VREG Blog

We’re not sure exactly when this warehouse was built, but it was probably approved in 1909. The building didn’t exist in 1909, and had been completed by 1910 when it was owned by G H Cottrell, who leased some of it to the Alberta British Columbia Grain & Supply Co. However, a couple of references in The Province suggest Mr Cottrell acquired, rather than built the warehouse. They reported in 1908 “Designs for a new three-story brick and concrete public storage warehouse to be erected for Mr. A. C. Flumerfelt of Victoria on Railway street, near Gore avenue, have Just been completed by Mr. A. A. Cox, architect, of Montreal, who is now in the city. Construction work will be started shortly. The building will be 132×66 feet, It will be completed next May, and will cost $30,000.” By March 1909 the building had become five storeys. Mr Flumerfelt was from Markham, Ontario, and arrived in Victoria after working in Winnipeg, and held interests in valuable mines, lumber and other investments throughout BC. He lived in a big house in Victoria that he had designed by Samuel Maclure in 1896. In December 1915 he was appointed Minister of Finance and Agriculture in the BC Government. The earliest reference to the address in the press is from 1910, when there was an auction at Mr Cottrell’s address of  cases of  ‘syrup, corn starch, household starch and the finest grades of laundry starch’. The earliest permit we can find is from 1911 when Mr Cottrell spent $20,000 on repairs, hiring Baynes and Horie to carry out the work. Mr Cottrell still owned the building in 1920, and his company carried out further repairs in 1927, and in 1929 when Baynes and Horie were hired again. Mr Cottrell was in Vancouver in 1899, when he was ticket agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and in 1903 he was offering space in his warehouse (former Wilson Bros) on Water Street. He had an office in 139 Water in 1909, when he was offering ‘Warehouse to Rent, one or two floors on railway siding’. In 1910 his advert changed to read ‘Burnt Out, but still doing business in my other storage warehouses’. He developed another warehouse on Cambie Street in 1911, and his address switched to 349 Railway in August 1911, after the work here. While he claimed to be the architect of the repair work here in 1911, he hired Parr and Fee to design a building in 1910 on Powell, and the Cambie Street warehouse as well as designing alterations to his Water Street building in 1911 (the year after George’s mother died). In 1915 the Pacific Importing Co applied to transfer their wholesale licence from here to a Beatty Street warehouse, and a month later Henry Cheshyre Janion applied for a wholesale liquor licence for the building. Seven men were arrested that year after stealing $1,000 of goods. In the 1920s it was home to Martin and Matthews, who stocked a complete selection of Ferodo Bonded Asbestos Brake Linings (Made in England). In 1929 Mr Cottrell and four men were pumping tupentine from a tanker car on the siding behind the warehouse into drums, when there was a fire. Two men had burns serious enough to end up in hospital, and the warehouse stock suffered smoke damage. In 1930 there was break in, and $10 was stolen from the office. That year Samuel Gilfix distributed Carillon Cheese, from Ottawa, from the warehouse, ‘full of body-building goodness’. Weber and Thompson operated from here in 1931, BC and Alberta agents for Gold Dust washing powder, and also Gold Dust non-freezable shoe polish, both manufactured in Hamilton. Martin, Matthews and Hammond were still occupying space in 1932, and had added Monarch Batteries from Kingston, Ontario as well as Defiance spark plugs and the Atlas Hydro Hoist, manufactured in Esquimalt and capable of raising a car five feet into the air in one minute. In 1933 37 cases of tinned milk (worth $300) were stolen from the premises, and to add insult to injury the burglars stole a company truck to transport the goods. Two men were arrested ten days later. In 1939 two juveniles were apprehended on the premises with ‘a variety of stolen goods’. In 1947 the building was sold for $80,000 by F H and H C Cottrell and M E Dunlop to F C Myers Ltd. Cottrell’s built a new $100,000 warehouse on Terminal Avenue. Before the company could move, a light-fingered delivery driver stole six radios, while collecting generators from the warehouse. Fred C Myers ran a wholesale hardware business here, and in 1950 it was a distributor for the Astral baby refrigerator, which was made in Toronto and cost $153.50. (The Bank of Canada inflation calculator says that would be $1,947.15 in 2024!) That year there was a fire that caused minor damage. In 1960 there was a prolonged strike by warehouse workers who were members of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union. That year the company were selling the Maxaw 727 circular saw for $59.95 ($623 in 2024 dollars) and the matching saw table for $39.95 ($415) when bought with a saw. It was a Father’s Day special – ‘Here’s what Dad needs to complete his vacation-time projects’. In 1963 the warehouse, and Myers business, was bought by the expanding McLellan McFeely & Prior Co for around a

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

The 8th Vancouver Foodster Curry Challenge was a success featuring unique curry creations at restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their creation on their menu from October 4-27, 2024 and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge. The Winners are: 1st Place (tie): {110 points} Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine Southern Thai Curry with Betel leaves Price: $20 Created by: Chef A Thares  Description: Gang Graa-Ti Tai Bai-Cha-Plue – The flavourful Southern style curry with coconut milk, betel leaves and prawns served with rice noodles and fresh cilantro and ground peanut. Ingredients: Coconut milk, in-house made yellow curry paste, Chaplue leaves, Sweet chard, cilantro, palm sugar, Fish sauce, Prawns, Ground Peanut, Red pepper, green leaf, fine rice vermicelli, garlic fried and onion fried Offered: lunch and dinner Available: take out and delivery Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine 20395 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge Tel:(604) 459-8000 Web:https://banchokdee.com/ Instagram @banchokdeethai and @BCDThai   1st Place (tie): {110 points} Kerala Kitchen Chicken Stew and Appam Price: $18.99 Created by: Chef Sujith Raj Description: Chicken stew and appam is a delicious combination popular in South Indian cuisine, particularly in Kerala. The chicken stew is typically made with tender chicken pieces, cooked in a fragrant coconut milk base with spices like ginger, garlic, and green chilies. The stew is mild yet flavorful.Appam, on the other hand, is a type of fermented rice pancake with a soft center and crispy edges, perfect for soaking up the rich stew. Together, they create a comforting and satisfying meal. Ingredients for Chicken Stew: Chicken , Ginger, curry leaf , chilli, carrot, potato, whole gram masala, coconut milk ( gluten free , dairy free dish.) Ingredients for Appam: Coconut milk , rice flour , sugar, salt. Yeast Offered: all the time Available: for dine-in Kerala Kitchen 9386 120th Street, unit 103, Surrey Tel:  (604) 498-6919 Web:https://keralakitchen.ca/ Instagram @keralakitchensurrey 2nd Place: {104 points} Dhaliwal’s Lounge Malabar Fish & Prawn Curry  Price:$23.95 Created by: The team Description: Malabar Fish and Prawn Curry is a rich, coastal delight featuring tender fish and succulent prawns simmered in a coconut-based sauce infused with tangy tamarind, fiery green chilies, and a fragrant blend of traditional Kerala spices. This vibrant curry offers the perfect balance of heat and flavor, best enjoyed with steamed rice or flaky parathas. Ingredients: Coconut oil, Mustard seed, Fenugreek seed, Cumin seed, Curry leaves, Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Tomato, Lemon slices, Chilli powder, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Coconut milk, Salt and Tamarind. Offered: dine-in Available: all the time Dhaliwal’s Lounge #112 – 7938 128 Street, Surrey Tel:(604) 543-2222 Web:https://dhaliwalslounge.com/ Instagram @dhaliwalslounge 3rd Place: {102 points} Thai Ni Yom Restaurant Khao Soi Nhua Price: $24 Created by: the team Description: Authentic Northern Thailand, a rich northen Thai curry served with flat egg noodles, braising beef brisket and topped with pickles, shallots, lime cilantro and crispy noodles. Ingredients: Offered: dine-in Available: all the time Thai Ni Yom Restaurant 2953 West 4th avenue, unit 2, Vancouver Tel:(604) 736-5474 Web:https://www.thainiyom.ca/ Instagram @thainiyom.vancouver In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Curry creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge. The Winners are: 1st Place People’s Choice: Kerala Kitchen Chicken Stew and Appam Price: $18.99 Created by: Chef Sujith Raj Description: Chicken stew and appam is a delicious combination popular in South Indian cuisine, particularly in Kerala. The chicken stew is typically made with tender chicken pieces, cooked in a fragrant coconut milk base with spices like ginger, garlic, and green chilies. The stew is mild yet flavorful.Appam, on the other hand, is a type of fermented rice pancake with a soft center and crispy edges, perfect for soaking up the rich stew. Together, they create a comforting and satisfying meal. Ingredients for Chicken Stew: Chicken , Ginger, curry leaf , chilli, carrot, potato, whole gram masala, coconut milk ( gluten free , dairy free dish.) Ingredients for Appam: Coconut milk , rice flour , sugar, salt. Yeast Offered: all the time Available: for dine-in Kerala Kitchen 9386 120th Street, unit 103, Surrey Tel:  (604) 498-6919 Web:https://keralakitchen.ca/ Instagram @keralakitchensurrey 2nd Place People’s Choice: Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine Southern Thai Curry with Betel leaves Price: $20 Created by: Chef A Thares  Description: Gang Graa-Ti Tai Bai-Cha-Plue – The flavourful Southern style curry with coconut milk, betel leaves and prawns served with rice noodles and fresh cilantro and ground peanut. Ingredients: Coconut milk, in-house made yellow curry paste, Chaplue leaves, Sweet chard, cilantro, palm sugar, Fish sauce, Prawns, Ground Peanut, Red pepper, green leaf, fine rice vermicelli, garlic fried and onion fried Offered: lunch and dinner Available: take out and delivery Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine 20395 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge Tel:(604) 459-8000 Web:https://banchokdee.com/ Instagram @banchokdeethai and @BCDThai   3rd Place People’s Choice: Thai Ni Yom Restaurant Khao Soi Nhua Price: $24 Created by: the team Description: Authentic Northern Thailand, a rich northen Thai curry served with flat egg noodles, braising beef brisket and topped with pickles, shallots, lime cilantro and crispy noodles. Ingredients: Offered: dine-in Available: all the time Thai Ni Yom Restaurant 2953 West 4th avenue, unit 2, Vancouver Tel:(604) 736-5474 Web:https://www.thainiyom.ca/ Instagram @thainiyom.vancouver Our Media judges for this challenge were: Corey Lee, David Grange and Yuki No. Each media judge will have scored the creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points). The total number of points a pasta creation could earn is 120 points. Thank you to the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured their curry on the menu for

The 10th annual Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge  was a success featuring creations from restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their Pasta creation from October 3-27, 2024. Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance. The Winners are: 1st Place: {112 points} Lift Bar & Grill Seafood Carbonara  Price: $45 Created by: Chris Andraza, Description: Indulge in the allure of the sea with this exquisite take on Seafood Carbonara. The journey begins with velvety squid ink Mafalda, its dark, ribbon-like strands weaving through the dish like ocean waves. Smoky bacon lardons lend a rich, savory depth, harmonizing with the briny sweetness of tender mussels and succulent clams. As you savor each bite, bursts of delicate salmon roe add a pop of freshness, while hints of seaweed evoke the essence of coastal breezes. It’s a dish where land and sea embrace, creating a symphony of flavors that linger long after the last bite. Ingredients: squid ink Mafalda, smoked bacon lardons, mussels, clams, black tiger prawns, salmon roe, and seaweed. Offered: All day, everyday Available: for dine-in only Lift Bar & Grill 333 Menchion Mews, Vancouver Tel: (604) 689-5438 Web: https://www.liftbarandgrill.com/ Instagram @liftbarandgrill 2nd Place: {104 points} Seraphina Restaurant Stop and Taste the Roses Price: $29 Created by: Chef Rory Byrne Description: Everyone is so busy in life, I wanted to create a dish that would remind people, to slow down and appreciate the beauty of life. Food has an effect on people, whether you are stopping and enjoying this on your own, or you’re sharing this bouquet with your loved ones, it was important for me to create something that would make people, Stop and Taste the Roses.   Ingredients: Caramelized red onion, truffle butter, cream, truffle infused ricotta, pasta girella. Available: Tuesday 5pm – close, Wednesday – Saturday 2pm to close. Offered: Dine-in only. Seraphina Restaurant 905 Dunsmiur Street, Vancouver Tel:604-632-4942 Web: https://www.vesperlounge.ca/about-2 Instagram @seraphinayvr 3rd Place: {102 points} Pasta Polo Scusa Mi! Pomodoro Price: $24.95 Created by: Chef/Owner  Ahyoung Baek Description: Our Pasta ‘Scusa Mi! Pomodoro’ features a base of Aglio e Olio, mixed with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. It’s topped with prawns and Macedonian feta cheese, served over homemade linguine. Ingredients: Garlic, Extra virgin Olive oil, Sundried tomato, Roma tomato, spinach, prawn and Macedonian Fetta Available: 12-9pm; 7 days a week Offered: take out and dine in.  Pasta Polo 2754 Barney Hwy, Coquitlam Tel:  (604) 464-7656 Web:https://pastapolo.com/ Instagram @pastapolocoquitlam In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Pasta creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge. The Winners are: 1st Place People’s Choice: Seraphina Restaurant Stop and Taste the Roses Price: $29 Created by: Chef Rory Byrne Description: Everyone is so busy in life, I wanted to create a dish that would remind people, to slow down and appreciate the beauty of life. Food has an effect on people, whether you are stopping and enjoying this on your own, or you’re sharing this bouquet with your loved ones, it was important for me to create something that would make people, Stop and Taste the Roses.   Ingredients: Caramelized red onion, truffle butter, cream, truffle infused ricotta, pasta girella. Available: Tuesday 5pm – close, Wednesday – Saturday 2pm to close. Offered: Dine-in only. Seraphina Restaurant 905 Dunsmiur Street, Vancouver Tel:604-632-4942 Web: https://www.vesperlounge.ca/about-2 Instagram @seraphinayvr 2nd Place People’s Choice: Pasta Polo Scusa Mi! Pomodoro Price: $24.95 Created by: Chef/Owner  Ahyoung Baek Description: Our Pasta ‘Scusa Mi! Pomodoro’ features a base of Aglio e Olio, mixed with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. It’s topped with prawns and Macedonian feta cheese, served over homemade linguine. Ingredients: Garlic, Extra virgin Olive oil, Sundried tomato, Roma tomato, spinach, prawn and Macedonian Fetta Available: 12-9pm; 7 days a week Offered: take out and dine in.  Pasta Polo 2754 Barney Hwy, Coquitlam Tel:  (604) 464-7656 Web:https://pastapolo.com/ Instagram @pastapolocoquitlam 3rd Place People’s Choice: Stanley’s Bar & Grill Short Rib Pappardelle Price: $27 Created by: Stanley’s Bar & Grill culinary team Description: Braised pulled beef short rib, marinated mushrooms, tomato red wine sauce, crispy kale, oven-dried cherry tomatoes, basil, parmigiano reggiano. Available: all the time Offered: dine-in only Stanley’s Bar & Grill 610 Pipeline Rd (inside Stanley Park), Vancouver Tel: (604) 602-3088 Web: https://stanleysbargrill.com/ Instagram @stanleysbargrill Our Media judges for this challenge were: Maggi Mei, Ray Lee and Shelley Hayashi Each media judge will have scored the creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points). The total number of points a pasta creation could earn is 120 points. Thank you to the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured their pasta on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge. I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their pasta creations! See the  entries here. By: Richard Wolak

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

See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related reading: Public Hearing, Oct 22, 2024 – https://council.vancouver.ca/20241022/phea20241022ag.htm See YouTube (link here at 12:12 of 2:01:35) of Vancouver City Council standing committee meeting of 8-Oct-2024. City manager Paul Mochrie answers a question by Clr Sarah Kirby-Yung on why fewer public hearings are being scheduled lately. Excerpt: “I think we are seeing a need for fewer dates both in terms of just the process, the number of applications in queue, but also this council is quite a bit faster in processing them than the last council [under Kennedy Stewart, 2018 to 2022]. We were only able to get through three or four files per night with the previous Council. We’re seeing this Council [under Ken Sim, 2022-2026] process six and seven.” The post UCS #28: Public Hearing Supplies Arriving at City Hall appeared first on Spacing Vancouver.

This new cookbook by Victoria based Authors Tom Moore with Rebecca Wellman was published recently by Appetite by Random House. This exciting book features a selection of sweets and savouries from Victoria’s beloved bakery which I have visited a couple of times during my Victoria visits. The recipes in this cookbook are ones that any patron of the notable Victoria bakery would cherish and there are 85 of them in the book. Within the pages of this debut cookbook, Crust founding chef Tom Moore shares recipes for the bakery’s most popular menu items, breaking them down into manageable steps and peppering in hints and tips to help you achieve success  at home. You’ll have no trouble making the perfect baked good, whether you’re craving: Pies and Tarts: Impress with Crust’s famous Lemon Passion Fruit Slice, the genius Vanilla Crème Brûlée Tarts to go, or the breakfast/lunch barrier-breaking Bacon, Tomato, and Smoked Cheddar Quiche. Muffins, Scones, and Squares: Explore Tom’s Australian-inspired Banana and Macadamia Muffins, or the simple yet scrumptious treat from his daughter: Abby’s Favorite Chocolate Rice Krispie Squares. Cakes: Indulge in the multi-season celebration of Zucchini Marmalade Cake or the multi-tiered decadence of Mr. Rich Birthday Cake. Cookies: Share Tom’s cheeky take on a Down Under favorite with Tom Tams or the “little black dress of cookies,” the Pecan and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Breads: Nurture a surefire Sourdough Starter day by day (to use for a number of recipes) or enjoy Cinnamon Brioche Scrolls and Aussie Crunch Rolls. The books are now available in bookstores coast to coast as well as bookstores online. By: Richard Wolak

Sightline Properties has submitted the first rezoning application under the City of Vancouver’s TOA Rezoning Policy, adopted by City Council in June 2024 following the Provincial TOA legislation. The 50,013 SF site at 520-590 West 29th Avenue is a full city block land assembly between Cambie and Ash Street. The site was previously approved in 2022 as a 46-unit townhouse project under the RM-8A zoning under the Cambie Corridor Plan. As the site is located 500 metres from the King Edward Canada Line Station and under the TOA Rezoning Policy, will allow up to 3.0 FSR (80% market rental, 20% below market rental). The proposal envisions two 6-storey woodframe rental buildings, with townhouses on the lane. It includes: 230 rental units (20% below-market); a total density of 3.0 FSR; A building height of 69 ft.; an 1,800 SF gym on the parkade level with natural light from clerestory windows; a single level of underground parking. The massing and project setbacks are based off of the City’s existing RR-2C District Schedule. The application is being considered under the  Transit-Oriented Areas Rezoning Policy. The architect for the project is Yamamoto Architecture. The post First Application Under New TOA Rezoning Policy Seeks 6-Storey Rental In Place of Approved Townhouses appeared first on Vancouver Market.

This is the residential address for the apartments above the retail building at 2409 Main Street. Our 1937 image shows there was a different arrangement to the building in those days, with several main floor units that these days have become two more retail stores. We think they were offices – in 1932 City Electric Company operated from 154 East 8th, as well as BC Monumental who designed stone monuments. In 1936 both 152 and 154 were vacant (as they had been the year before). Upstairs, 156 East 8th had 10 apartments. The Main Street (left hand) part of the building was developed by J B Mathers in 1910, with A J Bird as architect. Two years later W P White was hired to design an addition on East 8th at a cost of $9,000, which would be the four upper windows on the western end of the building. Before the building was painted, it was possible to see a slight change in brick colour. In 1937 the building appears to have been given a makeover, with a name, ‘The Crosbie Block’, and 13 suites upstairs but the numbering started at ‘0’, presumably to avoid trying to lease ‘suite 13’. Stuart Thomson  photographed it that year, and that’s where our Archives image comes from. We have no idea where the Crosbie name came from; Charles Crosbie was the only wealthy resident in the city with that surname; the retired BC head of the Royal Bank, who lived on Angus Drive. In 1952 there was a newly completed retail store that became home to the Standard Sewing Machine Center. By 1985 it had become a cafe, offered for sale for $29,000. In 1990 156 East 8th was a 1,000 sq ft retail store that leased for $400 a month. The twelve remaining residential units now have ‘Crosby Building’ over the door in gilded lettering, and a 2-bed apartment rents for $2,990. Downstairs, Melo Patisserie have one retail unit, (replacing the Nice Cafe – ‘Mount Pleasant’s original greasy spoon cafe’ – that was here for many years) while the Express Rut Bar offers root touch-ups – ‘the missing link in the hair industry’, for $65. Image source: City of Vancouver Archives CVA 99-5012 1418    

Who is the city for? Last week, a good friend of mine recently told me he and his family were leaving Vancouver. His words struck a chord: “Vancouver has broken us.” Both he and his wife are working professionals. They couldn’t face another winter crammed into a shoebox apartment with their young child. Years of searching for a space that could accommodate a small family without breaking the bank had finally worn them down. One disappointment after another led them to this decision, until leaving became the only choice they had left. This story would hardly be worth mentioning if it weren’t so painfully common. Each year, more friends and family members pack up and leave Vancouver behind. These aren’t just abstract statistics—they’re skilled professionals, hardworking families, and everyday people who contribute to the intricate fabric of our urban life. And these people are not even the most vulnerable people in our city. With each departure, a piece of Vancouver’s spirit disappears, leaving behind not vibrant communities but vacant investment properties and darkened condo windows. The city is losing its people, and with them, its soul. I know many readers have had similar experiences and can feel it getting worse with every passing year. Who is the city for? The Barcelona Chronicles were born out of this sense of loss and frustration. Too few of us think about cities as designed spaces, shaped not only by physical structures but by the values, policies, and decisions that inform their growth. What we experience daily—the places where we live, work, and gather—are a reflection of choices made far above our heads. And the consequences of these choices are anything but abstract; they touch every corner of our lives. Even those of us working in city-building disciplines often struggle to see the bigger picture. Our fields are guided by entrenched biases, drilled into us through education and professional practice, rarely questioned and barely examined. We carry these assumptions with us like heavy backpacks, often too self-assured to realize that we are part of a much larger historical process. The result is a kind of arrogance—an inability to see beyond the immediate goals of growth and development to the longer-term impacts on people’s lives. For most of human history, cities grew organically, shaped by the needs and experiences of their residents, without the interventions of urban planners, mayors, or city councils. The structured, top-down approach we now call “urban planning” is a relatively new experiment, and an honest reflection would acknowledge that the most profound mistakes of the past century have coincided with its rise. In 1965, Christopher Alexander wrote “The City is not a Tree” which argues that cities are complex, interconnected systems, not hierarchical tree structures. He argued rightly that a tree-like approach to urban planning oversimplifies the intricate, overlapping relationships within a city, leading to less vibrant and functional urban environments. The environmental and social crises we now face are tied to decisions made in boardrooms and council chambers, rooted in a belief that cities can be controlled and shaped like machines…or worse yet, treated like businesses.  But cities are not machines—they are living, breathing ecosystems, with people as their heartbeats. Cities are also not like businesses—they’re not about maximizing efficiency, profit margins, and heavy-handed hierarchical control that benefits the few at the expense of others. This misses the fundamental nature of urban life. C ities thrive on collaboration, cultural exchange, and organic growth. All metaphors oversimplify the complexity cities, leading to rigidity that ultimately fails to meet the diverse needs of its citizens.  We are living inside an ongoing experiment of our own making. The answers we thought certain have crumbled, and the stakes are higher than ever. Every misstep reverberates through people’s lives and echoes into the future. We must be willing to question everything. At a time when all that is solid melts into air, how do we find the right path forward? Who is the city for? I have had the privilege of visiting Barcelona many times over the past two decades, often as a teacher. There’s a kind of magic in the way the city evolved; no matter how short the time between visits, Barcelona always seemed to improve. This transformation sparked endless questions: Why? What’s different here? How does this city keep getting better? My questions grew more urgent as I compared Barcelona’s trajectory to my own city, Vancouver, which to my eyes, was heading in the opposite direction. Barcelona is not perfect—I’ve spoken to enough locals to know that. But, few would argue against the fact that the city’s transformation over the past decade has been largely positive, driven by an approach that places people at the forefront of planning. By focusing on livability, sustainability, and community—and seeing their interrelationship—Barcelona has embraced a model that seeks to enhance the quality of life rather than merely maximize profit. Initiatives like the Superilla—where communities reclaim streets from cars—are not just about traffic; they’re about creating spaces where life happens, where the city breathes and its people thrive. Their affordability policies and systems are born from the same spirit. In Vancouver, however, the story is different. The city that once led the way with community-driven planning and innovative policies has increasingly surrendered to the market. The shift toward a profit-driven approach is evident in the soaring real estate prices, growing economic divides, and shrinking spaces for ordinary

Furthering our work in uncovering what the Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) is doing, I am sharing the draft Algorithmic Impact Assessment we have for their Security Screening Automation (“SSA”) project. Based on a recent information technology report (disclosing projects with a budget of more than $1 Million dollars), the following is summarized about this automation project: Security Screening Automation The security screening system will facilitate information sharing with screening partners and enhance security screening through a new case management system, integrated intelligence systems and tools, business intelligence and performance monitoring capabilities. We also learn from this document that completion is tabled for 2026. From CBSA’s 2024-2025 annual report, we also see there are five references to the SSA project suggesting it is a major departmental priority. The details are still quite mum about the project stating only, their goal to:  Enhance immigration security screening processes to identify inadmissible persons seeking entry into Canada, including efforts under the Security Screening Automation project Algorithmic Impact Assessment Much of this document (which I received last year in 2023) is redacted. We do not know when the draft was dated. The project description (Section 9 at page 1) describes that it will invovled modernized case management system, an automated triage function, integrated intelligence systems, and tools, business intellignce, and performance moniotring capabilities. In short, this looks much more advanced then a Chinook type IRCC model. It also re-affirms the use of htese tools to route screening for the easier cases and allot more time for review for complex cases – helping hte immigration client. The document reinforces again that no automated decision is made without human oversight. The actual explanation for “Human-in-the-loop for decisions” is redacted. I wonder how automation of straight forward cases for security will be received by the public in light of recent news around terrorist plots by individuals who apparently were not caught by our security screening apparatus. It also seems somewhat contradictory that CBSA appears (again: I acknowledge I’ve received this information only through hearsay) concerned about IRCC’s eligiblity screening processes being automated, while pursuing security screening automation on the other hand. Another question I have is whether and how facial recognition technology (“FRT”) being implemented. We know that FRT is implemented into a ReportIn tool being developed to facilitate the removals process for inadmissible individuals subject to removal. Presumably, in addition to the obvious analytics from the application materials an individual might have and require processing, there is also a photo as part of every application and biometric collection. I wonder if there is any role being played in analyzing this as part of a front-end screening. Anyways, I leave the document up for everyone’s review. Happy to have further discussion about this: Interim Release A-2023-18296 For those who cannot see the above document, you can access the document via Google Drive link here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OBBoWuYWysvdyD1b2dG4B6E3m7Z0hylq/view?usp=drive_link  The post CBSA Algorithmic Impact Assessment for Security Screening Automation (Draft) appeared first on Welcome to Vancouver’s Immigration Blog.

The formal rezoning application for PCI‘s Spring Street application has been released. The preliminary application for the 2.9 acre site was submitted in 2023 and has now been revised for full submission following the TOA legislation. The site is located east of the Moody Centre SkyTrain Station north of Spring Street and east of Williams Street and consists of four lots, three of which are owned by PCI and the fourth by the Ministry of the Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI). MoTI intends to retain ownership of this lot, with a long-term lease to PCI for use as a plaza along with four levels of below-grade parking connected to the below grade parking on the PCI owned properties. The overall plan for the site includes: 865 rental units including 44 below market units; 67,000 SF of commercial space including a 41,000 SF grocery store; a total density of 6.96 FSR; 4,000 SF as ground level ‘artist space’; a new pedestrian overpass; a minimum of 400 parking stalls. The architect for the project is Perkins + Will. The post Plans Unveiled for PCI’s Spring Street Development in Port Moody appeared first on Vancouver Market.