The controversial Money Sense best places to live list ranks Burnaby 106th out of 154 cities. Burnaby also has the least affordable housing in terms of years to buy.

Wave goodbye?

The Vancouver Whitecaps have been making the news a lot lately for their off field activity - the activity of getting a new field outside of Burnaby. Burnaby politicians seem to be staying quiet while the longtime tenants of Swanguard Stadium slip away. (At least we'll still have their practice fields up at SFU.)

Unlike his quiet Burnaby counterparts, Senator Larry Campbell is crowing about how he's the one who will deliver the team to downtown Vancouver. Campbell failed to bring the team to Vancouver when he was in a position to do something. As mayor he let previous attempts to build a stadium get stopped in their tracks. As a Senator, and one in the Liberal ranks, Campbell will not be the one delivering the Whitecaps to Vancouver.

If federal, provincial and civic officials want to let the Whitecaps wind up in downtown they will finally land downtown. As for Burnaby, unless the MLAs and MPs take the lead soon, the team will soon be on the water or under the dome for good.

I've got the bill

Billy Cunningham had MP Scott Brison in Burnaby today for a tour of Golden Boy.

Cunningham is running in Burnaby-Douglas for the third time against NDP MP Bill Siksay.

The next school board

With Kathy Corrigan out, and possibly headed for the legislature from Burnaby-Deer Lake, what is the likely make up of the 2008-2011 board for district 41?

With Ron Burton not moving across to council as some were expecting, he is likely an early favourite for chair - if one assumes the current majority Burnaby Citizens maintain power in November. Diana Mumford, Tony Coccia and Larry Hayes are solid bets to keep their spots at the table and are likely to be joined by at least one of the BCA's board hopefuls: former council and MLA candidate David Myles, returning candidate Baljinder Narang, and newcomers James Wang and Gary Wong.

The two opposition trustees will have a tough fight to hold their two seats in the face of competition from the geographically and ethnically diverse slate from the BCA.

The BCA picks its candidates in the first week of May. TEAM Burnaby says it will not pick its slate till at least June, but that will likely be put back until after Labour Day.

Room Service

The Toronto Star's blog is reporting a note on North American issues from Peter Julian was awaiting the media when they arrived in New Orleans for the "Three Amigos Summit" yesterday. Not quite the turndown service and mint that one might expect.

NDP and Liberals to beat Stephen Harper

Bill Siksay and Billy Cunningham are going to get their wish to beat Stephen Harper in the next election.

Stephen Harper is the Green Party of Canada candidate in Burnaby-Douglas. Whether they beat the other Stephen Harper is something that may take more effort.

Liberal candidate disobeys Dion's wedding ban

Bill Cunningham is getting married! Although this news is a bit late in coming to this blog, the Globe and Mail only picked it up yesterday. This is no April Fools either.

Liberal perma-candidate Cunningham will be trading rings with Louise Aerts this summer. The whole story began with Jane Taber picking up on Cunningham making light of Helena Guergis's comment that Stephane Dion's politicking being the reason she has not yet set her wedding date.

Cunningham said, tongue in cheek, he was ignoring Dion's ban. Given the frequent and empty threats of non-confidence, Guergis can likely schedule her wedding date for after an October 2009 election.

You are the weakest link...

Goodbye.

And then there were three

Sam Rakhra of the Conservatives can be added to the growing ranks of opponents for two-term NDP MP Peter Julian. Carrie-Ann McLaren of the Green Party is also in the race.

There has yet to be a nomination date set for the Liberal Party.