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

Michael Wiebe has his first days in court. Health Canada considers the Vancouver Model. “Dictator type” land use policy changes considered by Metro Vancouver Board. Mid-rise buildings: rejected, opposed and delayed. Dysentery outbreaks. Efforts at reconciliation. And stop feeding the wildlife.

Plus a Vancouveratta dedicated to the late Jack Chow.

Transcript

Links

* Burnaby housing market seeing prices skyrocket

* Lawyer’s report ‘inadmissable’ in conflict case involving Vancouver councillor

* Dan Fumano: ‘Heavy’ political influence behind Vancouver councillor’s conflict case, lawyer says

* City submits “Vancouver Model” of decriminalization application to Health Canada

* Drug decriminalization: Vancouver sends preliminary application to Health Canada

* Metro municipalities retain industrial land control

* Metro Vancouver Board Meeting video link

* City of Vancouver rejects 11-storey tower next to future Arbutus Station over height | Urbanized

* New West residents want council to reject 6-storey building

* Vancouver councillor questions drawn-out approval process for new rental housing

* Officials Failed to Warn Downtown Eastside Residents about Dysentery Outbreak, Advocate Says

* Most Black and Indigenous Students Want Police Out of Schools, Report Finds

* Vancouver councillor proposes city implement UN declaration on rights of Indigenous Peoples

* Text of the motion: Motion – Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the City of Vancouver: March 9, 2021

* Motion – Don’t Feed the Wildlife: March 9, 2021

* Showdown in the works over proposal to reinstate Stanley Park bike lane

* Petition: Reopen the temporary bike lane around Stanley Park

* Jack Chow, staple of Vancouver’s Chinatown, laid to rest at 90 – NEWS 1130

* Chinatown fixture Jack Chow dies at age 90

Madness in the NPA, the approaching court case against Michael Wiebe, some reaction to the federal proposition of a handgun ban, some problems in the planning department and of course affordability continues to be an issue.

Raw transcript

Links

Vancouver city councillor takes leave of absence to deal with court case

NPA directors suing City of Vancouver, mayor for defamation

Rising Tumult for Vancouver’s Oldest Political Party

Dan Fumano: Lessons learned as Vancouver politician retracts accusation of made-up quote

Mysterious mayoral poll

Vancouver mayor wants handgun ban if legislation passes – NEWS 1130

Frances Bula: Vancouver city hall backlog delays crucial developments

Rental supply is up in Vancouver, but affordability still elusive

Squamish Nation moves Vancouver forward with transformative Senakw project | Urbanized

Nearly all units in Little Mountain social housing building will be sized for larger families | Urbanized

Vancouver Park Board to clear half of Strathcona homeless camp – NEWS 1130

Surrey mayor defends opposition to First Nations land acknowledgements at council

Carin Bondar wins Chilliwack School Board byelection

Vancouveratta: Vancouver heritage home empty since 1991 murder listed for $1.4M | Urbanized

Coquitlam council continues to meet in-person, Vancouver continues to be expensive and the NPA continues to be a trainwreck. Nevertheless, some things are moving forward as the City makes in roads on decriminalizing all drugs, easing the path for nonprofit developments and allowing corner stores once more. And council agreed to call for a slightly higher threshold to run for office.

* Why is Coquitlam council meeting in person during COVID?

* Home prices in Vancouver have increased by nearly 80% in the last decade: study

* Vancouver mayor says feds agree to talks over decriminalization of drugs 

NPA shenanigans

* Worries Rise that NPA Board Could Run Extremist Candidates in 2022

* Dan Fumano: NPA leadership opts not to publicly face serious questions

* Dan Fumano: Frustrations boiling over between NPA politicians and their board 

* NPA claims above articles are “false and defamatory”

* UBC Students Against Bigotry brings receipts

 

* City of Vancouver considering expediting non-profit housing by eliminating rezoning step | Urbanized 

* Classic Vancouver corner stores could be making a comeback – NEWS 1130 

* Report Back Random Order Ballot Model Used in the 2018 Vancouver Election: 2021 Jan 21 and Staff Presentation 

* Justin McElroy’s tweet thread on Kennedy Stewart’s dropped electoral reform platform pledge

* ‘Unprofessional and Disrespectful’: Walker Among Items Taken from Homeless People 

* Citywide Parking Permits consultation 

* Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation launches coyote education campaign 

* Vancouver seaplane company to resume test flights with electric commercial airplane

* Vancouveratta: Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre 

A peaceful protest is not comparable to an attempted coup, territorial acknowledgements can actually be legislated, churches should face consequences for violating public health orders and building a laneway home in Vancouver is very complicated.

* Vancouver councillor under fire for ‘monumentally bad take’ on Capitol riots

* Dan Fumano: East Van real estate dispute reveals unlicensed warehouse use

* Surrey’s rejection of Indigenous land acknowledgement enforces systemic racism, BCAFN says

* Surrey strata orders removal of dog deemed ‘too tall’ for bylaw

* Langley Township could strip tax break from churches defying COVID health orders

* Fate of Vancouver’s laneway homes hangs in the balance after city rules take U-turn

* How Lulu Island Got Its Sweet Name

Matthew, Scott and Ian, the hosts of Cambie Report and PolitiCoast, team up to bring you a special year-in-review of the federal, provincial and local politics news from 2020. Originally aired on YouTube

We dive into two stories this week. First, a bit more on the reply from Councillor Michael Wiebe to a petition to remove him over allegations of breaching conflict of interest rules. And second a look at a new study into whether neighbourhood associations reflect the broader public.

We recorded and streamed this live to YouTube as a test of our upcoming December 30 Holiday Live Show, which will be a crossover with PolitiCoast. Apologies for some of the sound quality issues, we are still working the bugs out.

Links

* Conflict of interest case involving Vancouver councillor goes to B.C. Supreme Court 

* The representativeness of neighbourhood associations in Toronto and Vancouver – Aaron A Moore, R Michael McGregor, 2020

* Vancouveratta: Robson Square

Vancouver Council heard from over 200 speakers before ultimately voting to freeze the police budget for 2021, setting the stage for a standoff with the Police Board.

Kennedy Stewart is also chalking up some wins with his decriminalization motion and increase to the Empty Homes Tax.

CANADALAND exposed a sweet deal between UBC and Postmedia and the NPA’s board is back in the news.

Ian talks a bit about the latest study from his workplace, the BC Humanist Association, on prayers at municipal councils and the Park Board releases a survey showing strong support more space for bicycles and pedestrians in the park.

And the District of North Vancouver almost made Christmas even more dark this year.

Image credit: Flickr/British Columbia Emergency Photography

* Vancouver Budget 

* Justin McElroy budget highlights

* Budget highlights from Christine Boyle

* Live budget debate thread Justin McElroy 

* Vancouver police board approves $6.4 million increase to VPD budget

* Vancouver Won’t Increase Police Budget, But Balks at Defunding

* City of Vancouver freezes police department funding as part of 2021 budget

* Vancouver police chief ‘disappointed’ city budget includes freeze on police funding

* Council targets New Westminster police for 0% budget increase in 2021

* Vancouver council unanimously supports motion to decriminalize drug possession

* Vancouver raising empty homes tax to 3% in 2021 (from 1.25%)

* Vancouver Papers Sold News Coverage To UBC, Documents Reveal  

* Dan Fumano: Lawyer says new role with NPA unrelated to lawsuit against Green councillor

* The Duty of Neutrality Beyond Saguenay – British Columbia Humanist Association

* Atheist group claims Christian-based prayer at inaugural Vancouver Island council meetings violates court ruling

*

Vancouver approves of the Climate Emergency Action Plan while Michael Wiebe watches from the sidelines for an alleged conflict of interest that leaves us befuddled. The Mayor has a bold plan to decriminalize drugs by writing a sternly worded letter. At the same time the Vancouver Police are keen on setting up new task forces to undermine the expressed will of Council. Surrey has its own policing issues as they are raising taxes to afford the ballooning costs. And Langley’s Mayor is removed from the Metro Vancouver board by her council under a cloud of confidentiality.

Topics:

* Climate Action Plan and general climate news

* Petitions

* Intrigue around recusal

* How to get high and save the planet

* Mayor tries to do Provincial and Federal Stuff (The Drugs Edition)

* Changing police enforcement – or not

* Surrey Tax Increases

* Langley mayor removed from MetroVan

* Covid news

* Vision Vancouver general meeting

* Vancouveratta: Battle of Ballantyne Pier

Links

* Vancouver City Council approves road tolls into downtown and Central Broadway | Urbanized

* Climate Emergency Action Plan

* People are already petitioning against Vancouver’s plans for road tolls, mandatory parking permits | Urbanized

* Conflict of Interest Exceptions (City of Vancouver) Regulation

* Cannabis greenhouse to take advantage of Delta RNG Project

* Vancouver mayor introduces motion to decriminalize illicit drug possession | News

* Mayor Stewart announces plan to decriminalize simple possession of drugs in Vancouver

* Jen St Denis for The Tyee Vancouver’s Council Wants a New Way of Policing. The VPD Is Not on Board

* City of Surrey budget includes $200 parcel tax increase for capital projects

* In rare snub, councillors vote their mayor off Metro Vancouver board

* Langley City mayor says her removal from Metro board of directors is example of continued in-fighting

* COVID-19 claims 9 more lives, as BC announces record 1,959 new cases over the weekend

* Vision Vancouver Annual General Meeting 2020

* Battle of Ballantyne Pier