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

On Testing Immigrants, Open Plan Sex And Fighting The Sobriety Gods

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by Sean Orr | It’s those God damned birdwatchers again isn’t it? Tony Clement Wants To Monitor All Canadian Charities For Terror Activity. Sad that these are the sorts of motions any Conservative party leadership candidate must do these days, but I still can get over the interesting logo choice in the story’s accompanying photo. Tony, you’re aware that the “o” in your name is a “power off” button, right? Do your campaign a favour and press it.

Tony’s list includes the Catholic Church, right? Canada’s residential school story to be taught in classrooms this fall. “However, it will be many students’ first look into the dark side of Canada’s history”. B-b-baby you just ain’t seen n-n-nothing yet.

Case in point: Suspicion of immigrants is a Canadian value: Cole.

Suspicion of all immigrants who are not white, or are not members of the former British Empire, is a Canadian value. Canada’s founding prime minister, John A. Macdonald, argued that Chinese immigrants to Canada were unfit to vote because they exhibited “no British instincts or British feelings or aspirations.” Macdonald didn’t need to cloak the authority of the state in the language of wanting a “conversation” about immigrants, as Leitch does today. In his time, there was no conversation to be had.

Related satire: Try Kellie Leitch’s Canadian Values Test for Immigrants.

Slumming it: William and Kate will visit Downtown Eastside during Vancouver stopover. Best comment: “they just want to see how other people live on public assistance”.

Related: Woman In £1,000,000 Hat Tells Britain To ‘Live Within Its Means’.

For all the cynicism and grumbling about the cost, however, Sheway is an amazing organization and Princess Di opened the first one. I didn’t know that. Oh, and VANDU is cool with it too, so…

Meanwhile, the CBC channels Vice and does some actual journalism for a change: What we learned phoning every drug rehab facility in British Columbia. I can personally vouch for how difficult and shitty it is out there. There are a lot of Christian rehab centres out there who resist harm reduction despite compelling science.

Not that AA isn’t beneficial, but it should never be forced on anyone: Forced AA violates human rights: Atheist. I guess now is not a good time to tell him that you can believe in a higher power and still be atheist (without theism).

Renters of Vancouver: “There’s no walls…but I have sex with my girlfriend anyway.” Well, if this isn’t the tipping point that spurs real change in our housing crisis,  we have no choice but revolution…

Trigger Warning: Incomeless students spent $57-million on Vancouver homes in past two years. They just needed some safe spaces because our universities sure aren’t.

Meanwhile, University student fights for right to ‘party’. “What occurs in September is that students in the residences, and some non-residence students, ‘party’,” Gordon wrote”. How is this not a Hard Times article?

“This is news?” of the day: Kiefer Sutherland rides hot subway in Toronto. Yeah, and it probably took him 24 hours.

“I don’t really have anything to say about this but it seems important” of the day: The Hootsuite Problem. We Should Talk About It.

Rally of the day: Make affordable housing a priority at the VAG.

The new one, not the old one: Our Missing Heritage: What were we thinking? (the original VAG).

Bonus: Daniel Terrence Robertson “God I’m Sorry” (video). This kid is the dishwasher at Bestie!!! Dishwashers are the best!

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.