VancouverIAM Daily Blog Report: Feenie out at Lumiere, Progress Made in Non-Market Housing, Luongo Should Start Against Carolina

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This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from VancouverIAM where you will find the best blogs from Vancouver, British Columbia as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring.

PR Disaster at Lumiere

A recent post from Urban Diner, a blog chronicling the goings-on of Vancouver's restaurant scene, is reporting that Iron Chef Rob Feenie has has sensationally left Lumiere and his namesake restaurant Feenie's. Rumours had been flying in recent weeks about Feenie's increasingly murky status at what was once considered “arguably Canada’s finest restaurant.” The post stated that Rob Feenie's departure was confirmed by an advertisement for Lumiere on the back of the new Vancouver Eating & Drinking Guide. The tag-line of the ad reads “Introducing Executive Chef Dale Mackay.”

The 28 year-old Mackay had been acting as Feenie's understudy in recent months and boasts a high-profile pedigree coming from British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey's production line of young culinary talent. Urban Diner observed that Mackay was criticized in Lumiere's review within the Vancouver Eating & Drinking Guide. The review stated “this culinary becon (sic)... has seen its light dim somewhat this year. An ownership tug-of-war led to staff changes, and Iron Chef Rob Feenie now has a 28-year-old understudy, Dale Mackay. Mackay is less intuitive with local products, and the level of excellence in the kitchen has slipped a notch.”

Urban Diner referred to the poor review and the expensive full-page advertisement as a “public relations disaster.” Additionally, the post stated that “I kind of feel sorry for poor Dale Mackay Fred Thompson made a better entrance... That’s really too bad. I wonder if Mackay was even given the chance to cook for the writer?” There was no mention, however, about any of Rob Feenie's new projects.

Numbers announced for Non-Market Housing

Price Tags, a blog written by SFU's City Program director Gordon Price, has revealed that Vancouver Council has been busier than many on the left give them credit for when it comes to building or repairing non-market housing. Recent data, circulated by the Mayor's office, is the type of good news that many left-wing members of Vancouver's City Council tend to ignore. Price stated “in fact, the list below came as a bit of a surprise to me. I hadn’t realized there had been any completed projects this year, nor that there were that many units under construction.”

The post explains that the majority of the projects involve single occupancy rooms concentrated on the downtown east-side or the southern part of downtown. Despite the good news, Price observed that many critics of Vancouver's housing policy won't even notice. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to make much difference, either in politics or perception.” He also wondered “if it really makes a difference to homelessness. The truly dysfunctional rarely find a place in these government-funded projects, since they’re often too disruptive to those who wish to maintain a stable environment.”

The data reveals that 57 new units have been completed with 198 units converted into single occupancy rooms. 651 new units are currently under construction and, additionally, a whopping 1357 new units as well as 855 converted single occupancy units have been funded and are currently in development. These include 256 units that will be part of the Olympic village.

Luongo Just Needs One Good Game

According to the latest post from the Ice Hole, a blog written by Jason Botchford for the Province newspaper, in the build-up to the game against the Blue Jackets the local media in Columbus had been quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing Roberto Luongo. Botchford quotes the Columbus Dispatch saying that “Roberto Luongo is the last person the Blue Jackets need to see right now. The Blue Jackets can't score goals as it is, and here comes Luongo, the Vancouver Canucks goaltender whom many consider the best in the NHL.” However, after coming up against Canucks back-up net-minder Sanford, the Jackets still lost the game 4-1 after a truly effective performance from Sanford.

Botchford stated that Sanford's understated workmanlike performance was the polar opposite of Luongo's theatrical and thrilling style of play. Referring to Sunday nights game, the post stated “there wasn't one memorable save. It had me wondering, where have you gone Mr. Luongo, and all your thrilling, acrobatic saves, a rain-soaked, darkened city turns its lonely eyes to you.”

The post stated that after the victory over Columbus, “there is something, however, which Sanford has that Luongo needs right now - a great game.” The Canucks slow start this season has been perpetuated by some shaky performances by Luongo, however, Botchford was extremely confident that once Roberto gives a first-star performance, his consistency will return. Botchford declared that the Canucks should start Luongo in the upcoming game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Ice Hole quoted Luongo's former coach Clint Malarchuk describing Luongo's mental tenacity, “what sets him apart is, he's so mentally driven. He's driven to be the best, to be recognized as the best, to win the Stanley Cup and to set every record a goaltender can set. Nothing short of all those things is good enough.”

Half-Time Speech Prompts Lions Victory

Twelve Men on the Field, a Vancouver-based blog focused on Canadian Football, has pointed to BC Lions Coach Wally Buono's half-time speech as the catalyst behind Vancouver's 37-26 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton were reduced to using their third-string quarterback Steven Jyles and his introduction prompted an Eskimo surge that saw them go into half-time with the lead “as Jyles ran a one yard play into the end zone.” However, the tide turned quickly as “whatever Wally Buono said to his players in the dressing room certainly resonated as the Lions charged out of the dressing room ready to recapture the momentum and the lead.”

According to the post, the Lions seized momentum as soon as “Ian Smart ran a Sean Fleming punt 81 yards for a touchdown to regain the lead early in the third quarter.” Additionally, the win was in the bag shortly after “Joe Smith returned to form with a one yard crash of the line for the cushion for the Lions win.” The Lions are in pole position to clinch the first play-off spot while Edmonton's hopes seem all but dashed. The post did observe, however, that “the prospect of a playoff spot is not dead yet, the Alouettes who the Esks are now chasing for the cross over spot have shown no indications that they are a sure bet for post season action.”

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