ABC backtracks on the city’s integrity commissioner, while ending City Hall lighting for (foreign) national holidays. Burnaby signs a gag order with TransMountain. Police in the region are over budget and saying some wildly bigoted things. A quirky by-election in Harrison Hot Springs. The Park Board’s existential plea, legal battles over tree removal in Stanley Park, and the return of the ghost train serve as the lighter notes.

Timestamps and Links

01:20 Integrity Commissioner Controversy

04:46 City Hall Lighting Policy Changes

09:39 Public Opinion on Mayor and Council

12:22 VPD Budget Overrun and RCMP Accountability

17:07 Victoria Citizens Assembly on Amalgamation

20:29 Burnaby’s Gag Order with Trans Mountain

22:57 Vancouver Park Board’s Fight for Existence

26:01 Stanley Park Tree Removal Lawsuit and SCC Rejects Vancouver’s SRO Vacancy Control Appeal

30:47 Harrison Hot Springs By-Election

33:25 Stanley Park Ghost Train Returns

34:48 Vancouveratta: BC’s First General Election

Pete Fry foils Ken Sim’s effort to put the Integrity Commissioner’s office into a medically-induced coma. The Park Board releases a legal opinion suggesting a mid-term abolition may be unconstitutional. Surrey wants a Charter. A North Van chemical company runs an astroturf campaign. The People’s Park defeats the fire station. And lots of housing – and little parking – coming to Vancouver’s east end.

Links

Ken Sim expropriated a City Hall boardroom for a personal gym because that’s what winners do. Meanwhile, the cops are using their extra budget to tackle the chaos that is people watching the sunset from the beach. Mandatory upzoning is progressing, with some notable squeaky wheels that are playing chicken with the province. And a new audit is being launched into the ill-fated North Shore Waste Water Plant.

Links

Pete Fry’s tweet of the gym

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim explains why he turned a boardroom into a gym

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim defends converting city hall room into a gym

Here’s how many times Vancouver’s mayor has been absent from a vote at council

$80K staff position added to Vancouver mayor’s office | CBC News

Carol Reardon tweet on Sim math

Blair’s tweet of cops clearing the beach

Vancouver police English Bay beach sweep prompts questions

Mayor Ken Sim out as Vancouver Police Board chair | CBC News

Surrey policing transition saga over, mayor accepts judicial review

More than 4,000 homes built for people, thousands more on the way through housing targets

Vancouver to allow more density at all SkyTrain stations beyond legislation | Urbanized

Vancouver council votes to densify upscale Shaughnessy neighbourhood

Vancouver scraps minimum parking requirements citywide – BC | Globalnews.ca

Cities ask for more time to comply with B.C.’s zoning laws | CBC News

B.C. rejects Burnaby petition for exemption to new transit-oriented development rules

Burnaby defies new BC housing transit-oriented area laws

Bylaws passed: Port Moody, Coquitlam (for TOAs only), Richmond, Surrey, Delta, Chilliwack

Public toilet plan doesn’t pass the sniff test for some New West residents

TransLink announces $90M cost-cutting plan to address funding gap | CBC News

City reverses plan to spend $6M for expanded Burnaby elementary school gym

Metro announces independent review of ballooning North Vancouver sewage plant cost – North Shore News

Vancouveratta

The Vancouver Stock Exchange: A Legacy of Fraud and Money Laundering Part I

The Vancouver Stock Exchange: A Legacy of Fraud and Money Laundering Part II

At some point Brenda Locke should get tired of losing, but today is not that day. It does inspire us to think of Surrey as a grand collective delusion that we’re all experiencing. Importantly though, voting isn’t speech and the constitution still doesn’t recognize municipalities.

In Vancouver, Council wants to keep property taxes low, there are squabbles at the Park Board but maybe we can sell off naming rights to our parks to solve our budget woes (spoiler: we can’t). Ken Sim will continue to operate on vibes, however. Throughout that, Vancouver is behind on its housing targets but it has plenty of company from municipalities still grumbling about the province forcing them to upzone all residential zones.

George Harvie is still in hot water over travel expenditures, Port Moody mulled a lobbyist registry, Langley City is banning daycares and Coquitlam nearly banned joy.

And you should all go save the WISE Hall.

Links

No fun city? Unless you want to gamble. Surrey policing drama. Mayors behaving badly.

Links

John Coupar runs for BC Conservatives

Vancouver mayor cautious about organizing Canucks watch parties | CBC News

Vancouver mulls viewing area for ’amazing’ Canucks’ fans | The Province

Roxy Fever…the Podcast! (@roxyfever) / X

Investigations Initiated into Potential Contraventions of the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act

Vancouver council considers ‘modifying’ moratorium on gambling expansion

Date set for Surrey Police Service to take over from RCMP: Farnworth

Bombshell hidden provincial report confirms SPS costs to skyrocket by $750M | City of Surrey

Surrey Police Deloitte report

Surrey mayor’s ‘withdrawal of service’ complaint about SPS officers called ‘hurtful’

B.C. judge refuses to seal documents alleging RCMP bullying against Surrey police

UPDATE: RCMP union says its officers can’t work under Surrey Police without federal law changes

Delta council votes to remove Mayor Harvie as Metro chair

Jas Johal on George Harvie

Thread on Kamloops mayor

Kamloops council reverses mayor’s suspension of CAO | CBC News

Kamloops mayor says sex photo incident on ‘list’ of reasons he suspended top city official

B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book

The First International Store – Starbucks Canada

Christine Boyle defeats Andrea Reimer in the battle of Little Mountain, meaning we’re likely headed to a council byelection later this year. Last year’s annual report fundraising gives us some insight into how well each party might do. Surrey meanwhile, doesn’t want money. Vancouver will be saying goodbye to public hearings. An overdose prevention site draws controversy, as do new rules around sheltering in parks. The City hopes to go to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Olympic Village school is finally coming. And Vision Zero wants you to take a brick to cross the street.

Links

The municipal becomes the provincial as two friends-of-the-pod compete in the race to replace an outgoing MLA. Mike Klassen asks the city for money for a Junos trip, Ken Sim asks a park board commissioner for forgiveness and the MST Nations are going to ask the province for everything. We also get into BIA expansion controversies, calls to make the red Vancouver sign permanent, and the history of neon signs in Vancouver.

B.C. NDP nomination battle brewing between former and current Vancouver city councillors

Vancouver councillor withdraws application for city cash to cover Junos trip with mayor

Integrity investigation finds Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim discriminated against Park Board commissioner

Vancouver Host First Nations support Park Board dissolution

Letter from MST nations 

Dan Fumano: Vancouver park board abolition not coming before B.C. election, Premier Eby says

Community associations ask B.C. not to eliminate Park Board

Dan Fumano: Psychedelics are illegal — and Vancouver police say criminal charges could be coming

Richmond, B.C., council approves drug consumption site motion | CBC News

Richmond won’t seek approval for drug consumption site: mayor | CBC News

A supervised consumption site for Richmond, B.C., was ditched. Why are critics still so furious?

24-07 BCPS announces appointment of Special Prosecutor Gordon

West Vancouver mayor Mark Sager suspended from practicing law for two years after admitting misconduct – North Shore News

3 code of conduct complaints filed against Port Moody councillor during first year in office

Mount Pleasant BIA expands despite objections

B.C. municipality to debate whether it should continue to exist | CBC News

City Council to consider installing a permanent “VANCOUVER” sign | Urbanized

Neon Vancouver Ugly Vancouver — MOV

Neon in the City — MOV | Museum of Vancouver

This Week in History, 1927: Neon signs light up Vancouver