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

On Poverty Tourism And The Unrelenting Contagion Of Self Absorption

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by Sean Orr | Rob Ford narrative progression: “The video doesn’t exist! These reporters are hacks!” — “Here is the video” — “You people are terrible!” — Shame On You For Shaming A Dead Drug Addict.

Amazing that it only took a few commenters before it was pointed out that we still speak ill of Adolf Hitler; Godwin’s Law invoked in record time!

But really, the entire Huffington Post article is worthy of the most anti-climactic high-five ever, including (but not limited to) the author’s butchered attempt at a Simpson’s reference.

And to the surprise of no one, there’s no mention of the murdered Anthony Smith. Remember him? The article does, however, feature a pretty grand Freudian slip: “The video will probably be one of the most shard videos in the world” (shard being slang for crystal meth).

Meanwhile, back at home: BC Restaurant Under Fire for Drink Named After Canada’s Worst Serial Killer. I am giving myself conniptions just picturing all the bros ordering that shooter for their buddies and having a laugh:

In an interview with Brass and Ariana Barer, who both work at the Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW) Rape Crisis Centre, they stressed that Pickton’s name appearing on the menu is a symptom of casual sexist and racist attitudes that have become normalized.

Keep in mind, though, that The Cambie still sells a shooter called The Dead Hooker.

Related: ‘You’re Not the Indian I Had in Mind’.

Reconciliation isn’t about federal apologies or one-time marches in the street. It’s about re-evaluating how you carry yourself in the world in relation to Indigenous peoples. There’s a great deal of learning (and unlearning) to do and I hope you intuit how important and transformative the journey can be.

Because it’s 2016: Adam van Koeverden calls out his sexist friend.

To be crystal clear, I don’t know three athletes more capable of defending themselves in a conversation around feminism and sport than Marnie, Chandra and Annamay. Honestly, if you asked me three days ago who I’d want on a panel to discuss women in sport (but you shouldn’t, you should ask a woman), those three would tie for the gold. So I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not sticking up for them, or defending women, they don’t need my help.

Not to highlight men standing up for women but Andy Murray just did it, too: Andy Murray slaps down TV presenter’s claim he was first with two tennis golds.

How Vancouver’s Housing Segregation Became Policy: A 2040 Look Back. One of the coolest, weirdest, most profound, prophetic pieces on Vancouver housing that you will ever read. I don’t say this often, but this should win some type of journalisty award thingy.

In this state of political disarray, provincial officials sought council from their advisors, most notably real estate magnate Bob Rennie (at that time chair of fundraising for the BC Liberals). It was Rennie who, on June 2, 2016, famously spoke the phrases that would soon become the basis for the bantustan plan. Speaking to a group of developers, he said: “We cannot solve affordability if we only look at the city where the 650,000 live [in Vancouver], but maybe we can where the 2.5 million live in Metro Vancouver.” Later in that same speech he sketched out notions that, when elaborated and implemented, became the urban planning principles that spawned the Vancouver bantustans:

It’s a truly terrifying scenario in which millennials are segregated around transit points. Speaking of which: The Unsexy Truth About Millennials: They’re Poor. As Nicholas Ellan quips, “We want socialism and we want brunch. These aren’t unreasonable demands”.

Owning Our Privilege. I live everyday with the contradiction that is my life; living in an exposed-brick Gastown loft that my parents bought me. I often joke about it, but I’m truly very privileged. So I like to parlay this privilege into some type of watered down armchair media activism.

How we got into this position is a complex mix of good luck and good decisions, but the fundamental fact is that we wouldn’t be here without the privilege into which we were both born.

Changes to Vancouver’s Chinatown welcoming for some, wrenching for others. I’m now taking bets on the name of the soft serve ice cream joint that will probably replace Tosi’s.

While it may seem inevitable that Tosi’s would shutter, The City of Vancouver could have followed San Fran’s new legacy business model rather than upzoning it and sending its taxes up to $60K a year. That’s just mean.

Peak Vancouver of the day: Lululemon pop-up draws record lineup of over 8,000 shoppers on first day. Wow. On the one hand we have people being beaten to death at nightclubs on Granville, restaurants in Surrey offering Willie Pickton shooters and Tosi’s being taxed to death, and on the other hand you have people lining up for 21 hours for ‘exclusive’ yoga wear made by a gentrifying, fat-shaming, hypocritical, Randian cultist. Sounds about right.

Let’s infill a traditional neighbourhood (and make a profit). I’m looking at you, Dunbar.

Related: Why even driving through suburbia is soul crushing.

To someone with no training in architecture, it’s often experienced as a great, non-articulated existential malaise, like depression. You know it sucks, but it’s hard to say exactly why.

Related x2: What makes McMansions bad.

Gram of the day via Trevor Risk.

Bonus: Meet the Vancouverites Who Get Naked for ‘Rent’ Money. See? Even our parties are rent-themed.

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