Shooting Victim Possibly Involved in Love Triangle, Canucks Win Brawl with Oilers: VancouverIAM

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

Interesting Throne Speech… Really!

Paul at Paying Attention admits he was surprised by the Campbell government’s recent throne speech. He writes that “it's foolish to get too fired up about the ritual. There's not necessarily a link between all those words, read by the lieutenant governor, and what government actually does.” However, this speech was read by BC’s first aboriginal lieutenant governor, which is a significant milestone in itself, and had some interesting (both good and bad) ideas. In particular, the portions about education, health and climate change.

One of the promises was “a serious look at dramatic improvements in early childhood education.” There will be an assessment of the “feasibility and costs of full school day kindergarten for five-year-olds” and also a “look at providing parents with the choice of day-long kindergarten for four-year-olds by 2010, and for three-year-olds by 2012.” On health issues, according to the post there are “proposals to cheer and to fear.” Our government wants to do things cheaper, such as having nurses to more and to cut their schooling requirements, “but it's also still pitching the myth that we can't afford health care,” even though “health-care costs in Canada are smaller share of GDP than most Western countries - about one-third less than the U.S.”

Love Triangle Possible Motive in Friday’s Murder Downtown

The Downtown Eastside Enquirer reveals more details surrounding Friday’s frightening shooting death at Hastings & Carrall St. on Friday. The victim has been identified as 40 year old Earl Steve Seymour, who had moved to Vancouver from Nova Scotia a few years ago. Seymour “was known to police, according to VPD spokesperson Jana McGuinness.” Reports now say that the victim was involved in a “love triangle.”

According to the post , the shooting suspect “reportedly arrived in a car, parked at Pigeon Park, and then walked across the street to a parked minivan in which Seymour sat with a woman.” CBC reports that when the suspect approached the victim, he said “The war is on.” A witnesses to the crime said the victim “jumped out of the driver's seat because there was nowhere for him to go.” He tried to jump across the hood of his minivan “but by the time he managed to do so, he had taken four or five shots to the head.” The suspect then ran “down the alley in the direction of the Army & Navy store and the Cambie Hotel Hostel.”

Canucks Back in Playoff Spot after Brawl with Oilers

From Waiting for Stanley , Zanstorm reviews Saturday night’s fight… er, game between the Canuck’s and Oilers. As our blogger writes, there was a lot of animosity evident “as soon as the puck dropped.” Ritchie and Stortini were “jawing at each other before the initial faceoff… [and] were sent to the penalty box 11 seconds in for unsportsmanlike conduct.” And within the first 21 seconds of the game, “two 10 minute majors were handed out (Penner and Burrows) and 5 minor penalties.” But after the violence subsided at little, “the Canucks played a solid game… never trailing on the scoreboard, and for the most part, tight defensively.”

The Oilers, Zanstorm points out in his post , “are a gritty fast team, and they came at Vancouver all night,” but Vancouver maintained “a lot of composure” and a lot of camaraderie. The Canucks definitely stuck up for each other, especially at the last minute of the game “right after Burrows scored the empty net goal.” The last minute of play was extended as the violence ensued. “All combined, 5 minors, 10 fighting majors, and 6 ten-minute misconducts were handed out in the last minute of the game.” Vancouver are now back in a playoff spot after the win.

Eco-Density is not applied Equally across Vancouver

For the Tyee , Erick Villagomez takes a look at whether “eco-density” is actually “equal density.” The idea has received much publicity and attention. The “EcoDensity initiative focuses on the idea that population/housing density is intricately related to environmental sustainability, housing affordability, and livability.” The idea is that housing residents closer together “reduces urban sprawl and our ecological footprint by making better use of smaller parcels of land.” It also allows communities “to support local commerce, amenities, and transit,” and allows for “walkable and transit-friendly communities.” Regarding affordability, the believe is that “more diverse, dense house types create more diverse and affordable housing options.”

Vancouver has been densifying at rapid rate. “Buildings have been demolished and neighbourhoods transformed seemingly all over the city.” But the uniformity of this growth and densification is “an illusion,” as this growth has primarily “taken place in either derelict areas or neighbourhoods with minimal political representation.” Our city’s “east-west divide” is not new. What’s telling, Villagomez states in his post , is how it has shaped the city itself.  It is claimed to pertain to Vancouver as a whole, but the reality is that it “will necessarily be skewed in the direction of wealthy, politically savvy communities and individuals that this city has historically always favoured.”

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