Contributor: Sean Orr
Sean Orr started writing letters to the editor right around when he dropped out of Geography at UBC, although the two are unrelated. Shortly after that, this thing called blogging was invented and he started writing for Toronto (boo) based Beyond Robson. Sean held that ship afloat with his Morning Brew column until Andrew Morrison came to him with Scout. It was clearly the better choice. Other than being really good at stirring things up, Sean is a photographer, frontman in the hardcore-punk band Needs, laptop producer with his project Tassels, dishwasher at L’Abattoir, and proud DTES (Gastown) resident.
Get to Know: Vision Zero Vancouver
Started in summer of 2022, the local advocacy group is calling on governments to design transportation systems that put safety first, and to bring the number of fatal car crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and other vulnerable road users from 100 per year (!) down to zero.
Get to Know: ACORN
The Association of Communities Organized for Reform Now (ACORN) is a multi-issue, membership-based community union of low and moderate-income people, with active chapters in 28 cities across Canada.
Get to Know: Overdose Prevention Society
The official mandate of the Overdose Prevention Society includes: "to be leaders in the harm reduction movement with a continual push for change and justice..."
Get to Know: Yarrow Society
Formally known as the Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice, this local non-profit society grew out of a desire to bridge the intergenerational divide by connecting youth with low-income immigrant seniors in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside.
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...
Get to Know: Women Transforming Cities
Introducing Women Transforming Cities - a grassroots community of intersectional feminists founded by former Vancouver City Councillor, Ellen Woodsworth.
One of the Most Beloved Players to Ever Wear a Canucks Uniform
“I was there when Gino scored a penalty shot goal against Calgary. The way the crowd erupted, you’d think we had just won the Stanley Cup!"
Refund Vancouver
With his new column aimed at debunking defunding, Sean Orr puts a positive focus on what some local non-profit groups are doing and, more importantly, why they need a bigger budget.
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.
On Log Jamming, Excessive Dog Barking, and the US Dumping on Canada
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr smells more than smoke after a string of East Van fires, and finds an all-too-real argument for nationalizing telecommunications, and the down-side of being a Wallflower...
On Extreme Heat Waves, the Multi-House Owner Equation, and Pride Riots
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a childhood camping dream-come-true, an affordable homesteading experience, and a missing Pot Party invitation.
On Crucibles and the Paradox of Dishwashing, with Local Author Dustin Cole
Dustin Cole is a Vancouver-based dishwasher and writer whose novel, Notice, centres around a cynical dishwasher from Alberta, and features themes of precarious housing, renoviction and more...
On Rampaging White Men, Dummy Mayoral Candidates, and Even More Problems with the Police
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a Dollarama drama and a bunch of undercover cop shit.
On the Perils of Being a Pedestrian, the Car Culture Disease, and the Rise of Billionaires
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a flaming Tesla, Vancouver's 'worst' crosswalk, and a neighbourhood parking standoff.
On The Price Tag of Displacement, Affordable Sleeping Pods, and the Construction Catch-22
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds evidence of places (not Vancouver) figuring tenants' rights into the equation, the not-so-ugly logic behind the Vancouver Special, and a Toronto woman choosing death over abject poverty.
Don’t Miss the Land Back Records Launch Party at Fortune Sound Club
Hosted by Casey Desjarlais, the lineup features an incredibly talented selection of Indigenous performers, as well as Indigenous-led pop-up shops and art installations.
On Going Full Fash, Camping Out, and the Battle for the Soul of Vancouver
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a smouldering, ashy mess, the end of the Black Dog Video legacy, and the perfect metaphor for Vancouver.
On Soaring Gas Prices, Neo-Authoritarianism, and the Return of Cruise Ship Tourism
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr ponders gas prices, war, the "for-profit affordable housing" oxymoron and underwater condos.
On Insurrectionist Trucking Convoys, Necrocapitalism and Big Trouble with Tiny Homes
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds shady business in barge souvenirs, stinginess with bandaid housing solutions, and more trouble with the VPD (no surprise).
On Pearl Clutching, Gaslighting, and Housing Supply vs. Housing Affordability
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr ponders Vancouver’s population decrease, the question of crime rates, the difference between housing 'supply' and housing affordability (and much more).
The Cozy Prairie Themed Bar Tucked Away on Cordova Street
This cozy, unpretentious Saskatchewan-themed Gastown tavern was a beer- and bourbon-lovers' living room, with a food menu that could have been featured entirely in Scout's 'Comfort Food Guide to Vancouver'.
On The Difference Between ‘Vandalism’ and Correction and The Stockpiling Of Rapid Antigen Tests
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds that Barge Chilling Park already had a name and Kirk Lapointe and Gordon Campbell are 'alpha males'.
How a Climate Change Event Created a Local 'Cause Célèbre'
"Is Barge Chilling Beach a good first date or nah?"
Vancouver Would Be Cooler If It Had a Massive Floating Housing Project at the Port
Imagine a colourful, mixed-used, housing complex like Amsterdam's Silodam floating at the foot of Victoria Drive.
On the VPD’s Mandate to ‘Serve and Infect’ and Bidding Farewell to the English Bay Barge (and the City’s Soul)
In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a glimmer of hope in self care and more unpleasantness in Mount Pleasant.
On Gas Hoarding, House Hoarding and Finding A New Frequency.
