A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

On Alberta Surfers And Kingsgate Mall Not Being Weird In The Least

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by Sean Orr | Check Craigslist: Spare rooms wanted for Syrian refugees arriving in B.C. Although the conditions that lead to homelessness and refugees are vastly different, one must still ask: would you open your door to a homeless person?

Meanwhile: China’s deserted ‘ghost cities’ appeal to new residents. I’m not saying put all the Syrian refugees in one of these ghost cities, but put all of the Syrian refugees in one of these ghost cities.

Related: Retirement home opens doors to music students in need of place to live. Hello, Cleveland!

Not the first thing that has spread across the DTES: Free Wi-Fi spreads across Downtown Eastside. Relax people, I’m talking about harm reduction! That joke is awful, especially considering the position I take with the following article…

I Spent 18 Hours in Vancouver’s Super Weird Kingsgate Mall. Wherein Vice ventures down the classist road of poverty tourism.

Facebook appeal to emotion of the day:

120 First Nations communities in Canada are on a boil water advisory. 73% of First Nation water is contaminated. Imagine if all the folks who are freaking out about a stupid coffee cup cared about something that actually mattered to the health and safety of our fellow citizens.

Tweet of the day:

Notley spelled wrong; those are shipping containers; and that’s Vancouver not Kitimat. Also, that can’t be a real signature…

Nicholas Ellan’s autopsy of the federal NDP goes viral: How We Lost The Election And Saved Our Souls.

While Niki Sharma takes on the Liberals: Justin Trudeau Sets A New Standard For White Male Privilege.

Which leads to the satire of the day: Trudeau cabinet to include several bottles of cognac.

Hem-locked in: Hemlock Resort near Agassiz gets approval for $1.5 billion expansion plan. How much of that money is going to snow-making equipment?

Sclerosis of the river: River surfers invade Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. I suppose this is something I could make fun of, but I don’t want to. Even though it does remind me of liquid mountaineering.

Oh, the places you should know: an indigenous heritage cultural mapping project.

App of the day: British man creates app that filters out all mentions of the Kardashians.

Honour Bound: Michael White: Cervical Dystonia

On Ken Sim’s So-Called “Swagger” and ABC’S Class War

Sean Orr is back from his hiatus with a rundown of the local headlines that have been running on a ticker tape through his mind over the past six months...

On Post-Election Recuperation, Platform Paradoxes and Refund Communities

In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds irony in "safety, affordability, and sustainability", and shouts out a bunch of amazing local organizations working on the frontlines.

On Running for City Council, Playing Whack-a-Mole with Homelessness, and the Public Washroom Deficit

In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a park ranger with a grudge, a gross misuse of air quotes and Tripadvisor slander.

On Living in a City Preoccupied with Street Cleaning, Chandeliers, and Campaigns Against the Homeless

In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr hones in on the recent Langley shootings, and the ongoing criminalizing and dehumanizing of the homeless population.