Tag Archives: Vancouver Greenest City

Community, Environment

Vancouver mayor plans to eliminate city’s climate and sustainability department

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is planning to eliminate the city’s sustainability and climate department under the guise of a push to prevent increases to property taxes in his proposed “Zero Means Zero” 2026 budget. 

Canada’s National Observer learned about the planned cuts from sources familiar with internal conversations; the information was then corroborated by opposition city councillor Pete Fry. Opposition councillor Lucy Maloney confirmed that council had received a proposal for cuts to the city’s planning, urban design and sustainability departments but no further details. Under the alleged proposal, Vancouver would gut its entire sustainability and climate team and move staff to other departments, lay them off or see some quit outright. 

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Community, Waste

Green Goals, Hidden Harms

By Amy Romer, Megaphone Magazine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Vancouver has built its reputation on ambitious environmental goals, aiming to become one of the greenest cities in the world. Yet, the rise of the green economy has brought unforeseen challenges for street vendors who rely on the trade of second-hand goods. 

The Binners Project is a Vancouver-based social and circular-economic initiative that supports marginalized people who collect and return recyclable materials, otherwise known as “binners.” For the past two years, the project has operated a low-barrier street market, currently at 305 Main St. in the heart of the Downtown Eastside. 

Binners Project Director Sean Miles says he’s witnessed the harm of policies such as the city’s twice-daily street sweeps that blaze through East Hastings seven days a week.

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Fire

Cortes Island Fire Department: Two Opposing Risk Assessments

Two assessments of the Cortes Island Fire Department were released last week. 

Shaun Koopman, Protective Services Coordinator for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), emailed,“While both reports covered operational aspects, the SRD’s audit was more focused on the governance model. The concerns expressed in the consultant’s report specifically pertained to the liability exposure that the Regional District incurs from the current governance model.”

Cortes Island’s Interim Fire Chief, Eli McKenty, describes them differently. 

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Politics

Mark Vonesch 3: the Gregor Robertson connection

Cortes Islanders will be going to the polls on October 15th and Mark Vonesch hopes they will elect him as their next Regional Director. In the third of a series of interviews, he talks about how the example of former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson inspired him to enter politics.

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Transportation

Gas stations, commercial lots in Vancouver must have EV chargers by 2025 or pay $10K a year

Trends to watch

By Cloe Logan, National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

If a Vancouver gas station or commercial lot with 60 spots or more wants to avoid a $10,000 annual licence fee, it will need to have electric vehicle (EV) chargers available by 2025.

On Thursday, Vancouver city council approved a report first brought forward in April. Currently, gas stations and commercial parking lots pay a $243 fee for licensing. If they install EV charging infrastructure by 2025, that fee will remain; if not, the cost will jump to $10,000 each year.

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