The name, “China,” appeared in three of 10 of the columnist’s most-read pieces of last year.
The word, “China,” appeared in three of my 10 most-read columns of 2024.
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All three looked into the links between China, migration and Canadian real estate. It’s a sign of the fascination of readers.
Indeed, nine of my top 10 pieces had to do with housing, construction, the inter-provincial exodus from Vancouver or changing neighbourhoods, whether Broadway, Kitsilano or UBC. The outlier piece among the 10 explored what’s happening with international students.
Here’s the list:
Scores of luxury condos are flying onto the market throughout Metro Vancouver, and China’s housing bust is one reason behind it
2. Billionaire owner of three B.C. malls bares soul on China, scandals and her ‘horrific’ upbringing
An attempt to discover what “the wealthiest woman in Vancouver,” Weihong Liu, plans to do with the Tsawwassen shopping centre reveals much more.
3. Why Vancouver house prices became so out of whack
Metro Vancouver suffers a double whammy in regard to outrageous house prices. It’s a gateway city for foreign capital. And it’s located in a country that compounds unaffordability through unrivalled population growth.
4. Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood braces for 23 new towers
Developers are targeting the beachside Kitsilano neighbourhood now that the Broadway plan has opened up the construction floodgates.
5. Why so many Canadians are moving out of Vancouver, the province and the country
High housing costs and a stagnant economy are causing a large number of Canadians to “vote with their feet.”
6. China murder case reveals $113 million alleged real-estate fraud in Vancouver
A B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit revolving around an investor murdered in China raises questions about offshore money in Metro Vancouver real estate.
7. Vancouver’s Langara College bracing for drastic plunge in foreign students
Langara College faculty are preparing for a “sudden and overwhelming drop” in enrolment as foreign student numbers decline unevenly across the province.
8. “It’s a nightmare out there” for Vancouver seniors who live near enormous Oakridge project
The chaotic sidewalks and streets adjacent to the gigantic construction zone are not for the faint of heart. For the past few years they’ve been virtually impassable for those who are disabled or elderly, as are many nearby residents.
9. Dream of turning Broadway into a ‘great street’ could end in great disappointment
Broadway is now largely congested and sprawling. It’s, at best, fiercely functional. It has a terribly long way to go. And the signs are not good.
10. Housing crisis and land speculation fueled by UBC and UEL, say faculty
The rate of investor ownership of housing at UBC and the University Endowment Lands is twice what it is across Metro Vancouver.
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For the record, here are my next most ‘popular’ columns of the past year:
