A report issued in January predicts Metro Vancouver will hit 3 million residents this summer, 4 million in 2041 – just 17 years down the road. Overall, the province is on track to have 5.65 million residents on July 1 – up about 150,000 in just one year – and is projected to top 6 million people in 2028, 7 million just a decade later.
Every one of those people will need a safe and comfortable home, reasonably near work and amenities. Not to mention all the infrastructure supporting that home and related quality of life – sewer and water, electrical, gas, roads, transit, parks, schools, hospitals, grocery stores . . . .
On February 27 we will re-visit the critical issue of addressing BC’s housing crunch with an outstanding panel including both the provincial minister and an outspoken suburban mayor.
The panel:
One of our panelists, Michael Geller, put BC’s population growth in critical context in a January 20 Vancouver Sun article:
“Going from 2.9 to 3.0 million to mind is not that significant,” said Geller. “But how we accommodate the next million, that’s significant.”
The province is taking “dramatic” action with new legislation aimed at significantly increasing density and adding more housing – particularly around bus loops and transit hubs. However, questions are being raised by municipalities about the workability of the province’s approach – especially where cities have been undertaking planned densification to ensure infrastructure is enhanced to keep up with more population.
Cities like Coquitlam are raising local concerns, while also taking steps to manage the impact of growth and related construction, working to sustain quality of life while the community rapidly adds population.
We hope you can join us for the conversation – on webcast 7 p.m. February 27.