Hey, it’s Friday and I’m out of words.
So in the spirit of the Statistics Canada census dump this week, thought I’d give you some numbers to consider instead.
The following is a mix of stuff I’ve heard, read or reported while on the civic beat this year.
First, to the census numbers…
• Vancouver’s population in 2021: 662,248
• Vancouver’s population in 2016: 631,486
• Total private dwellings: 328,347
• Private dwellings occupied by “usual residents:” 305,366
• Population density per square kilometre: 5,749.9
• Musqueam population on reserve in Southwest Vancouver in 2021: 1,646
• Musqueam population in 2016: 1,652
• Total private dwellings: 584
• Private dwellings occupied by “usual residents:” 615
• Population density per square kilometre: 894.7
Now to some council stuff…
• The number of city councillors who decided this week not to contribute $10,000 of city money to fight the legal challenge against Quebec’s Bill 21: 4
• The two-year budget to build and operate 10 “tiny shelters” adjacent to an existing homeless shelter on Terminal Avenue: $1.5 million
• Percentage of people who recently moved to the city who are renters: 75 per cent
• Number of active Airbnb and other short-term rentals in Vancouver as of Feb. 3: 2,501
• Number of short-term rental business licences flagged for investigations/audits this year: 7
• Number of short-term rental business licences suspended this year: 11
• Revenue collected from the empty homes tax since inception: $106 million
The city gave grants to various organizations last year to help clean up areas of downtown, including Chinatown and Gastown.
Here are some of the stats:
• Number of bags of litter picked up: 29,800
• Number of needles collected: 113,500
• Number of “cumulative feces removals:” 13,000
We received more grim news this week about overdose deaths, with Vancouver again the top city in B.C. hit hardest.
• Number of deaths recorded in 2021: 524 of 2,224 province-wide.
• Number of deaths for which illicit fentanyl was detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) in 2021: 83 per cent.
To some car and bike stuff…
The city collects fees from car sharing companies, with at least one — Share Now (formerly Car2go) — leaving Vancouver in 2020.
• City’s forecasted decrease in car share revenue this year: $200,000
• Number of e-bikes Vancouver Bike Share Inc. expects to deploy by this summer: 500
Some policing stuff…
Police worked a lot of overtime from 2019 to 2021 in responding to homeless camps at Oppenheimer and Strathcona parks, while also assisting park rangers and city crews when cleaning streets.
• Total overtime tab: $970,000
• Number of car break-ins across city in last eight weeks compared to same period last year: 968, for a drop of 22 per cent over 1,241
• Number of break-ins to homes over same span: 201, a drop of 21.5 per cent over 256.
• And reported bike thefts: 81, a 47.1 per cent drop from 153
Finally, some miscellaneous stuff to finish off the list…
• Annual budget to feed 10 councillors, mayor, chief of staff and city manager on meeting days: $16,000
• Number of ambulance stations in Vancouver, excluding Children’s Hospital infant ambulance station: 4 (Downtown Eastside, Kingsway, Arbutus Ridge, Mount Pleasant)
• Number of weeks it will take to scrap the barge stuck on the rocks at Sunset Beach: 12 to 15
• Number of media inquiries the city’s communications department receives per year: roughly 2,500 (not all mine, btw)
• Number of minutes until I make a sandwich and a cup of Earl Grey tea: 2
Have a good weekend everybody.
@Howellings
