What was 2011's top city story?
| What happened in 2011 that most affected city dwellers?Last week I discussed the Vancouver Courier's newsmaker story where six subjects – the riot, the hockey finals, the casino proposal, the election, the Occupy Vancouver encampment and social media influence –... |  |
Housing affordability can be improved if we tackle it as a regional issue
| Can building lower cost units in New Westminster help Vancouver's affordability issue?In last week’s column, I began to explore what cities like Vancouver should do to help create more affordable housing. I raised the issue of pre-zoning more stacked townhouses... |  |
Skyrocketing increase in city fees overlooked - yet again
| Water and sewer rates in Vancouver could rise by as much as 10% this yearOver the last week, two prominent lobby groups were in the news regarding issues we should all care about. First up was the right-leaning Canadian Taxpayer’s... |  |
CityCaucus Christmas Redux: Biking in the Snow
| Dear Readers,On the occasion of our first Christmas Eve as CityCaucus.com three years ago, Vancouver was covered by a blanket of snow – which we dubbed just a few days later as Snowmageddon. Vancouver's new mayor was off on... |  |
Hopes & plans for 2012: A closer look at the civic scene in New West
| Daniel takes a look at the year ahead in politics for New Westminster As with last year, the New Westminster News Leader asked my colleague Daniel Fontaine to answer a few questions on the future of Royal City politics... |  |
Fontaine provides look back at civic stories that made headlines
| After years of debate, the Evergreen Line transit project is finally pulling out of the station It’s that time of year when columnists and pundits reflect upon the many notable issues that generated headlines since last January. What follows is... |  |
Media Viewpoint: The top city story of 2011
| Windows smashed & stores looted on Granville Street on June 15th It's a year-end tradition – think about the past 12 months and ponder the ones ahead. Many media outlets assemble the year's top stories covered on their beat,... |  |
COPE and NPA need to retool their political organizations
| Will Vancouver's opposition parties be prepared for the 2014 civic contest?If Vancouver’s civic opposition parties ever want a realistic chance of forming government again, they’ll have to re-think their current strategies. That’s because if Vision Vancouver had chosen to run... |  |
Taxpayer interests vs. union interests
| It’s that time of the year again when civic politicians begin drafting budgets and deciding how many additional after-tax dollars they are going to remove from your wallet. Average pay increases in the private sector have flatlined since the 2008... |  |
HST not the sole culprit in restaurant's demise
| Bert's Restaurant was impacted by higher property taxes and parking meters If you’ve ever frequented the area near 13th Avenue and Main Street in Vancouver, you’ve likely come across Bert’s Restaurant. Established in 1948, the eatery quickly became a... |  |
Social media chosen as Newsmaker of the Year
| The Vancouver Courier chooses social media as 2011's top newsmaker I fetched my latest edition of the Vancouver Courier off my front walk, neatly tucked inside a plastic bag to protect it from rainwater. The cover story was one I... |  |
Creating more affordable housing takes out of wood-frame box thinking
| Could zoning more stacked townhouses help increase affordability in Metro Vancouver?Regardless of which survey you read, the issue of affordable housing tops the list of concerns for most Metro Vancouverites. Is it any wonder when a tear-down house on Vancouver’s... |  |
15 things that changed the BC wine industry in 2011
| What's happening in BC wine country? A BCWineLover/CityCaucus.com cross-post 2011 was a watershed year for BC's young and evolving wine industry. Once again cool weather would test the resolve of both veterans and newcomers alike. The mild springs and hot... |  |
12 minutes, 30 seconds with @FairQuestions Vivian Krause
| Vivian Krause – photo: Postmedia Readers of CityCaucus.com are no strangers to Vivian Krause, who kindly shared some of her detailed research on our blog back in 2010 – you can find links to these articles here. Krause became... |  |
Rising fees and big changes at Metro Vancouver warrant the public's attention
| Soon to be retired Metro Vancouver CAO Johnny "Cash" CarlineOn Tuesday, Vancouver city council gets back to work with a discussion on how much City Hall (and Metro Vancouver) plans to collect in fees we pay for water and sewer... |  |
