Donald Trump and the danger of Vancouver’s toxic real estate debate

Perhaps one silver lining of this summer’s grand opening of the Trump Vancouver luxury tower will be to refocus the housing affordability discussion that’s currently generating a lot more heat than light. The bloviating con man and presumptive Republican presidential nominee has partnered to build Trump Vancouver with Holborn Group, a development firm and a…

Steam rolling prints

What we are seeing is collaborative public art in action to produce a 4’ by 8’ woodcut print using a genuine steamroller, ordinarily employed in paving streets, as a press. This event, BIG PRINT PROJECT, took place on Granville Island over the Canada Day weekend, July 1, 2, 3, 2016. It is one of 11…

The identity complex

In the heart of Chittagong we walked into a market packed with hawkers selling miscellaneous merchandise. The awnings were sprinkled with dirt and grime, and the air smelled of dead fish. My family and I walked towards the end of the market where coats and jackets were piled up high in a large wooden box.…

Paddling to the future

In this incredibly beautiful setting on Cowichan Bay, B.C. on Vancouver Island, we see three canoes paddling in the bay on June 15. They are filled with 2016 Aboriginal graduates from several Cowichan Valley schools. They are on their way to the shore on Cowichan Tribes Recreational Property beside the OceanFront Suites Hotel where their…

An invitation to share

What will you do in Vancouver? That’s the question I had to answer in the months preceding my departure from France. I initially chose to settle in Vancouver for the following reasons: the language spoken and the fact the city is a compact urban centre surrounded by nature and with solid environmental credentials. Vancouver has…

After Orlando, we must redouble our efforts against homophobia

This was going to be another column about Vancouver’s affordability crisis, but that will have to wait. Early Sunday morning, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history took place in Orlando, Florida, leaving over 50 dead and many more injured. The location of this massacre was Pulse, a popular gay nightclub. The target was the…

A Perfect Storm

Five years ago on June 15, 2011, this massive crowd on Georgia St. near Hamilton St. was the main proponent in what would become a perfect storm creating the devastating riot after the Stanley Cup final game. The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins were tied 3 to 3 going into the final game being played…

Forging identities outside cultural norms

Recently, I was asked by a stranger where I was from. After stating what I thought was an obvious answer of “born here, in Vancouver,” I was met with a response I didn’t expect. “Really? Your accent, no, your style seems different! Like you’re from the south, or maybe European…were your parents from here?” Now,…

Sweet Leilani

This is a strange name for the 86-metre-long boring machine we see depicted on this cake. Ten years ago on June 10, 2006, this cake was part of the celebration to christen this machine that would bore 2 tunnels beginning on the south side of False Creek (Olympic Village Station), continuing under False Creek to…

On how Vancouver, city of flavours, managed to win my heart

I arrived here dragging my feet, despite having had this expatriation project in mind for many long months before my arrival in Vancouver. I’m attached to my hometown, my culture and my gastronomic delights. On the eve of my departure, I indulged myself in a feast of cheeses and foie gras with fine wines to…

Christy Clark is counting on you not paying attention

In just over one year, B.C. voters will go to the polls again. Under the province’s fixed election date rules, E-Day is tentatively scheduled for May 9, 2017. Despite a growing tally of scandals and the fact her promises of an LNG “bonanza” – a centrepiece of her 2013 election campaign – turned out to…