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All articles tagged ‘News’

Cleaning up after the riot

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 16, 2011 • Local

After the idiotic actions that occurred last night after game seven of the Stanley Cup final, the true spirit of Vancouver kicked into gear when many returned to help clean up the mess left behind. At the same time, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other social media sites were flooded with pictures and video of the hooligans in the midst of their lunacy. The Vancouver Police are asking for anyone who has clear and identifiable images of those responsible to submit them so they may begin the process of investigating and laying charges. For more details and contact information, check out the Vancouver Police Department media release.

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Despicable

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 15, 2011 • Editorials

Once again, the downtown core of Vancouver is awash in stupidity as young and drunk idiots using the devastating 4-0 game seven loss between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins as a reason to cause mayhem.

While I was downtown at Canada Place watching the game, I made a mental note to leave the area before the game ended in the event that things turned sour. With five minutes left in the game, I was boarding a train at Waterfront trying to head east and out of the core. I was oblivious to the jackassery until my phone started going crazy with text messages from friends asking if I was OK and made it out of the downtown core safely. However, I’m happy that the people who gathered at Canada Place left in peace and did not try to riot.

In watching CTV‘s live feed of the senseless destruction, I feel angry that hooligans would use a family-friendly hockey event to commit such stupidity. People jumping over burning cars, smashing windows and fighting others is just unbelievable. Even worse is seeing the images of people in Canucks jerseys running rampant — not all Canucks fans riot after a loss. Granted, I am frustrated with the team’s performance in the Stanley Cup final, but it is no excuse to be stupid.

As the world wakes up, they are going to see a very different Vancouver. Last year, during the 2010 Winter Olympics, there were limited disturbances and they were quickly quelled. One year later, we seemed to forget. This is going to paint a very bad picture for this city. We are better than this and we need to remind ourselves that we should not tolerate such disrespect to our fellow citizens. So many people stood by and watched, photographed, recorded the looting and the torching of vehicles and other personal property.

I’m embarrassed. I’ve always been proud of our city and have always openly welcomed others to see what I call home. It’s a shame that we cannot hold in our emotions after a hockey game. It’s truly a shame. I went home to move on. Why can’t everyone else?

Boston, you proved to be a fierce foe in the final — congratulations on your win. You deserved it so much more.

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Earthquake in Japan

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 11, 2011 • News

For those living in a region prone to seismic activity, it’s incredibly sobering to see images from Japan where safety is ingrained into their culture. While many of the buildings did not collapse from the initial shaking, the second punch in the form of a tsunami finished off what the quake started.

The west coast of Canada has been fairly complacent in its standards and with an ever increasing building boom, Metro Vancouver may not even hold up to a medium or larger sized tremor. This reality is very unnerving.

All that we can do is ensure we are prepared and hope that we may never have to experience the same destruction that plagues those who live in an area like the Ring of Fire.

Check out this post on Gakuranman for photos, videos and Twitter updates from Japan.

The Canadian Red Cross is also accepting donations for aid in the stricken north-east region.

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Changes for carry-on items

Frederick Linsmeyer • February 3, 2011 • Travel

A small victory for air travellers. Transport Canada has announced a relaxation in certain items that were previously banned from carry-on luggage.

This development allows scissors with blades under six centimetres, nail clippers and similar items. Knives, regardless of their size, are still forbidden in the aircraft cabin.

Also announced were some changes to Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), the agency charged with security in Canadian airports. Improvements will be made to screening processes, identification and separation of suspicious baggage, and lane configurations for for families and travellers carrying NEXUS cards.

Source: Transport Canada

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CRTC’s Internet metering could be overturned

Frederick Linsmeyer • February 2, 2011 • Technology

When the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that Canadian Internet service providers could charge its customers on how much bandwidth was used, it tangled country’s Ethernet cables worse than a poorly installed home network.

News1130 has learned from a source within the government that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Industry Minister Tony Clement are considering overturning the CRTC’s ruling.

The CRTC had announced last month that service providers could set a monthly usage limit and then charge per gigabyte should a customer exceed their limit. This decision would come into effect on March 1^st, 2011.

With Netflix’s recent foray into the great white north and the increase in online gaming and other multimedia rich applications, Canadian Internet users would quickly spill over their cap leading to higher bills.

Source: News1130

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Paying for the Evergreen Line

Frederick Linsmeyer • November 10, 2010 • Local, News

Ever since the Evergreen Line was announced, one of the largest questions surrounding the proposed line was “how much?” (the other being “when?”). The $1.2 billion extension already has $800 million from both the federal and provincial governments, with the remaining $400 million to come from TransLink.

In order to support the new SkyTrain extension, which falls under the 2011 Supplemental Plan, the transit agency needs to come up with funding. TransLink’s Board of Directors has approved two 2011 Supplemental Plans and is asking for the Mayor’s Council to approve them. If no alternative funding is found, property taxes would need to be increased to cover the costs.

The base plan includes the Evergreen Line and the first phase of the North Fraser Perimeter Road while the second plan includes the first two projects, increased bus service and various improvements to infrastructure in the region. TransLink is pushing for the second plan, which is the most expensive of the two.

The Mayor’s Council are scheduled to vote sometime in December 2010.

Sources: TransLink, News1130

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Renaming GM Place to Rogers Arena

Frederick Linsmeyer • July 6, 2010 • Local

Rogers Arena with Downtown Vancouver

General Motors Place, or “the Garage” as it’s come to be known by local hockey fans, will be getting a new name after 15 years.

The Vancouver Canucks and General Motors of Canada have agreed on a new sponsorship deal which didn’t include naming rights for the arena.

The Canucks have announced the new name as Rogers Arena, in partnership with Rogers Communications.

Since GM Place’s opening in 1995, the the car manufacturer has had its name on the structure, except during the 2010 Winter Olympics when it was temporarily known as Canada Hockey Place.

Source: Vancouver Canucks

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Canada Line nearing capacity

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 2, 2010 • Trains

Canada Line Waterfront platform

The Canada Line is reaching capacity with commuters feeling squeezed in on the ride between Vancouver and Richmond.

On average, the line carries close to 94,000 passengers per day which falls short of TransLink‘s prediction of 100,000 riders. TransLink had estimated that the Canada Line would reach capacity by 2013, but could make that number next year.

TransLink is looking at ways to adjust service to accommodate all the riders on the line. Currently, 14 out of 20 two-car trains are in service, running with a headway of three and a half minutes; although an extra two trains enter service during rush hour. TransLink plans to run 16 two-car trains with a headway of just under three and a half minutes going into 2011.

The Canada Line opened to the public on August 17^th, 2009 and has provided an alternate route between Vancouver, Richmond and the airport. Unlike the Expo and Millennium Lines, the Canada Line utilizes different technology provided by Rotem, a subsidiary of Hyundai. Most notable of the system are the shorter trains — these are limited in length to two cars each due to the decreased size of the station platforms.

Source: The Vancouver Sun

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Smart Cards are coming to a station near you

Frederick Linsmeyer • May 29, 2010 • Local

TransLink Transfer purchased from a Ticket Vending Machine

TransLink has announced that they’ve narrowed down the list of providers for Smart Card technology that will be replacing the current fare system. The current fare system which uses paper based fares with a magnetic strip and three zones to determine the price of travel, is expected to be phased out after the new technology is implemented in 2013.

The Smart Card technology that TransLink is looking for is already in place on many transit systems around the world, including the London Underground, Chicago’s ‘L’ system, as well as in Hong Kong and San Francisco. The card contains a computer chip which can be loaded with money and then tapped on a special reader upon entering a station or a bus. When the passenger exits the station or bus, they tap the card again so that the fare is deducted based on the distance travelled, route taken or time of day (peak or off-peak travel).

With the Smart Cards, turnstiles, or fare gates, will be installed at all SkyTrain, Canada Line, SeaBus and West Coast Express stations to eliminate fare evasion and increase passenger safety and security. However, when the Expo Line was constructed, fare gates were not considered, so the stations will need to be upgraded to accommodate the new hardware.

Source: TransLink

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A look back at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 3, 2010 • Winter Olympics

The Olympic Cauldron

Two and a half weeks sure go by pretty quickly. The world had their eyes on the west coast of Canada as athletes from all walks of life competed in their respective winter sports. The streets of Vancouver were jam-packed with hundreds of thousands of fans cheering on their countries and taking in the sights and sounds of the various events throughout the city. So much happened in the 17 days the Winter Olympics that it’s almost impossible to go through it all, but here’s a portion of what made the list.

Highs

Joannie Rochette and her courage to overcome a tragic loss and capture the hearts of her home and the world
Sidney Crosby scoring the winning goal in overtime between Canada and the United States to take the gold medal
Ryan Miller helping his team beat all odds and prove they are a medal contender
Alexandre Bilodeau for ending the drought and his brother Frédéric for giving him the power to get there
Kim Yu-Na for delivering one hell of a performance
The Canadian women’s hockey team for their unstoppable play
The obnoxiously awesome pants worn by the Norwegian curlers
Lindsey Vonn for being the first American woman to win gold in downhill skiing (and with a bruised shin)
Having the mime electrician give Catriona Le May Doan the chance to light her portion of the Olympic Cauldron
Petra Majdič for continuing on despite painful injuries caused by an unfortunate fall
The awesome opening and closing ceremonies showcasing the real Canada (minus a small glitch)
The 14 gold medals Canada earned — our best ever and a record for the Winter Olympics
The hundreds of volunteers to help out and assist the many out of town guests
And the hundreds of thousands of supporters, visitors and fans who crammed downtown Vancouver and Whistler to deliver the best party this country has ever seen

Lows

The shocking loss of Nodar Kumaritashvili in an accident while training
El Niño for bringing unseasonable warmth and impacting a number of events on Cypress Mountain
The hooligans who had nothing better to do than showcase their idiocy for the world (fortunately for one day only)
The British media with their scathing criticisms on anything and everything
NBC for cutting short broadcasts of events, or skipping them entirely

As a resident of Metro Vancouver, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for making this possible. We hope you enjoyed the games and our city, and would love to see you all back here again soon!

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All articles tagged ‘News’

Despicable

Earthquake in Japan

Changes for carry-on items

CRTC’s Internet metering could be overturned

Paying for the Evergreen Line

Renaming GM Place to Rogers Arena

Canada Line nearing capacity

Smart Cards are coming to a station near you

A look back at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

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