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Bob Mackin Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan,

Whitecaps, Lions winning on the field of play, but aiming for better results at the gate

Bob Mackin

Two stars from Canada’s Qatar 2022 World Cup team could debut with the Vancouver Whitecaps when the club returns to Major League Soccer play on Sunday at home.

The Ryan Gauld-captained, Vanni Sartini-coached roster is arguably the most-exciting version fielded in B.C. Place Stadium over the last dozen years. But attendance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, which peaked at 25,832 for a Sept. 15, 2018 visit by the Seattle Sounders.

Sam Adekugbe (left), Richie Laryea and Axel Schuster (Whitecaps FC)

Newly acquired Richie Laryea and Sam Adekugbe could fix that and help the club clinch a home playoff date this fall.

According to actual attendance data obtained under freedom of information from B.C. Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), the Whitecaps averaged just 12,687 fans during 13 league and tournament matches through the June 10 visit by FC Cincinnati. That is less than the 15,780 average of what the club has announced publicly, the amount of tickets allotted or distributed. Three matches — two of which in CONCACAF Champions League — drew just under 10,000 (March 8 vs. Real CD Espana, April 5 vs. L.A. FC, and May 31 vs. Houston Dynamo).

The biggest announced attendance for the period was 20,072, when when the Whitecaps defeated CF Montreal on June 7 for the Canadian Championship. But the actual figure, as reported by PavCo, was 16,735.

Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said Laryea and Adekugbe broaden the team’s audience and have already sparked enthusiasm among unnamed commercial partners. The pair helped Canada qualify for its first men’s World Cup in 36 years and Canada is already guaranteed a spot in the next tournament, co-hosted by Vancouver and Toronto in 2026.

Off the pitch, Schuster hired former Ticketmaster vice-president Aditi Bhatt in March as chief commercial officer. She was not made available for an interview. But, when Schuster addressed the attendance issue in May, he said the club wanted to be the “most affordable professional sport in this town for families.” Initiatives so far have focused on free tickets to Whitecaps MLS Next Pro and League1 BC matches at Swangard Stadium for anyone under 18, but Schuster hinted at more to come.

“We have to understand our market, we have to understand what has changed since COVID, this is also reality, habits have changed, needs have changed,” Schuster said. “People feel challenged also by the rise of costs. Everyone knows that who is living here. So, for that reason, we will continue to work on that.”

Landlord PavCo has promoted a limited $5 food and drink menu and offers other time-restricted promotions at matches. Whitecaps and the Crown corporation held a 24-hour “save the fees day” on May 15 for discounted purchases of all remaining MLS match tickets.

It all comes down to time and money, according to an instructor with the Langara College School of Management. Aziz Rajwani said that while there are many things to see and do in the region during summer months, consumers are also wrestling with a triple-whammy of high inflation, high interest rates and high gas prices.

B.C. Lions president Duane Vienneau (BC Lions)

“When there’s less disposable income, the industries that are going to hurt are going to be things like: restaurants, instead of getting take out you might cook at home; instead of going to a Lions game, you might watch it at home; instead of going to a Whitecaps game, you might watch it at home,” Rajwani said.

The B.C. Lions, who are vying for top spot in western conference standings this season, were struggling at the gate before the pandemic, which forced cancellation of the 2020 season. During four dates in 2019, from late July to late September, the average for Canadian Football League games at B.C. Place was just 11,767, well below the 17,560 average of the announced crowds. The meeting with the Saskatchewan Roughriders was the best of the bunch, announced in-stadium as 20,950, but actually 16,233.

Building products tycoon Amar Doman bought the club from the estate of the late David Braley in summer 2021 and kicked-off 2022 with a bang. The home opener against the Edmonton Elks, featuring the pre-game OneRepublic concert, drew 25,279. The Lions fared even better with 25,821 for the home playoff game against the Calgary Stampeders.

This year’s kickoff extravaganza featured LL Cool J and an actual 26,814 was counted, according to PavCo.

Duane Vienneau joined last season as chief operating officer and became president this season. The CFL’s former Chief Grey Cup and Events Officer is focused on turning each game day into an event of its own, on the road to the biggest CFL event of 2024: the 111th Grey Cup at B.C. Place.

So far, the Lions also held a family festival, dual tailgate party with Roughriders fans, and inducted ex-coach Wally Buono and the Bob Ackles-inspired Water Boys business support club to to the Wall of Fame. Coming up Aug. 26 is the Superhero night tribute to military and first responders, followed by Orange Shirt Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Gravy Bowl on Thanksgiving Weekend and the Halloween-themed Blackout Night.

“We really use those themes to to attract new fan bases and try to, over the season, if not have two or three or four games that will appeal to somebody, maybe they’ll appeal to all of them,” Vienneau said. “Trying to make sure that something in our product mix that a non-traditional football fan will intrigue them to come.”

Keys to Vienneau’s marketing strategy include six kickoffs at 4 p.m., entry-level adult tickets at $25 (plus the $6 Ticketmaster order processing fee) and a $10, London Drugs-sponsored kids club for children 6-12 that includes a free game ticket. The late afternoon time works for eastern zone audiences on TSN and for those who commute to games from Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley and the Interior.

“We’re really trying to do our best to be cost effective as possible, and we don’t want price to be a barrier,” Vienneau said.

“So basically, you can come in and out of the game on one day, you don’t have to stay overnight, it solves that affordability piece and it really is an outreach into into the community.”

Inside B.C. Place Stadium (Mackin)

Rajwani said the provincially focused Lions are outpacing the Whitecaps in the affordability race. An end zone ticket to Sunday’s Whitecaps’ match with a $31.75 face value via Ticketmaster totals $48.50, after the $10.75 service fee and $6 order processing fee.

It also matters that Doman is visible at Lions games and in the media, but Whitecaps’ owner Greg Kerfoot is not. An owner should stand behind the product and realize that his fandom can be contagious.

“I need to know and sense your passion for winning,” Rajwani said.

Rajwani said other factors are challenging the Whitecaps and Lions at the gate, such as a hesitancy to visit downtown due to well-publicized public safety concerns. The University of Toronto School of Cities’ ongoing “Downtown Recovery” rankings project, based on mobile phone device activity detected in a downtown core, shows Vancouver lagged at 54th place between March and May, comparable with Philadelphia and Seattle.

“If you don’t feel safe, if you don’t feel you could actually go down there and just have fun, like you did, for example, during the Olympics [in 2010],” Rajwani said.

It is a whole different story for concerts at B.C. Place. Unlike sports, they are not televised live. According to PavCo stats, the stadium drew a dotal 231,986 to six dates featuring five acts since last year.

Luke Combs in May 2023 (42,208), The Weeknd in August 2022 (40,873) and Elton John’s second show in October last year (39,673) were the top draws.

Five big dates with big audiences are coming: Ed Sheeran (Sept. 2), Beyonce (Sept. 11), Coldplay (Sept. 22-23) and Guns ’n Roses (Oct. 16).

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August 18, 2023

Bob Mackin Two stars from Canada’s Qatar 2022

No charge for Surrey Police Service officer after shopkeeper’s complaint

Bob Mackin

A Surrey Police Service officer will not be charged after a dispute last week at a store in the 80th and 128th area of Newton.

A shopkeeper complained to Surrey RCMP after an incident in late morning Aug. 11 about a customer who allegedly sought an excessive discount. The customer’s relative, an SPS officer, allegedly intervened in support of the customer.

Payal Business Centre in Newton (Payal)

“We are aware of a report to police made by a local business owner, but are unable to confirm any specifics,” said Sgt. Tammy Lobb of the Surrey RCMP. “No charges have been recommended in relation to the file you referenced.”

SPS media liaison Ian MacDonald said there was no action taken against the officer because no wrongdoing occurred.

“They determined in the initial investigation that the allegations made by the shopkeeper were not founded,” MacDonald said. “The event was concluded, determined no criminality from any party involved, and that the SPS officer — off-duty — that officer’s role was peripheral.”

MacDonald said a copy of the file was forwarded to the human resources department as a formality, “if we ever need to reference it or review it further.” He said he became aware of the details on Aug. 15 from the human resources officer.

The previous day, MacDonald had denied allegations circulating online that an SPS officer had been under investigation for shoplifting. He told a reporter the SPS had no plans to set the record straight.

“We have been trolled online for two-and-a-half years, if we responded to every rock thrown we’d waste a lot of time and embolden the posters who undoubtedly would enjoy continue wasting it and forcing us to respond,” MacDonald said.

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August 17, 2023

Bob Mackin A Surrey Police Service officer will

Advocates unsuccessful in urging NDP government to halt Capilano University’s Quest land deal

Bob Mackin

Desperate, 11th hour pleas to the NDP government from a Quest University graduate and a researcher failed to delay the province’s acquisition of the Squamish campus.

Selina Robinson, the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, and Paul Dangerfield, the president of Capilano University, announced the $63.2 million purchase from Primacorp Ventures on Wednesday. Capilano University plans next year to reopen the former private university, which suspended operations in April.

“They obviously, totally ignored everything and went ahead,” researcher Vivian Krause said after the announcement. “Why did they go ahead, why couldn’t they have postponed the press conference? That’s what they should’ve done.”

Jake Henderson, a member of the class of 2014, unsuccessfully appealed to Robinson and Premier David Eby in an open letter, urging them to reconsider the decision. He said it is “ill-considered,” because the campus was designed for Quest’s unique, student-led research curriculum.

Henderson said Quest owes property owner Primacorp $20 million and that Peter Chung, Primacorp’s chairman, notionally agreed to forgive the debit if Quest did not oppose the land sale. But, “bad actors prejudiced the financial interests of the institution to enrich themselves” and Henderson said he is concerned that 2016-deceased founder Dr. David Strangway’s vision “will die because of greed and government apathy.”

Henderson, founder of the Save Quest campaign, was a member of Quest’s third graduating class, worked as facilities manager from 2014 to 2019 and lived on campus. He left to study law at the University of Victoria and now practices criminal law in Vancouver. Quest “made a below average high school student into a lawyer,” he wrote.

Henderson suggested the provincial government should have leased land back to Quest at a reasonable rate, with payments directed to Capilano University, while offering the Quest curriculum through Capilano.

Quest University Canada in Squamish, B.C. (Quest)

“I have concerns that the provincial government has not had sufficient time to consider whether these previously allocated funds will cover the actual costs of Capilano University’s prospective transition,” he wrote. “I have concerns that the public has not had an opportunity to provide comment on this intended use of public funds.”

Meanwhile, Krause wrote to Eby, calling the deal a “grave mistake” and urging him to “hit pause,” because she had complained to the RCMP, which is considering an investigation.

In her letter, Krause said multiple audits by the Canada Revenue Agency “reveal gross malfeasance involving tens of millions of dollars” after pieces of the original 240-acre property were carved up and transferred to charitable foundations set-up by Vancouver charity law specialist Blake Bromley. One of the land owners, the Eden Glen Foundation, lost its CRA charitable status earlier this summer over a nearly $5 million gift to a numbered company when it sold one of Quest’s original land parcels in 2018.

“If the tax-receipted donations and the land that was Quest’s birthright had actually been received by the university, I believe that it would not have ended up in creditor protection and been sold under [the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act],” Krause said.

“No government should purchase ill-gotten goods, least of all a government that has promised to tackle corruption.”

Robinson said Primacorp was invited to the announcement, but no representative attended. She did not indicate whether anyone from the Quest board had been invited.

Robinson was asked why the government gave Capilano University $48 million toward the purchase, despite the concerns.

“Government always does due diligence in any any purchase, and so due diligence was, in fact done,” Robinson said. “So we’ve worked together with Capilano University, the challenges that Quest has had over over several years, you’ll have to ask Quest, these were their dealings. They were a private institution.”

The 55-acre campus, its buildings and surrounding lands, were valued at almost $89 million, and listed for sale by NAI Commercial earlier this year.

Primacorp paid $43 million for the land and university buildings to rescue Quest out of court protection from creditors in December 2020. Quest’s biggest lender, the Vanchorverve Foundation, demanded repayment of $23.4 million at the start of 2020.

Chung is a constituent of Eby, who reportedly paid $42 million in July 2021 for the Northwest Point Grey mansion formerly owned by philanthropists Joe and Rosalie Segal.

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August 17, 2023

Bob Mackin Desperate, 11th hour pleas to the

Business, News, Sports

Documents shed more light on why the NDP government rejected bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics

Bob Mackin

Almost six months after the NDP government refused to fund a bid to bring the Winter Olympics back to B.C. in 2030, senior bureaucrats finally explained the decision in a private meeting.

Neilane Mayhew (BC Gov)

Documents released under freedom of information show Neilane Mayhew, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, led an April 14 technical briefing in-person and on web conference for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic officials and leaders of the Four Host First Nations to “talk through the factors that the province considered when evaluating the 2030 Hosting Proposal, including: estimated costs, identified risks and other considerations.”

The meeting came after Premier David Eby’s Feb. 23 web conference with the same parties. The agenda for April 14 showed representatives of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Lil’wat nations attended, along with two executives from the Canadian Olympic Committee and one from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. They joined six bureaucrats, including Mayhew, Eby’s deputy minister Shannon Salter and deputy chief of staff Don Bain and assistant deputy finance minister Doug Foster.

The presentation document included the province’s estimate of potential costs and risks, but the dollar figures were censored because the government claimed disclosure would compromise cabinet confidentiality and policy advice or recommendations and it feared disclosure would harm government financial interests and intergovernmental relations.

What was not redacted from the summary indicated the province found some aspects of the bid satisfactory, calling it “broadly aligned with government priorities of reconciliation, climate action and economic development” and the process for developing the proposal “was collaborative, detailed and well coordinated.”

Vancouver 2030 bid logo

“Generally, the results of provincial analysis on venues was consistent with information presented in the 2030 Hosting Proposal,” it said.

However, when it came to the direct costs of policing a Winter Olympics in 2030, “Provincial analysis found that public safety and security estimates were still preliminary.” Text at the next bullet point was censored.

Based on information provided, the province’s preliminary analysis indicated estimates for essential services needed from all levels of government were “potentially sufficient.” Again, the text at the next bullet point was censored.

A big hurdle, however, was the province’s review of indemnification and guarantees — specifically the International Olympic Committee’s terms and conditions for the host province to finance deficits.

“Based on the information provided at the time of decision making, the province did not see any indication that the IOC would be willing to moderate any of its requirements. These same requirements were being required for all 2030 Games candidates.”

Other factors and considerations included: government priorities alignment; other marquee event commitments; and timelines and resources.

In June, when a reporter found an entry about the April 14 meeting in Mayhew’s calendar, the Ministry issued a statement that said “supporting the proposal would have required dedicated provincial resources across government, which are already committed to planning other near-term international sporting events, as well as expanding on services British Columbians need.”

“Our government remains committed to the important work of putting reconciliation into action and continuing to build strong relationships with Indigenous partners.”

The “other near-term international sporting events” include Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup coming to B.C. Place Stadium in 2026.

In July 2022, the COC estimated it needed at least $1 billion from taxpayers for the $4 billion project, plus a guarantee that the province would pay for any deficit. It proposed reusing most of the 2010 Winter Olympics venues in Vancouver, Richmond and Whistler, with the exception of the Agrodome for curling, Hastings Racecourse for big air skiing and snowboard jumping and Sun Peaks resort near Kamloops for snowboarding and freestyle skiing.

BC 2030 Olympic bid logo (BC Gov/FOI)

A version of the bid circulated to governments early last fall said the 2030 Games would have needed $2.12 billion from governments in cash and goods and services, based on 2022 dollars, estimated to be worth $2.715 billion by 2030. The proposal called for half the funds from Ottawa and 35% from B.C. taxpayers — $742 million in 2022 dollars or $957 million in 2030.

The bid budget also contemplated $1.6 billion in allowances for contingencies and cost overruns. It bundled security with essential services totalling $756 million ($958 million in 2030) and also sought public funding for venues ($286 million) and villages ($267 million).

“The proposal looks to the municipalities and [First] Nations to contribute land for the villages and in-kind essential municipal services,” said the bid proposal.

Lisa Beare, then the tourism minister, announced last Oct. 27 that the government had declined to support the bid.

Vancouver had been in the running with 1972 host Sapporo and 2002 host Salt Lake City ahead of the IOC’s late fall deadline to formally express interest in negotiations.

Sapporo’s bid, however, became overshadowed by the Tokyo Olympics bribery scandal. Salt Lake City has said it would be ready to host in 2030, but the U.S. Olympic Committee prefers 2034 in order to avoid sponsorship conflicts with the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.

The IOC discussed awarding 2030 and 2034 hosting rights at the same time, but delayed the decision and shifted gears in December to study whether to rotate the Winter Games to cities that already have necessary infrastructure.

Since then, interest has emerged from Southeastern France, Sweden and Switzerland. The IOC’s decision is expected at the members’ session before the next Olympics open in Paris in July 2024.

The only certainty, for now, is the next Winter Games are scheduled for February 2026 in Milano-Cortina, Italy.

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Bob Mackin Almost six months after the NDP

Chinese immigration consultant jailed in Shanghai has deep ties to Vancouver

Bob Mackin

A lawyer for an immigration consultant who was arrested last week in Shanghai told a federal court in New York that Linda Mei He resides in Vancouver where two of her companies are based.

Linda Mei He of the Wailian Group (EY)

He was reportedly detained by Chinese authorities who accuse the 54-year-old of illegal foreign exchange trading involving more than RMB100 million (or $18.6 million in Canadian funds). Chinese language media reports indicate He was among five people arrested, but only two kept in jail. The other is an employee surnamed Sun. At Wailian, He’s assistant is Sun Xiaocui, also known as Carrie Sun.

Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Ltd., the company He chairs, has not responded for comment.

Wailian claims to be one of China’s largest full-service immigration agencies, which helps wealthy immigrant investors move to North America, Australia and Europe, get employment, buy real estate, make investments and find elite private schools for their children. He’s arrest may signal a crackdown on capital outflows under dictator Xi Jinping.

On Saturday, Global Affairs Canada said it was not aware of a Canadian citizen under arrest in Shanghai. On Monday, it said it “has not has not received any requests for consular assistance in relation to a Canadian detained in Shanghai.”

In a March court filing in the Southern District of New York, lawyer Micala Campbell Robinson called her client a “foreign national with a domicile in Vancouver, Canada.”

(Wailian Group)

“WL Global Corp. is a Delaware corporation with a principle place of business in Vancouver, Canada. WeEducation Group Inc. is a Delaware corporation with a principle place of business in Vancouver, Canada. Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Ltd. is a British Virgin Islands corporation with a principle place of business in Shanghai, China,” said the court document.

He and the three companies were sued last November by former WL Global Corp. president Hong Danielle Accettola for wrongful termination and violation of New York state labour laws.

Accettola, who was hired in 2013 and worked at He’s Manhattan office, alleged that she was wrongfully fired in November 2021 in retaliation for complaining to He and internal auditor Shuha Li about Paycheck Protection Program fraud and academic fraud. Accettola also claimed that her personal information continued to be used without her permission.

Accettola’s lawsuit said she objected to He’s abrupt switch of banks, use of the pandemic relief funds for non-eligible categories, and transferring funds between her companies in different jurisdictions. The lawsuit also alleged breaches by other He-owned companies, such as foreign investment sales without a broker-dealer licence through My Visa Services Inc. and foreign worker visa violations through My Job Tank Inc.

In a March defence statement, He denied the claims and countersued Accettola, alleging her former president had committed fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, disloyalty, unjust enrichment and conversion.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.

Accettola is now a real estate agent with Keller Williams New York City. She did not respond for comment.

He and Accettola were both quoted in an April 2015 story by the U.S. edition of Chinese state newspaper China Daily about Wailian’s sponsorship of the Carnegie Hall National Youth Orchestra’s China tour. The story said Wailian helped raise about US$2 billion in capital within the last 10 years for more than 60 immigrant investor projects in the U.S.

“The investment projects Wailian promoted to Chinese investors include work on the Hudson Yards development and the George Washington Bridge in New York, and the University Hospital of Cleveland, Ohio,” China Daily reported.

In 2015, Dennis Nally, Chairman, PricewaterhouseCoopers Intl. (left); Karen Nally; Sharon Bush; Danielle Accettola; China’s New York Consulate General, Zhang Qiyue; Ronald Perelman, Chairman of MacAndrews & Forbes and Revlon; Linda Mei He; and Kevin Sheekey, Chairman, Bloomberg Government (WL Group)

The company’s website, translated to English, says Wailian “advocates the lifestyle of ‘immigration without emigration’ and does special research on ‘rapid immigration,’ constantly breaking its own fast record.”

“American customers can pass in two days at the earliest,” Wailian boasts. “With the approval of the Immigration Bureau, Australian customers can be approved by the state government as soon as one day, Canadian customers can land in Vancouver as soon as one month, and European customers can get an investment residence visa as soon as five days without going abroad.”

British Columbia’s corporate registry shows an entry for Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Inc., Wailian Education Group Inc. and Wailian Investment Group Inc. The latter two name Xu Weibiao as a director. A source familiar with Wailian said that Xu, who also uses the English name Sean, is He’s husband. A residential address in Arbutus is listed on the corporate registrations.

The website for Walian’s 2019-opened U.K. office, Wailian Moon Boat Ltd., said its partners and clients include Bank of China, China CITIC Bank, China Construction Bank, University of Oxford and Imperial College London. It said the company employs nearly 450 people in 30 locations around the world in U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Singapore, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Hungary.

“Wailian Moon Boat has pioneered its unique closed loop immigration system, providing Chinese families with a comprehensive relocation, citizenship, employment, education, investment, and living package.”

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Bob Mackin A lawyer for an immigration consultant

Surrey city manager suddenly retires

Ex-Surrey City Manager Vince Lalonde (Surrey)

Bob Mackin

The biggest personnel move during a time of turmoil at Surrey City Hall was announced Aug. 14, with the sudden retirement of city manager Vince Lalonde.

The announcement came after a weekend of social media chatter that Lalonde had been replaced by Rob Costanzo, the general manager of corporate services. Lalonde’s name had remained on the website throughout the weekend and Mayor Brenda Locke did not respond to a text message.

According to last year’s statement of financial information, Lalonde was the highest-paid employee at city hall with more than $465,000 in salary and benefits plus $11,652.26 in expenses.

Almost an hour before Surrey city hall’s news release, a reporter asked the receptionist in Lalonde’s office whether it was true that he had departed.

“He is off on vacation till September the fifth,” she answered.

Lalonde had a 26-year career at Surrey City Hall, including as general manager of engineering. He had been city manager for the past nine years, but half of that was consumed by an overarching controversy: the establishment of the Surrey Police Service to replace the Surrey RCMP detachment under ex-Mayor Doug McCallum and Locke’s winning campaign promise to close the SPS and keep the RCMP.

Last month, Solicitor General Mike Farnworth directed Locke to carry on with the SPS and phase out the RCMP, a process that could take another three years.

The announcement about Lalonde’s departure came in the wake of Aug. 10’s closed door city council meeting. A source close to the mayor’s office, who is not authorized to speak on the record, said Lalonde’s employment status was on the agenda. Council appointed Costanzo to be acting city manager.

In the news release, Lalonde said “the decision has not been an easy one,” but he was filled with pride over the achievements of city staff during his tenure. Locke thanked Lalonde for his leadership, which helped bring Surrey through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Vince’s legacy will be felt for a very long time and I wish him only the best in this next chapter of life,” said Locke’s quote in the news release.

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[caption id="attachment_13480" align="alignright" width="317"] Ex-Surrey City Manager

Should there be a public inquiry into pandemic preparation and response?

Bob Mackin

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was evasive when asked whether Canada should follow the U.K. and call a national inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But she thinks “we need to move on” from B.C.’s 2021 heat dome disaster that killed 619.

Dr. Lyne Filiatrault (PoP BC/YouTube)

The BMJ, one of the world’s leading medical periodicals, published a special edition in July critical of Canada’s federal and provincial response to the pandemic, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 52,750 people. BMJ noted that Canada’s 1,372 per million death rate exceeded the global average 855 per million, despite universal healthcare and a high vaccination rate.

“An independent, national inquiry is needed to review Canada’s COVID-19 response, draw lessons, and ensure accountability for the past and future pandemic preparedness,” said the BMJ.

“I don’t have an opinion on whether we need a national inquiry, I think there’s pros and cons to it,” Henry said during an Aug. 10 news conference about ongoing wildfires and the upcoming heat wave. “I think that it’s very important for us to record what we went through, to understand the lessons from it and to really look at how do we have more robust, resilient communities.”

Lyne Filiatrault, a retired emergency room doctor and co-founder of the Protect our Province B.C. (PoP BC) coalition, is not optimistic Canadians will get the inquiry they deserve.

“The whole pandemic has been a political response and so no political party wants an inquiry, because it would be an inquiry into how they mismanaged the pandemic,” Filiatrault said, pointing to snap B.C. and federal elections in fall 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Last December, the B.C. NDP government released the results of what Filiatrault called a “sham” review. The authors, a trio of ex-senior civil servants, were not allowed to analyze Henry’s decision-making. Previously, Henry and her medical health officer subordinates did not participate when seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie reviewed the toll on long-term care homes in 2021.

Filiatrault said Henry “has an inability to be accountable and an inability to learn.”

“If you look at the SARS commission of 2003, where she was intimately involved in the Toronto response, she learned nothing from that,” Filiatrault said.

Henry was the associate medical officer of health for Toronto. Some of her testimony to the Ontario legislature’s Justice Policy Committee was included in the SARS inquiry report by Ontario judge Archie Campbell.

“I think one of the things we learn over and over again in a crisis is that you can never do just enough,” Henry told the committee. “If you stop the outbreak, you’ve done way too much and you overreacted; if you don’t stop the outbreak, you clearly didn’t do enough.”

More than two years ago, just before the publication of her book about the early days of the pandemic, Henry admitted she was preparing for various public reviews of her work.

VCH chair Penny Ballem (left), Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister Adrian Dix in July 2020 (BC Gov)

“I think there’s going to be lots of time — I’ve said this before many times — lots of time for the recriminations, the class action lawsuits, and the public inquiries,” Henry quipped on a Feb. 10, 2021 web conference.

As for the June 25-July 1, 2021, heat dome, Henry did not call an emergency news conference or issue any emergency orders. She only signed-off on a heat warning bulletin from Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health late in the afternoon on June 25, despite meteorologists warning since the previous weekend that a record heat wave was incoming. That bulletin was sent to media outlets after 5:30 p.m.

Ambulance paramedics and emergency room doctors and nurses were swamped with patients during and after the first weekend of summer. It was the biggest heat wave in the region since 2009 and most-severe solstice-week heat wave since 1925.

Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe’s June 2022 report found most victims were elderly, low-income, suffering a chronic disease and living alone without any cooling device, such as a fan or air conditioner.

“It’s unusual in British Columbia, in particular, for us to have been concerned about heat until we had that extreme event and tragic event in 2021, so we need to move on from that,” Henry said. “One of the things that we have done, is we have a very coordinated heat response committee that has been meeting regularly, we’ve been meeting several times this week. So that we have, everybody has, the information they need in the community.”

Said Filiatrault: “The 619 deaths that we had back in 2021, it’s shameful, completely shameful, completely unprepared, and again, showed that this government, part of the problem with the response is always reactive, never proactive. So I’m glad now they’re sounding the alarm. But where are the air conditioners for people that need them and can’t afford them?”

In June, timed for the second anniversary, the NDP government announced a $10 million program to distribute 8,000 air conditioners through BC Hydro to poor and infirm people. But fewer than 400 had been installed as of early August.

Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon said the heat wave over the next week will be strong due to a ridge of high pressure building offshore, but less severe than the 2021 heat dome.

“That was an extremely strong ridge of high pressure coinciding with some of the longest days of the year,” Sekhon said. “Now we’re about seven weeks removed from solstice. We’re dealing with longer nights and shorter days.”

Sekhon said there may be a multi-day heat warning issued as early as Sunday for Vancouver Island, the South Coast and Southwestern Interior.

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Bob Mackin Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry

Business, Miscellany, News, Opinion

thePodcast: Culture war comes to Vancouver library shelves

For the week of Aug. 13, 2023:

Q: What do these books have in common?

“Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding,”
“Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters”
“Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy”
“Asterix the Gladiator”

A: They’re all targets of complaints from Vancouver Public Library visitors on a list of 17 challenges to books and one CD from the start of 2022 to the middle of 2023.

The culture war between left and right has come to libraries, which are working to uphold the freedom to read, a cornerstone of democracy.

Bob Mackin’s guest on this edition of thePodcast is VPL chief librarian Christina de Castell.

Plus commentary, the Virtual Nanaimo Bar award to a difference maker, and Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest headlines.

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thePodcast: Culture war comes to Vancouver library shelves

00:00 / 00:21:31

August 13, 2023

For the week of Aug. 13, 2023: Q:

Chinese immigration consultant with Vancouver ties arrested in Shanghai, according to Chinese media reports

Bob Mackin

A Chinese immigration consultant, who has an office in Vancouver, is in custody in Shanghai, according to various Chinese language media reports.

Linda Mei He, president of the Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Inc., is accused of illegal foreign exchange trading involving more than RMB100 million or $18.6 million in Canadian funds. The reports say that He, 54, was one of five suspects arrested, but one of two that were detained.

Linda Mei He of the Wailian Group (EY)

Her company, Wailian, services wealthy immigrant investors and claims to be one of China’s largest immigration intermediaries with offices in major Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore and Vancouver.

A phone call to the number listed for the Vancouver office went to a mobile account that has yet to be formatted.

Ernst and Young profiled He in 2018 as part of its annual top Asia-Pacific female entrepreneurs. The bio on the EY website said she had more than 500 employees in 30 branches across the Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and Oceania.

“To satisfy the evolving demand of Chinese families for overseas investment, Wailian proactively created a ‘service loop,’ covering overseas investment and lifestyles, promoting cultural integration for investors and assisting investors’ children to study abroad, plan their careers and deal with adolescence,” said the EY bio for He.

It also said that He has been involved in several philanthropic ventures, been a keynote speaker at international forums on business and migration and was the only Chinese expert invited to edit the “EB-5 Handbook: A Guide for Investors and Developers.”

(Wailian Group)

British Columbia’s corporate registry shows an entry for Wailian Overseas Consulting Group Inc. and two related companies: Wailian Education Group Inc. and Wailian Investment Group Inc., which both name Xu Weibiao as a director. A source familiar with Wailian said that Xu, who also uses the English name Sean, is He’s husband and lists a residential address in Arbutus on the corporate registrations.

The company website also claimed Wailian has participated in more than 100 investment projects in the U.S.

Wailian Investment Group has also been active politically in B.C. Elections BC shows a $1,000 donation to the BC Liberals, now known as BC United, dated Nov. 30, 2016, from the company, via principal officer Xin Wang.

Then-Premier Christy Clark and International Trade Minister Teresa Wat held a “Winter Celebration and Fundraising Gala” at the River Rock Casino show theatre in Richmond on Nov. 26, 2016. Clark and Wat met during the same week with visiting executives from China Poly Group, one of China’s biggest state-owned conglomerates.

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August 12, 2023