Health / Metro Vancouver / Politics — Comments — Paul
09
Mar 10

Why we need to tax unhealthy foods

“I think this issue of health promotion has to go far beyond just printing brochures and telling people they ought to live a healthier life. I think we have to figure out how we can be much more aggressive in pushing that kind of health promotion onto British Columbians.” – Kevin Falcon, Health Minister

It is anticipated that health care spending will hit $14.8 billion this year, and by 2013, be up to $16.1 billion – consuming 42% of the provincial budget. Health expenditures are expected to increase, leading one to the conclusion that the status quo is simply unsustainable. We have to think differently about the way we fund and utilize health care services in BC.

There’s a number of factors creating a perfect storm on healthcare: an aging population, lower taxes, rising rates of disease and obesity, and the proliferation of unhealthy foods and lifestyles.

As Falcon mentions in the quote above, various programs have attempted for years to encourage people, primarily through informative packages, to pursue healthier lives. It’s hard to measure the success of the programs; that said, we know it’s not enough to curb the overall trends in healthcare.

The other practice has been increased funding and access to primary care, providing more preventative measures to the public. My perception of these initiatives is they are targeted towards high incident markets – such as single mothers or low income households – and, though not necessarily visible to the general public, surely make a significant difference.

At this point in time though, we need new ideas. BC needs creative solutions to utilize tax dollars more effectively and come up with out-of-the-box methods to discourage poor health practices, while encouraging healthy lifestyles.

One possible solution lies in tax shifting. The method has been employed with the carbon tax. The idea is to tax the bad stuff, and then use the money raised to subsidize the good stuff. There’s also the long term goal of taxing the bad stuff at a high enough rate to actually discourage its use.

In the health realm, tax shifting is a key tool we barely even use. We currently have both minor cigarette and alcohol taxes, with the money raised going back into the system. The rates aren’t high enough to discourage their use, but they do raise important revenues.

This framework could be applied to all types of unhealthy foods and beverages; the very things that contribute largely to the obesity and diabetes epidemics. Imagine a tax on junk food and pop. With a ten year timeline, and escalating rates of taxation over the years, we could raise revenues for healthcare, while systemically, and gradually, discouraging the consumption of junk food.

One possibility with the example above would be to use the tax revenues generated to help subsidize healthy foods. There’s a core economic problem when local fruits and vegetables are more expensive than a bag of chips from the Midwest.

Ultimately, we need to do healthcare differently. We cannot continue to simply throw more money at the problem. We need to completely change the way we eat, exercise, and take care of ourselves. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but here’s a first step we can make to both raise more revenues and discourage unhealthy behaviour. Unhealthy food taxes are an idea whose time has come.

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City of Vancouver / Metro Vancouver — Comments — Paul
04
Mar 10

The Olympics are over, time to jump start our festivals!

The cauldron has been extinguished, the venues are being dismantled, and traffic is back to normal. Yes, the Games are officially over. Have you caught a bout of post-Olympic blues yet?

Some people seem to wander mindlessly about their day, lacking the enthusiasm and collective spirit that seemed to embody the entire country the past two weeks. Others, however, have filled that empty space in their lives with creative passion; sure, the Olympics may be over – what big event do we bid on now, they ask.

Global BC reported that Arthur Griffiths is entering preliminary discussions to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Others are saying we should go for the Summer Olympics, much larger than its Winter sister, or bid for another World’s Fair (note, Edmonton is already going for 2017). Mayor Gregor has thought-out-loud about bringing an international arts and cultural festival to town.

While the principle of prepping our city for another large event is noble, there are numerous problems with the suggestions above. Soccer is growing, but is still a notably small sport in Canada, and our culture, as is, just doesn’t seem to support a World Cup. We couldn’t even get a stadium built for the Whitecaps for the longest time.

Nor are we about to receive either another Olympics or World’s Fair, at least for generations. These international events rotate from country to country, and then from region to region. If Canada were to get the honour of hosting an Olympics or Expo, they would likely be awarded to cities that have yet to put on such events. I could see a Summer Olympics happening out East, but not on the Westcoast, at least for a very long time.

Unfortunately for Mr. Robertson, there currently aren’t any major cultural festivals in existence that roam around the world. Those that are large certainly don’t have the time tested, layered structure of an Expo or Olympics. Both such events have a competitive cultural component that is rarely included in normal festivals.

In my opinion, the future lies not in what large event we can bring to Vancouver, but what large events we can create in Vancouver.

We already host several large regional events that, with some more TLC and funding, could evolve into major attractions for the city:

Think about it. The Celebration of Light is one of the few international fireworks competitions left, and we almost let it die last year. The Pride Parade has grown in leaps and bounds the past few years, and has become one of the largest pride celebrations in North America. The VIFF could become the second major Canadian stop on the film festival circuit – we are Hollywood North after all. The Jazz, Folk, and Fringe Fests all cater to more niche markets, and yet are incredibly successful at attracting their respective demographic.

What we should be doing is strengthening these existing festivals. They need more stable funding, support and resources; partnerships with government to expand; and international marketing mechanisms to broaden their profile in the world.

Furthermore, we should seriously think about what other types of events we can jump start in Vancouver to foster a cultural revolution in the region and support our tourism industry. I’d like to see an International Buskers Festival, after experiencing some great street performers during the Olympics; a Nuit Blanche event, after seeing the great spaces that are created when clustered with free art; and a New Year’s Fireworks celebration, since we deserve an option other than private house parties and clubs.

We can have a cultural explosion right here in Vancouver and we don’t need the Summer Olympics to make it happen.

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Metro Vancouver / Rants / Transportation — Comments — Paul
23
Feb 10

TransLink’s Olympic success proof of its abilities

Ever since its inception in 1999, TransLink has consistently argued that they could move us out of our cars and onto brilliant public transport – if only we gave them the support they needed to do so. Over a decade later, the Olympics forced the region into a perfect storm scenario for TransLink to finally prove their abilities – and my have they done so spectacularly.

TransLink has always asked for two things to do their job – public support, in terms of actually getting out from our cars and trying transit, and financial support, to pay for service expansion and operations. With the 2010 Games, they got both.

VANOC and TransLink worked out a comprehensive traffic reduction plan with goals and timelines to shift people out of their cars as the Games got closer. Although pre-Games stats weren’t perfect, Vancouverites swapped as soon as Olympic fever swept the city, and downtown has achieved a 30% reduction in traffic! People listened to officials and did their part – they parked their cars and hopped onto transit. Thanks to this willingness to make the modal shift, the fears of congestion chaos have not materialized, despite a 20% decrease in total road capacity in the city, and a nearly 50% decrease in road capacity into downtown.

Of course, people are only making the shift due to a robust and expanded transit system. TransLink has used the $17 million VANOC gave them to increase transit service during the two-week Olympics. This resulted in more frequent and later SkyTrain service, 10 minute SeaBus service, 180 extra buses on the ground, and West Coast Express service throughout the day. There’s also the Olympic Line streetcar that the City of Vancouver paid for, which is zooming people to and from Granville Island.

The data is remarkable and new records have been set. Bus ridership is up 34% to 975,000 daily boardings, SeaBus is up 200% to 48,000 daily boardings, West Coast Express is up 78% to 19,538 daily boardings, the Expo and Millennium Lines are up 50% to 369,700 daily boardings, and the Canada Line is now carrying an average of 207,000 daily boardings, more than double its previous average of 94,000 from the past six months. With these type numbers, we are almost hitting the ridership of Toronto. In addition, the City of Vancouver is reporting a daily average of 10,000 pedestrians and 5000 cyclists downtown. The two station Olympic Line Streetcar is also getting an average of 20,000 daily boardings, making it busier than both Seattle and Portland’s streetcar systems!

While I hesitate to make any predictions about what will occur traffic-wise post-Games, the case has certainly been made for TransLink’s abilities. Despite all the concerns citizens have about staff and its leadership, they have proven that, with the right support, they have the means and skills to efficiently and effectively get people around on transit. Now, the questions is, how do we ensure TransLink receives the civic and financial support required to make this fundamental transport shift an Olympic legacy?

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Canada / Politics — Comments — Paul
20
Feb 10

First Nations performance pivotal point in Aboriginal history

Though it may not be clear at this moment, I suspect that the First Nations performance at the beginning of the Opening Ceremonies will prove to be a major turning point in the story of Aboriginal history in this country and province. After suffering the generational ramifications of cultural genocide, our First Nations people told the world a new story – one of pride, resilience, and hope in their collective identities. 

The story of our First Nations people is rocky to say the least. Although the European-Aboriginal relationship was once symbiotic, ultimately producing the distinct mixed race of the Métis, European settlers quickly came to overpower First Nations peoples and pursue their assimilation into Western culture. This deliberate attempt to destroy their way of life would prove futile, as Aboriginal Canadians fought for generations to survive and retain their identity.

First Nations preserved through the extensive loss of their land and resources, through health epidemics that decimated their populations, through the outlawing of their cultural celebrations such as the potlatch and their right to seek and negotiate treaties, through the residential schools policy that separated a generation of children from their parents and communities, and through extensive racism directed at them for centuries. Since the 70’s, First Nations peoples have been slowly but surely rectifying the mistakes of the past and building new paths towards a prosperous life. The performance at the Olympics was the culmination of Gen X’s efforts. 

This was the first time in the country’s history that First Nations across the country were brought together, not in objection to governmental policy or discrimination, but in a positive light to celebrate their culture. Never before has Canada, or the Aboriginal community, seen something so powerful and inspirational – where the First Nations of the West, the East, the Prairies, the Métis, and the Inuit joined together in their traditional dress and dance to welcome the world to their traditional lands. 

That image represents generations of work by Aboriginals in this country to be recognized and respected as equal partners in Canada. That image represents the promise of the future for the Aboriginal children of today and tomorrow.

And that bright future is something that all Canadians can celebrate in together.

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City of Vancouver — Comments — Paul
19
Feb 10

My Olympic Pavilion hitlist!

CityCaucus.com has a terrific page summarizing all the free pavilions around town, while Miss604 has also provided extensive coverage of the daily schedules of most sites.

Here’s my hitlist for the 2010 Olympics. I personally enjoy exhibits and interactive activities more than the relaxed food and TV setups in some pavilions, so understand that bias in my ratings. Whatever you’re looking for though, be sure to go out and make the most of the Games! There’s a lot to take in outside of the pavilions, from the bustling atmosphere on the streets, to bumping shoulders with international visitors, so do get out there and enjoy it all!

Hits

  • Robson Square
  • Canada’s Northern House
  • Granville Street
  • LiveCity Yaletown
  • Royal Canadian Mint
  • West House
  • Coca-Cola
  • Saskatchewan House
  • PowerSmart Village

Meh

  • Alberta House
  • Canada Pavilion
  • Four Host First Nations
  • Kla-Howya Aboriginal Village
  • Ontario House
  • Place de la Francophonie
  • Panasonic
  • Vancouver House

Miss

  • Atlantic Canada House
  • CentrePlace Manitoba
  • LiveCity Downtown
  • Maison du Québec
  • Pride House Vancouver
  • Samsung
  • Acer

Top hit pick – Robson Square

Robson Square has become “the” gathering place for the public during the Games. With an abundance of activities for all ages, at all hours of the day, there’s much to see and do. The free skating is a great chance to pleasantly meet strangers and have fun at the same time. Lineups for the ziptrek are always huge, so arrive early – it opens at 10am everyday. The nightly pyrotechnics show “Ignite the Dream”, at 9:30pm and 11pm, is the highlight of all the Olympic entertainment I’ve seen. For 10 mins, you’ll celebrate the Games through lasers, spotlights, flames, and fireworks. Arrive about 30 mins early for a good spot, although it is viewable anywhere in the Square. Also, Robson St, in the middle on the square, is the best place to see and join in Olympic revelry when medals are won!

Canada’s Northern House – Hit

This is perhaps the epitome of a great pavilion. Housed in two floors of a downtown building, Canada’s Northern House showcases our country’s three territories, and their respective cultures and lifestyles. Most of the pavilion is filled with art or clothing, along with related information. There’s also a popular section where you can film a greenscreen video with your group in the north, as well as a play station where you can make your own Inukshuk. Free entertainment performs every hour. The outside lineup moves briskly. This is one not to miss.

Granville Street – Hit

The Great White Way is back and more vibrant than ever. After a multi-year renovation recently completed by the City of Vancouver, Granville has gotten a brand new breath of life. Businesses have been cleaned up, with many new ones having moved in. Along with expanded sidewalks and street furniture, most of the street is closed to traffic, creating a paradise for pedestrians. The Georgia-Robson block features a cluster of fantastic public art and pin traders. Further south, Granville is *the* place for spontaneous celebrations of music, cheering and street hockey. Don’t miss it.

LiveCity Yaletown – Hit

This LiveCity is corporate pavilion central. Featuring the Coke, Samsung, Panasonic, and Acer pavilions, LiveCity Yaletown is a marketing whore’s wet dream. Hidden behind it all, down a dark corridor past the washrooms is Vancouver House, and West House. LiveCity Yaletown also has two large TVs, a great lineup of B-list and indie performers, as well as a nightly fireworks and waterworks show. If you can handle the extensive security hassles and potentially long lineups, it is worth spending an evening here checking everything out. I begrudgingly give it a hit.

Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion – Hit

The Mint has a great display on two floors in one of Vancouver’ more historic buildings. Downstairs features a variety of Olympic coins they’ve produced, as well as information on how they create them. Upstairs is a popular exhibit where individuals can touch the real Olympic medals that the Mint was contracted to make. Definite hit, though the lines can get real long – arrive early!

West House – Hit

West House is a demonstration sustainable laneway house on display next to Vancouver House. Everybody who’s seen it loves it. It’s a great example of the possibilities of sustainable design and laneway housing. There’s also a great view of LiveCity Yaletown from its second storey deck.

Coca-Cola Pavilion – Hit

Though the lineups may be long, this is one pavilion worth checking out. Although the pavilion is corporate whoring at its best, there’s a lot to enjoy. Coke displays a ton of info boards about its historical participation in the Olympics in the indoor queue. After watching a short, tacky video on the Torch Relay, you enter the main building where you’ll receive a free Coke. Featuring a very cool projector-based rooftop, there’s two large interactive games, as well as Coke-based art, a photo-op with the Torch, and a giant animatronic Coke bear ready for his picture with you. Come and open happiness at the Coke pavilion!

Saskatchewan House – Hit

Inside a large white globe, Saskatchewan presents us with a tradeshow-like touting of the Prairie province’s economic opportunities. However, the photo op with Mounties and cool greenscreen picture station where you can take a photo in Saskatchewan, make up for this dismal pavilion. Also on site is a large eatery and stage for entertainment. Be sure to try a Bison burger while you are there! Hit.

PowerSmart Village – Hit

BC Hydro has a great pavilion set up at their downtown headquarters. Through a series of short activities, people learn about energy efficiency and get free prizes! There’s also a “house of the future” (West House is cooler), and Club Energy – a lit up neon dancefloor powered by the kinetic energy on the ground! Not Olympic related persay, but still a hit.

Alberta House – Meh

I’ve heard it’s a great place to wine and dine, though there’s not much else. At night, lovely lights and free entertainment create a quaint place to relax outside the pavilion and take in a little piece of the prairies. Thanks to its location at the end of Robson, the crowds here are minimal. Check it out if you’re hungry or just need a place to unwind. Alberta House gets a resounding meh, depending on what you are looking for.

Canada Pavilion – Meh

Filled with mostly Wii-like Winter Sports video games, there’s not much to attract one here. While there is the occasional Olympian in house doing autographs, and a small section on the history of skiing and hockey, there’s little overall incentive here to deal with the LiveCity Downtown security lineups or hassles. I give it a meh.

Four Host First Nations Pavilion – Meh

Despite the superb performance in the Opening Ceremonies, the pavilion of the Four Host First Nations is not nearly as spectacular. There’s a variety of entertainment in the round white bubble called the Chief’s House during the day, and a short cultural video at night. The video called “We Are Here” wasn’t that great in my opinion. There’s also an artisans village at VCC and an eatery featuring Aboriginal food at the QE Theatre. Overall, I give it a meh.

Kla-Howya Aboriginal Village – Meh

At the third floor of Canada Place, the Aboriginal Tourism Association has put together a quick pavilion. There’s a handful of aboriginal art, along with carving demostrations and entertainment throughout the day. Most don’t know it is here, so if you are looking for a quieter place to rest, here’s a good one. You can also take in beautiful views of the mountains from this spot. Depending on what you are looking for, I give it a meh.

Ontario House – Meh

In the rope lined building on the Concord lands, Ontario House is the best pavilion in this area, though that’s not saying much. The main pavilion features a couple of Microsoft Surface touchscreen tables (miss!), a small eatery, a section to play games on Blackberrys, and a section where you can control lights on the CN Tower with your brainwaves. There’s also a very popular 4D theatre with a short touristy video highlighting the largest province in Canada. If you have kids, the 4D theatre may be worth the wait, and the brainwave demonstration is pretty cool. I give it a meh, only because of the lack of lineups inside the main building.

Place de la Francophonie – Meh

This largely outdoor house features an extensive list of French entertainment. There’s also an indoor trade show-type building that showcase Canada’s French culture. While it may be of interest to Francophones, there’s not much for Anglophones to enjoy – either in activities or information.

Panasonic Pavilion – Meh

If you’ve seen a movie in 3D, you’ll know what Panasonic is touting in their pavilion. While there are a couple of info sections on Panasonic’s Olympic participation and their environmental efforts, most of the pavilion consists of 3D demonstrations. Though HDTV was enough? Well, you thought wrong, as consumer electronics companies try to tout 3DTV as the next best thing. Come in here to try it out. If you’ve already seen Avatar in 3D, you’ll know what to expect, and don’t need to waste your time here.

Vancouver House – Meh

Vancouver’s pavilion is designed to tout the City’s economic opportunities, and it sure does that well. Housed in an IKEA like building, Vancouver House showcases the City’s best business talent. However, if you are looking for anything else, it is sure to disappoint.

Atlantic Canada House – Miss

The pavilion for Eastern Canada is primarily centered on an eatery, with daily showcases of Maritime cuisine. There’s also a number of shows each night in the Arts Club theatre, and at night there’s a licensed lounge. However, the lack of exhibits makes me give this one a miss.

CentrePlace Manitoba – Miss

Although it’s housed a beautiful, though simple, wood building, there’s little here to see or do. With only touchscreens touting Manitoba as a place to invest, and a model version of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, this pavilion is a resounding miss.

LiveCity Downtown – Miss

This LiveCity consists of the Canada Pavilion, CentrePlace Manitoba, two large TVs and a beer garden. Unless you want to check out those two pavilions, neither of which are particularly exciting, don’t bother with this site. Featuring extensive security requirements for entry and lone lineups throughout the day, the hassle just isn’t worth it.

Maison du Québec – Miss

Quebec House is a giant outdoor cube with an eatery and entertainment inside. Although the wall projections inside are cool, there are no exhibits here. Miss.

Pride House Vancouver – Miss

Though the concept is unprecedented – a safe space for LGBT athletes and their allies to gather – the execution is lacklustre. Housed in Qmunity, an old queer community centre on Davie St, the space is rundown and features a small TV showing live events. There is also information of interest to those who support equal rights. It has become a space for people in the queer community to watch the Olympics. Unless you are looking to learn more about the GLBT community, this is a miss.

Samsung Pavilion – Miss

This one-floor pavilion consists of a couple games and a ton of Samsung phones. Although the staff are enthusiastic about their brand, the entire pavilion feels like an oversized phone store. Miss.

Acer Pavilion – Miss

Acer hasn’t put much thought into their pavilion. Although there are a couple of games on all the computers on display, their tech isn’t that great and a lot of the touchscreens don’t work very well. There’s also a large projection of a live Olympic feed indoors, though you aren’t allowed to sit and watch it. If you want a break to play some video games, come here. Otherwise, it’s a big miss.

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