The best 2023 April Fools' jokes on changing Vancouver's urban realities

Apr 4 2023, 12:29 am

There were more April Fools’ Day jokes in Metro Vancouver than usual for 2023, and a number of these pranks directly related to urban development, public spaces, and transportation.

Here is a roundup of some of the most head-turning jokes that were unleashed this past Saturday.

TransLink’s SkyLift

SkyTrain, SeaBus… and now, SkyLift?

Metro Vancouver’s public transit system expanded its multi-modal options with the addition of SkyLift — a new network of electrical vertical take-off and landing vehicles. Riders can book their SkyLift flights through TransLink, initially departing from the hubs of Waterfront, Olympic Village, YVR Airport, and Coquitlam Central stations.

These large drones vary in size, ranging between a single-seater aircraft to an eight-seater vehicle.

Vertical expansion of BC Place Stadium

Local real estate firm Goodman Commercial completed the sale of BC Place Stadium’s air rights, providing the Government of British Columbia with a $505 million windfall.

As it turns out, the steel masts that support the retractable roof can support a 27-storey, mixed-use development extension of commercial and residential uses. There would be about 3.5 million sq ft of net rentable area above the stadium bowl, featuring 4,662 homes — a combination of market rental and below-market rental housing.

The unique, open-centred circular design provides residents with a front-row seat of the stadium events below, along with residential amenity perks such as open access to the green roof of the Vancouver Convention Centre for overnight campaign managed by BC Parks, and bungee jumping and repelling opportunities from the Lions Gate Bridge.

Removal of Canada Place’s landmark sails

The Port of Vancouver announced the iconic five sails of Canada Place would be removed in a year from now on April 1, 2024.

“After several years of comprehensive risk assessment, structural engineers have confirmed that the Sails are catching wind and slowly pulling the building apart from the shoreline,” reads their joke.

Of course, in reality, the sails of Canada Place form the roof for Vancouver Convention Centre’s East Building’s exhibition halls, and the sails were completely replaced in 2010/2011.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canada Place (@canadaplace)

No longer foes

Kareem Allam, the former ABC Vancouver party campaign manager and interim chief of staff for Vancouver mayor Ken Sim, briefly joined “the other side” — cycling advocacy group Love The Lane. The group has been critical of the municipal government’s governing party’s plans to remove the Stanley Park bike lane.

“Flatulent Chip”

The “Vancouver Apparel Association” installed a statue of Chip Wilson on West 4th Avenue in honour of his contributions to the world of technical apparel.

 

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A post shared by Chip Wilson (@chipwilsonofficial)

Daily Hive Urbanized 2023

And of course, for 2023, Daily Hive Urbanized announced a new multi-modal bridge for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, freight trains, and high-speed rail as a southward extension of Boundary Road — a new link from Vancouver and Burnaby to Richmond. This was imagined as the first phase of a $19 billion transportation corridor project between downtown Vancouver and Delta, including a freight railway and high-speed rail tunnel under Boundary Road and East 1st Avenue.

For our Edmonton publication, we also spruced up the West Edmonton Mall with an indoor Universal Studios theme park.

Daily Hive Urbanized continued its annual April Fools’ Day tradition of providing a case study/opinion analysis on fun, big picture ideas.

boundary road bridge vancouver

Preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the extradosed bridge design for the Boundary Road Bridge over the north arm of the Fraser River between Vancouver/Burnaby and Richmond. (Government of BC)

boundary road bridge vancouver

The three phases of the Metro Vancouver North-South Corridor Project, including the Boundary Road Crossing (red). (Government of BC)

universal studios west edmonton mall

Conceptual artistic rendering of the redevelopment of West Edmonton Mall into Universal Studios Canada theme park and Universal CityWalk Canada mall. (Universal Destinations & Experiences)

universal studios west edmonton mall 2

Preliminary site plan of the redevelopment of West Edmonton Mall into Universal Studios Canada theme park and Universal CityWalk Canada mall. (Universal Destinations & Experiences)

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