VMV and BCMV

What is the Vancouver Mind Virus and the BC Mind Virus?

Sometimes, it can be a provincial backwater approach to things. Other times, its a total Half-A$$ED attempt towards getting something done in backwards BC.

Its taken the City of Vancouver a very long time to surpass half a million residents. Its amazing that Vancouver finally surpassed having 3 quarters of a million people. 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/canada/vancouver 751,644 

It remains to be seen if Vancouver will ever have more people than Winnipeg. Indeed, Winnipeg, like Edmonton and Calgary don't have something like a Burnaby next to them, or a Surrey & Coquitlam close by. While Vancouver barely makes it into the top 10 biggest cities in Canada, Greater Vancouver is still the 3rd largest urban region in Canada. However, so much of the urban scale and infrastructure is being heled back.

The biggest cities in Canada don't have anything like a VMV to thwart or impeded their scale. Thus, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal & Edmonton all have taller buildings than stunted Vancouver. Edmonton and Montreal, like Seattle and Perth, WA are allowed to have wider bridges. Most major cities around the world have longer trains than what's in provincial Vancouver.

Is there a Canadian Mind Virus (CMV)? Of course not officially. Fortunately, nothing like a CMV ever made it to Australia. Otherwise something absurd like provincial Trade Barriers could have really thwarted things down under.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/interprovincial-trade-barriers-9.7323970 

https://www.mnp.ca/en/insights/directory/what-are-the-barriers-to-interprovincial-trade-in-canada

https://www.canada.ca/en/intergovernmental-affairs/services/internal-trade/federal-investments-internal-trade.html 

Despite Canada being surrounded by water on 3 sides, there is no blue on the national flag. Fortunately, nothing like a CMV ever got Australia, NZ, the UK, France and even the US to remove blue from their flags. 

Of course the flags of England, Switzerland and Japan have no blue in them, but blue is still a very nice color to behold. 

Nothing on the scale of the 10 lane Narrows_Bridge_(Perth) is allowed in Vancouver, Victoria or Kelowna. Certainly, nothing like the Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges exists in Halifax. Even Boston and Montreal don't have a 12 lane crossing like the Gateway_Bridges. 

Despite Australia having fewer people than Canada, its been able to exist on a larger scale in some ways. Its like there is still a plan to have a big country down under.

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

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

Why New York City has a Two-Car Subway Train and provincial Vancouver is stuck with a 2 car airport train

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH37SqlW0Ks 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R68_(New_York_City_Subway_car) 75-foot (22.86 m) length for each car. So roughly, a 2 car joke of a train is almost 46 m, or 150 ft. The absurd Canada_Line-Stations with its 2 car trains are in the 40 m to 50 m range. Thus, only two car & 2.5 car trains are only possible. In contrast, a 9 car Montreal_Metro train can be up to 152.5 m, or 500 ft.

Train length	2 car train: 150 feet (46 m) 4 car train: 300 feet (91 m) 8 car train: 600 feet (180 m)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R68_(New_York_City_Subway_car)#Description So, an 8 car, 600 foot long train is 100 feet longer than a 500 foot, 9 car Montreal train. 

The end of the line for the Franklin_Avenue_Shuttle is only a single track platform. 

Unfortunately, the YVR and the Richmond end if the Canada_Line stations are also a single track platforms. Even if this was initially decided as a cost saving measure, a double track guideway still should have been built. Then, a proper double track station could eventually be completed. Especially if the line is ever extended to the Delta Ferry terminal.

The YVR-Airport_station was deliberately designed to be narrower and shorter than what a proper big city airport station should be. Its another example of the unofficial BCMV reducing and thwarting the scale of things. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearson_Airport_station Almost like REM quality for Toronto, but not for provincial Vancouver. https://www.upexpress.com/en/up-express-stations/pearson-station , https://www.torontopearson.com/en/transportation-and-parking/up-express Wow, Toronto like Perth can run 3 car big city type trains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Rolling_stock Vancouver can only hope for a 2.5 car train, someday. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Route Sometimes, a 2 car joke of a train might be OK to start with, but there should already be enough station clearance for at least 3-5 car trains. Then, as long as its a walk-through train, Selective_Door_Operation (SDO) can make it possible to add an extra car at both ends of a short train. SDO can be an intermediate step before having to extensively lighten each station. 

Stubborn, backwards Vancouver will eventually have to seriously consider SDO in order to have longer big city type trains. Unfortunately, as long as its stuck in the BC backwater mentality or under the spell of the BCMV, things won't improve.

https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2026/05/montreals-airport-rem-station-will-have-signature-iceberg-motif , https://montrealgazette.com/news/rem-has-begun-testing-trains-on-airport-branch Of course the YUL-P.E. Trudeau_station, like the Honolulu Airport station, will be longer and wider than the one at YVR.

Perhaps the short, single track & platform at the YVR-Airport_Station would be impressive if it were in Victoria, Prince George, Kamloops or Kelowna, but its hardly impressive when compared to the SeaTac/Airport_station, Portland_Airport_station, Lelepaua_station in Honolulu, Brisbane_Airport station, Sydney_Airport stations, the future Melbourne_Airport station and Perth_Airport station. The scale of the San_Francisco_International_Airport_station, which can accommodate 10 car trains, is on a whole other scale. All major airports and their train stations in Asia & Europe are so far beyond what Canada has. There is no reason as to why Greater Vancouver and some other cities in BC, can't be upgraded to a Pacific Rim infrastructure level, instead of  being stuck in a perpetual BC backwater mindset. 

The VMV, under the umbrella of the larger BCMV, is such a horrible impediment and it doesn't even officially exist. 

How Zürich fixed the commuter train problem

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cvuthXbTDQ 

This is the type of intercity train that could link some BC cities like Victoria with Nanaimo, Vancouver with Abbotsford & Chilliwack. Kelowna, Vernon & Penticton. Kamloops and Prince George. Prince Rupert & Kitimat with PG. Unfortunately, with the slow mindset and backwards approach to things in BC, it might not happen for a very long time.

BC Lions build temporary 18,500-seat home stadium in Kelowna

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-lions-apple-bowl-stadium-kelowna-temporary-cfl 

https://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/article_c9cec7b2-2091-4b86-9ddf-0196a9d6814f.html 

https://theprogress.com/2026/06/11/crews-transforming-kelownas-apple-bowl-for-cfl-games-this-summer/ 

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

'Extreme weather' wipes out Ottawa's Canada Day activities, including fireworks

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canada-day-activities-in-ottawa-cancelled-9.7255350 Despite Vancouver having such cold, crappy summer weather, it was the heat that ruined things in Ottawa. 

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/622726/Kelowna-Canada-Day-fireworks-light-up-Okanagan-Lake Vancouver was unable to get Kelowna to cancel their CD fireworks.

Telus Boot Tower or just another office stump in BC?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJqr-6j3yww This would be an impressive building if it was in Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops or Prince George. Even in Lethbridge and Spokane, but not in Calgary or Seattle. That's because they been allowed to be proper big cities.

Its not even 25 stories, just like the Post office complex, but if it had at least 50 floors it would have been quite an impressive office tower for BC. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1jav5f9/burnaby_approves_bc_tel_boot_redevelopment_5/ Acording to this rendering, the main part of the Telus boot stump will still be around. Its only a smaller part of its base that will face demolition.

https://www.jarmanrealestate.com/burnaby-telus-boot-redevelopment/

Burnaby or Surrey will likely have the first office tower in BC that's at least 45 stories in the next few years. Vancouver won't permit any office tower to have a 40th floor.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/3696-kingsway-vancouver-telus-rental-housing-tower Across the street, not a 50, only a 25 story residential stump. 

Boundary Road should have already had an express bus service and eventually a rapid bus route connecting Burnaby to North Vancouver and Richmond. Unfortunately, Vancouver still doesn't seem interested in having a B.Rd. bridge to NV and Richmond, even if it would improve on regional transportation.

Just mostly more stumps or some real Towers in Vancouver?

 https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2026/05/02/opinion-the-yiyby-critique-bilsker 

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/the-stack/35667 Only 38 floors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Centre_(Vancouver) Just 37 stories. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Center Seattle's tallest has 76 stories. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_Canal_Bridge 12 lanes consisting of three 4 lane sections.

Mostly short buildings, short trains and narrow bridges are all part of the imposed symbolism to keep Vancouver small and backwards. 

While Seattle had its first 50 story office tower in 1969 and Calgary in 1984, stubborn Vancouver still won't permit any office tower to have a 40th floor. 

A 30-35 story office tower would be impressive if it was in Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George. However, what's impressive in backwards Vancouver & backwater BC isn't impressive in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Washington State, Victoria State, NSW, Queensland & WA... 

Stumpy buildings, short trains and narrow bridges makes for the Vancouver trifecta of B$ city planning.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+McMurray,+AB 10 lanes. Only the TCH bridge between Surrey and Coquitlam in BC has been allowed to have as many lanes as this. Some people still wish that everything could have remained funneled into just 2 or 3 lanes each way.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Quesnell+Bridge 8 lanes in Edmonton. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hwy.+2A+Red+Deer+City+Centre+Bridge 6 lanes.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Calgary,+AB 10 lanes.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Calgary,+AB 8 lanes.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lethbridge,+AB It has 6 lanes. Being from backwards Vancouver, its amazing that this 6 lane bridge wasn't funneled into just 2 lanes each way. That's what happened with the Knight_Street_Bridge.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hwy.+2A+Red+Deer+City+Centre+Bridge As a 5 lane TCH crossing, it only has 1 less lane than the 6 lane Iron Bridge in congested, backwards Vancouver. Since Alberta isn't under anything like the imposed BC restrictions, this crossing will likely be eventually upgraded to have 6 lanes, plus 2 wide emergency lanes & 2 wide shoulders that could provide 4 lanes each way, some day. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Winnipeg,+MB A TCH bridge with 9 lanes, because no one from narrow-minded Vancouver was able to get them to narrow this crossing. The TCH Iron Bridge in Vancouver just has 6 lanes. No bus and LRT bridge has ever been built next to it, so far.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Winnipeg,+MB A 6 lane crossing. 

As of 2026, congested Vancouver only allows 2 bridges to have 6 lanes. A total of 5 lanes were removed from 3 Vancouver bridges. Had Vancouver built a series of proper bus and bike bridges, no lanes would have been removed. 

Despite NW trying to be one of the smallest cities in BC, Surrey is set to become the biggest city in BC. Fortunately, small NW & backwards Vancouver can't stop that from happening. However, narrowminded NW was able to force a narrower new bridge to Surrey. 

This bridge-replacement is one of the best examples of BC bottleneck-chokepoint planning today.

McBride_Blvd. and Royal_Ave_in_New_Westminster are mostly 4 lane corridors.

King_George_Boulevard and Scott_Road both are at least 4 lanes wide. One might think that the new bridge should have had 10 lanes, or at least 8 lanes, because two 4 lane boulevards, a 4 lane avenue and a 4 lane road, are all funneled into a bridge that opened with only 2 lanes each way. The old bridge that it replaced was also a 4 lane crossing. A congestive approach to transportation planning is the name of the game in backwards B.C.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Stalewasem_Bridge_%282026-03%29.jpg/960px-Stalewasem_Bridge_%282026-03%29.jpg 

At the very least, this new 4 lane bridge should have had enough room for 2 wide emergency lanes, 2 wide shoulders and especially, 2 bus lanes. There should have been a provision for a lower deck for LRT, bus and truck lanes, given that this is supposed to be a seaport region.

The narrowmindedness planning by Greater Vancouver to still have mostly narrow crossings, has made it very difficult to implement a proper regional express bus network, let alone BRT. 

The first 2 Skytrain lines only have station lengths that can barely accommodate the new 5 car trains. The YVR Line or the C Line, has stations than can only accommodate a 2.5 car train, some day. Given that the Skytrain network is a multibillion dollar transit system, all of the stations should have been designed to gradually accommodate 8-10 car trains, but that's what a proper big city would do. 

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/05/02/expo-86-40-years-later-the-memories-live-on 

Four decades later and Greater Vancouver remains so far behind with the scale of its infrastructure.

Delays out of North Shore continue after truck stalls for hour on Lions Gate Bridge

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/02/24/stall-on-lions-gate-bridge-causing-massive-delays-out-of-north-shore/ 

The LGB bottleneck is indicative of how some people don't want Vancouver to become a properly planned functioning big city.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1mehud6/theres_a_single_car_stopped_in_the_only/

Unfortunately, Vancouver still isn't allowed to function like a real proper big city. For several decades, so many key people, especially urban planners don't want to have a wider structural crossing to at least match what Prince George and Kamloops have. Or, to match what Kelowna has and especially don't want to have what Ft. McMurray has. 

Indeed, most proper major cities by now would have had a 6-8 lane tunnel right under the park and close to the LGB. Georgia Street is already 7 lanes wide in the first few blocks closest to the park, so the potential for a 7-8 lane tunnel should be possible.

An 8 lane tunnel would be best in that the 3 & 4 lane counterflow on Georgia could easily feed into an 8 lane tunnel. Then once in the tunnel there world be 3 standard lanes each way, plus a bus lane each way. 

A commuter train tunnel or an extension of the YVR-Canada Line should also run close to where the LGB is. Unfortunately, some key people for several decades don't seem to want or understand the benefits of having a train connecting YVR with both of the regional BC-Ferries terminals. That's because it could actually help to relieve transportation congestion. https://www.bcferries.com/current-conditions/TSA-SWB 

At least by now, there should have been a 2 lane BRT tunnel and a 2 lane truck tunnel, as well as at least a provision for a 2 track LRT tunnel beside that very narrow bridge. 

It's always amazing to see what other cities around the world can do, simply because they aren't trapped within the backwards Vancouver mindset or don't have a backwater BC mentality to thwart them. 

https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/atis/lgcws/index.html 

This has to be one of the worlds best examples of bottleneck-chokepoint planning around. 

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/skytrain A rail rapid transit connection to both ferry terminals and YVR would be a huge improvement, but it's still not likely in the foreseeable future. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Lions+Gate+Bridge

Why Kelowna Is the Opposite of Every Other Canadian City

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D42cmFfmI84 

Kelowna has over $1 BILLION in major projects either already underway or recently approved https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLv1AN6Hlwg

Kelowna International Airport (YLW), the second busiest airport in British Columbia in terms of passenger volumes

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/kelowna-international-airport-ylw-terminal-building-expansion-completion

SkyTrain's Canada Line service disruption

(service disruption ends after 14 hours) https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-service-disruptions-january-14-2026 

For a rapid transit line that opened in 2009, on the surface, it sure wasn't designed to be an efficient high capacity line for the future. It's still just a 2 car joke of a train. Fortunately, most real cities around the world planned for not only 6 car trains, but even 8-10 car trains. 

Unfortunatly, Vancouver has been hit very hard with a multigenerational agenda of continually imposed small scale infrastructure. Vancouver has water on 3 sides, as its on a peninsula. Since the powers that be couldn't build a Boundary+Road moat or trench, the next best thing was to symbolically show the reluctance to build proper big city size infrastructure. This stunted approach to things is about symbolically holding the scale of the city back for as long as possible. 

Despite backwards Vancouver not being able to apply a castle-moat-and-drawbridge control system, the next best thing was to symbolically keep things smaller than what normal or proper big cities allow. 

Here are some of the best examples of holding the size of things back. The 3 lane joke that is the Lions+Gate+Bridge has never had a rapid transit rail tunnel and no express bus tunnel next to it. Especially, no 6 lane highway tunnel. It's a classic BC bottleneck-chokepoint, by design.

From a 3 lane joke of a bridge to a two car Canada+Line joke of a train. It met the symbolic requirement to be shorter than the LRT in Edmonton, the C Train in Calgary and the trains in Seattle and Portland. 

The+Post+building+complex could have been Vancouver's first 50 story office tower, it's not even 25 floors. It would be impressive if it were in Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops or Prince George. That's the unfortunate thing about Vancouver, so much is done to only be impressive to small cities or towns.  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+small+Westin+Bayshore+Hotel+in+Vancouver

Things have been kept so small in Vancouver throughout its history, that any big city stuff might seem overwhelming. There has been an unofficial KEEP THEM OUT mentality, but since the city cant have checkpoints, building things small symbolically demonstrates the perpetual reluctance to not allow a big city in backwater BC. 

Since Vancouver can't control Burnaby and can't stop Surrey from eventually becoming the biggest city in BC, they are able to build things on a larger scale than Vancouver.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=YVR-Canada+Line

London Drugs closing its Woodward’s location, citing safety and operational issues

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11602959/london-drugs-closing-woodwards-location-safety-issues/ 

While Kelowna is gradually fitting into its role as the 3rd largest urban area in BC, Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria need to function more like properly growing metropolitan areas.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11602086/victoria-store-owner-frustrated-911-services-hung-up-on/ 

Giving up and letting crime take over is foolish. An effective effort needs to go towards dealing with the various urban social issues. 

Tron: Ares in little backwards Vancouver

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/tron-ares-review-9.6933888 

Unfortunatly, using special effects is the only way to make Vancouver, BC look like its a proper big city. 

No bridge within the small city limits of Vancouver has been allowed to be as big or wide as the biggest in Perth, Seattle, Portland, Edmonton & Glasgow...

The Skytrain stations are shorter than train stations in Perth, Seattle, Calgary and Edmonton...

No office tower in Vancouver has been permitted to have a 40th floor. Of course, Perth, Seattle, Portland and Calgary have office towers over 40 stories.  

https://hollywoodnorthbuzz.com/2025/10/tron-ares-vancouver-as-real-life-grid.html 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-landmarks-tron-ares-trailer

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/events-and-entertainment/new-tron-ares-movie-trailer-features-vancouver-sci-fi-setting-10488343 Vancouver is so smallscale, but awesome? Perhaps when compared to Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, it is.

501-595 West Georgia Street in Vancouver

https://henriquezpartners.com/projects/501-595-w-georgia_388-abbott

For several decades, Vancouver was only allowed to have tall buildings that were impressive by Victoria-Kelowna-Kamloops-Prince+George standards.

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1&status=15 V

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1&status=15 BC

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?countryID=1&status=15 Can

UBC tower in Kelowna, BC

 https://ok.ubc.ca/about/ubco-downtown , https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=147739

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=48&status=15

https://ok.ubc.ca/about/ubco-downtown/why-ubco-downtown/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ubc-properties-trust-hadgraft-wilson-place-building-safety-risks-ubc-okanagan-downtown-campus-lawsuit-response-1.7467319

https://www.kelownacapnews.com/local-news/new-ubco-campus-construction-causes-damage-evacuation-of-kelowna-building-7117183

https://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/article_2957e4e0-d7f1-11ee-84d4-fb12b9ae9269.html

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-okanagan-downtown-kelowna-campus-tower-550-doyle-avenue-revised-design

There should be a UBC tower in or around Vancouver that's at least 65 stories.

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1&status=15

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

YVR receives unique accolade among the world's best airports

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/yvr-worlds-best-airports-accessibility

Unfortunately, the single-track YVR-Airport_station has one of the shortest & narrowest stations of any major airport on the planet. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Vancouver_Airport_Skytrain_Station_2008-04-22.JPG All of the C-Line stations should have been designed to ultimately accommodate 10 car trains, at least 8 car trains. This picture shows what a 4 car train could be like. Unfortunately, its only two, 2 car trains. Ridiculously short 50m stations can only accommodate a 2.5 car train, not 5, let alone 8-10 cars. Combine this with mostly very narrow bridges in the Greater Vancouver Region and you see congestion or bottleneck planning at its best in backwards BC.

In true lack of a big vision for BC, the YVR-Airport_station_Platform is so narrow & short that only 1 train at a time can stop on the very short single track station. While such small-scale train infrastructure would be impressive for Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George & Kamloops, it's hardly impressive to Seattle, WA and Perth, WA. 

https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/transportation/public-transportation

https://thecanadaline.com/station-guides/yvr-airport/

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/station/yvr-airport/schedule 

Being from backwards BC, it's amazing to see how several major airports will have at least a double track airport train station. The Portland_Airport_MAX_station is another one of them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Airport_station , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAX_Red_Line

Ideally, this Vancouver-Richmond airport+train should have been more than a 2 car joke. If there wasn't a big enough budget for running 5 car trains on longer stations, there still should have been enough level clearance in the design for proper big city scale expansion. So instead of having 5 car trains, the absurd stations were only designed to accommodate 2.5 car trains. This is one of the best examples of the think small, because its backwards BC.

For a long time, provincial Vancouver only had one runway long enough for the biggest planes. That was also the main problem with the Old+Kai+Tak+Airport+in+HK, until a proper big city airport was eventually built. At least YVR still has some runway expansion potential, unlike the San+Diego+International+Airport. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=YVR-Canada-Line

Mountains cover 75 per cent of British Columbia

 https://www.welcomebc.ca/choose-b-c/explore-british-columbia/geography-of-b-c

Yet, somehow if Vancouver was allowed to have real big city tall buildings, the mountains of BC would be blocked out.

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

The stumpy building limits are part of the agenda to keep BC small.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/geography-of-british-columbia

The Greater Vancouver region & lower mainland is the only part of backwater BC that has a few million people. 

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-highest-mountains-in-british-columbia.html

Greater Victoria & Nanaimo are far from having a million people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_British_Columbia#Mountains_and_mountain_ranges

Even Kelowna, Penticton & Vernon are nowhere near half a million residents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_British_Columbia#Western_System

https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Columbia

Switzerland can fit into BC almost 24 times, yet BC doesnt have the population of one CH.

After 10 years, East Broadway Safeway redevelopment proposal finally faces Vancouver City Council decision

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1780-east-broadway-commercial-vancouver-safeway-proposal-public-hearing

The KEEP IT SMALL, BECAUSE ITS VANCOUVER mentality has held this back for a decade. Despite being a major regional SkyTrain intersection, various people are determined to have stunted buildings that might be impressive by Kelowna or Victoria standards. Ideally, the most vocal people would like the scale to not even rival that of what's in Kamloops & Prince George. These very expressive people are too afraid to allow Brentwood or even Oakridge size towers.  

Some gas, hydro or electric company office towers

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Company_Tower It has 52-stories, at 749 ft (228.3 m).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Gas_%26_Electric_Building It has 34 stories, at 150 m (490 ft).

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

I wish that the old BC_Electric_Building had at least 44 stories, but it only has 22 floors.

Even today, it would be a big building if it were in Victoria-Prince+George-or-Kamloops.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Electra_Building.jpg 

https://changingvancouver.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/homer-street-500-block-east-side/

https://ounodesign.com/2010/12/03/bc-hydro-building-now-and-then/

BC_Hydro never got very tall buildings constructed. 

https://karen-magill.blogspot.com/search?q=The+BC+Hydro+building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC_Hydro#History

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-hydro-rates-increase-2025

https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/province-launches-bc-hydro-review-8253022

Vancouver is stuck in a multigenerational trap of overlapping restrictions, which prevent it from reaching the scale of what Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto permit. As long as Vancouver can do things that are impressive by Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-and-Kamloops standards, that's good enough, apparently.

Kelowna, BC, Canada

Kelowna and the Okanagan+Valley+Region not only should continue to be the 3rd largest urban area in BC, but really start to rise above its backwater scale.

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

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=K-V-PG-K

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-Kamloops