scrubbedexpat091

Condo owning seems risky. Insurance is getting expensive and difficult for stratas.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/warning...rket-1.4800633


There are dire warnings that the condo real estate market in B.C. could collapse unless the province steps in to stop it.

caretaker

So this train derailment and fire is on the national news, and gets a response from the government, and it's the second one in the same area in 2 months, so obviously there's a problem. TSB is going over everything to find out why it went off the track, and they usually find out why. Even after all the planned pipelines are in place, they are still going to be moving a lot of oil by rail, and a lot of it is going to be extremely volatile light crude. In this latest accident 12 of the 31 cars that derailed popped, leaked, and burned, and every one of them (if it's like the earlier derailment) is one of the upgraded tanks that aren't supposed to pop, leak, and burn. 12 cars create an inferno, and I've seen hundreds of these tanks stacked up right behind the casino in downtown Regina. There's a big trashy book waiting to be written there.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6520313/g...nkers-on-fire/

dave_j

I think it's beyond doubt that condo construction has been a milch cow for all, from builders down through architects to council officers who rezone and approve construction.
The attraction for the buyer has been affordability.
But... if the insurance market for condos disappears are we really advocating a new insurance provision on the ICBC model as a solution, and do we really expect it'll be non-profit? Once you establish a provision for open ended insurance then the ambulance chasers'll clap their hands and create a new cash cow.
If there are those out there who still want to prey on those who need to buy, then let them establish their own insurance business, after all, maintenance etc. is what they do, in fact it might encourage them to build to a better standard to start with.
And prospective buyers? Caveat Emptor.

scrubbedexpat091

I certainly don't want a provincial insurance company for this, if these buildings are high risk to insure well the stratas need to pay for it, pretty much how any other insurance works, higher risk the more you pay. We don't own but we have renters insurance we pay a premium because this building is deemed high risk, tricky to even find an insurance company to provide coverage, many we tried wouldn't even cover this building, we had Square One for 5 years, but last year at renewal they chose not to renew the policy after a risk assessment, we never had any claims but my guess is they had some claims in this building at a rate they were not comfortable with so decided simply not to provide insurance to this address, if you try to get a quote using any unit in the building on their website, you get coverage not available for the address now.

We did find a company to insure us, but double the price anywhere else we have lived, and higher deductible.

Lots of water leaks and damage in this building, one unit has been flooded 3 times because the man above it can't seem to remember he is filling his bath tub... He has flooded his bathroom 3 times leaving the tub on, also think in condos there would be floor drains and floor designed in a way to minimize flooding of other units, some hotels do this, so if the tub or toilet floods the bathroom, the water moves away from the walls and down the drain.

scrubbedexpat091

Protesters are still at it. its affecting transit today as well.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6525776/w...dxaH4wzCAt0x5U

"Protesters supporting Indigenous pipeline opponents in northern B.C. blocked access to the Port of Vancouver for the third straight day Saturday, creating heavy traffic backups."

https://postimg.cc/Xp4KZcFD


The letter that explains why they choose the port.

caretaker

All it takes to free two animals locked in deadly combat is one good man with a gun:
https://globalnews.ca/video/6494468/...-with-shotgun/

scrubbedexpat091

Twiggy the water skiing squirrel........may have broken bylaws in Vancouver.

""Businesses are prohibited from using rodents in competitions, exhibitions, performance or events," according to Schedule A Section 13 of the city's Business Prohibition Bylaw No. 5156, said the statement."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...laws-1.5456776

So many by-laws banning things near impossible for most to probably know what is and isn't allowed anymore, city's do love their bans, at least one city in BC even bans saltwater aquariums..

scrubbedexpat091

One reason not to live in Abbotsford the hospital there is not good in general and over crowded. This is was the hospital that sent me home in sepsis telling me it was a virus with the first doctor doing no testing and a quick physical exam and sent me packing, also the same ER that left me sitting in a chair for 36 hours, I will never live in that area again because of this hospital, the stories are all too common and apparently it actually one of the worst hospitals in BC.

https://www.abbynews.com/news/baby-w...abbotsford-er/

Poor baby should never have been sent home, same thing happened to me as an infant but that was 1979 with the same illness, should know better by now.

scrubbedexpat091

Oh man this is going to royally suck for anyone going to Mission this evening after work, other areas can get too on other forms of transit, but Mission not so easy, some may end up stranded in Vancouver as the options to get to Mission are pretty limited.


Protesters have blocked Canadian Pacific track the West Coast Express runs on.

scrubbedexpat091

Also appears they want the BC Attorney General to interfere with the courts decision.

scrubbedexpat091

Going to be as expected a crummy commute for thousands on Friday. An average of 10,000 people a day rely on west coast express.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6548918/w...ower-mainland/

scrubbedexpat091

Looks like the trains can operate this evening, the protesters packed up and left after blocking trains for yesterday's evening commute and the morning commute today. Now where will the next pop up blockade occur. The groups says they ended the blockade so they can attend the women's memorial march downtown today.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...iday-1.5463730

scrubbedexpat091

Today's target is CN rail lines in east Vancouver, affecting both passenger (Amtrak) and freight.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6556116/w...ZA451NLrOpkOQ0

BC Ferry has obtained a preemptive injunction prohibiting protesters from block its terminals and will set up an area with high visibility protesters can gather without the need for a blockade.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6556320/b...on-wetsuweten/

Lychee

My local front page: Locals being arrested for protesting the clearcut logging of an important section of old (not old growth, but still old) rainforest that would, if left alone, function as an important wildlife and biodiversity corridor between two protected stands of neighbouring rainforest.

An aside: most rainforest here is not protected from clearcut logging practices and almost all is literally on the chopping block.

The RCMP are described as being friendly and respectful, which I question would have happened if the protesters were indigenous and not white. In this story, like others these days, I’m mindful of the protestor/land protector language used in the media.

scrubbedexpat091

Protesters blockaded the premier of BC driveway today. RCMP have made multiple arrests.

https://www.vicnews.com/news/protest...-announcement/