Canadian politics thread

[Harvey Specter]

As someone who was born and raised in Vancouver, I have to say Ken is the best mayor we've had in a very long time. However, the issue in Vancouver is that a lot of the electorate are still bleeding heart Liberals. The fact that he wants to stop social housing from running amok, increase police funding, and clean up the DTES is enough to get him ousted.

[mikemhg]

Based on this last bi-election results you can pretty much call it that Sim will be gone next mayoral.

Going down to El Salvador for crypto related "stuff" as the mayor of Vancouver, all the while stating council meetings are a "waste of time" seemed to really piss people off, he gives off the same grifter vibes people are seeing down in the US right now with Trump's inner circle of supporters.

It's a bad look, he comes off as unserious, and completely self-serving.

[68style]

He came down to SXSW in Austin a couple years back to promote Vancouver and all I ever saw of him "promoting Vancouver" was hanging out with and plugging an app some tech bros from Vancouver were selling for real estate development.

Same guys were involved in the company that mysteriously got approval to re-develop all the low income housing off Main and 49th area into luxury condos after they'd been told by the courts they had to incorporate low income housing into the new development. Sim removed that restriction for them and away they went.

[Hondaracer]

Filled up at 1.61 today the cheapest I’ve had in 20+ fill ups, just a coincidence though hehe

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by 68style

He came down to SXSW in Austin a couple years back to promote Vancouver and all I ever saw of him "promoting Vancouver" was hanging out with and plugging an app some tech bros from Vancouver were selling for real estate development.

Same guys were involved in the company that mysteriously got approval to re-develop all the low income housing off Main and 49th area into luxury condos after they'd been told by the courts they had to incorporate low income housing into the new development. Sim removed that restriction for them and away they went.

This is the kind of stuff I wish our local media would cover more, the absolute crony capitalism crap these guys bring to the table. Very little investigative journalism in Canada nowadays outside of the CBC (conveniently why the Cons want to defund the network.)

With Post Media running our entire media sphere, you'll never hear about that.

[Harvey Specter]

But let’s be honest, Stewart was in the pocket of developers too. The majority of development projects we see in Vancouver today happened under him. And let’s not forget his donor list he was invested for, which included prominent business figures including developers who were listed as fundraising “captains” with substantial contribution targets.

Personally speaking, I want to see downtown Vancouver revitalized. I want the DTES cleaned up. I want more police. I want to take my kids downtown without worrying about getting punched or stabbed by some crackhead. Sure, a lot of these issues are complex and go beyond what the Mayor can do, but he’s the only one willing to tackle them. If Vancouver gets another Stewart, we’ll be the next Portland or Seattle.

And before someone labels me far-right, I’m not. Far from it. But I’m also someone who can’t sit idle and watch this city go to shit and be destroyed forever.

[noclue]

The generational tradition of driving down hastings with your kid to tell them this is what happens if you dont study will never end.

[bcrdukes]

How many of you who now have kids have done the walk or drive down Hastings to show your kid this is what happens if you don't study? If that's not enough, I can easily make arrangements for your kids to hang around or volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission to show them what's up.

(Half) joking aside, I grew up a few blocks from Main and Hastings in a social housing project. Seeing all the druggies and the crime was a daily occurence, so nothing really phased us. But growing up there, we knew that was not the life we wanted for ourselves so to noclue's point, yes, we did our best to stay out of trouble and to do okay in school (most of our parents had low standards here, let's keep it real.) When I come back to visit Vancouver, I dislike seeing how Chinatown and the DTES isn't really safe anymore, in addition to not many people being around. Sure, it got a bit more upscale, but I can't trust that my car isn't going to get smashed in for a whole lot of nothing. Reading about how London Drugs at the Woodwards Building closing due to vagrants and the abuse employees had to take was disheartening.

My wife and I originally wanted to have our wedding at The Dr. Sun Yet Sen Gardens / Chinese Cultural Centre. But learning of how things got so bad there, we had to find a backup plan. Some family members were horrified of our original wedding plans.

[Traum]

I still regularly go visit Chinatown in the warmer months -- typically between May to Aug, although my last visit was probably some time in Oct / Nov. It is no clean, fresh Richmond Center, but esp in 2024, it is a lot more cleaned up than it was back in 2022 or so.

For some reason, 2022 seemed like a really gross year in Chinatown -- the smell of urine was everywhere, and you see feces smeared here and there all over the streets. And of course there were homeless / addicts folded up here and there with some frequency. But even then, I never felt unsafe walking around there during the day. I even park my pos shxt box on the Chinatown streets.

And last year, it really felt a lot cleaner. Almost every time when I went there last year, I see street cleaners picking up garbage and stuff -- it is pretty obvious to me that the guy doing it used to have a fairly rough life too, so the work he is doing is probably some sort of gov / charity-subsidized program. But I am glad that guy is able to do the kind of work he was doing. The urine and feces stuff are mostly gone too. You still see / smell it here and there, but I don't really have to actively keep an eye out for them anymore.

It is true that I don't go onto Hastings itself, and I am pretty sure that Hastings is a lot worse than the parts of Chinatown from Pender and down (south).

I still have recurring business there, and it hasn't feel unsafe or yucky enough that I want to stop going, so I will continue to visit there. Let's hope I won't ever become a statistic in Chinatown?

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Filled up at 1.61 today the cheapest I’ve had in 20+ fill ups, just a coincidence though hehe

I caved and filled at 1.67 as it had spiked and fluctuated


The sad thing is I no longer have had to do that dtes field trip with my kids, there’s enough examples of it in pockets all over e.van. I just have to go out and about

[JDMDreams]

China Town is cleaner cuz everything shut down, the blends closed, rbc, TD Woodwards is closed.

[Badhobz]

Man I remember the old Chinatown night market. Before fentanyl, before all the whiteys moved into the neighborhood, when that place was still authentically Chinese.

Jesus, I miss those days.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by Harvey Specter

But let’s be honest, Stewart was in the pocket of developers too. The majority of development projects we see in Vancouver today happened under him. And let’s not forget his donor list he was invested for, which included prominent business figures including developers who were listed as fundraising “captains” with substantial contribution targets.

I've got no problem with any Mayor (or politician) spending time with developers and I don't buy any narrative about politicians being "in the pocket" of developers. Getting people to build things in the city should be Job One. I think some members of the left do themselves a huge disservice when they demonise profit.

Originally Posted by Harvey Specter

Personally speaking, I want to see downtown Vancouver revitalized. I want the DTES cleaned up. I want more police. I want to take my kids downtown without worrying about getting punched or stabbed by some crackhead. Sure, a lot of these issues are complex and go beyond what the Mayor can do, but he’s the only one willing to tackle them. If Vancouver gets another Stewart, we’ll be the next Portland or Seattle.

I've been spending more time downtown lately and I'm surprised more than ever about the dichotomy of different areas - Granville is a sad shell of its own self while the Waterfront/Canada Place area is bustling and beautiful. The West End is still great but Yaletown feels like a ghost town compared to the old days - I've been holding some of my meetings there and have realised no one really works there anymore. The DTES did look better when I went by last week but the area around Stadium feels pretty sad right now.

Originally Posted by Harvey Specter

And before someone labels me far-right, I’m not. Far from it. But I’m also someone who can’t sit idle and watch this city go to shit and be destroyed forever.

I can't imagine anyone would or should call you far right. I disagree with your assessment of Sim as a Mayor (though I take back calling him the worst - I think he's 2nd worst after Stewart) - he seems to have made progress on the DTES but I expect my politicians to take their jobs seriously and he's operated like a 1 term Mayor.

His view of the park board and his social housing stance aren't things I disagree with but he's naive/incompetent or a terrible leader in how he rolled out either. He operates like an autocrat in a democracy - neither of his announcements should have been THAT controversial if he had actually put in the work of getting buy-in and, more importantly, either a clear set of benefits to the change and/or agreed upon solutions.

When he announced his desire to kill the park board he just keep calling it broken with no evidence and his own ABC commissioners disagreed with him. His social housing stance is correct too - Vancouver should not be bearing the whole burden of it. Where the EFF is Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond etc?

As a result he's going to get voted out next term and most of what he's tried to do will get reversed OR no progress will be made on them by his successor. To me that's a sign of a terrible Mayor.

[JDMDreams]

Bring back stinky tofu. Things sucked when the whites banned Stinky tofu.

[noclue]

Which vancouver mayor was it that thought it was a great idea to buy up hotels at a premium and turning them into druggie shelters? Ruined granville st and a 5 block radius of the former days inn by kingsway and nanaimo

[Badhobz]

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

Bring back stinky tofu. Things sucked when the whites banned Stinky tofu.

Don’t call tofu stinky ! His mclarens smells great

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by noclue

Which vancouver mayor was it that thought it was a great idea to buy up hotels at a premium and turning them into druggie shelters? Ruined granville st and a 5 block radius of the former days inn by kingsway and nanaimo

Ugh! I wanted to bite my tongue on this but you left out piece of bait too fresh to not fall for.

This Days Inn and surrounding motels in and around Nanaimo and Kingsway is one hell of a wild ride. It went from shelter for refugees to drug addict haven. The area was generally a pretty quiet place up until when this happened. There's been a moderate increase in petty property crimes and general signs of drug use/trade. At risk of being a NIMBY, I wished there were an opportunity for public consultation on the roll out of the conversion of the properties for their current uses.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Ugh! I wanted to bite my tongue on this but you left out piece of bait too fresh to not fall for.

This Days Inn and surrounding motels in and around Nanaimo and Kingsway is one hell of a wild ride. It went from shelter for refugees to drug addict haven. The area was generally a pretty quiet place up until when this happened. There's been a moderate increase in petty property crimes and general signs of drug use/trade. At risk of being a NIMBY, I wished there were an opportunity for public consultation on the roll out of the conversion of the properties for their current uses.

In the old days that stretch was just hookers. I recall catching the 25 bus at Gladstone/Kingsway and there'd often be a hooker there trying to catch another fish or two that was coming off graveyard shift.

[6793026]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

How many of you who now have kids have done the walk or drive down Hastings to show your kid this is what happens if you don't study?

LOVE this!
I used to do 2 things as I've volunteered in the area for soup kitchen before so I'm not scared at all.

I take niece and nephew and put down my windows just so that they can see it's normal people. Then I park and tell them stop being racist and stop discriminating people.

1) Ovaltine cafe & the Only.


Yes they got busted for drug dealing.. but the chinese (owned) guy used to make the best damn fish and chips in town). It's a very shady place but i used to ride with my X and park my CBR there.

2) Other place was also Save On Meats which you can buy meats and coupons for homeless.

I also used to do pick ups at the Insite injection sites there so I'm pretty chill and find it totally fine.

Now since there is a speakeasy at DTES - i go there also at night but the effect is not as good compared to the day.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

How many of you who now have kids have done the walk or drive down Hastings to show your kid this is what happens if you don't study?

I used to go to Chinatown with my grandparents when I was a kid on the #20 bus and if I needed to use the washroom my grandfather would send me down into the public one at the corner of Main/Hastings by myself. I would later say that I went down a boy but came out a man.

[bcrdukes]

lol would you go to that washroom today?

I think most of us who went to Chinatown with our parents/grandparents back in the day likely would have used this washroom. It sure gave me a different perspective on life. Who knew a washroom could have such an impact on us?

[unit]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Filled up at 1.61 today the cheapest I’ve had in 20+ fill ups, just a coincidence though hehe

ICYMI, we weren't talking about the carbon tax not reducing the gas prices.. we were talking about corporate greed in the gas industry jacking up the prices before the tax came in.

[pastarocket]

FYI: If you want to vote by mail for the advancing voting, here is the online application on the Election Canada website.

https://www.elections.ca/content2.as...t=index&lang=e

Vote at advance polls
You can vote at your advance polling place on

Friday, April 18, 2025
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Monday, April 21, 2025

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

lol would you go to that washroom today?

I think most of us who went to Chinatown with our parents/grandparents back in the day likely would have used this washroom. It sure gave me a different perspective on life. Who knew a washroom could have such an impact on us?

i think we did when we first moved to vancouver, realized shortly as we decended what a mistake it was

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

lol would you go to that washroom today?

Hell, send me back in time and I'll tell grandpa "Nah man, nei gor pok guy, diu nei gor lo mo ah!"