Samwise Metro Vancouver Newsletter
Sunday, April 12, 2026
B.C.’s DRIPA Suspension Bill Arrives as a Confidence Vote, Dividing Eby’s Caucus
Premier David Eby is staking his government’s survival on a plan to suspend key sections of B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act for up to three years. First Nations leaders gathered in Vancouver Friday, calling the move a “unilateral betrayal” of reconciliation commitments. The bill arrives as a confidence vote this week — if it fails, the NDP government falls and B.C. heads to a spring election. Eby cites more than 20 lawsuits now reflecting a December court ruling as justification. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip reveals his wife, MLA Joan Phillip, is “heartsick” and may not support the plan, undercutting Eby’s claim of a secure caucus.
Sources: CBC News | Times Colonist | The Narwhal · Apr 10, 2026
B.C. Loses 19,000 Jobs in March, Pushing Unemployment to Decade High of 6.7%
British Columbia shed 19,000 jobs in March, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.7 per cent — the highest since 2016 outside the COVID pandemic. Total 2026 job losses approach 36,000 after a similar February drop. Youth aged 15 to 24 were hardest hit, their rate jumping from 13.8 to 15.6 per cent. Retail, finance, and professional services led the decline while manufacturing added 3,700 jobs. BMO chief economist Douglas Porter calls BC “by far the weakest” province nationally. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon cites Netflix’s new Vancouver studio and $2 billion in mining investment as bright spots. March is the last labour data before the April 29 Bank of Canada rate decision.
Sources: Victoria News | Business in Vancouver · Apr 10, 2026
Whitecaps Shut Out NYCFC 2-0 to Improve to Club-Record 6-1-0, Lead MLS
The Vancouver Whitecaps are off to the best start in club history, improving to 6-1-0 after shutting out New York City FC 2-0 at BC Place on Saturday. Mathias Laborda opened the scoring in the 45th minute off a Sebastian Berhalter free kick, and Brian White sealed it with a diving header in the 87th from Bruno Caicedo. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka recorded his fourth shutout of the season. Vancouver dominated the match, outshooting NYCFC 23 to 12, with 10 shots on target to NYCFC’s 2. NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese made 8 saves to limit the damage. The ‘Caps next host Sporting Kansas City on Thursday, April 17.
Sources: Front Row Soccer | The Third Sub | AP Wire · Apr 11, 2026
All-Party Attendance at Vancouver Memorial Mass Ahead of Lapu-Lapu Day Anniversary
Metro Vancouver’s Filipino community gathered for a memorial mass Friday as the one-year anniversary of the Lapu-Lapu Day car ramming approaches. Premier David Eby, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and Mayor Ken Sim attended the service at St. Andrew’s Parish in Vancouver, a rare moment of all-party attendance. On April 26, 2025, a driver killed 11 people and injured dozens at the annual festival. The 2026 Lapu-Lapu Day of Togetherness returns April 19 — one week before the anniversary — at Vancouver’s Italian Cultural Centre, a deliberate venue change designed around healing and safety. Filipino BC says the festival will focus on remembrance, community, and recovery.
Sources: CBC News | CTV News | GX94 Radio · Apr 10, 2026
Organized Opposition to Metro Vancouver Supportive Housing Projects Draws Political Scrutiny
Two organizations — We Vote and the Let’s Vote Association — are coordinating opposition to supportive housing proposals across Metro Vancouver. In Burnaby, four protests of 200 to 300 people contributed to BC Housing abandoning a project in February. New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone calls the campaign “white noise,” noting out-of-town attendees disrupted a council meeting on a topic not on the agenda. Founder Jolie Trost says Let’s Vote opposes “drug-tolerant” housing models specifically. We Vote organizer Wallace Pong has been photographed with a Conservative candidate. A Let’s Vote webpage listing Mayor Ken Sim as a “supporter” was quietly removed after media scrutiny, raising questions about the groups’ political alignment.
Sources: CTV News | The Tyee | Daily Hive · Apr 7–8, 2026
Downtown Vancouver Stabilizing, but Drug Calls and SRO Displacement Persist
Downtown Vancouver shows its first signs of stability since the pandemic, though serious challenges remain, according to the annual State of Downtown report. Hotel occupancy hit 80.5 per cent — matching pre-pandemic levels — and is expected to surge during the FIFA World Cup, with over 6,500 hotel rooms in development. Transit boardings stabilized at approximately 45 million in 2025 and office vacancy held at 12.3 per cent. However, police calls related to open drug use and welfare checks rose across every category last year. The province continues relocating tenants from Granville Street SRO buildings, with 29 of 81 residents at the Luugat building moved as of April 7.
Sources: Global News | Business in Vancouver · Apr 7–9, 2026
Vancouver Surpasses All 2025 Housing Targets with Decades-High Rental Completions
The City of Vancouver surpassed every major housing target in 2025, with the highest level of rental completions in more than 40 years, the city announced this week. More than 12,500 new homes received approval — 54 per cent above the annual target of 8,300. Of those, 2,300 were purpose-built market rental units, the most completed in over four decades. The Below-Market Rental program secured more than 1,400 affordable homes, more than double its 550-unit target. An additional 730 social housing units were completed. The numbers arrive as Metro Vancouver grapples with a rental vacancy rate at a 30-year high and benchmark home prices falling roughly nine per cent year-over-year.
Sources: City of Vancouver | Daily Hive | Indo-Canadian Voice · Apr 8, 2026
Metro Vancouver Real Estate Enters Buyer’s Territory as Inventory Climbs and Prices Fall
Metro Vancouver’s housing market has shifted decisively toward buyers, with condo inventory reaching 6.4 months of supply — above the six-month threshold economists define as buyer territory. The benchmark price for a detached home sits at $1,854,800, down roughly nine per cent year-over-year. Sales-to-active listings ratios have dropped below 12 per cent across most property types. Analysts cite tariff uncertainty and slowing in-migration as demand-side headwinds. With the Bank of Canada’s next rate decision scheduled for April 29, buyers are watching for a further cut. Some economists warn that falling prices may signal deeper economic stress rather than a healthy correction.
Sources: Mortgage Sandbox | Place Real Estate · Apr 11, 2026
Metro Pulse
Whitecaps FC: Next: vs. Sporting Kansas City — Thu Apr 17 at 7:30 PM PT, BC Place
Vancouver FC: Next: vs. Forge FC — Sun Apr 12 at 4:00 PM PT, Willoughby Community Park, Langley
Goldeneyes (PWHL): Next: vs. Seattle Torrent — Tue Apr 14 at 7:00 PM PT, Pacific Coliseum
Curated by JD · samwise.agency