Housing Chaos, Surrey’s Arena, and BC’s Nuclear Moment | UnSpun Ep. 303

In Episode 303 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck, it’s city hall mayhem, provincial implosions, and a federal plan that’s literally going nuclear (in a good way).Here’s what’s inside:🏙️ Vancouver’s Political Freefall — New polling shows Ken Sim’s support collapsing, with only 30% of voters wanting him back. George breaks down why the mayor’s “supermajority” has evaporated.🌿 Pete Fry’s Green Tease — The Green Party of Canada, BC, and Vancouver all back Pete Fry for a possible mayoral run… but he’s coy about actually running.🏗️ Housing Headaches — Sim loses a key vote on creating a city-owned housing corporation after his own ABC caucus fractures. Should governments be building market rentals at all?🏞️ Park Board Panic, Again — Pay parking, paranoia, and people convinced Ken Sim’s secretly plotting condo towers in Stanley Park. (He’s not.)🏙️ Surrey’s Stadium & Costco 2.0 — Brenda Locke revives Doug McCallum’s dream project: a 10,000-seat arena and another Costco. Chaos meets construction.⚡ Provincial Meltdown — John Rustad’s BC Conservatives implode while David Eby faces strikes, ballooning budgets, and a cabinet that’s lost control of spending.🔌 Canada Goes Nuclear — The federal government’s new small modular reactor plan sparks debate. George says it’s about time — clean, efficient, and not your grandpa’s reactor.📍 From city hall squabbles to the future of clean power, Episode 303 is pure UnSpun: fiery, funny, and unfiltered.💥 Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should Vancouver go nuclear — in power or in politics?📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 unspunpodcast.com⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – Vancouver Polls & Ken Sim’s Slump 02:00 – Pete Fry’s Green Party Endorsement 06:00 – Downtown Eastside Drug Bust & Safety Debate 09:00 – Park Board Paranoia Returns 12:00 – Surrey’s New Arena & Costco 2.0 15:00 – Ken Sim’s Housing Vote Failure 17:00 – John Rustad’s Leadership Collapse 19:00 – BC’s “North Coast” Power Grid & Budget Woes 25:00 – Nuclear Energy: Canada’s Big Bet 29:00 – AI, Strikes & Big Government Bloat

In Episode 302 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck, the Park Board soap opera hits a new twist, BC’s liquor shelves run dry, and the global stage gets even stranger.Here’s what’s inside:🏞️ Park Board Meltdown, Again — Ken Sim backtracks on supporting the province’s Park Board referendum over “respect for First Nations” — leaving everyone confused. George unpacks the real political motive behind it.🗳️ Referendum Spin — How a single yes/no question could decide the future of Vancouver’s parks… depending how it’s worded.🏊 Vancouver Aquatic Centre Scandal — A class-action suit reveals the city claimed to have “data” that didn’t exist. $175M for a smaller pool? Taxpayers aren’t swimming in confidence.🏙️ Municipal Moves — Richard Stewart retiring in Coquitlam, endorsing Craig Hodge for mayor. A rare example of smooth political succession in BC.🍷 BCGEU Strike Expands — Liquor and cannabis distribution grinds to a halt, restaurants run out of wine, and the government holds firm at a 3.5% offer. George explains the political math behind it.🌍 Trump, Carney & the Nobel Race — Trump wants a peace prize after brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Norway says… “uh, no.” Meanwhile, economist Peter Howitt wins Canada a Nobel instead.🇨🇳 Trade Turbulence — As U.S. tariffs rise and auto plants move south, Canada flirts with China again. Is it strategy or desperation?💉 Flu Season Alert — Jody shares a PSA on COVID and flu shots, while George fights off a cold (and a birthday hangover).📍 From Vancouver’s endless Park Board drama to the chaos in Washington, this one’s classic UnSpun: local frustration meets global absurdity.💥 Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should the Park Board survive the referendum? And will BC ever fix its booze shortage?📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance📬 Follow George: @george_affleck🌐 unspunpodcast.com⏱ Chapters:00:00 – The Park Board Gift That Keeps Giving03:00 – Ken Sim vs. The Province (and First Nations?)08:00 – The Aquatic Centre Scandal & Missing Data13:00 – Coquitlam’s Leadership Change18:00 – BCGEU Strike Hits Restaurants22:00 – Nobel Peace Prize Snub & Trump’s Ego25:00 – Protests, Peace & Portland Dinosaurs27:00 – Mark Carney vs. Trump in Egypt29:00 – Trade Trouble & China’s Comeback30:00 – Flu Shots, COVID Boosters & George’s Birthday Cold

In Episode 301 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck, Vancouver politics meet global chaos once again — and yes, George was right… again.Here’s what’s on the rundown:🏞️ Park Board Referendum Confirmed — Christine Boyle proposes a citywide vote on dissolving Vancouver’s Park Board. George called it months ago. The spin? A supposed $70M in “savings” — spread over 10 years.💰 Zero-Tax Budget Reality Check — Ken Sim’s 0% property tax increase is official. What gets cut? Hundreds of jobs, mid-management positions, and maybe public patience.🏙️ Zoning & the Broadway Plan — Council greenlights sweeping rezonings with no public hearings. Developers cheer, NIMBYs panic.📉 Polling Problems for Ken Sim — His approval rating tanks while new mayoral contenders circle. Youth voters are angry and engaged.🌊 Eby vs. Danielle Smith: Pipeline Showdown — Alberta wants to push a new pipeline through BC; Eby says no. Smith’s elbows are up, but so are BC’s boundaries.🇨🇦 Mark Carney in DC — Canada’s PM navigates Trump’s ego with calm diplomacy as the U.S. flirts with tariffs and tantrums.🏅 Trump’s ‘Peace Prize’ Moment? — A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas sparks talk of a Nobel nod for Trump (yes, really).✈️ U.S. Shutdown Fallout — Air traffic delays, frozen paycheques, and total dysfunction in Washington.⚽ Local Laughs — George goes to a Whitecaps match (“there was beer!”), Jody discovers “Gander” — Canada’s new social platform.From the park board referendum to world peace and potholes, this one’s peak UnSpun.Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Would you vote to kill the Park Board? And should Canada jump in as Middle East peacekeepers?Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck unspunpodcast.com⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – George Was Right (Again) 01:00 – Park Board Referendum Confirmed 04:00 – Ken Sim’s 0% Budget Explained 07:00 – Zoning, Broadway Plan & NIMBYs 10:00 – Ken Sim’s Polling Nosedive 11:00 – Eby vs. Danielle Smith Pipeline War 14:00 – Trudeau, Carney & Trump at the White House 17:00 – Pierre Poilievre’s Identity Crisis 22:00 – Trump’s “Peace Prize” Moment? 26:00 – U.S. Shutdown Chaos 28:00 – Whitecaps, Beer & Gander Social Media

Episode 300 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck delivers a milestone mix of hyperlocal Vancouver politics, BC-provincial drama, and global turbulence.Here’s what’s on the docket:🏛️ Vancouver’s Zero-Tax Budget — Mayor Ken Sim rolls out a 0% property tax increase. Smart politics or a late-game gamble that could cost him in 2026? 👥 Mayoral Race Shake-Up — Rebecca Bligh, Pete Fry, and others circle Sim as internal caucus cracks widen. Who’s really positioned to take City Hall? 🚨 Crime & Perception in Vancouver — Broken windows, empty promises, and why residents say “stats” don’t match what they see on the streets. 🏙️ Municipal Watchlist — From Brad West’s dominance in Port Coquitlam to the turmoil in Surrey and Richmond’s post-Brodie future, BC’s local politics heat up. ⛽ Pipeline Politics — Danielle Smith vs. David Eby in a clash over resources, First Nations negotiations, and whether pipelines will define Canada’s economic survival. 🇺🇸 U.S. Shutdown Chaos — Trump blames Democrats, Democrats blame Trump, and Americans brace for the fallout as essential services stall. 🍷 BCGEU Strike Fallout — Liquor distribution lines dry up, restaurants struggle, and shelves go bare. 🌿 Farewell to Jane Goodall — Remembering the groundbreaking primatologist and environmental icon, with Jody sharing a personal story of interviewing her.📍 From Yaletown’s crime troubles to global pipeline battles, UnSpun’s 300th episode hits harder than ever.💥 Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should Vancouver voters buy into zero taxes? Should pipelines push past protests?📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 unspunpodcast.com⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – 300 Episodes In! 01:00 – Vancouver’s 0% Tax Budget Explained 05:30 – Mayoral Race & ABC Turmoil 09:00 – Crime, Safety & Perception in Vancouver 13:00 – Municipal Shake-Ups Across BC 16:00 – Eby vs. Smith: Pipeline Showdown 21:00 – U.S. Government Shutdown Spin 26:00 – BCGEU Strike Hits Liquor Supply 28:00 – Remembering Jane Goodall 29:30 – Wrap-Up & What’s Next

This week on UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck, it’s local politics colliding with global headlines — and yes, we go from Vancouver City Hall straight to the United Nations.Here’s what we cover:🏙️ Vancouver’s Mayoral Shake-Up — Rebecca Bligh launches Vote Vancouver and sets her sights on Ken Sim. Is this Vision 2.0 or a real new player in 2026? ⚖️ Conservative Turmoil — John Rustad survives a leadership review, but ejects Eleanor Sturko. Party unity or caucus meltdown? 🍷 BCGEU Strike Escalates — Liquor distribution blocked, restaurants squeezed, and taxpayers wonder: why not privatize? 📮 Canada Post Bleeding Cash — $1B in losses, rural closures, and why it still matters for small towns and national unity. 🌐 The UN General Assembly — Trump blusters, Carney soothes, and Canada searches for trade partners while pipelines still stall. 🏥 Care Home Crisis — Jody shares a personal story on BC’s long-term care shortage and the brutal reality for families. 📺 Jimmy Kimmel Returns — Millions head to YouTube after Sinclair/Nexstar blackouts, Disney loses billions, and Jody ends up in Newsweek after canceling her Disney+ subscription. 🎶 Sarah McLachlan Steps In — The Canadian icon joins Kimmel on his comeback night after ditching her Disney premiere.📍 From liquor lines to global diplomacy, UnSpun breaks down the spin every week.💥 Subscribe, comment, and let us know: Should Canada Post survive? Should Jimmy Kimmel move to streaming for good?📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 unspunpodcast.com

This week’s episode of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck swings from Vancouver’s park board meltdown to global free speech battles — all the messy politics you need in under 40 minutes.Here’s what’s on deck:🌲 Stanley Park & Surrey Swap — The Bright Lights fundraiser bails on Vancouver, heading to Surrey instead. The train’s still broken, the park board is still flailing, and Kits Pool has become the symbol of civic neglect. 🏛️ Ken Sim vs. David Eby — The mayor wants the park board gone, the premier’s stalling, and George has an unfiltered solution: put it to a referendum. 👴 Richmond Without Brodie — After 25 years, Mayor Malcolm Brodie steps aside. What happens in a city without party politics? ⚖️ Rustad’s Conservative Drama — Membership scandals, leadership reviews, and a caucus on the brink. George explains why losing your team means losing your career. 💸 BC’s Budget Bombshell — Record deficits, collapsing property transfer tax revenue, and whether the Bank of Canada’s small rate cut can actually save homeowners. 🏗️ Housing & Development Freeze — Projects canceled, inventory bottlenecks, and why governments never build when it matters most. 🌍 Carney Meets Eby — Pipelines, LNG, and Canada’s resource future. Can BC balance union jobs with environmental politics? 🎤 Jimmy Kimmel Suspended — A joke, a pivot, and a corporate backlash spark a bigger fight over free speech, comedy, and creeping state-TV vibes.📍 From Vancouver’s crumbling pools to Washington’s late-night purge, Jody and George cut through the noise with their signature spin.💥 Subscribe, comment, and let us know where you stand — Park Board referendum? Pipeline push? Comedy censorship?📲 Watch, share, and subscribe – and don’t forget to visit UnSpunPodcast.com

This week’s episode of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck goes national, local, and totally off the rails — in the best way possible.🇺🇸 The Charlie Kirk assassination — what we know, what we don’t, and how the temperature in U.S. politics has reached terrifying new highs.🇨🇦 Mark Carney vs. Pierre Poilievre — is this the Liberal counterattack? Infrastructure announcements fly as the opposition tries to land punches. 🧹 David Eby calls out... Boston Pizza? Premier names names over temporary foreign workers and wage suppression. 🏞️ Stanley Park: Still a mess — bike lane battles return, the train’s still broken, and now there’s controversy over... 🧙 The Harry Potter Experience — is the Park Board about to cancel it over backlash? Jody and George weigh in on separating art from artist. 🚗 EV test drives, wildfire smoke, and the real price of poke bowls — yes, this episode covers it all.📍 And as always, we wrap it up with what’s really going on behind the spin — from London to Lonsdale.💥 Subscribe, comment, and tell us what YOU think.📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 unspunpodcast.com

Season 8 is here — and Jody’s back from a very unexpected detour in China. From being stranded in Chengdu to Air Canada chaos, it’s been a summer of surprises.But the headlines at home? Even bigger.This week, we dig into: ✈️ Jody’s wild Air Canada/China travel saga 📦 BCGEU strike + liquor store showdown 🍁 Pierre Poilievre’s rocky footing & Mark Carney’s rise 🏗️ Housing, density, and why Vancouver can’t get towers vs. gentle density right 🏘️ Rental surge vs. ownership collapse — who actually benefits? 🏛️ Ken Sim’s “cringe factor” + why Vancouver voters are over it 📉 The future of BC politics: John Rustad, EB, and the immigration spinFrom pipelines to party politics, NIMBY wars to rental booms — it’s a jam-packed return episode.💥 Bottom line: Canada’s housing, labour, and political systems are colliding. And the fallout? It’s coming fast.📲 Watch, share, and subscribe – and don’t forget to visit UnSpunPodcast.com

Welcome to UnSpun – your go-to podcast and YouTube show for politics, media spin, and keeping Vancouver honest. While technically on hiatus, Jody and George couldn’t stay silent this week — because what’s happening at Kits Pool is peak Park Board nonsense. We’re talking about an Olympic-sized outdoor pool in the middle of a record heat wave that’s… EMPTY. But somehow also “sold out.” Reservations, lineups, session closures, 30-minute shutdowns five times a day… it’s a mess. And it’s been a mess since COVID. In this special summer episode:
 🏊‍♂️ Why the reservation system is killing access
 📉 The lifeguard excuse that doesn’t hold water
 🧾 George’s CBC interview + Park Board’s lack of data
 📣 A motion is coming Monday — here’s how YOU can help
 📬 We give you the email addresses. Send one now.
 🔥 Plus: A quick breakdown of David Eby’s cabinet shuffle This is about more than just Kits Pool. It’s about common sense, public access, and basic accountability.

Welcome to UnSpun – your go-to podcast and YouTube show for politics, media spin, and keeping Vancouver honest. In the final episode of Season 7, Jody and George go out with a bang (and maybe a splash):🏊‍♀️ Kits Pool Controversy – Why is one of Vancouver’s best public pools sitting nearly empty? Jody shares her emotional plea for access and equity.🏛️ Richmond Oval Scandal – $550K salaries, taxpayer-funded trips, and a mayor shoving a camera. You can’t make this up.📉 BC Conservatives in Chaos – Is John Rustad losing his grip? Splinters, infighting, and a name clash with…a diarrhea medication?🌍 Global Flashpoints – From US airstrikes on Iran to fears of sleeper cells, is the world spiraling toward something darker?🇨🇳 Chengdu Bound – Jody’s headed to China to work with the World Games! Hear about her upcoming adventure (and why she needed a fast visa).💬 Plus: Political media training tips, the illusion of transparency, and why you should never touch the camera.🎧 It's been a wild season — we'll be back after the break (unless something big happens).🛟 Until then, follow @jodyvance and @george_affleck for updates.📲 Watch, share, and subscribe – and don’t forget to visit UnSpunPodcast.com