Why are house prices so high in urban British Columbia? Several non-economists claim that foreign buyers are the reason. Economists claim that Canadians are the reason. Most Canadians prefer the theory that foreigners are to blame.
Why are Vancouver real estate prices so high? For several years, Vancouver-based geographers and political scientists have laid the blame squarely on wealthy Chinese immigrants and foreigners. The media has enthusiastically covered studies that promote this view. But many of these studies are questionable.
Sam Sullivan suggests that we should look to British Columbia’s own political traditions to come up with homegrown innovative solutions.
The opioid and fentanyl overdose crisis is a serious issue in British Columbia. Many drug addicts die every year — almost 1,500 in 2017. Opioid addiction, abuse, misuse, dependence, death, stigma, intoxication and opioid withdrawal create enormous problems.
Minimum wage increase or hike is being debated and explained by academics and advocates in Canada. Facts and understanding and history in relation to jobs legislation and law are needed more than ever.
The Value Added Tax has many names. In Canada, we called it the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). Sam Sullivan is proposing a Modified Sales Tax that keeps all of the advantages of the HST but exempts more goods and services used by low income people.
Almost half of the taxes we pay to the BC government goes to the healthcare budget. Despite this, British Columbia rates much lower in quality of service than many countries in Europe. Is it because these ‘socialist’ countries all have elements of privatization to prod their government monopolies to be more cost-effective?
Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria and other cities in British Columbia and Canada have experienced addiction and overdose deaths. This video covers the history of prohibition, alcohol, methadone, fentanyl, drug research, etc in the history of British Columbia.
Living in Vancouver, you might not know it is actually an amalgamation of three cities. Their distinctive cultures survive today.
Vancouver urban planning is beginning to embrace city densification, and it is important to explain and describe density and its benefits.