Vancouver

The westernmost ski resort on the North Shore mountains of Metro Vancouver is targeting Summer 2027 for the opening of a redesigned Cypress Bike Park on Black Mountain.

Unlike conventional mountain biking trails, the new park will use a chairlift to carry riders and their bikes uphill, allowing them to ride purpose-built downhill routes back to the base of the mountain.

Plans call for trails serving everyone from beginners to advanced riders. These will include smoother “flow” trails designed around speed, jumps, and banked corners, along with more technically demanding routes featuring rocks and other natural obstacles.

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Right now, the posts are scheduled for Thursdays at 5pm.

In February, Bollwitt, who is best known for her online events publication Miss604.com, and Lee, a travel writer who publishes the digital Vancouver Christmas Guide, inked a deal with Tidewater Press to produce FREECOUVER: 101 free things to do in and around Vancouver.

In March and April, they visited, photographed and wrote about 50 destinations each, including some in Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities.

By May, the pair went into the editing process and, the next month, their book was out.

It was an intensive journey, they told Freshet News; however, the project had been on their bucket list for years. Through their events and travel writing work, they had accumulated the names of dozens of locales where both the entry and entertainment are free.

They cite SFU’s Gibson Art Museum on Burnaby Mountain and the Burnaby Village Museum as among their favourite free attractions for half-day adventures. Lee especially likes PoCo Heritage and its mural from the old Wild Duck Inn that was painted by a Disney animator, while Bollwitt is enthralled with the arboretum at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə / Riverview Lands in Coquitlam.

Around Metro, they point to the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre in Ladner, where visitors can interact with the artefacts; the six gardens and Indigenous art at Vancouver’s Stanley Park; and the music recitals and TRIUMF tours at UBC — the latter to see the world’s largest cyclotron.

Bollwitt said the book is not only a good tourism resource, it’s also a nod to the many unpaid staff who operate the venues and who often go unrecognized for their contributions. “They’re fantastic places to visit … with dedicated volunteers,” she said.

Quoted from the article:

There are certain requirements that e-scooters have to meet in Vancouver:

• Self-propelled (or self-propelled + human power)
• Max 500 watts motor output
• Max 40 kg (including the battery)
• Max speed of 25 km/h on level ground
• Standing platform, no seat
• No pedals
• Handlebar steering
• A bell or a horn
• Adequate brakes
• Lights during dark hours
• And of course, helmets required

On highways of 50 km/h or less, e-scooters may operate in a cycle lane or as near as practicable to the right of the roadway.

On highways over 50 km/h, e-scooters have to be in the cycle lane or another portion of the highway only if permitted by a traffic control device.

One of the most commonly broken e-scooter rules is sidewalk riding. VPD says that e-scooters are prohibited on sidewalks, crosswalks (unless specifically permitted) and in locations prohibited by municipal law.

VPD adds that e-skateboards, electric unicycles, and hoverboards are not street legal.

Premier David Eby says his BC NDP-led provincial government already supports creating involuntary care capacity in Vancouver and has been searching for a suitable site, questioning the need for the City of Vancouver to hold a plebiscite on an idea he says has broad agreement.

One of the two public safety plebiscite questions will ask voters whether Vancouver’s municipal government should formally call on the provincial government to convert portions of the old St. Paul’s Hospital — or another similar site — into a secure medical facility providing voluntary care and at least 100 involuntary care beds for people posing a serious risk to themselves or others because of severe addictions and mental health issues.

Asked whether the provincial government would consider Mayor Sim’s old St. Paul’s Hospital proposal if Vancouver voters support it, Eby said he was surprised the City was putting the matter to a public vote because the provincial government already agrees that Vancouver needs such a facility.

“I was, you know, I’ll admit a little surprised to see the proposal for a vote question on which I suspect there would be 100 per cent support, including from our government,” said Eby.

“The mayor knows we’ve been looking for a site in Vancouver for this kind of care. We know that Vancouver requires it, especially with the intense epicentre of the Downtown Eastside.”

I am testing out a scheduled post each week to help break the ice for discussion. Please let me know with any feedback :)

Right now, the posts are scheduled for Thursdays at 5pm.

I'm actually somewhat excited to visit this one 😄 It's located on both a skytrain route and a rapid bus line, so it should be convenient for a lot of people?

More than six years after Safeway closed at the old Oakridge Centre mall, the Sobeys-owned grocery store is finally ready to make its return to the site.

Today, Safeway has announced its new flagship grocery store at the new Oakridge Park mall will officially open to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026.

A grand opening ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m., featuring a ribbon cutting, cultural entertainment, and remarks from community leaders.

The new Safeway is located within two underground levels, accessible from the mall’s south atrium. It spans over 50,000 sq. ft. across two levels, making it one of the chain’s largest locations in the Metro Vancouver market.

Safeway is positioning the store as its regional flagship, with a significantly expanded selection of prepared foods, international groceries, seafood, health products, and other offerings compared with a conventional supermarket.

One of the major additions is a dedicated Global Market, with a greater emphasis on international products throughout the store.

There will also be an expanded selection of freshly prepared and ready-to-eat food, including in-store sushi, Asian hot foods, dim sum, buffet-style offerings, and other convenient meal options.

The seafood department will feature three live seafood tanks, along with a broad selection of fresh fish and shellfish.

Much of the store’s wellness and non-food offerings will be concentrated on the second level, including a pharmacy, Rachelle Béry health and wellness products, general merchandise, and a dedicated baby boutique.

I am testing out a scheduled post each week to help break the ice for discussion. Please let me know with any feedback :)

Right now, the posts are scheduled for Thursdays at 5pm.

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/69488

On July 28, Vancouver‘s City Council voted to displace 40 working-class, long-term tenants for a hotel development, in spite of intense opposition from the majority of 300+ Vancouverites who signed up to speak at the public hearing. held two weeks earlier. The Myron Manor Collective, currently living in the relatively affordable units on the lot, is under pressure. On one hand…

Source

From The North Star via This RSS Feed.

Vancouver - Mayoral Polling:

1. 🟡Sim (ABC): 30%
2. 🔴Allam (LIB): 19%
3. 🟢Fry (GRN): 19%
4. 🔵Hardwick (TEAM): 14%
5. 🟣Bligh (VOTE): 7%
6. ⚪️Azaroff (ONE): 5%
7. 🟠Allen (COPE): 4%

Research Co. / Aug 1, 2026

Tickets to Kids Up Front Vancouver's "More Than a Movie" include on-field sporting activities, tasty eats, and fun for all ages.

Likely due to wild fires all along the inner coast on both sides of the border:

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@-121.6,48.5,7.5z

Try to reduce time spent outside and wear a K/N95 or P100 mask if you do.

Look into purchasing (or making) an active air filtration system for your home:

https://housefresh.com/

*The linked service (Windy) adheres to the WHO's AQI standards which more heavily weigh levels of PM2.5 (particulate matter 20 times smaller than a human hair) and I only post these because the government, nor any of the news services, report this at all.  
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

From the article

When: Now until Oct. 31, 2026

Time: Various times. Check opening hours online

Where: Greendale Acres – 41905 Yale Rd. W., Chilliwack

Tickets: Various prices, purchase online. Ages 2 and under and those over 75 years are free. Memberships are also available.

The city hopes the program will help train lifeguards to work at two new rec centres opening in 2028

The City of Burnaby will pilot a free lifeguard certification program with the Burnaby school district this fall in an effort to train enough lifeguards for two new community centres opening in 2028.

Twenty-four students from Alpha and Burnaby North secondary schools will be picked to participate in the program during the 2026–2027 school year, according to a report to city council Tuesday.

Those who complete it will earn graduation credits while becoming Lifesaving Society certified.

The pilot will run outside of regular school hours, but the Parks Recreation and Culture Department hope it will lay the groundwork for a formally credited course in the school district in the future.

I am testing out a scheduled post each week to help break the ice for discussion. Please let me know with any feedback :)

Right now, the posts are scheduled for Thursdays at 5pm.

I didn't know this was happening, oops

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/67301

Tenants from the Myron Manor Collective and their supporters showed up in force to a July 16 city council hearing regarding a rezoning application that threatens to turn their homes into an Airbnb-style “tech hotel”. Over 300 tenants and supporters signed up to speak at the hearing. “We know that this [city] council is not on our side and we know that even the ones who claim to be on our side…

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From The North Star via This RSS Feed.

I am testing out a scheduled post each week to help break the ice for discussion. Please let me know with any feedback :)

Right now, the posts are scheduled for Thursdays at 5pm.

There are three large wildfires in the interior that may be contributing, but I'm not too sure why it's suddenly so bad for the week. Usually you'd see that the wind is blowing all the smoke south and west towards us, but I don't see anything like that on the map. Probably just the good ol' heat dome. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Interactive Wildfire Map

Windy doesn't have a graph but most other services with an air quality index either don't have a forecast or don't use the World Health Organizations guidelines, apparently relying on national guidelines (Canada doesn't seem to weigh pm2.5 as heavily in their forecasts). Check out Breezy Weather and compare with government forecasts to see what I'm talking about.

Try to reduce outdoor activities, and wear a K/N95 or P100 mask if you have to go outside and look into purchasing an active air filter for you home if you are able. So far, Tuesday night will be the worst, getting up to 156 by 11pm. Will update this post with the forecast. o7

*Will be better by Thursday night, ~8pm

At 9:19 PM PDT, Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing strong wind gusts and heavy rain.

This thunderstorm is moving to the northwest at 40 km/h and is nearing the White Rock area and will likely track through Surrey.

Heavy rain may cause flash flooding and significant reductions to visibility.

When thunder roars, go indoors! Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year.

Severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are expected to produce damaging hail, wind or rain.

The atom feed: https://weather.gc.ca/rss/battleboard/bcrm30_e.xml