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Tessa Rowland

@tessarowland.bsky.social
442 followers 904 following 452 posts

adult forum kid. vancouver opinions are mine

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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
®️💿®️✌🏽 @roryoverhere.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
In my experience as a motorist, cyclist + pedestrian, our roads have gotten a lot more dangerous in the last few yrs + the stats show this. Since 2022 VPD funding has gone ⬆️ 46% yet traffic tickets have gone ⬇️ 49%. Anyone who believes ABC cares about public safety in this city is being fooled
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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
Michael Hall @michaelhall.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
On Friday it took David Eby just 2 hours and 13 minutes to cave-in on TransLink's long awaited new revenue tool. This also marks the 25th anniversary of Mike Farnworth and the NDP axing a vehicle levy in 2001, and losing that year's election 77-2.
bettercolumbia.ca
The BC NDP's transit cave-in - Better Columbia
The BCNDP celebrates the 25th anniversary of transit funding cuts—by cutting transit funding, again.
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Andrew Weichel @andrewweichel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Another election, another police candidate running with Mayor Ken Sim's ABC party. The latest is a crime analyst who detected the pandemic-era spike in stranger assaults that became a major campaign issue in 2022. www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
ctvnews.ca
‘Unusual’ ties between Vancouver police, mayor’s party scrutinized as crime analyst joins campaign
For the second election in a row, a senior crime analyst with the Vancouver Police Department has stepped away from her role to run in a partisan campaign—raising new questions about politicization wi...
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De Facto Journalism Co-op @defactomedia.ca · 29/09/2026
Today, charges against DULF's founders were tossed out by a BC Supreme Court decision Yesterday, we covered how docs in trial evidence show Vancouver police pushed to bring those charges — even when a Crown prosecutor questioned whether it was in the public interest
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dustin @godfrey.work · 29/09/2026
"You selflessly put yourselves to the side for this cause, and that's something most people wouldn't do. For that, I applaud you. You should be proud of yourselves," she says to Kalicum and Nyx. "You put your lives on hold for many valuable years, and I can see this process has is worn you down."
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Garth Mullins @garthmullins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I never heard a court room break into applause before. Plus the sound of crying
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dustin @godfrey.work · 29/09/2026
she's directing parliament to address these issues, and she won't give a 12-month pause on declaring it unconstitutional — opting, instead, for six months — because we are in a public health crisis.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
ahhhh INCREDIBLE!!!! what amazing news 🖤 if you haven't already, read dustin's great accounting from yesterday of how VPD turned against DULF and turned DULF towards this constitutional challenge: www.defactomedia.ca/how-vancouve...
defactomedia.ca
How Vancouver police turned against DULF
Court records show the same inspector who encouraged the compassion club’s founders also approved the investigation that led to raids on their homes
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dustin @godfrey.work · 29/09/2026
BREAKING: Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx's charges are being thrown out. she said they did a public service "at considerable personal cost."
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
curious the VPD chose to release this story the day after Ken Sim and ABC announced their ‘public safety’ $0.00 ticketing policy. VPD advised the drugs were reported to them on July 21st and that the investigation is ongoing. the release contained no appeals for info, so why push an update now?
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
he can’t pull off full Eric Adams drag but reminiscing over an ipad slideshow is pitch perfect, no notes
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Vision Zero Vancouver @visionzerovancouver.ca · 09/09/2026
Car crashes are the #1 source of preventable injury and death for Vancouverites, with the most vulnerable road users disproportionately affected. Ken Sim is hyper focused on "public safety," but is road safety on his agenda? 🤔 We speak to @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social youtu.be/TeemN0rp950
youtu.be
Is Road Safety on Ken Sim's Agenda? - Vision Zero Vancouver on CBC
YouTube video by Vision Zero Vancouver
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SEAN ORR @seanorr.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Overdose prevention sites save lives
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Vision Zero Vancouver @visionzerovancouver.ca · 26/08/2026
ICYMI: the VPD budget increased by 48% from 2018 to 2024, but the number of traffic tickets they issue has fallen by 59% over that same time period. Why has traffic enforcement evaporated in Vancouver?
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Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 19/08/2026
Leading up to the civic election this fall, @museumofvan.bsky.social will hosts Austerity Tours to highlight the problems, risks and missed opportunities museums typically hide from view. The aim is to make voters understand the risks austerity pose to irreplaceable cultural heritage.
miss604.com
Austerity Tours Offered by Museum of Vancouver
Museum of Vancouver will hosts Austerity Tours to highlight the problems, risks and missed opportunities museums typically hide from view.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
that^ same page has a "Records not requested through FOI process" dropdown. i'm not certain why any given document ends up in this bucket, but they appear from time to time. most recently the Privacy Impact Assessment for the World Cup was posted (August 7, 2026) vancouver.ca/files/cov/ci...
Records not requested through FOI process
Release date
Document

August 7, 2026
FWC26 Situational Awareness Common Program 
(5.4 MB).

July 21, 2025
Addendum to hosting agreements FIFA World Cup 2026 CoF
(22.6 MB).

July 11, 2023
BC Housing letter re: funding for West 8th Avenue
Permanent Modular Supportive Housing Initiative (PMSHI).

June 2, 2023
Social housing agreement [Por (415 KB).

February 23, 2023
Letter to Teri Collins re: 2086-2098 West 7th Avenue Cor
(183 KB).

January 19, 2023
Services contract with Vancouver Area Network of Drug
Users (623 KB).
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
okay. in honour of the province removing its staff directory (a move that follows ABC doing the same in Vancouver), here's my non-exhaustive list of various proactive disclosures routinely released by the City of Vancouver. knowledge, as they say, is power!
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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
I will never forget when BC and Washington state had a joint operation to tackle giant hornets BC's agriculture ministry wouldn't let me talk to anyone who wasn't political so I ended up talking to a scientist from Washington state. One of the most engaging and interesting interviews I've ever done
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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
"Reporters in B.C. are often shocked when they call officials in Alaska or Washington for comment and mid-level government employees freely speak on the record." This is so true and so bizarre. In the U.S., public employees - scientists, program directors, analysts - actually talk to reporters 😱
todayinbc.com
B.C. disables employee directory, leaving public in the dark about who works for gov't - Today in BC
Public can no longer look up who works in the B.C. government, or access internal contact information
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Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Rick Westhead has a new story out about sex assault allegations in hockey. I was on X for research purposes, so I took a look at the CTV posts and the replies are just so sick, literally rape culture in action. X is truly disturbing - I wish I didn't have to interact with it, like, ever
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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Approximately 74% - 80% of drivers ticketed by New York City's speed camera ticket do not receive a second one. Speeding dropped by 94 percent reduction in locations where cameras were installed. www.nyc.gov/html/dot/htm...
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
once again noting that an ABC staffer was using a Canadian Police Services tournament pass at the World Cup
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
in addition to an X algorithm seemingly radicalizing and isolating certain politicians in their worldview, i think twitter's expanded character limit for those with blue checks worsened their communication skills a 280-character cap forces you to be concise and economical w/ word choice
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Nathan Caddell @ncaddell.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It looks like ABC members won't attend all-candidates debates in the lead-up to the municipal election. If you ask me, that sucks. www.straight.com/city-culture...
straight.com
Once again, it looks like ABC Vancouver members won’t be attending all-candidates debates
The party did not send candidates to most of the debates during last year’s byelection.
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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
isabella zavarise @isabellazavarise.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Bligh says shame on all of you for getting sucked into this low-level politics that belongs on X. She's now speaking to those tuning in to the Teams Meeting saying they do have a voice.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
big reminder that hundreds of residents were dismissed by ABC less than a year ago for daring to overwhelmingly support increased taxes tax revenue that could have been directed to the issues at the heart of this plebiscite
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
absolutely disgusting @lennynanzhou.bsky.social in your capacity as chair to tell a woman colleague to calm down on a public meeting livestream nothing warranted that and @rebeccaleebligh.bsky.social deserved a hell of a lot better
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
moral panic in hopes of further eradicating harm reduction
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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
isabella zavarise @isabellazavarise.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Tuning in briefly to this emergency meeting. Council is discussing the plebiscite ABC announced yesterday. The mayor reiterated again that the province does not have involuntary care beds IN Vancouver but my colleagues have repeatedly fact-checked this: www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
ctvnews.ca
Ken Sim says involuntary care beds outside Vancouver don’t ‘serve’ his city. Is he right?
For the second time in a month, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has issued a public letter slamming the B.C. government for failing to deliver new involuntary care beds within his city—but is that actually a ...
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
k to be clear it's not on staff at all but this is brutal what the hell are we doing in local government
#VanCityCouncil Special Council meeting is needing to change rooms due to ongoing technical difficulties, and therefore will not be able to stream via Youtube and Sliq. Please use the Teams link in order to view the meeting: 
Meeting ID: 232 656 479 389 361 
Passcode: 5vh3V3eg
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
the -brief- Q2 2026 review of operating and capital budgets has now been posted in a memo dated august 13, 2026 continuing their fave trend, the Vancouver Police Department was $5 million over-budget Q2. FIVE MILLION. and this last minute ABC vibes-iscite seeks to only direct them more tax dollars
Vancouver Police Board (VPD) Q2 YTD expenditures were $5 million above budget, primarily driven by overtime costs due to staffing vacancies and higher number of protests and demonstrations requiring supplemental deployment. Year-end expenditures are forecasted to be $8 million above budget that are fully offset by corresponding cost recovery revenue. VPD is projecting to be on budget at year-end.
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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
Euan Thomson @drugdatadecoded.ca · 14/08/2026
Calgary police behaving like ICE using immigration status to crack down on protests ⬇️ this is a national scandal
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
aaaaaaand still waiting some would take it as an omen. others will likely attempt to lean six sigma blackbelt chaos agent their way through
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SEAN ORR @seanorr.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Gallery is full of the ABC team. Candidates, campaign manager. Tell me again this isn’t a campaign stunt
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
thinkin bout this list www.biv.com/news/economy...
biv.com
Vancouver mayor's list of goals doesn't exist on paper, according to city hall
Mayor Ken Sim said in a recent interview with CTV News Vancouver that he had "written on a list" five things he wants to accomplish
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Reposted by Tessa Rowland
Stephanie Allen @stephanieformayor.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
More distractions & fear mongering from ABC. Don’t fall for it. We must address poverty, homelessness, & the poison being sold on our streets at the root cause level. We must get rid of predators wherever they are, be it in mansions or on street corners.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
staff memo: "[...] there is always potential for a legal challenge asserting that Council exceeded its jurisdiction under s. 184, including a court application to halt the process through injunctive relief." "it would increase the costs of the election by approximately 4%-6% ($400,000 - $550,000)"
letterhead from a city of vancouver memo of today's date:

CITY OF
VANCOUVER
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
August 13, 2026
TO:
Mayor and Council

CC:
City Leadership Team
Donny van Dyk, City Manager
ellisa Morphy, Acting Chief of Staff, Mayor's Office

FROM:
Jason Twa
City Clerk

SUBJECT:
Plebiscite Question for October Municipal Election"
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Corey Ranger @nurseranger.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
“Manitoba opens first supervised drug-use site in Winnipeg after prolonged delay” There’s a lot of problematic framing here that really shouldn’t have made it to print. But… Great to see a provincial government resisting moral panic to address the crisis. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Manitoba opens first supervised drug-use site in Winnipeg after prolonged delay
Province partnered with Indigenous health non-profit to establish the facility, which faced community pushback and political opposition
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
they've now commissioned an ipsos poll and have the dailyhive write-up primed. the private $$ injected into this is corrosive to public opinion, what it means to be in community, and follows years of lucrative donations from Wall-adjacent entities to the police foundation e.g. from 2021
vancouverpolicefoundation.org
VPF Receives Amazing $1 Million Gift to Support Public Safety – Vancouver Police Foundation
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
two weeks before an emergency meeting was called to give VPD even more $$$ so Granville could be pedestrianized beyond the World Cup, a memo was circulated summarizing the city's operating and capital budgets for Q1 2026 at the time, VPD was already $3 million over-budget
• Vancouver Police Board (VPD) Q1 YTD expenditures were $3 million above budget, primarily driven by overtime costs due to staffing vacancies and higher number of protests and demonstrations requiring supplemental deployment. Year-end expenditures are forecasted to be $6 million above budget that are fully offset by corresponding cost recovery revenue. VPD is projecting to be on budget at year-end.
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karen ward @kwardvancouver.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
hi there yesterday was pepper-sprayed and robbed and i really need some help to replace a few essentials. if anyone could chip in anything, i appreciate it so much etransfer: thefool.ward@gmail.com
static.klipy.com
Hoth Monkey Puppet Reacts
Alt: Hoth Monkey Puppet Reacts
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
important update from @drugdatadecoded.ca, whose dedicated research and coverage on the rollback of harm reduction public health services in Canada over the past few years is well worth a review if you haven’t already
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
regardless of the story, this increasingly seems to be ABC’s approach. “Nor did it respond to The Tyee's emails asking […]” maybe a wordy statement follows on twitter, but no comment until then. rinse and repeat
A Better City Vancouver, or ABC
A Better City Vancouver, better known by its acronym ABC, has not released an election platform. Nor did it respond to The Tyee's emails asking about its stance on AI data centres and AI chatbot accounts for public school teenagers.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
two weeks before an emergency meeting was called to give VPD even more $$$ so Granville could be pedestrianized beyond the World Cup, a memo was circulated summarizing the city's operating and capital budgets for Q1 2026 at the time, VPD was already $3 million over-budget
• Vancouver Police Board (VPD) Q1 YTD expenditures were $3 million above budget, primarily driven by overtime costs due to staffing vacancies and higher number of protests and demonstrations requiring supplemental deployment. Year-end expenditures are forecasted to be $6 million above budget that are fully offset by corresponding cost recovery revenue. VPD is projecting to be on budget at year-end.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
frog!
northern red legged frog resting on foliage on a stump
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 31/07/2026
Received this bizarre email out of the blue yesterday from National Post columnist Adam Zivo gloating over my former colleague's layoff notice I'd like to thank Postmedia for looking into it and issuing this statement clarifying Zivo is expected to uphold professional standards for employee conduct
Congratulations Excellent work PressProgress has been put in a pretty dire financial situation because of a major lawsuit, so while this wasn't exactly a total surprise for me, I didn't think it would come to this so soon. 4:10 PM • Jul 27, 2026 Adam Zivo | B.A. M.P.P. Columnist - National Post Founder and Director - LoveisLoveisLove Campaign www.adamzivo.com | www.loveisloveislove.org (+1) 647 703

...

Adam Zivo Jul 29 to me v Emma Arkell @emmaarkell.bsky.social • 7h This is my last working week as the labour reporter at PressProgress. I received notice a little over a week ago that the labour reporter position is being terminated and I'm being laid off. J 26 Emma Arkell @emmaarkell.bsky.social5:11PM

k Hello Luke Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Postmedia maintains professional standards for employee conduct and expects those standards to be upheld in interactions with colleagues and external parties. Those expectations extend to freelance contributors. As this is an internal matter, we will have no further comment. Regards COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST P. POSTMEDIA

to me v
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
now, in the run up to the election, we have a majority COV councillor circulating some bogus petition to Stop Hard Drug Use Outdoors™️ because children saw people use drugs outside and the police don’t have enough money to do anything about it. their only approach is exploitation vote October 17th!
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Emma Arkell @emmaarkell.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
My last article as the labour reporter at @pressprogress.ca is about.... media layoffs! Earlier this month, Rogers closed six stations and laid off 230 radio workers across the country. In Vancouver, the layoffs hit a newsroom that had struggled for years to unionize.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I’ve never seen a political party try to inaccurately & inappropriately blame city staff like this before. In some other cities, but not here in Vancouver. I support @timbarton.bsky.social’s comments. This kind of thing has real life costs and consequences for the ability of staff to do good work.
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Tessa Rowland @tessarowland.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
dreaming of an election year where Justin, in the style of Andy Cohen, hosts a Bravo-esque reunion ‘debate’ with mayor and council looking back at the past term roll the tape!
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