The City of Vancouver today launched an $800,000 city-wide pilot project that will bring electric vehicle charging stations to diverse locations around Vancouver, thanks to investments from the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, BC Hydro, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the City itself.

The Charge and Go Vancouver Trial will see the installation of up to 67 Level I (110V) and Level II(240V) electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout the city by the end of 2013, helping to accelerate the use of plug-in EVs in Vancouver. These will provide motorists with significantly more charging options than currently exist and will enhance the local EV charging network.

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Op-Ed as published in The Globe and Mail online

By Gregor Robertson and Naheed Nenshi

If you’re one of the 80 percent of Canadians who lives in one of our country’s cities, chances are you’re fiercely proud of it. Our cities can match anywhere in the world for vibrancy, quality of life, entrepreneurial spirit and creative and civic culture.

But there’s no guarantee that will last. Canada’s cities face big challenges in the next few decades: managing growth, improving liveability, becoming more sustainable, and making city living far more affordable.

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Vancouver City Council today approved $255 million in capital expenditures for 2012 for public amenities that include affordable housing, community centre development, park upgrades, library development, and transportation and sewer infrastructure. Capital expenditures are needed to maintain existing assets in a state of good repair and provide new facilities and infrastructure for the city.

Key highlights of the 2012 capital budget include:

• $15.6 M for walking and cycling improvements throughout the city;
• $7.1 M for new and improved childcare facilities, with the goal of adding approximately 150 spaces a year over three years;
• $6.9 M to increase the supply of affordable housing and upgrade existing housing;
• $7.3 M for libraries and archives, including design development for a new library in DTES/Strathcona; and,
• $5.74 M for cultural facilities including building maintenance at Vancouver Maritime Museum and underground vault repairs and plaza upgrade at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

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Vancouver City Council approved the creation of three new urban gardens today on unused city-owned land, expanding a program that supports Greenest City goals of increasing local food assets and providing new green job opportunities for residents of the Downtown Eastside.

“These new urban gardens will move us closer to our Greenest City goals of increasing local food assets and creating green jobs for low-income Vancouver residents,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson. “This is a great example of how the City can leverage underused assets to build community, provide economic opportunity and strengthen our environment.”

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A big welcome to all of you for coming, business and community leaders, fellow elected officials. Greetings from the people of Vancouver.

Over the years it seems that half of Toronto has moved to Vancouver, so thanks for sharing your talent and hello from all your ex-pats on the west coast!

We have the good luck to live and work in two of the greatest cities in Canada – and not just Canada. Two of the world’s great cities.

We have cities with wonderful neighbourhoods to live in, neighbourhoods that inspire fierce pride.

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