Are White Rock's High-Rises THAT Bad? - The White Rock High-Rise Dilemma

High-rises are a controversial topic for those living in the City of White Rock, but are they really as bad as everyone says? Has the city gone too far or is this just the beginning?
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Music Used:
KZbin Audio Library
HoliznaCC0
Backed Vibes Clean - Rollin at 5 by Kevin MacLeod
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: www.incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400029
Artist: www.incompetech.com/

[@matthewmolski7971]

Thank you Arden, you made me feel nostalgic! Lovely post and drone footage!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I think this might be my favourite comment! Thank you so much Matthew, I'm glad this video had an impact on you!

[@AboutHere]

This is such a well done video Arden!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thanks Uytae!

[@smallstudiodesign]

I’m 62 years old - I remember when White Rock was a sleepy border town with not much going on. But that was part of its charm, at the same time. Now, the entire Metro Vancouver region is under pressure to create housing. And one thing that never changes is that the wealthy never experience a housing shortage.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I find that despite the changes in density, White Rock still has a lot of its historic charm! They’ve got some crazy visions for the future waterfront too

[@Bunny11344]

I think the peer in white rock is its prettiest feature tho I rarely go out there

[@hanfucolorful9656]

@@Bunny11344 You may get killed by walking in that area.😩🙄🤯

[@JerryTwentytwo]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@TheGreaterDiscussionsI was born in White Rock in ‘83 and lived in or near it most of my life. The current White Rock has NONE of the historic charm or character it once had. It was a beautiful place to grow up and I’m happy I had the opportunity to when I was a kid. Anyone that says it’s retained it’s character hasn’t lived there long enough or is simply blind. Walk the area around these towers and it is a cold, uncharming and unfriendly place reminiscent of downtown Vancouver. The waterfront is now nothing but guardrails, concrete, box homes and crappy restaurants frequented by wannabe gangsters. High-rises forced upon a once charming small town add nothing to the community, only take. Well, they add one thing- money in the pockets of city councillors that approve them.

[@aprilkeyes2420]

@@JerryTwentytwo Agree 100%. Well said.

[@TalasDD]

as someone from a city with 500.000 inhabitants where no highrise has been build in the last 30 years. (yay europe) We have all the same problems so its ludicrous to think high-rises caused them.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Wow! And that’s in a city with over 5x the population of White Rock/South Surrey! Crazy how uniform these issues can be

[@TalasDD]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions it gets even wierder. most (we have 81 of them) of the highrises if you can call them that at 52 meters (14 stories) tall build in the 60s-80s here in Dresden are low-cost, association and student housing. The only taller buidings are a hotel (56 meter) , a Zigarette Factory (disguised as a Mosque/ 62 meter), the Local World Trade Center (57 meters), a historicall industrial Mill (63 meters), and the city council and Castle Towers (both 100 meters tall).

[@smileyeagle1021]

I live in a city with 490K, we didn't build any residential building taller than 5 floors between 2006 and 2021... and that recent one is the only one built since 2006 (also, it is somewhat debatable on just how much it qualifies as a new high rise build, when it is 6 floors of residential above an existing 4 level parking garage that the city had abandoned). And we have all the same problems as well. Luxury high rises are the cause of the problem, they are a symptom of it. When there are only a few places in the city that you are allowed to build anything other than single family homes, when you actually are able to get a hold of one of those lots where taller building is allowed, are you going to build the duplex where you can only sell those two units to recoup the land and construction price, are you going to build a three level apartment where you can maybe get a few dozen units paying back your costs, are you going to build 4-5 levels where you get another couple dozen units, but now have the expense of building an elevator system, or do you go all out and build as tall as you can get away with, because that elevator shaft is a bit of a sunk cost as long as you don't build so tall that you end up needing more of them, and all you are doing is adding more units to pay back your costs. And, if you are investing that much money into the project, because even though the economics work better going taller, the risks go up as well, so you may as well target as wealthy of a clientele as you can to increase your odds of making a return on your investment. Opening up a lot more areas to allow for a much larger variety of development opens up economies where it does make sense to build a four-plex with more modest amenities to target to working class families. It makes more sense to make a solid, but basic, three level building with apartments affordable to low income families.

[@DeepsongProductions]

That's likely true as socialist policies affect everyone.. Do you live on waterfront property?

[@Mystic_Light]

Homelessness is no longer hidden because the number of people being displaced by gentrification is so high. When you build expensive towers it raises the property valuation in the entire area, and land taxes increase. Which means rents increase, which in turn means many, many people are displaced. The number of homeless has risen dramatically since they began gentrification of the DTES and the Surrey Central area. We can not remedy this problem while we still allow the elite and corporations to tax dodge. Btw, retirement communities are not cheap, they are a far cry from affordable housing unless your income is around 2,500 p/month. The bottom line is, there needs to be more affordable housing everywhere.

[@Nas_Atlas]

I love this new generation of young story tellers. Doing their research and getting deep into a topic.

[@ratmq3795]

He's woefullyUninformed

[@agntdrake]

As someone who grew up in White Rock, I honestly like the new towers. Semiahmoo mall, and all the strip malls were frankly terrible parking craters. My biggest beef with development in the area is all the terrible stuff going up along King George Blvd. It's far too car centric and completely unwalkable.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Glad to see someone else from the area who’s got a good understanding of how good infrastructure works!

[@milnecj]

Yeah the nonsense from South Surrey and White Rock NIMBYs is insane. The Semiahmoo town centre plan was massively downscaled from original proposals. I felt like a lone voice advocating as a young person for a place to live in my future during the creation of that plan. I ended up moving away for my sanity.

[@freedombro6502]

We still need cars folks 😂

[@agntdrake]

@@freedombro6502 well you're in luck, because there's certainly no shortage of infrastructure built for them! The same can't be said for walking and biking.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

@@freedombro6502 I think there’s often a misunderstanding when people talk about pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. I sincerely doubt the world will ever be completely car free, nor do I really hope for such a reality. Cars have their place, but they’re pretty overvalued right now. In my opinion, it would just be great for every transportation method to be usable on a similar scale.

[@stinkfinger630]

My 86 year old mother lives in a nice older apartment building that is being surrounded by huge towers over the last 7 years, with more to come. More traffic, yet ironically fewer neighbours, what with most of the new towers being inhabited by foreigners if they’re inhabited at all. Sad.

[@redwater4778]

What do these foreigners even do for a living? Where did they get their wealth?

[@herstory911]

Thank you for reminding me of home. I went homeless and ended up in Quebec so I could live indoors on my pension. My childhood and my sons early years were often spent at the beach; sometimes stayed in cabins at White Rock. I was born in North Vancouver. In both places you may find yourself travelling over a hill to suddenly seeing the ocean through the trees. That is what I have in my dreams to come home to see again. I guess few ask where the displaced go. 🥰🥰🥰🤑🤑🤑

[@fogman900]

they fucked my town up so bad :/

[@Joe-mz6dc]

They don't care. They made money. It's all about greed.

[@billfarley9167]

Granted, but who is "they."

[@jordanw8382]

Great video. I grew up in White Rock in the 80s and 90s. It may seem ironic but I think we had more diversity then than now, diversity in housing, diversity in income and ability. My parents bought their mixed-use building on Marine Drive, across the street from where you were standing at the old train station, for $50,000 in 1980. It was where we lived and worked. Growing up there were rich kids and poor kids, a healthy mix of class. There was one homeless person in town who was well known. We ourselves were solidly working class back in those days but could still own a home on the beach.

[@timetraveler82]

yup ur spot on i remember all that including THE homeless guy ! i’m not living there now my work takes me around the globe but my roots will always be in White Rock no matter how it changes 🙃

[@jensage2963]

I also grew up in WR in the 80/90. The homeless mans name was Ryan. I always think about the fact he told my dad someone gave him a bible and he used it as rolling paper and smoked the whole thing lol He was always really sweet and kind.

[@alexmcintyre8229]

When the company that built the luxury condo building that you live in builds another luxury condo building that blocks your view, that’s just the way of the development company creating a bunch of low income housing. No more view = lower priced housing units

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Never thought of it like that! Hahaha

[@ceered1017]

Not how it works

[@russellholm742]

Sounds logical until you learn that the most expensive high rises are buying up air rights to protect their views. Now analyse that little tid bit of info.

[@derekcox6531]

@@ceered1017exactly how it works

[@TheClinophobic]

@@derekcox6531It's more like expensive housing being blocked by even more expensive housing. Realistically, the value of the unit with the worse view will never drop.

[@dallassegno]

The problem is they're ugly and break the asthetic. It would be an improvement if there were building standards. Instead it's all glass and no people.

[@levicourville]

I grew up in White Rock and lived there for 33 years. The main issue with the high rises is that White Rock only has a limited amount of tax revenue for the city to function.. It has long been a concern that White Rock could get swallowed up by Surrey. White Rock has no businesses or industry which provide tax base revenue for the city to function. Their only sources of tax revenue has been residential housing, and the parking meters along Marine Drive. White Rocks city limits run from 8th to 16th, and 160th to 132nd. So 8 blocks by 28 blocks. Its a small town, with limited space. Creating population density high rises is the only way to increase taxable income for the city to function.

[@creid7537]

White Rock's city limits fall between Marine to North Bluff, and Stayte to Bergstrom. You have a very Surrey-centrist outlook. 😬

[@patrickmoan4086]

Hi Levi- I think reasonable people would agree (including yourself?) that it's possible to introduce a mixture of uses such as commercial and office and not necessarily build high rises. We're all familiar with many jurisdictions in the US and Europe where everything is pretty much built a the human scale (2-6 stories), and the economics work. The same destruction has taken place here in Halifax. I just returned from a tour of New England cities (Providence, Portland, Portsmouth), and they're urban design standards are much higher than Canada's. And they're not dealing with a government dedicated to the task of tripling the US population - as is happening here in Canada.

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

Finally someone who actually gets it in the comments. And not just living in a dreamland, wishfully hoping that rainbow coloured bike lanes will solve every city problem.

[@patrickmoan4086]

@@DanoFSmith-yc9tg So your saying that high rise development is necessary for economic development? My own comment appears above. I'm saying that high rises are not in fact needed and that towns like White Rock would have benefitted from the kind of economic development and urban design approached used in Portsmouth NH, and Portland Maine - both of which are now vastly superior places to the low quality high rise development Canadian municipalities universally embrace.

[@lcg5790]

You are very deftly avoiding the foreign buyers who are the biggest demanders and purchasers of luxury housing and have caused our local residents to be priced out of the market. Money laundering and drug money and using the housing market for investment rather than for actual housing is bringing disaster.

[@TheJon204]

At work we have a client that owns six of the low density lots in Semiahmoo around 156 Street. They worked with their architect and the City of Surrey at the OCP stage to subdivide into 14 lots. I'm not sure how this will change with the new BC mandate when each lot can essentially build up to three units. Their design for the home includes a basement containing a 2 bedroom suite and a potential studio, only requirement they have not met is parking for the basement units.

[@myt1soo320]

I appreciate the work you put into this ! Good job

[@AGenericAccount]

i love your enthusiasm dude, super entertaining and thought provoking

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you! I hope you stick around for what I've got in the future

[@cherylsibson2529]

when they cut out trees they made White Rock into a parking lot, Joni Mitchell song about making parking lots back in the 1970's so here we are They had refused to listen. Thanks Arden.

[@dombaydog]

what happened is... politicians ignored the wishes of residents who elected them... this applies to White Rock, that allowed this tragedy, and it applies to the Federal government, who allow mass immigration to tip the supply/demand curve.

[@jordanw8382]

With the passing of BC Bills 44, 46, and 47, any meaningful public consultation with regards to development is finished. Where there's transit and in White Rock's case with future bus rapid transit, the province can and will dictate density.

[@rydundant]

3:50 loved this part, you really did stay up till 5:00am

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yep haha. That was one of the longest parts to edit

[@billfarley9167]

The design and development of those highrises, including their construction, had to be approved by city council. So one has to wonder how much money exchanged hands under the table between developers and politicians? It's a fair question.

[@grigorkyokuto7546]

I dont want to raise a family in a box

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Condo-apartment life certainly isn’t for everyone, but that isn’t to say it doesn’t suit anybody. I’ve seen a lot of families moving into the walk-up apartments and row homes I talked about in Grandview and Morgan Crossing. It’s a good middle ground.

[@deultima]

Great journalism! You earn one subscription. Hope to see more. PS - On a personal note, I think the answer to the homeless is more mid-rise supported buildings. These people don't just need homes, they need a support staff who will help them, feed them and support them on an individual level and treat them like humans. I think Atira is a great example of an organisation here that does a great job at that. The more funding we throw at these kind of organisations the better. A lot of those who are homeless are dealing with substance or mental issues, and just need that support they need to stay off the streets.

[@jwallace9984]

I totally agree.❤ if Finland can do it, so can we.

[@ryan_m_k]

Outstanding, informative and super engaging video. Well done!

[@philpaine3068]

I'm delighted to see young people taking an interest in these issues. It's easy, when you're young, to adopt a fashionable, passive, low-effort cynicism, then complain when society doesn't address your needs. Young people caring, thinking, learning, and most of all VOTING, is the path to progress. If you go to any public meeting for some development issue, it will invariably be dominated by older people with a "hey, you damn kids, get off my lawn!" mentality. All sorts of decisions get made that disproportionately reflect that group --- which is a legitimate part of a city's life, but far from the only part.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

It’s great how easy it has gotten to be able to participate and have your say in big city projects. I hope many others will participate in council hearings and provide useful feedback!

[@Toto-cl8rw]

The absolute outcome is high rises ,in general , are ugly, decimate the panoramic views , and cause traffic congestion. Look at smart cities like Paris that completely refuse high rise buildings with most buildings around 6 stories high. . Everyone has a view of the city.

[@albertn.9123]

Great Video and A Canuck myself. It's clear to see Vancouver is changing so its up to us to speak our voice and make the changes we want. Personally I like the Density as long as we minimize sprawl improve urban life and maintain our forests!

[@russellholm742]

One of the biggest issues with WR is that the City has historically been very weak in the infrastructure department. The cost of infrastructure upgrades drives up the cost of housing.

[@tufftimesbc]

A very thorough and well thought out video. Thank you!

[@EDToasty]

Growing up in and around White Rock, I'm genuinely excited that we are trending towards more medium and high density housing.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Uptown White Rock will look incredible in the coming decades! All in time for better rapid transit

[@RodneyDouglas-rq7bm]

Great presentation Arden. Well written. You have a future in broadcasting!

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

You are growing up to be a fine young man Arden. I'm a high school senior and plan on being a fine young man too

[@SuzyBenz]

Great video! White Rock is one of my favourite places, I remember how it looked in 1990, now it’s so different! I personally love the high rises & welcome change but I’m nostalgic and bitter sweet sad to remember how it once was. Loved seeing it’s history ❤

[@brv0102]

Nicely done. Thank you for this 🎉🎉🎉

[@fredbmurphy]

Soon White Rock will do it's self justice in the eyes of Yellowknife: a city with significantly less people and 9 buildings 10 stories or higher (with the highest being 17). I came from Chilliwack, a city with only a 9 story building added for over a couple of decades. Doesn't change much. The growth is towards the highway and Sardis.

[@shannonhollingworth5693]

Thanks for your video as i have not been to White Rock in a long time. You do great videos

[@kamanda2020]

Extremely informative and very well spoken. Subscribed

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Glad to have you here!

[@kevinbarnes218]

You got good quality videos for such a small channel. Hope you grow.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you very much!

[@SteveBluescemi]

Pretty embarrassing that White Rock is building about the same amount of high rises as Vancouver itself

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I wish that were the case. Oakridge alone beats all of White Rock, and you’ve got a lot more coming with projects like Senakw and Jericho Lands

[@morgank.1249]

Thanks for posting! Nice to see niche content

[@youstew99]

The only solution is to mesh Mass Immigration Policy with New Home Construction Rates. Since Expo 86, the Federal Government has ignored this basic common sense approach and has brought in more immigrants than we can build homes for hence why housing prices have skyrocketed to become the worlds 2nd highest cost per sq. ft. behind only Hong Kong. In 2023, Trudeau brought in 1.2M new immigrants while we only building 158K new homes...thus the next 7 years of home construction is simply to house last years immigrants. I hate to say this but Canada will crumble and home prices and homelessness is about to get 10X worse.

[@pendizzy6352]

I remember it used to only be 3 story apts , It's weird to see but it's growing. I like Miramar center the stage and the way its set up keeps the noise within the 4 high rises around it. I'm 50 and I've seen it change drastically. My mom lived on Pacific by WR elementary when she was little , cars would always end up in their yard in winter , (steeeeeep hill) . My Son is a grade 7 grad from WR elementary is this yr. Thanks for your coverage love it.

[@thegreatplague9748]

You missed how it's turned into a gangsters refuge.

[@glennelliott708]

Nice. I seem to be coming back to your work more and more.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Great to have you here!

[@arnoldanderson1501]

Just wait till it looks like the west end of Vancouver! And it eventually will.

[@davidnayda103]

What a S**T Show, I am so glad That I left the Mainland.

[@IusedtohaveausernameIliked]

It all boils down to the same thing. The thing that nobody wants to talk about. There's just too many of us humans here on planet Earth. That's the root of a great many problems.

[@darianyee5714]

Fire video dude! Very imformative!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@haphazard_mtb6241]

At night, from the Blaine side the Highrise look like Mr.Crabs from Spongebob

[@lemmingt6207]

Just found the channel. I guess you're hitting the algorithm 😊 good work

[@cirentXD]

Those photos at the start were so nostalgic!

[@clarajacobs7334]

A beauty of a video

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thanks Clara!

[@Coltoid]

Great video, had never heard of this place.

[@SeanEndo]

Please make multi-part video essay series on bringing back the Zellers

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Consider it added to the list

[@bryan89wr]

I'm old enough to remember it as Kmart when I was a toddler in the early 90s

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I read about this when I was researching the history of the city, but never found any proof of it ever existing. It's incredible to finally hear from someone who remembers it! Any chance you might know where I could find a photo of it..? (Or the old Safeway while we're at it)

[@jordanw8382]

​@@TheGreaterDiscussions I grew up in White Rock in the 80s and 90s with that K-mart. There was a cafeteria in the back where the mid-day shoppers get to relax with a sandwich and cigarette. Good times.

[@creid7537]

@@jordanw8382 K-mart cafeteria apple dumplings were awesome.

[@househugger9459]

Maybe I missed something. I understand the importance of having the missing middle housing but the key to it working is that all the housing, from highrise to midrise to lowrise, is integrated. I think it's a crying shame what they've done by 24th ave and 168th. It's like there's no identity. One home is a clone of the other. I could never live in anything like that as I refuse to conform, to fit in, to be like everybody else. Even the different facades of the different blocks look too much alike. There's no driving or walking through the neighborhood with anything to captivate one's attention. The shops are all separated so there's no walking to the corner store to chat with neighbors. There's no integration of housing styles, small businesses, parkland, nor people. Everyone has their 24 foot identical wide yard with facade and that's it. The critical thing is, zoning has to change to allow for integration. Now there's a good bandwagon to join in on. Thanks Arden for all that about highrises. It's controversial and I'm not sure what side I'm on yet. In Vancouver there's great financial incentive for the highrises to be setback from the sidewalk and sit on a platform. I like that idea as the visual transition to the towers is a lot more comfortable, and it provides for more water views through the buildings. The concept for Semiahmoo Mall looks good so far I think. Just hope they keep all the highrises at the top of the hill.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thanks for the reply! I definitely agree with what you’re saying about Grandview and Morgan. My friends and I often comment on how eerily similar it all feels. It’s kinda easy to get lost. But at the same time, it’s a city trying to catch up for 40 years of neglected housing being built. Grandview should honestly be one of the most walkable, bike-able neighbourhoods in South Surrey, but the presence of the large strip malls with vast parking lots don’t exactly inspire that lifestyle. Zoning is also to blame for the lack of neighbourhood corner stores and community places. But these aren’t set in stone. They can change and hopefully will in time.

[@cardinalcar]

Great footage!

[@bsmith302]

Well done video. Very professional.

[@DeepsongProductions]

Do a poll with long time homeowners only... they are the ones who are the major tax contributors

[@matho2301]

GREAT WORK! DIDNT KNOW THIS MUCH ABOUT WHITE ROCK

[@lynnewilliams542]

VERY well done. Thank you. I enjoyed this

[@zakijiwa755]

Bit confusing of a video forgetting that White Rock is part of the Metro Vancouver where prices have soared not anything tied to its isolated characteristics. Development in South Surrey was more affordable than other places in Metro Van at the time most of it was developed, and White Rocks tower boom was a product of updated planning policy and developers responding to the strong demand from retirees in the area who want accessibility, views, and larger suites. The videography and style of delivery was great, but missing the overall impact of the region, municipal planning which just wanted to put density and more abundant housing where amenities are, land economics, and the true driver for the type of tower development occuring. White Rock has no major incentives for affordable or below market housing, ditto senior levels of government until recently. That new independent living seniors tower is NOT affordable housing but also luxury retirement residences targeted at the same demographic as the rest of the towers. Well done and thanks for making a great video still, but room to improve.

[@nick.ranger]

Thanks for creating local content like this.

[@billysminute2501]

What a great video essay

[@Nora-Can]

I’m moving to White Rock in one week! How did KZbin know to recommend this video? (LOL). Anyway, fascinating video. Very well done Arden, thank you!

[@SeaToSkyImages]

Great video. White Rock is an interesting case study for development. It's so far removed from most of the metro region, yet there is very high demand to live there (for obvious reasons).

[@artducharme7829]

Extremely well presented enjoyed every moment

[@samepeople]

I have visited White Rock last summer twice and once in spring, I was happy to see small coastal town, quit uniq and it's associated to mee with two colors Blue and Green, I'm also afraid that it eventualy turn in to another megapolise like Seatle ar Portland or Vancouver, with concrate soul ( where people doesn't know each other and their neibor... at least I was lucky to be able in my lifetime to make a video about the White Rock before it changed to new unknown city. ❤

[@DWH84]

You should visit Chemainus on Vancouver Island

[@lucymartyn8205]

Great video , so informative, 👍❤️🇨🇦

[@timothyp3378]

You can have sprawl or vertical development……pick. Chop down trees and pave over green spaces or denitrify the current area….. Sure you can zone out vertical growth, but then $$$$ Goes up and people cannot afford the area…..

[@antonyr5]

Really interesting and well presented

[@MaxTSanches]

Thanks for the video. I remember when the resturant was on the side of the pier (2:29). Getting on the train to Portland and Vancouver. When I left White Rock the tallest building was the newly built Hospital that just passed the water tower, both on North Bluff. It was many years later that the block between North Bluff - 20th Ave, and 152nd - 148th Street which was woodland with an old sawmill, and the White Rock fire station was converted to a housing and the shopping centre. I should note that this is in Surrey not White Rock (the easy way to tell is if it is a numbered street or avenue then it is Surrey, White Rock names their roads, streets, and avenues. .

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Comments like these are some of my favourites! I remember that water tower on North Bluff too, it only went down a few years ago. There’s intermittent talks of bringing back a restaurant along the pier and I really hope it happens someday. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@creid7537]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions There also used to be a large open water reservoir at the Northeast corner of Thrift and Oxford. They filled that in in the late '70s.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

@@creid7537 crazy what stuff you can learn! Thanks for sharing

[@creid7537]

Growing up at North Bluff & Archibald there were many occasions, that when walking home on North Bluff, I would encounter wayward travelers kilometers off course after being dropped off by bus and were confused by the numbers on one side, and the names on the other side of the road.

[@tyreekwatson6287]

You a cool guy. This is a good ass video

[@laarawilliamsen]

You have done an excellent job of research and presentation in this thoughtful and easy to watch and understand video! Big congratulations and I hope to see more of your videos here. My one concern is about the resources of our community such as hospitals, police and fire departments that have not expanded to meet the needs of this increasing population. About homelessness, there is a millionaire in our Eastern Provinces who took his own money and 2 years of time in order to build a tiny house village of 96 homes for those in need. God Bless all those who take time to be kind and do what they can for others.

[@anthonyburee650]

What a great video, as a person who grew up in the 70s,80s, and 90s in ocean park/ crescent Beach/ white Rock I saw the expansion and I mirror what your saying. And Fyi I grew up with a family from south Africa with your last name.

[@reejan8109]

You might have missed the rather important details of Oceana Parc retirement community!!! It's for the rich seniors, not the ones depending on their pensions. From the website: 1 bedroom suites start at $4599/month....that's a limited time offer but does include meals and cleaning. 2 bedroom + den units start at $12,300/month.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thanks for bringing this up, can't say I'm too surprised. The main point I was hoping to make with Oceana PARC is how it's a dedicated high-rise senior complex and that hopefully we could accomplish non-market housing targets with similar approaches.

[@Cherish..2]

Five Corners has a great tea room Clancy's Tea Cozy...Woe I was there a year ago, what growth, ruining the little city

[@tacobreather]

If you’re trying to increase your tax base, by allowing more people to live in WR, you have a few choices. Plan A- build more high-rises and leave the single-family neighbourhood alone. Plan B- build more low rises, and reduce the number of single family homes. I like Plan A better.

[@Kevimoto]

Agreed. Unfortunately, living in a single family dwelling on a large or even "standard" size lot, is considered outmoded and unsustainable by the twits that call the shots.

[@Themapleleaforever]

Great analysis dude! Absolutely well done! As a Van Isle resident you think you could cover the rail restoration talks over here?

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Highly highly likely. Something on the E&N corridor has been on my video list for a while now and I’ve certainly got a lot of thoughts on it. I hope you stick around cause I’ll definitely cover it in the future!

[@Themapleleaforever]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions you bet I will

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

incredible Canucks pfp btw!

[@Themapleleaforever]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions thanks I just changed it back lmao

[@Mothman999]

I lived there in the 70s, currently it is a text book example of shocking, gross over development. Someone must have profited immensely

[@Joe-mz6dc]

It's always about greed and B.C. is the king of greed when it comes to real estate.

[@littleorangeboy]

I love you Arden

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

thank you @littleorangeboy9331 I appreciate that

[@bobthekobb]

25 years since I lived in white rock, I miss it when I see this.

[@reneekathleentaylor2031]

(Opinion:) Thank you for producing the video! When I lived in White Rock (1995-1999,) which has been a small town, my impression was that an (underbelly of bedrock, conservative ideology) would eventually devour up anyone's efforts to have successful Theatre-careers, starting from when they participated in productions at the White Rock Playhouse on Johnston Road. (Is this statement credible?) And if White Rock has a hidden, hardcore religious intolerance, running underneath the surface of things, which people don't speak of openly because of how scary it is, then I believe that the future will generally and nonetheless be geared to renters, mainly because of how many of us there are and a likelihood we'd never pay off a mortgage. (Wag comment alert:) Given my partial understanding of those high rises, they might as well be considered hospitals for old people and have casters mounted underneath, so the high rises can be moved around a little from time to time, vying for the best view of the ocean :) Incidentally, do the high rises offer medical care by onsite professionals, or are they mostly about independent living? Suggestion for improvements that could help achieve a (social carbon sink) for White Rock: Could obtaining a wider (and healthier) social spread, inside the high rises, start to take place if BC Housing were to offer funding (to offset building upgrade- and insurance-costs) to high rise Owners by taking in some of the caseload-oriented populations? How much appeal would that have among locals, I wonder? ~Miss Renee K. Taylor, age: 63; BA (French,) Certificate, a (Theatre) Stage- and Costume-Design Program; Activist/Whistleblower; Kamloops, BC, Canada/T'kemlups Te Secwepemc Unceded Territory, BC, Kanata (June 24/24.)

[@RyanKnowsTechStuff]

One issue which most people are unaware of with density in B.C. is that strata living is not simple. It legally can be extremely complex and costly to owners. Legal issues with bylaws, human rights etc. stratas are very common for developers to choose to build as they’re the most cost effective for them. You can have as small as a duplex.

[@FreeJaffa92]

Do you have any rental or pricing data on older high-rises vs newer high-rises? White Rock seems to actually be in not a bad place. I kinda think you just need a little time to let the older housing stock become the more affordable housing.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

At first thought, I would say that White Rock's issue in this case would be that there are no older high-rises besides the Vista Royale. But if age was really the question here, then Downtown Vancouver could have some of the most affordable units in the region. Unfortunately, the age of the units rarely correlates with the respective prices. If the view is nice, you pay the price.

[@cirentXD]

I just bought a condo unit in White Rock. It is RM 3 zoned, which is rare in white rock. I'm hoping a developer will buy it and I'll get a big payday. My family owned the property for the Altus but they didn't get a huge payday because they sold in 2016. I wish they were smarter about it when they sold

[@DS-wn2kg]

Great job.

[@richertrealestate]

Great video. I didn’t realize that White Rock separated from Surrey around the same time as the Langley separation. There is so much good commentary in this video. I would caution conflating White Rock housing market with South Surrey. Although the real estate industry does this, it makes it confusing for people. These are two different city councils making two very different styles of housing. The Mayor of White Rock has nothing to do with Ocean Park, Semiahmoo, or Morgan Crossing. The benchmark White Rock single family home, benchmark townhome (the limited amount), and benchmark apartment are ALL lower priced than South Surrey. South Surrey is mostly standard suburban sprawl. Despite being farther apart from the ocean and not having the beautiful White Rock views, it has a premium cost. New luxury apartments may not help the entry level apartment market directly. But it has an indirect affect. There is a segment of the market that always wants the newest, best, bright, flashy product. So they end up ditching their old or ignoring the old for the new. The older, “less desired” units become more affordable. That’s exactly what has happened in cities like White Rock and New Westminster, which is why their apartments are more affordable than the cities that immediately surround them.

[@Thrifty_05]

Love the video! You should make a video on the development of Surrey Central becoming a new downtown core. I really enjoyed how you showed us how times have changed from 2008 to now. If you did the same for the Surrey Central area, you’d notice a significant difference too

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

What’s been going on at Surrey Central and King George Hub is INCREDIBLE! I very much remember how it looks 10 years ago, it’s crazy. If (when) I end up covering Transit-Oriented Development I’ll definitely talk about Surrey. But I’ll have to consider making it its own video too

[@Thrifty_05]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions That’d be awesome, definitely looking forward to it :)

[@heronimousbrapson863]

I remember White Rock back in the 1960's. It was a bit of a dump compared to what it looks like now.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Do you have any specific things you recall? I love to learn more about this city’s history

[@almazora]

Kudos for making this great video about White Rock… a little long, but well done… Keep it up

[@user-dy2et5gh5n]

HOLY CHITINSKI BRO!!!...thsts way 2 many high rises!!....i grew up in coquitlam...iam 6oyrs now...this is actually terrible..THANK U 4 THE INFO...U DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ON NARRATING ❤❤❤

[@10percent4DaBigGuy]

oceana park is one of the building in whiterock i was driving building panels to all those panels are KPS panels i no longer live in BC i had to relocate my mom outside of BC after someone broke into her townhouse in squamish and stole 150K in gold and silver insurance police and everything else told us we are SOL for having gold and silver stolen so we had to move from BC to a small town in southwest SK now i am stuck because i can't up root and leave my mom in the middle of no where so i take everything one day at a time and hopefully in the future i can help her recover after this ordeal....

[@henry7941]

nice editing ✅✅

[@MatthewLopes-ff9xc]

🔥🔥🔥

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you!

[@charonstormborn8998]

New housing is coming everywhere. We need to push the government for better infrastructure.

[@milnecj]

Growing up in the same area, there's always been hostility to change and a willful ignorance towards the decades long ongoing housing crisis. Considering how anti-development the recently elected White Rock city council is, I don't ever expect this scapegoating of high rises to change. Move away for your sanity like I did.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

NIMBYism is certainly alive and well in White Rock, buts that really more motivation for me to stay. I’d rather fight for what’s right while I’m here than move away somewhere else, especially with this big BRT project coming soon. (Not hating on your choice to move lol just my point of view)

[@peterdekova2402]

That's why I left in 2018

[@caterpuss]

NGL, as an inlander, White Rock is not that cool of a place to visit if you are driving. And the beach is always open when I go. But trying to find parking?! I use to love White Rock as a kid in the early 90s but now i only go there when my mom gets nostalgic. My grand parents live in Port Kells which use to be really nice and now its all high rises :/ Also; last time i was in WR was in 2019 and there for sure were homeless people but only if you knew where to look for them.

[@Innerage37]

Once you understand how harmfull the elites "sustainable goals" are then you understand the deterioration. Why do they let people keep coming to BC? I loved BC. 4 generations my family had lived there but I ran back to Alberta where rest of family is and a person can do much better and it still feels like CANADA in the smaller cities.. The politics have made it unlivable there forever. Way too many people now. BC feels like a trap to never get ahead.