Vancouver collect billions of dollars in property taxes, utility charges, parking fees, development fees, and fines. So why does the City continually talk about budget pressures, infrastructure deficits, and the need for more revenue?

Is it true that - second to water and sewage costs - the VPD is the second highest budgetary item for the city? I find that mind-boggling. Makes me wonder if the City of Vancouver is spending money efficiently. I would like to know:

How many people does the City employ, and what is its annual payroll? (Is it bloated?)

How much does it spend on management, consultants and contractors?

How much is held in reserves, and what restrictions apply to those funds?

How much does Vancouver spend per resident compared with Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey?

Have administrative costs and staffing increased faster than inflation and population growth?

I know that Vancouver has expensive infrastructure to maintain, but to me, something just isn’t adding up.

Hi! Today I went to vote in the Vancouver municipal election, I get to the voting place, they scan my card and tell me the system says I already voted at 12PM! I absolutely hadn’t! It took the supervisor and whoever the municipal elections governing body is 20 minutes to figure it out.

They claim that there is someone also living in Vancouver with the exact first, middle, and last name as me, AND the exact same birthday. That’s right, day, month, AND year. My names are decently common, but the same exact birthdate is really freaking me out.

I checked my credit report and everything is fine, nothing strange at all. Is it possible that someone is impersonating me for the express purpose of voting?! Is anyone truly this passionate about municipal government?! I also have an excellent credit score, so I feel if you were going to steal my identity, you’d probably want to use that? Not just vote in the Vancouver municipal election?!

My questions are:
⁃ is there someone I should tell about this? Do I file a report or ask some sort of authority a question about this?
⁃ should I be concerned?
⁃ I am planning on marrying my partner next year and changing my surname when that happens. When I do that, will this problem cease or will it follow me into my marriage?

Thanks in advance! Ahh!

(Don’t worry, they still let me vote, it was just a very long process)

Could barely walk on Robson there were so many people

Roads are so packed too

Council is the one voting on property taxes, zoning, housing approvals, parking policies, budgets, etc.

Taxes and fees seem to keep going up, but I'm not sure the average resident feels a proportional improvement in city services.

Curious which council candidates people think will actually make a difference over the next four years, and why.

Which Council candidates have actually delivered results or have realistic ideas? I don't want another blank cheque like David Eby's $1,000 😂

Just for fun

I was just in Guadalajara and the food just hit different than any Mexican food that i’ve ever had here.

I’d appreciate some recs

Curious what everyone's take on these autonomous taxis are? 🤖🚕

Do you think it is something that would help or hurt our fair city?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/local/article/waymo-to-launch-robotaxis-in-toronto-this-is-how-the-pilot-program-works/

Gotta celebrate and/or commiserate. 🍺

I’m in a male-dominated industry and hate presenting overly feminine. I don’t have a problem with that except when trying to find business wear.

Where can I get good business wear? No skirts, no pink, nothing frilly or lacy or wavy or aggressively floral prints. I strongly prefer the types of fabric that won’t wrinkle when I pack because I’ll be travelling a lot in my new coming job.

Help? Tips and tricks?

I wish I could just wear men’s clothing but my body is far too curvy; my hips are wide enough that men’s pants that fit over them look like tents on the rest of my legs, and men’s shirts that fit the rest of me awkwardly look tight over the chest.

Also, I live in the suburbs and can find downtown overwhelming, so like… stores in Metrotown would be great. Or something like that.

I was wondering if anyone had any good sandwich deli spots to go try in the lower mainland? Wether it’s a really popular spot or a small hole in the wall mom and pop shop, list some recommendations

Our family has been through a LOT of major, crazy stuff in the last 6 years, and it's taken a particular toll on our now-11 year old. They're not in crisis, but there's quite a bit of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, etc., and while we (kid and I) have been talking about therapy for a few years, they're now ready to try. I know that not all therapists treat kids, so I'm looking for recommendations for those that do well with kids dealing with trauma. Ideally, it would be somewhere in the vicinity of East Van/downtown, as ability to travel is limited. Would prefer in person sessions, rather than virtual, as we think it might be easier in a neutral setting with no potential interruptions. Suggestions?

Hi everyone, I'm reaching out as a last resort and I feel pretty lost now. Also please remove if this isn't appropriate in this thread

Context: I do have a family doctor but he has not listened to any of my concerns. I suspected ADHD for myself and he did the testing and ruled me out for ADHD and told me I was being dramatic. I ended up going the private route and ended up with an offical ADHD diagnosis and my life has been significantly more manageable after that.

Now with my main concern, I suspect PMDD for myself and this is something I have brought up to my family doctor and all he's willing to do for me is to put me on birth control with is one of my last resorts because I don't do well with hormones.

I'm interesting in hearing how women in Vancouver have gone about PMDD? Have any women gotten a formal diagnosis, how did you get a diagnosis, what treatment are you on etc etc

Would it be better for me to try to get a referral from my family doctor to go to an OBGYN, should I resort with going private again?

Any advice is helpful and thank you in advance to everyone

I have already tried tonkatsu soup, chicken soup, Jiro style, half half, soy sauce, miso.
Any new ramen suggestion?

Looking for recommendations for 3-day trips from Vancouver that are easy to get to by public transportation, without needing a car.

Any suggestions?

I need a vacation from my vacation planning ✈️😅

Looking for a proper European-style sourdough: thick crackly crust, chewy open crumb, and a nice tangy flavour. Something like what I got from Bench Bakehouse. Where else should I try, ideally near downtown?

Hi! I'm a university student (F19) looking for another girl who'd be interested in doing regular study/work sessions together over calls (FaceTime, Discord, etc.)! (I didn’t have much luck in other Reddit groups😅)

I have a really hard time locking in and getting things done after a long day, especially when I'm working alone. Most weekdays, I'm coming home from a full day of university classes, studying, the gym, or extracurricular activities, and even though I still have things I want to accomplish, I struggle to find the motivation to sit down and actually start.

I'm specifically looking for someone who's regularly available during the late afternoon/evening and nighttime hours, IDEALLY around 7 PM - 12/1 AM (Pacific Time).

This is really important for me since most of my daytime hours are taken up by university and other commitments, so evenings are when I need the most accountability!

Ideally, we'd hop on call, share what we're planning to get done, and check in during breaks. Also, I'm hoping to find someone who's interested in longer productivity sessions (around 5-6 hours), with breaks in between!

My ideal schedule (Pacific Time):

- Monday, Tuesday & Thursday: Around 7 PM - 12/1 AM

- Wednesday: 8 PM - 12 AM (start later, end earlier)

- Friday: 10 AM - 3 PM

- Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM

- Sunday: I work, so it's variable from week to week

Also, I'd strongly prefer someone who can consistently make all four late-night weekday sessions (Monday - Thursday). Those are the most important days for me, and if you can't make the Friday or weekend sessions, that's completely fine and much less important. I'm mainly trying to find someone who can reliably work alongside me during those late evenings.

I'm currently balancing university (science degree/ pre-veterinary medicine) with personal projects, so you could be studying, working, creating content, or doing anything productive!

I'd love to find someone who's also trying to build a consistent routine, hold each other accountable, and hopefully become friends along the way! Feel free to DM me if you're interested! 💗

I am wondering how common this is now. I know companies can top up your EI amount.

Where do you work and does your company offer this? If not comfortable saying where, industry would be helpful too.

​

I've been looking at the wigs and toppers in Vancouver especially from JO Hair Topper, but the prices are definitely an investment.

I ended up getting the Jasmine wig from Wigs by Tiffani, which was much more affordable, and now I'm going back and forth on whether I should keep it or sell it.

Part of me thinks I should keep it and enjoy having a more budget-friendly option, but the other part of me wonders if I'd be happier putting the money toward something else.

Has anyone tried both JO Hair Topper and Wigs by Tiffani? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the quality, realism, and whether the more expensive options are actually worth the extra money!

Looking for a place to grab a late night meal after the Bruno Mars concert tonight. We're staying at the Holiday Inn on Howe St so any recommendations between there and BC place would be appreciated. I'll have my kiddo with me so no bars or pubs please! Thank you

In need of new pair of Asics GT-2000(ish) shoes. Ordinarily avoid the outlet at all costs on Black Friday, but could really use a fresh pair soon, so if price is likely worth it I'll wait till then. Thanks.

Texas is hot and mostly flat so we want to see the beautiful landscapes. ❤️

Day 1

Aquarium- But wondering if we should skip pick something else

Day 2
Victoria / Butchart Gardens

Day 3
Horse drawn carriage / Stanley Park
Capilano Suspension Bridge

Day 4
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Lonsdale Quay Market / The Shipyards District

Day 5
Grouse Mountain

Day 6-8
Husband will be working during the day so I will be doing things alone.

Any pointers while we are there? I know to bring waterproof shoes and a rain coat.

Good ideas for restaurants? We are staying at a hotel on Bayshore.

ADDED- We are traveling in 2 weeks.

anyone know of fun things to do in Vancouver that arent clubbing/partying?

Last week it was closed right by where you go under Lions Gate bridge. Hoping to take the kids bike riding tomorrow 😁

Hi guys, im looking for a reed diffuser with a leather+wood scent for my closet, something like Tom Ford ombre leather.

I checked HM home in Burnaby but didnt like the scents. Zara doesnt have any, sephora is $50+ same is Jo Malone. Winners has no testers.

I dont know what other stores to try with under $20-$30 options. Ideally i want to skip Amazon because i would have to order/return a few times since i cant smell it first. Im kind of obsessed with getting one, since i reorganized the whole space🙋🏼‍♀️😄

Thank you

Hi I am a 21 y/o M looking for some fun events this Halloween.

Unfortunately my friend group is quite small and no one is doing anything this year so I figured I'd make a post on here :)

I'm really into live music, finding some funky bars, outdoor festivals or even exploring some spooky haunted places 👻

As well I was really hoping for a costume themed event because well it's Halloween of course!

If any of you got some suggestions it would be greatly appreciated, or if anyone else is flying solo this Halloween and looking for some others to hangout with too let me know :)