Posts from — March 2010

Thanks to our outstanding health care system, I was discharged yesterday from VGH without requiring surgery despite two injuries to my spine as a result of Tuesday morning’s cycling accident.

Prompt attention by the first responders and the fact that VGH is home to one of the continent’s best spinal cord centres undoubtedly contributed a great deal to this outcome.

(Those who doubt the value of the helmet bylaw are welcome to view my shattered bike helmet.)

Many weeks of careful recuperation lie ahead, but I want to express my deep thanks to the many people across the city, often total strangers, who sent me their best wishes for a speedy recovery. I’ll be in touch with as many as possible of you as time and energy permit.

Despite its absence from this month’s provincial budget, the long-awaited province-wide U-Pass program is a go in September, according to Transportation Minister Shirley Bond, a big win for student activists across the Lower Mainland.

France’s Bula’s review of the troubled Streetohome Foundation in the latest Vancouver magazine spells out how a city homelessness initiative, launched under the Sam Sullivan council, may generate a windfall for the province.

In effect, more than a year and a half after it was launched to raise money from the wealthy to fund investments to end homelessness, Streetohome was proposing to turn its cash over to the Province of BC.

Architects of the Streetohome scheme: Ken Dobell, former city manager and former deputy to the Premier, and his partner in consulting, Don Fairbairn.

If it happens, it won’t be the first time the city has been the loser in a partnership with BC. [Read more →]

The 2010 city budget, adopted in December, required the layoff of up to 126 city employees. City manager Penny Ballem advised staff yesterday that number has been reduced to 14 through transfers, retirements and other measures.

Still to come: staff reassignments and changes related to the Vancouver Service Review, which is merging and rationalizing various aspects of city business.

Here’s the text of Ballem’s message: [Read more →]