UnSpun with Jody Vance & George Affleck

Here is what is inside of Episode 335 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck: The Trade Talks Blow Up: A week ago the US president was already selling it to his farmers. Then Carney picked up the phone and called everyone home. George and Jody on what actually happened and why nobody should be surprised. Signed in Pencil: Trump tore up NAFTA, negotiated CUSMA himself, called it the greatest deal ever, then shredded it with the ink still on the page. So what exactly would a new signature be worth? The Distraction Theory: Greenland, Venezuela, the Kennedy Center naming fight. Jody makes the case that the trade war is the shiny object keeping the news cycle off everything else. Gavin Newsom Does the Canadian Media Tour: CTV, CBC, Global, the full rounds. Rosemary Barton presses him on the obvious: Biden never removed Trump's first round of tariffs, so why would a Democratic White House remove these? His answer is the part Canadians need to hear. Tariffs Are the New Normal: George on why the US keeps reaching for tariff revenue. No appetite for income tax, no national sales tax, and a debt they cannot service. Free trade was the historical exception, not the rule. What Was Actually on the Table: Reports that Ottawa would have had to clear future trade deals with a joint board, plus first right of refusal on our minerals and potash. Hell no, says Jody. Turning Off the Taps: Winter is coming, the northeastern US runs on Ontario and Quebec power, and middle America needs our potash. Jody asks whether we would ever use it. George says weaponizing it would be a mistake. Seafood Gets a Backtrack: Tariffs on fish and seafood pulled back the morning of taping. Somebody did the math, and on both coasts that math matters. Grants, Loans and the 75% Wage Backstop: George worries subsidies blunt the very leverage the tariffs are meant to create. Jody's counter: the 75% wage coverage for a laid off Canadian worker does not exist south of the border, and that is the difference. Loblaws Puts the Canada Signs Back: The backlash worked. Read your labels, buy local, and the elbows up thing is still on us. The BC Conservatives Are Coming Apart: Down to 32 seats. Five MLAs gone in 12 days: Teresa Wat, Brennan Day, Rosalyn Bird, Peter Milobar and Ian Paton. Stated reasons: lost confidence in the leader's judgment, ethics and conduct. George's Prediction: Watch for 20: At roughly 20 departures the math flips. That is when they have the numbers to either finish Kerry-Lynne Findlay or fund a new party, and she loses official opposition status and the money that comes with it. At two a week, he puts that as early as October. The Leaked Audio: Jas Johal posts a phone call. Somebody talks about holding fundraisers, getting in there and pillaging, and not leaving without half a million dollars. Jody has watched it several times and it still curls her toes. There Are Still Good People Running: George's counterweight to the cynicism: this Vancouver civic election has a deep bench on every side. And a reminder most voters never get, you do not have to fill out the whole ballot. Vote only for the people you actually believe in. Helmcken, Yaletown and a Snap Election: The NDP walks back the overdose provention consumption site in a swing riding. George reads that as polling, and thinks Eby calls an election as early as November. If he were advising, he would say next week. Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck sitkamedia.ca

Episode 334 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck lands mid-negotiation, the 50% tariff deadline came and went, Trump hit pause, and Canada looks closer to a deal than it has in months. Then it's straight back to BC, where the attack ads got ugly and Vancouver is about to spend half a million dollars asking a question it can't answer itself. Here's what's inside: Trump Hits Pause on the 50% Tariffs : The deadline passed, the hammer didn't drop, and the LeBlanc–Greer press conference sounded legitimately positive. Is this a deal, or just another week of taco diplomacy? What Relief Could Look Like : Word from inside: reductions on autos, softwood lumber, steel and aluminum, plus the smaller tariffs on everything else. Including, yes, tubas and washer dryers … the "national security threats" nobody can explain. American Booze Returns to BC Shelves : Carney gets ahead of it, Eby calls it Team Canada, and Quebec's premier does her due diligence. Jody's take: put it back and still don't buy it. Keystone, Trust & a Rising Loonie : Why the pipeline's Canadian backers want congressional approval before they'd touch it, and how a stronger dollar hurts both sides like a tariff nobody voted for. Dairy on the Table : If supply management cracks, cheap American cheese comes north and Ottawa ends up subsidizing our own producers to compete. $2 cheese has a price. Loblaws Pulls the Canada Signs : The maple leaf labels are coming down across the stores. Liability cleanup or quiet retreat? Either way, it's back on us to read the label. Small Business Is Getting Hammered : Clients down in gross revenue, marketing cut first, and George and Jody on the year they've been asked to work for free more than ever. Media Cuts & the Journalism Subsidy Rumour : Big cuts underway, one-person newsrooms doing 50 jobs, and word that Canada's support for local news could be on the negotiating table. Why that should worry everyone. The BC Conservatives' Ugly Attack Video : Nazi-adjacent imagery and culture-war editing aimed at David Eby. Not funny, not clever, and not how a serious opposition behaves. Centre BC and the 5% Problem : Mike Bernier's new centrist party polls small but sits exactly where most voters live. The pundits agree on one thing: it's a threat to the BC Conservatives, not the NDP. mRNA, Cancer & the Anti-Vax Hangover : Personalized mRNA vaccines are now targeting melanoma recurrence. So where do the anti-vaxxers land when it's their cancer? Plus: the tech traces back to UBC, and Operation Warp Speed was Trump's own win. Vancouver's $500K Plebiscite : Rebecca Bligh takes aim at Ken Sim: three years to pick up the phone to the premier, and instead a non-binding vote. George argues it's about handing the next council a mandate. Jody asks the harder question … where are people actually supposed to go? Called a Murderer at City Hall : George on a 5% budget line vote and the emotional theatre that passes for municipal debate, including the meetings spent arguing over the word "institution." From a tariff truce nobody trusts to a plebiscite nobody can enforce, Episode 334 is classic UnSpun: local frustration, national stakes, zero spin. 💥 Subscribe, comment, and tell us: should American liquor go back on the shelves — and would you buy it? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck

Episode 333 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck opens on a somber note, then moves through stalled trade talks, a province on fire, and a surprise ballot question coming to Vancouver this October. Here's what's inside: Remembering John “Keach” McKeachie: Jody pays tribute to the legendary BCTV sportscaster, sharing what his mentorship meant to her from her very first television broadcast. A heartfelt look back at a Vancouver broadcasting era that is quickly passing. CUSMA Talks and the Leak: With the August 19 deadline looming, negotiations appear to be stalling. George breaks down why Canada likely leaked the state of the talks, why the American offer reads like an insult, and how premiers from Ford to Moe to Smith are pulling in very different directions. The Tariff Reality: Why tariffs are really a consumer tax on Americans, why the US has no easy revenue alternative, and how Canada's surprisingly strong jobs and economic numbers are flipping expectations from just six months ago. The Ambassador Petition and US Booze: A Calgary-launched petition to declare Ambassador Hoekstra persona non grata gathers over 100,000 signatures. Plus, why putting American liquor back on the shelves won't win Canadians back until the politics change. Data Sovereignty: A look at why Canadian-based servers matter, how post-9/11 US law drove data north of the border, and why nonprofits and corporations increasingly want their data hosted in Canada. BC Wildfire State of Emergency: With 51 fires under evacuation order, Jody and George cover the devastation in Summerland, Boston Bar, Clinton and beyond, the heartbreak of evacuating care homes, and the community fire-readiness culture in the Interior. Plus the push to fund made-in-Canada water bombers out of Calgary. Climate, China and the Green Divide: Reflections on a fully electrified Chengdu, China's five-year-plan model, and what it means that major countries are backing away from climate commitments as wildfires worsen worldwide. First Nations Land and BC Polling: The controversy over Premier Eby returning parcels of land to First Nations, the fear-mongering around it, and new Yorkville polling showing the NDP now leading the BC Conservatives by six points, resuscitating Eby's political future. Vancouver's St. Paul's Plebiscite: A non-binding ballot question on turning the old St. Paul's Hospital into mental health and addiction treatment beds heads to voters in October. George explains the political calculus, ABC's war chest, and why the Kits Pool fight is shaping up as an election issue. From trade brinkmanship to a province on fire to a packed October ballot, Episode 333 has it all. Tell us in the comments: Should Canada walk away from CUSMA? And should St. Paul's become a treatment facility? Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck sitkamedia.ca

Episode 332 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Ottawa's tariff standoff to a new Vancouver poll that reshapes the October election, and ends with a province on fire. Here's what's inside: Carney Plays Hardball on Tariffs: Mark Carney trolls Trump's failed teleprompter and refuses to negotiate in public. With a new round of tariffs landing August 19, George lays out why there is no point signing anything with a president whose signature isn't worth the paper, and predicts aluminum is where Trump finally blinks. Canada's Numbers Are Quietly Good: Over $200 billion in new foreign investment in a single year, oil revenues climbing, and a nearly balanced budget in sight. Carney's five-year, one-trillion-dollar investment target is somehow on track, and the opposition has very little to swing at. Aluminum, Potash and Real Leverage: American manufacturers and farmers are the ones bleeding. Jody and George break down which cards Canada actually holds, from critical minerals to winter energy, and why threatening to shut off the grid is not a strategy. Carney 63 Per Cent, Poilievre 14: The Conservative leader now polls one point above "undecided." George asks the question the caucus won't: at what point does a party tell its leader the act isn't working anymore? BC Conservatives Keep Bleeding: Another executive resignation, another scorched-earth farewell letter, and a party arguing about whether to purge its former BC Liberals. George explains why that coalition is the only thing that has ever won government in this province. New Vancouver Poll: ABC 31, Liberals and Greens Tied at 19: Fresh numbers put ABC well out front, Colleen Hardwick's party capped at 14, and 30 per cent still undecided. Pete Fry leads on the leadership questions despite his party sitting third. Too Many Parties, One Obvious Fix: George's blunt advice to Vancouver's left: pick one leader, run a coalition, or hand ABC another term. Meanwhile ABC's polling lead translates into a war chest the others cannot match. John Coupar Runs for Council: The former NPA park board chair announces a council run. George worked two campaigns with him and explains why the man who saved the Bloedel Conservatory got pushed out as chair of park board by his own side. Kits Pool Goes Viral: Two million views and 4.3 million impressions in seven days. Not a lone wolf, not bots. freekitspool.com . 111 Wildfires and a Heat Dome: Boston Bar, Clinton, and a monster fire north of Vernon racing toward 100 Mile. Dry lightning, evacuation orders being ignored, and Mexican firefighters landing in Abbotsford to double the force. Jody makes the climate point and braces for the trolls. Tell us in the comments: Can Vancouver's left actually unite before October? Is Poilievre finished? And why is there still no state of emergency in Clinton? Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck sitkamedia.ca

Episode 331 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Ottawa's negotiating table to Victoria's caucus cracks to a Vancouver council vote that George says was 100% political. Here's what's inside: Carney Won't Weaponize Our Oil : The Prime Minister rules out using energy as leverage against the US. George argues Canada's whole pitch is ethical, reliable resources, and burning that reputation costs more than it wins. Doug Ford can threaten shutting hydro to the northeast. The country still negotiates as one. Why Can't Canada Build a Train? : Political pushback in Quebec and Ontario stalls high-speed rail while the rest of the world moves people and freight fast and cheap. Jody and George run through the trains we've already killed, from Vancouver Island to Chilliwack, and ask why we tear up track instead of laying it. Wildfires, Floods & a Brutal Summer : First Nations communities in Northern Ontario wiped out, Clinton BC devastated, flooding across Edmonton highways, and evacuations around Kamloops. The stories getting lost while the US complains about smoke. Kelly Greene Defies the Caucus : The MLA breaks ranks over the Tilbury LNG project and isn't disciplined for it. Eby says there's room for disagreement. George says that's how a Pandora's box opens, and that losing your caucus is the beginning of losing everything. Centre BC and the Fight for the Middle : Mike Bernier resurrects the centre-right lane and blames Trudeau for the BC Liberals' collapse. George isn't buying it. He says weak leadership did it, that Kevin Falcon was ten years behind the times, and that Ellis Ross might have been premier if the party had picked him. BC Conservative Turmoil : The party turfs its executive director, and Carrie Lynn Finley picks a fight over whether to keep saying "First Nations." Jody's response: of all the problems in BC, that's your priority? The whip comes down hard, the party looks more extreme, and the centre vote goes looking for a home. The Villages Plan Goes Down : 22 sites, four to six storeys, gentle density with small grocery stores and shops you can walk to. Council votes it down and blames staff for a flawed three-year process. George calls that unacceptable, says the right move was sending it back for amendments, and admits he'd have voted for it and eaten the consequences. Frances Bula's reporting and neighbourhood walks come up throughout. Fake Callers, Real Consequences : Paid speakers phoning in from California to a Vancouver public hearing. Once screening tightened up, the line went dead. So much for overwhelming opposition. September Cuts Coming : The 0% property tax increase was never the whole story. George predicts big layoffs across staff levels when the budget breakdown lands this fall, and says he's already seeing improvements from the last round. Sports & City Deals : Vancouver picks a prospective owner to chase a Major League Baseball team. Jody would rather hear the Whitecaps are saved. And the Aquilinis float a Canucks training facility at Britannia, which would keep ice in the community and set off a fight on Commercial Drive. Kits Pool Keeps Climbing : 2.5 million social media impressions in seven days, strangers stopping Jody's partner on the street, and freekitspool.com still gathering names. Her message to Park Board: open it this summer and prove her wrong. freekitspool.com Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck

Episode 330 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Trump's new 50% tariff threat to a brand new provincial party — and something strange happening in the Vancouver council speaker queue. Here's what's inside: 50% Tariffs and BC's Exposure : Canada's back in Trump's crosshairs, and BC has more skin in the game than anyone: 13.7% of goods exposed, versus roughly 8% for Ontario and as little as 1% elsewhere. Saskatchewan and Alberta want to negotiate harder, Doug Ford wants to punish, Carney wants to bide his time. George asks the real question: how do you negotiate with someone you can't trust? Eby's Zinger Goes Global : "If you're picking fights with Canadians, then you don't have a friend in the world." It landed on every cable news network in America — and got misattributed to the Prime Minister. George notes Eby has a comedian writing his one-liners, and credits the line anyway. Polling the Relationship : Canadian sentiment toward the US has swung from strongly positive to deeply negative, while Americans still view Canadians favourably at around 80%. Meanwhile Adam Schiff wants his bourbon back on our shelves, and Jody has thoughts. Small Business Is Hurting : George's clients are down 30, 40, even 50% year over year — a mix of Trump, AI, and post-COVID whiplash. His warning to Carney: the big global deals pay off in a decade, but people are struggling right now, and that's where the political damage will come from. Centre BC Launches : Mike Bernier takes the helm of a new centrist party. George maps the two possible outcomes: it splits the right and gifts the NDP another term, or it does what Gordon Wilson did in 1991 and wipes out a party from the middle. Jody was in the room for that famous debate moment as a journalism student. Dallas Brodie Recall Fails : The bar for recall is deliberately very high. George's take: that's what elections are for. Bots and Scammers at City Hall : Council started interrogating online speakers about the 17 Villages plan after callers appeared to be phoning in from California, some barely speaking English. George warns the process itself could now be legally challenged — win or lose — and argues online speaking should be replaced by verified recorded submissions. 17 Villages, 300 Speakers : Four-to-six storeys with retail below, across 17 new walkable neighbourhoods. A week's worth of speakers and a decision landing right before the election. Paid Trolls and the 67-Day Clock : Jody says her digging turned up accounts allegedly on retainer for mayoral candidates, aimed at intimidating her into silence. With 67 days to the municipal election, that's spending that has to be declared. FreeKitsPool.com Is Live : The petition and the merch launch, thousands have already signed on, and every park board commissioner running in October is getting asked where they stand. Toronto extends pool hours to 11 PM on heat advisories. Vancouver is fighting about opening at all. From the World Cup final to a yellow heat alert over an empty pool, this one's peak UnSpun. Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should council scrap online speakers? And is Centre BC a real force or just a vote-splitter? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca

Episode 329 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Ottawa's defence spending to Vancouver's village plan showdown and the Kits Pool fight goes fully public. Here's what's inside: Carney on Defence : The Prime Minister lays out why Canada is building its own defence capacity, from submarines to icebreakers, and partnering with the EU instead of leaning on the US. Jody says the comms are refreshingly spin-free. George keeps his skeptic hat on, noting how many former Vision Vancouver operatives now sit inside the Liberal machine. The Gordie Howe Bridge Deal, Unspun : The headline says Canada caved. The details say otherwise: no revenue sharing until Canadians recoup the full cost of the bridge, then 15 years of net revenue directed into US-side infrastructure. Trump gets the win headline. Canada gets the crossing open. Daylight Saving Ends : US Congress moves to kill the time change, and BC follows. Better winter sunsets, darker mornings, and no Armageddon. Wildfires & the Same Old Failure : Northern Ontario burns while Toronto posts the worst air quality on the planet, and Pemberton gets uncomfortably close to home. George's point: we've been told exactly what to do by experts for years, forest management, sprinklers, water bombers, and governments only care when it's already burning. Vancouver's Water Problem : Stage three restrictions all month, and we're still the biggest summer water consumers of any city in Canada. Population climbs 50,000 a year and the reserves don't. Wash Your Produce : With US health surveillance gutted, a parasite is moving through 34 states. Another argument for buying local and Canadian and for actually rinsing your food. 17 New Villages: The Big Vote : Over 200 speakers signed up as council weighs creating 17 new neighbourhood villages. It's four-to-six storey gentle density — think Paris or Madrid, not 20-storey towers. Jody names the real problem: not the plan, but the missing trust after four-to-six storeys quietly became 21. George explains why councils can't fetter future councils, and why last-minute floor amendments pull the rug out from everyone who showed up to speak. Free Kits Pool : A shirtless, speedo-clad press conference as pure media distraction and it worked. Meanwhile the pool reads "sold out" online 99% of the time, closes repeatedly through the day, and sits visibly empty. Jody's timestamped videos are pulling hundreds of thousands of views, the Park Board chair has gone from calling her irrelevant to thanking her for the attention, and something new is launching in days. A Nod to Brad West : The Port Coquitlam mayor listens to his community and keeps free outdoor pools open all summer. Take notes. From the Windsor border to the Kits Beach deck, this one's peak UnSpun. Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should council approve the 17 villages? And how long can the Park Board keep an empty pool "sold out"? Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck sitkamedia.ca Chapters: 00:00 – World Cup Heartbreak & a Mayoral Rumour 03:00 – Carney on Defence Spending 05:15 – The Gordie Howe Bridge Deal Explained 11:20 – Daylight Saving Time Ends 12:15 – Wildfires, Smoke & the Same Old Failure 16:00 – Vancouver's Water Consumption Problem 18:30 – A Parasite in 34 States: Wash Your Produce 20:30 – 17 New Villages & 200 Speakers at City Hall 25:25 – The Trust Problem: When 6 Storeys Becomes 21 29:00 – Free Kits Pool & the Speedo Press Conference 34:35 – Brad West Gets It Right

Here's what's inside: Carney in Saudi Arabia: The first Canadian PM visit in 26 years. George and Jody unpack the human rights baggage, the "two days of US trade" deal, and why diversifying away from America is just smart business. NATO Chaos in Türkiye: Trump floats Greenland as US land (again), fumbles a "Islamic Republic of Japan" line that leaves everyone confused, and Canada locks the US out of a new submarine deal — plus a $4.9B, 1,600-vehicle army contract restricted to two Canadian firms only. World Cup Vancouver Wrap-Up: Granville Street's patio takeover was a hit, but the city just extended it through Labour Day for $5 million. George pushes his years-old case for a permanent car-free Granville. Gregor Robertson's Housing Irony: Canada's new federal housing minister is the former Vancouver mayor who promised to end homelessness and didn't. George and Jody dig into why that appointment is landing so badly. Safe Injection Site Showdown: The Seymour Street site is trying to relocate a block and a half away, right by St. Paul's Hospital. George argues the "four pillars" approach only works if all four actually get funded — and right now, none of them are. Parking Backlash: A Vote Vancouver campaign video exposes new residential parking meters, and George breaks down why parking is really just a hidden road tax. Local Media Goes Dark: Sportsnet 650 and News 1130 both shut down. George and Jody reflect on what disappearing local journalism means for accountability. What do you think: should Vancouver make Granville Street permanently car-free? Is the "four pillars" approach to addiction dead on arrival without full funding? And what's your take on Carney's trade-diversification strategy? Follow us: @jodyvance | @george_affleck More at sitkamedia.ca Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 00:20 – Carney in Saudi Arabia 05:33 – NATO in Türkiye: Greenland, Japan gaffe, submarines, $4.9B vehicle deal 09:16 – World Cup wrap-up & Granville Street's $5M extension 14:44 – Gregor Robertson: the housing minister irony 19:00 – Safe injection sites: the Seymour St. relocation fight 26:38 – Parking backlash: Vote Vancouver's viral video 29:56 – Local radio goes dark: Sportsnet 650 & News 1130 31:10 – Wrap-up & socials

Episode 327 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck opens with a major federal-provincial announcement, digs into the housing bailout debate, and ends with a full-throated demand to fix Vancouver's broken pools. Here's what's inside: Carney's Massive BC Investment: The Prime Minister and Premier Eby unveil what one veteran reporter calls the largest federal investment in BC history. The northern tanker ban stays, but there's a pipeline path to the south coast, port expansion, and long-term gains pegged in the $80 billion range. George's take: a real win, but also a big loss for not opening the northern route. What's Actually In It for BC: Beyond pipelines, the deal name-checks the Massey Tunnel, rail expansion, and transportation infrastructure to move goods to the expanded southern port. Compromise, or a payout to placate us for the lost opportunity? The Condo Bailout Backlash: Developers say nobody consulted them on the plan to buy up empty condos. George argues buying finished units adds no long-term housing and makes the case for a UK-style rent-to-own model that builds equity instead. The Ownership Question: Why renting offers no stability, how the UK guarantees a share of affordable homes in every new development, and why owning matters for retirement and passing something on to your kids. Nurses Give Strike Notice: The "Me Too" clause, the limits of the taxpayer wallet, and why teachers and nurses are harder jobs than ever. World Cup Fever & the $789M Question: Canada versus Morocco looms, Jack Poole Plaza lights up, and the crew makes the case for investing in youth sport and the arts the way we invested ahead of the 2010 Olympics. The Kits Pool Outrage: Jody's viral campaign hits 400,000 views. With the aquatic centre closing before the new pool opens, downtown loses its year-round option entirely. She floats an FOI on Park Board communications and a plan to interview every commissioner candidate before the 2026 election. 📍 From a landmark BC deal to the pools we keep breaking, Episode 327 is classic UnSpun. 💬 Tell us in the comments: Was the pipeline compromise a win or a loss for BC? And should Kits Pool be open year-round? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – CUSMA Rolls Over to 2036 02:00 – Carney's Big BC Announcement 05:00 – Pipeline Compromise & the Massey Tunnel 08:00 – The $80B Long-Term Picture 08:30 – Developer Backlash on the Condo Bailout 10:00 – The UK Rent-to-Own Model 13:00 – Renting, Ownership & Housing Stress 15:20 – Nurses' Strike Notice 19:00 – The $789M World Cup Question 20:00 – Sports, Politics & Why George Watches 23:00 – Investing in Youth Sport & the Arts 24:30 – The Kits Pool Fiasco 28:00 – FOI Threat & the 2026 Commissioner Plan

Episode 326 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Ottawa's condo bailout to Vancouver's emergency-room crisis to City Hall's lame-duck chaos, with the Kits Pool saga still very much alive. Here's what's inside: 🏙️ The Condo "Bailout": Ottawa moves to buy up unsold condo stock as the market deflates. Is this housing policy or a developer rescue? George argues the real fix is funding the homes five years out, not buying the units already sitting empty and he warns the optics get ugly fast when the government starts buying from donors. 🏘️ What Killed the Market: Frances Bula and Gregor Robertson weigh in, but Jody and George break down the actual mechanics: deflated valuations, frozen listings, and changed immigration and foreign-student numbers loosening Vancouver's rental crunch for the first time in years. 🚢 Dredging Burrard Inlet: Tankers off the twin pipeline can only fill to 80% because the water's too shallow under the Second Narrows. Approval to dredge has reportedly cleared all levels with almost no protest or coverage. Why so quiet? 🏥 48-Hour ER Waits: Canadians are now being told to brace for up to two days waiting for a bed. George and Jody dig into burnout, repeat-visit pressure, e-scooter brain injuries, and why St. Paul's should carve out an urgent-care alternative to the ER. 🏛️ Council's Motion Dump: With the term basically over until the October election, Vancouver councillors are stacking the agenda with sprawling, consultant-written motions. George calls it what it is: pre-election profile-building that buries staff in busywork. 🗳️ Municipal Shake-Up Ahead: New mayors likely in Richmond, Coquitlam and beyond. So why is UBCM scheduled two weeks before voters go to the polls? 🤝 CUSMA Deadline: With the July 1 review looming, Carney draws a line: a good deal or no deal, and a rollover beats a worse agreement. 🏊 Kits Pool, Still Empty: Capacity of 1,800, sold out online, 400 people actually showing up. Jody says there's no lifeguard shortage, full stop and she's filming the empty deck every single day. 📍 From condo economics to a peeling Reflecting Pool guarded by the National Guard, this one's peak UnSpun. 💥 Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should Ottawa be buying condos? And should St. Paul's build an urgent-care alternative to the ER? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – FIFA, Canada's Elimination Round & a Carney Bathroom Break 04:30 – The Federal Condo Bailout Explained 08:00 – What Actually Deflated the Market 15:15 – Dredging Burrard Inlet for Tankers 17:30 – Brace for 48-Hour ER Waits 20:00 – An Urgent-Care Alternative to the ER 22:05 – Council's Last-Minute Motion Dump 25:15 – Municipal Shake-Up & the UBCM Timing Problem 25:45 – CUSMA Deadline: Good Deal or No Deal 27:00 – Kits Pool & the Reflecting Pool Absurdity

This week on UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck, Jody returns from Sicily jet-lagged and ready to go — just in time for FIFA World Cup madness, Vancouver's long-overdue Granville Street moment, and a border crossing story that'll make your blood pressure spike. Here's what's inside: ⚽ Canada's World Cup Moment: Team Canada wins 6-0 in a historic performance. First non-European or South American team to score five-plus goals in a single World Cup game. The hat trick? Not bad company — only Lionel Messi has matched it this tournament. 🚶 Granville Street Glows Up: George called it 16 years ago: pedestrianize Granville. Two motions lost. Now with FIFA, the city finally got a taste of what it could be — and Vancouver loved it. Rebecca Bligh is running with it. Will this time be different? 🏗️ Carney Comes to BC: The PM announces a 1.6 billion federal-provincial housing partnership, 600 million for health infrastructure, Surrey-Langley SkyTrain funding, and fast-tracked permitting reform. Build don't announce, says George. 🌊 Massey Tunnel, Still Waiting: A bike lane nobody will use, no rapid transit to the ferry, and Highway 99 still a bottleneck. The bridge that could have been open by now. Classic BC. 📉 Eby's Polling Collapse: The NDP Premier hits historically low approval numbers. Brad West circling. Caucus restless. Could a snap election be coming? 🚔 Surrey Police Board Chaos: Chief Norm Lapinsky fired in a backroom move. Board members walking out, journalists stonewalled, a gag order incoming. And Doug McCallum might just be the beneficiary. 💧 Water Restrictions vs. Reality: No snowpack, no rain, phase three restrictions — and Metro Vancouver still has no long-term plan. George wants answers. Jody wants her pool open. 🏊 Aquatic Centre Update: Class action verdict pending. A parking lot sits empty fifty feet from the pool they want to close. The Park Board remains the Park Board. 🇺🇸 Border Stress & Noem's New Gig: Jody's Nexus run turns into a full ICE-dog-sniff ordeal at the Peace Arch. And Kristi Noem — yes, the puppy killer — is now consulting for a BC mining company. 📍 From Granville Street piazzas to federal housing billions to a very stressful border crossing, Episode 325 is peak Vancouver summer politics. 💬 Should Granville Street stay pedestrian for good? Should Ottawa build housing or just incentivize the private sector? Tell us below. 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca

A special urgent episode of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck recorded the morning after BC Conservatives chose their new leader in a razor-thin vote. Here's what's inside: Kerry-Lynn Findlay Wins by 1%: The former MP edges out the competition 51-49 on a weighted ballot in the fourth round. George breaks down how momentum in the final week decided it all. Who Is the New BC Conservative Leader?: A right-of-centre federal Conservative MP now leads the provincial party. Jody and George unpack what that means for the mushy middle in the Lower Mainland, and whether she can win it. NDP's Opportunity or Trap?: With Findlay positioned further right, does Premier Eby have room to move toward the centre? Or does his own record prevent it? The Splinter Problem: Six independents and breakaway parties are still out there. Can Findlay reunite them? George draws the parallel to Gordon Campbell's iron caucus discipline. Brad West's Cryptic Tweet: Timed right after the leadership result, the Port Coquitlam mayor posts something oddly broad about divisiveness in BC politics. George and Mo Amir both noticed it. Kits Pool, Still Dry: Park Board votes Monday night on lifting all restrictions at Kits Pool. Jody goes off. George says, "It's June, for God's sakes." A short, sharp episode that cuts right to the heart of where BC provincial politics goes next. Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Can Findlay win the mushy middle or does this hand the NDP another term? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca

On Episode 323 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck covers Carney’s “energy superpower” pitch in New York, Wab Kinew’s viral Danielle Smith comments, Vancouver’s FIFA cleanup, and why Kits Pool is still empty heading into summer. Here's what's inside: Carney Takes Canada Global: The Prime Minister lands in Manhattan to pitch Canada as an energy superpower. 56 critical mineral agreements, a doubling of the electricity grid, an LNG deal with Germany, and increased uranium production. George and Jody unpack what it means to finally move on diversifying trade away from the US. Alberta's Separation Referendum: Danielle Smith pushes forward with her referendum threat while Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew publicly calls her out in a now-viral moment. Jody and George debate whether it's a legitimate grievance or a political stick — and whether it's already working. The John Horgan Dam: Site C gets a new name and Christy Clark defends it. George and Jody weigh in on rewarding politicians who change their minds versus honouring the ones who fought against the very things they later championed. Yaletown Overdose Prevention Site Cancelled: The province pulls the plug on a planned overdose prevention site near downtown Vancouver. George (full disclosure: a neighbourhood resident) explains why residents don't trust the government's assurances it won't resurface elsewhere. FIFA World Cup Comes to Vancouver: Two weeks out, taxpayer complaints are mounting, conventions have been cancelled all summer, and hotel revenues are being hit. But George and Jody agree: you're in it, so you'd better embrace it. The PNE Fan Zone and the Science World wrap look spectacular. Cleaning Up Vancouver: FIFA's forcing a citywide cleanup that residents have been asking for years. George's take: take the budget being spent right now, multiply it across twelve months, and that's what it actually costs to maintain a clean city. Make it permanent. Team Canada Beats the US at the IIHF Worlds: Canada ousts the Americans in the semifinal. George and Jody take a moment. Stephen Colbert's Final Show & What Comes Next: 6.7 million viewers for the finale, then Byron Allen buys the time slot with Comics Unleashed. George breaks down the economics of cheap panel TV versus the legacy late-night model. US Chaos Roundup: A UFC fight planned in front of the White House. War with Iran. Five-dollar gas. And a Texas Senate nominee who George says raises serious questions about the Republican base's judgment. Democrats still can't define who they are. Kits Pool Watch: Still empty. Still not open. Jody is not letting this go. 💬 Tell us in the comments: Is Carney's energy superpower vision realistic? Should Vancouver make the FIFA cleanup permanent? And seriously — when is Kits Pool opening? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca

Episode 322 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck covers Mark Carney's visit to Vancouver, the staggering cost of FIFA, firefighters saying enough is enough, and Jody's moment at city council fighting to free Kits Pool. Here's what's inside: 🇨🇦 Carney Meets Eby in Vancouver: The Prime Minister spoke at the Vancouver Board of Trade, then met with Premier Eby. Carney was publicly positive, but George says behind the scenes he must be frustrated. The NDP has been in power since 2017 with no big projects to show for it. Carney's agenda is building and extraction. Eby's party is philosophically opposed. 🛢️ Pipeline Politics: Eby vs. Danielle Smith Eby says he wasn't consulted on the Alberta pipeline MOU. George says there's no point talking to someone who won't budge. The federal government and Alberta have First Nations and northern support. Carney's message: come with solutions, not more reasons to say no. 🗳️ Alberta Separation Referendum: An independence referendum is coming this fall. George calls it leverage, not a real threat. Carney is making the right moves to help Alberta prosper, and the separatist argument will fade. First Nations have already said no. ⚽ FIFA's $578 Million Price Tag New report: Vancouver taxpayers are on the hook for $578 million for seven World Cup matches. That's $87 million per day. George asks how many soccer fields you could build with that money. Hotels are seeing declines because tourists think it's too expensive. Unlike the Olympics, there's no legacy infrastructure, no youth sport investment, no Own the Podium moment. 🏟️ What FIFA Leaves Behind: BC Place got hundreds of millions in upgrades for a dinosaur building. They grew grass they can't keep. Practice facilities have been closed for a year. The BC Sports Hall of Fame is in storage. Locals can't afford tickets. Where's the kama'aina pricing for residents who paid for this? 🔥 Firefighters Say Enough: Vancouver firefighters are pushing back on responding to medical calls in the Downtown Eastside. Fire Hall 2 rotates crews every 100 days because the trauma is so intense. The union backs them: this is a provincial healthcare issue, not a firefighter issue. More ambulances, more hospitals, more emergency centres. 🏚️ $225,000/Month SRO Scandal: Two people remain in a condemned SRO on the Downtown Eastside. The province is paying $225,000 a month to house them in a building that's dirty, unheated, and infested. The owners who let it fall apart are collecting the rent. Where does that money go? ⛽ Natural Gas Ban Workaround: ABC is bringing back the natural gas debate — this time packaged as an "affordability" measure to get around the rule against re-introducing failed motions. George predicts they'll have their caucus whipped this time. 🏊 Jody Speaks at City Hall for Kits Pool: Jody waited four hours on hold to speak for three minutes at Vancouver City Council. The Joe Fortes motion passed: free swimming lessons for kids ages 3-12, restore Kits Pool to pre-COVID capacity, end the reservation system. Park Board commissioners Tom Digby and Laura Christensen showed up to say the pool is fine. Jody: "Open the pool." 📍 From Carney's visit to FIFA's bill to Kits Pool victory, Episode 322 is packed. 💬 Tell us in the comments: Is FIFA worth $578 million? Should firefighters respond to medical calls? And who should Jody endorse for Park Board? 📬 Follow Jody: @jodyvance 📬 Follow George: @george_affleck 🌐 sitkamedia.ca

Description: Episode 321 of UnSpun with Jody Vance & George Affleck dives into the mailbag for the first time, responds to backlash on overdose prevention sites, exposes Metro Vancouver's outrageous meeting costs, and unpacks Trump's sudden pivot to China. Here's what's inside: Mailbag: Overdose Prevention Site Backlash: George got attacked on Twitter/X after last week's comments on overdose prevention sites. Frances Bula weighed in ("golly"). Guy Felicella returned his declaration day from Mayor Ken Sim. George clarifies: he's not against OPS, he's against poorly run ones. The Yaletown site was a disaster. Coastal Health lost the community's trust. ABC understands that most Vancouverites are fed up, and that's the spin behind their decisions heading into October. Ken Sim's 11 AI Agents: The mayor said he has "11 AI agents running things right now" … then had to clarify he meant personally, not as mayor. George: "This is so Ken. He's always a bit cringe." The beer guzzling, the Bitcoin, now the AI flex. What happened to bringing swagger back? Metro Vancouver's $500 Meeting: Jordan Armstrong reported that Metro Vancouver held a 3 minute 40 second meeting where each attendee made $151.77 per minute. George says blow up the whole organization structure. When he filled in at Metro board, they'd have 15-minute public meetings then go in camera for two hours. The new Metrotown building has an Air Canada lounge vibe with made-to-order food. Wastewater Billions & Marine Dumping: Metro's waste treatment fiasco is into the billions. They got $250 million back from Acciona after firing them and starting over. Meanwhile, cruise ships and freighters dump waste with zero monitoring. E. coli in the summer? Look at the harbour. Port Moody Women's Housing Cut: The province pulled funding for a 40-woman transition housing project in Port Moody, for women fleeing intimate partner violence. At the same time, Deputy Premier Niki Sharma is building court protections for abused women. The irony is staggering. Carney on Energy & Affordability: Mark Carney's message this week: affordability first, then green transition. LNG, natural gas, grid connections to Yukon. George has been saying this for years: Canada is a resource economy. Healthcare, social programs, it all comes from extraction. You can be green AND extract resources. They're not mutually exclusive. Trump's China Flip: Three weeks ago Trump attacked Canada for dealing with China. Now he's in Beijing doing deals with Xi Jinping. George: "The MAGAs are gonna start saying China's great." The Taiwan situation looms. Russia's VE Day parade looked depleted, Putin arrived in an armoured motorcade, looking scared. Canadian Travel to US Plummets: Cell data confirms what we already knew: Canadian travel to the US is down 60%. Border states are getting crushed. South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Texas, deep red states feeling the pain. Will it move the meter come midterms? From mailbag battles to Metro Vancouver waste to Trump's China pivot, Episode 321 delivers the unspun truth. Tell us in the comments: Should Metro Vancouver be restructured? Is ABC playing politics with OPS? And will Canadian boycotts affect midterms? Follow Jody: @jodyvance Follow George: @george_affleck unspunpodcast.com | sitkamedia.ca