[whispers: the steam clock is a lie]

It's literally a mural about an event that led the city to abandon the neighborhood. The irony.

I'm exhausted from the slander, corruption, & flat out lies this week. What in the actual Trump is going on Vancouver?! As a speaker so eloquently said at council yesterday: "You're not even doing right-wing politics well." #vanpoli

Vancouver council greenlights police training academy despite concerns over funding and location www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

When London Drugs Gastown closed, ABC professed alarm about the loss of this important retail anchor for workers, neighbours, and residents. "One of the most affordable stores in the DTES." Today they voted to replace it with a VPD training centre, which will be a retail location for... nobody.

The fact that Cllr Montague just stated re the ICE Out motion that "Any fear that might be out there is created by this motion." That's WILD. Not like all of the lived experience and people literally dying in the streets causes any fear. 🤯

The Justice Institute of British Columbia is issuing a warning ahead of a Vancouver city councillor’s motion to ask for more than $1 million in funding for a new police training facility. www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

The loss of LD will leave a major hole in neighbourhood & @hxbia.bsky.social. City hall seems to be too singularly focused on policing, without paying attention to economic development, especially in DTES. We need the VPD, but we also need a strong ec dev strategy vancouversun.com/news/london-...

In some good news among all the bad today: I just finished paying off all my student loans. Finally actually debt free!

I’m in my hometown one more day and going to a kids holiday recital at one of those problematic local mega church’s. Check in on me in a couple hours plz

While I agree w/ @iamkennethchan.bsky.social that the rest of the city needs to step up & accept social housing developments outside of DTES, placing the blame entirely on NPOs for 'mismanaging' supportive housing & being resistant to change entirely misses the mark. dailyhive.com/vancouver/do...

This is a completely irresponsible and terribly undemocratic decision. These committees play such an important role in our city. To stop them in the name of efficiency, FIFA, and cost savings is a royal embarrassment to our city.

Congrats to the VPD on defunding the City.

Three vehicles parked in the Carrall Street cycle path this morning - two of them VPD. 🤦‍♂️

Good on @isabellazavarise.bsky.social and experts for clarifying this claim.

In an interview this week, Ken Sim said that he had a list of all the times he said no to the Vancouver Police Department, and said a lot of their budget increases were out of the city's control. We got the list. We looked at the budget. Here is a fact check. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

As we continue to discuss police resources, I keep thinking about what happened on my street this past summer. (Police say man arrested was sitting inside car reportedly stolen.)

It's fascinating the tone that Ken Sim & ABC is sending out re proposed budget. "I'm very proud of this budget" "We're maintaining public safety & community grants!" etc. When the key message could be "These are tough times & this is a tough budget, & it will require tough decisions..." #vanpoli

Vancouver Council discussion around covering policing overages is verrrry telling this morning. Worth watching: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gree...

A small example of how DTES/HxBIA are often overlooked when it comes to simple city infrastructure: This past weekend, @CityofVancouver installed a new concrete island on E Cordova — a well-intentioned pedestrian crosswalk upgrade. But HxBIA was informed only 3 days before install

"How Are the Very Rich Feeling About New York’s Next Mayor?" A Dramatic Reading of The Recent New York Times Dispatch from the Hamptons. Presented by The Gilded Age's Morgan Spector.

excellent comments from three councillors in response to the mayor/police

I've been a critic of Task Force Barrage in DTES since it started, largely due to its lack of coordination and holistic approach to public safety, esp in an over-policed community facing severe poverty. I received an advance update last week on what's next, and here are my thoughts. 🧵 #vanpoli

Quelle suprise. Of particular note: Former VPD officer Montague refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Between this & the slow-rolling of FOI requests on "stranger attacks" during the election is highly suggestive of a culture of unaccountability at the VPD, & probably the model for ABC.

Vancouver’s Integrity Commissioner has found Mayor Ken Sim and ABC councillors broke the code of conduct on multiple occasions for coordinating amendments to controversial motions in separate private online conversations ahead of public council meetings

This this this 100%. "We do complex things all the time when we decide they matter enough to create proper governance structures. The Downtown Eastside crisis isn’t unsolvable. It’s unmanaged. There’s a difference." vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e...

This story is incredibly disturbing. Specific crime numbers actually coming down, despite an increase in media releases. Failure to comply with serious FOI requests. www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Oof this recap of Mayor Sim’s speech is so cringe

A detailed recap of the mayor’s speech today at a bitcoin conference, which his office said he was doing in his personal capacity

This is an exciting update! I’ve seen the impact on the sea floor of losing these creatures, and it’s been brutal. Hoping we can work toward restoring these sun star populations soon! www.cbc.ca/news/science...

A world class event having to cancel despite offering alternative options. All at the expense of a corrupt organization taking over our city. globalnews.ca/news/1131522...

The next few months are going to be ones to watch as we uncover more and more of what the city is on the hook for and how thats going to impact our neighbourhoods, specifically areas closest to the stadium. www.cbc.ca/radio/thecur...

Watching this play out this past week was so disappointing and a slap in the face to so many artists and organizations driving real culture change in Vancouver. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I can attest to the DTES being a living community of resilience, not a failed experiment. Give this piece a read! vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e...

Big news here in Vancouver. Sad news about Vancouver City Manager Paul Mochrie. He’s a highly capable, decent & affable guy, a people-person with integrity. I had opportunity 1st-hand to see his character. I’ve also seen 1st-hand how much damage a bad city manager can do. Pay attention, Vancouver.

This is SO COOL.

Really pleased to have helped craft this motion that passed at Council last week. Looking forward to seeing this pilot take off and be a chance to drive positive economic activity in @hxbia.bsky.social! youtu.be/mI_KBVEdaLQ

Mind boggling to me that the point of Task Force Barrage is to disperse people, yet when the community cries out that they're feeling the impacts, the VPD says there is no dispersement and throws their hands up saying mental health/addictions is out of scope. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

What’s happening to Calabash Bistro is devastating. I’ve known Cullin for years now. He's the most compassionate, caring individual who has invested SO much to the DTES. He and his team have built something beautiful—rooted in culture, music, and care for community. globalnews.ca/news/1124691...

It's unfortunate that the result to this problem is to further alienate and displace people from their homes. A better, more coordinated and holistic approach to supportive/social housing is so desperately needed. This action now raises more questions for me... globalnews.ca/news/1123812...

Hey @metrovancouverorg.bsky.social, not sure this is the best way to engage people on a project. I’ve got to squint and risk my life to read a sign with tiny font way up high on a pole facing an intersection… Let’s reconsider this?

AmeriCorps programs that DOGE had tagged for elimination must be reinstated, along with the volunteers they support, in 24 states that sued to save them

I was happy to share some of my thoughts with Jas Johal today. Give it a listen:

Pretty rich that ABC councillors voted this week in support of declaring housing as a human right, and then immediately voted down re-establishing a renters office. 🤔 #vanpoli

The lack of funding for safe drop-in spaces, high rental & operating costs have caused all of these places to close. Those were the places that people were able to use the washroom, access resources, health care, whatever it might be that they need. www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Nothing surprises me anymore, including this. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

What a huge loss for the community. Trey’s work and impact in the DTES will live on. ✊

Ugh this is such bs. Americorps is where I got my career start. Of course this administration was going to cut it, because it’s a program that teaches people human decency and care in their communities. abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics...

If this isn’t a decisive referendum on ABC performance, I don’t know what is. I very much look forward to working with Lucy and Sean over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Translink faces a $600 million deficit…