Category Archives: Front Page

Vancouver Airbnb bylaw loophole threatens rental stock

By Lisa Tanh A loophole in the City of Vancouver’s new short-term rental bylaw could wipe out a big chunk of the city’s secondary suite stock, according to a complaint by a concerned citizen. Ethan, a born and raised Vancouverite,

Vancouver developer sponsoring yacht gala in China while stiffing local contractors

By ThinkPol Staff A Vancouver developer, whose company was recently ordered by a judge to pay $200,000 in unpaid bills to a local contractor, is sponsoring a lavish yacht gala dinner in China. Westbank, owned by developer Ian Gillespie, is

Flipping houses or condos? CRA reminds you that all profits are fully taxable

By ThinkPol Staff Canada’s taxman is reminding house and condo flippers that all profits made buying and reselling homes in a short period of time are fully taxable. This also includes pre-sale flips, where a property is bought and sold

The art of protest: Artisan Emma channelling creative energy to protect BC’s coast from Kinder Morgan

Edited by Drew Penner with photos courtesy of Emma Wetherill Right now, a lot of creative energy, not to mention activist strategizing, has gone into fighting the Kinder Morgan expansion project that would increase the amount oil products the company

Terminal Diagnosis? A trip to a US Kinder Morgan facility sheds light on the Canadian struggle

By Drew Penner The way you’re neck and neck on the freeway clogged with giant trucks hauling combustible goods across Carson, California, reminds me of driving through Central Alberta at the height of the frack boom. One wrong twist of

Guns stopping Canadian parent from moving to LA

By Drew Penner Vancouver resident Lorie Campbell and her husband have been back and forth from California over the past 14 years with work commitments. The Canadian and her husband are green-cards holders, but there’s a giant issue that keeps

“Inappropriate” Chinatown development designs drive gentrification

By Lisa Tanh Newly proposed developments in Chinatown are using inappropriate designs to further gentrify the neighbourhood, says a neighbourhood advocate. Melody Ma, a Chinese Canadian, said many of the newly proposed developments do not respect the neighborhood’s history and

Court orders Vancouver developer Ian Gillespie’s firm to pay $200,000 in unpaid bills to contractor

By ThinkPol Staff A BC Supreme Court judge has ordered Vancouver developer Ian Gillespie’s firm to pay more than $200,000 in unpaid bills to the contractor who painted the Telus Garden building. Atlas Painting & Restorations Ltd had sued 501

Realtor who deceived buyer into displaying New Coast Realty “sold” sign for a year fined $2,000

By ThinkPol Staff A realtor who deceived a buyer into displaying her brokerage’s “sold” sign has been fined $2,000 by British Columbia’s real estate watchdog. Real Estate Council of British Columbia’s disciplinary panel found that Richmond realtor Xinwei (Sylvie) Zhao,

“Scrap the Speculation Tax” coalition turns to big tobacco and asbestos PR firm

By ThinkPol Staff The umbrella group campaigning to repeal the Speculation Tax introduced by British Columbia’s NDP government has enlisted the help of a controversial global public relations firm that gained notoriety for promoting big tobacco and asbestos industry interests.