Happy New Year to all of our readers!
It's New Year's Eve and the staff at CityCaucus Towers are all grumbling today about the fact we've asked them to work until 5 pm. Unfortunately we need them to stay late to keep researching some of the big stories we're working on for early in 2011!
What follows is our summary of some of the top stories we covered this year. Tomorrow we'll provide you with sampling of our top video hits. Have a great celebration tonight and be sure not to drink and drive! Enjoy the look back at 2010!
January
2nd: Our first story of the year was about the high school fiasco in New Westminster. After years of delay, the city's new secondary school has yet to be rebuilt
5th: An FOI we filed revealed that Vancouver City Manager Penny Ballem was deleting some emails
17th: We begin reporting on where all those free events will be at the Olympics. Our Where 2 Be for Free Guide became a smash hit
17th: A report comes out at Vancouver City Hall that says the arts granting system is not a corrupt system but it's influencable
26th: We report that Vancouver civic officials and their spouses get free tickets to the Olympics
31st: A video about one man's love for the Olympic Games caught our attention when it had less than 100 views. Over 800,000 views later it still inspires. Do you believe?
February
2nd: Global TV anchor exlusively provides us with his picks for best free Olympic venues
12th: Prime Minister invites CityCaucus.com for a sneak peek of the new 2010 Canada Pavilion
22nd: We ask why Vancouver School Board didn't close down public schools during the Games
24th: 2010 Olympics: The People's Games - a video retrospective
March
2nd: A few Vancouver city councillors decide to use taxpayer funds for a business trip to Harrison Hot Springs
5th: We confirm that Vancouver City Manager Penny Ballem did get her pay raise after all
12th: Was Gregor Robertson caught in a lie over firing of City's Chief Electrical Inspector?
18th: Five more Vancouver city councillors head to Harrison Hot Springs
23rd: Vancouver Courier city hall columnist quits as City beekeeper
26th: DERA housing accused of corruption
April
1st: We dig deeper into the man behind Mayor Gregor Robertson. Who is Joel Solomon?
2nd: Vision finally reveals the plans for their backyard chicken scheme
8th: A report reveals homelessness is up by 12% in Vancouver since the civic election.
20th: Mayor Gregor amends his election commitment to "end homelessness" by 2015 to "end street homelessness"
28th: The Vancouver School Board participates in a class warfare
May
2nd: City of Vancouver puts up netting to catch falling concrete from Burrard St Bridge
4th: The public weighs in on concept of a homeless shelter for backyard chickens
4th: Mayor Gregor blames rookie cop for giving a homeless person a ticket
13th: Who just bought the domain name for the Mayor of Vancouver?
14th: Robin Adair calls it quits at Vancouver City Hall
16th: Vision Vancouver leaks out that Gregor Robertson approval numbers at 78%
28th: Vancouver rated the most walkable city
June
2nd: Vision Vancouver allows community centres to go political
7th: Neighbourhood groups express deep concerns about the amount of money from developers going to fund Vision Vancouver
11th: Another video that went viral. Remember that little mishap where a construction crew took down a few concrete walls that landed on the sidewalk below?
21st: A plan to use density to provide Vancouver artists with $700,000 goes up in smoke when councillors too afraid to subdivide a lot
24th: It is revealed that Gregor Robertson gave FD Element $50K in no-bid contracts
26th: Just who exactly were Mayor Gregor and his Chief of Staff meeting while they were in New York?
29th: We report on Joel Solomon's 500 year plan for the planet
July
8th: City of Vancouver admits they could have done more to prevent the little construction mishap that happened the month prior
10th: Foodies give the City of Vancouver's street vendor program a big thumbs down
13th: Mayor Gregor's summer from hell begins after his infamous "effin NPA hacks" comment
22nd: Dianne Watts says she wants to run again as Mayor of Surrey
27th: Our homemade video goes viral as "Red Light Robertson" makes from page headlines
29th: Vision's campaign debt erased thanks to big donations from big developers
August
2nd: Public sector salaries on the rise in BC
6th: We offer some recommendations on how to make civic government more inclusive
19th: Were reports of the NPA's demise a bit premature?
22nd: Mayor Gregor plans $260K renovations to City Hall. Includes a councillor dining room.
29th: Vancouver Mayor benefits from $1000 per day no-bid contract
31st: We exlusively break a story on plummeting staff morale at Vancouver City Hall
September
6th: We review Mayor Gregor's summer from hell
14th: Mayor Gregor goes to China and extoles the virtues of communism
14th: Blogger scandal at City Hall begs changes in Robertson's administration
26th: Dianne Watts pushing her green agenda
30th: Vision plans to put up a new community garden at Sunset Beach
30th: Olympic Village becomes Gregor's biggest nightmare
October
3rd: Michael Geller provides his reality check on the Olympic Village development
4th: We release a letter Gregor Robertson gave to council when he was NDP MLA. Calls for more money to be spent at Athlete's Village development.
5th: Mayor Gregor's aide caught partisan politiking on taxpayer's dime
8th: Hornby bike lane consultation process proven to be a sham
12th: Jim Green feeling the heat
14th: Bike Lanes Make Me Hornby t-shirts not the hit Vision was expecting
29th: Metro Vancouver raises taxes by 5.8%. Ouch.
November
1st: We break the news that the City's FOI Manager quits cause he says he can no longer do his job
4th: Vision Vancouver sneaks in another late-distribution report. This time on cuts to Olympic Village social housing commitments.
7th: Mayor Gregor's poll numbers continue to tumble.
9th: Kangaroo Council. Protestors take over Vancouver City Hall. We produce a short video.
14th: Are pedestrians an afterthought in Vancouver. We argue that they are.
27th: An NPA government must be more open than Vision
30th: More bad polling news for Mayor Gregor
December
3rd: Eco-friendly tree cutters have locals hopping mad
8th: COPE's Tim Louis provides his report card on Vision
13th: Gang warfare breaks out and we review Mayor Gregor's shaky record
20th: Were two Vancouver councillors in a conflict of interest? They say no.
24th: Bruce Allen provides Vision Vancouver with a Christmas gift
28th: Questions are raised regarding whether the City of Vancouver did enough to prevent a tragedy on Pandora Street where three men died in a fire
"...hemp and bark clad vegan facilitators".
lol. thanks.
Must say Julia I agree with you.... especially about Meggs, it also appears Aaron Jasper is positioning himself, for me that is almost as frightening as Meggs and would inspire me to move as well.
my theory - Raymond Louie is quietly waiting in the wings so he can tell Vision 'I told you to vote for me the first time'.
If Geoff Meggs decides to run and wins - I am moving.
Who do you think will replace the mayor and Vision Vancouver?
Impressive list.
I'll just add a reminder, also thinking of Daniel's photographs of New Westminster's heritage, that one little bit of Vancouver's history will be shutting down on January 2nd. That is, of course, the Children's Farmyard, victim of self righteous activism hiding behind a smoke screen of false economies. Visit while you can.
However, breaking news for 2011, we can look forward to the new Aaron Jasper Ecology Centre rising from the ashes. Funded by a major green foundation at the taxpayers expense, it will be staffed by hemp and bark clad vegan facilitators - they can't wear cotton because it is a pesticide reliant monoculture, wool because it is theft from exploited sheep or artificial fabric as it is derived from planet killing oil, not even elastic in their underpants which will be held up with scratchy natural twine suspenders. These paragons will instruct urban children who will never see a domestic farm animal on the Revealed Truth of the Gospel of Do As I Say Not As I Do And I'm Really Not A F#*k!ng Hypocrite. Sung as a Gregorian chant.
Hello 2011...
Goodbye and good riddance Gregor and Vision
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice NEVER!