iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 18h

Signs you might be in Ottawa

Mural from ByWard Market showing a glorious crowned Canada Goose with an axe and chain and numerous other characters (tree and beaver, hockey stuff, butterly, etc.)

Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Fun archival find from 1952. ONE WEEK in wait time for a building permit was deemed unacceptable by local builders, as approvals shifted from the building to planning departments ahead of the new zoning bylaw. Nowadays, what's an extra week? vancouvergeneralcontractors.com/vancouver-pe...

Vancouver Sun, Oct 29, 1952, p. 25 Subhead: Contractors Say Red Tape Slows Up Work...

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Fun 1910 real estate ad demonstrating Vancouver's lengthy history of setting up a laneway house to rent out back as a mortgage helper.

Real Estate Advertisement from Daily Province, Oct 8th, 1910 (p. 7): "New seven-room house on Pender Street East, 1700 block; on large 44-foot lot in splendid state of cultivation. There is also a small house on back of lot that will rent for $8 or $10 per month; price $4400. Terms $1000 cash; balance $35 monthly including interest. This is a particular good investment and well worth investigating.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Good moon out there! (mediocre iphone from window pic notwithstanding)

Moon peeking out from behind a tree over Vancouver skyline

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Yes. But I wouldn't underplay the nativist turn in AB, the only province to match Ontario's "Too Many" results. Not sure the nativist-baiting registered much in Vancouver, by comparison, maybe just 'cause we were more used to it. www.canada.ca/en/immigrati...

Provincial and territorial support for immigration polling, as cited by immigration minister, showing idea there are "Too Many" immigrants strongest in ON and AB

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I like how the Anna's Hummingbird has its wing raised up protectively here, like I'm too young to know about what the birds and the bees get up to with flowers.

Iridescently green Anna's hummingbird with wing raised up over it's head and beak pointed toward a very orange Scarlet Runner bean flower.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Painted Lady on Beach Pea in Vancouver this morning. Haven't seen all that many this summer, but apparently the Ladies tend to cycle with El Nino events. So maybe a mega-boom of them next summer to go along with the mega-El Nino coming our way? www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2...

An orange and black and white Painted Lady butterfly on pink Beach Pea flower in Vancouver, set against a laurel plant that the beach pea is using for emotional support.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Vancouver real estate ad from 1907: "The C.P.R. is a belt around the world and Vancouver is the buckle... We all of us ought to take a moment or two every day to hug ourselves in self-congratulation that we live in this glorious city." Example property for sale:

One lot and a half on Burrard street, close to Georgia; size 37.5 feet by 122. Large nine-room house, rents for $30 per month. Also stable. Price $6500. Terms $3500 cash, and balance payable at $1000 per year.

Example of house for sale in Real Estate Ad from March 16, 1907. p. 14 of Daily Province.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Reasonably certain it doesn't count as stalking when the target is the small local organic grocery store you've been waiting to open for business since FOREVER... (also: omg, look's like Be Fresh is finally opening at 10th & Alma)

Someone stalking newly installed shelves and refrigerators at the Be Fresh Market store at 10th & Alma.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Also, pretty sure that's the Tooth Fairy trying to sell me Dentofloss in 1900. I dig it.

Tooth Fairy like figure poiting to Dentofloss container to her right, sold for 25 cents, with a smiling lady to her left, noting that she (?) or the Dentofloss speaking through her (?) kills germs and helps your mouth smell better. From March 12, 1900 Vancouver Daily Province, p. 9.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Love these old newspaper cartoons summarizing these strikingly familiar events of the day in Vancouver on August 22, 1908. Brush Fires Needing Rain Vancouver Liberals Needing a Sacrificial Candidate Americans Race Riots

Cartoons run in the Vancouver Daily Province from August 22, 1908 to summarize major news events, including a woman sitting on a burned out stump and hoping for rain, the Vancouver Liberal Association looking for someone to poke their head into a hangman's noose and run as their candidate, and Uncle Sam looking up at a besmirched US Flag noting race riots in Springfield, Ill.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Apropos of nothing, here's the spot in the Act to incorporate the City of Vancouver (s22.2) where they directly outlaw offers of money to voters for returning people to the City Council. Corruption in politics was a big concern back in 1886.

Vancouver City Incorporation Act (1886) - Every person who directly or indirectly by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes and gift, loan, offer, promise, or agreement, as aforesaid, to or for any person, in order to induce such a person to procure or endeavour to procure the return of any person to serve in any Municipal Council, or to procure or prevent the passing of any such by-law as aforesaid or the vote of any voter at any municipal election or for or against such by-law.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I love Vancouver, but every now and then I miss New Mexico. And even if it doesn't happen often, every once in awhile Vancouver's like, "check it out! I can do New Mexico too!" And yeah, not bad...

Sunset reflecting off a cityscape that looks like the red-walled mesas of New Mexico

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Neat project below on UK badgers & bovine tuberculosis. But every time I see a European badger, I just can't help but go "awww... look at you!" and then I think about the time I was chased up a fence-post by one of their bad-ass North American cousins because I just happened to look at it wrong.

North American badger: bad-ass, metal. Once tried out to be drummer in KISS but ended up badly injuring their bass player over a cigarette. Wants to bite your face off if only it could reach. Totally awesome.

European badger. Friends with Mr. Toad. Writes seasonal poetry. Somehow I'm also supposed to believe they're the toughest thing in Redwall and adequate for the defense of Salamandastron.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

2025 Trip Survey Data out for City of Vancouver! Total trips still below 2019, but close to a return to mode share overall - though cycling has dropped a bit in the past couple of years, despite my inclusion as a regular participant in the survey. vancouver.ca/streets-tran...

Figure 22 from report (linked from website) showing mode share and total trip contribution 2013-2025 for City of Vancouver trips taken.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Went to Gallup looking for something else, but I like the fun little mystery they have in explaining de-coupling of personal housing affordability and perceptions of housing market 2006-2025. (My guess: more folks living at home with parents, so no "struggle") news.gallup.com/poll/713498/...

Positive association between personally affording shelter & satisfied with local affordability in 2008

Slight negative association between personally affording shelter & satisfied with local affordability in 2025

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Clouds have gone all cotton ball fluffy up there above my Rose of Sharon. Also maybe some kinda very light rainbow thingy closer to the sun on the right? Anyway, last day of August mood.

Rose of Sharon in pink and green to the left, fluffy cotton clouds and a slight rainbow thing in the sky to the right

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Car-free Granville St. makes it super-easy to set up in support of even relatively low-key events, like today's Dutch Street Market.

Buncha people on car-free Granville Street near Smithe during the Dutch Street Market event, with downtown Vancouver around

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Check out the double rainbow, Vancouver! Now... how to climb down to the pot of gold in my neighbour's chimney...?

double rainbow ending in neighbour's chimney

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Walking the border of Point Grey and Kitsilano humming "Black Hole Sun" to myself even though it's clearly very, very red.

Red Sun behind a crane at Alma St with many trolley bus wires overhead

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I could hear someone say "I feel like I'm in danger now" as the geese stepped as one in off the water to watch the fireworks with us. It was glorious.

Geese and people silhouetted against fireworks and the City of Vancouver down at Jericho

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Slightly smokey sunset here in Vancouver. And what's that? A new crane hiding behind that tree for the 6-storey mixed-use building going up a couple short blocks away.

Orangey-plum blue sunset silhouetting trees and houses and crane building a 6-storey

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Pretty sure Mitsune wins "best dressed" at the Vancouver Folk Fest. Did we manage to get an autographed CD signed for my youngest? Yes, yes we did. www.mitsune.de

The band Mitsune dressed in some wild blue costumes at the Vancouver Folk Fest

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Can confirm. Human sacrifice in process here.

Orange cat claws out holding a hand in place to chew upon

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I've seen a ton of Western Tiger Swallowtails this year, though they seldom stay in place long enough for me to photograph. Maybe because they can't find anywhere they blend in. Like, sorry Tiger! Kinda close, but still too glorious to pass as a London Plane tree leaf.

Western Tiger Swallowtail on a London Plane Tree leaf, kinda curled inside like a fancy cocktail drink, in Clark Park in Vancouver

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Good showing at the Khatsalano Festival! If booth line-ups are any indication, it's hard for the World Cup to compete with free stuff.

Photo of the crowd at the Khatsalano Festival on 4th (between Cypress & Burrard)

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Sweet clouds out there this evening. And what's this? It appears that SFU has obtained the mandate of heaven...

A glowing rainbow formation of some sort hanging out over Burnaby

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Multiculturalism is, in fact, the thing that I celebrate most about my Canadian identity. Happy to see I'm not alone! environicsinstitute.org/wp-content/u... Happy Canada Day!

Figure on what proportion of people feel multiculturalism contributes positively to the Canadian identity, demonstrating widespread support from all demographics polled.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Cypress Bowl to Eagle Bluffs and back. About half the trail is not bad for barefoot hiking (between Sam Lake & Eagle Bluffs), but definitely needed the sandals for the other half.

View from Eagle Bluff, with Vancouver/UBC to the left and Bowen Island on the right

View of my feet in the water at Sam Lake

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Nice. And looks like Greek Day in Vancouver picking up some of the post-match overflow.

Greek Day crowd, wearing a lot of Canada colour, along W. Broadway in Vancouver

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Jazz Fest free concerts at the old Art Gallery are a lot of fun, and there's shade to be found on the steps! Especially fond of Bonnie Northgraves & the Big Loud here, and their jazzed up cover of Tom Petty (Mary Jane's Last Dance). www.coastaljazz.ca/event/bonnie...

The view from the steps of the old Art Gallery looking toward Georgia Street while Bonnie North Graves and the Big Loud play on stage.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Russian love for Butter has a fun Vancouver connection! It was also at the heart of the Hudson Bay Company's deal with the Russian traders in control of Alaska, leading to Fort Langley's sizable dairy operation after 1839. fvcurrent.com/p/langley-hu...

Article extract: "Senior HBC officials didn’t care about the challenge of farming, however. In 1839, the same year the fort moved two miles upriver, the Hudson’s Bay Company signed a trade agreement with the Russian American Company in which HBC promised the Russians with a significant volume of butter, most of which was to be supplied by Fort Langley. (The Russians controlled Alaska until its sale to the United States in 1867.)

James Murray Yale, who was in charge of Fort Langley from 1833 to 1859, was concerned. The Hudson’s Bay Company sent 29 dairy cows (which Yale labelled “wild California cows”) to Fort Langley in 1839, with the hopes that the fort could supply a significant portion of the more than 5,000 pounds of butter required by the Russian contract.

“I shall not presume to express my humble opinion in regard to the Treaty with the Russians,” Yale wrote in a letter, “but judging of their consequence only from the quantity of Butter they require, one would certainly believe them to be very formidable.”

Fort Langley managed to produce significant volumes of butter—around half of the amount required by the agreement in 1840—while also farming grain and salting pork."

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Kid's contribution to Make a Terrible Comic Day (which I promised I'd also post!) 2/ #makeaterriblecomicday2026

CatComix Contribution for Make a Terrible Comic Day from my youngest kid, with a more realistic depiction of how our cats relate than my own

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Late west coast time contribution to Make a Terrible Comic Day 1/ #makeaterriblecomicday2026

My Make a Terrible Comic Day contribution involving my two cats and mouse that is/was really a druid

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Two big ones, back-to-back, but pretty far apart!

USGS earthquake map, highlighting Japan and Venezuela quakes at 6.9 and 7.1 magnitude

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Congrats to all of the people who have worked so hard to brand Vancouver as "towers full of vacant luxury condominiums" I guess. Anyway, here's the map from 2025's Empty Homes Tax report. Once again, very little empty, with the mansion hoods in the SW leading the pack. vancouver.ca/files/cov/20...

2024 EHT Vacant and Exempt properties in Vancouver, ranging from 1% to 4% across City neighbourhoods, with the highest proportion in wealthy SW neighbourhoods dominated by mansions.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

"Well, well, not so easy to find a map that doesn't suck, huh?" -Ernest Burgess (1925) writing for the Chicago School of Sociology

Burgess' map of Chicago (1925), meant to indicate five basic zones of succession (downtown "loop", zone in transition, workingmen's homes, residential zone, and commuter zone), but also indicating areas by dwelling type and ethnicity.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Stuff not to sleep on! UBC has been seismically upgrading its own buildings for awhile now (ask me how I know, but not at my usual office) Here's Vancouver's estimated seismic risk prior to carrying out the building level inventory, from report to council. council.vancouver.ca/20260602/doc...

Map of Census tract-level seismic risk estimated to buildings (and occupants) for the City of Vancouver

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Soccer in the Square seems to be a hit at UBC's Wesbrook Village, drawing a pretty good crowd for France v. Senegal on the big screen (it was still 0-0 at time of photo).

UBC Wesbrook Village "Soccer in the Square" event, with a large gathering of people watching the big screen and spilling out of its tented covering.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

TFW you show up early to the "invasive species" conference, but you know you're still not the first one to get there.

English Ivy covering the "No" part of a "No Trespassing" sign next to a "Coyotes in Area" warning sign.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

A 1930 map of shipping lines out of Vancouver's Railway (CPR) terminal (as recorded in Vancouver Zoning Bylaw 2074). Now departing for: Australia & NZ China & Japan Nanaimo Victoria & Seattle Coast & Northern Skagway & Juneau BC Coastal W. Van Ferry N. Van Ferry Prince Rupert North Arm

Excerpt of zoning map with drawn shipping lines to destinations above extending from the area surrounding the old CPR rail terminal, with industrial uses including Hastings Mill identified along the shore

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

It's an Archives day for me, so here's a Vancouver Sun comic from 1930: Remember kids, politeness can lose you a seat on the bus!

"Another Seat Lost" comic by Batchelor, from Vancouver Sun May 15, 1930.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

This is pretty fun. But still some ambiguity in how it came out for me. Might have to take the quiz a few more times to be sure...

I land on "The Empiricist" in the Theodramatist quiz... "Your closest counterpart
The Empiricist
c. 1689–1776 · England & Scotland · the evidence of the senses
Locke, the Essay Concerning Human Understanding

The mind starts as a blank page, and everything written on it comes through the senses—so test your claims against what you can actually observe, and hold even your best conclusions loosely. Certainty is mostly a flattering illusion. Push the reasoning far enough and even cause and effect dissolve into habit. Better a little doubt, a little toleration, and a decent regard for what actually works.
Representative figuresJohn Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume"

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

It turns out that the biggest immediate payoff from reading academic literature about the history of Cattle Futures (see my obscure scholarly fixation on cows in cities) is learning about the Women In Farm Economics (WIFE) organization. Here is their logo, which I must now share.

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Nathan Lauster @lausterna.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Repeatedly listening to Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi song

Increasing interest in song as anti-development, no anti-parking mandate, no use fees should be replaced by property taxes, no blaming a vague "they" for interpersonal problems is bad song

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