VREG Blog

The 1913 Alta Vista reservoir in South Burnaby is exposed during its demolition last week. Photo: Contributed Neighbours living near South Burnaby’s Alta Vista Park have gotten their first and last glance of a cavernous reservoir that has lain beneath their neighbourhood for 106 years. The Alta Vista reservoir, built in 1913 to collect water coming in through new water mains from Seymour Creek on the North Shore, was demolished last week to allow for the expansion of a nearby playground. About 26 metres long, 14 metres wide and 4.3 metres deep, with a capacity of more than 1 million litres, it serviced the growing historic neighbourhood of Alta Vista on the South Slope until it was decommissioned about 15 or 20 years ago. An engineering report in 2016 determined the underground structure, which sat under two parcels of land at 5172 McKee St., would be at risk of collapse during an earthquake and would need to be demolished to enable safe use of the site. A 100-signature petition from residents last December sealed the reservoir’s fate. In March, city council approved a plan to demolish it and expand the park. The only remnant of the 106-year-old structure that will be preserved is a nearly four-metre-tall concrete column that had stood on the north end of the property. A pipe inside the column was once essential for releasing air pressure in the reservoir through a decorative metal vent at its top. City staff successfully cut the pillar from the reservoir before the demolition. Wrapped in bubble wrap, two-by-fours and steel strapping, the column has now been placed in storage. It will be restored or rebuilt and may be reinstalled in the expanded playground, according to city heritage planner Lisa Codd.

Aerial view of Las Vegas strip in Nevada as seen at night USA / Shutterstock If you’re looking for an inexpensive vacation package out of the Lower Mainland this winter, Swoop is offerings a number of getaways for a steal. While the low-cost carrier offers a plethora of destinations to choose from, its Las Vegas packages offer some of the cheapest deals on the market. For example, the package below, which departs Abbotsford on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020 and returns a few nights later on Thursday, Jan. 16, costs a total of $356.77 for two people. As such, the per person total comes to roughly $178 CAD including all taxes and fees. Photo: Swoop For those looking for a slightly nicer accommodation, Swoop offers the same dates at the LINQ Hotel & Casino for only $214 CAD per person including all taxes and fees. What’s more, some of the nicest resorts in the city of sin, such as Caesers Palace, Paris, and Bellagio, only cost a few hundred dollars more.   Photo: Swoop Discover Las Vegas While it can be fun to explore the famous Las Vegas Strip after nightfall, there are still a number of fun things to do during the day. For example, there are a plethora of fun pool parties to attend, as well as places to shop, dine, and enjoy beverages. In addition, Las Vegas offers some of the best entertainment in the world every night of the week. Whether you are looking to see a musical, a magic show, a band, or a DJ, Vegas has it all. The city also offers a number of fun things to try just outside of the strip that include everything from the Grand Canyon to Old Las Vegas to ghost towns. Note: While the low-cost carrier is an extremely affordable alternative, it is worthwhile to note that there are a number of additional costs. For one, luggage will cost extra, as will selecting your own seat or even speaking to an operator. As such, it is worthwhile to factor in what you need to bring, or if you want to sit in a particular spot. You can book your travel with Swoop here.

A Surrey man claims he discovered too late that a beer bottle he was served at the Grand Villa Casino was chipped. Burnaby NOW file photo A Surrey man claims he accidentally drank glass from a broken beer bottle at Burnaby’s Grand Villa Casino. Gurcharan Singh Grewal filed a lawsuit against the casino and its parent company, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, among other defendants, following an alleged incident in December 2017. According to the lawsuit, Grewal was at the Personas Bar in the Grand Villa Casino and ordered a beer from the bartender. After taking his first sip, he allegedly “felt a sharp object enter his throat, causing much discomfort and internal injuries.” Grewal claimed in his lawsuit that he found a chip in the glass on the rim of the beer bottle “due to the bartender incorrectly opening” it. As a result, Grewal said he suffered lacerations to his mouth, injury to his throat and esophagus, difficulty swallowing, discomfort and anxiety. Grewal “continues to undergo medical care” resulting from the injuries, according to his court filing, and “continues to suffer pain and discomfort and emotional upset.” Grewal is also seeking damages for alleged loss of income relating to the incident, as well as an alleged loss of housekeeping ability at home. The claims have not been proven in a court of law, and none of the defendants has yet responded to the lawsuit.

Photo: SkyTrain cars turn a corner at Gilmore station in Burnaby. TransLink is preparing customers after CUPE 7000, the union representing 900 SkyTrain workers, announced that it would forward with full withdrawal of services on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The transit authority released a statement listing a number of options for riders if union job action causes a total Expo and Millennium Line shut down December 10, 11 and 12. It adds that they, “should be aware the travel options will not match the level of service these SkyTrain lines provide.”   With this in mind, TransLink notes that the following services will be operating normally, including:   Canada Line West Coast Express Coast Mountain Bus West Vancouver Blue Bus HandyDART SeaBus Earlier today, Coast Mountain Bus Company announced that it would not be increasing bus service in response to the planned strike given operational constraints and labour considerations. As such, customers should expect heavier passenger volume.  If possible, customers are advised to make other arrangements such as:   Using one of our park and rides to connect to bus service Travelling outside of rush hours Working from home Using a carpooling service such as Liftango and gobyRIDE Walking or cycling to work Free bike valet service at Vancouver Public Library from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. To plan a trip without SkyTrain, both TransLink’s Trip Planner and Google Maps have an option to exclude SkyTrain. Visit translink.ca/stayinformed to learn more about alternative travel options.

Photo: smarieannachu / Reddit What product are you willing to wait an hour in line for? For many residents of the Lower Mainland, the Compass Mini – a new payment option that looks just like a small Compass Card – is worth an hour-long wait, if not longer. TransLink rolled out the petite payment card on Friday, Dec. 5, and eager customers lined up before the Compass Customer Service Centre opened. Shortly after opening, the transit authority announced that it would limit the number of Minis to two per person due to high demand. And while the small smart card easily attaches to keychains and backpacks, smarieannachu shared another way to rock the highly sought-after item on Vancouver Reddit. The post, which has been up-voted a whopping 2,710 times since it was first uploaded to the platform, shows a young woman wearing two Compass Mini keychains as earrings in a video. Above the video, the caption reads, “Got my hands on the hottest accessory drop of the season.” Got my hands on the hottest accessory drop of the season from r/vancouver A number of commenters asked how much it hurts her to have the keychain squeezing her ear, while others asked if the earrings were real. In a comment, the original poster remarks, “It’s the new “compassmini” compass card that was released today in limited quantities, I’m just trying to be funny by clipping them on my ears haha.” TransLink states that the Compass Mini works the same as the Compass Card and Compass Wristband. Riders simply tap in and out when travelling on transit and reload online, at a Compass Vending Machine, by phone, or in person. Of course, just like the other Compass products, there is a $6 refundable deposit when purchasing a new Mini.

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.

Unless negotiation is successful Monday night, Metro Vancouver will face a SkyTrain shutdown starting at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, December 10. Photo by Dan Toulgoet Many Metro Vancouver  commuters may be on edge Monday wondering if car-mageddon will kick in Tuesday if there’s a SkyTrain shutdown. With the union discontinuing media statements and negotiations under a media blackout, The Tri-City News reached out to TransLink to find out what’s going on. For now, it appears talks are ongoing as both sides in the dispute try to reach an agreement before the union’s deadline strike beginning Tuesday morning. In its latest press release, CUPE Local 7000 said it is committed to negotiating for a new contract at the bargaining table and reaching a deal with no disruption of service. However, due to concerns about TransLink statements to the media, the union stated in a press release it will be making no more media statements until further notice. “If no agreement is reached, job action will begin with a full shutdown from Tuesday through Thursday,” according to a press release. CUPE Local 7000 represents approximately 900 SkyTrain workers who provide service as SkyTrain attendants and control operators as well as administration, maintenance and technical staff. Its last contract expired Aug. 31. The union is negotiating with the British Columbia Rapid Transit Co. In its press release, TransLink stated it “remains committed to getting a deal done. We will continue bargaining until the last moment to avoid this unnecessary and disruptive job action.” The last SkyTrain strike was a single-day shutdown more than 20 years ago. Additionally, Coast Mountain Bus Company has announced that it will not be increasing bus service in response to the planned strike, citing their “operational constraints and labour considerations.” Here are five things you need to know based on TransLink’s answers to questions: 1. Are there any talks scheduled today between BCRTC and CUPE 7000? Yes. Talks will continue as long as needed today (Monday). 2. What is the union is asking for? We are respecting the process and not talking about the contents of the offer at this stage. 3. Why can’t SkyTrain operate with excluded staff? While trains are automated, we need staff in the control room telling trains what to do. We can’t operate the system without these people. 4. How will you be communicating a shutdown? Customers should assume the strike is happening and prepare for it, even if there’s a chance for a last-minute deal. We will send a statement and use social media should job action be averted. We will be sending some info for customers later today. It’s important to note while all other services will be running, there will be no additional bus service. It’s regular operations. 5. What time is the shutdown to take place Tuesday if no agreement is reached? The shutdown will be effective at the start of the service day. No trains will be leaving the yard Tuesday morning if there’s no deal. If no agreement is reached, the system-wide shutdown affecting the Millennium and Expo lines (including the Evergreen Extension to Port Moody and Coquitlam) is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 5 a.m. with normal service set to resume by Friday at 5 a.m. Buses, the Canada Line, SeaBus, West Coast Express and HandyDart will not be affected. With files from Elana Shepert/Vancouver Is Awesome

HK BBQ Master. Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome Seth Rogen was right: “The best BBQ places are generally in the underground parking garage of department stores.” The Vancouver-born actor was talking about HK BBQ Master, the local legend in the Chinese BBQ game that is located off Number 3 Road in Richmond in the parking garage under the Real Canadian SuperStore. Rogen ended up there earlier this year on a tip from a (very smart) buddy, and it was all captured in chef and restaurateur David Chang’s Netflix show Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner . While the Chang show features him and Rogen eating and exploring their way around Vancouver – and Richmond – when the show dropped in October, those who wanted to check out HK BBQ Master and enjoy some of chef/owner Eric Leung’s legendary BBQ duck or pork, soy sauce chicken with rice, sauce, and steamed greens were SOL: HK BBQ Master closed down Oct. 1 for a major renovation. Initially hoping to be done by November with the expansion into the next door space that allows for much more seating, HK BBQ Master finally was able to welcome the public back into their now-expanded space as of Sunday, December 8. View this post on Instagram The wait is almost over! We’re officially opening this Sunday December 8! Hope to see everyone here! #reopening #grandopening #richmond #waitisover #bbq #dailyhive #richmondtourism #vancover #netflix #hkbbqmaster A post shared by HK BBQ Master (@hkbbqmaster) on Dec 6, 2019 at 6:32pm PST That means NOW you can head there, cash in hand, to try the city’s best Chinese BBQ eats. Be ready for a line, and try to get there before they’re sold out for the day. Now, if only Chang’s Vancouver outpost of Momofuku Noodle Bar would hurry up and be done… HK BBQ Master is located at 4651 No 3 Rd in Richmond.

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).

“A recent report from Central 1 Credit Union suggests a rebound in Metro Vancouver’s housing market is coming. However, at the moment there are property owners losing hundreds-of-thousands of dollars on their investments.” There follow examples of homeowners losing money, care of @mortimer_1: 1. Burnaby. Bought $1.9M May 2016, Sold 2019 $1.495M, Loss $405K + expenses (over 21%) 2. Burnaby. Bought $3.11M 2016, Sold $2.1M 2019, Loss $1.01M + expenses (over 32.5%) 3. Vancouver Westside. Bought $2.7M Feb 2016, Sold $2M 2019, Loss $700K + expenses (over 25.9%) 4. North Vancouver. Bought $2.36M Mar 2017, Sold $2.05 2019, Loss $310K + expenses (over 13.1%) – from David Carrigg, Vancouver Sun, 5 Dec 2019 (image: Anselm Kiefer) Seeing terms like “homeowners hosed” and “falling market” in top-of-the-page Vancouver Sun headlines is certainly worthy of note – particularly for those of us who have been following this long enough to have endured years and years of local media entranced with rising prices. (Anybody remember the well-known local TV anchor exclaiming “I love Real Estate!” ?) However, note that the Sun still talks about homes as “investments” – perhaps that will have to change before we’re done. Here and elsewhere, some discussion of ‘soft landings’ that is clearly based more on hope than observation. As noted previously, our target prices should be determined by utility value of properties, not on imagined future sale prices. Current prices are still far above those levels. It ain’t over. – vreaa

REBGV headline detached averages have dropped from peak $1850 K to current $1486 K, about 17%. Sleuths such as @VanREflipflops have revealed many examples of substantially higher drops. At what price levels will support come in? and from where? and when?… All of this currently speculative (cough, cough). Using the price chart and other past markets as a guide, REBGV headline detached prices (real, adjusted for inflation) could drop back to support determined by prices seen in 2013 (-45% from peak), 2009 (-60%), or even 2003 (-78%). This will still seem incredible to most, but it is the lesson from comparable speculative manias. Are locals going to be lining up to overextend themselves into RE anytime soon? If not, prices still have a long way to drop. – vreaa

“The cost of buying a home in B.C. increased by as much as five per cent last year due to more than $5 billion in dirty money from organized crime laundered through the province’s real estate sector, according to a new expert panel report. Former deputy attorney general Maureen Maloney chaired the panel on money laundering, which released a report Thursday that concluded it “cautiously estimates that almost five per cent of the value of real estate transactions in the province result from money laundering investment.” In addition, she concluded: “The estimated impact of that would be to increase housing prices by about five per cent.” “Successfully reducing money laundering investment in B.C. real estate should have modest but observable impact on housing affordability,” read the Maloney report.” – excerpt and image from ‘$5 billion laundered through B.C. real estate, inflating home prices: report’, Rob Shaw & Joanne Lee-Young, 9 May 2019 An extra 5% price rise last year? Gee, that’d be the difference between supernatural 7% a year housing price increases that have characterized our bubble, and… inflation (about 2%). [But we don’t think this means we can conclude that this has been a long term effect. It may have been, but we can’t be sure]. As readers of this blog know, we’ve long thought that the primary driver of the bubble has been local buyers prepared to extend debt to the gills to get in, and that those buyers have been particularly besotted by the ‘Chinese-are-coming’ story. There has, of course, been a direct effect of foreign-buyer-demand, but this pales when compared to local speculation. Money-laundering juice certainly could have contributed, both directly, and perhaps more importantly indirectly by further cementing the foreign-demand story. Interesting to think that it may have been a critically important amount. With a coming clampdown (or even threat of a clampdown) it’ll be interesting to see the effects this has on prices going forward. Speculators (foreign and local) hate falling markets, and floor prices determined by fundamentals are far below. – vreaa