Vancouver 34th Most Livable For Millennials

Assuming you are waiting to buy or have decided not to, then you have a nice pile of cash building up. What are you doing with it in this forced low rate era? None of the Central banks (UK, Canada, Euro), despite talking tough about soaring consumer debt have had the balls to increase rates. We are STILL sitting with rates at emergency levels and below inflation. So what options do we have for our money? Well a few and none are that enticing. There is the GIC. Rates are pretty low at the moment. The banks still haven’t budged much from the 1.0-1.4% for a one year fixed. You can get a little more by bargaining with your advisor. This has always irked me BTW. Why not just post better rates for everyone. Our banks, like our telecom carriers either need competition or serious regulating. I just picked up 1.8% for a one year at ING direct which is owned by Scotia now. I got this from a brokerage account and was better than their posted rate. Other institutions with lower credit ratings offer up to 2%for a one year and 3% for a five year fixed. The CDIC will insure up to $100,000 if the GIC is under 5 years. Either way you slice it, it isn’t a big chunk of money. After taxes, it is below inflation. It used to be that a one year GIC matched inflation after tax and a two year beat it. Not now that the Central banks are trying to force us to speculate (and then complain when we do) So what else is there? Bonds. You can buy bonds via any brokerage account. The rates are not much better than GIC rates at present for high credit companies and Government of Canada bonds are even lower. You can tweek things by buying stripped bonds which have a lower tax rate (capital gains instead of interest taxation). You can google this if interested. Preferred shares. These are shares that behave like bonds. They come in several flavours, some pay a steady % until maturity, others reset the rate depending on the Bank of Canada rate or rates for a ten year bond, others maybe convertible into the shares of the issuer. They pay higher rates as they are considered ‘long bonds’. However as they are shares too, they are taxed better than bonds and so a 5% yield in preferreds would be the same as getting almost 7% in a bond if you pay tax at the highest rate. Here is a good site which explains and tracks them. Though he also writes of other stuff in his commentary which I usually skip over. Garth Turner used to be a big proponent of them on his site Greater Fool. They have done very well for the last few years and then got slaughtered recently as rates have been rising. He has not mentioned them recently 🙂 Then there is the stock market. You can buy stocks directly, or mutual funds or index funds etc. Bank shares have done very well as they have been in the sweat spot. They have borrowed short (from all the people having one year GICs or getting near zero interest in their savings account) and lending out several % higher to mortgage borrowers. Even though rates are low, the spread between the short end and then long end of the rates curve has been widening and therefore the banks have been making even more money than before. The best thing is that they have been doing this risk-free. Anyone with high leverage or poor credit risk they passed off to that garbage can of risk – the tax-payer back CHMC. A scandal IMVHO. However this circus is slowly coming to an end, as outsiders from the World Bank to Investment houses to independent economists have told our Government how poorly risk is managed at the CMHC, they seem to be finally getting the message. The stock market was a good place to be for the last four years, especially the US market. But I am too leery to put new money unless there is a good correction. Rising rates are usually bad for the earnings of companies That’s about it. Can’t think of many more options. What are you doing out there?

Social cohesion, environmental health, and industrial development are paramount characteristics to sculpting a sustainable community. Yet a recent, ground-breaking report by a graduate student at Simon Fraser University found zoning restrictions are largely exacerbating British Columbia’s erratic housing costs and supply shortage.   With an interdisciplinary knowledge of geography and environmentalism, Nathan Zemp’s scholarly endeavour aims to explore how informed economic frameworks and municipal land regulations can effectively empower policy changes around purchasing an affordable property. His report on stagnant zoning bylaws across 30 cities in British Columbia combined an aggregated summary of previous data from 2016 and recent statistics to derive riveting conclusions on the province’s housing phenomenon. From height restrictions to floor area ratio and design guidelines, Nathan asserts conservative policies around housing infrastructures make it difficult to address inflated rent and growing sociodemographic demands.    “A lot of people believe that off-zoning is bad and leads to unaffordability,” says Nathan in a video call.  “But adversely, preventing gentrification to keep things affordable is the complete opposite. Of course, new buildings are more expensive than older buildings. But the cost and supply of new buildings is needed to keep up with the population growth, otherwise, rent will rise expeditiously.”  In fact, numerous existing pieces of literature examining the socioeconomic shift in gentrified neighborhoods have attested to reap significant benefits. Despite its insidious reputation as an urban ravager, redeveloping debilitated communities has enhanced long-term educational opportunities, local industrial expansion, and reduced violent crime rates. To illustrate, a 2019 study from New York University which analyzed previous data of gentrified areas between 2009 to 2015, found the process has immensely helped sustain local population growth through improved living conditions and economic growth.   As a result, Nathan asserts a major reform in Vancouver’s conservative zoning bylaws is necessary to not only meet the surging sociodemographic needs of various communities but to expand access to property ownership among youths. However, due to inflated rent, the housing market is currently monopolized by upper-class residents and those upholding longer generational status. “That is why you see houses selling for millions and millions of dollars,” says Nathan. “As a result of the housing shortage not only are the prices overinflated in Vancouver, but rent is also overinflated because not enough apartment buildings can be built to keep up with demands.”  Fortunately, in an attempt to decentralize ownership opportunities, Nathan’s riveting commentary on the zoning effect suggests housing infrastructure should be situated across broader, hyperdense patches of land to reduce property costs. “There are so many more apartments that instead of only the richest, it would go from 60 percent of people only able to afford apartments to 90 or 95 percent of people,” says Nathan. “When you get rid of this artificial constraint on housing, land becomes less expensive and that makes it more possible for organizations like BC Housing and nonprofits to build public housing for those who still can’t afford rent. So, it makes the prices go down, which makes it easier for the middle class and upper end of poor people to afford housing.” “Contribution of the Zoning Effect to Metro Vancouver House Prices Over Time” from the Housing Prices in British Columbia: Quantifying the Zoning Effect by Nathan Zemp. However, as rapid population growth and scarce housing supply continue to intensify across the province, sacred agricultural lands are under dire threat by increasing suburban expansion. Many neighborhoods across Vancouver are characterized by low-density, single-zoning regions where increased reliance on private transportation has degraded ecological health and land resources. “Our urban sprawl can only go so far and we started hitting that in a really serious way,” says Nathan. “The percentage of our land basis available for green field development today is extremely small. Much smaller than probably any other metro area in North America.”   Indeed, numerous studies on the significance of preserving arable land resources for agricultural production found promoting policies around sustainable urbanization practices can help create a robust local food supply and avoid inflated grocery costs. Nathan feels cities should be implementing policy reforms around land regulations and housing infrastructures that fulfill communal needs without environmental degradation. For instance, access to nearby transportation services is an ecological approach to addressing population growth.   However, the congested, socially enriching, and cultural vibrance of downtown regions has attracted many potential homebuyers who are outnumbering the province’s housing supply due to land restrictions. Consequently, Nathan’s astute investigation of the provincial zoning effect reveals a dire need to create flexible zoning bylaws that naturally acclimate to home ownership’s shifting sociodemographic demands. “So instead of saying this neighbourhood is for single-family homes, we can build up to the height of the tallest building within a one-block radius so that as cities grow outwards naturally, the zoning bylaws automatically allow higher buildings based on what is already in the neighborhood.”  “Contribution of the Zoning Effect to Metro Vancouver Apartments Prices Over Time” from the Housing Prices in British Columbia: Quantifying the Zoning Effect by Nathan Zemp. While this alternative solution had yet to be espoused across North American housing policies, fortunately fostering an inclusive dialogue around the importance of density around transit-oriented services has conditioned a recent provincial legislation back in March, which Nathan comments on. “It certainly won’t get rid of the zoning effect entirely, but will help reduce it.”  *** To access a downloadable version of Housing Prices in British Columbia: Quantifying the Zoning Effect

From quick dinner recipes to simple vegan breakfast ideas, these 28 easy vegan recipes for beginners will have you enjoying a plant-based diet, no matter how much time you have! Want to eat less meat but find plant-based cooking daunting? I get it. These nourishing recipes are all delicious and healthy, use a handful of simple ingredients and come together quickly. From easy vegan dinner recipes to breakfast recipes that are perfect for weekly meal prep, there’s something here for everyone. And the best part? These recipes are quick, allowing you to focus less on your vegan diet and more on your loved ones! Love what you see? Get my once-monthly newsletter with my latest recipes straight to your inbox! Yes, I agree to the processing of my personal data to receive email marketing. /* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */ Leave this field empty if you’re human: 1 Easy Eggplant Stir Fry with Garlic Sauce This delicious eggplant stir fry is such an easy plant-based meal. Made with a savoury garlic-soy sauce and cooked until succulent, it’s great served with rice or noodles as a main course. Check out this recipe 2 Easy Beet & Black Bean Burgers (Vegan) Taking less than 30 minutes, these vegan burgers are made with simple ingredients – black beans, beets and sweetcorn. Perfect when you want a good veggie burger, but a healthier one! Naturally gluten free too. Check out this recipe 3 Easy Fresh Vegan Spring Rolls These fresh vegan spring rolls with peanut sauce are the most delicious easy meal I know – no cooking required. Stuff your rice paper wraps with crunchy vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumber and carrot, add some smoked tofu and dip in savoury sauce! Check out this recipe 4 Quick & Easy Spinach Pasta Sauce This creamy vegan spinach pasta sauce is one the whole family can enjoy. It’s quick to make, has a great savory flavor, is packed with nutrients and is a great midweek meal. Oil-free and nut-free. Check out this recipe 5 Easy Chickpea Spinach Curry with Coconut Milk This one-pot chickpea spinach curry takes 25 minutes and is perfect as a quick weeknight dinner or big batch meal served with brown rice. Easy vegan meals don’t get much simpler than this. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Check out this recipe 6 White Bean & Artichoke Vegan Sandwich (gluten-free) This delicious white bean & artichoke sandwich is perfect if you’re looking for healthy lunch ideas for work. It’s quick to make and protein-packed! Check out this recipe 7 Easy Carrot Lentil Soup (30 Minutes) This quick carrot lentil soup recipe is perfect for weekday dinners. Naturally vegan, it contains just 10 simple ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes. The perfect creamy soup for colder days! Check out this recipe 8 Healthy Crispy Tofu Ever wondered how to make perfect crispy tofu? This simple method is less hassle than frying and will give you crispy tofu every time. Great added to rice bowls, stir fries and noodles. Check out this recipe 9 Easy Chickpea Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free) Made with just 5 ingredients, this Chickpea Flour Pizza Crust is ideal for pizzas or flatbreads. Ready in minutes, it’s a great quick meal and will satisfy those comfort food cravings! Gluten-free. Check out this recipe 10 Easy Pasta Al Pesto (Linguine with Pesto) This easy pasta al pesto is the perfect weeknight meal. All you need are a few simple ingredients including basil and olive oil, and 15 minutes. You can even add cherry tomatoes for extra colour and flavour! Check out this recipe 11 Easy Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup A simple summer recipe for easy dinners, this roasted cherry tomato soup will tickle your tastebuds. It’s flavour-packed and comes together in 30 minutes, with cherry tomatoes, onion, fresh herbs and vegetable broth. Check out this recipe 12 Beet Pasta Sauce Of all the creamy pastas, this 20-minute savoury beet pasta sauce might be my favourite. Made with cooked beets, coconut milk, cashews and lemon zest, it can be served with pasta for a delicious weeknight meal. Check out this recipe 13 Easy Vegetable Stew with Lentils (Vegan) This one-pot easy vegetable stew is healthy, hearty and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Great as a quick weeknight dinner on chillier days. Check out this recipe 14 Creamy Pasta with Mushrooms & Broccoli (Vegan) Coming together in under 30 minutes, this creamy pasta with mushrooms and broccoli is the perfect weeknight dinner. Can be gluten free if you use gf pasta! Check out this recipe 15 Easy Maple Roasted Carrots Simple yet satisfying, these maple roasted carrots are the delicious side dish everyone loves because they’re so easy and taste delicious. The perfect pop of colour for your dinner table. Check out this recipe 16 Cookie Dough Overnight Oats 7 ingredients and 5 minutes are all it takes to make these easy cookie dough overnight oats. Perfect as a healthy breakfast or on-the-go snack! Check out this recipe 17 Best Easy Matcha Smoothie (5 Minutes) With banana, kale, vanilla and the addition of matcha, this easy matcha smoothie is perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. It’ll wake you up and keep you full! Check out this recipe 18 The Best Tiramisu Overnight Oats (Healthy) These

With its promise of a cleaner, more sustainable future, renewable energy is quickly changing how we power our planet. The drive for renewable energy sources has intensified as worries about environmental damage and climate change mount. Solar power has become a major player among the many renewable energy sources because of its adaptability and general availability. Still, renewable energy encompasses a wide range of creative ideas intended to use wind, water, and geothermal heat in addition to solar technology. Tomorrow’s energy will be renewable. Innovations in this area are causing waves as we progress toward a more sustainable society, particularly in solar technology and other sources. Innovations in Solar Power The leading renewable energy technology is solar power. Because the cost and efficiency of solar panels have dropped recently, more households and businesses may now use greener energy. Panels that can collect sunlight even on overcast days are one significant development. This implies that solar energy is usable in more locations worldwide than just those with plenty of sunny days. There are other uses for solar technology besides energy. Better methods of heating our houses and water, thanks to solar heating innovations, are lowering our need for fossil fuels. A drive is also on to incorporate solar electricity into windows and building materials, potentially turning buildings into energy-producing machines. Other Renewable Advancements Beyond Solar The renewable landscape includes solar energy in large measure, but other technologies are also developing quickly. Wind Energy: Wind turbines are becoming bigger and more effective all the time. It follows that they can produce more electricity with the same quantity of wind. Certain modern designs create modern opportunities for growth, allowing turbines to operate in locations with little wind. Hydroelectric Power: In isolated or rural locations in particular, small-scale hydroelectric facilities are becoming more and more common. These facilities produce electricity by using rivers and streams instead of huge dams, making them less environmentally damaging. Geothermal Energy: This technique uses the heat of the earth to heat buildings and produce electricity. Since deeper heat sources are now easier to access thanks to recent developments, geothermal energy is more widely accessible. Forward Looking With ongoing breakthroughs advancing us toward a more sustainable and clean energy future, the future of renewable energy seems bright. These technologies will become ever more important in our energy environment as they advance and become more reasonably priced. The emphasis is on producing energy in a manner that benefits the environment and its inhabitants.

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

A new report finds responding officers not negligent in the August death of Langley teen Carson Crimeni by accidental drug overdose. Photo via GoFundMe The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) says two police officers were not negligent when they were initially unable to locate Langley teenager Carson Crimeni in a park as he overdosed from drugs. The four-page IIO report released Monday by chief civilian director Ronald MacDonald, Q.C., states two police officers “acted completely reasonably in the circumstances” and “played no role” in Crimeni’s “tragic” death. On August 7, Crimeni was “showing clear signs of distress” in a Snapchat video reported by one teenager to a parent, who then called 911 upon being told Crimeni may have taken 15 ecstasy pills (MDMA, or “Molly”). The IIO investigation looked into the police response that followed. Just after 8 p.m., police were dispatched to the Walnut Grove skate park, and two officers arrived at 8:25 p.m. Six minutes later, one officer reported via radio that nobody was at the park. The officers were not entirely clear if the video was a prank or when exactly it took place, the report states. At 8:43 the officers left for another call. At 10:39 p.m., a second 911 call came in after Crimeni was spotted alone in “serious medical distress” near a baseball diamond located 650 metres away from the skate park. At that point, police and paramedics responded and located the teenager and took him to the hospital, where he died. MacDonald determined there was nothing at the skate park that could have indicated to police that Crimeni, or the group of youth who had been with him, had moved to the baseball diamond. Crimeni’s death sparked much discussion within the community over drug use and bullying, as family members believe he was given the drugs and pressured to take them. As he went into distress, the group filmed and mocked him, according to reports. The report is based on statements from two paramedics, nine civilian witnesses, police dispatch records and 911 audio recordings. The two police officers did not provide evidence to the IIO.