Vancouver City Council has approved the construction of three of the tallest skyscrapers in Western Canada, despite criticism of the developer Holborn. Meanwhile, in West Vancouver, a diver over 60 died while underwater. And meteorologists are warning of a possible “super El Niño,” which could bring British Columbia a new drought.
Vancouver approves three of the city’s tallest skyscrapers
Vancouver City Council made a controversial but historic decision, approving rezoning for the central district—paving the way for three new towers at once, which will be the tallest not only in the city but across all of Western Canada. The project is by Holborn Group: one 79-storey tower and two 68-storey towers, located in the heart of downtown at the intersection of Georgia, Seymour, Dunsmuir, and Richards.
The vote was 7 in favor to 3 against, with all members of the governing ABC Vancouver party—including Mayor Ken Sim—backing the plan. Still, approval was not easy, amid years of disputes over the developer’s track record and the city’s broader approach to high-rise development.
The plan calls for building 1,546 residential units, 82% of which will be market condominium homes—apartments sold into private ownership. In addition, the complex will include a 920-room hotel, and the top three floors of the tallest tower will feature an observation deck and a garden open to free public access for Vancouver residents.
According to Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung, the site today is “a concrete space where cars are mostly parked,” and the new development will be a significant public benefit. Henriquez Partners Architects, the firm that designed the project, promises an “icon for the city,” and Councillor Mike Klassen called the plan “thoughtful, urban-design architecture.”
However, the decision casts a significant shadow. Most of the criticism has centered on Holborn’s past—specifically, its handling of the Little Mountain housing complex, a former provincial social housing site that the province sold to Holborn in 2008, providing an interest-free loan of $211 million over 18 years. The company demolished the old buildings, displacing about 700 people, and then kept the site empty for nearly a decade and a half. The promised construction of new social units is only set to be completed by the end of this summer—17 years after the demolitions.
Holborn CEO Joow Kim Tia insists: “Most of the social housing there has already been built, earlier than the market. We are not shying away from our obligations.” But Councillor Lucy Malleonie, who voted against, said: “I don’t think Holborn should be rewarded for how they behaved over a very long period of time.”
It’s also worth noting that, as part of the deal, the council approved the reorganization of Holborn’s parking at the corner of Abbott and East Hastings—where another tower will also be built, along with social housing, a daycare, and a gallery for Indigenous art. Still, construction start dates have not been announced.
As CBC News notes, this is tied to the current economic situation in the housing market, as well as concerns from Nav Canada, which has already indicated that the height of the towers will likely be reduced for flight-safety reasons. In addition, the city has not yet completed a comprehensive review of its high-rise building policy, and Councillor Sean Orr called it premature to approve three record-breaking skyscrapers before that policy is finalized: “We can just slow it down a little.”
In any case, Vancouver has taken a step toward fundamentally changing its skyline—but the price of that step, both financially and reputationally, still remains to be understood.
Tragedy in West Vancouver: Diver over 60 dies during a dive
Last Sunday, off the coast of West Vancouver, in the Whitecliff Park area, an incident occurred that ended in tragedy. A man over 60 died while diving with scuba equipment. According to police, the call about the diver in trouble came in to the rescue service at about 10:45 a.m. Other divers, firefighters, and paramedics from a medical helicopter were quickly dispatched to the scene. Everyone attempted to revive the man, but unfortunately he could not be saved. Medics who arrived confirmed his death on site.
There is no indication at this time that the death involved criminal circumstances. Police emphasize that this was most likely an accident. The investigation has now been handed to the British Columbia Coroners Service, which will determine the exact cause of death.
Unfortunately, similar tragedies occur from time to time even in popular diving spots like Whitecliff Park. The Horseshoe Bay area is known for its underwater cliffs and rich marine life, but it also comes with certain risks.
For those who don’t dive, it’s worth explaining: scuba diving is an extreme sport that requires not only good physical preparation but also strict adherence to safety procedures. Even experienced older divers can face increased strain on the heart due to changes in pressure, cold water, and physical exertion. If anything goes wrong with equipment or a diver’s health suddenly deteriorates underwater, they have only a few minutes to signal and begin to surface.
As stated in the police release, witnesses and rescuers did everything they could—but in situations like these, time is against rescuers.
The case again highlights the importance of the buddy system for dives and the need to have reliable emergency equipment on hand. Why an experienced diver who was diving in familiar waters couldn’t cope while underwater remains unclear. The coroners service, which is now handling the case, typically conducts a thorough review of all circumstances, including the condition of the diving gear, the deceased person’s medical history, and weather conditions. Reports like these are often published to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
According to Global News, police have not yet released the name of the deceased person while they wait to notify family members. It can be assumed the diver was a local resident who regularly went diving, but there is no confirmed information. It’s important to stress that while dives along the coast of British Columbia are considered among the best in the world, cold waters and strong currents require divers to be extremely cautious. Even Whitecliff Park, which is a protected marine area, is not immune to accidents. This incident is a bitter reminder that the line between an exhilarating adventure and underwater tragedy can be very thin.
Super El Niño forecast threatens British Columbia with a new drought
British Columbia is preparing for a potentially catastrophic season: meteorologists are warning that a so-called “super El Niño” could arrive, worsening what is already a severe drought situation in the region. Official sources—particularly the province’s River Forecasting Service—are already recording record-low snowpack levels in the mountains, which directly threatens water supplies during the summer months. In an article on CTV News, it notes that drought-like conditions, similar to those seen in Vernon, have already spread across a large part of the province’s south coast and interior.
But what is El Niño, and how does the “super” version differ from the usual one? El Niño is a climate phenomenon in which the temperature of the surface layer of water in the equatorial Pacific rises by several degrees. This disrupts familiar patterns of heat and moisture movement in the atmosphere. “Super El Niño” is an informal term for an abnormally strong phase of this phenomenon, which occurs extremely rarely—about once every 10 to 20 years—and leads to extreme weather anomalies around the world. For British Columbia, the impacts are twofold: in winter, the region typically receives more precipitation, but snow falls at higher elevations, while in low-lying areas rain can cause flooding. The main danger, however, is that heavy winter precipitation is often followed by an extremely hot and dry summer. Snowpack that feeds rivers during melt season melts too quickly, and there isn’t enough soil moisture to get through prolonged stretches without rain.
Based on data cited in the report, the province’s mountain snow levels are already below normal, meaning that even if precipitation falls in spring, the overall buildup will be weak. A super El Niño can shift the Pacific jet stream pattern so that British Columbia ends up under several months of warm, dry air. For a region where agriculture, forestry, and hydropower depend directly on a stable water balance, this poses serious risks. Drought intensifies the threat of wildfires, heightens competition for water resources between cities and farms, and puts pressure on ecosystems—especially salmon populations, which need cool, high-flow rivers for spawning.
Even though forecasts this far out (in 2027) can’t be absolutely accurate, climate scientists emphasize that the trend toward more frequent and more intense dry spells in western North America has been visible for several years already. The low snowpack mentioned in the report is a real, measurable indicator that can be observed right now. That means authorities and residents in the province should prepare for the worst case scenario in advance: implementing water conservation measures, revisiting land-use policies, and being ready for restrictions on irrigation and industrial water use. Even if a super El Niño doesn’t fully materialize, the accumulated moisture deficit would make any upcoming drought deeper than it would be under normal climatic conditions.
