Wednesday, July 17, 2013

HouseGate: The logical mind asks - Is freedom of the press under attack from the Vancouver Mayor's Office?


Last Friday Frances Bula said:
Okay, this is Friday fluff, but whatever. I feel I must contribute to the ongoing deep investigations into Mayor Gregor Robertson’s change of abode... No one seems to see Robertson’s move, from a single-family house near Emily Carr elementary in central Vancouver to a smaller place in Kits near the beach, as symbolic of the prototypical Vancouver downsizing. Instead, it seems to have turned into massive theory-building about how it has something to do with the Point Grey bike lane. Or his federal-election ambitions. Or something.
This seemingly vacuous controversy spawned from our original post which simply made note of the fact that the Mayor's home was on the market.

It's important to note that in that post we only mused on whether our not his worship was cashing out of our City's massive housing bubble.

So how did this morph into a political controversy?

It was the Mayor's office who transformed this story into something to do with the Point Grey bike lane.  They responded the next morning with this press statement that directly tied the issue of the Mayor moving to the Point Grey bike lane:


Our post was made on Tuesday night.  The next morning, with lightening speed, the Mayor's office issues a press release confirming that the house was for sale and that the Mayor had already purchased a new house.

The Mayor's office then specifically linked the new purchase to the Point Grey/Cornwall bike corridor. So serious was this tie-in that the press statement came complete with a legal opinion from the City Solicitor and an admission that this announcement had been weeks in the making.

Then came the next domino.  The press release stated:
They recently purchased a new home in Kitsilano within a block of York Street. For security reasons we don’t disclose the specific location.
Security reasons? Naturally a media frenzy erupted trying to root out these reasons. Within hours Business in Vancouver newspaper was out with breaking news via this tweet:


BIV released a story which profiled the exact location of the Mayor's new house.

It was news because the location revealed that the Bike lane controversy was even greater than originally reported.  He wasn't moving "somewhere in Kits a block away from York Street." The Mayor was moving right next to the most contentious area of the Point Grey/Cornwall route - Point Grey Road - and it appears this info was known in advance of the public opeen house.

This was huge news.

News which the Mayor's office not only created, but compounded by waiting to reveal it.

Why had they waited to acknowledge what they themselves had deemed would be a potential conflict of interest weeks earlier?

Was this news held back so it wouldn't come out during the public information open houses meetings on the Point Grey/Cornwall Bike route proposal?

Was the news only acknowledged in response to our blog post because the Mayor's office hoped they would never have to actually acknowledge the moveuntil long after the fact?

The exact location of the Mayor's new residence has been transformed into an important component of the conflict-of-interest debate specifically because the Mayor's office was not forthcoming with the  news until they were forced to reveal it.

As such, the newsworthiness of the precise location of his new residence was deemed important enough by the media to outweigh any individual privacy concerns.

Thus BIV ran their story.

But then a curious thing happened to that BIV piece (hilighing a phenomenona that could never happen in the era of print of journalism).  

Did anyone notice?

On July 11th the online version of BIV's story was suddenly and quietly redacted.  All reference to the specific location of the Mayor's new residence eliminated.  Even reference to the general location was removed. 

Why redact the general location at the nexus of York/Stephens/Point Grey Road?  That's the heart of the whole story!

Was BIV pressured into censoring these details? Or did they remove that info of their own accord?

Curiously, despite the apparent censorship by BIV, the author of the article - Bob Mackin - published all pertinent details on his own blog: (see this screen shot taken on July 11th - we've blacked out the specific address)


This seems to indicate the censorship did not occur internally at BIV, at least due to any legal concerns.

If there had been legal concerns, presumably Mackin would have been advised of them and he wouldn't have posted those details on his own blog just as his own paper was censoring them.  

But then there's another twist, Mackin's article was updated July 15th and the specific details of the Mayor's residence removed:



So what gives? Several serious questions are raised here.  

The reasonable man/woman logically wonders what triggered BIV into censoring their original story.  It's also logical to wonder if the Mayor's office played any role.  

Before the move to Kits was even even announced by the Mayor's office (MO), the MO were citing 'security concerns.'  What security concerns?  There couldn't have been any documented issues prior to the press release because the news hadn't even been announced yet.

Was our Mayor was already receiving threats at his old residence at 912 West 23rd Avenue?

As we noted in our original post, the Mayor's home address is a matter of public record, available in online documents available from city hall. If there have been prior threats, why haven't we been told?  There is no place in our society for threats against our elected officials.  Whatever your position regarding our civic political debates, the idea that our Mayor may be at risk is totally unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. If there have been prior documented threats, was Chief of Police Chu notified? And what has he done to address them?

But there doesn't appear to be any record of prior threats, just concerns about what 'might be'.

And why wasn't just the specific address removed?  Why were all references to the general area of York/Stephens/Point Grey Road also pulled?

Various sources have suggested it might be extremely enlightening for the media to ask two specific questions:
  • Why did BIV pull their story, and 
  • Did the Mayor's office pressure a Vancouver news outlet to censor their reporting?
Anyone care to enquire with these two entities directly for the answers?

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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Sunday Post #2: Heml.is... the app designed to be 'NSA-proof'




In just 36 hours, users contributed $100,000 to fund an app designed to get around state spy agencies like the US National Security Agency (NSA). Swedish tech entrepreneurs, including Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde, successfully crowdfunded the planned iOS and Android app named Heml.is, Swedish for "secret".

The creators claim, "We're building a message app where no one can listen in, not even us". The project seeks to provide an alternative to services offered by major tech companies, which they say "have been forced to open up their systems and hound out information about their users".

According to the website, the app will be free to download, but users will have to pay to unlock certain features. A release date has not yet been set.

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If I had a $1,000,000 (Vancouver Style)



Taking a break from HouseGate, we thought we'd scan the horizon and see what a $1,000,000 buys you in Vancouver this week.

$1,000,000 used to the the benchmark that proudly said you had it made. So how glamorous is a million dollar home in our over-inflated housing bubble?

Let's take a look at some of the houses you can buy this week in Vancouver for just over a $1,000,000.

First up, 8007 French Street - $1,050,000:



5484 French Street - $1,088,000:




311 East 40th Avenue - $1,088,000




842 West 68th Avenue - $1,038,000



Dream mansions, all of them. And just think... nothing even left over to buy you a K-Car.

You gotta love Vancouver.

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Saturday, July 13, 2013

RECBC permanently cancels realtor's licence



In May 2012 we heard how realtor Sam Sharma's real estate licence was suspended indefinitely by the Real Estate Council of B.C. (RECBC) just days after his manager at Multiple Realty Ltd. told the council that money belonging to Sharma's clients may be missing in what appeared to be a misappropriation of funds by Sharma.

At the time, Sharma told CTV news that he was extremely remorseful and couldn't explain why he had such serious issues with money.
"I've been paying back creditors for the last two or three years, trying to please people, trying to make things right from my past, trying to put on a show of success. You're either really, really stupid to do this a second time, or I've got a very serious psychological problem with money."
By 'doing this a second time,' Sharma was referring to a 2005 incident where the RECBC cancelled his licence for five years as a result of a number of infractions, including misappropriating buyers' deposits and forging clients' signatures.

Sharma pleaded guilty in court to that 2005 offence and was ordered to pay back $45,000 in money that was supposed to be in trust.

Incredibly, after his five year suspension, Sharma was back in hot water with another misappropriation allegation.

In reviewing the 2012 offence over the past 13 months, the RECBC has finally come out and ruled that Sharma's licence is to be permanently cancelled.

In a press release issued Friday the RECBC said:
Smrat (Sam) Sharma was subject to an Order of a discipline committee that his licence be permanently cancelled. The cancellation of Mr. Sharma’s licensing under the Real Estate Services Act was effective as of June 6, 2013, although his licence was surrendered to the Real Estate Council on May 7, 2012.
Can we therefore conclude he was really, really stupid AND has a very serious psychological problem with money?

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Friday, July 12, 2013

Mayor’s house has sold for asking - Frances Bula



The latest on our Mayor's housing saga is that his Cambie area house has not only sold... but sold for the asking price, at least according to this from Frances Bula's blog:
Okay, this is Friday fluff, but whatever. I feel I must contribute to the ongoing deep investigations into Mayor Gregor Robertson’s change of abode by reporting that his Douglas Park-area house has apparently sold, for the asking price of whatever it was, $1.95 million or something...

No one seems to see Robertson’s move, from a single-family house near Emily Carr elementary in central Vancouver to a smaller place in Kits near the beach, as symbolic of the prototypical Vancouver downsizing. Instead, it seems to have turned into massive theory-building about how it has something to do with the Point Grey bike lane. Or his federal-election ambitions. Or something.
Readers of this blog know we have focused around the former of those two angles to this story.  The latter we touched upon Wednesday when we hilighted this Georgia Straight story:
What's intriguing about the move is that Robertson now lives much farther away from his workplace at Vancouver City Hall.

Normally, cyclists like to live closer to the office.

Perhaps this suggests there could be federal political implications for Robertson, who is sometimes viewed as a future candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada.

His old residence is in the proposed new riding of Vancouver-Granville, which is being carved out of parts of other ridings in the city. There is no MP for this riding yet.

His new home is likely in Vancouver Quadra, which is represented by Liberal MP Joyce Murray. That's because most of York Avenue is west of Arbutus Street, which is the boundary for the riding. East of Arbutus is within Hedy Fry's riding of Vancouver Centre.

Murray ran against Justin Trudeau in this year’s federal Liberal leadership race.

Whoever becomes the Liberal candidate in Vancouver Quadra is likely a shoo-in to get elected to Parliament.

Could Robertson be planning a challenge against Murray for the Liberal nomination after he wins a third term as mayor in 2014? Stay tuned.
In case you missed it, the Georgia Straight did follow up on this story.

 In an article titled Mayor Gregor Robertson says he can't imagine seeking a Liberal nomination in Vancouver Quadra, the Straight reported:
The Mayor of Vancouver says his decision to sell his house and move west has nothing to do with federal politics.

In a scrum with reporters at the corner of Yew Street and West 4th Avenue, Gregor Robertson said he intends on remaining mayor as long as the citizens of Vancouver keep electing him to that position.

When the Straight asked if he would categorically rule out running for Parliament in the next federal election, he replied: “I can’t imagine that happening right now. As I’ve said, I’m looking at running for a third term as mayor.”

He also said: "We have a duly elected MP in Vancouver Quadra [Joyce Murray] who serves the city well."
The picture above was taken by the Straight as part of the media scrum that lead to the Straight's follow up. Looks like the media and our Mayor were having a cordial, folksy chat.

But there was a disturbing development affecting some of the very media coverage on this story that seems to have gone unnoticed by the esteemed members of our local fourth estate.

We're still trying to track down some information about it. We may have more for you Sunday afternoon.

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Housegate: When did the Mayor buy and when did he know he would buy there?



To say that our breaking blog post about Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson listing his house for sale is a story with "legs" is a bit of an understatement.

Our story lead to media questions for the Mayor, prompting a press release (see also here).Turns out his worship has not only listed his home for sale, but he's already bought new digs, which is where our story really heats up.

Our post originally queried whether our fair Mayor was bailing on the bublicious Vancouver real estate scene... grabbing the equity that has grown since the Mayor paid $450,000 for his Cambie area home back in 2005 (it's on the market now for $1.9 mil).

But in the press release, Gregor not only addressed the reasons for selling (downsizing due to empty nest syndrome), but he also came out with a statement from the City Solicitor.

The City Solicitor?
"The mayor’s family is selling their home and downsizing now that their kids have graduated high school. They’ve bought a new home within a block of York Avenue in Kitsilano, but the location isn’t being disclosed for security reasons.

The City Solicitor [Francie Connell] has informed the Mayor that there is no legal conflict with voting on matters related to the Point Grey–Cornwall bike and pedestrian safety upgrades at this time. However, out of an abundance of caution, the Mayor informed the City Solicitor that he will be recusing himself from voting on the upcoming Point Grey–Cornwall project. The City Solicitor will review the final staff report on the project and provide any further advice to the Mayor on this matter as required."
Huh?

Speculation is that the Mayor has bought (exact address removed) on Stephens Street in Kitislano.   XXXX Stephens Street happens to sit at the western-most end of York Avenue.

Suddenly you understand the need for input from the City Solicitor because when the Mayor 'downsized' to a house just off Point Grey Road near York Ave, he opened up a huge can of worms.


This part of York Avenue just so happens to be the terminus of the latest, and highly contentious, bike lane proposal being pushed through by the City.


The new traffic-calmed bike route being proposed for York Ave is part of a Burrard Bridge to Jericho Beach 'corridor'.

The section between Stephens St and Chestnut St is a hodgepodge of no changes, one-way “counterflow” bike lanes, one-way roads, two-way roads, and two-way bike tracks. It's a critical stretch that will dramatically impact the neighbourhood... and it's garnered a lot of negative neighbourhood attention.

On May 23rd, CBC news talked about the City's public consultation for the contentious plan.
The City of Vancouver is considering a separated bike path along Cornwall Avenue and Point Grey Road in the city's Point Grey neighbourhood.

The first of three open houses to discuss the plan takes place tonight. Another open house takes place Saturday at 10 a.m. PT at Bayview Elementary School, followed by a final presentation Monday at 4 p.m. PT at the Kitsilano Public Library.
What no one told the public was that the dedicated bike path would lead to the front door of the Mayor's new house. A house which - at the time of the meetings - Robertson may have already bought (or was under negotiation to buy).

To borrow from a famous political phrase: when did the Mayor buy and when did he know he was going to buy it?

It's an important question because this story now has all the appearances of a massive conflict of interest.
  • Did Robertson scope out this new house before or after the plans for the bike route were underway? 
  • How much did the Mayor's house hunting factor into the designing of this contentious new bike route?
  • How much influence has the Mayor exerted to get this route set up to terminate at his doorstep?
At first blush you can't blame people for wondering if Robertson influenced the process to ram the the proposal through channels. The very fact he hid his real estate purchase from the public during the Open Houses process certainly creates the aura of impropriety.

How significant do you think this fact is to those who attended the public meetings to voice their displeasure with the proposal?

The public has a right to know what role all this played in the political process at City Hall. When did the Mayor buy and when did he know he would buy there?

Sounds like it's time for another press release, Gregor.

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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Vancouver Mayor responds to yesterday's post - Updated: media speculating on Mayor's new home.




See end of post for update on media speculation about Mayor's new digs.

Seems our post yesterday about Gregor Robertson, the Mayor of Vancouver, putting his home up for sale created a bit of a stir. Several newspapers have picked up on the story this afternoon including the Province and MetroNews. From the Georgia Straight newspaper:
Mayor Gregor Robertson's office has issued a statement after a local blogger revealed that his home was for sale.

In a post entitled “Guess who’s trying to cash out of the real estate market in Vancouver?”, the Whispers from the Village on the Edge of the Rainforest website provided the listing information for the mayor’s six-bedroom and four-bathroom residence at 912 West 23rd Avenue.

It’s being advertised for $1.95 million.

“So it begs the question, if even the Mayor of Vancouver is bailing on the Vancouver real estate market, has the slide begun in earnest?” the blog cheekily declared.
Responding to media inquiries, the mayor’s office released a statement saying the family has moved farther west, to Kitsilano.

“The mayor’s family is selling their home and downsizing now that their kids have graduated high school,” reads the statement. They’ve bought a new home within a block of York Avenue in Kitsilano, but the location isn’t being disclosed for “security reasons.”

Apparently the revelation of the sale has triggered a whole series of political questions. According to the press statement:
“In recent weeks the Mayor apprised senior staff, including the City Solicitor, of this property transaction and they were requested to provide advice and a legal opinion on any possible conflict that the Mayor might be in with regard to future decisions of Council related to the Point Grey/Cornwall bike corridor. The City Solicitor has informed the Mayor that there is no legal conflict with voting on matters related to the Point Grey Cornwall bike and pedestrian safety upgrades at this time.”
The Georgia Straight wonders if the move is part of a broader set of political intrigue:
What's intriguing about the move is that Robertson now lives much farther away from his workplace at Vancouver City Hall.

Normally, cyclists like to live closer to the office.

Perhaps this suggests there could be federal political implications for Robertson, who is sometimes viewed as a future candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada.

His old residence is in the proposed new riding of Vancouver-Granville, which is being carved out of parts of other ridings in the city. There is no MP for this riding yet.

His new home is likely in Vancouver Quadra, which is represented by Liberal MP Joyce Murray. That's because most of York Avenue is west of Arbutus Street, which is the boundary for the riding. East of Arbutus is within Hedy Fry's riding of Vancouver Centre.

Murray ran against Justin Trudeau in this year’s federal Liberal leadership race.

Whoever becomes the Liberal candidate in Vancouver Quadra is likely a shoo-in to get elected to Parliament.

Could Robertson be planning a challenge against Murray for the Liberal nomination after he wins a third term as mayor in 2014? Stay tuned.
Oh my.  Did we start something?

So what do you think.  Is it simple downsizing? Capitalizing on bubble profits? Or a move borne of broader political considerations?

Update

The media seems to be all abuzz with the Mayor's new home.  And with the Mayor's press release declining to release the location of his new home for 'security reasons', the frenzy has only intensified.

Let's face it... the Mayor's address is public knowledge on nomination forms, why the secrecy now? Is it because of the bike lane proposal along York in Kitsilano... just steps away from the Mayor's new digs?

This just in on twitter:


BIV is reporting that the new digs are (XXXX - address removed) on Stephens Street:


From the realtor description:
Show-stopping ocean and mountain views abound from this outstanding, beautifully designed and renovated ½ duplex tucked away on a quiet street in Kitsilano within ½ block of the beach. The home of an award winning interior designer that has graced the pages of many prestigious design publications, this property has just hit the news stands in the special interest Canadian House and Home 2008 ‘Makeover Issue". The unique multi-level flooplan offers 2 bedrooms, 2½ baths, den, office and 3 large ocean view decks. Every detail was masterfully considered in the extensive renovation. Gorgeous quality finishes include kitchen with professional grade stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, new bathrooms with limestone, porcelain and mosaic tiles, steam shower and heated floors, built-in speaker system, 42” TV with B/I surround sound, built-in storage, and gorgeous designer lighting and fixtures. Fabulous outdoor living spaces include 3 gorgeous view decks (one with gas BBQ hook-up and over-head mounted gas heater) and the privately set Italian style garden with a covered spa hot tub area. This home has ample heated storage with B/I wine storage and a single car attached garage. A stunning home and an absolute must see!

(google streets image of house removed)

We're sure the neighbours are thrilled. You can read BIV's story here.

Follow up post: July 11, 2013 - Housegate: When did the Mayor buy and when did he know he would buy there?

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Guess who's trying to cash out of the real estate market in Vancouver? - Updated



This 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom 2,922 square foot home sits at 912 W. 23rd Avenue in Vancouver. It just came on the market with an asking price of $1,950,000.  

Here is how the listing describes the house:
Wonderful Douglas Park. Converted big character family house w/5 bedrms up + lovely 1 bdm suite down situated on 2 legal lots. Built circa 1912, this beautiful mechanically updated Craftsman home retains its original charm with refinished fir floors, stained glass, casement windows, parlor pocket doors, deep baseboards & spacious principle rms. Very bright open plan with windows abound & an amazing light filled top floor master bedrm + ensuite. New electrical and plumbing(2005), new roof (2002/7), kitchen & bathrms(2005). Enjoy the lush perennial country garden from the south deck protected by established hedges & trees. Walk to schools, shops, parks and transit/Canada Line. Open Sunday/July 14, 2-4pm or call to view by appointment.
One of the interesting features is the kitchen.  The current owner once described the look as "city farmhouse."



For those who follow such things, the kitchen is familiar. Didn't we see it a couple of years back in an article over on the blog, The City Caucus?


The article was titled "Why does a corporation own Mayor Gregor's Vancouver home?" We can't speak to that particular issue, but damn that kitchen does look awfully similar, doesn't it?

Now... lest you think we base our revelation solely on the similarity in that photo alone, there's always this:


Clearly Gregor has decided to fold his R/E hand and cash in on his bubble inflated asset.

So it begs the question, if even the Mayor of Vancouver is bailing on the Vancouver real estate market, has the slide begun in earnest?

Especially since this move comes a mere six months after  it was revealed Robertson had divested himself of the company he co-founded, Happy Planet.



First Robertson sells his Vancouver based business, now he's trying to dump his overvalued - and overpriced - home (one faithful reader advises it's assessed at $1.6 mil). Is Gregor reading the city's economic tea leaves and pulling stakes before it's too late?  Sure looks like it.

Maybe it's time for his opponents to update that infamous video they released for the last election?



(hat tip: Duplicity)

For follow up post see June 10, 2013: Vancouver Mayor responds to yesterday's post - Updated: media speculating on Mayor's new home.

And, July 11, 2013 - Housegate: When did the Mayor buy and when did he know he would buy there?


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Monday, July 8, 2013

Reflections of an economic recovery?



US economic recovery for dummies? (hat tip @Not_Jim_Cramer)

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Friday, July 5, 2013

This month's real R/E headline? Benchmark price of a Whistler condo has now fallen 41.2%



So it's a few days into a new month, and the yin and yang of real estate pumping is in full swing.

The yin and yang is an ancient concept referring to complementary opposites, such as light/dark or day/night.  But it also reflects the way the industry reports and spins the monthly real estate news.

In Vancouver the industry gushes that Vancouver area home sales are up nearly 12% from last year.

Nifty headline.

But what that headline doesn't tell you is that last month’s sales were also 22.2% below the 10-year sales average for the month and that those same June sales actually plunged 17% from the abysmal sales recorded in May.

Talk about spinning the news.  The reality is June 2013 was the worst June in our market since 2008. And, as Larry Yatkowsky notes, most median price categories were down last month.

But it gets worse.

Take a close look at the stat's package from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver and you discover that the benchmark price of a single-detached house on Vancouver’s West Side is $2,070,200, a 6.1% decrease from a year ago.

Yikes!

But nothing compares to Whistler where we learn that the benchmark price of a Whistler condo has fallen 41.2% from five years ago and now sits at $222,800.

There's the real headline in all of this.

Analysts at Scotiabank are taking a close look at these stats from Vancouver and similar ones from Toronto and they aren't buying into all the headline hype either:
“Like Vancouver, last June was when the bottom fell out of the market via a 13.2% m/m seasonally unadjusted drop compared to May 2012 that made it among the weakest months of June over recent years. Thus, the sharp shift lower in year-ago base effects is now containing the year-over-year changes but still leaving behind trend weakness in the resale volumes and a much cooler market than prior to the Spring of 2012. Now with Q2 data, we are transitioning toward comparing against the much weaker volumes that began to emerge last Spring. I therefore don’t buy the hype that the correction is bottoming or reversing just because the year-ago pace of decline is ebbing.
The pumpers shriek the market is turning around and we're in the early days of a recovery. Hopefully they won't let the Yang kick them in the ass.

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Thursday, July 4, 2013

The Fourth of July




*Images courtesy of WilliamBanzai7 (see his blog here). As noted in the comments section, the morse code at the bottom of both images says "the fascists are coming".

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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Change: Mike McCardell says goodbye, joining a parade of others



The basic lesson of our relativistic universe is that things change. And change, it seems, is all around these days.

A few weeks back we learned that editorial cartoonist Bob Krieger was leaving The Vancouver Province newspaper - a victim of the deep staff cuts going on at Pacific Press. Krieger was one of the best in his field and his absence will be felt (you can still follow Bob on twitter @kriegercartoons).


This was a statement posted by Kreiger on his site (click on image to enlarge):



Next we learned the excellent reporter David Baines, of the Vancouver Sun, was going too (@dmbaines).


And tonight Mike McCardell, in a statement that caught everyone off guard, announced at the end of this evening's Global TV newscast that it was his last appearance after 32 years.

After returning from a glorious, sunny long weekend, tonight's post was going to focus on July's r/e statistics. Instead we acknowledge change and bid adieu to three of Vancouver's best story tellers... the top in each of their fields.

Thank you gentlemen.  You all will be missed.  We sincerely hope we will continue to see you in blogs and on twitter.

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Happy Dominion Day... Happy Canada Day



Dominion Day was the name of the holiday commemorating the formation of Canada as a Dominion on 1 July 1867. The holiday was renamed late at night by act of parliament without a quorum on  October 27, 1982.  Thus Dominion Day became Canada Day.


So while we call it Canada Day now... we fondly wish everyone who drops by today a Happy Dominion Day, an ode to tradition. 

Happy Birthday Canada!

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