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

On Roman Chariots and the Last Generation of British Columbians to Ever Retire

Tea & Two Slices is a long-running local news round-up by NEEDS frontman and veteran dishwasher Sean Orr, who lives and works in Gastown, deeply aware of his privilege.

What Are the Parties Promising to Do about the Housing Crisis? It’s partly because “The Housing Crisis” is a simplification that contains within it multiple crises. Perhaps if we framed everything as an “inequality crisis”- an overarching theme that includes within it climate change, xenophobia, and affordability- we could more easily identify effective policies.

It’s time to reverse the course of neoliberalism’s agenda of commodification of housing, deregulation and austerity. Otherwise we will continue to get these vague promises that focus on home ownership which really just puts more Canadians in debt without getting the government back in the business of providing dedicated, affordable, non-market rental housing. We need a trickle up approach…

The federal government used to play a major role in building affordable housing from the 1950s to the 1980s, in partnership with the provinces, municipalities and non-profits. After a generation of neglecting affordable rental housing, it’s time to focus on building the affordable housing we need, so let’s get shovels in the ground.

Capitalism is working just fine: More than a third of Canadians have no retirement savings, half live paycheque to paycheque, poll finds. This is probably not a surprise to any Scout reader. I’m not saying you’re all poor or bad at saving. I’m saying the system is utterly broken and nothing short of wholesale revolution will change it.

Besides, most millennials believe they’ll die before they retire. I guess the question is how are they going to go?

Speaking of retirement: Coast’s aging population a central concern as Community Foundation releases ‘Vital Brief’. I was in Powell River this summer talking to a small business owner and they blamed millennials for “not wanting to work” as to why they can’t staff it and not the glorified retirement villa that is the Sunshine Coast:

The Vital Brief says the percentage of local renters spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing increased by six per cent, to 52 per cent, a number that’s now well above the provincial average of 43 per cent.

My retirement plan was to be one of these guys: Angry Crowd of Aging White Men Gather to Yell About Local Crime. This is just too spot on:

At that point, John Randall, a 57-year-old white male, stood to say “Look, there are very simple solutions to this. I have no idea what they are, and I’m sure I’ll be against them as soon as they’re introduced, but I want to see them! Action now!”

No heritage plaques on stolen native land? Thieves have lifted a dozen Vancouver heritage plaques since March. Like the satirical article that preceded this, “Somebody should do something about this and find a solution”:

More satire: Man suddenly cares about homeless, veterans after hearing about Canada’s humanitarian aid to Syria. It’s old but unfortunately relevant because of Scheer’s proposal to slash 25 per cent of Canada’s foreign aid budget.

More chill less wack: Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park being considered for renaming.

Bonus: Cork solicitor’s tweet linking space shuttle to Roman chariots goes viral.

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.