The buzz online and on the street now is that Vancouver City Council has decided to go back on their by-law proposal to institute a 50-50 law that would have prevented restaurants from having sustainable business models (See my original post here).
So, this seems like a victory, right? And, in some ways it is. In other ways it is shockingly poor policy making. Not only has Vancouver City Council decided to axe the 50-50 law (a good thing), but they have dropped the entire proposed By-Law No. 4450 amendments, which included promised extended hours for restaurants. So, it looks like the shame that is Granville Street on weekend evenings will not abate anytime soon. For those of us looking for a little responsible fun without being challenged to a fist fight by a drunken idiot? Well, we’ll have to stay at home. How about this for an Olympic slogan: Vancouver: Where Fun Comes to Die.
However, the shock and horror seen throughout the community on the proposed 50-50 law, and the resulting grass roots campaign to stop it, shows that at least sometimes us lowly citizens and consumers can make change. That, I think, is the biggest lesson from this colossal waste of time and money.
