What's happening in 2025
The year ahead
What’s happening in 2025:
January 1 - the first of three annual Metro Vancouver DCC increases takes effect, pushing more projects underwater.
January 20 - Trump’s second inauguration as US President. He’s threatened to immediately impose a 25% tariff on all imports from both Canada and Mexico.
Q1 - potential snap election in Ontario. Doug Ford and the Ontario Conservatives want to go to the polls while Trudeau is still Prime Minister, and people are still mad at him. The Ford government played a major role in the post-Covid international student boom, and has been reluctant to move forward with housing reforms. Eric Lombardi on the housing plan being put forward by Bonnie Crombie and the Ontario Liberals, which includes scrapping development charges.
Q1 - potential Liberal leadership race. If Trudeau steps down before the election, the Liberals will need a new leader immediately. Chantal Hebert observes that after Dion resigned in 2008, with a possible election looming, caucus met and chose Ignatieff as leader, subsequently confirmed by a Liberal convention a few months later.
Spring - federal election, with Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives expected to win a majority. Poilievre’s housing bill. Raising the threshold for GST on new homes. The timing is uncertain - the election could happen sooner.
What the “superforecasters” predict for major events in 2025, Economist, November 2024 March 29 - earliest possible date (80 days after appointment of an election official) for a city of Vancouver by-election to replace Christine Boyle (OneCity), and possibly Adriane Carr (Green), which would leave Pete Fry (Green) as the only non-ABC councillor. OneCity, the Green Party, and COPE are talking to each other, seeking to avoid splitting the vote on the left. (For example, OneCity and the Greens might each run one candidate, someone who won’t cause COPE to object.) Will TEAM win one or two seats? Or will ABC add one or two seats to their 8/11 majority?
Q2 - Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan sent to council for approval.
Q2 - Social Housing Initiative sent to council for approval.
Q4 - draft Official Development Plan to be released for public consultation.
