Unease Leads to Falling Property Sales

One of Vancouver's top condo markets has slashed staff count

Unease is in the air, and the next few months look extremely challenging for people on edge about their employment and financial situation.

It was disconcerting to read the news that one of the biggest condo marketers in Vancouver cut 25 percent of its staff.

Rennie laid off 31 of its office staff, claiming geopolitics, economic factors and artificial intelligence for the drastic move.

"It was a necessary step in response to a changing market, but no less painful," the company said on LinkedIn.

The company's post added Rennie is reducing its head office staff count to 92 from 123 [with a total of 400 employees], and pleaded for anyone looking for people to consider its "thoughtful, talented contributors who helped shape our culture and our business."

Real estate sales have slowed in Vancouver, dropping 24 percent in April year on year, and it was reported the other day the valuations of pre-construction condos have fallen -- which means those who put down payments a year or two ago cannot get mortgages at the previous higher valuation, but the current one.

That will result in more people being unable to afford their condos and will have to sell at fire sale prices.

Then there's the Trump factor, with the American president's indiscriminate tariffs casting a chill on thoughts of making any kind of big ticket purchases from cars to property.

And there's also AI, which makes having humans doing the same work redundant and cost-saving. 

Which is perhaps why Rennie says in the post: "The shifts we are seeing in real estate aren't temporary, they are structural. And yesterday is never coming back."

Yikes.

Mila Soup Dumplings Finally at Costco in Canada

Liu promotes Mila soup dumplings, aka xiaolongbao

Canadian-Chinese actor Simu Liu is the chief content officer, ie brand ambassador for Mila, a brand of frozen soup dumplings, aka xiaolongbao from the United States.

Mila started selling online, but they started being available in Costco in the US two years ago, and then a few weeks ago were finally for sale in Canada.

The cooked version after steaming for 12 minutes

We bought a bag to try, and the other day tested them out.

Each bag has explicit instructions on how to prepare them -- either steamed or fried like potstickers. We did the former.

In the bag are steamer liners with holes in them and placed one in the bamboo steamer. Following the instructions, we placed 10 frozen xiaolongbao on top of the steamer liners, about an inch apart.

When the water under the metal steamer was boiling, we placed the bamboo steamer inside. The directions say 11 minutes, plus one minute with the heat turned off, then letting it rest of another minute before consuming them.

Just to be sure it was cooked, we let it steam for 12 minutes, and one minute with the heat turned off before serving it.

Available now at Costco in Canada

At first glance the cooked dumplings look machine made. Bite into the first one and it's piping hot, with a small amount of soup inside. The ground pork is more on the lean side with not a lot of fat in it to give it a smoother texture and sweeter taste, but passable if you don't have access to restaurants that serve handmade xiaolongbao.

Poor Travel is the Hottest Trend Now

Young mainland tourists sleeping in McDonald's for the night

While Hong Kong saw 22 percent surge in mainland visitors from the year before, about 1.1 million tourists during the week-long May Day holiday, a lot of them were not staying in hotels.

They weren't even sleeping in beds.

Mostly students and young people stayed overnight in 24-hour McDonald's outlets in Hong Kong.

"Poor travel" is the new trend

Just like some homeless people who opt to find shelter in the fast-food restaurant, these tourists put their suitcases between their knees and put their heads down on the greasy tables to rest -- for several hours.

It's called "poor travel", and Hongkongers were not impressed.

The pictures of mainlanders occupying tables in McDonald's to sleep at went viral and the matter was brought up with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.

"Hong Kong has to be a city that welcomes tourists, and tourists include all kinds of tourists," he replied. 

"There will be high-end travellers, and there will also be non-high-end travellers, but we must look at tourism as a whole, so that every tourist will find their experience in Hong Kong is an enjoyable one, is a welcome one."

However, back in December 2023, Lee pledged the government's priority would be to attract more overnight visitors and boost their spending, and focus on high quality visitor experiences.

While Hong Kong did indeed attract a lot of visitors, they definitely did not spend much, and instead found as many free attractions and cheap food as they could by consulting Xiaohongshu.

It's another sign of China's economy slowing down considerably, and the instability is making people conserve their money, or they just don't have the cash to splurge.

Which made one Hongkonger comment online: "If you can't afford it, don't travel."

Carney Tells Trump Canada Not For Sale. Ever

Carney and Trump meet for the first time in the Oval Office

Canadians watched with baited breath as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sat down with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Trump again mentioned Canada becoming the 51st state, but Carney firmly put his foot down.

"As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale. We're sitting in one now, Buckingham Palace is one as well," he said, getting a rare laugh from Trump.

"Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the of the campaign, the last several months, it's not for sale. It won't be for sale, ever."

While Trump tried to get the last line with, "Never say never," it was Carney's words that made world headlines. 

With that, Canadians were pleased their guy kept his "elbows up" in defending Canada.

Afterwards CBC Radio's noon show fielded calls from listeners across British Columbia to ask them their reaction to the visit.

On the whole everyone was pleased, one saying that Carney was cool and collected, as he was the smartest person in the room and didn't need to show it.

Others were frustrated by Trump's volatile behaviour and disrespecting world leaders, like Volodymr Zelensky, and impressed that Carney kept his cool.

Frank McKenna, the former ambassador to the US, suggested that perhaps someone should mischievously suggest that Alaska is interested in leaving the US to join Canada (currently at 36 percent) and maybe then Trump would stop referring to Canada as the 51st state.

He also said it was a good day because Trump was respectful towards Carney, but noted:

"You know there's something strange when we have to say respecting another leader is a highlight," he said with a laugh. "It should not be. But in the case that we're dealing with at the present time, I would say that would be one of the highlights of the day." 

Carney and Trump agreed to talk again when Canada hosts the G7 Summit later this year. But does Canada allow convicted felons into the country?

Ancient Mexican Fare Near Chinatown

Food before the Spanish arrived in Mexico

There's a lot of buzz about Mexico these days, with many people traveling to the country for holidays as an alternative to the United States, and most recently many bars on the North America Best 50 Bars list were from there, in particular Mexico City.

On Saturday afternoon a foodie friend and I were in Chinatown and as we walked to his car, he suggested we have a snack in a Mexican restaurant.

Salad with pumpkin flower, lettuce and sour cream

Where was that? 

A place called Machete -- pronounced ma-chet-teh, unlike the sharp knifed weapon, and it serves Mexican food that was made before the Spanish arrived. So the ingredients are mostly corn, blue corn, cacao, and yucca to name a few. Apparently this is the only restaurant of its kind in Vancouver.

Cecilia Aguayo is the chef and owner, and she cooks up dishes inspired by her grandmother who ate a healthy diet.

We tried the itacates, which means food for a journey, which are usually packed into triangles of tortillas. But at Machete, it was like an open-faced salad, and the one we had was called flor de calabaza, featuring pumpkin flower, white onions, garlic, and epazote, or Mexican tea which is a leafy plant.

It was a refreshing, light salad that was topped with lettuce, sour cream, cheese, guacamole and pumpkin seeds.

Chocolate drink with hint of orange and vanilla

Then we had the machete, a long quesadilla in blue corn tortillas, filled with vegetables and Oaxaca cheese. It came with a long serrated knife for us to cut it! Inside was mostly roasted peppers, mushrooms, refried beans and the melted cheese. 

By this point I was getting full; it was after 3pm and I would be eating dinner in a few hours!

However besides our snacks, the drinks were very interesting. Machete has a cacao bar with various drinks made from chocolate. This is not like hot chocolate served elsewhere where it is thick and rich, quickly spiking your sugar levels and leaving you feeling full.

Instead these drinks are light and foamy with the drink emphasising the chocolate flavour without the heaviness.

A vegetarian machete, or quesadilla

I tried the recommendation of meztli ice latte, a concoction of cacao nibs, orange, vanilla, cinnamon, almond milk and ice, while my friend had the nahualli ice latte, mixing cacao with coffee, milk, vanilla and cinnamon panela sugar.

Both drinks were served in giant hollowed out coconut shells and balanced on a small ring. We had to hold the cups with both hands and sip from the coconut shell. 

What an interesting experience!

Machete

1007 Main Street

Vancouver, BC

778 302 4795

Din Tai Fung is Finally Open in Vancouver

The signature xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung didn't disappoint

Din Tai Fung Vancouver just opened up over a week ago and it's generated a lot of buzz to say the least. We have been anticipating its opening for at least a year and it has finally opened its doors on Alberni Street. Despite a few kinks to iron out, the Taiwanese restaurant chain has lived up to the hype.

I managed to snag a reservation during the soft opening phase by entering my email in the newsletter and we arrived this evening to try dinner here.

Sweet and sour baby back ribs were superb

For years Din Tai Fung has resisted opening in Vancouver, with supposed claims there was too much competition here (Chinese food is already excellent), they typically open in a shopping mall, or it just didn't make sense financially to set up shop here.

But perhaps they did finally find the right place -- a massive space on the second floor of a hotel/serviced apartment in downtown Vancouver. Perhaps if Din Tai Fung opened in Richmond it would be too much competition. There aren't many Chinese restaurants downtown, though Din Tai Fung happens to be a few stores down from Kirin!

We arrived a few minutes early and the reception area was absolutely chaotic with lots of people waiting around. I checked in with one of the three staff there who said it would take 20 minutes to be seated. Excuse me? That wasn't the answer I was expecting...

Sweet and crunchy Taiwanese cabbage

When tables were ready, staff would wander around to the different groups standing around, asking if they were so-and-so to take them to the dining room. It seemed inefficient and tedious, but perhaps they didn't want to go through the number-calling or name-calling route.

In the end we waited less than 10 minutes and were seated in the main hall where down at the end was a giant pane of glass where cooks in white uniforms and caps rolled out dough or wrapped dumplings. Later did I find out the restaurant was massive because down another hall there was yet another large dining space and a smaller "patio" one that was sort of enclosed.

Staff were friendly and asked if we needed instructions on how to order, but since we had eaten at other Din Tai Fung locations, we knew the drill. Was surprised to find there was no picture menu; diners had to scan a QR code to see pictures of the dishes.

Vegan dumplings choc full of vegetables

Disappointed to see no hong shao kaofu on the menu, though every other table had spicy cucumbers, as influencers had pronounced it an "iconic dish"... if that was the case, what would the xiaolongbao be described as?

We made our order on a slip of paper, and then waited. And waited. And waited... almost half an hour before our sweet and sour baby back ribs arrived. But boy were they delicious. The meat was so tender and the thick sauce whetted our appetites.

Next came the chicken xiaolongbao, as indicated by a small chicken carved out of a carrot. Both this and the kurobuta pork xiaolongbao have a mouthfeel to them; the pork in the xiaolongbaos in the Din Tai Fung in San Diego was so finely ground they were too smooth.

The vegan dumplings wrapped in green wrappers were very good, light with various mushrooms, tofu, jicama, wood ear fungus and vermicelli. We also liked the wontons in soup, a small whole shrimp wrapped with kurobuta pork in a savoury clear broth with lots of chopped green onions in it.

Braised beef shank with egg noodles in soup

For vegetables we had the string beans with minced garlic were crunchy, and the Taiwanese cabbage that had a sweetness to it, also with fried garlic slices. 

We couldn't not order the braised beef noodle soup, with a tinge of spice. The chunks of tender beef were of the shin shank, with bits of tendon in it, together with house made egg noodles and bok choy. We were pretty much full by this point, but had to try dessert...

The red bean and mochi xiaolongbao were much smaller than the savoury ones, and filled with red bean and had a slightly chewy texture from the mochi. We had 10 pieces and wished we could have split half the order with another flavour, like taro. I already gave this suggestion in the feedback survey. It's quite boring to have to eat three red bean and mochi dumplings.

The bill came to C$172.21 with tax, and including tip just under C$200 for three.

Red bean and mochi xiaolongbao for dessert

Nevertheless, despite the soft opening glitches, the food was already at a high standard and service was friendly. Hopefully the logistical issues will be sorted soon and Din Tai Fung will be the hot spot in Vancouver for a while yet.

Din Tai Fung Vancouver

1132 Alberni Street

Vancouver

 

Picture of the Day: Pink Peonies

Beautiful peonies in bloom already!

It's that time of year again when my mother's peonies are in bloom!

This year we counted 30 buds that will blossom this year, thanks to organic compost to fertilise the soil.

A week ago the buds were coming out and then boom! They have unfurled into a massive mass of brilliant fuchsia and pink petals.

When examined closely the petals are quite delicate, and like sakura, these peonies fade soon after blooming.

Is it no wonder that Chinese painters liked to paint peonies, which are known as the "king of flowers", perhaps because of their size. Peonies represent wealth, honour, prosperity and success. 

We are taking pictures of them everyday, capturing their spirit and beauty before they disappear... for another year.

Carney Gets Down to Business

Carney to visit Trump next week, and King Charles is coming

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the media this morning, his first press conference following the federal election.

He made several announcements, including that he will make a trip to Washington on Tuesday to see US President Donald Trump to reset Canada-US relations, which have soured significantly since Trump took office in January.

"Our old relationship, based on steadily increasing integration, is over," Carney said. "The questions now are how our nations will cooperate in the future and where we, in Canada, will move on."

King to read throne speech

Apparently Carney's team is trying to prepare for every possibility during talks with Trump, as he can be unpredictable. But it seems Carney is intent on setting the ground rules when it comes to dealing with Canada as a sovereign nation -- not the 51st state.

"It will be a complex negotiation," Carney said. "I'm not pretending those discussions will be easy. They won't proceed in a straight line. There will be zigs and zags, ups and downs."

Also on Carney's to-do list is to choose his cabinet ministers and write the throne speech -- that King Charles III will read on May 27, when parliament opens a new session. Queen Camilla will also come for the occasion.

"This is a historic honour which matches the weight of our times," Carney said. The last time a monarch gave the address was back in 1977 by Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile Elections Canada has done a recount and the Liberals are back to 169 seats, as the party's candidate in the riding of Milton East-Halton Hills South beat the Conservatives by just 29 seats.

Earlier the Liberals had lost a seat to the Bloc Quebecois in another recount.

As for Pierre Poilievre, who lost his seat in the Ottawa riding of Carleton, one MP has offered to give up his seat in Alberta. Damien Kurek had handily won the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot easily with 82 percent of the vote.

Poilievre to run for seat in Alberta by-election

Carney was gracious enough to say that he will call a by-election as soon as possible so that Poilievre can return to the House as leader.

"I've already indicated to Mr Poilievre that... I will ensure that it happens as soon as possible. No games, nothing," Carney said in the press conference.

As prime minister, Carney could have made his opponent wait a maximum of six months before calling a by-election. But he is extending a peace branch, perhaps in a bid to get things done in parliament. 

Meanwhile Poilievre posted a statement on X saying: "It is with humility and appreciation that I have accepted Damien Kurek's offer to resign his seat in Battle River-Crowfoot so that I can work to earn the support of citizens there to serve them in Parliament."

We will be watching this by-election closely...!

Mo Posts About her Prison Experience

Mo ended her silence by posting a message on social media

Former legislator Claudia Mo Man-ching kept herself busy by reading books and learning French while she was in jail for four years and two months.

A day after she was released, Mo wrote a post on social media about her "Kafka-esque" life behind bars.

"Many thanks for all the concern and care expressed upon my release. Prison life was surreal, almost Kafka-esque to start with. But I didn't suffer the two major incarceration traumas, loneliness and boredom, thanks to the social arrangements inside," she wrote.

A new photo of Mo at home

"During my time in custody, I've managed to read more than 300 books, mainly novels. Been also picking up on my French."

Mo also thanked her family and friends for support, in particular naming Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Reporters Withouth Borders, and Unison, an advocate for ethnic minorities that has disbanded.

"My thoughts are with my co-defendants who remain in custody," she said.

Mo was released April 29 along with fellow former legislators Gary Fan Kwok-wai, Kwok Ka-ki, and Jeremy Tan Man-ho who also served just over four years in jail.

They were among the 45 former politicians and pro-democracy activists sentenced over a conspiracy to subvert the state under the national security law for their involvement in a legislative primary election in 2020.

The four pleaded guilty and were handed the lightest jail term of the defendants.

Sculpture with Yellow Raincoats Removed in HK

Ju Ming's Lining Up before it was covered up last year

A sculpture featuring a series of people, including one in a yellow raincoat, and another holding a yellow umbrella has been permanently removed from the piazza at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Entitled Lining Up by well-known Taiwanese artist Ju Ming, 10 people cast in bronze, are seemingly in a queue.

Although the work was created in 2002 and displayed there since 2017, the yellow raincoat and umbrella took on greater significance following the Umbrella Movement and the 2019 protests, as the colour is related to the pro-democracy protesters.

Hoarding covered up the yellow raincoat people

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department blocked the public from viewing, let alone interacting with the work by covering it with hoarding from April last year, with the intention of doing maintenance work.

On the hoarding were photographs of the sculptures, but then grey panels were strategically placed where there are two people wearing yellow raincoats, and another holding a yellow umbrella would have been.

But now Lining Up won't be coming back to its former place.

"As the sculpture concerned had been on display at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza for many years since 2017, it would not be reinstalled in situ," said a spokeswoman from the LCSD.

She did not say whether the decision was related to the yellow raincoats, nor did she give further details on the storage arrangements, or whether keeping it out of public view would be a waste of resources.

Hong Kong-based art critic John Batten, called the decision not to reinstall the work unnecessary, and an overreaction, as the piece was not political in nature. He added the decision was not beneficial for the city's art image overseas.

The Taiwanese sculptor had other works in HK

"It's a much loved work by the public, a very interactive work in a prominent position also with mainlanders going to the area. No one sees that yellow raincoat colour as a political work," Batten said.

"What happened in 2019 is still a strong feeling for everyone in Hong Kong, [but] we all sort of know the boundaries now. The piece was never part of the protest... It's unnecessary."

Batten hopes the sculpture can be exhibited elsewhere in the city.

"I would ask that people, the art lovers in Hong Kong, be respected and the artwork is put back on display."

Originally from Taiwan, Ju Ming originally trained as a woodcarver, and worked with other media, like bronze, ceramics, stainless steel, and styrofoam. He died in 2023 at the age of 85.

In Hong Kong he also has statues doing tai chi in Exchange Square and outside the Bank of China building, both in Central.

North America's 50 Best Bars Unveiled in Vancouver

Best Canadian showing was Bar Pompette No. 7

Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy took top spot in the North America 50 Best Bars this evening, and 13 other bars in the South American country did well in the rankings.

The awards, held at JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, was held for the first time in Canada, much to the excitement of the crowd.

It is the strategy of Destination Vancouver to bring events like 50 Best Bars and Michelin to the city to present it as a culinary and cocktail destination.

New Orleans hospitality at Jewel

Botanist Bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim got the highest ranking of Vancouver bars at No. 26, while The Keefer Bar in Chinatown wasn't far behind at 28. 

Bar Pompette from Toronto had the highest Canadian showing at No. 7, and Civil Liberties at No. 21, also from Hogtown.

The ballroom was packed with people, the members of the Best 50 wearing the signature red scarves. There was a lot of energy and love in the room, as the winners were called out there were lots of shouts and chanting of names.

Earlier in the day I attended the "Meet the Bartenders" event. Five bars were chosen to speak to media, bloggers, and probably judges(?) in a kind of speed-dating approach with the bar representatives spending 12 minutes at each station.

Jewel of the South from New Orleans landed No. 4 on the list this evening! Chris Hannah is the bartender and co-owner. The bar is located in an 1830s house in the French Quarter which gives it its southern charm. The concept here is to find drink recipes from the 1800s and adapt them to the modern era.

Hannah explained back then the cocktails were much smaller, and the first cocktails were actually served from punchbowls that later evolved into individual drinks.

Keefer Bar inspired by Chinatown

In Vancouver's Chinatown is The Keefer Bar, which opened 15 years ago and keeps some 35 cocktails on its menu that changes every three months. They get inspiration from Chinatown and check out the herbalist stores for funky ingredients like sea dragon and cordyceps. 

"We think of it as alcohol as medicine," said Amber Bruce, the beverage director at The Keefer Bar. "Elixirs made you feel better."

They have created interesting combinations like hojicha goes well with whisky and maple syrup with uji mushrooms gives it an earthy taste. 

They also support other Chinatown businesses like Kam Wai Dim Sum that makes dumplings and baos for them since they started 15 years ago.

Claudia Cabrera is the co-founder of Kaito del Valle in Mexico City that was ranked No. 40 tonight. The basic concept of the bar is Japanese meets Mexico, using a lot of sake in their drinks. Kaito is also staffed by all women.

The bar is located above a Japanese restaurant, and the landlord originally asked Cabrera to open an izakaya and she was not comfortable doing that -- she just wanted to open a bar and thankfully that's what she did.

"I wanted to open a bar and take the best of Japan," Cabrera explained. "I want people to have fun, have easy to drink cocktails." Bar patrons can also eat ramen there. 

Interesting ingredients they use at Kaito include wasabi syrup, sesame fat wash, sushi rice balls, soy sauce and MSG.

Flavours of Asia at PCH

Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco was No. 16 on the list. Owned by Kevin Diedrich, the bar is located near Union Square and he says it's a love letter to Asia Pacific Islanders, as he himself is Filipino-American and his wife is Hawaiian-Japanese.

However, his bartending career has been in New York (including PDT), Washington DC and San Francisco, where he has made classic cocktails. But these days it's about Asian flavours like one drink called Kungfu Pandan, using rice whisky with pandan syrup, that reminds people of steamed rice with pandan.

"They say, 'This tastes like my childhood,'" he says, adding for him, hospitality is you remembering how you felt at that place, not necessarily the drink.

Diedrich says he has one patron who comes to PCH everyday -- six days a week -- and doesn't necessarily drink the same drink.

To make him feel extra special, PCH has a dedicated embossed leather coaster  with his initials monogrammed on it.

The staff also keep detailed lists of regular guests and their preferences in a binder, harking back to Diedrich's days working in The Ritz-Carlton.

In the Grand Cayman, Library by the Sea was listed No. 30 on the Best 50 Bars tonight. Max Wolff, the head bartender was excited to tell us about the bar, where they take books and create drinks around them. They are also illustrated in their bar menus.

While that's creative, even more interesting is that the bar finds vintage spirits dating back decades for people to try.

Imagine drinking pre-revolutionary Bacardi rum made in 1932 while reading Ernest Hemingway's story that became the novel The Man and the Sea? And looking out into the ocean, the same view he had?

They explained this rum became so popular they finished the first bottle in six days. It also cost US$500 per bottle, but now it's no less than $2,500!

They have a person helping them source these vintage bottles, but they have also since made connections with private collectors, willing to sell their stash for a good price...

Carney Wins the Two-Horse Race

Carney will lead the Liberals to a fourth term in government

The results of the 2025 federal election in Canada are still coming in and it's a nail-biter down to the end.

While the Liberals have won the mandate to form the next government, it is not the landslide pundits had predicted. Currently the Liberals are projected to have 167 seats, Conservatives 145 in this mostly two-horse race.

As expected the New Democrats were decimated, and leader Jagmeet Singh graciously conceded defeat and is stepping down.

Poilievre still trying to hang onto his seat

Meanwhile Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre may lose his seat, but in a speech to his supporters, he did not say anything about giving up yet.

The NDP currently only have five seats, and the Green Party only has one seat -- Elizabeth May winning again.

Those who voted for Liberals were worried about US President Donald Trump and his tariffs, while those who marked the Conservatives on their ballots chose change. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney has done exceptionally well and has already reached out to May to see how he can work with her because he needs as much support as he can get to realise his platform.

Halfway around the world there is good news in Hong Kong, with four pro-democracy leaders who were known as the "47 democrats" were finally released Tuesday morning after more than four years in prison.

Claudia Mo Man-ching, Jeremy Tan Man-ho, Kwok Ka-ki, and Gary Fan Kwok-wai were the first of the convicted activists who reunited with family and friends. 

Four lawmakers released from prison today

There was a lot of concern about Mo's health, and it's a relief to see she is finally out and reunited with her husband, Philip Bowring. He told the media they hope to go to England to see their grandchildren.

However, there are concerns as to how free these four former lawmakers will be...

They were part of the group of 45 pro-democracy activists who had organised a primary election in 2020 and resulted in a turnout of 610,000 voters who chose candidates who were supposed to stand in the Legislative Council elections.

In their verdict, the judges said the activists' plan could have undermined the government's authority and created a constitutional crisis.

For the time being, it will take some time for these newly released politicians to get used to being back home and with loved ones, but for sure they will relish every moment.

Man Charged with 8 Counts of Murder for Festival Tragedy

Rai addressing the media with Sim (left) this afternoon

Overnight news of the horrific tragedy of the vehicle that plowed into people attending a Filipino street party in Vancouver spread around the world. 

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was "shattered to hear about the terrible incident."

Even King Charles sent condolences via a social media post.

The damaged SUV at the scene of attack

"Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whose lives have been shattered by such a desperate tragedy and we send our deepest possible sympathy at a most agonising time for so many in Canada," he wrote.

Some people in Vancouver woke up to the news this morning, and the shock, sadness and disbelief happened all over again.

Finally there were some numbers -- in the morning it was reported nine people had died, over a dozen injured.

Then at 2pm there was another press conference, this time with Mayor Ken Sim -- dressed in a black suit -- giving a heartfelt speech conveying his sadness and anger over what happened last night and has asked for a full investigation.

It was good to see him step up and finally act like a mayor. Following the by-election a few weeks ago when his ABC party was hammered, Sim realises he needs to actually do his job. If he takes this opportunity to show that he is performing his mayoral duties properly, residents may actually cut him some slack; but he's going to have to work really hard for forgiveness.

At that same press conference Interim Police Chief Steve Rai disclosed only a sliver more of information, that the now 11 deceased ranged in age from five to 65, and that 17 people are still in hospital.

Rai also confirmed the driver of the vehicle was very well known to police and mental health workers.

Lo charged this afternoon, appeared in court

Later in the afternoon news broke that 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in relation to the crash at the Lapu Lapu Festival. There are still a lot of questions around security of the festival, though Rai said a risk assessment was made with festival organisers that it didn't require more security like other events.

However, following this tragedy, the police will have to re-examine how they conduct these risk assessments and if police need to attend every single event held in the city. There are also questions why someone with mental health issues and well-known to police, did not get the help he needed, and why he was still able to drive a car. In this case an SUV.

Witnesses came out in the media to give first-hand accounts of what they saw and heard last night. It sounds absolutely horrific, some hearing boom, boom, boom, and later realising it was the sound of the car hitting people, others who had set up stalls at the festival, were cleaning up and leaving when they saw bodies on the ground. They are completely traumatised.

One admitted that whenever he sees groups of people he is terrified and hears the sounds and remember the images he saw.

But Lo, the driver who is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, has a troubled past. Last year his older brother was murdered and turned to the public for money to pay for the funeral. And then his mother tried to commit suicide and she spent a month in hospital.

Today Lo appeared briefly in court, did not request bail and will remain in custody until his next court appearance on May 26 in Vancouver provincial court. 

Tragedy Tonight in Vancouver

Multiple people were killed and injured in Vancouver tonight

People in Metro Vancouver are in shock and devastated after news broke that several people were killed and injured after a driver plowed into a crowd participating in a street festival at 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street.

The police held an impromptu press conference at the scene, but did not give much more information than what is already known. 

They would only say that at around 8.14pm a lone male in his 30s drove a vehicle into a street festival called Lapu Lapu Day Block Party organised by the Filipino community. There were food trucks lined along the narrow street selling food, as well as stages for performances.

The narrow road was lined with food trucks

After the incident, festival bystanders took the driver into custody, called the police, who then took him into custody. The police added the suspect was "known to police in certain circumstances", but would not elaborate, nor comment if he had mental health issues.

Media are reporting four hospitals are in code orange, which means they are dealing with mass casualties. 

CBC Radio Vancouver is broadcasting a news special now, and talked to people who were at the festival, explaining Lapu Lapu was a big community event, where they would meet up with friends and family. Some are estimating up to 100,000 people were there at some point during the day.

Now they are texting and calling each other to see if they were at the festival and if they were OK. One called to say his friends had called him earlier telling him he was missing a good time at the event, and now has found out one of them was hit, but did not have any further news of his condition.

Hopefully more information will come to light in the next few days.

Trump Itching to Make a China Deal

Trump claims the US is in talks with China over tariffs

US President Donald Trump seems to be wavering in his stance towards China. Earlier he was willing to back down a few notches on his threats of imposing 145 percent tariffs, but now seems to be hardening his position again, saying he would not roll them back unless Beijing offered "something substantial" in return. 

But China hasn't even bothered to entertain Trump at all, despite the American president claiming they have been in talks over the phone.

In an interview with Time Magazine this week, Trump claimed "We're meeting with China", adding Chinese leader Xi Jinping had called, though he didn't say when.

Beijing says there has been no talks, period.

Time: Will you call President Xi if he doesn't call you?

Trump: No.

Time: You won't?

Trump: Nope.

Time: Has he called you yet?

Trump: Yep.

Time: When did he call you?

Trump: He's called. And I don't think it's a sign of weakness on his behalf.

Time: But you would think it's a sign of weakness if you called him?

Trump: I don't -- I just look -- 

Time: Well, what did he say?

Trump: If people want to -- well, we all want to make deals. But I am this giant store. It's a giant, beautiful store, and everybody wants to go shopping there. And on behalf of the American people, I own the store, and I set prices, and I'll say, if you want to shop here, this is what you have to pay."

Meanwhile, Reuters asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if the Americans had reached out for trade talks.

Spokesman Guo Jiakun replied in part: "China and the US are not having any consultation or negotiation on tariffs. The US should stop creating confusion."

Who are you going to believe?

Whitecaps Stop Messi and Miami in Home Game

Messi actually showed up to play this evening in BC Place

Will he or won't he?

That was the question on everyone's minds when some 53,000 football fans descended on BC Place this evening wondering if superstar Lionel Messi of Inter Miami FC would actually play in tonight's game against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.

And while Messi did play -- nearly a year after he was a no-show -- the Argentine's talents weren't enough and the Whitecaps beat Inter Miami 2-0.

He was stopped by goalkeeper Takaoka

Although there were many people in the stands wearing Messi jerseys, he was booed every time he had possession of the ball.

Messi even had a free kick from a distance, but Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped him.

The Whitecaps are having a stellar season, playing very well as a team. 

Longtime fan Tony Gabriel admitted he was thrilled to see Messi play, but was more excited at the prospect of the Whitecaps advancing to the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which features the best teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

"How could you not be a fan of the Whitecaps? How could you not want to go out and come to the games and watch the Whitecaps play? It doesn't matter who they're playing. Lionel Messi is a bonus, yes, but the team is doing amazing," Gabriel said.

After the game, the Whitecaps' new head coach Jesper Sorensen said he was happy with how the team responded to the challenge of facing a star-studded Miami team.

"I know that a lot of people came to see some of the Miami players, I fully understand it... We're happy to play for Vancouver and I think today was a game where everybody could be happy for the way we did it."

The second leg of the semifinal will be next Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Conservatives a No-Show at All Candidates Debate

Candidates Digby, Fakirini, Grant, and Ede at the debate

With five more days to go until the federal election, the Dunbar Residents Association organised an all candidates' debate, featuring the people -- all men -- who are running to represent Vancouver Quadra.

It was held at Immaculate Conception Parish Gymnasium, a much newer facility compared to the one that is usually used across the street at St Philips Anglican Church.

The bigger venue however made it look like residents in the area didn't bother to show up, as attendance was on the low side; perhaps it was because they had already voted and didn't see the point in going to the debate.

Others didn't come because the Conservative candidate, Ken Charko -- who owns Dunbar Theatre -- did not reply to the invitation. This is not surprising since it has been reported across the country that Conservative candidates have not attended debates in their ridings throughout the campaign. Some residents were keen to challenge Charko tonight, but he was a no-show.

Even though we had cast our ballots, we wanted to check out the candidates anyway.

Tom Digby is running for the Green Party, and reminded people that he is currently on the Vancouver Park Board where he is keen on preserving Stanley Park. He has a masters degree in molecular biology and is an intellectual property lawyer. So he embodies the spirit of the Green Party and brought up climate change a few times.

Alim Fakirani represents the NDP. He is a teacher and looking to pivot into politics and was an eloquent speaker. He reminded the crowd of how the NDP is working hard to bring benefits to ordinary Canadians like dental care and healthcare. However, he may have soured some people in the audience when he reiterated the rich need to be taxed more...

Wade Grant is with the Liberals, and got the most applause from the audience espousing his party's views and throwing in Mark Carney's name a few times. The 46-year-old introduced himself as someone who has grown up in Vancouver Quadra and is concerned about the salmon population, and also concerned about young families struggling to survive.

John Odan Ede is the People's Party of Canada's candidate. The chemical engineer immigrated here in 2017 with his family and a masters in public policy and global affairs at the University of British Columbia. He is very passionate about democracy. The People's Party of Canada was formed in 2018 by Maxime Bernier, a former Conservative MP and cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's government.

We only stayed for the first half, with some interesting questions like would you porogue parliament, what do you agree about your opponents' platforms, and their opinion of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Most of the questions were not what most people would be concerned about, but we didn't stay long enough to hear the others asked by the moderator. Nevertheless it was good to see how passionate the candidates are and how disappointed they were that the Conservatives' Charko did not show up!

We were too.

 

Extreme Counterfeiting

The trio entered this Standard Chartered bank in Mong Kok

This story can be filed under "completely wacko".

Hong Kong media have reported that three mainlanders were arrested after they were found to be in possession with suspected counterfeit bank notes.

On Tuesday, around 11.15am HK time, a 72-year-old man, a 75-year-old man surnamed Lo, and a 65-year-old woman surnamed Li entered a branch of Standard Chartered bank on Nathan Road in Mong Kok with the intention of opening a bank account.

They presented a giant stack of 1,999 counterfeit bonds, each with a face value of HK$500 million (US$64 million). 

That would mean they were trying to deposit HK$999,500,000,000, which would be HK$357 billion more than all of the Hong Kong government's fiscal reserves at the end of February this year.

Needless to say, bank staff were suspicious and called police. The trio, who claim they are friends, are being detained for further questioning.

We'll be following this story!

Fact of the Day: 7.3M Canadians Already Voted

After 4 days of advance voting, a 25 percent increase in voters

A lot of Canadians turned out in advance polls.

Following four days of advance voting, an estimated 7.3 million people exercised their right to choose the next federal government.

That's a record number and a 25 percent increase from the 2021 election, where 5.8 million people cast their ballots ahead of the actual voting day.

Political science experts say it's too early to determine if the number of people who turned out for advance voting will result in more people casting their vote on Monday, election day.

They think more people are taking advantage of advance polls because it's more convenient for them. It may have also been helpful advance polls opened during the Easter long weekend when more students are back home from university, or people had more time to go to vote.

In the last election four years ago, 17 million people voted, representing 62.6 percent of registered voters. 

Francis, Pope of the People

Pope Francis spoke up for the oppressed and poor

This morning I woke up to the news that Pope Francis had passed at the age of 88. We had just saw him less than 12 hours earlier in news footage in his Popemobile blessing a baby. But when he addressed the crowd at St Peter's Basilica to say "Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter", his voice was very weak...

He was discharged last month after 38 days in hospital battling pneumonia in both lungs. Doctors didn't think he would make it -- twice. They advised him to isolate himself and get rest for at least two months to avoid infection, but Francis wanted to be with the people, one last time.

And he will be forever remembered as a pope with humility who advocated for the oppressed, the poor, migrants, refugees, and the environment.

He made a landmark trip to Canada in 2022

Francis criticised the Trump administration's mass deportation policy. In a letter to American bishops, he wrote: "What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly."

In 2022 he came to Canada to right a wrong, apologising to the Indigenous people for how they were treated in residential schools. 

From the 1870s to the 1990s, some 150,000 First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children were taken away from their families and forced to attend church-run schools to get them to forget their language and culture. 

Many of the children were abused and neglected, thousands died of malnutrition, suicide and disease.

Pope Francis listened to the survivors and apologised, making him the first pope to do so, and asked for forgiveness.

Several times he has also called for a cease fire in Gaza, condemned the "deplorable humanitarian situation," and expressed his "closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people."

He called Gaza nightly to check on people there

Every night at around 8pm Francis would call Father Gabriel Romanelli to check on how the faithful were doing in the last standing Catholic church in Gaza. The pontiff would ask Romanelli how the residents were doing in the midst of war, if they had enough food and what they had eaten that day.

"It was a singular expression of his love, his concern. A real concern for the good of all and a sign of the good shepherd," Romanelli said. "People feel abandoned, but the call of the Pope gave a very hard sign of hope."

When the bombings were bad, Francis would call three or four times that day.

Giving people hope is what religion does, and Francis embued this as the leader of the Catholic church who was on the ground with the people.

Following his funeral this weekend, bishops will be gathering to decide on the next pope. There are hopes he will also be liberal and continue where Francis left off. Someone like him is needed more than ever in a world that has become more authoritarian.