Downtown Vancouver Updates

[SpongeG]

st pauls has made room on one of the wings to deal with some people apparently

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by Delirium

"Please note that starting in December 2009, street furniture (primarily litter containers and news boxes) will be temporarily removed from certain areas of the City due to security requirements. This is part of the City's preparation for the 2010 Winter Games, and was requested by the Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit."

hmmm.. i hope this applies to panhandlers too. they take up way more space than a news box - especially when they are lying on the sidewalk with their signs. i wonder if the city will put a temporary ban on this and claim it as a "security requirement"?

Wont happen, would be aganst their human rights.

As for newsboxes and such, anyone remember the FLQ crises? lots of mailbox and newsbox bombs that at the time could have cause injuries/deaths numbering a couple dozen in a crouded area. Today bombs are a lot smaller, more powerful, and more deadly. If it's not the explosion that kills, it's the jar of bacterium, the vile of viral infectant, or the pouch of radioactive dust along with the boom that will. And sadly it is all to easy to manufacture and place those types of things without people knowing until it is too late.

[Locked In]

Richards Living excavation update:



(my photo, taken today)

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Wont happen, would be aganst their human rights.

As for newsboxes and such, anyone remember the FLQ crises? lots of mailbox and newsbox bombs that at the time could have cause injuries/deaths numbering a couple dozen in a crouded area. Today bombs are a lot smaller, more powerful, and more deadly. If it's not the explosion that kills, it's the jar of bacterium, the vile of viral infectant, or the pouch of radioactive dust along with the boom that will. And sadly it is all to easy to manufacture and place those types of things without people knowing until it is too late.

Are they going to get rid of garbage cans, too? After the Sarin attacks in Tokyo in 1995, the government removed all garbage cans, all newsboxes, and anywhere where somebody could hide something. When they go on tight security they even duct tape vending machines shut Somehow, they manage to keep everything clean, and the streets garbage free, without a single garbage can in sight, though.

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Are they going to get rid of garbage cans, too? After the Sarin attacks in Tokyo in 1995, the government removed all garbage cans, all newsboxes, and anywhere where somebody could hide something. When they go on tight security they even duct tape vending machines shut Somehow, they manage to keep everything clean, and the streets garbage free, without a single garbage can in sight, though.

Sydney is the same way - to this day. There are like 3 public municipal garbage cans in that entire city because they didn't reinstall after the 2000 Olympics. It's frustrating when you're walking around and have to hold on to your trash for 9 blocks - most people don't.

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Are they going to get rid of garbage cans, too? After the Sarin attacks in Tokyo in 1995, the government removed all garbage cans, all newsboxes, and anywhere where somebody could hide something. When they go on tight security they even duct tape vending machines shut Somehow, they manage to keep everything clean, and the streets garbage free, without a single garbage can in sight, though.

I dunno, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did in the more secure area's.

Although it's a lot harder to keep a bomb hidden in open-top waste disposal with people throwing tonnes of trash in, someone is bound to notice something suspicious.

[jlousa]

Pretty good infill proposed for 1240 Howe, I know some will complain that it's only 7 stories, but the lot is just under 25ft so 91ft in height is impressive and certainly better then the current surface lot.

Notification letter
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/notiltr.pdf

Site plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/siteplan.pdf

Site photos
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/sitephotos.pdf

Northeast elevations
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/neelevation.pdf

Southwest elevations
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/swelevation.pdf

Southeast and Northwest elevations
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/se+nwelevations.pdf

Streetscape plan
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/developmentservices/devapps/1240howe/streetscape.pdf

[Locked In]

David Lam Park Live Site prep work:









(my photos, taken today)

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Wont happen, would be aganst their human rights.

As for newsboxes and such, anyone remember the FLQ crises? lots of mailbox and newsbox bombs that at the time could have cause injuries/deaths numbering a couple dozen in a crouded area. Today bombs are a lot smaller, more powerful, and more deadly. If it's not the explosion that kills, it's the jar of bacterium, the vile of viral infectant, or the pouch of radioactive dust along with the boom that will. And sadly it is all to easy to manufacture and place those types of things without people knowing until it is too late.

Just under 7 billion people and I cant think of ONE effin incident (except for the sarin gas which caused insignificant casualtie years ago) where people died from or a bomb with a jar of bacterium , viral infectant , or radioactive dust . This type of fear mongering is sickening, and frankly this too bad that the Canadian military takes in young mailable adults and brainwashes them in to actually believing this stuff.

Sorry for taking this off topic couldnt resist.


The smart thing to do would be to remove the security except for a bare minimum force, disband or atleast remove the military during the olympics, keep the mailboxes and just get on with the olympics. The fear that is being projected is much more harmful then a unlikely chance that a insignificant few people die because of some sort of act of rebellion/revenge.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

Sydney is the same way - to this day. There are like 3 public municipal garbage cans in that entire city because they didn't reinstall after the 2000 Olympics. It's frustrating when you're walking around and have to hold on to your trash for 9 blocks - most people don't.

At least in Vancouver we have bums checking every garbage can every 10 mins... they'd find any bombs, etc.

[mcminsen]

I was going along the 300 block (?) of West Pender today, between Homer and Hamilton and noticed a large excavating machine had been put onto the old site where Club Vancouver and Ms.T's Cabaret used to be. The old building had burned down a number of years ago and had been a parking lot ever since. Also, a tree along the sidewalk adjacent had a protective wood frame around it. Is there some excavation and construction imminent?


My pic. Nov. 21, '09

[mcminsen]

Also, just across the street, the old Victoria Block seems to be getting some long needed overhaul started. It will be interesting to see this block in a few years.


My pic. Nov. 21, '09

[dreambrother808]

Perhaps in some ways, being rundown and in such a neglected part of the city has protected that heritage beauty for the current generation to refashion and enjoy at some point in the near future.
In other periods of the city's history, had the area been one of growth, this would all have likely just been torn down.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I was going along the 300 block (?) of West Pender today, between Homer and Hamilton and noticed a large excavating machine had been put onto the old site where Club Vancouver and Ms.T's Cabaret used to be. The old building had burned down a number of years ago and had been a parking lot ever since. Also, a tree along the sidewalk adjacent had a protective wood frame around it. Is there some excavation and construction imminent?


My pic. Nov. 21, '09

social housing as part of the 12 sites going ahead.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

social housing as part of the 12 sites going ahead.

Thanks, I thought that might be it. Hope it looks good!

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by cornholio

Just under 7 billion people and I cant think of ONE effin incident (except for the sarin gas which caused insignificant casualtie years ago) where people died from or a bomb with a jar of bacterium , viral infectant , or radioactive dust . This type of fear mongering is sickening, and frankly this too bad that the Canadian military takes in young mailable adults and brainwashes them in to actually believing this stuff.

Sorry for taking this off topic couldnt resist.


The smart thing to do would be to remove the security except for a bare minimum force, disband or atleast remove the military during the olympics, keep the mailboxes and just get on with the olympics. The fear that is being projected is much more harmful then a unlikely chance that a insignificant few people die because of some sort of act of rebellion/revenge.

Thi all belongs in some olympic security thread I am sure, but anyways:

It's not what does happen, it's what could happen. Not really fear mongering, just being prepared. The Olympics is a very high profile event, why wouldn't you want to target that if you wanted to leave an impression? I'm not saying that those are the methods with which someone will attack, but they are possible, no matter how far fetched they may be. Better to be safe than sorry. Personally the only thing I could see being reasonably possible is small conventional explosives surrounded by nails, bearings, etc.

But then I'm not one of the guys up at the top who receives all the intel and makes plans. I can only speculate based on what I know from news and past experience, as can any of you. Believe me, there is a lot of shit us grunts shake our heads at too. While it isn't Canadian military related, generation kill is a great series to watch to give you an impression of how stupid shit gets sometimes. We're all in the same boat.

An insignificant number of people would die because of a bomb in a newsbox or garbage can, but would you feel them to be an insignificant loss if it was your mother, brother, son, or daughter? Statistically the entire downtown peninsula could be wiped out and it is still only 0.3% of the Canadian population. Not a very significant number. But once someone sees the 120 000 dead, their hearts sink. This is why I personally find it sad that you choose to go off topic to mock and laugh at those who will go to every extreme to ensure you still have a family to go home to every night, no matter how far fetched a threat may be. Cause whether it's 1 dead, 10 dead, 100 dead, or 100 000, those are still peoples family members.

You wanna talk more in private, feel free to fire off a pm. I'm always quite happy to show that we're not all robots in this military machine. We are all people who have our own personal opinions, favorite sports teams, and people we care very much about. It's why we do what we do.



Sorry to take this so far off topic mods.



Just as an aside, Leafs suck.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I was going along the 300 block (?) of West Pender today, between Homer and Hamilton and noticed a large excavating machine had been put onto the old site where Club Vancouver and Ms.T's Cabaret used to be. The old building had burned down a number of years ago and had been a parking lot ever since. Also, a tree along the sidewalk adjacent had a protective wood frame around it. Is there some excavation and construction imminent?


My pic. Nov. 21, '09

Yes. That is one of the social housing sites that is moving forward. It will be a fairly hefty building, zero lot line and around 11 or 12 storeys if I remember correctly, plus quite green at LEED Gold. A multi-storey fin sign, with neon if I again recall correctly, will be on the front and should be of the same quality as the one on the reno'd SRO hotel at Hastings and Carrall.



Also, I snapped a photo of a render for a new building on Granville Street. I cannot recall exactly where I took this but I think it was in the vicinity of Davie.

[Canadian Mind]

Whats the building in the background?

[ozonemania]

That development sign is standing on a small surface parking lot on Granville just north of Davie on the east side of the street, right beside the Howard Johnson hotel. I don't know the name of the building in the background, but I think it's the one adjoining the Vancouver International Film Centre on Seymour.

There's an empty north-east-corner lot along Granville Mall (Nelson? Helmcken?). Anyone know what's planned for there?

[LeftCoaster]

Cool stuff OD, but is that residential on Granville?? I cant imagine who in their right mind would actually want to live on Granville...