Vancouver Overcast with Mike Klassen

On Episode 21 we hear from Urban Planner and Development Consultant and founder of Liveable City Planning Ltd Michael Mortensen. Michael is a seasoned urban planner and development strategist, has left an indelible mark on Vancouver’s skyline. He began his own company Livable City Planning Ltd., where he navigates the complexities of both private and public sector developments.

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 city, and what drew her into public life.

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.

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   Be sure to subscribe, like and rate Vancouver Overcast podcast. Visit https://www.overcastyvr.ca for more information.

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 PodcastsSpotifyYouTube 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.   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 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/flood-management-province-bc-jurisdiction-1.6261541   FVRD’s Jason Lum: The bureaucracy and the flood: disaster hits the valley’s rural communities https://fvcurrent.com/article/fvrd-flood-funding-delay/   December Vancouver 6.53% tax increase: City taxpayers stuck with tab from Vancouver council's stratospheric spending - Commentary | Business in Vancouver https://biv.com/article/2021/12/city-taxpayers-stuck-tab-vancouver-councils-stratospheric-spending   CityCaucus 2021 Honourable Mention list Spencer Coyne, mayor of Princeton, B.C. Linda Brown, mayor of Merritt, B.C. Chief Arnold Lampreau, Shackan First Nation   CityCaucus Local Government Leader of 2021 Henry Braun, mayor of Abbotsford, B.C. https://biv.com/article/2021/12/abbotsford-mayor-henry-braun-proves-his-depth-flood-crisis