115 Unit Rental Building Proposed for Commercial Drive Site

Arctic animals like the polar bear are the focus of a new ‘pampering with purpose’ campaign from a duo of B.C. small businesses. Photo: @kpuresnow/Instagram Karen Johnson started her all-natural skincare brand, K’pure, out of her garage a few years ago. The Mission, B.C. mother of four was looking for an alternative to mass-market deodorants and lotion that were passing aluminum and plastics through her breastmilk to her then-infant son. She got to work coming up with formulas of her own, and word began to spread in her community about her non-toxic and all-natural products that work so well. Soon, what was a hobby evolved into a full-scale operation, and a bustling business with an impressive product line that includes masques, room sprays, serums, bath soaks, body butters, and much more. View this post on Instagram Our first product of the day is: Get Closer deodorant! Have you made the switch to a natural deodorant yet? Have you heard about potential detox symptoms and you’re too scared to make the switch? ?Did you know that antiperspirant works by using nasty ingredients like aluminum to block your sweat? So when you stop using antiperspirant, all of those gross toxins will be looking for a way to escape your body and your pores. ?The best way to make the switch is to quit antiperspirant cold turkey. Switch to Get Closer or Get Gently Closer and if you find you have detox symptoms, use our Clean Up mud masque or Goal Digger clay masque on your pits 2-3 times a week. Once detox is finished, stick to the masque application once a week. This will balance pH in the area and keep things smooth, clean and free of irritation. Sometimes we may think we have an aversion to baking soda, when in fact we need a good deep clean in the area with the masque to balance the area. Be sure to keep an eye on our Stories today for more deodorant tips, and don’t forget to post your most creative Stories and/or post with Get Closer for your chance to win a $50 shop credit. Make sure to tag @kpurenaturals in your stories and posts and remember that private accounts cannot be seen! A post shared by k’pure (@kpurenaturals) on Nov 18, 2019 at 9:11am PST Savvily, Johnson made great use of social media – particularly Instagram – to grow her business, with influencers and celebrities spreading the gospel that K’pure shares on its own feed. With an appealing aesthetic and messaging centred on strong women, caring for animals, self-care, family, and nature, K’pure definitely reflects a way of life, and lets people vote with their shopping dollars by supporting a small business with big ethics. Not surprisingly, it was on Instagram where I first learned about Johnson and her K’pure line. I’d just begun the quest to find a natural deodorant, and K’pure was highly recommended. I had tried a few others and was wondering if going back to commercial and chemical-laden products was my only option, but I gave K’pure a shot, and I’ve been a customer for nearly two years now. In addition to the Get Closer natural deodorant, the Almond Cookie spray and the Perk Up coffee scrub are personal favourites. Recently, Johnson took K’pure’s ability to use a product to amplify a cause to the next level. She teamed up with Vancouver-based marketing agency Partner & Hawes to release two products under the sub-label “Snow” for which proceeds go to support arctic environmental causes – Canada’s snowy north and its beautiful inhabitants that need help in the face of climate change. View this post on Instagram I am VERY excited to share with you a very special project I have been working on with Taya at @partners_hawes The original idea was to create some holiday client gifts for @partners_hawes and this snowballed into a new line called Snow. Today we present to you our first two bracingly fresh products: Arctic Bath Soak and Arctic Mist. Proceeds benefit arctic habitants, inspiring you to give consciously this holiday season. Our Polar Bears will thank you for it! Find more Snow inspiration at @kpuresnow and check out the new site via the link in our bio. You can purchase our newest Snow products on the new website or on our current k’pure website, and in stores SOON! A post shared by k’pure (@kpurenaturals) on Nov 25, 2019 at 8:03am PST There is a Snow “Arctic Mist” spray for your skin, linens, or room, as well as a Snow bath soak. Both have a bright, bracing, wintery feel but pack a lot of soothing, and are of course all-natural and cruelty-free. The concept for the “Snow” line is one of “pampering with purpose.” Essentially, it’s that you can still enjoy self-care while simultaneously giving back. Feel good, do good. “This project is super exciting and dear to my heart. It’s for a great cause, one that I think is under-supported yet critical,” says Johnson. “I’m ecstatic to shine light, share awareness and raise funds for this worthy initiative. My hope is that Snow creates a flurry of positive impact.” The Snow products are available online via their own web portal, or you can check out the full K’pure range online (or see who stocks the products at a store near you).

Summer is just around the corner, and there are lots of exciting things to do in the city’s public spaces! Coming up next Wednesday, be sure to check out our own Gardening the Streets event. You can also find info about some of the many cool activities —bike rides, museum exhibits, festivals, outdoor movies, markets, and more—that will be enlivening Vancouver spaces over the next few weeks. Special bonus for the placemakers and advocates: a funding opportunity , a new tool kit , and a chance to weigh in on your vision for the city’s parks ! * * * * *   Gardening the Streets (Access Public Space #1) Join us on the evening of Wednesday, June 19, 2024 for a discussion on the ways in which people in Vancouver are ‘gardening the streets’ and helping to turn roadways into verdant and vibrant public spaces. The event features two presentations that touch on the practice of transforming streets into beautiful green spaces. The event will also showcase some of the programs and opportunities that community members can access to take a turn at ‘greening’ our city streets and improving local public space. Joining us for the evening are: SABA FARMAND – a landscape architect and arborist. In 2019 he started documenting the many ways that community members have been stewarding street and boulevard gardens. His @eastvan_blvd_gardens instagram account project has almost 5,000 followers and has led to several successful walking tours and speaking events. ROSINA CUK – a horticulturalist and arborist who has been managing the boulevard garden on Heather and 16th and the traffic circle on Heather and 18th for the past five years. Presentations will be followed by an open conversation with audience members. Bring your questions and ideas and join in the discussion! Gardening the Streets is the first event in the VPSN’s Access Public Space series, which explores the overall accessibility – physical, economic, cultural, etc. – of the city’s open spaces, streets and civic buildings to community members and visitors. The event is FREE, but registration is required . Some light snacks will be available. Funding Opportunity City of Vancouver – Community Placemaking Grants – Deadline: June 23, 2024 Apply for up to $3,000 to fund a short-term project that enhances public spaces in Vancouver and brings people together. Possible projects include: small community gatherings, temporary displays, beautification projects. Share your ideas—old, current, or new—that bring people together and create a sense of community. | More information, or to apply . Resources Evergreen + VPSN with Happy Cities + Maximum City: Building Better Public Spaces Toolkit “For community wellbeing, social cohesion and environmental health, we need cities that maximize the potential of their public spaces.” The Vancouver Public Space Network recently collaborated with Evergreen as well as Happy Cities and KidScore by Maximum City, to develop a toolkit on creating public space inventories. Check out this new resource for civic organizations, local government and practitioners in the urban space! Free. English and French versions available. | More information . Engagement Park People – 2024 Canadian City Parks Survey – Deadline: June 23, 2024 How have you been using parks and green spaces in your city? For the past few years, Park People has been tracking the ‘state of Canadian urban parks’ – and their annual survey is a key means of informing the report. Your on the latest questionnaire will shape the 2024 Canadian City Parks Report and will help better understand how to make urban parks and green spaces more safe, welcoming and resilient. Bonus – at the end of the survey, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a draw for one of three $100 gift cards! | Take the survey . Other Upcoming Events Thursday, June 13, 2024; 5pm – Museum of Anthropology Re-opening Night AND To Be Seen, To Be Heard: First Nations in Public Spaces, 1900–1965 After an 18-month closure, MOA is open once again following the completion of the Great Hall seismic upgrades. Be the first to see the newly rebuilt Great Hall and experience the revitalized and reinterpreted displays of Northwest Coast Indigenous carvings, poles, weavings and other works. The Museum will also reopen with two new feature exhibitions, including To Be Seen, To Be Heard: First Nations in Public Spaces, 1900–1965 (running through March 30, 2025). The MOA is located at 6423 NW Marine Dr. | Reopening Night Info | Exhibit Info . Saturday, June 15, 2024 – “Church of Bike” – Saturday Formal Ride “Dress up with your finest flare, your awesome attire, your fancy finery – dress to impress! Easy park ride where you get to show off your stuff. All bikes and riders welcome – the important thing is having fun! Meet by the birds at Olympic Village / Milton Wong Plaza, 92 Athletes Way. | More Info . Friday, June 21, 2024 – National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebrations Various events celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on this, the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm & səl̓ilwətaɁɬ. 10am to 12pm – National Indigenous Peoples Day Breakfast Celebration and Chén̓chenstway Food Forest’s second birthday – “Bannock & jam, fresh herbal tea prepared from the garden’s medicinal plants as well as coffee. Hang out after you eat and make some crafts with us! We’ll have a table for making little orange t-shirts and red dresses for hanging in the garden. We’ll also have lots of native seeds

Specializing in the Kerala cuisine from the South Indian region in India, Chef Sujith Raj has created a menu filled with dishes you would find there using local ingredients along with spices from the region. They are one of the only restaurants in the Metro Vancouver region where you can find these dishes. 1st dish: Kerala Chicken Fry (dry on the bone) delicious flavours of the spices. 2nd dish: Fish pepper masala, it’s a spicy dish and full of flavour. 3rd dish: Chicken Stew and Appam that originates in the Kerala region of Southern India. The chicken stew is made with tender chicken pieces, cooked in a fragrant coconut milk base with spices like ginger, garlic, and green chilies. The Appam is a type of fermented rice pancake with a soft center and crispy edges, perfect for soaking up the flavourful and delicious stew. While there I also had a Fresh lime soda which was a refreshing beverage to pair with the curry dish. 4th dish: Kerala Parotta (bread) –delicate Indian flatbread that goes perfectly with the curry dishes. 5th dish: Beef Ularthiyathu (dry fry) 6th dish: Paneer masala dosa with sambar, coconut and tomato chutneys.   7th dish: Mango coconut cake Kerala Kitchen is located at 9386 120th Street, unit 103 in Surrey. You can follow them on Instagram @keralakitchensurrey By: Richard Wolak

Oxford Properties has submitted their rezoning application for 11 East 4th Avenue, a 24,185 SF site at the northeast corner of East 4th and Ontario Street in Mount Pleasant. The proposal for the site is to allow for the development of a 8-storey mixed-use industrial building and includes: 78,000 SF of office/lab space; 78,000 SF of industrial space; 6,800 SF of ground floor retail space; a total density of 6.70 FSR; and A building height of 146 ft. This application is being considered under the  Broadway Plan. The site was acquired by Oxford in 2021 for $30,500,000, or $187 per buildable SF based on the application. The architect for the project is Chernoff Thompson Architects. The full rezoning application can be viewed here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/11-15-e-4-ave The post Oxford Unveils Plans for Mount Pleasant Commercial/Industrial Project appeared first on Vancouver Market.

Join us on the evening of Wednesday, June 19, 2024 for a discussion on the ways in which people in Vancouver are ‘gardening the streets’ and helping to turn roadways into verdant and vibrant public spaces. The event features two presentations – one longer, one shorter – that touch on the practice of transforming streets into beautiful green spaces. The event will also showcase some of the programs and opportunities that community members can access to take a turn at ‘greening’ our city streets and improving local public space. Joining us for the evening are: SABA FARMAND – a landscape architect and arborist. In 2019 he started documenting the many ways that community members have been stewarding street and boulevard gardens. His @eastvan_blvd_gardens instagram account project has almost 5,000 followers and has led to several successful walking tours and speaking events. ROSINA CUK – a horticulturalist and arborist who has been managing the boulevard garden on Heather and 16th and the traffic circle on Heather and 18th for the past five years. Presentations will be followed by an open conversation with audience members. Bring your questions and ideas and join in the discussion! Gardening the Streets is the first event in the VPSN’s Access Public Space series, which explores the overall accessibility – physical, economic, cultural, etc. – of the city’s open spaces, streets and civic buildings to community members and visitors. The event is FREE, but registration is required . Some light snacks will be available. * * * * * Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House (MPNH) Accessibility MPNH is located one block away from the 99 B-Line, and the #8 and #9 buses. The first and second floors are fully wheelchair accessible. There are single stall, all-gender, wheelchair accessible washrooms on the first and second floors, as well as multi-stall gendered washrooms. MPNH is a scent-reduced space to help support the wellbeing of neighbours with sensitivities. The House offers free WiFi for guests, which may impact those with electromagnetic sensitivities.

Time to survey the land. Where have we been and where are we headed. We have been a raging bull market for Vancouver RE, of that there is no doubt. It started gradually with minor increases in 2000 and then went up parabolically until the crash of 2009. Then after a brief and sharp correction it went vertical and started to correct in 2012. This correction has hit buying in June and July and looks to be in jeopardy. In 2007/8 I posted about the divergence between income and rental returns and home prices in this city, and in the US. The financial crisis of 2008 was precipitated by the US housing bubble bursting. It brought a sharp correction to our RE. MOI went sky-high and prices dropped about 10% from late 2008 into 2009. Us bears where vindicated. The correction we had so long waited for, was happening. However what we didn’t see was the lunacy of the Government both Provincial and Federal and the idiocy of the Bank of Canada. The right-wing Federal Government who hates semi-socialist outfits like the Wheat Marketing Board , the CBC and the CMHC…very cynically took up the CMHC as their method of stimulating housing demand. Even though we were witnessing the catastrophic effect on the tax-payer of the US equivalents, Freddie and Fannie going BK and needing huge infusions of money, they doubled the CMHC. Then Carney in his wisdom brought rates down zero. As I posted at the time, in 2009, the result of the above measures and the 10% drop in prices was to drop the monthly cost of housing 30%, which was the amount I thought housing was over-priced, and some may want to buy. Well buy they did and up went RE and it kept going up. As it went up our equally foolish Provincial Government, hearing the cry of first time buyers, gave them financial incentives to get into the market…thereby adding fuel to the fire. Where are we now? One of the countries with the highest personal debt levels in the world, one of the most over-valued RE in the world and a Government which calls itself fiscally prudent but which has put another $600 Billion of obligations on our shoulders through the CMHC. This is the Canadian miracle that the world has lauded! The CMHC btw has been called opaque and having poor risk management by several organizations as we have detailed in previous posts. IMVHO this is explained by looking at the composition of the Board which lacks any RE outsiders, serious academics, well-known economists or representatives of tax-payer groups. So bears were blind-sided by the actions of the Government. What else did we get wrong? Income. The numbers we worked off for income in this Province, to gauge RE value, are seriously under-represented I believe. We have drug money, a huge black economy (mainly contractors and drug related), and a river of off-shore money coming here. So looking at the stated income levels was wrong. We were wrong not to account for that in our calculations. We were also wrong in thinking that Carney would do more than just jaw-bone as consumer debt exploded to the level that the US had pre-crisis. He refused to walk the talk. We also did not realise how much the Federal Government would allow easy money to come here. The ‘Investor’s Program’ in many cases has been an absolute farce and has allowed Mainland money to come here and invest in little more than commercial and residential RE, with-out the big job impact that was promised. Worse still, the entrants from almost every Province except Ontario ended up here. So Provinces like Quebec got the fiscal benefits and we got the added costs and RE pressure. More Federal Government meddling which bears did not account for. It is hard to include the effects of Politician’s constant desire ‘to do something’. OK, so where are we now? We are in no-man’s land. MOI of 6 = balanced. Some recent buying pressure after a terrible 2012 and early 2013. YOY prices still lower by a few %. Do we go up from here? Well rates have ticked up. Mortgage rules have been tighetened. The CMHC has a new CEO and has  been capped, but at too high a level IMO.  So was this recent rush just a fear of higher rates? If so, then it should, as I expect petter out soon and we should enter much higher MOI by late August and early September and the correction will start anew and this time it will have significant drops. However if the buying pressure keeps up, then the correction meme has been invalidated and for now we go to higher highs. I favour the first scenario. However as we bears have learned, there is always something around the corner (usually Government meddling) which we did not account for. There is no doubt that bear fatigue exists. Look around the blogosphere. Many blogs have closed up and I am close to throwing in the towel if scenario one does not play out.  The subject of RE has dominated our lives for too many years in this city. Those that don’t own wondering if they should abandon prudent plans and just dive in. Those who own and are deeply indebted, and have all their net worth in RE worrying if they