Vancouver Regional Matters and Mt Pleasant Walking Tour Saturday May 17

Hello. Welcome to my weekly newsletter of curated headlines about city building, urban planning, real estate development, transportation, economy, and other eclectic matters in the Vancouver region and from the rest of the world.

Want to see industrial lands in person:

· Industrial Walking Tour: Mt Pleasant Vancouver, May 17, Saturday, 10:30 am to noon: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/industrial-lands-walking-tour-mt-pleasant-vancouver-with-eric-aderneck-tickets-1322972429149

Want to learn more about urban planning:

· Learn the Basics of Planning - Live Online One-Day Class: Saturday June 21 2025, 9:30 am to 2:45 pm. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/learn-the-basics-of-urban-planning-one-day-live-online-class-tickets-1321827695219

If you’re a Registered Professional Planner (RPP), please vote – for me:

· I’m running for the Board of Directors for the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). See my website (www.Aderneck.ca) with more about my experience and platform. Please vote and thank you for your support.

Eric Aderneck, rpp, mpl, bcom, dule / eric@aderneck.ca / 604.721.5528 / www.LearnPlanning.ca / www.IndustrialLands.ca / www.linkedin.com/in/ericaderneck

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ECONOMY / TAXES

C1 BC Economic Briefing https://www.central1.com/pdf_files/b-c-economic-briefing-for-may-9-lower-mainland-housing-labour-international-trade/

Mark Carney's top priority should be raising productivity, says David Dodge https://financialpost.com/news/economy/mark-carney-top-priority-raising-productivity-david-dodge

The power of one: How standout firms grow national productivity https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/the-power-of-one-how-standout-firms-grow-national-productivity

Bank of Canada warns trade war poses financial stability risks https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-bank-of-canada-trade-war-risk/

Trump tells Carney CUSMA is 'good deal for everybody' but leaves door open for termination https://financialpost.com/news/trump-tells-carney-cusma-is-good-deal-for-everybody-but-leaves-door-open-for-termination

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BUSINESS / JOBS

C1 Election hiring mask tariff -related driven job cuts in April https://www.central1.com/pdf_files/election-hiring-mask-tariff-related-driven-job-cuts-in-april/

Updated: 'Don't panic,' Eby tells BC film industry after Trump announces tariffs https://www.westerninvestor.com/economy-law-politics/dont-panic-eby-tells-bc-film-industry-after-trump-announces-tariffs-10614719

Beyond Tariffs: What the U.S. Can Learn from China's Industrial Playbook https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/04/beyond-tariffs-what-the-us-can-learn-from-chinas-industrial.html

Government intervention could severely hinder opportunities in the gig economy https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/gig-economy-and-precarious-work-much-ado-about-very-little

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HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

Metro Vancouver housing figures underscore massive gap in affordable units https://building.ca/metro-vancouver-housing-figures-underscore-massive-gap-in-affordable-units/

How Far Will Carney’s $26B Prefab Promise Get Us In A Housing Crisis? https://storeys.com/carney-prefab-promise-housing-crisis/

Metro Vancouver housing prices may lower amid economic uncertainty, experts say https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-real-estate-spring-sales-1.7530773

'Don't always go up': Bulk of Metro Vancouver presale condos sold in 2022 and 2023 now appraised below original price https://vancouversun.com/news/dont-always-go-up-bulk-of-metro-vancouver-presale-condos-in-sold-in-2022-and-2023-now-appraised-below-original-price

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RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Real estate industry hopes Liberal government steps up its game https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/vancouver/article-real-estate-industry-hopes-liberal-government-steps-up-its-game/

Vancouver’s luxury housing market stalls as listings rise, buyers hold back https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-columbia/vancouvers-luxury-housing-market-stalls-as-listings-rise-buyers-hold-back-10627805

Is a buyer's market emerging in Vancouver real estate? https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/is-a-buyers-market-emerging-in-vancouver-real-estate-10627522

"Scaring On The Psyche": TD Calls For Further 10% Drop In Condo Prices This Year https://storeys.com/condo-prices-fall-peak-prices-td/

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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Vancouver’s real estate future clouded by policy, politics and AI, forum told https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/vancouvers-real-estate-future-clouded-by-policy-politics-and-ai-forum-told-10635562

Evaluating apartment building sales in Canada’s 3 largest markets https://renx.ca/evaluating-apartment-building-sales-in-canadas-three-largest-markets

Wesgroup Joins Crombie REIT On Four Safeway Redevelopments In Metro Vancouver https://storeys.com/wesgroup-crombie-reit-joint-ventures/

RioCan Recognizes $209M Investment Loss From Joint Venture With Hudson's Bay https://storeys.com/riocan-q1-2025-results-hudsons-bay/

Prominent Vancouver real estate firm Rennie undergoes major layoffs https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rennie-vancouver-head-office-layoffs

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BUILDING / DEVELOPMENT

Pivots and perseverance: Trying to develop in trying times https://www.renx.ca/pivots-and-perseverence-trying-to-develop-in-trying-times

A massive development is being proposed for downtown Vancouver that would transform the city's skyline https://vancouversun.com/news/massive-development-proposed-for-downtown-vancouver

Will BC's new permitting legislation get clean energy projects, hospitals and schools approved faster? https://vancouversun.com/news/will-new-bc-permitting-legislation-get-clean-energy-projects-hospitals-and-schools-approved-faster

Mixed-use projects help mitigate financing risks as rates stabilize https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-columbia/mixed-use-projects-help-mitigate-financing-risks-as-rates-stabilize-10582080

Guide to the Local Government Housing Framework https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/tools-for-government/local-governments-and-housing/guide_to_the_local_government_housing_framework.pdf

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URBAN PLANNING

A small Metro Vancouver municipality could triple in population — but not everyone's happy about it https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/anmore-metro-vancouver-development-population-1.7529550

Ontario plans to impose new planning rules on municipalities to boost housing https://globalnews.ca/news/11169519/ontario-development-charge-changes/amp/

New Documentary Pulls Back the Curtain on the People Who Make Cities Run https://www.planning.org/planning/2025/apr/new-documentary-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-the-people-who-make-cities-run

Early wins are the fast track to better cities https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-early-wins-are-the-fast-track-to-better-cities/

'We just want this done': Vancouver mayor vents frustration over province not abolishing park board fast enough https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-park-board-mayor-ken-sim-bc-government

America Should Sprawl? Not If We Want Strong Towns https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025/5/5/america-should-sprawl-not-if-we-want-strong-towns

4 Tech Tools to Visualize Your Urban Design https://planning.org/planning/2025/apr/4-tech-tools-to-visualize-your-urban-design

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TRANSPORTATION

The unsung Trans-Canada Highway: How a road connected a country and changed it forever https://nationalpost.com/feature/the-unsung-trans-canada-highway

Here comes a different kind of EV revolution https://driving.ca/column/motor-mouth/ev-electric-vehicle-customers-want-government-mandate-range-anxiety-hybrid

Slate strips out tech for "radically customisable and affordable" electric truck only available in grey https://www.dezeen.com/2025/05/02/slate-electric-truck-radically-affordable-design/

10 best-selling made-in-Canada vehicles https://driving.ca/column/driving-by-numbers/10-best-selling-made-in-canada-vehicles-2025-q1

A new fully charged EV battery in five minutes: Are China's swap stations the future of electric cars? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250506-are-chinas-swap-stations-the-future-of-electric-cars

Donut Lab's circular motors fit inside tyres for "out of this world" performance https://www.dezeen.com/2025/05/05/donut-labs-circular-inwheel-motors

BC’s zero-emission vehicle rebate program has hit a red light. What does it mean for buyers? https://www.bcbusiness.ca/industries/transportation/b-c-s-zero-emission-vehicle-rebate-program-has-hit-a-red-light-what-does-it-mean-for-buyers/

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RESOURCES / ENVIRONMENT

BC to tap wind, geothermal, hydro in major clean energy push https://www.biv.com/news/bc-to-tap-wind-geothermal-hydro-in-major-clean-energy-push-10614931

BC reviews flagship climate plan as emissions targets fall short https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/bc-reviews-flagship-climate-plan-as-emissions-targets-fall-short-10628685

BC NDP goes from pipeline foes to TMX allies in Burrard Inlet https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/rob-shaw-bc-ndp-goes-from-pipeline-foes-to-tmx-allies-in-burrard-inlet-10619207

Mining can power BC through global economic turmoil https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/opinion-mining-can-power-bc-through-global-economic-turmoil-10635383

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INDUSTRIAL / MANUFACTURING

Global headwinds won’t deter BC Works’ long-term investment in Kitimat https://www.northernsentinel.com/local-business/global-headwinds-wont-deter-bc-works-long-term-investment-in-kitimat-simon-pascoe-7944354

The Economy Is One Tariff Away from a Supply-Chain Meltdown https://thewalrus.ca/auto-tariffs/

How Is Elon Musk Powering His Supercomputer? https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-is-elon-musk-powering-his-supercomputer

Battle lines drawn as steel producers push 'Buy Canadian' to fight tariffs and dumping https://financialpost.com/feature/canadas-steel-producers-tariffs-buy-canadian-rallying-cry

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SHOPPING / HOSPITALITY

HBC's slow demise was no surprise, says BC retail expert https://www.biv.com/news/hbcs-slow-demise-was-no-surprise-says-bc-retail-expert-10632033

Grocery-anchored centres feed investors’ appetite for retail assets https://www.westerninvestor.com/british-columbia/grocery-anchored-centres-feed-investors-appetite-for-retail-assets-10581939

Cross-border travel from BC to Washington state gets even worse https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cross-border-travel-bc-washington-state-plummets

U.S. organizations cancel corporate events in Vancouver https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/us-organizations-cancel-corporate-events-in-vancouver-10628245

BC job vacancies hit seven-year low as tariffs slow retail spending https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/bryan-yu-bc-job-vacancies-hit-seven-year-low-as-tariffs-slow-retail-spending-10622765

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OFFICE WORK

Is the Canadian office market nightmare nearing an end? https://www.mpamag.com/ca/specialty/commercial/is-the-canadian-office-market-nightmare-nearing-an-end/534803

Gen Z is leading the charge back to the office https://financialpost.com/financial-times/gen-z-leading-charge-back-office

Coworking’s the New Satellite Office https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/coworkings-the-new-satellite-office

The Workplace Psychological Contract Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It. https://hbr.org/2025/05/the-workplace-psychological-contract-is-broken-heres-how-to-fix-it

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POLITICS / PEOPLE

Federal election results show an urban-rural divide in BC Here's why some political scientists are worried https://vancouversun.com/news/federal_election/federal-election-results-urban-rural-divide-bc-why-it-matters

The NDP’s shocking failures were laid bare in its BC strongholds https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-ndps-shocking-failures-were-laid-bare-in-its-bc-strongholds/

Xi Jinping’s Moscow visit highlights China’s strategic vulnerabilities https://www.brookings.edu/articles/xi-jinpings-moscow-visit-highlights-chinas-strategic-vulnerabilities/

What happens when a hegemon falls? https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2025/05/08/what-happens-when-a-hegemon-falls

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OTHER / MISC

Fire on derelict vessel in Mission, BC, leads to shelter-in-place order https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mission-bc-fire-derelict-ferry-1.7525873

Extraterrestrial tongues https://aeon.co/essays/why-alien-languages-could-be-far-stranger-than-we-imagine

Sea lion attacks surge at BC fish farms, prompting requests for rubber bullets https://www.biv.com/news/sea-lion-attacks-surge-at-bc-fish-farms-prompting-requests-for-rubber-bullets-10606792

Vikings on the Silk Roads https://aeon.co/essays/the-viking-age-is-undergoing-a-revisionist-transformation

80 years ago World War II in Europe was over. Celebrating V-E Day is now tinged with some dread https://vancouversun.com/news/world/80-years-ago-world-war-ii-in-europe-was-over-celebrating-v-e-day-is-now-tinged-with-some-dread/

By VE Day in 1945, Stalin had got what he wanted in Poland – now Putin may get what he wants in Ukraine https://theconversation.com/by-ve-day-in-1945-stalin-had-got-what-he-wanted-in-poland-now-putin-may-get-what-he-wants-in-ukraine-255982

Candles, wreaths, famous faces: VE Day at 80 in pictures https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj42xv1nr54o

Video: Dodging landmines: How Carney navigated his Trump meeting