Vancouver’s public consultation process is being abused, critics say

In the days leading up to a Vancouver council meeting that would consider the controversial decision to add a high-rise to a street of detached houses, filmmaker David Fine noticed an unusual spike in online support for the proposal, which is tabulated and updated on the city’s website.

The surge of support was for an application to redevelop century-old houses on a leafy Kitsilano side street at 2156 and 2172 W. 14th Ave. for an 18-storey rental tower. It wasn’t difficult to trace the source behind the sudden public approval for the project, which is one of several rezonings that fall within the controversial 500-block Broadway Plan. On Reddit, Russil Wvong, a member of a YIMBY group that advocates for more housing construction, Abundant Housing, had posted a call for others to weigh in. He flagged three other projects going to public hearing, and he included a lengthy argument on the need for more high-rises, particularly near transit.