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What we did on our summer vacation
Our family had a really fun summer, even though Cailey was studying through most of it. When UBC daycare closed for a couple weeks, Ezra and I went to New York City to visit my brother and his wife and Ezra’s grandma. Cailey stayed home to complete her clinical rotation at Lion’s Gate Hospital in the Obstetrics department helping bring new British Columbians into the world.
If you were looking for us in our down time, you might have found the Eby family at the Trimble Park wading pool, the UNA splash pad, Kits beach keeping cool with our pals and neighbours. We had a great summer.
Of course, it wasn’t all play, there was lots of work for me and my community office staff this summer too.
- A special legislative session was held where the government did a complete flip on the issue of international money in our housing market with a new, poorly designed but important symbolic tax change that has the potential to fund affordable housing in the province (if it isn’t deemed illegal in the class action that has been filed);
- The provincial government is threatening to kick Metro Vancouver out of their existing works yard at the University Endowment Lands, causing Metro to look at relocating this work yard to a community park in Little Australia;
- Countless community events were held, from picnics to festivals, including fun regional festivals like TaiwanFEST, and the international Pride Parade celebration on Davie Street;
- I attended several forums on housing and education-related issues, including large community forums in New Westminster and on the Sunshine Coast, hosted by my colleagues Judy Darcy and Nicholas Simons;
- With our hard working volunteer Susanna, I set up our mobile office at locations in Kitsilano to chat with constituents, our volunteer team set up a booth at the UBC and Kitsilano Farmer’s Market, and I spoke and co-hosted a special summer show at the Kitsilano Showboat; and,
- I turned 40.
Ok, that last one wasn’t actually work, but it still seemed worth reporting as a significant event. I hope to see you soon at an upcoming community event, or our rental housing forum coming up next month at St James Community Square!
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David Eby, MLA Vancouver-Point Grey
BC NDP Spokesperson for Housing, Translink, Liquor Policy and Gaming Policy
david.eby.mla@leg.bc.ca
PS. Join David Eby's housing forum on Wednesday October 12th! RSVP to guarantee your spot.
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Issues Update: In lieu of a Fall legislative session...
If you haven't had a chance to drop by my community office, now's your chance.
As strange as it is to imagine, the legislature won’t be sitting again until February of 2017 because the government appears to be cancelling the fall legislative session. Since I’m not in Victoria, I’ll be working hard for you right here in Vancouver-Point Grey. If there's an issue you'd like me to know about, concern or compliment you have about our neighbourhood, or event you’re planning, let us know!
There are a number of issues we could be going back to the legislature to discuss this fall if the government weren't keen to avoid accountability in Victoria, and looking at this list it’s easy to understand why the session was cancelled.
1. Public education. Chronic underfunding by the provincial government of our schools is directly impacting families across the province, including in Vancouver. The closure of several schools in East Vancouver will result in students having to travel much further to get to school, and impacts the sustainability of neighbourhoods across the city.
2. Housing affordability. The Province has been asleep at the wheel on housing affordability, rental availability, real estate fraud and an absolutely out of control real estate market. Please keep bringing your stories to me so I can keep the pressure on the government through the media. Our upcoming housing forum will focus on the abuse of Air B&B by some commercial operators – taking rental housing out of circulation – and a lack of rental housing in Metro Vancouver generally.
3. Climate change. On a Friday afternoon in the middle of summer when people were sure to be on vacation, the Premier released her decision to ignore every recommendation of the “climate leadership team” that she herself assembled to advise her on how BC could grapple with reducing carbon pollution. She then replaced the climate leadership plan with her own plan that climate scientists have called ineffective at best, and harmful at worst.
If you’re concerned about these issues or others, please don’t hesitate to come to my office to bring them to my attention!
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