MikeKlassen: Recent Episodes
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In episode 21 we speak with Urban Planner and Development Consultant and founder of Liveable City Planning Michael Mortensen. Michael is a seasoned urban planner and development strategist, has left an indelible mark on Vancouver’s skyline. His career trajectory has encompassed many roles within the public service and private sector that have led to him […]
The post Vancouver Overcast (Episode 21): Michael Mortensen appeared first on Mike Klassen.
In Episode 20 we’re joined by Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung. Now in her 2nd term, there are few portfolios Sarah hasn’t taken on during her time on Vancouver City Council. Councillor Kirby-Yung is known as a fierce advocate for a livable, vibrant, and culturally rich Vancouver. In this conversation we gain insights into her work on behalf of […]
The post Vancouver Overcast (Episode 20): Sarah Kirby-Yung, City Councillor appeared first on Mike Klassen.
City councillors Mike Klassen (Vancouver) and Daniel Fontaine (New Westminster) break down some of the top issues they’ve been immersed in since being sworn into office late last year. Each discusses how they’ve adjusted to public life and what their goals are in the 2nd year of their term in office. WATCH EPISODE 19
The post Vancouver Overcast with Mike Klassen (Episode 19): Year in Review with Councillor Daniel Fontaine (New Westminster) appeared first on Mike Klassen.
2022 was the year I turned 60-years-old. The above image comes from a 60th birthday gathering I hosted for friends at Polish Hall over the summer, who I deeply desired to bring together after being kept apart by the threat of COVID-19 spreading. Turning 60 led me to reflect upon what one can do to […]
The post ABC campaign reflection: saying thanks for the opportunity to serve Vancouver appeared first on Mike Klassen.
Mike speaks with housing policy expert and developer Michael Geller, who brings 5 decades of experience in the housing industry and has been an important voice on the 'missing middle' of housing. The tweet referred to by Michael in the golf club locker room is here: https://twitter.com/michaelgeller/status/1538319049754439680
Avi Barzelai (barzelai.ca) is @EastVanBuilder on Twitter. Avi has been sharing threads on the hard and soft costs of housing. Here is one of those threads: https://twitter.com/EastVanBuilder/status/1538279237047623680
SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE the podcast.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Listen to past episodes at https://www.overcastyvr.ca
Want more of this programming? Consider supporting the podcast at https://patreon.com/overcastyvr
Follow the podcast on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @OvercastYVR
Recorded on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples including the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
WATCH EPISODE 18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMm6nGRdn_s
Our podcast guest Daniel Fontaine is a longtime friend with a superlative background in politics and government. He is the Deputy Minster and CEO of Métis Nation British Columbia.
Daniel has more than 15 years of senior management experience in public relations and governmental affairs, including serving as Chief of Staff to Mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan, where I had the pleasure to work closely with him.
Fontaine was Chief Public Affairs Officer for Mitacs, an influential non-profit organization that links industries and post-secondary institutions to advance relevant industry research. He then took the post as CEO of the BC Care Providers Association, where we once again had the opportunity to work together in support of B.C. seniors and the people who care for them.
It is our work together as co-founders of CityCaucus.com, a groundbreaking civic politics website that garnered over 5 million page views during its three-and-a-half-year run. Daniel continues his active interest in local government politics as the founding board president of the New West Progressives elector organization.
SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE the podcast.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Listen to past episodes at https://www.overcastyvr.ca
Want more of this programming? Consider supporting the podcast at https://patreon.com/overcastyvr
Follow the podcast on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @OvercastYVR
Recorded on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples including the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
WATCH EPISODE 17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6mMTN6stuo
STORIES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
August
BC Opioid Crisis: Overdose awareness day shines light on more than 7,700 B.C. lives lost — and what's still at stake | CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/overdose-awareness-day-shines-light-on-more-than-7-000-b-c-lives-lost-and-what-s-still-at-stake-1.6159224
September
Vancouver council OKs court order against Sahota-owned SRO https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-council-oks-court-order-against-sahota-owned-sro
October
Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen dead at 88 | CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/philip-owen-dead-88-1.6196737
Wastewater project delay one of several billion-dollar questions facing Metro Vancouver | CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metro-van-budgets-wastewater-iona-north-vancouver-1.6201226
November
BC Disaster Response: Flood management in B.C. is left up to municipalities. Should it be? | CBC News
Our podcast guest Daniel Fontaine is a longtime friend with a superlative background in politics and government. He is the Deputy Minster and CEO of Métis Nation British Columbia.
Daniel has more than 15 years of senior management experience in public relations and governmental affairs, including serving as Chief of Staff to Mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan, where I had the pleasure to work closely with him.
Fontaine was Chief Public Affairs Officer for Mitacs, an influential non-profit organization that links industries and post-secondary institutions to advance relevant industry research. He then took the post as CEO of the BC Care Providers Association, where we once again had the opportunity to work together in support of B.C. seniors and the people who care for them.
It is our work together as co-founders of CityCaucus.com, a groundbreaking civic politics website that garnered over 5 million page views during its three-and-a-half-year run. Daniel continues his active interest in local government politics as the founding board president of the New West Progressives elector organization.
SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE the podcast.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Listen to past episodes at https://www.overcastyvr.ca
Want more of this programming? Consider supporting the podcast at https://patreon.com/overcastyvr
Follow the podcast on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @OvercastYVR
Recorded on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples including the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
Watch the episode on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyPJH_4JmqA
STORIES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
January
Sadhu Johnston quits as Vancouver city manager
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-city-manager-sadhu-johnston-to-step-down-at-start-of-2021-1.5725102
February
New West backs down on de-funding police proposal
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-west-council-police-budget-1.5897257
Vancouver: Kitsilano site may become home to six-storey rental building https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/real-estate/kitsilano-site-may-become-home-to-six-storey-rental-building-3116697
March
Bike lane debate: Vancouver businesses aim to block motion proposing return of route to Stanley Park | CTV News https://bc.ctvnews.ca/bike-lane-debate-vancouver-businesses-aim-to-block-motion-proposing-return-of-rou...
Welcome to Vancouver Overcast with Mike Klassen Episode 15. On this edition we have brought together a group formally known as the Wine Roundtable. As listeners will discover as I introduce them, each of our 4 guests have a strong involvement in British Columbia’s dynamic wine scene. Harry Hertscheg is Executive Director at Vancouver International […]
The post Vancouver Overcast with Mike Klassen (Episode 15): The Wine Roundtable — 2021 in review appeared first on Mike Klassen.
We welcome to the podcast Dr. Sylvain Moreno, Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director at Digital Health Circle, as well as being a tenured faculty at SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology, and Special Advisor to the Office of the VP Research and International. Moreno’s research focuses on neurotechnologies and their implications for education […]
The post Vancouver Overcast with Mike Klassen (Episode 14): Dr. Sylvain Moreno on defeating dementia appeared first on Mike Klassen.
On Episode 13 of Vancouver Overcast with Mike Klassen the guest is Vince Taylor, president of Pilothouse Project Marketing.
CLICK HERE to listen, subscribe or download the episode.
Vince brings experience from both the developers and marketers’ side of the table and founded Pilothouse over 20 years ago to meet the new demands of local and international real estate sales and marketing.
He has a self-published book out now titled, Beyond the Blindfold, which explores the power of context to unpack echo chambers, examine entrenched views and tackle familiar, but controversial topics—and how it applies to real estate and his approach to business. Find his book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Blindfold-Harnessing-Secret-Context/dp/199927850X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Beyond+the+Blindfold&qid=1634618074&sr=8-1
During their conversation, Vince describes himself as a 'free market guy' when it comes to real estate. He dismisses government policies to reduce the cost of housing in Vancouver as ineffective and somewhat futile. City dwellers here rarely have savings or pension plans to afford retirement, which is why a housing investment is critical.
Vince takes a different, more pragmatic view on supporting the social needs of those who cannot care for themselves. He thinks caring for people by providing food and housing is just good business sense, if not just the right thing to do.
Vince and Mike talk about the demographic curve that has preceded the housing affordability challenges, citing the writing of Canadian author David Foot (Boom, Bust and Echo). See that book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Boom-bust-echo-profit-demographic/dp/0921912978/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=boom+bust+and+echo&qid=1634618453&sr=8-1
Fact check: Vince claimed that there were 50,000 people migrating to Metropolitan Vancouver annually prior to the pandemic. A quick check on the numbers shows that number is between 30,000 and 40,000. http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/PlanningPublications/OverviewofMetroVancouversMethodsinProjectingRegionalGrowth.pdf
SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE the podcast.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Listen to past episodes at https://www.overcastyvr.ca
Want more of this programming? Consider supporting the podcast at https://patreon.com/overcastyvr
Follow the podcast on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @OvercastYVR
Recorded on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples including the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
Watch this episode on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mK8xb4R8pA
With the 44th Canadian federal election (#Elxn44) concluded, we bring in the sharp-eyed political perspectives of Vancouver city councillor Lisa Dominato and community leader Rob McDowell to assess what comes next for Metro Vancouver in return for electi...
Peter Meiszner, a digital strategist who audiences will know from his previous on-air work with Global TV. Peter is a passionate urbanist and the publisher of Urban YVR — a popular architecture website that showcases new housing, office commercial, and industrial developments in Metro Vancouver. His website is https://www.urbanyvr.com and you can find him on […]
The post Vancouver Overcast (Episode 11): Peter Meiszner of urbanYVR on development & downtown living appeared first on Mike Klassen.
Legendary broadcasters JB Shayne and John Tanner join Mike to share a lifetime of reflections on their respective careers which began in the “golden age” of Top 40 radio, leading to album-oriented FM radio, underground early music video programming and pioneering alternative rock music stations. Between funny anecdotes spanning 5 decades, and their overall punk-like irreverence we meet 2 people who helped shape Vancouver’s contributions to pop culture and broadcasting.
Local governments have role to play in preparing communities for what happens in weeks and months to come It has been a while since Vancouver has faced a shock to its system like the fear and economic impact stoked by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. In the face of its latest threat, the city can either […]
The post City of Vancouver must plan ahead for economic impact of coronavirus appeared first on Mike Klassen.
‘Transient legion of activists’ turning Canada into ‘global battlefield’ is nothing new If you have yet to be impacted by the #ShutDownCanada protests that are stalling tens of thousands of travelers and commuters, or choking supply lines for goods in our ports, don’t worry, it’s only a matter of time before our whole economy feels […]
The post Protests a textbook example of how noble intentions can breed self-righteousness appeared first on Mike Klassen.
Margareta Dovgal (@Margare7a) is our guest on episode 9. She’s the Director of Research at Resource Works Society (www.resourceworks.com), a small BC-based non-profit providing information on responsible resource development. She has spent the past 2 weeks in the Bulkley Valley, home of the Wet'suwet'en nation and ground zero for the dispute over the Coastal Gaslink pipeline. From her current base in Smithers, B.C., Margareta shares her insights from her conversations from locals on both sides of the conflict, and her hopes for a positive resolution in the face of ongoing protests roiling Canadian communities.