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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 4h

In 2022, Ken Sim said line item budget comparisons were the cornerstone of his budget policy if he got elected mayor.

In 2025, he voted against it happening for a budget presentation with potentially $100 million in cuts because his newly appointed city manager told him no.

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 10h

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

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Richard Dal Monte @richdalmonte.bsky.social · 6h

fk, yeah

andrea bennett (they/them) @akkabah.bsky.social · 7h

I am so tired of people calling things divisive when what they mean is that they were more comfortable when other people were just being silently oppressed and they didn’t have to hear about it or change anything

Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 15h

Solar & wind met 109% of new electricity demand, globally, in the first half of 2025.

Renewables are handling all new demand & are inexorably moving beyond, to chip away at the FF foundation.

Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025 | Ember

Solar and wind outpaced demand growth in the first half of 2025, as renewables overtook coal’s share in the global electricity mix.

ember-energy.org

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Westside Backyard @westside-backyard.bsky.social · 9h

A person riding a bicycle holding a stick. They jam the stick labelled "0% Property Tax Increase" in the front wheel, then are lying on the ground in pain saying "Our aging public pools are falling apart and we don't have budget to replace them"

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 11h

Yes, because that has frequently happened in the past.

Council sets a target, staff say what that will result in, then amendments and horsetrading result in a different number, often created on the fly hours before the vote.

Which may not happen here! But it's why I use conditional language.

Aura/Moom @moomanibe.bsky.social · 11h

while that's true in the strictest sense, the motion today also explicitly ordered the city to discard any other scenarios and prepare no materials or budget plans other than 0%.

Are we really expecting a scenario where they develop an entire alternate plan at the very last second?

AND FURTHER THAT this direction supersedes Council’s June 2025 instruction to develop multiple budget scenarios, and instead establishes a singular focus on achieving a zero percent property tax increase for the 2026 Operating Budget.

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Richard Dal Monte @richdalmonte.bsky.social · 10h

This is not cool — or even accurate — @cityofvancouver.bsky.social.
#vanpoli

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 11h

I will also note that the mayor is also putting out incorrect information over his own motion.

We’ll see what the proposed budget looks like in a month or two, what the discussion is like, and when the actual vote is scheduled.

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Tyler Olsen @tyolsen.bsky.social · 14h

If you are a local reporter who has specialized local knowledge and great story, but needs editing support, a second set of eyes, or even just someone to take some interviews off your plate, get in touch! We want to collaborate on more good pieces like this.

Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · 15h

The definitive history of Kamloop's very own "Mayor of chaos" by @tyolsen.bsky.social and @castanet.net's Kristen Holliday #bcpoli thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...

Mayor of Chaos: How Kamloops Politics Became Infamous | The Tyee

Car dealer Reid Hamer-Jackson won office with charisma and ideas. Then the wheels came off.

thetyee.ca

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Simon Little 🍁 @simonplittle.ca · 14h

It shouldn't matter how popular your rights are. There's a reason they're protected by the charter.

Polling Canada @canadianpolling.bsky.social · 15h

Net-Support For Using The Notwithstanding Clause For:

Requiring schools to notify parents when their child wants to go by a new name/pronoun: +12%

Preventing those under 16 who are transgender from having hormone therapy: +6%

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 16h

As climate disinformation groups move into the shadows, @nationalobserver.com has developed an unprecedented new tool: Civic Searchlight. To build it, we assembled a database of council meetings in more than 550 municipalities.

How Canada's National Observer tracked a climate misinfo group going 'under the radar'

As KICLEI's campaign moves into the shadows, Canada’s National Observer has developed an unprecedented new tool: Civic Searchlight. To build it, we assembled a database of council meetings in more tha...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · 15h

The definitive history of Kamloop's very own "Mayor of chaos" by @tyolsen.bsky.social and @castanet.net's Kristen Holliday #bcpoli thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...

Mayor of Chaos: How Kamloops Politics Became Infamous | The Tyee

Car dealer Reid Hamer-Jackson won office with charisma and ideas. Then the wheels came off.

thetyee.ca

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Seth Klein @sethdklein.bsky.social · 17h

This is very cool and super valuable. Congrats to the team at @nationalobserver.com for launching this important new tool.

Check it out folks 👇

Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 18h

Today, @nationalobserver.com is launching a tool to search municipal meeting transcripts across Canada. The tool has already helped us unearth a climate denial network targeting towns and cities, report on AI data centers, measure our impact and more.

Journalists and researchers, sign up for free!

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 18h

Today, @nationalobserver.com is launching a tool to search municipal meeting transcripts across Canada. The tool has already helped us unearth a climate denial network targeting towns and cities, report on AI data centers, measure our impact and more.

Journalists and researchers, sign up for free!

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 1d

I've asked Canada Revenue Agency about this issue before, they won't comment on the activities of individual charities due to the "confidentiality provisions of the Income Tax Act"

They note the public can report charities suspected of non-compliant activities here:

www.canada.ca/en/revenue-a...

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Kara Shaw @shawkara.bsky.social · 19h

This is excellent news and such important work: www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/08/n...

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 19h

Today we're launching a new, powerful tool for public accountability created by @rorywh.bsky.social.

Civic Searchlight compiles hundreds of municipalities' public meetings and makes them searchable for the first time. It's free to use and we hope you journalists and researchers put it to work.

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Canadian Climate Institute @climateinstitute.bsky.social · 18h

The global clean energy revolution can create long-term growth opportunities for Canada.

Here are three policy areas governments should take action on now to secure Canada’s competitiveness in this new, electrified world.
climateinstitute.ca/clean-electr...

Clean electricity is transforming the global economy: it’s time for Canada to swim with the current

The global clean energy transition is gaining speed. Energy analysts speak of an electrotech revolution that is ...

climateinstitute.ca

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Tyler Olsen @tyolsen.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: I teamed up with @castanetkamloops.net to write this long in-depth account of Reid Hamer-Jackson's three years as mayor of Kamloops. I also talked to the unrepentant mayor for two hours.

thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...

Mayor of Chaos: How Kamloops Politics Became Infamous | The Tyee

Car dealer Reid Hamer-Jackson won office with charisma and ideas. Then the wheels came off.

thetyee.ca

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Typewriter Skeleton @tpwrtrmnky.bsky.social · 1d

It's fascinating how every trial run of a government-run "give money to people whose problems can be solved by simply giving them money" scheme turns out to have a tremendous return on investment on TOP of benefiting the recipients, and still it's like "ohhhh we don't know about this!! scary!!!"

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 1d

Pumpkins, crafts, treats 🎃 Indoor and outdoor family friendly Halloween activities and Trick-or-Treating around Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley this season.

Family-Friendly Halloween Activities Around Vancouver 2025

Indoor and outdoor family friendly Halloween activities and Trick-or-treating around Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley this season.

miss604.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Tyler Harper @tylerharper.bsky.social · 1d

Very sad to hear about the passing of Comox Valley Record editor Terry Farrell, who died yesterday from cancer. Terry was a lovely person, an ardent Oilers fan, and spent his final year documenting his appreciation for all of life's joys, big and small. He will be very missed by his colleagues.

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 1d

Alberta government to ban the number 58,008 in schools

CALGARY — With the province's teachers on strike, Danielle Smith’s UCP government has tabled new legislation banning the use of the number 58,008, in order to “protect Alberta’s most precious resource...

www.thebeaverton.com

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 1d

This study should be read by every policymaker and traffic engineer.

Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 2d

"The single most important behaviour, design or regulation for creating streets conducive to walking and cycling, was physical separation between the modes"

We've got a new study out, learning from a broad mixture of street users, planners and designers

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Highlights
For marginalised street users mode separation is the key to human-scale movement.
Streets conducive to walking and cycling have functional, safe and accessible design.
Professionals must approach street design, regulation and user behaviour holistically.
Combinations of influencing factors persuade people to either use or avoid a street.
There are no easy fixes to the public realm that will work for all non-drivers.

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Reposted by Richard Dal Monte

Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 1d

VIFF 2025: Skillful filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida delves into deep emotional terrain in Akashi. Here's a review in @pancouver.bsky.social: pancouver.ca/viff-2025-sk...

VIFF 2025: Skillful filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida delves into deep emotional terrain in Akashi - Pancouver

If you’re planning to visit a theatre to watch Akashi, make sure you bring some hankies.

pancouver.ca

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Richard Dal Monte @richdalmonte.bsky.social · 1d

#word

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