Tuesday, July 22, 2025

City of Burnaby switches to height-based building policies, abandoning density limits

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/burnaby-height-based-development-framework

Fortunately, Vancouver can't stunt and stump Burnaby anymore than it could with Parramatta, NSW. Vancouver is trying its darndest to prevent any buildings from rising above 200 m. Unlike Vancouver, Burnaby doesn't try to look for any excuse to hold its city back.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=building+shadowing+policies

Kits Pool ruling leaves people frustrated

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/kits-pool-decision-vancouver

More overlapping rules, more permits required and more regulations to maintain and enforce the B$ bureaucracy of backwards Vancouver. Officially, Vancouver isn't supposed to be a NO FUN CITY. However, various people through the years like to perpetuate the NO FUN mentality.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Building shadowing policies for downtown Vancouver peninsula

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-vancouver-building-shadowing-solar-access-guidelines-updates


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=building+shadowing+policies

CN Rail to end lease on Sea to Sky corridor railway through Whistler, opening the door for rail public transit

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/cn-rail-sea-to-sky-railway-corridor-lease-termination-whistler-passenger-rail

Vancouver To Transform Development Process With Standardized Residential Zones

 https://storeys.com/vancouver-standardized-residential-apartment-zoning-districts/

No-swimming advisories for 9 Metro Vancouver beaches likely to last all weekend

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11294472/vancouver-e-coli-beaches/

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/kitsilano-beach.aspx

So far there hasn't been any momentum to rename Kits Beach into $HIT$ Beach.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/video/2025/07/19/e-coli-halts-swimming-at-metro-vancouver-beaches/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/e-coli-vancouver-beaches-july-18-1.7589185

Fortunately, Australia, Hawaii, California & Florida realize that crappy beaches are bad for residents & tourism. 

https://www.vch.ca/en/service/public-beach-water-quality#overview

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Beach

https://www.destinationvancouver.com/inspirations/beaches

It's so much easier for several other cities to do things better than backwards Vancouver.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches

Friday, July 18, 2025

The Waterfront SkyTrain Station stench

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/waterfront-station-vancouver-stench-smells

This, along with the E.coli beaches could be a part of a crappy Vancouver marketing opportunity. 


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches

Disneyland Resort Debuts ‘Walt Disney – A Magical Life’

 https://secretlosangeles.com/disneyland-resort-debuts-walt-disney-attraction-to-honor-70th-anniversary/

Several Metro Vancouver beaches closed to swimming due to E. coli

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metro-vancouver-beaches-e-coli-1.7588222

https://www.vch.ca/en/service/public-beach-water-quality

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Beach_(Vancouver)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Beach_(Vancouver)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Beach

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Beach

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho_Beach

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Banks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Bay,_Vancouver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck_Beach , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck_Beach#Swimming_and_ocean_water_quality


Its imarapartive that an urban beach be reasonably clean, especially the water.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alki_Point,_Seattle , https://visitseattle.org/neighborhoods/west-seattle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondi_Beach

https://thecapetownblog.com/best-beaches , https://www.go2africa.com/african-travel-blog/cape-towns-best-beaches

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island , https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/beaches/3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana,_Rio_de_Janeiro

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-beaches-in-france , https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2016-07-27/the-best-beaches-in-france

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Mile,_Durban

https://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/melbourne/see-and-do/nature-and-wildlife/beaches-and-coastlines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Beach,_Florida , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Beach_(Miami_Beach) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_Isles_Beach,_Florida

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_State_Beach , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California#Climate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise,_Queensland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadbeach,_Queensland

Waikīkī beach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waik%C4%ABk%C4%AB  ,  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waik%C4%ABk%C4%AB#Water_quality  ,

https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/us/hawaii-waikiki-beach-closed-sewage/index.html


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+beaches

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Ice given access to Medicaid data in move critics call a privacy betrayal

Officials let Ice access health data to locate migrants, alarming experts who warn of civil rights and health risks https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/17/ice-access-medicaid-data-personal-information

No-swimming advisories at several Metro Vancouver beaches due to E. coli (WTH?)

 https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6835823

https://globalnews.ca/news/11293631/metro-vancouver-beaches-closed-ecoli/

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/no-swimming-at-5-metro-vancouver-beaches-due-to-e-coli/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-beaches-ecoli-advisories-july-2025

https://www.vch.ca/en/service/public-beach-water-quality

There really should be a concerted effort to clean this situation up. This isn't good for the residents or for the tourists.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+beaches

ICE Is Moving Immigrants Arrested On The US Mainland To Honolulu

 https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/07/ice-moving-immigrants-arrested-mainland-to-honolulu/

As the world becomes more digitized, various countries could take more of a rounding-up approach towards undocumented people & illegal residents and visitors. While wearable_technology could be useful to better identify and monitor the human herd, it could easily become like something out of a dystopian Sci-Fi story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technology#Use_in_surveillance 

A more interconnected world means that most people will be almost instantaneous trackable.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ice-may-deport-migrants-countries-other-than-their-own-with-just-six-hours-2025-07-13/

Monday, July 14, 2025

Anarchy in Europe...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPqSFuz9HSo

The objective of any thriving nation or region is to mostly attract upper and middle income people who can bring more wealth and skills into a country. Unlike Australia & Canada, the US had a tremendous amount of immigration in the 1800s & 1900s to really grow their country. Today, Texas has more people than Australia & California has more people than Canada. 

Today, if there are too many refugees and migrants and not more of a much higher percentage of upper & middle income people, there will be a tremendous strain & overload on the system. An effective formula needs to be established for each nation or region to accommodate refugees and migrants, vs. those in a higher income bracket. 

Multiculturalism should be a blend of one being able to celebrate their culture within the larger context of diversity. 

The situation at Kits Pool

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-kits-pool-covid-concerns

As a backwards city so full of its own multigenerational B$, red-tape & so many hoops & hurdles, Vancouver continues to crawl along.

Construction starts on new Listel Hotel and rental housing tower on Robson Street

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/listel-hotel-vancouver-robson-street-redevelopment-construction

As a small-minded city, Vancouver just hasn't had the same interest or motivation to encourage or allow big & tall hotels to be built.

https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/vancouver-needs-10k-more-hotel-rooms-says-report-10508458

Proper big cities that really want to capitalize on tourism will allow hotels with 1000, 2000 or even 4000 rooms.

https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-major-hotel-policy-overhaul-room-shortage

It's been very difficult for Vancouver to have a single tower hotel with at least 700 rooms.

https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2025/04/vancouver-needs-10000-new-hotel-rooms-by-2050-new-report-outlines-roadmap-for-growth-jobs-and-city-building/

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/04/09/vancouver-needs-10000-more-hotel-rooms-by-2050-tourism-organization-says/

https://storeys.com/vancouver-hotel-development-policy-changes/

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/council-approves-new-policy-address-vancouvers-hotel-room-shortage.pdf


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=hotel+rooms

Vancouver could become a better cycling city, but the metropolitan region lacks a proper network of bus and bike bridges

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-cycling-city

Removing traffic lanes from bridges doesn't improve things as much as constructing a series of bike, bus & HOV bridges would. 

the land assemblers

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-land-assembly-speculation-middlemen-developers

Skyline (Honolulu) Rapid Transit

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu) Only 4 car trains? At least it's not a 2 - 2.5 car joke of a train that is the Canada embarrassment Line in backwards Vancouver.

Fortunately, it's a walkthrough train and with SDO, it could eventually become a 6 car train, if there is ever a need to increase capacity by 50%.

https://honolulutransit.org/about/route-map , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wq3THzQZr0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Rolling_stock

https://www.honolulu.gov/dts/skyline/home/

Hawaii's $10BN Railway Nightmare Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xnrhm1KcB4


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Selective+Door+Operation

Saturday, July 12, 2025

theme parks

 https://ktla.com/news/theme-parks/

Vancouver's forgotten streetcars and interurban trams

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/transportation-old/interurban-streetcar-hydrogen-rail-line-fraser-valley-bc-1942783

Fortunately, Toronto, NO, SF and Melbourne never got rid of all their streetcar and tram lines.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-vancouver-false-creek-streetcar-route-map

While backwards Vancouver wanted to be among the first cities to get rid of them, Vancouver will likely be one of the last cities to bring them back.

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2021/04/06/a-bump-in-the-road-kits-points-hidden-streetcar-line/

Atlanta, SD, LA, Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle & Portland brought back some of their trollies in the form of modern LRT or tram-trains.

https://montecristomagazine.com/community/vancouvers-forgotten-streetcars

The sad irony is that Vancouver, Burnaby & NW really could have benefitted from following the Toronto, SF and Melbourne examples. 

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/last-ride-oak-streetcar-vancouver-1937040

https://www.facebook.com/groups/128486813979056/posts/1968090176685368

 https://maps.nicholsonroad.com/bcer/

https://humantransit.org/2010/02/vancouver-the-almost-perfect-grid.html

There used too be a streetcar route along Robson St., Denman St. & Davie St. A revived version of this could provide a nice downtown transit loop. However, that would go against the backwards mentality of Vancouver. Fortunately, the Vancouver mentality never made it to Atlanta & Dallas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Streetcar#Downtown_Loop_route_funded

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Streetcar

Unfortunatly, Vancouver & BC are all about congestive planning.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/2026-fifa-world-cup-vancouver-1.7559067

With less than a year to go, its impossible to revive any streetcar lines, because that can take 5-10 years. There isn't even a network of regional bus bridges. Such inept transportation planning means that busses have to squeeze onto bridges that are mostly just 2 lanes each way. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-rising-costs-fifa-2026-world-cup-1.7573669

Despite the first SkyTrain line opening in 1985, it took until 2025 to start having5 car trains. The 2nd & 3rd lines are still only running 2 car trains.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/vancouver-short-on-hotel-rooms-silent-on-safety-costs-for-2026-world-cup/

Of course the city is decades behind in keeping up with having enough hotel rooms.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-hotel-shortage-2026-world-cup-1.7117696

https://vancouverfwc26.ca 

https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/vancouver-host-seven-matches-canada-stadium-bc-place

The best beaches in Vancouver, BC

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-beaches-vancouver

Summer is so damn short in Vancouver. Only June, July & August are usually the hottest months, because by the 2nd week of September things start to cool down. 

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/june-weather/53286?year=2025 There were only 5 days in June that got above 25C.

 https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/kitsilano-beach.aspx

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/beaches.aspx

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks-gardens-and-beaches.aspx


https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/july-weather/53286 Wow, there might actually be one day in July that could reach or exceed 30C.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/august-weather/53286?year=2025 No 30C days in the August forecast. 

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/september-weather/53286?year=2025 No 25C days are in the September forecast. Then, for the 2nd half of the month it will be tough enough just to reach 20C.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/may-weather/53286?year=2025 Back in May, only one day got above 25C.

Hot weather kept bypassing Vancouver and went up to Alaska & Yukon.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+beaches

Friday, July 11, 2025

The Kitsilano Pool

 https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/debate-rages-over-covid-19-era-reservation-system-at-kits-pool-in-vancouver/

A bigger and better pool should be open access just like the beach. 


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=+Kitsilano+Pool

How Bike Lanes have affected Vancouver's urban infrastructure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvkifuIjq9I The BSB was a 6 lane crossing that even had a provision for a lower deck intended for streetcars. Eventually, 2 lanes were removed & the lower deck was never completed. However, Vancouver was unable to prevent Seattle & Portland from reviving some of their streetcar routes.

The problem isn't bike lanes, it's the lack of interest to build a proper regional network of bus & bike bridges. Thus, if a proper bike bridge was built next to the Burrard+Street+Bridge, then 2 of its 6 lanes could have been for buses or at least HOV lanes. The lower deck could have still been for streetcars or tram-trains going between Vancouver & Richmond. The irony of backwards Vancouver is that it was one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars & will likely be one of the last to bring them back.

The Fraser River Tunnel Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWhHJWKa6CQ Unfortunatly, this will still be a chokepoint or congested crossing.

Of course the new Richmond-Delta+Tunnel wasn't designed to be part of a rail link between the airport and the ferry terminal. There should have been 2 HOV lanes, as well as 2 bus lanes, but that would be a big-city 10 lane crossing. Instead, just an 8 lane tunnel with no train component. Eventually, a train and HOV bridge or tunnel will have to be built next to it. 

At least the first SkyTrain line can now have 5 car trains. However, the 2 car joke of a train still exists between Vancouver & Coquitlam, as well as between Vancouver & Richmond. The Montreal Metro can have 9 car trains and BART in SF can have 10 car trains. Such things are possible because they don't have a congestive BC panning mentality.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Bike+Lanes

Vancouver pushes for social housing high-rises across the city

 https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vancouver-pushes-social-housing-highrises-across-city

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vancouvers-opulent-curv-tower-gets-away-with-switching-out-of-below-market-housing

The Kitsilano Pool Is Nearing Its End. What Comes Next?

 https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/07/11/Kitsilano-Pool-Nearing-End

It should be covered & heated so that people can enjoy it throughout the year.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/kits-pool-replacement


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=+Kitsilano+Pool

College Park Project To Be Finish 100 Years Later

 https://storeys.com/gwlra-college-park-redevelopment/

The Rise and Fall of an Awkward Dining Trend

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgejGeLwrj4

The Space_Needle became an instant Seattle landmark since the early 1960s. The same for the Calgary_Tower by the late 1960s.

https://www.spaceneedle.com , https://www.calgarytower.com

Both were possible, because Seattle & Calgary aren't under anything like Vancouver's imposed restrictions.

The H._R._MacMillan_Space_Centre opened in October 1968, some 4 months after the Calgary Tower & 6.5 years after the Space Needle. Of course Vancouver was behind, as usual. The first thing that you notice is that there is no tower. It's a classic stump of a building. 

https://thecdm.ca/partners/industry/the-hr-macmillan-space-centre

https://www.spacecentre.ca/celebrating-55-years

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/qhnz76/tbt_vancouver_planetarium_1968

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/SpaceNeedleTopClose.jpg The Tower
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Museum_of_Vancouver.jpg The Stump

The movie Final_Destination_Bloodlines provides a CGI depiction of what an actual tower, not a stump would look like. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Destination_Bloodlines#Plot

While Final_Destination_Bloodlines was filmed in Vancouver, it was set in New York State. 

Something peculiar happened in Seattle in 2025.

https://people.com/space-needle-crack-glass-floor-absolutely-safe-11770526

https://wrif.com/2025/07/08/crack-space-needle-glass-floor/

https://cryptogmail.com/is-the-space-needles-glass-floor-cracking-heres-the-real-story/

https://komonews.com/news/local/space-needle-assures-safety-amid-viral-video-of-glass-floor-crack-glass-rotating-floor-redesign-architects-washington-tourism-visit-iconic-landmark

 Final Destination: Bloodlines Movie Clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iQhOmebDqo


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Seattle

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Calgary

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Vancouver

City of Vancouver to explore new density and uses to revive Railtown district

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/railtown-vancouver-revitalization-redevelopment-planning

Port of Vancouver advances $2.2 billion expansion

 https://splash247.com/port-of-vancouver-advances-2-2bn-expansion/

Thursday, July 10, 2025

SkyTrain enters its Mark V era with 5 car trains

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/skytrain-mark-v-first-new-train-service-translink-expo-line-july-2025-10927323

With such a high capital construction cost, its foolish and very short sighted that Vancouver & BC never allowed for enough clearance to eventually have 10 car trains.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mark-v-skytrain-train-enter-service-design-translink

At least the first 2 SkyTrain lines have stations that can accomodate a 5 car train. Unfortunatly, the joke that is the Canada embassament Line never allowed enough level clearance for 5 car trains, only a 2.5 car train. Combine short trains with mostly narrow bridges and no interest to build a series of bus-bridges and you have a fine example of congestive planning. Of course no one seems to know where the funds that should have gone towards big city infrastructure went. 

Downtown Vancouver office space vacancy rate sees notable increase

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-downtown-office-market-q2-2025

Unlike Seattle and Calgary, Vancouver never permitted any 50 story office towers. Indeed, no office building in Vancouver is even allowed to have a 40th floor. However, BC still might eventually have a couple of office towers over 40 stories, just not in restrictive Vancouver.

The Milizie Bridge in Italy and the Windan Bridge in W, Australia and The Cushing Bridge in Calgary, Alberta

 https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/fotografie/schede/IMM-5w050-0000107/

It used to be like a narrow 4 lane Vancouver bridge.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL1nsrfQlu2fehTGEprH7FGBsYGcr_TPyqucsA-EWRJdwwHCROFB-V_oTimMt3jA863q25r8g5pY83s0yOUppOM1EuVsBaGO4kc846blp-xCt8G3xQs7Srg2Ro9nPKPom-V5YOdCRm1bM/s1600/PontiMilizie-NotizAtmMarApr74-ridotto.jpg

https://milanoneisecoli.blogspot.com/2014/10/lo-scomparso-torrione-fascista-di.html

Eventually, the Ponte+Delle+Milizie was rebuilt to have 2 bus lanes as well as 4 general lanes.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ponte+Delle+Milizie

Something like the 6 lane Windan_Bridge and the double track Goongoongup_Bridge, just aren't allowed in Vancouver. The city should do something similar like the Cushing+Bridge+in+Calgary.

Unfortunatly, the backwards Vancouver approach is to take lanes away, while pretending to be building an efficient regional rapid bus network. 

The Arthur+Laing+BridgeOak+Street+Bridge and Knight+Street+Bridge only have 2 lanes each way in the middle and there was no provision to have 2 bus lanes. Thus, unless a 2 lane bus-bridge is built next to each of them, the regional express bus network will remain a sad BC joke.

There should also be a 6 lane Boundary+Road+Bridge crossing Burrard_Inlet and another one crossing the Fraser_River

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

New push to redevelop 11.5-acre City of Vancouver-owned site at Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-innovation-hub-false-creek-flats-feasibility-study

Redevelopment of McDonald's restaurant next to Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station approved by Vancouver City Council

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mcdonalds-restaurant-redevelopment-approved-1527-main-street-vancouver

The short buildings should have been designed to eventually have a 20-30 story addition.

TransLink buys Fraser River waterfront property for Vancouver bus depot use

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-vancouver-transit-centre-bus-depot-acquisition-expansion

Of course there still seems to be no plan to build a bus and bike bridge next to the Arthur+Laing+Bridge

Unfortunatly, the embarrassment that is the Canada+Line wasn't designed to eventually have 10 car trains, not even 5. It's stations can only accommodate a ridiculous 2.5 car train, some day. Thus, any bridge to and near the airport should be augmented with a bus and bike bridge. Especially since the C Line isn't open 24 hours. Apparently, it's better to just cram everything into the ridiculously narrow 4 lane bridges. 

Monday, July 7, 2025

Midweek showers sandwiched by sunny days in Metro Vancouver

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/metro-vancouver-forecast-midweek-showers-sun-july-2025-10912705

Summer is only a 3 quick months in BC, so when crappy rainy fall like weather shows up, it shortens the number of summer days even more. At least half of the year is cold & damp in Vancouver. Yet once again, Vancouver is so far behind. There is the RESO or Underground_City in_Montreal and the Path_in Toronto. While Vancouver doesn't get as cold as Chicago during the winter, or as hot as Dallas and Houston during the summer, there still should have been a proper effort to have a key part of the downtown interconnected with tunnels. There is just something about Vancouver & BC that always opts to take a Half-A$$ED approach to things.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

SkyTrain's Rupert and Renfrew stations

 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-neighbourhood-next-broadway-plan-treatment

Most of BC is wilderness and there are only a handful of potential big urban areas in BC.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rupert-and-renfrew-station-area-plan-vancouver-final

The Greater Vancouver Region has been held back for several decades. Of course affordable housing should be part of the overall growth plan. All of  BC still has less people than just the Greater Toronto Area & Canada has yet to have even just 1% of the world's population.

The 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge and the 2 car joke that is the Canada+Line are fine BC examples of the reluctance to build proper big city size infrastructure. There should have been at least 2 bus tunnels & 2 HOV tunnels near the LGB. If the C Line couldn't have 10 car trains, the stations should have at least been designed to accomodate 5 car trains, not an eventual 2.5 car joke of a train. There also should have been a train tunnel near the LGB by now, but that's what a proper big city would have done.

Friday, July 4, 2025

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Vancouver City Council to consider new area plan for SkyTrain's Rupert and Renfrew stations

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rupert-and-renfrew-station-area-plan-vancouver-final

Caps on salaries of Metro Vancouver politicians is ‘long overdue’ critics say

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11272811/caps-salaries-metro-vancouver-politicians-long-overdue-critics

Why put more money towards transportation infrastructure when it can go to the politicians? Unfortunatly, the Greater Vancouver region is already so lacking in proper big city size infrastructure. Short, overloaded trains and most bridges are so narrow that its not proper to have an efficient rapid bus network.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

What Canada Day looked like in Vancouver over 100 years ago

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/historic-photos-canada-day-looked-like-vancouver-bc-over-100-years-ago-5537944

By the 1920s, Montreal, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, SF & LA, all knew that they were going to be major cities. Unfortunatly in the 2020s, Vancouver is still stuck with a 3 lane Lion Bridge and a Canada embarrassment Line with only 50m stations. The Montreal Metro has 152.5m stations. Most real cities by now would have at least built a 4 lane bus & HOV tunnel & a commuter train tunnel near the LGB.

Despite being a cost cutting measure, the Canada embasement Line still should have had the provision to eventually have 10 car trains. Unfortunatly, the underbuilt line between Vancouver & Richmond wasn't even designed to have 5 car trains. Indeed, the joke that is the C Line has stations designed to only have 2.5 car trains, someday. The first 2 SkyTrain lines only have 80m stations, which can just barely accomodate a 5 car train. 


Shangri-La to rebrand as Park Hyatt Vancouver Hotel after renovations

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/park-hyatt-vancouver-hotel-shangri-la-renovations

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/shangri-la-downtown-vancouver-hyatt