PM Carney Sheds Light on Unfair Trade Deal

Carney explains why Canada walked away from the trade deal

Tonight in Vancouver there are flashes of light and then the ominous loud crack of thunder can be heard outside as the rain is pouring down tonight. 

It's been a long day that started this morning with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressing the nation about why the country walked away from negotiating a trade deal with the United States, and that it's time to buckle up for a trade war.

"We cannot accept what they've offered, and we will not give what they've asked," he said, adding the US 'asked too much and offered too little.'

Carney also revealed the US had issues with Canada's subsidies for French culture, the prevalence of French-language media online and even the federal requirement to have bilingual labels on products sold in Canada.

"It was unacceptable right from the start, but the Americans kept trying and trying and we said no," the prime minister said. "Ultimately it's simple. That was never on the table for Canada and it would not have been acceptable to Canadians."

For the auto industry, the Americans demanded to treat Canadian-made parts unfairly and to exempt some cars and pick-up trucks from US tariffs, but not others without any explanation.

The US also expected to determine Canada's trade deals with other nations.

"The US introduced, in the last hours, efforts to restrict our ability to have other trade deals," Carney said. "Because we believe in free trade, we're the partner of choice, in many respects, for countries around the world, and Americans wanted to restrict that, they had language to restrict that. Unacceptable."

Perhaps he was referring to Canada striking a trade deal with China worth $3 billion, where 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles will be allowed into the country, along with lower tariffs for canola oil, and seafood like lobsters and crabs into the Middle Kingdom.

But anyway -- why would Canada allow the US -- or rather Donald Trump -- decide who it trades with?

As Toronto Star columnist Justin Ling told CBC Radio today, what the US was doing was basically extortion.

Carney also noted that the US sometimes signs trade deals "in pencil," a hint that it is negotiating in bad faith.

Despite the financial hardships that will come -- layoffs and more money flowing out of wallets -- Canadians seem to be more patriotic than ever. The slogan "Elbows Up" continues to resonate across the country, with all politicians, federally and provincially on board.

As British Columbia Premier David Eby said today, "There is no question that there will be economic pain associated with this, there already is," he said. "But it is necessary to stand up to a bully, and if you don't, they'll just keep coming back for more."

Interestingly, Trump hasn't responded at all to the trade deal collapse. Did he think he had it in the bag?

British Columbia Takes a Stand on Daylight Time

Kids jumping for joy at Eby's "Pacific time" announcement

Big news today for British Columbia -- this coming weekend we will change our clocks forward one hour permanently.

Premier David Eby announced the change, saying, "We are done waiting. British Columbia is going to change our clocks just one more time -- and then never again."

He is referring to the authorities on the west coast of the United States in Washington State, Oregon and California. Originally he had said he would wait for them to decide if they were going to stick with one or the other so that businesses would not be confused with times, but perhaps Eby was done waiting, or didn't hear back from them and decided BC was going its own way.

The new time zone will be called "Pacific time".

The entire province will be following Pacific time except for East Kootenay, which observes mountain time with Alberta.

Eby noted Yukon has already permanently changed to daylight time, and hopes the US will follow. Back in 2019 BC already passed legislation to make this possible, but just didn't have a specific timeline.

Interestingly American President Donald Trump had expressed interest in changing to daylight time after the 2024 election, Congress has not passed legislation for it.

So it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months... there will surely be a lot of confusion on the west coast in terms of what time it is come November, but in the meantime many people are pleased that we'll have longer daylight hours and no more "jetlag" from springing ahead an hour after this weekend.

However, Eby's critics are crying foul because the announcement was suddenly made without much recent consultation; they believe it's a distraction from the horrible budget he delivered last week...

 

Premier Eby Hires Comedian to Write Speeches

Eby now makes speeches on a lighter note with comedic touch

Political reporters covering British Columbia politics were surprised to learn Premier David Eby has hired a comedian to help him write his speeches.

While Eby is on the serious side, after all, he governs the province, does he need to show he's funny too?

Being a premier is no laughing matter!

Demers is a comedian and friend of Eby's

But earlier this week the Conservatives released a copy of comedian Charlie Demers' contract showing he is being paid $156 an hour. The Conservative finance critic immediately pounced on this, questioning the hiring of a comedian to be a speechwriter was a good use of taxpayer money since the province is already over $11 billion -- yes billion -- in debt.

When asked about hiring Demers (who is also a friend), Eby didn't think it was funny.

"Charlie is one of a group of speech writers," Eby said. "Today, for example, I'm delivering five speeches. I would love to be able to write my own speeches the way that I used to. But I do need support to be able to respond to each event that I go to. Speech writers are a necessary part of the job."

Sure, we get that, but a comedian?

However, this isn't Demers first time speech writing for a politician. He has written stuff previously for Energy Minster Adrian Dix and the late former Premier John Horgan. Demers has strong ties with the NDP.

Taxpayers are probably not amused a comedian is writing the premier's speeches...

Keep Those Elbows Up

Hoekstra said Trump says Canadians are "mean and nasty"

Canadians not traveling south to the United States or buying American goods has irked US President Donald Trump, who claims Canadians are "nasty" to deal with.

But BC Premier David Eby says the US leadership has "very little awareness" in how offensive his remarks are.

"Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the US?" Eby said in Huntsville Ontario, where the premiers are meeting this week.

Eby hit back, saying US boycott is working

"Obviously, Canadians are outraged."

US Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra was asked in Bellevue, Washington how to encourage Canadians to start traveling to the US again and this is part of what he said:

"Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said.

"There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps," he said.

So Eby pounced on the "mean and nasty" bit, and said Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up."

B.C. Ferries Political Kerfuffle

B.C. Ferries put out a tender for new vessels to be built

B.C. Ferries was in a lot of hot water for its vessels breaking down, causing not only delays but cancellations of sailings, leaving passengers stranded or waiting for hours... and hours... and hours.

It finally got a loan from the federal government to purchase new ferries and put out a tender to build four of them.

Earlier this month B.C. Ferries announced China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards had won the contract to build the four vessels, overseen by B.C. Ferries staff, while the sensitive IT equipment will be procured from Canada and installed by B.C. Ferries' personnel. 

Freeland asks why China is building the ferries

No Canadian companies bid for the job.

But that didn't stop politicians from loudly complaining.

First up was BC Transport Minister Mike Farnsworth, then his boss Premier David Eby, and then federal transport minister Chrystia Freeland weighed in as well, wondering why a Chinese company -- state-owned no less -- was building these ferries considering China has imposed "unjustified tariffs" on Canada.

She wrote a letter to Farnsworth expressing her "great consternation and disappointment" with the ferry operator.

"I am dismayed that B.C. Ferries would select a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build new ferries in the current geopolitical context," Freeland wrote.

"I am surprised that B.C. Ferries does not appear to have been mandated to require an appropriate level of Canadian content in the procurement or the involvement of the Canadian marine industry."

B.C. Ferries says no Canadian firms put in a bid

May we remind the politicians that there were no Canadian shipbuilding companies that put in a bid. None. Nada. Zip. 

And if B.C. Ferries had looked to Europe, it would have cost many times more.

B.C. Ferries defended its choice. 

Jeff Groot, executive director of communications with B.C. Ferries, said Weihai Shipyards was chosen following a rigorous and transparent procurement process.

"It was the strongest bid by a significant margin," he said in a statement.

He added Canadian companies have acquired around 100 vessels built at Chinese shipyards over the last decade.

Touche.

"Globally, only a few shipyards have the capacity to deliver complex passenger ferries on the timelines and budgets required."

With the tight budget B.C. Ferries has and the fact that it desperately needs new vessels as soon as possible, this is the best solution. In the meantime, by all means build up the Canadian shipbuilding industry, but really, it's hard to compete with China when it comes to price.

Trump Continues to Walk Back on Tariff Threat

A heated call between Trudeau and Trump with profanity 

When asked to describe his telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau diplomatically said it was "colourful".

The Wall Street Journal reported the 50-minute call got heated and involved some profanity from Trump.

Tensions rose when the two leaders discussed dairy products, and later fentanyl. 

Trudeau insists on having all US tariffs removed

During the conversation, Trudeau stressed the US government's own border seizure data shows Canada is not much of a problem, and that the country is doing all it can to reduce the amount of drugs going across the border. 

Customs and Border Protection Data show in the fiscal year 2024, 43 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the northern border, compared to more than 21,000 pounds from Mexico in the same period.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who was also on the call, tried to push back on Trudeau's defence, saying seizures weren't the right way to measure the problem. Trudeau replied there's no other way to actually quantify the problem.

Maybe that's what got Trump annoyed?

He claimed on social media that the call "ended in a 'somewhat' friendly manner."

In the end Trump backed down -- temporarily -- by putting a pause on tariffs on Canadian exports that are "compliant" with the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) until April 2. 

Despite the reprieve, the Canadian government is not removing retaliatory tariffs it levied on US$30 billion worth of American imports.

No more American bourbon on liquor shelves

"Our goal is to get all tariffs removed," Trudeau said to reporters today.

"We are in a moment right now where Canada has a very, very strong bargaining position, because Canadians are so united and unequivocal about standing up for our country and standing up for our fellow citizens and being very firm that this is an unjustified and unjustifiable trade war launched by the Americans," he said.

For example, 80 percent of the potash American farmers use is from Canada, along with things like crude oil, electricity and aluminium.

Premiers of British Columbia and Ontario are going to impose their own tariffs too: BC's Premier David Eby said his government will levy fees on trucks traveling through the province up to Alaska, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford will slap a 25 percent levy on electricity that supplies power to 1.5 million Americans in Minnesota, New York and Michigan.

Many government-owned liquor stores have taken alcohol products from Republican states off shelves in a bid to get those places to appeal to Trump to back down; already bourbon producers in Kentucky are very worried as the state exported US$9.3 billion in products in 2024.

It's quite amazing how Trump forcefully imposed the tariffs, then has walked back so quickly -- perhaps from seeing the stock market tanking and losing confidence in him and the rollercoaster ride that never seems to end.

Canadians are united more than ever to get through this insanity, and Trump has pushed the country to rebuild its domestic economy to be stronger and less reliant on the US. 

Think Twice about Traveling to the US, Eby Says

Trump threatening 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods Feb 1

With Donald Trump busy with a flurry of activity since he was sworn in, the Premier of British Columbia is terrified about the US President's threat of 25 percent tariffs that may come as early as February 1.

If it does go ahead, it could be disastrous not only for BC, but the whole of Canada economically and provincial and federal leaders are all scrambling to figure out a response that would get Trump to back down.

Premier David Eby is calling on British Columbians to think twice about going across the border for holidays.

Eby says people should rethink travel to the US

"We should really be thinking carefully about spending our money in that country," he said. "We will not spend money in a country that wants to do economic harm to Canadians."

Last weekend a relative did an overnight trip to Seattle, Washington, and said there was hardly any waits at the border -- probably the weak Canadian dollar has made people think twice about going to the US, not necessarily the impending Trump administration.

Others have suggested Canadian consumers should stop shopping at places like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon and buy local instead.

Meanwhile provincial and federal officials haven't diversified economies enough to do business with other countries -- the US is too tempting a market to resist with 10 times the population and its proximity to Canada.

But if Trump is going to continue punishing Canada on things like illegal immigration and fentanyl coming into the US, Canada will be forced to do business elsewhere, and being caught flat-footed isn't exactly a good position to be in.

Finally BC Election Results are In

Eby and the NDP will continue to hold onto power

Finally nine days after election day, British Columbia Premier David Eby has clung onto power with 47 seats, the Conservatives with 44 and the Greens with two. This afternoon Eby met with Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin about forming the next government.

Elections BC released the finally tally, though two ridings, Surrey-Guilford and Kelowna Centre are too close to call and will be automatically recounted pending a judicial review.

Rustad accepts the election results

But the results show the NDP have to show British Columbians that they are willing to work hard in the areas of housing, healthcare, and affordability, as well as public safety and the opioid crisis, and Eby acknowledged this.

Meanwhile Conservative leader John Rustad is chuffed about how his party went from no seats to 44 in less than two years, but questions remain about how he will rein in people in his party who have racist leanings, like Brent Chapman in Surrey South, and Dallas Brodie in Vancouver-Quilchena.

Rustad must be breathing a sigh of relief that Conservative candidate Marina Sapozhnikov lost the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding to the NDP. Sapozhnikov had spewed a lot of racist comments regarding Indigenous people, calling them "savages", and that they were not enlightened people.

Nevertheless the strong Conservative results also show voters were willing to hold their noses and overlook their racist outlooks and cast ballots for them in a desperate bid to kick out the NDP.

Furstenau with the Greens' elected MLAs

Although the NDP technically have a majority with 47 seats, they will still need the help of the Greens to pass legislation, and conversations between the two parties have already taken place. 

"Pending a judicial recount, it appears as though MLAs from different parties will have to work together for the Legislature to function effectively," said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Green Party.

BC Elections Too Close to Call Tonight

The start of live TV broadcasts waiting for election results

British Columbia still doesn't know which party will govern it -- it's literally neck-and-neck between the NDP and the Conservatives because Elections BC is recounting 21 ridings as the votes are just too close.

So far, the NDP have 46 seats, the Conservatives 45, the Greens 2. Interestingly so far none of the independents, particularly the incumbents who were formerly BC United, have not made a dent at all.

Rustad giving a victorious speech tonight

The biggest winner tonight was Conservative leader John Rustad who was kicked out of the then BC Liberals and resurrected the blue party from the dead to have the best showing in 100 years. He is obviously chuffed at literally rebuilding the party from scratch. 

Despite his poor performance in the television debate, Rustad and his party has managed to turn the interior of the province deep blue with far less resources than the NDP, which won Metro Vancouver (except Vancouver-Quilchena) and the coastal areas. The results show voters are dissatisfied with the NDP and want change.

The biggest loser was David Eby of the NDP. The close vote is a repudiation of him wasting his two years as leader and not continuing on his predecessor John Horgan's positive streak and making things better for British Columbians. Instead Eby rested on his laurels and also dragged the province into C$9 billion in debt.

Tonight Eby ate his humble pie and has promised to work with the Green party to follow through on his promises.

Eby vowing to keep fighting Conservatives

Meanwhile even though Sonia Furstenau was considered the only adult in the room during the televised debate, she lost her seat tonight at the leader of the Green party. Part of the reason is she chose not to defend her seat in Cowichan Valley, but instead take on NDP incumbent Grace Lore in Victoria-Beacon Hill, a riding held by the NDP since 2005.

Nevertheless, the Greens managed to clinch two seats to maintain its political party status in the legislature, and will be the kingmaker to whoever wins the mandate to form the next government.

There are still some 100,000 mail-in ballots that also need to be counted! Perhaps tomorrow we'll know who won?!

Controversial Conservative Remarks Before Election

Brodie is third from the left, flanked by Greens and NDP

There are only days left until the British Columbia provincial election and already advance voting has seen the highest number of people coming in to cast their vote before October 19.

It's a highly contentious election with the New Democratic Party and in the latest polls the Conservatives are neck-and-neck. Earlier this week there was a televised debate between the three parties, NDP, Conservatives and the Greens.

That 90-minute debate revealed Conservative leader John Rustad not looking confident, hardly looking at the camera and having to go on the defensive as incumbent Premier David Eby launched numerous attacks, sometimes in concert with Green leader Sonia Furstenau.

But Eby was unsettled too, having to defend his record and not having much to show for his two years in power. Rustad said that Eby inherited a province that had a healthy bottom line of C$6 billion, but now is C$9 billion in the red, and what did he have to show for it?

The sniping between Rustad and Eby made Furstenau look like the only adult in the room, using the opportunity to explain the Greens' platform.

Then on Thursday evening, the neighbourhood I reside in held a Q&A with the candidates running in our ridings. Eby is in Vancouver-Point Grey, while Vancouver-Quilchena was the left-leaning stronghold of the BC Liberals, which morphed into BC United led by Kevin Falcon.

But in late August Falcon suddenly announced BC United was suspending its election campaign which resulted in total disarray; BC United candidates were not told of the news ahead of time and didn't know what to do, and neither did left-leaning voters.

In the end some candidates were taken up by the Conservatives, but some chose to run as independents.

So it will be interesting to see who will take Vancouver-Quilchena now that BC United is gone from the slate. 

I was surprised to see a number of Conservative signs up in my neighbourhood and even more so now that the candidate Dallas Brodie has been slammed by an indigenous leader for her racist remarks made at the event I attended.

An NDP candidate fired the salvo, bringing up Brodie's comments about First Nations people who want autonomy and equal footing, those rights come with responsibility.

"When a large percentage of your people are on the Downtown Eastside, it's important that you come and take responsibility for that piece as well. It's not okay to leave your people," she said.

Wade Grant of the Musqueam Indian Band attended the meeting and recorded the video of Brodie's remarks. 

"You could tell there were people in the audience who were uncomfortable with the answer," he said, adding that, "My reaction was one of disbelief for somebody who wants to be a leader in this province."

Many people were taken aback by what she said, as indigenous people in the Downtown Eastside is a complicated issue, and the reason why people end up there are for many different reasons. 

Brodie felt the moderator had cut her off, but he said she could use time in the next question to finish her remarks but she did not.

Nevertheless, it seems most people in the room were more supportive of the NDP and the Greens, and some political pundits are anticipating an NDP minority government propped up by the Greens.

We will find out soon enough...

BC Election Countdown

Voters are going to have a hard time deciding who to lead BC

The writ has dropped in British Columbia with less than 30 days to go before the provincial election.

In the last few weeks we've had so much drama -- in particular BC United suddenly ending its campaign and leaving its candidates orphaned -- that it gives the Conservatives an even closer edge to the incumbent NDP.

BC United leader Kevin Falcon has numerous missteps, from insisting the BC Liberals had to change to BC United, and then many of his star candidates defecting to the Conservatives. They want to win a seat, not be the opposition, if that.

The Conservatives have come out from nowhere in the last two years with John Rustad taking the reins after he was kicked out of BC United for not believing in climate change.

Meanwhile the Premier David Eby has squandered two years in power, making promises and not following through in issues like drug addiction, healthcare and housing. Now the province has mandated that all cities must densify and some municipalities are fighting back because one model doesn't fit every situation.

The healthcare system is on life support, with many hospitals in remote areas having to close on the weekends because there aren't enough doctors. Heck there isn't even enough family doctors so that emergency wards won't be overflowing.

Eby probably wishes he had called a snap election two years ago while he was ahead...

So it's neck-and-neck between the Conservatives and the NDP, though candidates who were unceremoniously left behind by BC United are running as independents on shoestring budgets. If they are elected they could form a new party.

Meanwhile, where does this all leave the voters of British Columbia? Very little choice. Either way they have to hold their noses to vote the lesser of two evils. 

People should still vote anyway because the parties need to know where BC residents stand on issues. But before then, the parties really need to listen to them and present platforms that provide real solutions. We're beyond promises.

Celebrating the Museum's First Birthday

Did tonight's event spark serious donations for the museum?

This evening the Chinese Canadian Museum held a low-key fundraising dinner at Floata Seafood Restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown. The event marks the one-year anniversary of the museum's opening, which also coincided with the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Exclusion Act, when the Canadian government refused the entry of ethnic Chinese people into the country until 1947.

Tonight's event was called Spark Community Dinner and it had all the trappings of a big gala -- the invitation encouraged people to wear Chinese outfits, and some 800 people turned out including politicians from all three levels of government. Interesting to note Premier David Eby was not available, nor was Mayor Ken Sim... was he at the Missy Elliott concert tonight?

We were all starving by the time dinner started; two people at our table didn't show up and then two more people left half way -- Elenore Sturko who is a provincial-level politician and her aide -- so only six of us had food for 10 people. 

The museum needed to raise money to keep itself going, but a raffle where C$50 for three tickets isn't going to raise a lot of cash. The museum was too shy to ask for more money beyond the raffle and individual donations.

But then Bob Rennie stepped up. He is the real estate marketer who bought the Yip Sang building, spent C$22 million to renovate it and then the provincial government shelled out C$25.5 million to purchase the building, the oldest one in Chinatown.

Rennie came on stage and immediately got down to business. He spontaneously asked the biggest sponsor of the dinner, Onni Group onto the stage and said that if he himself donated C$10,000, would Onni do the same? 

They immediately had C$20,000 and now could 40 individuals donate C$500 each? or each person in the room donate C$25?

Rennie pointed out that the infighting in Chinatown had to stop, "or Hastings is going to win," he said, referring to the Downtown Eastside which is filled with homeless people and drug addicts.

That got a lot of applause. Then Rennie added he was running for mayor, which got him more applause but then he said he was just joking.

Nevertheless it took a gweilo, a non-Chinese to tell a room full of Chinese people to put their differences aside and get their act together to fight for Chinatown. Part of it is generational, but mostly it's political. He's right, but will they listen? 

And did the museum get C$40,000 by the end of the evening? 

White Hot Anger Over Chinatown Stabbings

Eby "white hot angry" over the stabbings in Chinatown

The outrage over the triple stabbings on Sunday evening at the Light Up Chinatown event continue, with Premier David Eby expressing his anger that a mentally ill man who allegedly committed the attacks was given a day pass from a psychiatric hospital.

"I cannot fathom how someone who murdered his daughter was released in 2009, went out and stabbed somebody else, would then be released again, unaccompanied, somehow, be able to go out and buy a knife, go to Chinatown, and stab three people. How is that possible," he said Tuesday.

The Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam

Eby added he was "white hot angry" and called for an independent review on how Blair Evan Donnelly was able to get the day pass.

"We will ensure that an independent person looks into the specifics of this case, the decision-making process, how we arrived at this awful place, for Chinatown, for the community, for the people who were attacked. And we'll make sure there's nobody else that's on a day pass that's in a similar situation to ensure the community is safe," he said.

Donnelly allegedly attacked three people with a knife near the stage of the Light Up Chinatown event just before 6pm on Sunday. The couple in their 60s and a young woman in her 20s were sent to hospital and released later.

Not only did Donnelly kill his daughter in 2006, but was found not criminally responsible in 2008 due to mental disorder, he also stabbed a friend in 2009 while he was in a psychotic state. For this Donnelly was held criminally responsible.

There are now questions on why the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam allowed Donnelly to have a day pass despite the previous violent acts he had committed.

Chinatown has held events to get people to come

Ironically this tragic incident has brought much more attention to Chinatown again, with the premier vowing to make it doesn't happen again.

However, reporters listening to Eby today were skeptical that he would make any substantial change for the better. Will he prove them wrong?

Stay tuned.

Divided Over Chinatown's Revitalisation

Lions kick off "Light Up Chinatown" in Vancouver

Today was the start of the two-day "Light Up Chinatown", an initiative from the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation in a bid to revitalise the neighbourhood leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival. The lions were out in force prancing on stage, while politicians trotted out, like BC Premier David Eby and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, encouraging people to come to the area more often.

Other entertainment on the main stage included girls performing traditional Chinese dances, singers exercising their vocal abilities, hip hop dancers strutting their stuff, and even magic tricks to impress the crowd. 

A Western-style bun stuffed with char siu 

And there was lots of food on offer, from bubble tea to poke bowls and burgers, to special collaborations like a European-style bun stuffed with char siu, and another group offering five grilled skewers from five different chefs paired with wines.

Interestingly, one of the sponsors of the event is Beedie Living, the developer of the controversial site 105 Keefer Street. Beedie plans to build condos on the vacant lot, which will be beyond the reach of the elderly residents in the area, and is right next to a monument commemorating the Chinese railway workers in the 1880s and the soldiers who fought in World War II. 

Several years ago many in Chinatown were against it when Beedie made its presentation at City Hall, but then earlier this year many people and businesses in the area did a 180-degree turn and fully supported the plan, believing construction is better than letting the site remain empty.

Those who still do not support the development and would rather social housing be built on the plot of land held their own event in an alleyway. They marked the first anniversary of the fire that destroyed Gain Wah, a legacy business in Chinatown that not only served cheap Chinese food, but also had inexpensive housing upstairs for seniors and restaurant staff.

Gain Wah Restaurant following the fire last year

This grassroots group held an event to bring attention to the issue of food insecurity in Chinatown, as it was not really a fundraiser for Gain Wah.

Nevertheless, it shows that not everyone in Chinatown is united behind one cause, that the differences in the community fall along political lines. Either one supports the corporate elites who believe money is going to revitalise the area, or grassroots, who are trying to help the residents in the area have a safe environment to live in and support local businesses to keep the ecosystem going.

One side has vastly more resources than the other, but the smaller group is scrappy and determined to continue voicing its opinions.

As someone watching on the sidelines, there's never a dull moment in Chinatown. 

Kelowna's Unprecedented Wildfires

Firefighters are overwhelmed by the scale of the wildfires

Following the evacuation of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories because of an impending wildfire, a community about a five-hour drive east of Vancouver is on edge watching the wildfires consume the forests and houses in the Okanagan.

There's West Kelowna and then Kelowna proper which are joined by a bridge over Lake Okanagan along Highway 97.

Fires were burning in West Kelowna and then late last night high winds blew the fire across the narrowest part of Lake Okanagan over to Kelowna.

West Kelowna residents had to evacuate

Many people in West Kelowna grabbed whatever they could and drove across the bridge to Kelowna hoping they would be safe, but in some cases, their friends and family were suddenly under an evacuation alert too because fires were encroaching on neighbourhoods there too.

This morning long time West Kelowna resident Steven Francis had an emotional interview with the host of the early morning Vancouver radio show. He said he had faced evacuation orders before, but the intensity of the McDougall Creek fire was unlike anything he had experienced. 

"It came right to our doorstep, with all its rage and fury and power. And I broke down," he said, pausing and his voice choked.

"I had a moment, and maybe I'm having one now."

Watching the inferno across Lake Okanagan

Even one of the radio hosts based in Kelowna announced an evacuation alert for his own neighbourhood later in the day. One wondered if he even had time to prepare, as he was so focused on giving listeners as much information as he could about the wildfire situation as it evolved so quickly.

It was also heartbreaking to listen to West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund in the afternoon when he said: "We fought hard last night to protect our community. We fought 100 years worth of fires all in one night."

Some listeners called in to talk about their situation, while others profusely thanked the firefighters and emergency response personnel for working so hard to do whatever they could to protect their houses.

When asked what evacuees planned to do for the next few days, they all said they couldn't, that their priority was to get out of their situation and now they could only take it day by day because the wildfire situation is constantly evolving. 

For me, in mid June I visited Kelowna and a handful of small cities in the Okanagan by car and saw first hand the stunning scenery of mountainous areas covered in trees that go in peaks and valleys around the perimeter of Lake Okanagan, a giant lake that is 135km long, and between 4km-5km wide.

Eby declared a state of emergency this evening

At dinner time BC Premier David Eby finally showed up in a televised press conference and declared a state of emergency so that people would evacuate the area to allow firefighters to do their work without distractions. Shockingly there were reports of people flying drones or not heeding calls to evacuate which not only impede firefighters but also endanger their lives.

There are now questions about what the government could have done to mitigate these wildfires, and what it will do for all these displaced people. Over a year after wildfires destroyed a town called Lytton, and yet up till now nothing has been rebuilt. 

Turning closer to home, it makes me wonder -- if there is a fire here, what are the essential items I would take with me if we had to leave our home? Where would we go? It's a mental checklist that needs to be thought of now, not when it's too late.

A New Landmark in Chinatown

Eight lions ready to open the museum

Today was a momentous occasion -- the opening of the first national Chinese-Canadian museum in Vancouver's Chinatown. 

Some 300 guests assembled on East Pender Street where the museum is, across from the Chinese Cultural Centre. The street was blocked off for the event, with police cars and officers making sure the riff raff were kept out.

Eby speaking at the opening ceremony

Numerous dignitaries were there, from federal, provincial and municipal, all having played some role in helping launch the museum, along with wealthy donors, and who's who of Chinatown.

For the politicians who spoke, it was an opportunity to recount their political role in getting the museum off the ground, with much gratitude to former BC premier John Horgan who supported it with lots of funding to purchase the building, renovate and keep it going.

Mayor Ken Sim swaggered on stage and challenged people in the audience not to be moved by the inaugural exhibit, which marks the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Exclusion Act, a dark period in Canadian history when the Chinese were singled out for excessive documentation.

The show features hundreds of CIs or Chinese Immigration certificates that have black and white photographs of people, men, women and children who not only came from China but also born in Canada. In total just under 60,000 Chinese were registered with the Canadian government.

Mel Yip lived at Wing Sang building

The building the museum is housed in is also full of meaning. It is the Wing Sang building, the oldest in Chinatown. It was owned by Yip Sang, a young man from southern China who first tried to make his fortune in California, and then went up north to British Columbia and eventually settled in Vancouver's Chinatown.

Yip was considered the unofficial mayor of the neighbourhood and was so successful that he had three wives and 23 children. They all lived together in the back of the Wing Sang building and one of Yip's grandsons, Mel Yip remembers being there for the first 15 years of his life.

He talks fondly of never not having playmates around, rollerskating down Columbia Street and going to the movies with his numerous cousins.

Yip Sang died in 1927 just as the Great Depression was coming. While the rest of the family continued to live there, they vacated the building in the early 2000s due to disrepair.

Condo marketer supremo Bob Rennie bought the Wing Sang building in 2004 and many feared he would tear it down, but he poured money into it to fix it up structurally and to make it almost museum quality to showcase his massive art collection. Upstairs he kept one room intact -- the small schoolroom where the Yip children were educated by tutors hired from Hong Kong.

Catherine Clement gives media a tour of the show

He then sold the building to the museum for less than what he paid to renovate it and even donated money too, which is why Mayor Sim joked Rennie made the worst business decision when he sold the building. Har har...

Hopefully the new museum will not only be a new landmark in Chinatown, but also be a place to exchange ideas and discuss what it means to be Chinese-Canadian today, not just in the past.

Chinese Canadian Museum

51 East Pender Street

Vancouver, BC

(604) 262 0990

More Money to Revitalise Vancouver's Chinatown

More provincial funding will help revitalise Chinatown

Vancouver's Chinatown's appearance has dramatically improved since the city last month cleared out all the tents where homeless people lived, and stepped up cleaning the streets more often. 

Back alleys which used to be strewn with trash and human waste are practically clear of garbage, and sidewalks are pretty spotless.

And now the province is chipping in C$2.2 million to fix up the neighbourhood, from storefronts to the Chinese Cultural Centre which have been covered in graffiti and damaged by vandals.

Lee (second left), and Eby, (fourth to left)

The announcement was made by BC Premier David Eby, who says the new funding will help Chinatown "realise the clear plan that this community has to revitalise the neighbourhood for residents, for visitors, and for businesses."

The money is going towards the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation of which Carol Lee is the chair. She said the announcement is a "turning point" for the neighbourhood because it creates a catalyst for sustainable economic revitalisation, signalling to visitors that Chinatown is once again "the place to be."

However, while some business owners in the neighbourhood are grateful for the financial injection, they think more needs to be done in terms of safety, as there are still homeless people occupying their storefronts or making visitors feel uneasy and as a result don't want to stay long.

Cruise ship season has started, but these Chinatown business owners say tourists aren't coming to the area, but to Gastown instead, because they have heard of the safety issue in the news or through word of mouth.

Hopefully people's perception of Chinatown will change soon, and there are also other initiatives to bring more people into the area, like parking meters on the street will charge C$2 an hour starting on June 1.

I visit the neighbourhood once a week and the area is grappling with how it should move forward. There is no question that business owners and residents want to keep Chinatown going, but how? There are issues of gentrification, keeping legacy businesses open, and getting the next generation to come down to Chinatown more often and patronise shops.

Tent encampments are gone, some people remain

But first the issue of safety needs to be tackled and that means finding social housing for the homeless -- if they want it, and helping them get treatment if they want to wean themselves off drugs. It's a complicated set of problems, but when six people die per day from drug overdoses, it's an issue that can't be overlooked. 

Sadly successive governments, municipal, provincial and federal have ignored the problem for decades and now here we are. Hopefully this problem will finally be sorted otherwise Chinatown is going to continue to hang by a thread through no fault of its own.