Latest news with #Holborn
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
William Hague's sage advice for Ed Miliband on handling defeat
Ten years ago Ed Miliband was licking his wounds after a bitter defeat in the general election, but it turns out there is a support group for vanquished leaders of the opposition. 'I saw William Hague,' Miliband tells The Rest Is Politics, adding that the former Tory leader had a key bit of advice: 'Carry on being the person you are because you'll find people's attitude towards you transforms and they'll say, 'Where was that person before?'.' Miliband did as he was told and won new admirers, though he did find that some still needed clarification on which person he was. At Holborn Tube a few months later, a man saw him and recognised the big loser in the election. 'Oh my God,' the fellow said. 'It's Nick Clegg!' A state of affairs A baffling job advert has come up at Angela Rayner's ministry of housing, which has said that it is looking for a 'Head of public affairs'. This usually means a lobbyist, though the meat of the ad suggests that they meant to say 'external affairs'. Or maybe Rayner's decided that the best way to get Keir Starmer onside with her bold economic ideas is to exert public pressure until he U-turns. It's a tried and tested method. Coburn's close call When Politics Live returns on Monday, it will be without Jo Coburn who has hosted the show since it began in 2018. Speaking to Westminster Insider, she recalled how the job saw her break news and break up fights. On one edition, the commentator Will Self and the Tory MP Mark Francois (two names to have rarely troubled lists of dream dinner party guests) squared up on air over the issue of Brexit. 'The editor said to me 'Jo, they look like they're going to hit each other, what are you going to do?',' Coburn recalls. If the clip is rewatched, Coburn can be seen indicating the two glasses of water in front of them and then nodding towards the camera. It's not clear whether the would-be pugilists noticed this threat, but both men regained control and the programme did not become an absolute shower. Crown rinse Some actors begin preparing for a role by finding their character's shoes but, as she prepares to play the late Queen on a national tour, Anne Reid started at the other end of the body. 'I've talked to her hairdresser,' Reid tells The Bath Chronicle. 'I had to ring him and say, 'She talks about having permed hair. Did she have permed hair?' ' Apparently, Her Majesty got the full Kevin Keegan at least three times year. True to stereotype, the hairdresser also proved good for gossip, telling Reid that the Queen was once mid-investiture when a new dame's phone went off. 'Should you get that?' the monarch said. 'It might be important.' Gaffe in the gents You never know who you are going to bump into in parliament, and small talk must be approached with caution. Lord Lee of Trafford had an awkward moment recently when he found himself next to someone in the gents who was dressed brightly, with stockings, baggy trousers, bodice and a fancy hat. The wine from dinner gave him the courage to ask, 'Are you a Morris dancer?' This is a bold question when uncertain of the reply, and so it proved when this chap took it badly. 'No,' he replied. 'This is the national dress of Norway.'
Global News
08-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
New development pitched for downtown Vancouver would include B.C.'s tallest tower
A massive new development is being pitched for downtown Vancouver. The Holborn Group says the project is about an ambitious city building on currently underutilized land and would include supportive housing, a hotel and what would be B.C.'s tallest tower. The four towers, spanning three sites at 501 and 595 West Georgia and 399 Abbott St., would be designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, drawing inspiration from 'rare and ancient glass sea sponge reefs, whose ecological strength and resilience have shaped both form and structure.' The tallest tower — a stand-alone hotel — is proposed at 1,033 feet (315 metres) and would reference the skeletal lattice of sea sponges, according to the proposal. Three of the four towers would range from 783 to 1,033 feet (239 to 315 metres) on West Georgia Street, and a fourth tower at 402 feet (122 metres) on Abbott Street. Story continues below advertisement The fourth tower, which Holborn said would be gifted to the City of Vancouver, will contain 378 social housing units, including three artist-in-residence studios, a child-care centre and a public Indigenous Art Gallery. View image in full screen View of the proposed plaza at Seymour and West Georgia Streets. The Holborn Group 2:44 Vancouver council votes unanimously in favour of Jericho Lands megaproject In total, the development will create 1,939 new homes, a 920-room hotel, 70,130 square feet of conference space, Indigenous-led reconciliation through art and introduce significant public amenities across both sites. Story continues below advertisement At the top of the hotel tower, the project aims to include a publicly accessible observation deck designed by PFS Studio envisioned as a 'forest in the sky.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In addition, the proposed 17,000-square-foot public plaza would connect West Georgia Street with retail and restaurant pavilions, programmed cultural space and Indigenous art. Musqueam artist Susan Point has been invited to transform the public plaza, interfacing the Randall Building into a site of storytelling through contemporary Indigenous expression. At Abbott, there would be a 5,150-square-foot Indigenous art gallery and community space, along with three artist-in-residence suites for the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh (MST), guided by consultant Gordon Grant. 'The project will showcase a genuine and informative act of Truth and Reconciliation,' said Grant. 'It will provide a platform for Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh artists to display a small piece of rich and powerful cultures that all of the Nations can be proud of.' Holborn has been trying to develop the area for eight years but the proposals have been rejected by city hall. This proposal was submitted to the City of Vancouver on May 2.
The Province
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Province
A massive development is being proposed for downtown Vancouver that would transform the city's skyline
The Holborn Group has been trying to develop this downtown site for eight years, and the city hasn't supported earlier proposals. Now, Holborn is proposing to build what would become Metro Vancouver's tallest skyscraper. An illustration showing Holborn Group's proposed development that includes four towers at two different sites in downtown Vancouver. Photo by Ian Kobylanski Holborn Group / A Vancouver developer wants to transform the downtown skyline with a massive development encompassing nearly two entire downtown blocks. It would include a trio of skyscrapers, the largest of which would reach more than 300 metres — the tallest in the city. 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. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 The project would be almost 50 per cent taller than the current tallest in Metro Vancouver, which is Two Gilmore Place in Burnaby at 218 m (64 storeys). The project has been nearly two decades in the making. Now is the right time to move forward, says the president of developer Holborn Group, as Vancouver is growing bigger with 'ambitions to be more like a world-class city.' Holborn has applied to build a project, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, which involves a total of four towers at two different downtown locations. An illustration showing a development proposed for downtown Vancouver from the Holborn Group and designed by Henriquez Partners Architects. Sectional view from Seymour Street looking east. Credit: Holborn Group / Henriquez Partners Architects Photo by Norm Li On the larger of the two sites, Holborn proposes to build three towers between 68 and 80 storeys, including condos, market rental homes, commercial space and a 920-room hotel on the parcel between the 500-block of West Georgia and Dunsmuir streets. This parcel includes the now-vacant site at 500 Dunsmuir St., where a heritage building Holborn bought in 2006 was emptied in 2013 and then ordered demolished earlier this year after the city declared it was at risk of imminent collapse. The parcel also includes The Bay parkade, and the Randall building at 555 West Georgia St., which for years featured a beloved six-storey mural. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. 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. The proposal also includes developing a second site owned by Holborn, a Downtown Eastside parking lot, where the company is pitching a 38-storey tower with social housing, child care and an Indigenous art gallery. The entire building would be turned over to the city upon completion. Demolition of a heritage building at 500 Dunsmuir Street on Jan. 20. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / 10106970A Holborn acquired The Bay parkade and 500 Dunsmuir St. in 2006, and then over the next 18 years acquired most of the other properties on that two-block parcel, with the exception of 570 Dunsmuir St., an eight-storey commercial building that houses private educational institutions and has a different owner. The final piece for Holborn was the acquisition of the Randall building , a 1929-built commercial structure at 555 West Georgia St., last year. For at least eight years Holborn has been in touch with city hall about developing the downtown site. City hall didn't support a series of earlier proposals designed by different architects and submitted on behalf of Holborn between 2017 and 2023. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. An illustration showing a development proposed for downtown Vancouver from the Holborn Group and designed by Henriquez Partners Architects. View of observation deck looking west. Credit: Holborn Group / Henriquez Partners Architects Photo by Norm Li 'We were told, 'No, no,' so many times, so we know what not to do this time,' Holborn president Joo Kim Tiah said with a laugh this week. 'I want to say it in a very respectful way. But I think the idea was probably too big at first, because, Vancouver was, maybe, not really used to such an ambitious project.' But after 'having persevered so many years,' Tiah said, he believes city planning staff now see 'the city growing bigger and has ambitions to be more like a world-class city.' The project aligns with priorities of the current city council and planning staff, such as boosting the supply of hotel rooms and homes downtown, Tiah said. 'So as all these things became more and more pressing, now I guess they are now more open to the fact that, 'Hey, actually a big project like this does bring a lot of benefits' … I think more and more, over time, they warmed up to the idea.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. An illustration showing a development proposed for downtown Vancouver from the Holborn Group and designed by Henriquez Partners Architects. View of the plaza at Seymour and West Georgia streets. Credit: Holborn Group / Henriquez Partners Architects Photo by Norm Li Conversations with city hall about the earlier proposals only ever reached the pre-application inquiry stage. About 18 months ago, Henriquez Partners Architects started working on the newest iteration, and last week, the partnership submitted the first formal rezoning application for the project. Said Gregory Henriquez, the company's managing principal: 'We learned a lot from what the other architects did and tried to incorporate all the lessons learned and comments given, over the years, into this design.' Henriquez said the design is inspired by ancient glass sea sponge reefs found off the B.C. coast, and they believe the project will be a 'landmark in the heart of Vancouver.' The project has evolved over time. Earlier versions of the project included office space, but the new design has removed that component, responding to the dwindling demand. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Another major change in the project's evolution was city council's decision last year to revise rules protecting public views, which enabled this site to go higher. Henriquez Partners' earlier version of the project, designed last year, planned to incorporate the heritage building at 500 Dunsmuir St., Henriquez said. After Vancouver's chief building official recommended the derelict building's demolition last December, saying it had become a 'danger to public safety,' it was demolished in January. That unexpected development prompted a redesign of the whole project, Henriquez said, changing it from two thicker towers to three thinner ones. An illustration showing a development proposed for downtown Vancouver from the Holborn Group and designed by Henriquez Partners Architects. View of 388 Abbott St. Credit: Holborn Group / Henriquez Partners Architects Photo by Norm Li The Abbott Street site that forms the other part of this proposal has been owned by Holborn since 2004. In 2018, Holborn applied to build a 10-storey market rental building on that site, which was approved by the city. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Asked why that rental housing project never moved forward, Tiah said that the company decided it made sense to tie the development of both the Georgia and Abbott properties together, 'revitalizing two areas of town.' The project would include a total of 1,939 new homes, a 920-room hotel, 64,000 square feet of retail space and a public plaza on West Georgia Street. The Abbott site would include 378 non-market homes, in a 38-storey building, roughly the same size as the Woodward's tower across the street, which was also designed by Henriquez and completed in 2010. Holborn is a local development company owned by one of Malaysia's wealthiest families. The developer is known for building Vancouver's Trump Tower on West Georgia, which has since been renamed, and the Little Mountain project, which was criticized because of delays in delivering the social housing units that were promised to replace those demolished on the site. dfumano@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Columnists National Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Sun
08-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
A massive development is being proposed for downtown Vancouver that would transform the city's skyline
A Vancouver developer wants to transform the downtown skyline with a massive development encompassing nearly two entire downtown blocks. It would include a trio of skyscrapers, the largest of which would reach more than 300 metres — the tallest in the city. The project would be almost 50 per cent taller than the current tallest in Metro Vancouver, which is Two Gilmore Place in Burnaby at 218 m (64 storeys). The project has been nearly two decades in the making. Now is the right time to move forward, says the president of developer Holborn Group, as Vancouver is growing bigger with 'ambitions to be more like a world-class city.' Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Holborn has applied to build a project, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, which involves a total of four towers at two different downtown locations. On the larger of the two sites, Holborn proposes to build three towers between 68 and 80 storeys, including condos, market rental homes, commercial space and a 920-room hotel on the parcel between the 500-block of West Georgia and Dunsmuir streets. This parcel includes the now-vacant site at 500 Dunsmuir St., where a heritage building Holborn bought in 2006 was emptied in 2013 and then ordered demolished earlier this year after the city declared it was at risk of imminent collapse. The parcel also includes The Bay parkade, and the Randall building at 555 West Georgia St., which for years featured a beloved six-storey mural. The proposal also includes developing a second site owned by Holborn, a Downtown Eastside parking lot, where the company is pitching a 38-storey tower with social housing, child care and an Indigenous art gallery. The entire building would be turned over to the city upon completion. Holborn acquired The Bay parkade and 500 Dunsmuir St. in 2006, and then over the next 18 years acquired most of the other properties on that two-block parcel, with the exception of 570 Dunsmuir St., an eight-storey commercial building that houses private educational institutions and has a different owner. The final piece for Holborn was the acquisition of the , a 1929-built commercial structure at 555 West Georgia St., last year. For at least eight years Holborn has been in touch with city hall about developing the downtown site. City hall didn't support a series of earlier proposals designed by different architects and submitted on behalf of Holborn between 2017 and 2023. 'We were told, 'No, no,' so many times, so we know what not to do this time,' Holborn president Joo Kim Tiah said with a laugh this week. 'I want to say it in a very respectful way. But I think the idea was probably too big at first, because, Vancouver was, maybe, not really used to such an ambitious project.' But after 'having persevered so many years,' Tiah said, he believes city planning staff now see 'the city growing bigger and has ambitions to be more like a world-class city.' The project aligns with priorities of the current city council and planning staff, such as boosting the supply of hotel rooms and homes downtown, Tiah said. 'So as all these things became more and more pressing, now I guess they are now more open to the fact that, 'Hey, actually a big project like this does bring a lot of benefits' … I think more and more, over time, they warmed up to the idea.' Conversations with city hall about the earlier proposals only ever reached the pre-application inquiry stage. About 18 months ago, Henriquez Partners Architects started working on the newest iteration, and last week, the partnership submitted the first formal rezoning application for the project. Said Gregory Henriquez, the company's managing principal: 'We learned a lot from what the other architects did and tried to incorporate all the lessons learned and comments given, over the years, into this design.' Henriquez said the design is inspired by ancient glass sea sponge reefs found off the B.C. coast, and they believe the project will be a 'landmark in the heart of Vancouver.' The project has evolved over time. Earlier versions of the project included office space, but the new design has removed that component, responding to the dwindling demand. Another major change in the project's evolution was city council's decision last year to revise rules protecting public views, which enabled this site to go higher. Henriquez Partners' earlier version of the project, designed last year, planned to incorporate the heritage building at 500 Dunsmuir St., Henriquez said. After Vancouver's chief building official recommended the derelict building's demolition last December, saying it had become a 'danger to public safety,' it was demolished in January. That unexpected development prompted a redesign of the whole project, Henriquez said, changing it from two thicker towers to three thinner ones. The Abbott Street site that forms the other part of this proposal has been owned by Holborn since 2004. In 2018, Holborn applied to build a 10-storey market rental building on that site, which was approved by the city. Asked why that rental housing project never moved forward, Tiah said that the company decided it made sense to tie the development of both the Georgia and Abbott properties together, 'revitalizing two areas of town.' The project would include a total of 1,939 new homes, a 920-room hotel, 64,000 square feet of retail space and a public plaza on West Georgia Street. The Abbott site would include 378 non-market homes, in a 38-storey building, roughly the same size as the Woodward's tower across the street. Holborn is a local development company owned by one of Malaysia's wealthiest families. The developer is known for building Vancouver's Trump Tower on West Georgia, which has since been renamed, and the Little Mountain project, which was criticized because of delays in delivering the social housing units that were promised to replace those demolished on the site. dfumano@
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brit wins men's world marathon challenge
A Briton has won the men's race in an extreme running challenge which sees competitors from all over the world take part in seven marathons on seven continents over seven days. Paul Holborn, 40, from Sunderland, won the men's section of the World Marathon Challenge, which saw him run 26.2 miles (42.2 km) in Antarctica, South Africa, Australia, UAE, Spain, Brazil and USA all within a week. Mr Holborn, who now lives in Texas, had never completed a marathon before signing up for the event 19 months ago, but felt "depressed" after giving up on his fitness. A former professional boxer, he said the challenge "seemed so impossible" and that "just the thought of doing one marathon was always crazy". Mr Holborn gave up boxing at 27 after 15 professional fights and moved to Canada, where he said his "fitness just went". Eventually moving to Texas, he said he could not work out why he was "so depressed" before putting it down to a lack of exercise. So, Mr Holborn decided to search for the hardest event he could find and along came the World Marathon Challenge. "It seemed so impossible," he said. "That was 19 months ago. There was no way I could run that far, never mind seven." The 40-year-old said he immediately "lived a better life" and, as preparation, ran his first marathon in three hours one minute. "I thought I was going to go there, show up and maybe get 25th position," he said. "But I found out I was competitive here after two races, I was ahead by a few minutes." Starting in Antarctica, Mr Holborn and the other 35 male competitors flew to Cape Town then Perth, Dubai, Madrid and Fortaleza, before finishing in Miami. "I went into it just to have fun, but now I was on the start line feeling sick, like I might lose this advantage." But after the Dubai marathon, a win started to feel realistic. He finished with an average time of 03:22:36. Mr Holborn said despite travelling across all seven continents, he did not get to see much of them. "A lot of these places sound great, but you don't see any of them," he said. For most races, it was straight off the plane, on the bus and to the start line. He recalls starting the Perth leg in the early hours of the morning. But he said he loved the "silence and beauty" of Antarctica, where the temperature was about 5C (23F). "It actually felt hot when we got off the plane because the sun's hitting you from every direction," he said. "Someone asked me how Antarctica was different to Sunderland, and I said it was the sunshine." Mr Holborn raised nearly £4,000 for Age UK Sunderland in the process. Mr Holborn crossed the final finish line in Miami on 6 February with his friends and family waiting for him with a Sunderland AFC shirt. But he said he still did not know how he managed to run seven marathons. "I have no idea, I just haven't had the chance to digest it," he said. "A lot of people say it's downhill when you're 40. Honestly it's not. "I'm fitter now in the running world than I was when I was 27. "It's never too late." Two weeks on, Mr Holborn said his body felt OK after the challenge - albeit with very tight hip flexors. "I don't know how. My body showed up for me," he said. "When I finished the last run, I felt like I could go running again the next day." 12 March 2025: This story has been corrected to make it clear Mr Holborn was not the first British winner of the challenge and also that he was the winner of the men's race, not the overall winner. 11 April 2025: Further clarification on the note added on 12 March. The challenge has two elements - a men's race and a women's race - and "winner" is commonly taken to mean the winner of each. The first Briton to win one of the races was Susannah Gill in 2019 - but Mr Holborn was the first British man to win the men's race. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here. Woman runs seven marathons in seven continents Disabled man completes seven-day marathon feat Age UK Sunderland
