Latest news with #MikeKlassen
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Vancouver mayor, city councillors to meet with federal officials in Ottawa
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck The City of Vancouver says Mayor Ken Sim and two city councillors will travel to Ottawa this week to meet with senior federal officials. It says in a news release that the delegation, which includes councillors Lisa Dominato and Mike Klassen, plans to advocate for action on housing, transit and infrastructure. Sim says in the release that Vancouver faces challenges in those areas that 'can't be solved by any one level of government alone' and the trip aims to advocate for solutions that 'require federal leadership.' The release does not expand on what those solutions may be or which federal officials the delegation will be meeting. The city says another goal of the trip, which will run from Tuesday to Friday, is to 'build closer relationships' between city officials and federal leaders. The travel plans were announced as Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Saskatoon for the first in-person meeting with Canada's premiers since the federal election. B.C.'s Premier David Eby is not attending as he is in Asia for a preplanned trade mission. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press
Calgary Herald
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
What's in and what's (likely) out as the PNE sees itself as the next 'entertainment destination'
Article content It's becoming clear the future of Hastings Park does not include Horse Racing. Article content Article content Hastings Racecourse's current lease comes up next year. And when you talk to stakeholders, it's clear that the most likely outcome for the site that's hosted Horse Racing since 1892 is something else. Article content 'What I'm excited about, is the amount of interest that is being started,' Mike Klassen, the Vancouver city councillor who also serves as deputy mayor and as co-chair of the PNE, admitted to me recently. Article content Article content There was the news last month that the Vancouver Whitecaps are interested in building a stadium on the grounds managed by the PNE. Replacing the aging racetrack seems an obvious locale, but how that happens is far from final. Article content Article content The Whitecaps, though, aren't the only interested party. Article content 'The fair, I think, has a great opportunity and almost an obligation, to evolve with how we use the land in this city right now,' Klassen said. Article content 'This is a very important asset that the citizens, the people of Vancouver, have and so we need to start thinking about how we can make best use of it. And I think the expressions of the interest that we're getting from various parties just lead me to feel like this is the beginning of a really exciting future.' Article content Given there's already the renovation and expansion of the open-air amphitheatre, the upgrading of the Agrodome and Pacific Coliseum (with their new tenants, the Professional Women's Hockey League, set to move in), plus the possibility of a stadium in place of the racetrack, you are right to wonder if this is an emerging sports district on the city's east side. Article content Article content 'I would say that there's a vision to have the space be an entertainment destination,' PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost said. 'It's going to be a mix of amusement parks and amphitheatre and different kinds of festivals and events. And there will be sport there too.' Article content Article content Article content It's certainly a shift in self-image. Playland is set to be expanded. The sports presence in the park is being revived — this will be the third big-time hockey act for the Coliseum and if soccer returns, the third go-round as well — but also alongside the daylighting of Renfrew Creek to run from the sanctuary's pond on the south edge of Hastings Park north to the restored salt marsh in New Brighton Park on the shore of Burrard Inlet. Article content Frost says there's the practical truth of being able to fund everything. The PNE is a non-profit, so to fund all their operations, they need to host events. They've long done well hosting concerts and other events at the Coliseum, but upgrading the amphitheatre will give the PNE a whole new way to host concerts. And so will locking in the PWHL to the Coliseum: that's another 15-20 dates per year, Frost noted.
Ottawa Citizen
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
What's in and what's (likely) out as the PNE sees itself as the next 'entertainment destination'
Article content It's becoming clear the future of Hastings Park does not include Horse Racing. Article content Article content Hastings Racecourse's current lease comes up next year. And when you talk to stakeholders, it's clear that the most likely outcome for the site that's hosted Horse Racing since 1892 is something else. Article content 'What I'm excited about, is the amount of interest that is being started,' Mike Klassen, the Vancouver city councillor who also serves as deputy mayor and as co-chair of the PNE, admitted to me recently. Article content Article content There was the news last month that the Vancouver Whitecaps are interested in building a stadium on the grounds managed by the PNE. Replacing the aging racetrack seems an obvious locale, but how that happens is far from final. Article content Article content The Whitecaps, though, aren't the only interested party. Article content 'The fair, I think, has a great opportunity and almost an obligation, to evolve with how we use the land in this city right now,' Klassen said. Article content 'This is a very important asset that the citizens, the people of Vancouver, have and so we need to start thinking about how we can make best use of it. And I think the expressions of the interest that we're getting from various parties just lead me to feel like this is the beginning of a really exciting future.' Article content Given there's already the renovation and expansion of the open-air amphitheatre, the upgrading of the Agrodome and Pacific Coliseum (with their new tenants, the Professional Women's Hockey League, set to move in), plus the possibility of a stadium in place of the racetrack, you are right to wonder if this is an emerging sports district on the city's east side. Article content Article content 'I would say that there's a vision to have the space be an entertainment destination,' PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost said. 'It's going to be a mix of amusement parks and amphitheatre and different kinds of festivals and events. And there will be sport there too.' Article content Article content Article content It's certainly a shift in self-image. Playland is set to be expanded. The sports presence in the park is being revived — this will be the third big-time hockey act for the Coliseum and if soccer returns, the third go-round as well — but also alongside the daylighting of Renfrew Creek to run from the sanctuary's pond on the south edge of Hastings Park north to the restored salt marsh in New Brighton Park on the shore of Burrard Inlet. Article content Frost says there's the practical truth of being able to fund everything. The PNE is a non-profit, so to fund all their operations, they need to host events. They've long done well hosting concerts and other events at the Coliseum, but upgrading the amphitheatre will give the PNE a whole new way to host concerts. And so will locking in the PWHL to the Coliseum: that's another 15-20 dates per year, Frost noted.
Vancouver Sun
05-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Gun-shaped lighters: Councillor seeks ban as they proliferate in Vancouver
Article content If you think selling lighters that closely resemble a real gun is a terrible idea, at least one Vancouver city councillor has your back. Article content Article content ABC Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen has introduced a motion aiming to ban the sale of gun-shaped lighters in the city. Article content The motion, which goes before council on Wednesday, says the sale of the questionable lighters has 'proliferated in the City of Vancouver over the past year, with an estimated 50-75 stores selling multiple (gun-shaped lighters), particularly in the Downtown Eastside and downtown core.' Article content Article content Because the lighters look so much like real firearms, they have led to 'public distress and a significant increase in 911 emergency calls.' Article content Article content There were 162 police calls about the lighters last year, more than half of which were classified as 'priority weapons calls' — meaning they led to a response involving several officers armed with Tasers, less-lethal beanbag shotguns and Arwen guns. Article content Klassen's motion notes that the presence of the lighters in public spaces 'has resulted in multiple dangerous encounters where police officers have had to draw their firearms, creating a risk of fatal outcomes should a suspect fail to comply or appear to threaten officers or the public.' Article content They've also been documented as being used in violent crimes and leading to charges for robbery, assault and weapons possession. Calls about gun-shaped lighters were predominantly in the city's core, with 46 per cent happening in the Downtown Eastside and 39 per cent in other parts of downtown Vancouver. Article content Article content The drain on police resources is significant, the motion says: 32 of the calls led to 10 or more police units being dispatched and the average time required to resolve each call was two and a half hours. Article content Article content They may be a bad idea, but gun-shaped lighters are not specifically prohibited for possession or sale under the Criminal Code of Canada. They only become illegal when used in the commission of a crime, leaving law enforcement with little recourse. Article content 'A proactive ban on the sale and distribution (of gun-shaped lighters) in the City of Vancouver through a bylaw or bylaw amendment would serve to enhance public safety and reduce the burden on law enforcement while other legislative measures are being explored,' the motion reads.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Gun-shaped lighters: Councillor seeks ban as they proliferate in Vancouver
If you think selling lighters that closely resemble a real gun is a terrible idea, at least one Vancouver city councillor has your back. ABC Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen has introduced a motion aiming to ban the sale of gun-shaped lighters in the city. The motion, which goes before council on Wednesday, says the sale of the questionable lighters has 'proliferated in the City of Vancouver over the past year, with an estimated 50-75 stores selling multiple (gun-shaped lighters), particularly in the Downtown Eastside and downtown core.' Because the lighters look so much like real firearms, they have led to 'public distress and a significant increase in 911 emergency calls.' There were 162 police calls about the lighters last year, more than half of which were classified as 'priority weapons calls' — meaning they led to a response involving several officers armed with Tasers, less-lethal beanbag shotguns and Arwen guns. Klassen's motion notes that the presence of the lighters in public spaces 'has resulted in multiple dangerous encounters where police officers have had to draw their firearms, creating a risk of fatal outcomes should a suspect fail to comply or appear to threaten officers or the public.' They've also been documented as being used in violent crimes and leading to charges for robbery, assault and weapons possession. Calls about gun-shaped lighters were predominantly in the city's core, with 46 per cent happening in the Downtown Eastside and 39 per cent in other parts of downtown Vancouver. The drain on police resources is significant, the motion says: 32 of the calls led to 10 or more police units being dispatched and the average time required to resolve each call was two and a half hours. They may be a bad idea, but gun-shaped lighters are not specifically prohibited for possession or sale under the Criminal Code of Canada. They only become illegal when used in the commission of a crime, leaving law enforcement with little recourse. 'A proactive ban on the sale and distribution (of gun-shaped lighters) in the City of Vancouver through a bylaw or bylaw amendment would serve to enhance public safety and reduce the burden on law enforcement while other legislative measures are being explored,' the motion reads. It asks city staff to come up with recommendations for bylaw amendments that would ban the lighters and set a range of penalties for selling them. It also urges Mayor Ken Sim to write to the provincial government asking for legislative changes that would prohibit the sale, distribution and possession of gun-shaped lighters in B.C. and make it possible for police to seize them. This isn't the first time city council has cracked down on questionable lighters over safety concerns. A year ago, councillors voted to ban the sale of butane lighters that can be locked to produce a continuous flame. The ban was championed by Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, which said they posed a risk of fire, injury and death due to misuse. Continuous-flame lighters were ordered removed from shelves as of June 2024 and retailers who sell them now face a $1,000 fine. jruttle@ Vancouver council seeks to reinstate school meal programs Despite rebuke of ABC Vancouver, towers to rise higher
