Vancouver's controversial Broadway Plan approved by city council
After hours of chaotic Vancouver city council meetings spanning several weeks, a controversial plan to densify the Broadway corridor was passed Wednesday night.
The contentious proposal, named the Broadway Plan, aims to create high-density towers and homes for 50,000 more people along the new Broadway Subway line. More than two dozen amendments were made to the plan, and it passed with a 7-4 vote.
"I see nothing but positives here," Mayor Kennedy Stewart said after Wednesday's meeting. "We really listened, like we had many nights of public hearings, we had thousands of people inputting, we listened intently at councillors, what they heard, they reflected and amended the plan."
Coun. Colleen Hardwick, who is opposed to the plan, said the process was rushed.
"Boondoggle is the first word that springs to mind ," she said. "The way the whole process has been conducted, in my view, it's been substandard and certainly not up to the legacy of Vancouver as a liveable city."
The 30-year plan comes into effect at the start of September, before the next municipal election.
Renter protection was a significant concern for many locals, and some amendments to the plan aim to address the issue.
For example, staff is looking at the option of vacancy controls, so landlords can't drastically increase rents when tenants move out. As well, renter protections are in the plan to allow tenants displaced by demolition and construction to return to the new building at the same price.
More details on what the plan will look like are expected in the fall.
"It's just going to be a fantastic place, I think people from right across Canada are going to flock here," Stewart said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.