It was hot out. Like really hot. Like you need to sit under a tree for some shade but the damn Park Board wouldn’t open the park until they finally relented.

Meanwhile what do you do if you’re mayor and you feel like you’re not getting your way and COVID restrictions are lifting? You start a party! And accuse your opponents of being lurking Harperites.

The good news for those opponents though is their own polling has them in the lead, but mostly only if you include a bunch of extra options.

Meanwhile in Burnaby you can be elected to council if you can convince 3200 people to turn out for you, although you may be accused of being a lurking Conservative for your past ties to Liberals.

You don’t need to worry about that in West Van and you want to be mayor though. Simply promise to run lots of expensive referendums while also cutting taxes and stopping growth in the village where the population is actually declining.

Back in Vancouver though some houses are actually going to be built, as council miraculously came to a unanimous vote.

And with that W on the board, maybe the city should swing for the fences.

Just don’t use land clearing burns following a heat wave to make room for any necessary stadium

Lots is happening for Vancouver’s mayoral candidates. Kennedy Stewart is cleared of conflict of interest complaints but still faces a defamation suit from the NPA. Meanwhile, Mark Marissen and Ken Sim have dueling columns that both take aim at the mayor.

We have polls! First, Sutherland and Globalcon released a public poll in April; you can see the charts on our Twitter timeline. And we have our hands on internal polling from the Kennedy Stewart campaign.

On the climate front, council rejects staff recommendations to delay a ban on natural gas in new builds, which was allegedly supported by the natural gas lobby. Council did however agree to several other delays that would (hopefully) help clear the permitting backlog.

Despite that success, council was not able to reconcile competing motions that seek to ban leaf blowers in the city and they mired themselves in procedural shenanigans.

Then we take a little detour to learn about what it means to abstain as some councillors still seem confused and we look at whether the perfect is the enemy of the good. 

On the reconciliation front, Richmond’s mayor continues making excuses to not start council meetings  with a territorial acknowledgement, while Vancouver mulls taking a racist’s name off one of our streets.

And this week’s Vancouveratta comes via TikTok.

We begin and end with reflections on the terrible news about the bodies of the children found at the former Kamloops Residential School. Survivors, including intergenerational survivors, can access support by contacting Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society toll-free at 1-800-721-0066. 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419. Or please donate to them at irsss.ca

Christine Boyle’s nonprofit housing motion is defeated by an alliance of Greens and (ex-) NPA votes, who also teamed up to keep bikes off Commercial Drive pedestrian-first plans. 

More details emerge about the Vancouver Model for drug decriminalization, as the mayor concedes they rushed the plans in case of a snap federal election.

The Park Board has helpfully highlighted the worst parts of its parks, which is where you’ll be allowed to have a drink, soon.

New towers might come to the north end of the Burrard Bridge and a new park on the south end.

Dan Fumano looks at the city’s consultation on adding density to arterials – and possibly to side streets. Add your voice: shapeyourcity.ca/rental-rz

New West gives the green light to an affordable housing project, while Surrey looks to build more roads. But both are tame compared to whatever is happening in Port Moody. Really, it’s getting ugly.

And in byelection news, congrats to Andy Hobbs of Richmond and Linda Munro in the District of North Vancouver . Voters in Burnaby can learn more about their candidates before voting later this month.

And for our Vancouveratta we look at the St Paul’s (Squamish) Indian Residential School in North Vancouver. Learn more from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. And join calls to examine all the sites.

Christine Boyle wants 12-storey social housing to be allowed in Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and Marpole, which is “an affront to democracy”.

Activists and drug users pan the proposed Vancouver Model of decriminalization.

The Vancouver and New Westminster school boards give cops the boot with various levels of vigour.

 The province gives the absolutely all clear to the Park Board that it can allow drinking in parks, something New West is already doing and others are critical of the Mayor for not fighting harder for.

People who abstain from votes continue to lack a spine.

The NPA names three women to its Board, including one with some interesting tweets.

We will never know the alternative measures agreed to as part of a settlement for sexual assault allegations against Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov.

Vancouver has a new City Manager, new chief planner and Translink has a new CEO.

And you could own this week’s Vancouveratta for a mere $249,000. 

Sarah Kirby-Yung, Lisa Dominato and Colleen Hardwick have left the NPA caucus and were soon joined in their exodus by the three NPA school board trustees. This leaves Melissa De Genova as the sole NPA member on council, with Park Board Commissioners John Coupar and Tricia Barker rounding out the party’s significantly diminished caucus.

Plus council votes to end public hearings for some social housing projects and Michael Wiebe’s decision to declare yet another conflict prompts another edition of Charts On A Podcast! as we dive into voting records.

Council may vote to support a bid to bring a Formula E race to Vancouver.

 And from the courts comes a ruling against a Port Coquitlam councillor who was censured for leaking information about a tree and the BC Court of Appeal reveals that city staff read from a script in rejecting the controversial 105 Keefer Project.

Plus happy Earth Day (yesterday), we look at the start of Greenpeace.

Links

* Colleen Hardwick, Lisa Dominato and Sarah Kirby-Yung leave NPA party

* So now what happens to Vancouver’s NPA party?

* NPA school board trustees jump ship

* Sarah Kirby-Yung’s open letter

* The NPA reaction

* Vancouver NPA’s mayoral candidate responds to turmoil within party

* Dan Fumano: ‘Baby step’ or too far? Vancouver city council mulls social-housing move

* Charts on Twitter

* Formula E event pitched for Vancouver

* Actual motion: SKY/Wiebe want a Formula E World Championship Event

* Port Coquitlam mayor, councillor don’t mince words after censure is upheld

* PoCo ruling

* B.C. Court of Appeal ruling reveals that senior city staffers followed a script in rejecting 105 Keefer Street application

* BCCA Beedie Ruling

* Vancouver Was Awesome: 41 years of Earth Day, Greenpeace

Intro features clips (used under fair dealing) from: One is the Loneliest Number by Three Dog Night, All By Myself by Celine Dion and Lonely by The Police.

Ken Sim pledges to abolish the Park Board. He will probably run with the new party A Better City Vancouver. Mark Marissen is running for mayor. And the election is still 18 months away.

* Ken Sim will abolish the park board

* The Aquarium is sold to US theme park operator

* John Coupar doesn’t like the idea of abolishing his current job

* Melissa De Genova & NPA are also unhappy

* Sarah Kirby-Yung is more open to “discussion about its governance” 

* Restaurants also dislike the park board

* A Better City Vancouver launches – check out their website

* Mark Marissen launches his bid – which we maybe spoiled

* Meanwhile the current mayor continues to press forward with drug decriminalization in the city

* Burnaby and Richmond are also having byelections

* Keep up with hyper-local politics with the Burnaby Beacon and Tri-Cities Dispatch

* And our Vancouveratta looks at the founding of the Park Board before Ken Sim kills it

The NPA Board drops a bombshell by announcing 18-months out that Park Board Commissioner John Coupar will be their mayoral nominee. So we’re hear to break down the who/what/when/why of what the hell is going on.

Thanks to Patron Greg for letting us use his call into CKNW this afternoon. 

Read more about John Coupar’s nomination.

Melissa De Genova’s DEMOCRACY DIED tweet and some background to it.

This week’s Vancouveratta was on the Ripple Rock explosion. Watch the video.

A rental-only zoning bylaw survives a court challenge in New Westminster, patios are extended, staff will keep thinking about the Olympics, Twitter drama, housing for the homeless, Yes in New West, bikes in Stanley Park, UNDRIP and Joyce St development vs cultural food assets. And an extended look at Vancouver’s long history of anti-Asian racism in our Vancouveratta.

Plus a Cambie Report original sea shanty to lead off the show.

* Supreme Court of British Columbia rules in favour of City of New Westminster use of residential tenure zoning to protect existing rental stock

* Ruling

* Vancouver mayor to introduce motion calling for expanded patio program – NEWS 1130

* No meal, no patio: Many B.C. breweries forced to close outdoor spaces

* Council votes to study Olympic bid

* Eileen Park Robertson vs Bob Mackin

* Granville Street youth hostel to be permanently turned into housing for the homeless | Urbanized

* New West petition didn’t mention affordable housing

* Vancouver Park Board approves Stanley Park bike lane for summer

* Vancouver Council votes for UNDRIP

* #SliceOfSupport fights to save cultural food assets

Vancouveratta

* Challenging Racist British Columbia

* Tomekichi Homma

* Wiki Vancouver anti-Asian riots

* BC Legislature apologizes for Japanese internment

Photo credit: flickr/Kurt Bauschardt

The Vancouver Planner Shanty

There once was a man named Larry BeasleyWho built a city of glass by the seaHis name lives on for the plans he wroughtCalled the Vancouver Model [huh]

[Chorus]May another planner comeTo build housing for all incomesAnd when the City Plan is doneWe’ll make Vancouver grow

thence Calgary came ToderianIndustrial lands fought for, but thenHis ego clashed with managementAnd they had to let him go [huh]

Gregor then brought in JacksonTo be Vision’s planning yes manWith th’architects he sparked a rowAnd he opted to step down [huh]

Last came a man named Gil Kelleyfor the missing middle to build, you seeBut he ran up against the bureaucracyBack to Oregon he goes [huh]

We got our hands on the Young Report alleging Michael Wiebe should resign from council. Plus Gil Kelley is out as chief planner and the police board appeals the decision by council to freeze its budget.

Read our story about The Young Report and download it here.

* City mum on sudden departure of Vancouver’s chief planner

* City of Vancouver chief urban planner Gil Kelley leaves position | Urbanized

* Vancouver Plan – The Future We Want: Conversation Kit

* Dan Fumano: Beedie vs. Vancouver — Developer takes city to B.C.’s top court

* Vancouver police board to appeal council’s decision to ‘cut’ VPD budget

* A Former Mountie Will Set the Police Budget for Vancouver. That’s Wrong

* The Deep Divide on Police in Vancouver Schools Continues 

* J1ers: The tale and trials of Vancouver’s visiting Irish students

We got our hands on the Young Report alleging Michael Wiebe should resign from council. Plus Gil Kelley is out as chief planner and the police board appeals the decision by council to freeze its budget.

Read our story about The Young Report and download it here.

* City mum on sudden departure of Vancouver’s chief planner

* City of Vancouver chief urban planner Gil Kelley leaves position | Urbanized

* Vancouver Plan – The Future We Want: Conversation Kit

* Dan Fumano: Beedie vs. Vancouver — Developer takes city to B.C.’s top court

* Vancouver police board to appeal council’s decision to ‘cut’ VPD budget

* A Former Mountie Will Set the Police Budget for Vancouver. That’s Wrong

* The Deep Divide on Police in Vancouver Schools Continues 

* J1ers: The tale and trials of Vancouver’s visiting Irish students