Article on condo report misleading

The Burnaby NewsLeader article's report on a report to quell fears about foreign ownership of BC property has failed to focus on a key issue related to foreign ownership .  Just a note: I tend to include non-resident Canadians (residents of other provinces and territories) in the same category as foreign ownership which is unlikely to have been considered in the report below.

When talking about unoccupied condos, the report fails to either acknowledge the existence of occupied condos owned by foreigners or has failed to separate them from occupied condos owned by non foreigners (BC residents).  The issue is not only about unoccupied condos but also about foreign-owned condos that are indeed occupied.

Questions that need to be asked include:

1. How many of the occupied condos are owned by foreigners?
2. How does the reporter know if the dwelling is occupied by the owner or by a renter? 
3. How does the report find out whether or not the occupant is a foreigner/non-resident or a Canadian resident of BC (unless the reporter works for Canada Immigration)?  The Census data is far from accurate as there is no way to scrutinize the information for accuracy.

Such reports often use unreliable statistics because the numbers themselves are incomplete, rendering the report unreliable and misleading.

What is most interesting about this issue is that no political party wants to talk about the issue of non-resident ownership of BC real estate.

No evidence of glut of unoccupied condos: report

By Jeff Nagel - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: May 09, 2013 10:00 AM 
Updated: May 09, 2013 11:13 AM

Fears that foreign buyers and other temporary residents are snapping up an abnormal share of Metro Vancouver condos aren't borne out by statistics, according to a new analysis.

Urban Futures researchers examined 2011 Census data and found just 0.8 per cent of all homes in the Metro region and 1.4 per cent of apartments are occupied by foreign or temporary residents.

Vancouver and West Vancouver were above average at just under two per cent, while other larger cities in the region had fewer foreign or temporary apartment dwellers, including Richmond at 1.3 per cent, Burnaby at 1.1 per cent and Surrey at 0.4 per cent.

There had been media reports earlier this year that up to a quarter of condos in certain parts of downtown Vancouver are either unoccupied or occupied by non-residents, prompting renewed concern that wealthy foreign investors are parking money here.

Some observers warned of the rise of ghost neighbourhoods that look dense but don't have enough active residents to create a vibrant community.

Urban Futures found 6.2 per cent of Metro apartments were unoccupied – below the national average – and said there's no basis to conclude that's excessive.

The areas with the highest levels of unoccupied apartments were UBC at 10.1 per cent, Surrey at 9.2 per cent, Pitt Meadows at 8.7 per cent, West Vancouver at 6.9 per cent and Vancouver at 6.7 per cent.

"Much ado is being made about nothing when it comes to the prevalence of foreign and/or temporary residents and unoccupied dwellings in this region," the report said.

It noted temporary residents include large numbers of students – there are 250,000 post-secondary students enrolled across the region who would represent the third largest city if they were clumped together.

Burnaby North All-Candidates Meeting Video

The Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion plan for it's Westridge Terminal was a topic of discussion at the all-candidates meeting held on April 28 and is a major election issue as the NDP and BC Liberals have been accusing each other of being deliberately vague in their positions on pipeline development and increased tanker traffic in and around the Port of Vancouver.

The following video was taken by Burnaby Pipeline Watch and shows the views of 4 of Burnaby North's candidates representing (from left to right in the video) the NDP, and Green Party, Conservative Party, and BC Liberal Party.

Worst ever MLA right here in Brentwood?

This blog is not intended to express my political beliefs as most of my topics and posts will show.  However, as the May 14, 2013 Provincial Election approaches, I must take the opportunity to comment on the election as the incumbent MLA for Burnaby North has his office within the Brentwood neighbourhood across the street from Brentwood Mall on Willingdon Ave.

BC Liberal MLA Richard Lee has held the seat for Burnaby North since 2001 and is running again for a 4th term.  The job of an MLA is to represent his/her constituents in the BC Legislature in Victoria where issues affecting the MLA's constituency are brought forward for discussion and possible action. However, if you look closely to his website or  Twitter content, it becomes apparent that Mr. Lee is keeping himself busy (between elections) only to win the next election by attending public and private events throughout the year and ensuring that he is in as many photos as possible.  This strategy is quite effective in gaining recognition in the community to advertise himself and the BC Liberals for the next election. If you query MLA Richard Lee in Google Image Search, you will see that despite being an enigma in the world of MLA work, Richard Lee has extensive coverage of himself in the world of photo opportunities.

I wouldn't have had a problem with Mr. Lee promoting himself the way he has as long as he hadn't been doing this on the tax-payers dime receiving a rich MLA salary (and eventually a fat pension) while he completely neglects his duties as an MLA.  As a taxpayer, I have a problem with having paid Richard Lee's MLA salary for the past 12 years so that he could devote himself to political self promotion instead of fulfilling his duty of representing the constituents of Burnaby North.

Let's take a look at Mr. Lee's activities during the election campaign.  Instead of speaking to everybody in the constituency, Richard Lee has solely focused on the Chinese speaking community.  Last Sunday, I answered a telephone call and was spoken to in Chinese.  When I informed the caller that they must have the wrong number, the caller asked if someone of a certain name (Chinese name) was not in fact living at my address by mentioning my previous address where I had lived.  I informed the caller that the address that he mentioned was my previous address.  The caller stated that he was going by his election callout list to contact voters.  In fact, the previous owner of my previous address was of Chinese descent and the people that moved into the house after we had moved out are also of Chinese background.  This callout also uses recorded messages in Chinese during the election campaign to galvanize the Chinese vote in Burnaby North.  I have received recorded messages during the previous 3 elections from Richard Lee's campaign in Chinese although I have never received a telephone call in English from his campaign.  The other political parties in Burnaby North have contacted me by phone or in person using English whereas Richard Lee's efforts remain in the Chinese speaking segment of Burnaby North.

Let me be clear.   I don't mind if candidates connect with various segments of the community in their target language because it is important to ensure that everybody has an opportunity to become informed about political choices. However, it is important to connect with everyone rather than just a particular group as Richard Lee is doing.  He is focusing on a single linguistic group while ignoring the rest of the community and continues to win a seat with the slimmest of margins. The ethnic voting strategy explains Mr. Lee's Twitter presence citing his constant attendance at Asian galas and events which is consistent with the overall BC Liberal election playbook.

Parroting the party line

Like a well-trained parrot, Mr. Lee has constantly squawked the BC Liberal line that they are the best at managing BC's finances while mentioning how terrible the economy was under the NDP during the 1990s. 

If we look at the NDP decade when it inherited a stumbling BC economy in 1991 and left a BC economy on the upswing in 2001, the BC debt rose from $20 billion to $33 billion in ten years under the NDP.  However, if we look at the 12 years of BC Liberal rule that the BC Liberals themselves tout as a period of unprecedented economic success thanks to their management of BC's finances, the BC debt rose from $33 billion to what is projected to be $64 billion by 2014.  $11 billion of that debt has been incurred over the past 2 years under Premier Christy Clark.  If the BC Liberals have nearly doubled our debt during the so-called good economic times, what will they do during the tough times that are expected to come our way in the near future?  It is a fact that the foundation of Richard Lee and his party's campaign has been built on dishonesty from the beginning.

Let's shift our attention from the big picture and focus it on the local picture here in Burnaby over the past 12 years during Richard Lee's tenure.  The following are 4 local issues on which Mr. Lee has been virtually non-existent (except when its a photo op) yet busy Tweeting about unrelated topics.

Burnaby General Hospital

During MLA Richard Lee's watch, Burnaby General Hospital was recently rated as one of the worst hospitals (worst 8) in Canada. BGH also has one of the highest rates of C difficile infections in Canada and has the worst hospital fatality rate in BC.  I am sure that many others have personal stories about the state of BGH (a hospital in which I was born), but I'll share one of my own.  During Richards Lee's tenure, my wife (and unborn daughter at the time) nearly died from internal bleeding due to multiple misdiagnosis's at Burnaby General when brought to Emergency as a pregnant patient with extreme lower stomach pains but was sent home after being told at the busy ward that she probably had constipation.  The poor conditions at BGH are directly related to the lack of support for health care professionals by the BC Government of which Richard Lee is a representative.  The recent politically motivated BGH committee scandal involving Richard Lee and other BC Liberal cronies is an example of what Richard Lee thinks of the patients and overworked health professionals at BGH.

Chevron Refinery Leak

The Chevron Refinery at the the north foot of Willingdon Ave was found to have been leaking oil into  Burrard Inlet for quite some time before it became public knowledge in 2010. The source of the leak has yet to be found as it continues to leak into the soil above the waterfront. This problem dates back even further with another leak that was discovered by high school students in 2001.  Despite the problem of the leak and with the air quality concerns of residents in the immediate vicinity of the refinery being in Richard Lee's constituency, the Chevron Refinery has been given a free pass from Richard Lee as no pressure has been put on Chevron to clean up and control the pollution it emits and leaks into the environment.

Policy 5.45 Burnaby School Board

Education is a provincial matter.  In 2011, the Burnaby School Board introduced Policy 5.45, a policy aimed at combating homophobia and homophobic bullying of children in schools.  The policy brought out a vocal and political opposition from conservative members of the community, many of which are are of Chinese background and a large target group of Richard Lee's election strategy.  Education being a provincial matter, it would have been nice if the MLA representing the BC Government (which happens to have a premier that once was the BC Education Minister) had made a statement in support of a policy that deals with bullying.  However both Richard Lee and his leader Christy Clark refused to make a statement on whether or not they supported the policy.   Their  copout response was that the issue is a matter for the Burnaby School Board.  Premier Christy Clark had a good reason to remain silent instead of doing the right thing because her child attends a private school that opposes such policies that recognize the plight of victims of homophobia.  Richard Lee remained silent either because he himself harbours homophobic beliefs or he is afraid of losing votes and his cushy job.  Only Richard Lee knows the real reason for his silence.  Regardless of the reasons, they do not care about the well-being of all children as they have shown with their silence and inaction  during the height of the controversy surrounding Policy 5.45 in 2011.

HST Issue

After the BC Liberals unexpectedly and underhandedly announced the implementation of the HST days after the previous provincial election and citizen opposition to the HST grew out of the BC Liberals' bungling of the issue, Richard Lee stated that he would vote to support the HST even if the majority of his Burnaby North constituents opposed it.  This sums up Richard Lee as an MLA in Burnaby North.  Richard Lee acts for his political party's interests over the desire of the majority of his electorate.  Richard Lee has never represented Burnaby's interests although he pretends to do so by strategically putting his name on projects and developments that would have occurred in Burnaby regardless of the political party in power and regardless of the person occupying the MLA seat in the Legislature.

There you have it.  The Brentwood area of Burnaby North may hold the distinction of having possibly the worst MLA in BC history based on the fact that he completely ignores the interests of the constituency as a whole in order to save his cushy job.

What was the point of this post?  

Disinterest in local issues and voter apathy results in incompetent politicians getting a free ride while they play with our lives and our children's lives.  It is our responsibility to become informed of the issues that affect us locally, nationally and globally and act on that information on election day.  Don't just take my word for what I've said here and please don't take Richard Lee's word for it.  You have 12 days to become informed on the issues.  Research MLA Richard Lee for yourself.  Talk to all the candidates and ask them questions and hold them to account if they try to avoid answering your concerns.  They owe it to you as a voter.

“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
― Abraham Lincoln

Please get out and vote this upcoming election.  Who you vote for is up to you.

A place to have dessert & time travel; Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery

With the weather changing for the better in the coming weeks and months, and the urge to indulge in  some cold treats beginning to overtake you, the Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery just might be the place to satisfy your feelings of nostalgia and taste.  For the full story with great photos, click the link below.

Vancouver Observer article below:

Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery scoops up ice cream and nostalgia

Kerry Hall

Posted: Apr 12th, 2013

Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery delivers more than just ice cream, it dishes up some cultural history too.

Sitting down in the 1940s-style shop is an immersive experience. The attention to retro detail is fine — from the counter stools and soda fountain equipment to the musical soundtrack and staff uniforms and on to the menu items and candy for sale.

Opened in mid-March in Burnaby Heights, local residents Ron and Roberta LaQuaglia spent several months refurbishing the space to achieve the vintage look and feel.

The menu lists classic ice cream sodas, floats, shakes and sundaes. Cones, single or double-header, or cups are available for a portable treat.

A little modern touch recognizes the changing times — gluten-free cones plus a vegan ice cream option can be had as well.

Local ingredients are a feature of the shop.

Abbotsford's Birchwood Dairy supplies a variety of ice cream flavours, from the staples of vanilla and chocolate to more complex mixtures like caramel pecan fudge, French cherry ripple and black raspberry cheesecake. Its product contains 16 per cent butterfat which gives it a thick and creamy texture.

For toppings, the shop uses fruits and nuts from the Fraser Valley as available. Flavours like hot fudge, pineapple, strawberry, butterscotch, and peanut butter. Last weekend, blueberry sauce was on the menu made from fresh berries.

Pie comes from a couple of local women who run a bakery supplier called the Vancouver Pie Hole. Pair it with coffee for $6.

Aside from the simpler selections, there are the special sundaes like banana splits, the peanut butter supreme, and the Canadian Mint — mint chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge, toasted almonds, topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips. Prices for these range from $7 to $9.50.

The LaQuaglias have brought back some old school treats as well, like malts and egg creams. The latter is made with syrup, milk and seltzer. It's like a fizzy chocolate milk, says Ron.

Ron is originally from the east coast of the United States. His family used to routinely visit the local ice cream shop. He and Roberta were looking for a food or sweet-related business to open in the Burnaby Heights area.

They noticed there were many gelato shops in the Lower Mainland, but not a lot of ice cream shops. While looking into potential businesses, their research revealed old-time soda fountains were making a comeback in the U.S. The theme dovetailed from there.

They spent more time researching the fittings for the shop, like the six counter stools. A 1950s Hamilton Beach mixer stirs up tall aluminum tumblers of milkshakes.

They found the soda fountain in Washington State. A lucky find, Ron said, since these sorts of items have become popular in collector's circles. Plus, it only needed a few machine parts refurbished, otherwise it's all original, he said, adding its really the centrepiece of the shop.

The confectionery part of the shop stocks sweet treats from bygones days: licorice kids, bubblegum, Tootsie Rolls, Cracker Jack caramel popcorn, Pink Candy popcorn, jawbreakers, pixy stix, sweethearts and more.

The shop is named after the former Glenburn Dairy that operated from the 1930s to the 1950s and was located at Hastings Street and Boundary Road.

Although there is limited seating, the turnover is fairly high, plus there's takeout in a pinch.

The best part is it suits all ages and it's an inexpensive stop for a date or family outing. Stay a little while and the 1940s effect starts to sink in.

Find the new Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery at 4090 Hastings St. just west of Gilmore St. in Burnaby.

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 12-8 p.m. Steet parking available, outside of rush hours.

Malls can either transform or die

The following Burnaby NewsLeader article explains how struggling malls must change to remain relevant.

Burnaby NewsLeader - Opinion
COLUMN: How shopping malls are being transformed into true city centres

By Chris Bryan - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: April 09, 2013 12:00 PM 
Updated: April 09, 2013 12:14 PM

The shopping centre is dead. Long live the shopping centre.

All across the U.S., traditional suburban malls are dying. In Texas, if you can believe it, a Walmart has been turned into an award-winning public library. I know—books? It's a topsy-turvy world.

Here in B.C. most malls are still doing OK, though many malls across Canada are struggling, at least according to DeadMalls.com.

But when things die, new life isn't far behind.

And this new life for dead malls is—and I'm talking as someone who drags his heels into a mall only when new underwear is mandatory—actually quite exciting.

Three local malls are poised to become authentic, living, breathing town centres.

Oh, today's malls are pleasant enough, but it's kind of like watching your favourite TV show in black and white—beyond the occasional decent food fair or services like a doctor or physiotherapist's office, malls are an unrelenting stream of shops cut from a single bolt of corporate cloth.

What? There's a Gap here?

It's the people that give a mall any stitch of charm. Saturday at Metrotown, it's the vibrant human tapestry we're drawn to.

But malls are changing. Soon, Burnaby's Brentwood Town Centre, Vancouver's Oakridge and not too far off another Burnaby mall, Lougheed, will be transformed.

If they get the go-ahead, these malls will become true city centres as they re-shape our idea of the shopping centre. At the core, these changes are driven by the concept called New Urbanism, which means building on a human scale, with emphasis on walkability, easy transit access, a mix of uses and reduced dependence on cars.

The buzzwords are "placemaking" and the creation of "high streets," which tap into our idea of main streets of yore, humming with people and shops, where it's easy to meander.

These new malls will still make space for cars, of course, but it'll be all hush-hush, tucked away somewhere, so the overall feel is more friendly.

Plans for Brentwood and Oakridge amount to a huge bonanza for the mall owners as a sea of wasted asphalt becomes home to residential and office towers, while retaining all the shops (and more) that are on the site today. Residents will win in this change, too.

Instead of being giant boxes of canned air, few windows and no clocks, these new malls offer a mix of everything. Places to live and work, places to shop and eat, places to just hang out—it's a recipe for creating a real beating heart that's active and engaging during all the waking hours.

Oakridge will have a new seniors centre and library, and much of the old-fashioned mally stuff will be tucked beneath 16 acres of green space on the mall's roof.

It's yet to be hammered out, but the Brentwood project will also deliver millions in cash or amenities to the city in exchange for the added density. Shape Properties has an approved master plan to stud the 28-acre site with 11 residential towers and two office buildings. The whole place will be transit and pedestrian friendly, with wide sidewalks (picture bistro tables), bike paths, park space and plenty of pedestrian-only pathways.

The ugly bus loop at corner of Willingdon and Lougheed will be gone, the SkyTrain station will merge into the project, and that corner will become a one-acre public plaza where the developer wants us to imagine cafés, restaurants, public events and a great space to just lounge and people watch.

Brentwood's owner also owns Lougheed and appears poised to do something similar there. At 38 acres, it's 10 acres larger and soon to become the junction two SkyTrain lines.

For people who live near Brentwood, Oakridge and Lougheed, it's quite possible they'll one day find themselves living near real city centres—places to gather, shop, re-create and bump into your neighbours.

Yes, malls have always been community gathering places.

But they've lacked soul.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can one day imagine myself spending more time at the mall.

• Chris Bryan is editor of the NewsLeader.

Jobs and people converge around transit hubs

While mentioning the fact that the Fraser Health Authority has relocated to the Brentwood area, the following Vancouver Sun article notes the high value placed by companies on transit hubs in Metro Vancouver.

Demand for office towers tied to transit hubs, report says

 

Employees prefer to not walk more than 500 metres to get to work

 

By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun April 5, 2013

VANCOUVER — Demand is increasing for office towers around Metro Vancouver’s transit lines, with companies willing to pay a premium of $10 per sq. ft. so employees don’t have to walk more than 500 metres to get to work, Metro Vancouver’s regional development and agriculture committee learned in a report Friday.
The Fraser Health Authority, for instance, has moved into a new tower less than two blocks from Brentwood Town Station in Burnaby, while HSBC has occupied a new building next to Renfrew Station in Vancouver.
TransLink is also planning to relocate, to the Brewery District near New Westminster’s Sapperton SkyTrain station, with Coast Capital Savings slated to move its head office to a mixed-use development at King George Station in Surrey City Centre.
“Every week we are dealing with companies, either local or international, every single one that’s going to the suburbs needs to be near transit,” said Scott MacDonald, research associate for Jones Lang LaSalle Real Estate Services Inc., which produced the staff report.
“(It has to be) a five to 10 minute walk …. farther than 500 metres, especially with Vancouver’s weather, they might see that as too far for some of their employees.”
The trend, which is happening in countries around the world, falls in line with Metro Vancouver’s regional growth strategy, which aims to identify transit-oriented neighbourhoods where people can live and work close to transit in an attempt to reduce vehicle use, protect land for other uses and create vibrant pedestrian communities.
But Metro directors acknowledge it’s often hard to get stand-alone office towers in high-density neighbourhoods because residential buildings take precedence, which has forced businesses in the past few decades to set up shop in suburban office parks.
The staff report, titled Office Development in Metro Vancouver’s Urban Centres, also suggests the region has a relatively slow-growing office market, with a large proportion — 46 per cent — of existing and new office space located in the “Metro core,” which includes downtown Vancouver and the Broadway corridor.
Burnaby and New Westminster have about 21 per cent of the region’s office space, with nine per cent in both Richmond and Surrey/White Rock The rest — less than 10 per cent — is distributed throughout the rest of the region.
“In our city it’s been an issue that has kind of plagued our council because there’s been such a downturn in commercial space and because of developers’ reluctance to build,” said Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan. “They’re under pressure to move commercial into residential. I find it very interesting that 500 metres is a crucial figure for almost everybody.”
Corrigan said his city has been lucky to see the development of Metrotower III, crediting the move to the fact that the office tower is located across from a busy SkyTrain station and bustling mall.
Meanwhile, in Coquitlam’s City Centre, there are no stand-alone office towers because there aren’t enough tenants at any one time to fill a building, despite the promise of the planned Evergreen Line rapid transit, said Mayor Richard Stewart.

MacDonald said rapid transit is highly preferred by companies, which will pay a premium to be close to it, while rapid bus is seen as a “consolation prize.”
But Corrigan said rapid bus should not be underestimated, saying Vancouver’s density is a result of its grid of electric buses that used to be the main mode of transportation in the city. The 99 B-Line bus, he added, has also shown the demand for rapid transit along the Broadway corridor, carrying more passengers than any other system in North America.
“You build ridership and you build an argument for rapid transit,” he said.
He cited the situation in Richmond when the Canada Line was built, replacing the 98 B-Line. Surrey Coun. Linda Hepner said her city could use more transit, noting the city’s high office vacancy is a result of having limited access.
Meanwhile, Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin said he would be happy with just a direct bus — rather than what he described as a “magical mystery tour” bus — to help serve the growing downtown core.
ksinoski@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Brentwood Mall a topic of history presentation

The Burnaby Historical Society will host a presentation by David Pereira (author of one of my favourite blogs to the right) on the history of Brentwood Mall.

Time: Wednesday April 10 at 7:30pm
Location: Burnaby Village Museum

The articles below are from the Burnaby NewsLeader and the Burnaby Now.

Burnaby NewsLeader - Community

Local historian speaks on Brentwood mall's past

By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: April 04, 2013 10:00 AM 
Updated: April 04, 2013 10:29 AM

Local historian David Pereira will speak on the history of Brentwood Town Centre at the next Burnaby Historical Society meeting on Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 p.m. at the carousel pavilion of Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave.

The Brentwood mall was built to serve the residents of the homes built in the 1950s  east of Willingdon between Hastings and Lougheed. Anchored by the large Eaton's department store, there was a gas station and garage and Jack Cullen broadcast his music show on CKNW from his record store.

In the 1960s you could look south from the Brentwood parking lot and the only tall structure you could see was a white ventilation tower sporting "SEARS" in blue letters. Today you can scarcely see the Sears sign because of all the high-rise  buildings built at Metrotown, something that's set to happen at Brentwood in coming years.

History of Brentwood Town Centre revealed

By Jennifer Moreau, Burnaby Now April 5, 2013

Curious about the history of Burnaby's Brentwood Town Centre?
The Burnaby Historical Society is hosting David Pereira for a talk on the bygone days of the local mall.
According to the society, Eaton's was Brentwood's early anchor tenant, and Jack Cullen would broadcast a CKNW music show from his store, where he sold records. These are just a couple of the interesting historical anecdotes tied to Brentwood Town Centre.
The event is on Wednesday, April 10, at 7: 30 p.m. at the Burnaby Village Museum.
Pereira's talk is open to the general public, and admission is free. The museum is 6501 Deer Lake Ave., and the event will be in the carousel building.
Pereira is an amateur local historian who did his master's degree in urban studies at Simon Fraser University, with a focus on town centre planning in Burnaby.
Membership for the Burnaby Historical Society is $15 a year. For more information on how to join, call the Burnaby Village Museum at 604-297-4565. For more local history from Pereira, visit his blog at davidpereira.ca.

© Copyright (c) Burnaby Now