Despite voters' rebuke of Vancouver's ABC party, new towers will still grow higher and more dense
The dominant centre-right ABC Party was hammered in last month's Vancouver byelection, with its two candidates coming in a dismal sixth and seventh.
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Despite voters electing two progressive candidates April 5, the direction of council is not about to change regarding the pace and scale of mega-highrise projects in Vancouver, the most dense city in Canada.
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The two newcomers, COPE's Sean Orr and OneCity's Lucy Maloney, voted along with ABC and the rest of council on April 22 to approve the Jericho Lands official community plan, which gives the go-ahead to arguably the biggest housing development in the city's history.
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'It's going to be beautiful and add so much to the area. It's going to be such an amazing contribution,' said Maloney, speaking of the 65 residential buildings, mostly in the 25- to 60-storey range, proposed by MST Development Corp. for the half-empty former military base in Point Grey.
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A watchdog group, the Jericho Coalition, has proposed an alternative vision for the Jericho Lands: of mostly six-storey apartment blocks. But when CBC radio host Stephen Quinn asked Maloney if she would have been open to supporting a 'happy medium' of density for the Jericho Lands, she said it's too late.
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'Other areas have been bearing the burden of accepting all the population growth. I guess it could have been lower levels of density if we'd been building low-rise apartment buildings in every neighbourhood of the city for decades. But we haven't,' said Maloney, a self-described 'environmental lawyer' who works with the mining company BHP Billiton.
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Newly elected Coun. Orr, who describes himself as a Communist and dishwasher, also voted for the Jericho Lands official plan. His emphasis has been on affordability and protecting renters, including those being displaced by the 500-block Broadway highrise plan.
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Despite the historic significance of the Jericho Lands project, three members of ABC were absent for the vote: Mayor Ken Sim and councillors Brian Montague and Peter Meiszner, as well as Rebecca Bligh, who was recently dismissed from ABC.
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Erick Villagomez, who teaches at UBC's school of community and regional planning, predicts little resistance from the two new councillors, or from Bligh and the Green member of council, to the 'monotonous' direction dictated by the ABC majority, particularly in regard to high density.
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In Villagomez's analysis, the two new council members are 65 per cent aligned on the major issues with ABC, which has been pro-tower and often criticized for ignoring citizen input and reducing demands on developers to provide community benefits.
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CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Vietnam wants to be the next Asian tiger and it's overhauling its economy to make it happen
HANOI, Vietnam — Beneath red banners and a gold bust of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi's central party school, Communist Party chief To Lam declared the arrival of 'a new era of development' late last year. The speech was more than symbolic— it signaled the launch of what could be Vietnam's most ambitious economic overhaul in decades. Vietnam aims to get rich by 2045 and become Asia's next 'tiger economy' — a term used to describe the earlier ascent of countries like South Korea and Taiwan. The challenge ahead is steep: Reconciling growth with overdue reforms, an aging population, climate risks and creaking institutions. There's added pressure from President Donald Trump over Vietnam's trade surplus with the U.S., a reflection of its astounding economic trajectory. In 1990, the average Vietnamese could afford about US$1,200 worth of goods and services a year, adjusted for local prices. Today, that figure has risen by more than 13 times to US$16,385. Vietnam's transformation into a global manufacturing hub with shiny new highways, high-rise skylines and a booming middle class has lifted millions of its people from poverty, similar to China. But its low-cost, export-led boom is slowing and it faces a growing obstacle to its proposed reforms — expanding private industries, strengthening social protections and investing in technology and green energy — from climate change. 'It's all hands on deck. . . . We can't waste time anymore,' said Mimi Vu of the consultancy Raise Partners. The export boom can't carry Vietnam forever Investment has soared, driven partly by U.S.-China trade tensions, and the U.S. is now Vietnam's biggest export market. Once-quiet suburbs have been replaced with industrial parks where trucks rumble through sprawling logistics hubs that serve global brands. Vietnam ran a US$123.5 billion trade surplus with the U.S. trade in 2024, angering Trump, who threatened a 46 per cent U.S. import tax on Vietnamese goods. The two sides appear to have settled on a 20 per cent levy, and twice that for goods suspected of being transshipped, or routed through Vietnam to avoid U.S. trade restrictions. During negotiations with the Trump administration, Vietnam's focus was on its tariffs compared to those of its neighbors and competitors, said Daniel Kritenbrink, a former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam. 'As long as they're in the same zone, in the same ballpark, I think Vietnam can live with that outcome,' he said. But he added questions remain over how much Chinese content in those exports might be too much and how such goods will be taxed. Vietnam was preparing to shift its economic policies even before Trump's tariffs threatened its model of churning out low-cost exports for the world, aware of what economists call the 'middle-income trap,' when economies tend to plateau without major reforms. To move beyond that, South Korea bet on electronics, Taiwan on semiconductors, and Singapore on finance, said Richard McClellan, founder of the consultancy RMAC Advisory. But Vietnam's economy today is more diverse and complex than those countries were at the time and it can't rely on just one winning sector to drive long-term growth and stay competitive as wages rise and cheap labor is no longer its main advantage. It needs to make 'multiple big bets,' McClellan said. Vietnam's game plan Following China's lead, Vietnam is counting on high-tech sectors like computer chips, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, providing strategic tax breaks and research support in cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang. It's also investing heavily in infrastructure, including civilian nuclear plants and a US$67 billion North–South high-speed railway, that will cut travel time from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to eight hours. Vietnam also aspires to become a global financial center. The government plans two special financial centers, in bustling Ho Chi Minh City and in the seaside resort city of Danang, with simplified rules to attract foreign investors, tax breaks, support for financial tech startups, and easier ways to settle business disputes. Underpinning all of this is institutional reform. Ministries are being merged, low-level bureaucracies have been eliminated and Vietnam's 63 provinces will be consolidated into 34 to build regional centers with deeper talent pools. Private business to take the lead Vietnam is counting on private businesses to lead its new economic push — a seismic shift from the past. In May, the Communist Party passed Resolution 68. It calls private businesses the 'most important force' in the economy, pledging to break away from domination by state-owned and foreign companies. So far, large multinationals have powered Vietnam's exports, using imported materials and parts and low cost local labor. Local companies are stuck at the low-end of supply chains, struggling to access loans and markets that favored the 700-odd state-owned giants, from colonial-era beer factories with arched windows to unfashionable state-run shops that few customers bother to enter. 'The private sector remains heavily constrained,' said Nguyen Khac Giang of Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. Again emulating China, Vietnam wants 'national champions' to drive innovation and compete globally, not by picking winners, but by letting markets decide. The policy includes easier loans for companies investing in new technology, priority in government contracts for those meeting innovation goals, and help for firms looking to expand overseas. Even mega-projects like the North-South High-Speed Rail, once reserved for state-run giants, are now open to private bidding. By 2030, Vietnam hopes to elevate at least 20 private firms to a global scale. But Giang warned that there will be pushback from conservatives in the Communist Party and from those who benefit from state-owned firms. A Closing Window from climate change Even as political resistance threatens to stall reforms, climate threats require urgent action. After losing a major investor over flood risks, Bruno Jaspaert knew something had to change. His firm, DEEP C Industrial Zones, houses more than 150 factories across northern Vietnam. So it hired a consultancy to redesign flood resilience plans. Climate risk is becoming its own kind of market regulation, forcing businesses to plan better, build smarter, and adapt faster. 'If the whole world will decide it's a can go very fast,' said Jaspaert. When Typhoon Yagi hit last year, causing US$1.6 billion in damage, knocking 0.15 per cent off Vietnam's GDP and battering factories that produce nearly half the country's economic output, roads in DEEP C industrial parks stayed dry. Climate risks are no longer theoretical: If Vietnam doesn't take strong action to adapt to and reduce climate change, the country could lose 12–14.5 per cent of its GDP each year by 2050, and up to one million people could fall into extreme poverty by 2030, according to the World Bank. Meanwhile, Vietnam is growing old before it gets rich. The country's 'golden population' window — when working-age people outnumber dependents — will close by 2039 and the labor force is projected to peak just three years later. That could shrink productivity and strain social services, especially since families — and women in particular — are the default caregivers, said Teerawichitchainan Bussarawan of the Centre for Family and Population Research at the National University of Singapore. Vietnam is racing to pre-empt the fallout by expanding access to preventive healthcare so older adults remain healthier and more independent. Gradually raising the retirement age and drawing more women into the formal workforce would help offset labor gaps and promote 'healthy aging,' Bussarawan said. ___ Aniruddha Ghosal, The Associated Press
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Councillor, business leader say collaboration needed to help Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
There have been numerous proposals on how to help people living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside — long considered Canada's poorest postal code. Landon Hoyt, the executive director of the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association, said there should be a move to empower people in the neighbourhood by creating jobs and dignified housing. Coun. Sean Orr agreed that collaboration is key and said challenges have been brought on by decades of neoliberalism and austerity.
Toronto Sun
07-08-2025
- Toronto Sun
Former Superman star Dean Cain says he's joining ICE: 'This is what people voted for'
America 'built on patriots stepping up,' actor declares Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Dean Cain played Superman on 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman' for four seasons. Photo by ABC Onetime Superman star Dean Cain says that he's joining the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) agency 'ASAP.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account T he former Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman actor, who is an avid supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, told Fox News' Jesse Watters that joining ICE was 'the right thing' to do and that America is a country 'built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not.' 'I put out a recruitment video yesterday, I'm actually a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police office, I wasn't part of ICE, but once I put that out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy. So now I've spoken with some officials over at ICE, and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent, ASAP,' Cain said. 'We have a broken immigration system,' Cain added. 'Congress needs to fix it, but in the interim, President Trump ran on this. He is delivering on this. This is what people voted for. It's what I voted for, and he's going to see it through, and I'll do my part and help make sure it happens.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cain, 59, posted a video to social media urging his fellow Americans to join ICE and help rid their country of illegal immigrants. 'I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it, so I joined up,' Cain said. The actor then went into full pitchman mode touting the benefits of joining ICE, including a hefty salary. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Since President Trump took office, ICE has arrested hundreds of thousands of criminals, including terrorists, rapists, murderers, pedophiles, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, you name it. Very dangerous people, who are no longer on the street,' Cain said. 'You can defend your homeland and get great benefits, like a $50,000 signing bonus … think about that,' he continued. Other signees could get up to $60,000 to help with student loan forgiveness, Cain added, with even more money 'for those in the field operations and law enforcement roles.' 'If you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America's streets,' Cain concluded. 'I like that. I voted for that. We need your help to protect our homeland and families.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. BREAKING 🚨 American actor and icon Dean Cain has officially confirmed he will be joining ICE 🔥 'I will be sworn in as an ICE Agent ASAP' He calls on others to join him ❤️ — MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) August 7, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trump signed a $150 billion border-security package last month with Bloomberg reporting that 80,000 people have applied to join ICE since the president kickstarted his recruitment drive. Posters featuring slogans like 'Defend the Homeland' and 'America has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need YOU to get them out' have popped up on college campuses and social media. Since taking office in January, Trump has made immigration enforcement one of the focal points of his administration. According to NBC News, the number of people in detention is at an all-time high with more than 56,000 illegal migrants currently in ICE custody. In an interview with Fox & Friends, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said applicants looking to join ICE can be as young as 18 years old. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We no longer have a cap on how old you can be …. sign up for ICE and join us and be a part of it. We'll get you trained and ready to be equipped to go out on the streets and help protect families,' Noem said. Cain, who has acted in more than 200 acting credits, is a big supporter of Trump and publicly backed the Republican during the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections. 'I love President Trump. I've been friends with him forever,' Cain said in an interview with Variety last month. 'Trump is actually one of the most empathetic, wonderful, generous people you'll ever meet.' During an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored in June, Cain also hit out at James Gunn's new Superman movie, saying it was ' woke and crazy.' 'James Gunn and his decision to make Ma and Pa Kent the stupid rednecks. That's a choice,' Cain told Morgan. 'Superman has to be saved, like, repeatedly? Look, don't try and make it all woke and crazy. Keep that character as the way I like him as true justice and the American way.' In an interview with TMZ , Cain further said he had some concerns over Gunn's reboot. 'How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters (to) exist for the times?' he asked. mdaniell@ Read More Toronto Maple Leafs World Ontario Celebrity Ontario
