I am BLOWN AWAY by how well received this video was- I thought I would just be screaming into the void, and here are all of you who want the same lively community I do. This video took about a month and a half to produce, but I'm hoping my next one will be finished a lot sooner. I just want to make sure I don't rush out something of poor quality, so bear with me. Thanks again
This video was such a pleasant surprise! To see not only a Vancouver specific urban planning video essay, but one on North Vancouver and covering questions I've had myself! So cool to see
Its literally not rocket science. The reason for all of this stems from the catalyst of the Gov't not supporting small business or entrepreneurs in totality, not so much municipally - it runs deeper than only the notions in this video. It may be cute and dandy to make the focus on Lonsdale and West Vancouver but this is a DOMESTIC issue across the entire country and it starts federally. Here are some interesting FACTS for y'all to consider : 1. PRODUCTIVITY: Compared to other G6 countries, Canadian businesses have been slower to invest in capital equipment, innovation, and R&D, which directly impacts productivity. Investment in new technologies such as automation, AI, and digital solutions has been particularly weak in Canada relative to global peers. 2. Canadian small businesses have faced more difficulties accessing financing. Government support programs, while helpful, haven't fully bridged the gap, leading to long-term struggles for many small and medium-sized enterprises. 3. In most provinces, especially Alberta and Ontario, businesses face significant regional tax burdens, which further discourage investment and expansion not only domestically but internationally. 4.Canada's lack of productivity has Canadian businesses struggling to innovate and invest in new technologies. While many other nations have rapidly adopted automation and digital transformation, Canadian firms have been slower to keep up, resulting in declining competitiveness. 5. Since 2020, over 225,000 small businesses in Canada have permanently closed, with 70% of those remaining still not back to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2023. Small businesses face combined corporate tax rates of 9% to +12%, and spend $4.9 BILLION annually on tax compliance where that capital could have rather been used internally, while a 20% drop in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between 2019 and 2023 has further hindered Canada's access to capital and growth opportunities internationally. These are just SOME hard cold facts that somehow seems to not be clear enough to talk about with high alert and caution for Canada and the Canadian people. These Ditsy videos is great content, but until we come together as a nation and face the harsh realities of just SOME of the few facts listed above we will continue to be last place compared to our other G7 Counterparts.
@@md21ky38 This guy Adrian just spent like 2 months making a video to explain a complex issue to many people who may not have been aware. That adds a whole lot more value to the conversation than randomly shouting facts into the void of youtube comments... just saying. but hey, whatever makes you feel better man
@@HarmonieV Im not surprised you are only concerned on focusing on the negative- rather than the last bit of my comment about UNITY. To remind you, I said it was a great video. Re-read the last part of my pervious comment. He also made it clear and stated himself that his "explaining'' were merely just ideas. Most of the time, truth hurts and you can't be defensive or dismissive about FACTS otherwise we'll continue to be an Illusory part to the problem. But hey, likewise-whatever makes you feel better man
I'm fully expecting to see a video titled "Canadian RUclips: the battle for content dominance" because we have an absolute ton of good quality transit, construction, and urban planning channels either from Canada or by Canadians.
@AWenly-tj6jn NotJustBikes and About Here are the early ones to the genre. Then we've got RMTransit and Oh The Urbanity for more transit-focused content. Locally we have StainerTheFirst for construction updates on the major projects. I'll post more ad I remember or find them but there are a couple other small channels
Agree! Just thinking the same thing. I watched, then subscribed to, a young creator doing transportation vids around the lower mainland. The one that I first found was on the Massey tunnel project and it was as well done as this one. So much better some shouting yapster starting out with ‘whassup guys’…
Adrian, I’m a small business owner in Kits. It was so refreshing to watch this - it provided some insight into what cities are doing for small business and how they’re thinking about retail. This sort of content is so rare. The video is so well-researched and presented, and very entertaining. Funnily enough I’ve been looking at expanding my business to North Van and I’ve been shocked to see how few spaces they are available for lease. Maybe this is partly why. Anyway, just wanted to say - incredible content. I’ve subscribed and look forward to your next video. No pressure 😊
NO WAY, Frondly is awesome!!! I would love to get in touch about the experience of running a small business in Vancouver- shops like yours bring so much life to neighbourhoods
Just ran into your video on my RUclips FYP and my man! This is awesome content. From a fellow North Vancouverite, please keep it up! We need a famous North vancouverite
The timing of this video is crazy, I was just walking lonsdale last night thinking how quiet and dead the street was past 7 o’clock considering it’s supposed to be the “premiere street” of the north shore. Then I come home and BAM this video falls into my lap. I really appreciate all the effort it must’ve taken to sort through the boring city council meetings. Well done!
Adrian!!! This is incredible. The voice we all needed. Don’t even get me started on how hard it is for local businesses… if you want another video idea, I have one. So much to do and say! Amazing work.
Just want to add onto what Councillor Nakagawa said, its not that small business CAN'T invest that, banks will NOT lend to that type of business. But they are happy to for dental offices. Especially with business loans being offered at VERY high rates even when backed by the Gov. of Canada. These same banks are the ones that FINANCED the building of the structure we're discussing. They completely dictate the market. Great video man.
There is a lot of underground parking in the area, it needs better access and awareness. Street parking on Lonsdale is not as good for the businesses as foot traffic and making it a place friendly for humans to hang out. Car traffic & car parking going by damages the economic potential and vibrancy of a street.
This is the exact reason I wasn't sorry to leave the Lower Lonsdale area when given the opportunity to be bought out of my lease nearly 10 years ago. Lonsdale went from a walkable neighbourhood where I could get literally all of my shopping needs met by small, independent businesses to a boring, soulless suburb with nothing but garbage services I don't need very often, and chain eateries/pubs with ridiculous traffic congestion. The Shipyard area is cool, but it wasn't enough to make me sorry to move to Commercial Drive. Now I walk and spread my money around to small, independent businesses once again.
If I did not live on Lonsdale (my whole life), my next place to live would be Commercial Drive. But that place has the sort of anti-corporate culture that Lonsdale lacks (especially CNV council who are almost all shills for developers). I can walk to the Shipyards in under 15 mins, but I hardly ever go there. I'm still supporting local businesses as much as I can, but it gets harder all the time, and I have no doubt that life is getting harder for them too.
I, like yourself, am not a city planner, but do care about my neighbourhood streetscapes and what they offer and look like. Thanks for making this presentation on this particular issue on one main street in your beautiful community and looking at options to potentially solve it. I've lived my entire adult life in the West End downtown and watched the 4 main streets (Granville, Davie, Denman and Robson) go through a steady decline with the types of businesses with street-front shops there. At present, I still don't know why there is a need for so many stores selling marijuana to be open in a relatively small area of the city, but clearly therte's a demand for them and they can afford the exorbitant rents. Personally I really miss the days when these streets were vibrant with a large variety of all types of retail and dining options. Strolling these streets was an enjoyable activity, both day and night. I do realize there's a laundry list of reasons of why those businesses left in most cases... a topic way too long and complicated to get into here, but all I can say is I hope there will be a day when the charm and character of some of these areas in our growing communities returns to, dare I say it as a man who is shy of 50 years old, the good 'ol days!
I was expecting your "420 subscribers" to say "420k," I'm blown away by the quality of this video! You really did your research and it was quite interesting---keep educating people about these things that matter!
Read Sam Cooper‘s book, Willful Blindness, to better understand the purposes of these storefronts and the activities of the community they are a part of. 💯
@@HS-ob3fz the book explains what is known as “the Vancouver model“ and why/ how Vancouver is made up of wealthy foreign investors, and how they manage their financial resources through international money laundering and criminal activities.🙂
What a great, thoughtful, well-presented piece. (The timing of, "most people have teeth and hair," just before revealing that estate agent bus stop ad, 5:23, was perfect, BTW. )
I think you stumbled across a couple of Money Laundering fronts. There's a reason why the term Vancouver model exists in the Anti-Money Laundering lexicon.
Definitely - the real estate i/ developer industry is basically driven by money laundering too, which is why we have a housing crisis thanks to all these "investors". And guess who sponsors all the careers of municipal politicians (especially the ones ruling of City OF North Vancouver)? Developers. Dark money is why these things happen. All the bread & circuses civic plans are a gimmick designed to put a "progressive" face onto mass exploitation and market-induced poverty. If their plans are so great for the community, why is life always getting worse? Why did all the "build build build" mania for the last 30 years result in worse affordability than before? The answer is: it's not built for us, it's for them. The shady money managers, pulling the strings on our political class, subjecting us to endless small torments, and washing their black market dollars through our communities.
@@wyldhowl2821 money laundering by/within Real Estate industry is evident. If "legit" businesses can exploit it, then there is a whole long list of illicit businesses that use the same facilities - think organized crime, foreign govts etc. FINTRAC has issued "Operational Risk" notice (with periodic updates) talking about money laundering through Money exchange businesses since 2018. Cullen commission flagged the same issues with Money exchange businesses. Fun fact, RCMP admitted that they have given up crackdown on Money Laundering.
@@wyldhowl2821 RUclips deletes any comments that mentions Cu Llen commission. But yes, Real Estate sector is just the visible tip of the iceberg. There's way more illicit businesses and govts that use these facilities.
Lonsdale is already zoned for more than that anyway, it is a bit of a sensitive topic though because we really want to keep some of these great businesses like Guido's barbershop, Nickels bakery, Indian Kitchen, Chili Lee is one of my faves... so hopefully there is a way to densify and also take care of those businesses/ invite them back into densified spaces.
This gets me fired up! The overall quality was top notch, those visual aids, a tasty little garnish, and don’t even get me started on the close ups of your beautiful face.
The production and direction of this video is insanely good. Like absolutely entrancing to watch lol. I grew up in the Tri-Cities area but visited friends on the North Shore fairly often. I did notice the amount of currency exchanges but never quite thought about it too much... this explains why
Hi, I am Korean who lived in Vancouver 2 years ago. I am going to subscribe to your channel and I am really looking forward to your next video so much.🎉
It’s also a problem in Vancouver. The city years town small, older retail spaces and replaced them with big unaffordable spaces. And it’s the cities that issue the permits in the first place. The developers want to build glorious palaces that sell or rent for a small fortune- and only franchises and “boring” businesses can afford them. Communities and vibrancy are not considered. This is not new. And it’s the same with housing- tearing down starter homes for “starter condos” at 1/3 the space and 4x the price has the same effect. But that could be another video.
Just sold my dental clinic in a prime retail location. It was placed in this location as dental was 'going retail' 10-20 years ago as a way of dealing with increased competition by having retail marketing, including location marketing. In more recent years I got the idea that pay per click advertising and Google Places changed the marketing approach so dentists no longer needed these expensive street level locations, and could return to the old 'hang a shingle' model of dentists being located in upper storeys or other less costly 'professional buildings' not located in social and tourist districts like Lonsdale. Sadly it has not happened yet. On another note: surbuban malls have more control over the diversity of businesses within them - my dental clinic had an exclusive for dental in our mall, and the nail salon had exclusive as did everyone - so the mall was all different businesses, no two of the same and not overrun with 'dead mall stores': nail salon, money exchanges and GNC lol. Hard to do that in a place like Lonsdale.
This is a problem across the entire Lower Mainland. So many streets with endless potential being overrun with dentists, physiotherapists, currency exchanges and other stores that attract no community, no foot traffic and no vibrancy. It's no wonder the high street is dying a sorry death.
Adrian!!! this video popped up on my recommended and then I recognized you and realize we worked at grouse coffee shop together back in high school, just wanted to say I am blow away by this video and the time and effort that went into it! keep creating, so cool to see what you've been up to!! 10/10
Great video Adrian. Couldn't agree more! I recently went to Portland, OR where there was such vibrancy of small stationary restaurants in a similar concept to a cool food court with full liquor licensing. These created cool hubs in the city that were vibrant day and night. Would love to see more in all parts of Greater Vancouver and have been regularly recommending to council to do this.
Great video! I love the topic you chose to explore on this! As someone who lives in LOLO, I completely agree that we have an excess of these businesses. I just wanted to add that it is unfortunate that at least some of the currency exchanges are suspected of money laundering (you can tell by their odd office hours, being closed when they're supposed to be open, taking forever to reno a plain office etc.). Your solution of incentivizing businesses to compete against for space makes it hard because you cant out compete a business that isn't built on business fundamentals anyways. But spot on regarding the dental office and hair salon, I also thought the hair salon is indicative of a gentrification of the neighborhood, more luxury services opening up and cheaper hair dresser and barbers closing due to expensive rent.
This is an incredibly well-made video. And yet, the production value doesn't overshadow its message. Really awesome! I hope the initiatives put forward to bring vibrancy back to this street and others have the desired effect. What concerns me is that they are related to the deeper incentive structures that have fed into the wider housing crisis. Until affordability is restored, I believe this will be an uphill battle.
Great video! If only it came out when I was taking Economic Geography at Capilano. Our paper was literally on commercial agglomeration! I'll still send this to my former prof, she'd love it.
Another thing to consider is Main Street and Commercial Drive have large concentrations of Bars which really adds to the street scene especially with summer patios spilling out into the street with Parklets. Upper Lonsdale could add 3-5 small bars beyond just Jack Lonsdales.
Ugh, Jack Lonsdales annoys me now. Not so much because of the place itself, but as a symbol of those goddamn COVID patios, built for a lot of restaurants which had patios already and never needed them. Nobody likes to even sit in them - the Skip The Dishes guys use them as awaiting area, and that's about it. You think (all that parking on Lonsdale died for this?) God forbid CNV council should demand developers of new buildings carve out a bit of real green space (that dog park at the bend is concrete and does not count). Somene else really needs to take command and use a bit of long-term thinking and common sense in terms of what works and what doesn't. People who can tell developers what will be built there, rather than meekly asking them to change plans and then giving up when they dangle that political donation carrot.
Hey Adrian, it's Andrew from the theatre! This is such a fantastic video, exactly the kind of video I like watching on RUclips like About Here! North Vancouver is my hometown and now I'm a resident of New Westminster, so oh boy do I understand the dentist issue. We live in a new building and out of our 5 commercial units 2 are dentists (and 1 salon). Some of my favourite memories from Lonsdale were growing up going to the Lawn Bowling club and crossing the street the visit McDonalds (when it was where The Boardroom is now) and also visiting the old Blockbuster that was a few blocks down from there! Keep up the great work, subscribed!
@@adrianmakca Yeah we bought right beside the Quay, easy access to the SkyTrain and local groceries mean I mostly only use my car for getting to set (work in film industry now)
Nickel's had some of the best crusty rolls. Not sure anymore, it has been a while. I miss the Mongolian restaurant on 16th & Lonsdale, and also Krua Thai is gone now. (Variety, banished.) Colisseum pizza too - move down to 1st street then soon after, went out of business. 😢 If anyone messes with Jagerhof, I tell you, I am declaring war. 🤬
Or Guido's Barbershop, the Clog Shop, Monarch Bakery, the vendors opposite London Drugs and on and on. These are mostly in older buildings that have an intimacy with the street. Part of the problem is the type of new architecture that has a huge expanse of (covered) windows making street level entrances too huge a distance from each other. So @adrianmak , please don't encourage redeveloping these properties! I cringed when you said that with Monarch in the background!
@@daveandersen6850 Yeah, the CNV council is owned lock, stock, & barrel by developers, and they have this "Great Street" plan to close Lonsdale south of 18th and make it one big plaza. They are crooked & insane. The next election will be make or break for it as a viable commercial street.
This is such a great video! I own Makers in The Shipyards and we actually saved our unit from becoming a barbershop 😅 Couldn't agree more with a lot of points in this video. Large units, insane rents, huge build out costs, and don't forget those nasty triple net rents in BC. Commercial property tax out here is absolutely insane and it's not uncommon for 1/4 of our rents to being going to prop tax alone. If you are talking $2500-$3000 a month in those taxes alone, then really only dentists can survive. Forcing zoning to create smaller 8000-1500sqft units in new builds instead of the typical 2500 would allow for greater diversity in business types to survive, and also creating flexibility to allow for dentists/salons/gyms to exist outside of normally commercially zoned areas could go a long way as well.
I often think commercial landlords would rather gouge a tenant to death than set their rents at anything near sustainable. Small business is hard, man. My mum had a store on Lonsdale for a while; back then 2/3 of new businesses would fail in under 5 years. Today it must be more like 7/8. Even the established ones go under. As you say, the designs are often flawed too, but tbh, that is also the responsibility of city councils to police, to actually say "no" to bad ideas rather than say yes to every stupid one. Thus far CNV council has never successfully said no to any developer, and if you take a look at who funds their campaigns/careers, it is not a surprise that even massive public outcry (like the Onni project) cannot force changes to their plans.
With the North Shore mountains as a backdrop to Lonsdale, I've always thought we should develope it as a destination for more tourists. A high end hotel at the top because of its proximity to the Sea to Sky on our local mountains. Kind of a "Build and they will come" idea. More of a mountain town vibe like Banff or Vale. We really have it all but at the same time we have nothing.
hey thanks, I use a sony fx-30 with DJI mic 1's for the most part- but I have a few old digital cameras, an action cam, and an sm58 for some bits and pieces
How are all of these businesses staying in business if there's so much competition? There must be a market for all of them. Wonderful video. Thanks for this.
Great job on a serious issue - every time I visit Toronto (my home town), at some point I usually end up driving up Yonge Street (one of the vibrant streets of my youth!). Unfortunately from Dundas to Bloor it looks like the whole street alternates between Money Marts/Payday Loan shops and cannabis retailers (another growth business on Lonsdale as well). A terrible reality for what was once a showcase of diversity! You've started the conversation nicely here - I hope every councillor in the City & District gets a chance to see it to discuss solutions - nice work! PS I'm not familiar with Allan Jacobs but couldn't help wonder if he was somehow related to legendary city planner Jane Jacobs! thanks ... N
Don't forget that online shopping has reduced the demand for brick and mortar retail in a HUGE way. Most specialty stores have moved online and that has degraded the variety of businesses on our high streets.
Hey, I loved your video! Can’t stop laughing :))). I’ll give you a few hints-you’re right about why there are so many exchanges there. Regarding dentists and cosmetic jobs, I’d say it’s more about the prestige of being a doctor in Iranian culture. Many Iranians pursue medical careers (especially dentistry) because it’s highly respected, and they tend to study a lot, which fits well with the field. As for cosmetic procedures, Iranians care a lot about their appearance-getting their nails done, wearing makeup, etc. (For example, I’m an Iranian guy, and I get my nails done too :)))), so I can see how this has developed. As an urban planner and architect, I think having a concentrated ethnic group in a dense area isn’t the best approach for any city. Regulations can help manage this, but the real solution is fostering a more socially integrated community. We’ve always debated this in academia, but integrating different ethnic groups is very challenging. It’s not just up to the government, urban planners, or architects-it requires a holistic approach across different contexts
Husband was born (1957) and raised in North Vancouver. We married in 1993 and had a lovely life. There were places to dance and have fun. Lonsdale Quay was brand new...that's where we met in 1988. There were boutiques, restaurants, etc. Then the Iranians started moving in and taking over in the late 1990s. They had the nerve to put up business signs in Farsi only. We left N Vancouver in 1999 because of this unfortunately.
This is an outright lie. All Iranian businesses have text in English as well. The non-regime affiliated Iranians are vehemently “westernized”, for a lack of a better term. Lonsdale has a lot of problems, but it’s not due to the regular Iranians that came here 20-40 years ago.
I am BLOWN AWAY by how well received this video was- I thought I would just be screaming into the void, and here are all of you who want the same lively community I do. This video took about a month and a half to produce, but I'm hoping my next one will be finished a lot sooner. I just want to make sure I don't rush out something of poor quality, so bear with me. Thanks again
This video was such a pleasant surprise! To see not only a Vancouver specific urban planning video essay, but one on North Vancouver and covering questions I've had myself! So cool to see
great video, & so well done! I appreciate all the effort you put into production, it shows :)
Its literally not rocket science. The reason for all of this stems from the catalyst of the Gov't not supporting small business or entrepreneurs in totality, not so much municipally - it runs deeper than only the notions in this video. It may be cute and dandy to make the focus on Lonsdale and West Vancouver but this is a DOMESTIC issue across the entire country and it starts federally. Here are some interesting FACTS for y'all to consider :
1. PRODUCTIVITY: Compared to other G6 countries, Canadian businesses have been slower to invest in capital equipment, innovation, and R&D, which directly impacts productivity. Investment in new technologies such as automation, AI, and digital solutions has been particularly weak in Canada relative to global peers.
2. Canadian small businesses have faced more difficulties accessing financing. Government support programs, while helpful, haven't fully bridged the gap, leading to long-term struggles for many small and medium-sized enterprises.
3. In most provinces, especially Alberta and Ontario, businesses face significant regional tax burdens, which further discourage investment and expansion not only domestically but internationally.
4.Canada's lack of productivity has Canadian businesses struggling to innovate and invest in new technologies. While many other nations have rapidly adopted automation and digital transformation, Canadian firms have been slower to keep up, resulting in declining competitiveness.
5. Since 2020, over 225,000 small businesses in Canada have permanently closed, with 70% of those remaining still not back to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2023. Small businesses face combined corporate tax rates of 9% to +12%, and spend $4.9 BILLION annually on tax compliance where that capital could have rather been used internally, while a 20% drop in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between 2019 and 2023 has further hindered Canada's access to capital and growth opportunities internationally.
These are just SOME hard cold facts that somehow seems to not be clear enough to talk about with high alert and caution for Canada and the Canadian people. These Ditsy videos is great content, but until we come together as a nation and face the harsh realities of just SOME of the few facts listed above we will continue to be last place compared to our other G7 Counterparts.
@@md21ky38 This guy Adrian just spent like 2 months making a video to explain a complex issue to many people who may not have been aware. That adds a whole lot more value to the conversation than randomly shouting facts into the void of youtube comments... just saying.
but hey, whatever makes you feel better man
@@HarmonieV Im not surprised you are only concerned on focusing on the negative- rather than the last bit of my comment about UNITY. To remind you, I said it was a great video. Re-read the last part of my pervious comment. He also made it clear and stated himself that his "explaining'' were merely just ideas. Most of the time, truth hurts and you can't be defensive or dismissive about FACTS otherwise we'll continue to be an Illusory part to the problem.
But hey, likewise-whatever makes you feel better man
the vancouver urban planning youtube scene is kinda sick right now
I'm fully expecting to see a video titled "Canadian RUclips: the battle for content dominance" because we have an absolute ton of good quality transit, construction, and urban planning channels either from Canada or by Canadians.
Can you recommend some videos / channels?
@AWenly-tj6jn NotJustBikes and About Here are the early ones to the genre. Then we've got RMTransit and Oh The Urbanity for more transit-focused content. Locally we have StainerTheFirst for construction updates on the major projects. I'll post more ad I remember or find them but there are a couple other small channels
TheGreaterDiscussions as well for Vancouver specific stuff
Absolutely! It's so exciting
This was SO well done! I've always been curious why we always see the same types of businesses in new developments and you covered it so cinematically
@@AboutHere Thank you!!! Big fan of your work, so it means a lot 🙌
Can only imagine the amount of work that went into researching, creating and producing this!! Really really well done
Thanks Shelby!
love these Vancouver style videos from small creators! don’t give up 11/10 channel!
Agree! Just thinking the same thing. I watched, then subscribed to, a young creator doing transportation vids around the lower mainland. The one that I first found was on the Massey tunnel project and it was as well done as this one. So much better some shouting yapster starting out with ‘whassup guys’…
Finally, someone who is taking the time to produce a video about what’s really going on in our communities. Thank you.
I go feral for these kinds of videos. Please make more
Adrian, I’m a small business owner in Kits. It was so refreshing to watch this - it provided some insight into what cities are doing for small business and how they’re thinking about retail. This sort of content is so rare. The video is so well-researched and presented, and very entertaining. Funnily enough I’ve been looking at expanding my business to North Van and I’ve been shocked to see how few spaces they are available for lease. Maybe this is partly why. Anyway, just wanted to say - incredible content. I’ve subscribed and look forward to your next video. No pressure 😊
NO WAY, Frondly is awesome!!! I would love to get in touch about the experience of running a small business in Vancouver- shops like yours bring so much life to neighbourhoods
Just ran into your video on my RUclips FYP and my man! This is awesome content. From a fellow North Vancouverite, please keep it up! We need a famous North vancouverite
Oh man idk about famous but I certainly want to make things that connect with people out here :) Thank you!
@@adrianmakca make adrian famous!
The timing of this video is crazy, I was just walking lonsdale last night thinking how quiet and dead the street was past 7 o’clock considering it’s supposed to be the “premiere street” of the north shore. Then I come home and BAM this video falls into my lap. I really appreciate all the effort it must’ve taken to sort through the boring city council meetings.
Well done!
that first song is a throwback holy haha. Great video man!
Adrian!!! This is incredible. The voice we all needed. Don’t even get me started on how hard it is for local businesses… if you want another video idea, I have one. So much to do and say! Amazing work.
Just want to add onto what Councillor Nakagawa said, its not that small business CAN'T invest that, banks will NOT lend to that type of business. But they are happy to for dental offices. Especially with business loans being offered at VERY high rates even when backed by the Gov. of Canada. These same banks are the ones that FINANCED the building of the structure we're discussing. They completely dictate the market. Great video man.
Well done!!! Love from Victoria!! You got a great channel! Keep up the GREAT work!!!
great video. Very comprehensive. The other big issue on Lonsdale is PARKING -- nearly impossible.
There is a lot of underground parking in the area, it needs better access and awareness.
Street parking on Lonsdale is not as good for the businesses as foot traffic and making it a place friendly for humans to hang out.
Car traffic & car parking going by damages the economic potential and vibrancy of a street.
This is the exact reason I wasn't sorry to leave the Lower Lonsdale area when given the opportunity to be bought out of my lease nearly 10 years ago. Lonsdale went from a walkable neighbourhood where I could get literally all of my shopping needs met by small, independent businesses to a boring, soulless suburb with nothing but garbage services I don't need very often, and chain eateries/pubs with ridiculous traffic congestion. The Shipyard area is cool, but it wasn't enough to make me sorry to move to Commercial Drive. Now I walk and spread my money around to small, independent businesses once again.
If I did not live on Lonsdale (my whole life), my next place to live would be Commercial Drive. But that place has the sort of anti-corporate culture that Lonsdale lacks (especially CNV council who are almost all shills for developers). I can walk to the Shipyards in under 15 mins, but I hardly ever go there. I'm still supporting local businesses as much as I can, but it gets harder all the time, and I have no doubt that life is getting harder for them too.
Greed has completely ruined the laid back, west coast lifestyle.
I moved to North Van when I was 5 in 95. I've watched this city evolve. Great video, super insightful 👏
I, like yourself, am not a city planner, but do care about my neighbourhood streetscapes and what they offer and look like. Thanks for making this presentation on this particular issue on one main street in your beautiful community and looking at options to potentially solve it. I've lived my entire adult life in the West End downtown and watched the 4 main streets (Granville, Davie, Denman and Robson) go through a steady decline with the types of businesses with street-front shops there. At present, I still don't know why there is a need for so many stores selling marijuana to be open in a relatively small area of the city, but clearly therte's a demand for them and they can afford the exorbitant rents.
Personally I really miss the days when these streets were vibrant with a large variety of all types of retail and dining options. Strolling these streets was an enjoyable activity, both day and night. I do realize there's a laundry list of reasons of why those businesses left in most cases... a topic way too long and complicated to get into here, but all I can say is I hope there will be a day when the charm and character of some of these areas in our growing communities returns to, dare I say it as a man who is shy of 50 years old, the good 'ol days!
East Hastings died because they keep revamping Granville & Robson Street shopping districts.
It is never coming back. We are too globalized, there is too much greed, and hardly anyone takes any risks.
Siiiiick, thanks for putting this together and repping our community!
Grew up on Lonsdale. Definitely noticed the vibe change over the years.
Wow, really great video. Well edited and researched.
Great video about an issue I had no idea existed. Great channel! A sub from Vancouver.
I was expecting your "420 subscribers" to say "420k," I'm blown away by the quality of this video! You really did your research and it was quite interesting---keep educating people about these things that matter!
This was a quality, quality video. Well done Adrian, North Van represent
Everything about this video is a chefs kiss. Fantastic stuff man
Hey Man. This is awesome. Used your VFX knowledge to make a really entertaining and informative video. You are going to take off!
Amazing video. Thank you for sharing your sources as well!
Read Sam Cooper‘s book, Willful Blindness, to better understand the purposes of these storefronts and the activities of the community they are a part of. 💯
i dont read can you say what it says? also are you financially struggling?
@@HS-ob3fz the book explains what is known as “the Vancouver model“ and why/ how Vancouver is made up of wealthy foreign investors, and how they manage their financial resources through international money laundering and criminal activities.🙂
What a great, thoughtful, well-presented piece. (The timing of, "most people have teeth and hair," just before revealing that estate agent bus stop ad, 5:23, was perfect, BTW. )
This is really well done. Please submit this to the media. Worth them working with you! Excellent job.
WIN! ruclips.net/video/-xqPCAwHjf8/видео.html
Keep up the good work of making neighbourhoods more diverse, enjoyable, and just good looking!
Currency exchanges could be housed in malls and along marine drive where customers can still get to them but its not on the main walking strip.
Ohm they are there too.
I think you stumbled across a couple of Money Laundering fronts. There's a reason why the term Vancouver model exists in the Anti-Money Laundering lexicon.
Definitely - the real estate i/ developer industry is basically driven by money laundering too, which is why we have a housing crisis thanks to all these "investors". And guess who sponsors all the careers of municipal politicians (especially the ones ruling of City OF North Vancouver)? Developers.
Dark money is why these things happen. All the bread & circuses civic plans are a gimmick designed to put a "progressive" face onto mass exploitation and market-induced poverty. If their plans are so great for the community, why is life always getting worse? Why did all the "build build build" mania for the last 30 years result in worse affordability than before? The answer is: it's not built for us, it's for them. The shady money managers, pulling the strings on our political class, subjecting us to endless small torments, and washing their black market dollars through our communities.
@@wyldhowl2821 money laundering by/within Real Estate industry is evident. If "legit" businesses can exploit it, then there is a whole long list of illicit businesses that use the same facilities - think organized crime, foreign govts etc. FINTRAC has issued "Operational Risk" notice (with periodic updates) talking about money laundering through Money exchange businesses since 2018. Cullen commission flagged the same issues with Money exchange businesses. Fun fact, RCMP admitted that they have given up crackdown on Money Laundering.
@@wyldhowl2821 RUclips deletes any comments that mentions Cu Llen commission. But yes, Real Estate sector is just the visible tip of the iceberg. There's way more illicit businesses and govts that use these facilities.
I subscribed because I liked the concept of this channel. Keep it up!
Excellent video! Good on you for suggesting an actual potential solution at the end too. Building up a storey sounds great, if we can get it done.
Lonsdale is already zoned for more than that anyway, it is a bit of a sensitive topic though because we really want to keep some of these great businesses like Guido's barbershop, Nickels bakery, Indian Kitchen, Chili Lee is one of my faves... so hopefully there is a way to densify and also take care of those businesses/ invite them back into densified spaces.
This gets me fired up! The overall quality was top notch, those visual aids, a tasty little garnish, and don’t even get me started on the close ups of your beautiful face.
The production and direction of this video is insanely good. Like absolutely entrancing to watch lol. I grew up in the Tri-Cities area but visited friends on the North Shore fairly often. I did notice the amount of currency exchanges but never quite thought about it too much... this explains why
thank god someone’s talking about this
Great content! I really enjoyed the video! Keep it up
Hi, I am Korean who lived in Vancouver 2 years ago. I am going to subscribe to your channel and I am really looking forward to your next video so much.🎉
It’s also a problem in Vancouver. The city years town small, older retail spaces and replaced them with big unaffordable spaces. And it’s the cities that issue the permits in the first place. The developers want to build glorious palaces that sell or rent for a small fortune- and only franchises and “boring” businesses can afford them. Communities and vibrancy are not considered. This is not new. And it’s the same with housing- tearing down starter homes for “starter condos” at 1/3 the space and 4x the price has the same effect. But that could be another video.
Killer video!! Thanks for opening my eyes to a problem that I never understood or really appreciated.
Hello fellow Vancouver-based urban planning channel!
This was a fantastic video btw, I can tell you put a buuuuunch of effort into it, it paid off :)
thanks dude!
Just sold my dental clinic in a prime retail location. It was placed in this location as dental was 'going retail' 10-20 years ago as a way of dealing with increased competition by having retail marketing, including location marketing. In more recent years I got the idea that pay per click advertising and Google Places changed the marketing approach so dentists no longer needed these expensive street level locations, and could return to the old 'hang a shingle' model of dentists being located in upper storeys or other less costly 'professional buildings' not located in social and tourist districts like Lonsdale. Sadly it has not happened yet. On another note: surbuban malls have more control over the diversity of businesses within them - my dental clinic had an exclusive for dental in our mall, and the nail salon had exclusive as did everyone - so the mall was all different businesses, no two of the same and not overrun with 'dead mall stores': nail salon, money exchanges and GNC lol. Hard to do that in a place like Lonsdale.
very good video once i realized this wasn't, yet, a big channel I needed to say that
thanks bro!
That's a cool video. Glad to see people talking about this.
Great video, keep them coming! 👏🏻
That transition at 9:00 is perfect.
This is a problem across the entire Lower Mainland. So many streets with endless potential being overrun with dentists, physiotherapists, currency exchanges and other stores that attract no community, no foot traffic and no vibrancy. It's no wonder the high street is dying a sorry death.
Great video!! Perfectly described why I’ve never loved the vibe on lonesdale.
This is great- would be fantastic highschool business class content
this was so good!!
Adrian!!! this video popped up on my recommended and then I recognized you and realize we worked at grouse coffee shop together back in high school, just wanted to say I am blow away by this video and the time and effort that went into it! keep creating, so cool to see what you've been up to!! 10/10
This is high quality stuff! Please keep doing more Vancouver-based urbanism content.
The content and production value of this video is off the charts.
@@soundboy89 thank you!
fantastic video essay, keep em coming
Great video Adrian. Couldn't agree more! I recently went to Portland, OR where there was such vibrancy of small stationary restaurants in a similar concept to a cool food court with full liquor licensing. These created cool hubs in the city that were vibrant day and night. Would love to see more in all parts of Greater Vancouver and have been regularly recommending to council to do this.
the subtle/not so subtle humor in this video is amazing
This was so well done
Great video! I love the topic you chose to explore on this! As someone who lives in LOLO, I completely agree that we have an excess of these businesses. I just wanted to add that it is unfortunate that at least some of the currency exchanges are suspected of money laundering (you can tell by their odd office hours, being closed when they're supposed to be open, taking forever to reno a plain office etc.). Your solution of incentivizing businesses to compete against for space makes it hard because you cant out compete a business that isn't built on business fundamentals anyways. But spot on regarding the dental office and hair salon, I also thought the hair salon is indicative of a gentrification of the neighborhood, more luxury services opening up and cheaper hair dresser and barbers closing due to expensive rent.
This is extremely well done. - a new subscriber & fellow north vancouverite
This is an incredibly well-made video. And yet, the production value doesn't overshadow its message. Really awesome!
I hope the initiatives put forward to bring vibrancy back to this street and others have the desired effect. What concerns me is that they are related to the deeper incentive structures that have fed into the wider housing crisis. Until affordability is restored, I believe this will be an uphill battle.
Great video!
If only it came out when I was taking Economic Geography at Capilano. Our paper was literally on commercial agglomeration!
I'll still send this to my former prof, she'd love it.
@@Phats9406 Cool! Glad you liked it
Another thing to consider is Main Street and Commercial Drive have large concentrations of Bars which really adds to the street scene especially with summer patios spilling out into the street with Parklets. Upper Lonsdale could add 3-5 small bars beyond just Jack Lonsdales.
Ugh, Jack Lonsdales annoys me now. Not so much because of the place itself, but as a symbol of those goddamn COVID patios, built for a lot of restaurants which had patios already and never needed them. Nobody likes to even sit in them - the Skip The Dishes guys use them as awaiting area, and that's about it. You think (all that parking on Lonsdale died for this?) God forbid CNV council should demand developers of new buildings carve out a bit of real green space (that dog park at the bend is concrete and does not count). Somene else really needs to take command and use a bit of long-term thinking and common sense in terms of what works and what doesn't. People who can tell developers what will be built there, rather than meekly asking them to change plans and then giving up when they dangle that political donation carrot.
Nice video for a small channel well done
Love your video! Great work!!
Awesome video! Really well done.
Amazing video, really well done.
good idea and video, stuff I never even thought about
So why are there so many exchanges? Did I miss the answer? They must fronts... right?
Well done. Says it all in a nutahell. I hope the Municipalities watch this. They can learn from this
fantastic coverage of the topic
Adrian this is fantastic
omagosh yes gurrllllll
Hey Adrian, it's Andrew from the theatre! This is such a fantastic video, exactly the kind of video I like watching on RUclips like About Here! North Vancouver is my hometown and now I'm a resident of New Westminster, so oh boy do I understand the dentist issue. We live in a new building and out of our 5 commercial units 2 are dentists (and 1 salon). Some of my favourite memories from Lonsdale were growing up going to the Lawn Bowling club and crossing the street the visit McDonalds (when it was where The Boardroom is now) and also visiting the old Blockbuster that was a few blocks down from there! Keep up the great work, subscribed!
Yo dude no way! Lots of good memories from the theatre haha... Glad to see you still out and about, New West is awesome!
@@adrianmakca Yeah we bought right beside the Quay, easy access to the SkyTrain and local groceries mean I mostly only use my car for getting to set (work in film industry now)
I like the google map street view transition at 8:58!
This is an amazing video!
Great job on the video!
So cool to see more coverage on metro vancouver and its strange quirks. I can't help but feel like Utah Lee helped kickstart all these new trend.
Just don't mess wuth Nickle's bakery or the laundromat. They are irreplaceable.
sooooooo good
Nickel's had some of the best crusty rolls. Not sure anymore, it has been a while.
I miss the Mongolian restaurant on 16th & Lonsdale, and also Krua Thai is gone now. (Variety, banished.) Colisseum pizza too - move down to 1st street then soon after, went out of business. 😢
If anyone messes with Jagerhof, I tell you, I am declaring war. 🤬
Or Guido's Barbershop, the Clog Shop, Monarch Bakery, the vendors opposite London Drugs and on and on. These are mostly in older buildings that have an intimacy with the street. Part of the problem is the type of new architecture that has a huge expanse of (covered) windows making street level entrances too huge a distance from each other. So @adrianmak , please don't encourage redeveloping these properties! I cringed when you said that with Monarch in the background!
@@daveandersen6850 Yeah, the CNV council is owned lock, stock, & barrel by developers, and they have this "Great Street" plan to close Lonsdale south of 18th and make it one big plaza. They are crooked & insane. The next election will be make or break for it as a viable commercial street.
GREAT VIDEO! KEEP IT UP!!
Great editing my friend. Big like.
Holden Mcgroind
This is such a great video! I own Makers in The Shipyards and we actually saved our unit from becoming a barbershop 😅
Couldn't agree more with a lot of points in this video. Large units, insane rents, huge build out costs, and don't forget those nasty triple net rents in BC. Commercial property tax out here is absolutely insane and it's not uncommon for 1/4 of our rents to being going to prop tax alone. If you are talking $2500-$3000 a month in those taxes alone, then really only dentists can survive. Forcing zoning to create smaller 8000-1500sqft units in new builds instead of the typical 2500 would allow for greater diversity in business types to survive, and also creating flexibility to allow for dentists/salons/gyms to exist outside of normally commercially zoned areas could go a long way as well.
I often think commercial landlords would rather gouge a tenant to death than set their rents at anything near sustainable. Small business is hard, man. My mum had a store on Lonsdale for a while; back then 2/3 of new businesses would fail in under 5 years. Today it must be more like 7/8. Even the established ones go under.
As you say, the designs are often flawed too, but tbh, that is also the responsibility of city councils to police, to actually say "no" to bad ideas rather than say yes to every stupid one. Thus far CNV council has never successfully said no to any developer, and if you take a look at who funds their campaigns/careers, it is not a surprise that even massive public outcry (like the Onni project) cannot force changes to their plans.
Excellent video! Thank you so much for this contribution. Now, about Marine Drive in the District of NV??
This was a great video.
With the North Shore mountains as a backdrop to Lonsdale, I've always thought we should develope it as a destination for more tourists. A high end hotel at the top because of its proximity to the Sea to Sky on our local mountains. Kind of a "Build and they will come" idea. More of a mountain town vibe like Banff or Vale. We really have it all but at the same time we have nothing.
Killer video - content, editing creativity. A great way to get people more engaged and involved in local politics. Subscribed :)
I just wanna say, the cinematography and editing is actually really well done. That google maps street view shot is super creative 😎 well done sir
Absolutely phenomenal. btw, what gear do you use?
hey thanks, I use a sony fx-30 with DJI mic 1's for the most part- but I have a few old digital cameras, an action cam, and an sm58 for some bits and pieces
How are all of these businesses staying in business if there's so much competition? There must be a market for all of them.
Wonderful video. Thanks for this.
you've outdone yourself with this one mate beautiful video. I'd love to see one of new west in the future 🙏
Thanks dude!!!!!
We need more videos like this 🙌
Great editing style, subscribed 2 min in
Great job on a serious issue - every time I visit Toronto (my home town), at some point I usually end up driving up Yonge Street (one of the vibrant streets of my youth!). Unfortunately from Dundas to Bloor it looks like the whole street alternates between Money Marts/Payday Loan shops and cannabis retailers (another growth business on Lonsdale as well). A terrible reality for what was once a showcase of diversity! You've started the conversation nicely here - I hope every councillor in the City & District gets a chance to see it to discuss solutions - nice work!
PS I'm not familiar with Allan Jacobs but couldn't help wonder if he was somehow related to legendary city planner Jane Jacobs! thanks ... N
Don't forget that online shopping has reduced the demand for brick and mortar retail in a HUGE way. Most specialty stores have moved online and that has degraded the variety of businesses on our high streets.
Hey, I loved your video! Can’t stop laughing :))). I’ll give you a few hints-you’re right about why there are so many exchanges there. Regarding dentists and cosmetic jobs, I’d say it’s more about the prestige of being a doctor in Iranian culture. Many Iranians pursue medical careers (especially dentistry) because it’s highly respected, and they tend to study a lot, which fits well with the field. As for cosmetic procedures, Iranians care a lot about their appearance-getting their nails done, wearing makeup, etc. (For example, I’m an Iranian guy, and I get my nails done too :)))), so I can see how this has developed.
As an urban planner and architect, I think having a concentrated ethnic group in a dense area isn’t the best approach for any city. Regulations can help manage this, but the real solution is fostering a more socially integrated community. We’ve always debated this in academia, but integrating different ethnic groups is very challenging. It’s not just up to the government, urban planners, or architects-it requires a holistic approach across different contexts
That Google Street View transition at 9:03 like whaaat 🤯
Great video!!! Subscribed!
its so well filmed!
Husband was born (1957) and raised in North Vancouver. We married in 1993 and had a lovely life. There were places to dance and have fun. Lonsdale Quay was brand new...that's where we met in 1988. There were boutiques, restaurants, etc. Then the Iranians started moving in and taking over in the late 1990s. They had the nerve to put up business signs in Farsi only. We left N Vancouver in 1999 because of this unfortunately.
This is an outright lie. All Iranian businesses have text in English as well. The non-regime affiliated Iranians are vehemently “westernized”, for a lack of a better term. Lonsdale has a lot of problems, but it’s not due to the regular Iranians that came here 20-40 years ago.
You're 100% right. Boomers voted for mass immigration to inflate their real estate, and this is the result. Complete lack of actual Canadian culture.
More! I want the same amount of youtube videos about lonsdale here as there are fx stores on lonsdale
great video!