Duncan Watts-Grant
@wgdonc.bsky.social
Executive Director of the Vancouver Fringe, Musician, political dilettante, and enthusiast of the mundane.
“Wednesday Afternoon Brouhaha” doesn't have the same ring as “Saturday Night Massacre” does it.....
The great BC Conservative coup of Wednesday is over
December 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
“Wednesday Afternoon Brouhaha” doesn't have the same ring as “Saturday Night Massacre” does it.....
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
An underrated part of the discussion of how to fund Vancouver's Celebration of Light is that a generation ago, big businesses spent tons of money on local culture because it was an efficient form of advertising.
And today, when everything can be targeted through online algorithms, they don't.
And today, when everything can be targeted through online algorithms, they don't.
November 26, 2025 at 7:33 PM
An underrated part of the discussion of how to fund Vancouver's Celebration of Light is that a generation ago, big businesses spent tons of money on local culture because it was an efficient form of advertising.
And today, when everything can be targeted through online algorithms, they don't.
And today, when everything can be targeted through online algorithms, they don't.
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
A few weeks ago, we put out an episode with @jmcelroy.bsky.social where we talked a lot about how the Rest of Canada tends to ignore or misunderstand BC. And the last few weeks of federal politics seem like a perfect encapsulation of that. hatchetmedia.substack.com/p/visions-of...
November 25, 2025 at 6:03 AM
A few weeks ago, we put out an episode with @jmcelroy.bsky.social where we talked a lot about how the Rest of Canada tends to ignore or misunderstand BC. And the last few weeks of federal politics seem like a perfect encapsulation of that. hatchetmedia.substack.com/p/visions-of...
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
First we get the Rubber Duck Museum, then we get Hawaii
November 21, 2025 at 5:35 PM
First we get the Rubber Duck Museum, then we get Hawaii
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
OneCity has its first mayoral candidate for their primary: William Azaroff, the CEO of Brightside Community Homes Foundation, and board member of The Tyee, VIFF, and a bunch of other community endeavours.
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
William on Instagram: "My name is William Azaroff, and I’m proud to be seeking the mayoral nomination with @onecityvancouver
I’m a community housing leader and city builder who knows how to bring peo...
5 likes, 0 comments - williamforvancouver on November 17, 2025: "My name is William Azaroff, and I’m proud to be seeking the mayoral nomination with @onecityvancouver
I’m a community housing leader a...
www.instagram.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
OneCity has its first mayoral candidate for their primary: William Azaroff, the CEO of Brightside Community Homes Foundation, and board member of The Tyee, VIFF, and a bunch of other community endeavours.
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
Watch the city cut arts funding and charge arts groups MORE for public space use.
One thing to watch for on Day 1 of Vancouver Budget-palooza, which begins in five minutes: this staff proposal to raise fees for having events outside the Vancouver Art Gallery by 2400%.
Additional big increases for Robson Square and the plaza on Davie Street.
We'll see if it gets clawed back.
Additional big increases for Robson Square and the plaza on Davie Street.
We'll see if it gets clawed back.
November 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Watch the city cut arts funding and charge arts groups MORE for public space use.
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
The Worst Intersection in Vancouver winner (loser?) has been crowned 🏆👀
November 2, 2025 at 11:08 PM
The Worst Intersection in Vancouver winner (loser?) has been crowned 🏆👀
It's cool and awesome that this city has business leaders who suggest that small businesses are being sacrificed to the demonic powers of public transportation…
Broadway Subway project will close portion of Vancouver street for months
YouTube video by CBC British Columbia
www.youtube.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
It's cool and awesome that this city has business leaders who suggest that small businesses are being sacrificed to the demonic powers of public transportation…
I'm losing the local theatre in our neighbourhood, and the ability to walk over and go watch a movie.
It's one of the last single screens around and while I get that operating movie theatres is tough, it's hard not to treat this as a deeply cynical, profit motivated move
It's one of the last single screens around and while I get that operating movie theatres is tough, it's hard not to treat this as a deeply cynical, profit motivated move
"Fifth Avenue and the Park Theatre aren’t the VIP AVX BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME that other theatres around town advertise with glee. They are stripped down and mostly absent of the robotic corporate persona of today’s times." www.straight.com/movies/park-...
The Park Theatre is closing and maybe I shouldn’t be taking it as hard as I am
The Cambie movie theatre is being shuttered by its corporate overlord, Cineplex.
www.straight.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:22 AM
I'm losing the local theatre in our neighbourhood, and the ability to walk over and go watch a movie.
It's one of the last single screens around and while I get that operating movie theatres is tough, it's hard not to treat this as a deeply cynical, profit motivated move
It's one of the last single screens around and while I get that operating movie theatres is tough, it's hard not to treat this as a deeply cynical, profit motivated move
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
'Not currently viable': Vancouver theatre company announces hiatus, move from venue
'Not currently viable': Vancouver theatre company announces hiatus, move from venue
Their last planned shows are for this fall.
dlvr.it
June 24, 2025 at 12:25 AM
'Not currently viable': Vancouver theatre company announces hiatus, move from venue
I could give an amazing tour of spots people who work on the island go to eat our lunches to avoid the crowds
June 12, 2025 at 12:47 AM
I could give an amazing tour of spots people who work on the island go to eat our lunches to avoid the crowds
Thank you @uytaelee.bsky.social for talking about the importance of Granville Island, particularly for arts and culture (and for featuring some awesome shots of the Fringe 😉)
Should we start charging admission for Granville Island? Or sell naming rights to the place? These are some of the ideas I explore to address Granville Island's uncertain financial future in About Here's latest video: youtu.be/d_9JGVRjm1I
The Uncertain Future of Granville Island
YouTube video by About Here
youtu.be
June 8, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Thank you @uytaelee.bsky.social for talking about the importance of Granville Island, particularly for arts and culture (and for featuring some awesome shots of the Fringe 😉)
Y'all, we have to find better ways to invite people to our art @thewaroncars.bsky.social
May 19, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Y'all, we have to find better ways to invite people to our art @thewaroncars.bsky.social
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Not to bigfoot Maggie Haberman, here, but let me try and sketch this out a bit.
The tldr will be: Trump *does* have a vision for what he wants out of this trade war, and I'm not sure we're fully anticipating it.
The tldr will be: Trump *does* have a vision for what he wants out of this trade war, and I'm not sure we're fully anticipating it.
Haberman says Trump doesn't know what he wants out of his trade war with Canada.
www.mediaite.com/tv/maggie-ha...
www.mediaite.com/tv/maggie-ha...
May 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Not to bigfoot Maggie Haberman, here, but let me try and sketch this out a bit.
The tldr will be: Trump *does* have a vision for what he wants out of this trade war, and I'm not sure we're fully anticipating it.
The tldr will be: Trump *does* have a vision for what he wants out of this trade war, and I'm not sure we're fully anticipating it.
In today's edition of elections misinformation online: you should bring your own pen to vote because the government wants you to use a pencil so they erase your vote... FFS
April 19, 2025 at 6:58 PM
In today's edition of elections misinformation online: you should bring your own pen to vote because the government wants you to use a pencil so they erase your vote... FFS
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
Here is Ricochet Media's @ethancox.bsky.social dressing down Ezra Levant for disrupting the leaders debate
"What I don't like Ezra is you preventing us from being able to ask questions on behalf of the public -- you created a circus here"
"What I don't like Ezra is you preventing us from being able to ask questions on behalf of the public -- you created a circus here"
April 18, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Here is Ricochet Media's @ethancox.bsky.social dressing down Ezra Levant for disrupting the leaders debate
"What I don't like Ezra is you preventing us from being able to ask questions on behalf of the public -- you created a circus here"
"What I don't like Ezra is you preventing us from being able to ask questions on behalf of the public -- you created a circus here"
Or put another way "drivers who currently use roads for free, required to pay into system the same as TransLink users"....
April 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Or put another way "drivers who currently use roads for free, required to pay into system the same as TransLink users"....
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
So, just to recap, Trump's tariffs:
-Were reciprocal for other nations' tariffs
-Ok, were actually reciprocal for non-tariff barriers
-Nevermind, they're about closing trade deficits
-Aren't negotiable
-Ok, ARE negotiable, but only for cash
-nevermind back to 10% across-the-board
-Were reciprocal for other nations' tariffs
-Ok, were actually reciprocal for non-tariff barriers
-Nevermind, they're about closing trade deficits
-Aren't negotiable
-Ok, ARE negotiable, but only for cash
-nevermind back to 10% across-the-board
April 9, 2025 at 5:38 PM
So, just to recap, Trump's tariffs:
-Were reciprocal for other nations' tariffs
-Ok, were actually reciprocal for non-tariff barriers
-Nevermind, they're about closing trade deficits
-Aren't negotiable
-Ok, ARE negotiable, but only for cash
-nevermind back to 10% across-the-board
-Were reciprocal for other nations' tariffs
-Ok, were actually reciprocal for non-tariff barriers
-Nevermind, they're about closing trade deficits
-Aren't negotiable
-Ok, ARE negotiable, but only for cash
-nevermind back to 10% across-the-board
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
This is more important than you realize. Bluesky doesn’t downgrade links. Which means news sites will get more traffic from here than other sites.
Which gives them economic reasons to post here first.
Which gives them economic reasons to post here first.
Bluesky says it is now sending referral traffic through its "go" subdomain to make it easier for publishers to track the traffic coming from the social network (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
March 21, 2025 at 12:31 AM
This is more important than you realize. Bluesky doesn’t downgrade links. Which means news sites will get more traffic from here than other sites.
Which gives them economic reasons to post here first.
Which gives them economic reasons to post here first.
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
Spotted in the wild:
The TGV M, aka the Avelia Horizon, at the Gare de l'Est in #Paris.
This is the newest generation bullet train.
Capable of 350 km/h, but uses 20 percent less electricity.
Bi-level, so it can carry 740 passengers...
🚅🇫🇷🧵
The TGV M, aka the Avelia Horizon, at the Gare de l'Est in #Paris.
This is the newest generation bullet train.
Capable of 350 km/h, but uses 20 percent less electricity.
Bi-level, so it can carry 740 passengers...
🚅🇫🇷🧵
March 19, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Spotted in the wild:
The TGV M, aka the Avelia Horizon, at the Gare de l'Est in #Paris.
This is the newest generation bullet train.
Capable of 350 km/h, but uses 20 percent less electricity.
Bi-level, so it can carry 740 passengers...
🚅🇫🇷🧵
The TGV M, aka the Avelia Horizon, at the Gare de l'Est in #Paris.
This is the newest generation bullet train.
Capable of 350 km/h, but uses 20 percent less electricity.
Bi-level, so it can carry 740 passengers...
🚅🇫🇷🧵
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
Only just twigged who he is, cause he was writing out of the normal context in which I normally see him. Guy has unusual ideas about sprawl
nationalpost.com/opinion/joel...
nationalpost.com/opinion/joel...
Joel Kotkin: Urban sprawl, the environmentally friendly answer to expensive housing
The rise of remote work offers a family friendly way to cut emissions
nationalpost.com
March 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Only just twigged who he is, cause he was writing out of the normal context in which I normally see him. Guy has unusual ideas about sprawl
nationalpost.com/opinion/joel...
nationalpost.com/opinion/joel...
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
Should women have the vote?
Tune in next week as Cross Country Checkup invites a bunch a men on the show to discuss.
Tune in next week as Cross Country Checkup invites a bunch a men on the show to discuss.
February 23, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Should women have the vote?
Tune in next week as Cross Country Checkup invites a bunch a men on the show to discuss.
Tune in next week as Cross Country Checkup invites a bunch a men on the show to discuss.
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
I quit Substack. My newsletter is now here, please read it and subscribe. THANKS.
www.leahreich.com/technology-i...
www.leahreich.com/technology-i...
February 5, 2025 at 10:25 PM
I quit Substack. My newsletter is now here, please read it and subscribe. THANKS.
www.leahreich.com/technology-i...
www.leahreich.com/technology-i...
Reposted by Duncan Watts-Grant
BTW, if you're into Buy Canadian remember that basically all mainstream print media in Canada... Isn't
Choose @thetyee.ca @thenarwhal.ca hell, even @thebeaverton.com
Choose @thetyee.ca @thenarwhal.ca hell, even @thebeaverton.com
February 3, 2025 at 12:26 AM
BTW, if you're into Buy Canadian remember that basically all mainstream print media in Canada... Isn't
Choose @thetyee.ca @thenarwhal.ca hell, even @thebeaverton.com
Choose @thetyee.ca @thenarwhal.ca hell, even @thebeaverton.com