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦@jmcelroy.bsky.social · 5mo ago

UPDATE: Vancouver Lenny Zhou has apologized for a video he posted on WeChat where he said without evidence that multiple opposition councillors were drug users and dealers

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, thinking about the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis, along with hundreds of thousands of dissidents, LGBT, Roma, people with disabilities. Reflecting on those horrors, the statement "never again" and the systems that enable genocide today and ongoing.

Last week after posting here on bsky - i went on to Jill Bennets CKNW show to talk about the London Drugs at Woodwards the current and historic context and what the future could look like. Pretty reasonable please give it a listen: open.spotify.com/episode/7nmN...?

Long-term impacts of the recent London Drugs closures

open.spotify.com

The closure of London Drugs at Hastings/Abbot is a loss for the neighbourhood. Yes, safety/security issues are a challenge for this and any operator, but there is more to consider in this story: the outsized location relied on a market that doesn't exist. History🧵 vancouversun.com/news/london-...

While voting as an ABC block, Cllr Zhou - quoted in the article -- professed to be solidly "pro housing," but his voting record suggests he's "solidly" voted against new supportive housing, rentals in Shaughnessy, and now, social housing city-wide #notallhousing

Vancouver Sun@vancouversun.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Vancouver council rejects move to fast-track social housing towers, citing public opposition vancouversun.com/news/vancouv...

Important reckoning. Sadly, this is a broken record / broken system where supposedly well intentioned child apprehensions often result in real harm to the kids and parent(s) and very little accountability. I know and have worked with many of the people involved in this story 🙌🏽 gratitude and respect.

IndigiNews@indiginews.bsky.social · last yr.

Afro-Indigenous mom wins case in top ‘B.C.’ court against agency that seized her kids ‘Justine’ believes her appeal victory will ‘definitely help other families’ involved with the child welfare system who face discrimination indiginews.com/features/ind...

Today, as Trump awarded new "FIFA Peace Prize" his militarized ICE agents are targeting football-loving racialized migrants Wednesday, I ask Vancouver to affirm our commitment to Sanctuary City: Access Without Fear as part of our FIFA Human Rights Plan. Please council.vancouver.ca/20251210/doc...

Another timely call out of this serial tormentor that landlords over many renters in our city. Plan A is quite literally one of the worst, and keeps successfully gaming the system. thetyee.ca/News/2025/12...

A Vancouver Landlord Keeps Being Allowed to Evict Tenants. Why? | The Tyee

Residents want to know why BC’s Residential Tenancy Branch keeps siding with Plan A.

thetyee.ca

'Twas weeks before Christmas And staff at the City Checked stockings for pink slips Such a Holiday pity... "'Tis best for our budget!" laughed our malevolent hero "More layoffs to come, 'cause Zero Means Zero!" www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Zero Means Zero Meets FIFA Staff report Dec 9 recommends terminating 10/11 Advisory Committees. As the World Cup looms and we've yet to see a Human Rights Plan, volunteer-led citizens advisories are scrapped. Eliminating Committees saves $160,000 @ department targeted by #zeromeanszero cuts

Budget silver lining? Disappointing to hear the Celebration of Lights are being cancelled. BUT on the upside, this does free up over $1m of in-kind policing City of Vancouver contributes, perhaps we can refund some of the cuts to community services? #zeromeanszero www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Vancouver's Celebration of Light fireworks festival cancelled indefinitely | CBC News

Organizers of a public fireworks festival, which has brought millions of people to Vancouver's English Bay over the past three decades, says it can’t go ahead without long-term government and private-...

cbc.ca

This is absolutely horrific. 36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong highrise complex fire. This photo from CBC captures the anguish many of us are feeling for our friends and family across the Pacific in our spiritual (not official) sister city. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

Hong Kong highrise fire leaves several dead, others trapped inside

A fire spread across multiple highrise buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing 13 people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said.

cbc.ca

LIVE Budget Engineering fees set to go up across the board for everything was severed to provide relief for patio permits (a nice $300,000 nod to consider small business) but when I suggested it could be offset by increasing Street and Traffic By-law Fines specific to road safety, ABC rejected 😒

TODAY: Budget day at City Hall

Toxic rhetoric online isn't new, but when political leaders indulge violent language directed at local elected colleagues, it's a failure at most basic level of democracy. Politicians have a moral obligation to call our (not hug out) their supporters when they cross that line. Do better. ⬇️thread

Nadine@nadinenakagawa.bsky.social · 9mo ago

In New West, the political rhetoric has gotten completely out of control, stoked by the New West Progressives. At our Monday council meeting, the two NWP members voted against me attending a conference about countering online harm and misinformation. Meanwhile, on their social media page, there is

Ken Sim's comments on EarlyEd were delusional: His defense of "thorough budget presentation" suggested councillors were afforded multiple rounds of questions. In fact, critical councillors were given only two 5min blocks for questions and answers on 90 slide, 23p, $2.4b budget before ABC cut us off

Jen St. Denis@jenstden.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Listening to Ken Sim’s @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social interview and it’s kind of surprising his team doesn’t prepare him better for this tough interviewer. He says the police board has said no to some budget asks and the police have cut back their spending - but can’t name examples. #vanpoli

THANK YOU Vancouver! On doctor’s orders I’m reclined and elevating my leg after a torn calf muscle. But rest assured I’m gratefully watching/listening to the various Vancouverites speaking out against the cuts to staff and services behind ABC’s opaque #zeromeanszero 2026 austerity budget

Vancouver has spent decades building up a now well-earned reputation for leadership on environmental sustainability. Apparently, the mayor and ABC majority don't see the value in it. Hard to imagine a better way to damage the city's brand.

Canada's National Observer@nationalobserver.com · 9mo ago

NEW: Councillors and sources inside the City of Vancouver say the city's mayor, Ken Sim, will put forth a budget Wednesday that will eliminate the city's celebrated climate and sustainability department.

There’s still time to let council know what you think of the proposed 2026 “zero means zero” budget Budget presentation and speakers begin Nov 12, more info and deadline below council.vancouver.ca/20251112/spe...

Vancouver's 'zero means zero' budget will mean slashing 400 jobs “These aren’t surgical cuts. These are chainsaw cuts. We haven’t gotten the details of where these cuts are going to really land and what it’s going to mean for services that Vancouverites rely on" vancouversun.com/opinion/colu...

Leaked memo says Vancouver's 'back to basics' budget will mean slashing 400 jobs

Draft budget contemplates cuts in 12 of 20 areas, and spending freezes in two. Five departments will get spending boosts. Read more.

vancouversun.com

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