Alberta's crude oil production hit an all-time high in July 2025, reaching 4.32 million barrels per day, but the province still has one of the highest unemployment rates in Canada at 8.4%. Pumping more oil with less workers helps the corporation shareholders but doesn’t help working Albertans.

The last seconds are absolutely shocking

“The B.C. Conservatives are again dealing with controversial comments perpetuating residential school denialism, this time from a high-profile staffer who had a key role in shaping the party.” #BCPoli thetyee.ca/News/2025/09...

This does not speak well of the moral character of our new City Manager, Donny van Dyk: “What happened to Ms. Wilson is tragic: she lost her home, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in equity — all over a tax debt of approximately $10,000,” #VanPoli www.theorca.ca/residentpod/...

Let’s talk “efficiencies”: Mayor Ken Sim campaigned on cutting Kennedy Stewart’s Mayor’s Office budget of $1,137,110. Sim’s 2024 budget was $1,200,000, and this doesn’t include his ~$450,000 VPD Ford Escalade + security detail. #VanPoli vancouversun.com/opinion/colu...

The City of Vancouver has closed down its Equity Office, according to an internal email viewed by CTV News. The email was sent to staff by newly sworn-in City Manager Donny van Dyk, and states the office closed Sept. 26. #VanPoli #Vancouver www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

It appears ABC Mayor and Council are entering the “cops versus community centres” stage of implementing their vision for the future of our community. Maybe this explains why Mayor Ken Sim is so hell bent on abolishing the Park Board. #VanPoli #VanParkBoard vancouversun.com/news/big-cut...

What point is there in talking about “efficiencies” when the VPD budget is out of control, is exempt from review by the City Auditor and is beyond direction by City Council? The elephant in the room. #VanPoli #VanBudget vancouversun.com/news/big-cut...

ABC’s zero sum game approach to budgeting and its early decision to significantly increase the VPD budget has landed Vancouver in the situation where ABC is unable to provide for our non-policing needs like replacing aging infrastructure. #VanPoli

Apparently, ABC thinks its a good idea to assume the risk of scalping tickets to help cover Vancouver’s FIFA costs instead of negotiating a % of ticket sales with FIFA. #VanPoli #FIFA26 bobmackin.substack.com/p/vancouver-...

I guess we don’t have to worry about the reservation system at Vancouver swimming pools any more: looks like Ken Sim will be filling them in and replacing them with Bitcoin farms. #VanPoli #Vancouver vancouversun.com/news/big-cut...

When I was 25 I walked up and down Sauchiehall Hall Street looking for any job I could find. Fast-forward to today and I’m signing my bestseller book, Lessons From Cats For Surviving Fascism, at Waterstones Sauchiehall St. It’s a crazy life, so keep going. www.waterstones.com/book/lessons...

Apparently, ABC thinks its a good idea to assume the risk of scalping tickets to help cover Vancouver’s FIFA costs instead of negotiating a % of ticket sales with FIFA. #VanPoli #FIFA26 bobmackin.substack.com/p/vancouver-...

As the Putinization of America accelerates, “Trump’s opponents must build up forces to withstand the administration on every level, from grassroots protests to lawsuits in the courts,” Garry Kasparov writes:

“President Trump’s cuts to humanitarian assistance abroad have hurt all kinds of people. But from what I see on the ground, those suffering the most are women and girls — and that will leave all of us, including men and boys, worse off.” #Gender #Inequality www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/o...

We can't afford 12 cents a day to keep HIV-positive children alive. We can't afford $2 mosquito nets to keep kids from dying of malaria. But we can afford $20 billion to bail out Trump's buddy in Argentina, and millions more to bring generals for a Hegseth pep talk. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/o...

Tylenol

Microsoft will no longer allow Israel to use its cloud services to enable its mass surveillance of occupied Palestinians – "the first known case of a US technology company withdrawing services provided to the Israeli military since the beginning of its war on Gaza"

“Tenant advocates in Toronto say they're seeing more cases of landlords filing eviction notices against tenants for not paying their rent, even when the rent has been paid in full.” www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

For the past few months, Pete Fry has been very lukewarm about running for Mayor of Vancouver. But at the UBCM conference, he’s seemed much more open to the idea, and supporters in other municipalities are talking him up to me. Here’s my story on the speculation, and what comes next.

Jimmy Kimmel’s refusal to capitulate to Donald Trump stands out because so many other well-situated people have surrendered, withdrawn, or become Trump sycophants themselves, Adam Serwer argues.

I thought it was all about merit now?

Looks like investors are losing faith in the US dollar. #Trumponomics www.vanityfair.com/news/story/i...

Sounds like an incredible romance for the ages. bsky.app/profile/acyn...

Homelessness in Vancouver has increased 12% under ABC. On day one, the Vancouver Liberals will reverse ABC’s cruel ban on supportive housing for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and people with low-barrier needs. In my Vancouver, we don’t ban any kind of housing!

Summary Poll shows 41% approval for Trump, down from 42% earlier 54% believe economy is on wrong track, up from previous months Trump's immigration policies receive highest approval at 42% #TrumpPoll www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

It is so classically Trump to whine in a televised speech before the entire world about something he himself screwed up that it must be another day in America ending in "Why?"

Climate change means this issue will only become more pressing in the future. A single week in the summer of 2021 underscored the high stakes — the Coroners Service identified 619 heat-related deaths during a heat dome. #VanPoli vancouversun.com/opinion/colu...

From the Gambier Island Community Art Exhibit:

Why am I not surprised that Angelo Isidorou, the Executive Director of the BC Conservative Party, was revealed in a court ordered disclosure to be the creator of a the Langley Township Watch Group at the heart of this defamation lawsuit? #VanPoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

“I hope they grow a set” MLA Elenore Sturko, pushing for the Conservatives to ditch John Rustad as their leader, an hour after she was booted from caucus. BC Politics! Never! A! Dull! Moment!

Bligh has a decent amount of support from the province and feds (more than Sim or Allam at this point), which could help. But her 6 years being a supporter of Ken Sim, and getting elected under both the NPA and ABC banners, means it’ll be difficult to get support from local left-wing parties.

Vancouver councillor Rebecca Bligh makes official she will run for mayor next year under a new banner of “Vote Vancouver”. Bligh was first elected in 2018 with the NPA, left them, joined Sim’s ABC Party and was re-elected, before she was booted from ABC, mostly on divisions over social issues.

“A group led by former Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart will challenge the province's municipal voting system in court, arguing it is unconstitutional and does not lead to fair representation.” #VanPoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Vancouver’s 2026 mayoral election could kick into a new gear tomorrow: city councillor and Federation of Canadian Municipalities President Rebecca Bligh will be announcing “future plans” at a press conference at city hall at 9:30am

A Compact Solution for Japan’s Narrow Streets “The mibot, standing under 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) tall, is designed to navigate Japan’s narrow streets, which larger vehicles struggle to traverse.” “Cars are simply too big.” Cities need a lot more people moving using a lot less space. Simple as that.

Sud Cafe, located at the mini-park at Comox + Cardero in the West End Vancouver, finally opens after waiting 2 years to receive its building permits and business license. It should be easier for people to open small businesses without lengthy and expensive carrying costs. #VanPoli

The federal investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has yet to find a link between the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, and left-wing groups three sources familiar with the probe told NBC News. www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

"One conservative whose information was included in the leak agreed with some of the sentiments connected to his name during a brief phone conversation, but stated he couldn’t remember filling out the form." We remember it so he doesn't have to!

Disney has lost nearly $4 Billion in three days from combined stock price collapse and cancelled subscriptions.

Breaking news: Thirty-one journalists were killed in Israeli airstrikes on a newspaper complex in Yemen last week, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. They say it was “the deadliest strike on journalists in the Middle East.”

SERIOUSLY. WATCH THIS! Especially around 10 minutes in. FROM 2022! “When society is under threat, comedians are the ones who are sent away first. Authoritarians are the threat…It’s not the fragility of audiences, it’s the fragility of leaders. It ain’t the pronoun police, it’s the Secret Police.”

"Vancouver is the largest city in B.C. and a leader that sets the precedent for public safety planning and budget priorities across the province. "Yet the city has issued no co-ordinated response to the rise in femicide or domestic homicide." thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...

Our latest early estimate of national emissions shows Canada’s progress flatlined in 2024, putting the 2030 target out of reach. Canada is at a fork in the road: the country needs a policy reboot from all governments to get emissions back on track. www.cbc.ca/news/science...

Join Generation Squeeze, along with a growing network of Canadians who are reminding politicians that we pay for pollution because we love our kids. Use our toolkit and sign up to help leave a cleaner legacy for future generations: action.gensqueeze.ca/leave_a_clea... #climateaction #cdnpoli

Why would Canadian parents want their families to join the USA? #CanPoli #ABPoli #Iliteracy #Innumeracy The NAEP (National Assessment of Education Progress), the gold standard of measuring educational levels, has a new report card out for America's students and the kids get a "D."

The fact that Poilievre couldn’t even show a modicum of respect or dignity about Freeland leaving shows how unkind, mean-hearted, toxic and punitive this angry little man is. This isn’t PM or parliamentary material; he’s an undiplomatic, self-impressed boor with no principles.

Last night non-ABC Park Board Commissioners exercised a bit of muscle to include funding for a Stanley Park bike lane into the next capital plan; and removed car parkades and two-way traffic at Beach Ave from consideration under the Mobility Study. Good Stuff! #VanPoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Guerrilla gardening in the West End, Vancouver.