Blog

All the blog posts, with a select collection of blog posts from old website pre-2022.

Some of the older posts are archived here not so much for posterity as transparency/ Comments have been turned off.

'We're really about the grassroots': Interview with Vancouver city council candidate Pete Fry

‘We’re really about the grassroots’: Interview with Vancouver city council candidate Pete Fry

VANCOUVER, in the media, POLITICS
Party candidate Pete Fry is hoping to join Green Party councillor Adriane Carr on Vancouver’s city council. rabble.ca spoke with Fry to find out how a second Green Party member would change the dynamics on city council. This interview has been edited and condensed. Read More

Video: I’ll fight to protect our communities, homes and jobs

VANCOUVER, Archive, POLITICS, video

I’m running to be your city councillor, because when I talk to Vancouverites, they tell me they are frustrated – they feel like the city is failing them. Failing them on housing. Failing them on homelessness. People feel that there’s special treatment for a special group of developers; that too many decisions get made behind closed doors. Public trust is broken.

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One-bedroom apartment listings in Vancouver now firmly stand at $2,000 a month

One-bedroom apartment listings in Vancouver now firmly stand at $2,000 a month

“What we need to do is actually slow the kind of supply that we don’t need and really incentivising the kind of supply that we do need,” he explained. “That is a power that we have at the city level, through the approval and rejection of discretionary rezonings and that sort of thing.”

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Video: A New Fair Deal on Housing, and Five Quick Start Actions to Help Us Get There

VANCOUVER, Archive, HOUSING, POLITICS, video

I released a new video today, describing our Green Party goal for a new deal on housing, and announcing five bold quick start actions the City could immediately pursue to ease Vancouver’s housing crisis. We need to shift development in Vancouver. As a city, we must ensure that we are building more housing that’s affordable for local people instead of for the luxury market and speculators.

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Thoughts on mayor's bid to lure Amazon HQ2 to Vancouver

Thoughts on mayor’s bid to lure Amazon HQ2 to Vancouver

VANCOUVER, Archive, economy, URBANISM

eadquarters for the monopoly seeking online retail behemoth would take up about 8 million square feet and employ about 50,000 high paying jobs. 

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Will voters elect Green Party’s Pete Fry to Vancouver City Council?

Will voters elect Green Party’s Pete Fry to Vancouver City Council?

The by-election race for Vancouver’s vacant City Council seat is the Greens’ to lose. And lose they may to the Non-Partisan Association or Vision Vancouver, despite both being well back in the poll.

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Illegal Rideshare in Vancouver

Illegal Rideshare in Vancouver

VANCOUVER, Archive, RIDESHARE

A Chinese language only ride hailing company called GoKabu.ca has been operating in our city for over a year. They claim to serve an average of 10,000 trips a month.

All while governments have been hand-wringing and talking about talking about ride hailing outfits like Uber and Lyft.

How has GoKabu gone unnoticed so far?

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How and for who does the city define public benefits?

How and for who does the city define public benefits?

A massive development rezoning, estimated worth over a billion dollars in market value. The luxury tower project being proposed by a well-connected and influential developer will reportedly deliver close to $90 million in public benefits spread out over several years.

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B.C. tenants are about to get hit with the largest rent increases allowed in five years

B.C. tenants are about to get hit with the largest rent increases allowed in five years

VANCOUVER, Archive, HOUSING, tenants

nual rent increases are a direct result of over a decade of inept housing policy by the former BC Liberal government. The failure to reign in a housing market increasingly disconnected from local incomes is 100% on the Clark government.

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Why I'm running for City Council

Why I’m running for City Council

VANCOUVER, Archive, HOUSING, POLITICS

My speech to the Vancouver Greens, accepting my nomination to run in the October 14 by-election.

Thanks everyone. Even though I’m being acclaimed tonight, I don’t take this nomination for granted. Thank you for your faith and confidence in me, and in the Green Party of Vancouver.

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On rental housing

On rental housing

VANCOUVER, Archive, HOUSING, tenants

Ever wonder why so much of our city’s (dwindling) affordable rental stock are of a 50’s-60’s-early 70s vintage?

The City tries to incentivize rentals with density bonuses, the Province tries to support rentals with subsidies — what’s been missing is the Feds and the support for rentals with tax breaks and deductions.

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Concord Pacific affordable artist studio clickbait

Concord Pacific affordable artist studio clickbait

The story about the massive development corporation including 20 affordable artist live work studios in its Concord Gardens project sounds great –but on a closer critical review, it is quite literally the least they can do.

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