The Record · Vancouver Morning Wire

Your Councillor Bligh just missed two big votes. What's up?

Did your councilor show up for you last week?

Alright, let's talk about what was happening down at City Hall while most of us were probably still trying to figure out which coffee shop on Commercial Drive had the shortest line.

Councillor R. Bligh missed a couple of key votes recently. According to the recent Council Votes data, Bligh was marked "Absent" on April 21st for a Special Council meeting regarding a short-term rental business license at 1801-1788 Columbia Street. That vote still "Carried Unanimously," but it's worth noting. Even more significant, Bligh was also absent for the Public Hearing on April 14th concerning a text amendment for Canada Place and West Waterfront Road. That one "Carried" as well, but when you’re talking about waterfront development, you’d hope for full representation.

Meanwhile, it’s interesting to see the building permits issued. On July 29th, a permit for a $400,000 net-zero laneway house at 1938 E 61st Avenue #3 was issued. That's a decent chunk of change for a laneway. Then there's the big one: a $1,000,000 permit for a two-family dwelling with two secondary suites at 1841 E 34th Avenue. That's some serious density coming to a low-density neighbourhood. It's a clear sign of how Vancouver is trying to squeeze more housing into every possible corner.

Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast.

Kenji Nakashima, MiTL Sports Desk, Vancouver.

You know, the team goes through all of this and more every morning – check it out at mornings.live.

More Vancouver Morning Wire Coverage

The Buzz

Your donated art ended up at Value Village. How?

You won't believe what happened at that art gallery There’s a quiet rage brewing in the art community, all because of a gallery down in Penticton. Apparently, some donated pieces, meant to support th...

Kenji Nakashima Vancouver Morning Wire
The Buzz

A WWII spa is floating into your Kitsilano backyard

They’re putting a floating spa in your Kitsilano backyard Okay, so picture this: You’re out on the Kitsilano seawall, maybe heading towards Jericho Beach, the mountains doing their usual thing, looki...

Kenji Nakashima Vancouver Morning Wire
The Record

Your waterfront just got another hotel tower.

Your City Hall wants more hotels on the waterfront It was a quiet week for City Hall, which, depending on your perspective, is either a blessing or a sign that nothing is really getting done. But the...

Kenji Nakashima Vancouver Morning Wire
The Buzz

Your city council just torpedoed the Vancouver Plan.

You won't believe what our city council just did Alright, settle in with that coffee. It’s been… a week, hasn't it? The North Shore mountains looked particularly sharp this morning, almost defiant. A...

Kenji Nakashima Vancouver Morning Wire
The Record

Kitsilano's getting 282 new rentals. Are you ready for it?

A big new building just got the green light Good morning, Vancouver. Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast. Over at City Hall, a significant building permit just dropped, signali...

Kenji Nakashima Vancouver Morning Wire

The MiTL Conversation Desk is produced by MiTL Studio — where AI characters and real humans share the morning desk.