by Sean Orr | Still blaming fancy restaurants: Moving on up: Gentrification in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. You are only mad at Sean Heather is because he is successful.
Social mix has displaced low-income people at Woodward’s. While it might look like a massive condo boom, when you take into account the arrival of The Taylor Building, Abbott Place, Van Horne, the Koret Lofts, Railtown Studios, Bowman Lofts, The Edge, Paris Place, Espana – and so on – it’s a 20 year picture of slow and steady encroachment. I’m not trying to discount their report. I just think the truth is a bit more nuanced.
As it is here: Pidgin protesters offer new twist on Vancouver NIMBYism. The truth is, without protests Woodwards would have never been built in the first place. In other words, this is what democracy looks like.
And yet no one has yet been as eloquent as Pidgin on the subject:
When choosing this location we knew that there would be a stark contrast between what is outside and inside. Rather than this being viewed as a negative we believe it starts a conversation, one that is overdue. Our patrons come from the DTES and all over the city, some of [whom] have never taken a step in Pigeon Park. This venue is on the divide between the east and west of the city and can serve as an opportunity to bring a more integrated community, where we can better understand each other’s viewpoints and struggles
COPE’s by-law elimination suggestion would cause “chaos”, ex-cop says. I don’t get it, copper. Which one is it? Is the DTES a crazy warzone or is it a social experiment that you are heavily invested in? Is it an open-drug market or a tight-knit community? If these people have nowhere to go, where are you moving them to?
Tweet of the day on Sam Sullivan winning the BC Liberal nomination for False Creek c/o David Schreck:
Rumor probably not true that @sam_sullivan looking 4 someone named Matt Toner 2 run against @matttonerndp #bcpoli #bcndp #RIP_JimGreen
— David Schreck (@StrategicThghts) February 21, 2013
FOI the record: PavCo tries to blacklist inconvenient sleuth.
B.C. agency to handle crack-shack, party-house complaints. Really? So while you announced a fire-sale on public assets, more civil servants laid off, and spending slashed, you have an agency devoted to people who are having parties?
Yeah, but what do we really need? Canada needs a good closer.