Commentary
Tune in regularly to Commentary on BIV.com, where you can find the latest insight into issues facing Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada
City fumbles park community, cultural potential during pandemic
We have in Vancouver 230 ways to deal with the languid, incessant pandemic. They are called parks. They, and we, are waiting and waiting and waiting for civic leaders to recognize and invest in...
Work, money matters continuing to keep Canadians awake at night
In late 2019, when Research Co. and Glacier Media originally reviewed the nightly habits of Canadians, we learned that many of us were not meeting the recommended guidelines about sleeping seven to...
COVID data leak highlights B.C. public’s right to ‘no’
Last week I used the province’s freedom of information law to ask the B.C. Office of the Premier for any records to support, even justify its 30% budget increase this fiscal year. I will a) fall off...
More than $150 million paid in salaries to Metro Vancouver employees
Chief administrative officer Jerry Dobrovolny’s base salary was $360,269 in 2020
Almost two-thirds of Canadians support idea of vaccine passports: poll
Six weeks have gone by since Research Co. and Glacier Media first asked about the concept of “Vaccine Passports.” At the time, the promise of an earlier return to regular activity seemed feasible,...
Bonnie Henry’s spin doctoring does public no favours during public health emergency
In an initial news conference about COVID-19, our Provincial Health Officer revealed she was “tired.” Dr. Bonnie Henry worked on the SARS outbreak that lasted six months. That was 17 years ago. The...
Editorial: Lost at sea: green marine fleet funding
WWF-Canada’s call to set Canada on a clear course now for a zero-emission shipping future is admirable. However, clarity in course directions and funding is far from clear. With a coastline that...
Committee muddies waters of COVID-19 vaccination
The messaging in the last day by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is a case study in how to fumble a football with a clear field to the end zone and a cheering crowd. You know...
Confidence in the security of online banking and retail rising in B.C.
The COVID-19 pandemic put British Columbians more in tune with technology for work and leisure. Virtual meetings have become the norm, and many employed residents of the province expect them to...
Short-term thinking threatening to extend long tail of COVID-19
Studies on the “long tail” of COVID-19 are emerging. They make you wonder if the pandemic’s effects will ever end. They feed into the view that our public health crisis will punch a permanent hole in...