Frances Bula

Here’s my story on a juicy text, allegedly from a very prominent Vancouver developer, that reveals the financial strain on some of the biggest projects in the city.

Kudos to @twseal.bsky.social for breaking it!

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

What do you mean, "no build up." Don't quite understand that.

Big news in development world. The Squamish Nation and OP Trust (Ontario pension) now the only partners in the Senakw development, after OP Trust takes on the 30 per cent Westbank Corp (Ian Gillespie) share for Phases 1/2, Squamish 100 per cent developer for Phases 3/4

Sounds like there are a few councillors in the region planning mayoral bids as they sense their current mayors are vulnerable. Linda Annis in Surrey set to challenge Brenda Locke, Daniel Fontaine in New West with Patrick Johnstone, Kash Heed in Richmond against Malcolm Brodie

Vancouver abandons controversial supportive-housing project in Kitsilano City council declined to keep fighting a lawsuit residents filed against the rezoning of the site near Arbutus and Broadway for a 129-unit, 13-storey complex

The city has agreed with opponents to the controversial supportive housing project to allow the approved rezoning of 2022 to be quashed

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/briti...

In B.C., promise of temporary modular housing was short-lived solution to homelessness crisis Units are expensive to disassemble, store, ship, upgrade to current building-code standards for colder climates, and re-assemble

In B.C., promise of temporary modular housing was short-lived solution to #homelessness crisis. Turns out the units are expensive to disassemble, store, ship, upgrade to code, and re-assemble, by @fabulavancouver.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... via @theglobeandmail.com

I think they are still considered tenants. The people across the street from me say they are eligible for mitigation, though many others in the five houses purchased aren't, for various reasons. Likely only one person on lease in communal house, e.g.

So ~$3.8m per lot.
Assuming 1.8m regular market price, this is ~2x land value to consolidate for a couple towers (probably 6 fsr? 6x current allowed density).

Have just been thinking about the pros/cons of consolidation vs single lot densification…

Big Pundit Brain Thought Of The Day: Sean Orr is Vancouver’s first politician to win an election with Instagram as their main media/advertising tool.

He had a constant stream of personable, punchy videos, many of which got shared hundreds of times, helping create a highly motivated core to vote.

With 18/27 polls reporting, Orr/COPE and Maloney/OneCity galloping way ahead of the pack. Reilly/Green a distant third and Hardwick/TEAM behind her.

And someone in the party was texting others that Lucy Maloney and Sean Orr had won.

I heard from three sources earlier this evening that Mayor Ken Sim basically conceded the two open seats were lost to ABC in communications with party insiders.

Staff at Marpole-Oakridge told some seniors trying to skip the regular line that seniors can’t get priority access because “half the line is seniors”. They only let seniors with obvious mobility issues to skip the regular line.

If you’re a senior, pregnant, have a disability, you can get priority access for voting. If you don’t see the sign for it, ask a staffer. #vanpoli

There appear to be long line-ups at many of today’s polling places. To help your fellow citizens, can you post about the state of the line where you are and, in particular, let people know if your centre line-up seems to be under 30 min

He was her chief of staff briefly, unless this respected writer hallucinated that.

‘I’m a bad boy’: The Stephen Carter story | The Sprawl For better or worse, he's altered Alberta politics.

Although I see from this extensive profile done in Alberta that he has done some work with Smith.
www.sprawlcalgary.com/the-strategi...

Yes, it's good that they have a priority entry. That's a good option for the people who need it. (I got offered that access today -- not sure if because they recognized me as a reporter or thought I was limping, ha ha -- but chose to stick to the regular line-up.)

Yes, I've heard that already from a few

Thanks!

Looking for any Canadians who own rec or other U.S. property nearby. Obviously wondering impact of current state of things, but also would like to talk about the attraction of rec property south of the border, any challenges there have been over the years. Text or call at BC area code 812.6205

Apply to vote by mail | City of Vancouver Apply to vote by mail in the 2025 Vancouver by-election.

Here's the link to apply for voting by mail. But they won't mail this late so you have to go to city hall to pick up the package by noon Friday. vancouver.ca/election/202...

For anyone who can't make advance voting today and unable to vote April 5, you can ask for a mail-in ballot UP TO NOON TODAY. Then you can pick it up at city hall any time 8:30 to 5 Wednesday or Thursday and up to noon Friday. Can be dropped at elxn office 305 West 8th any time

Yes

I'm told by fellow reporter Mike Howell that the advance voting last Wednesday, March 26, already resulted in a 40 per cent increase in advance voting over the TWO days of advance in 2017. So looks like turnout is definitely up.

Substantial line-up already at city hall, the last day and only place for advance voting in the Vancouver by-election. A real mix of ages here. Would love to quiz everyone in line but I think that won’t fly

It looked like there was a pretty serious accident at Commercial and Second on Saturday afternoon -- a pedestrian down in the crosswalk and an SUV stopped just beyond it, plus half a dozen police cars, ambulances, etc. -- but I didn't see any police info on it. Anyone know anything?

As ever, a great thread and great resource.

I’d also add:

1. More entrances to the street means fewer long blank walls to the street. Even if the same total number of people are coming and going, they’re more distributed.

2. A knowable number of neighbours, for family safety.

A Seismic Shift: New Earthquake Protections Push Project Costs Even Higher A consultant report for the province, obtained by STOREYS, estimates the impacts of the revised earthquake requirements at up to 80% higher for the seismic components by themselves.

I took a long look at what the province's new seismic requirements mean for residential builders. (Some of the tech details made my head hurt.)
storeys.com/seismic-prot...

Excellent ideas.