British Columbia Premier David Eby, who serves as a Member of the Legislature representing Vancouver-Point Grey — which he calls home — alongside his 9-year-old son, Ezra, newborn daughter, Gwen, and his 5-year-old scalliwag daughter … Iva, who celebrated her 5th birthday this past Friday.
In what is becoming a contentious upcoming 2024 British Columbia provincial election — set to take place on October 19th — there seems to be a tendency afoot to dehumanize those courageous persons who have come forward to place their name before the electorate to represent not just those persons who live in their riding, but serve to make a constituent difference to the livability of our province.
On this Labour Day 2024, VanRamblings wishes to introduce you to the man we have known since his arrival in our province in 2007 to article with PIVOT Legal in service of completing his law degree, the father and the husband, the friend, the principled man of gregarious good will who means well for our province, and the man who has steadfastly served with compassion and distinction all those, in this particular instance, who reside in his west side Vancouver-Point Grey riding.
VanRamblings has asked David Eby’s senior constituency assistant, Saad Shoaib, for permission to publish excerpts from the quarterly newsletter David Eby posted to those persons who reside in his Vancouver-Point Grey riding. Permission has kindly been granted. Forthwith, David Eby’s most recent constituency newsletter.
Enjoy what we are sure you will find to be an extraordinarily humane document.
Hello Neighbours!
With September comes the real start of the new year for many people in our community, including our family.
I was excited to attend the Brock House Community Fair again this year. Ezra and Iva bought some beautiful jewelry, and we enjoyed the performance of the Brock House Band as always. I also had a great time at Greek Day in Kitsilano, joining local elected officials for the opening ceremony, and welcoming Greek cultural organizations from across the Lower Mainland.
This year though, for the first time since being elected, I missed attending the Khatsahlano Street Party. While I’m sure this year was as epic as ever, I had what I think is a decent excuse … I missed the party due to the birth of our wonderful new baby girl, Gwen.
Gwendolyn Kay Eby was born at St. Paul’s Hospital on June 27, joining our family of now, amazingly, five! Baby Gwen is happy and healthy and is fitting right in around our busy house.
I’ve also been notified by Barry Leinbach, the “Captain” of the Kitsilano Showboat, that he’s working hard trying to get clarity from the Park Board on the future of this stage that has hosted community performances for almost 100 years, since the Great Depression.
Because of problems at the Kitsilano pool, and a fire two years ago at the site, the existing Showboat was due to be demolished; however, the demolition was stopped by the City since the time of writing this newsletter.
If you have time, please join me in writing to the Park Board to encourage them to work with Barry and identify the next location for this iconic institution. Use the address 2305 Cornwall on the feedback form at this link https://vancouver.ca/your-government/contact-park-board.aspx to share your thoughts.
The Kitsilano Showboat has entertained families for free for generations — it shouldn’t sink on our watch!
In good news for our neighbourhoods, geological testing has begun for the completion of the Broadway subway from Arbutus to UBC. You may see the big rigs drilling in the neighbourhood. The geological information gathered, combined with traffic and population projection studies will be combined into a “business case” which sets out station locations and routing for the project.
In the meantime, an agreement with the Translink mayors means new busses are being purchased to expand express bus service across our fast-growing region.
In other news, a beautiful new rental housing building in our community has been covered extensively by media with some suggesting that government should not have been involved in the project at all. Given that it’s in our neighbourhood I thought I’d share some of the background.
The owners of a closed church at the site in Kits had sold the land to a developer. Because of high interest rates and increasing material costs that are threatening rental housing projects across Canada, without government involvement this site in Kits would be developed for luxury condos or townhomes, both of which were fully allowed under existing zoning.
Instead of luxury condos, our government provided a loan guarantee for the financing of the project, reducing the homebuilder’s interest costs in exchange for an agreement to deliver 68 new rental housing units with 14 of those units (20%) renting at below market rents. On completion of the project, which is imminent, the developer pays back the full loan, and all of the associated interest.
Normally, a below-market unit costs $500,000+ for government to build directly.
In this case, this loan guarantee delivered affordable rental units that cost taxpayers nothing, even the interest on the loan is repaid by the homebuilder, not taxpayers. The remaining rental housing units, with market rents, are desperately needed as we added 180,000 people to our province, 15,000 every month, in 2023.
I look forward to welcoming those 14 families into their new Kitsilano homes.
As we’re gearing up at our house for a return to school on Tuesday, for Ezra — and his sister Iva’s first year of big kid school at Kindergarten!
I hope that you and your family and friends are well, and you’ve enjoyed a restful and relaxing summer in our beautiful Vancouver. We’re so lucky to live in such an amazing city, and this summer I was reminded again of how it’s our neighbours in this community who make so many of these special things we enjoy possible.
See you around the neighbourhood!
David Eby
