Vancouver is once again in the spotlight: housing rents recorded Canada’s sharpest monthly increase, Victoria was named the world’s best small city for the fourth consecutive time, and a genuine New York Jewish deli with hand-rolled bagels is preparing to open in Kitsilano.
Vancouver Rents Break Records: What’s Behind the Biggest Price Jump
British Columbia’s rental market, long considered one of the most overheated in North America, is sending mixed signals. On the one hand, renters have grown accustomed to steadily rising prices; on the other, the past two years have brought a long-awaited respite in the form of falling rates. However, a new report from Canadian real estate platform Rentals.ca and analytics firm Urbanation, highlighted by Daily Hive, suggests that this respite may be short-lived. Vancouver has just recorded the most significant monthly increase in rental rates among Canada’s six largest markets, prompting experts and residents to once again discuss housing affordability.
According to the National Rent Report, the average asking price for a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver was $2,373 per month in September, up one percent from August. Two-bedroom apartments rose by 0.7 percent and are now listed for an average of $3,271. The city’s overall average rent reached $2,741, an increase of 1.4 percent over the month, making Vancouver the second-most-expensive city for renters among the country’s largest markets. North Vancouver remains the most expensive, with an average rent of $3,028. Coquitlam, Burnaby, Langley, Victoria, New Westminster and Surrey also made the list of Canada’s 20 most expensive cities to live in, underscoring the scale of the problem across the region.
The report’s key point is not so much the increase itself as the context surrounding it. Vancouver’s year-over-year decline in rents is now the smallest since December 2023. In other words, rents are still lower than they were a year ago, but the gap is narrowing rapidly. Urbanation President Shaun Hildebrand attributes this to structural changes in the market. According to him, the peak in new housing supply has already passed in key cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. “Rents in both cities have risen over the past six months, while the annual decline has narrowed significantly as renters return to the market,” he said. “What is happening in Toronto and Vancouver is being repeated across the country. This should provide relief to renters after years of excessive rent growth.”
To understand the situation, it is important to clarify several terms. “Asking rent” is the price a landlord lists in an advertisement, rather than the actual amount a tenant ultimately pays after negotiations or discounts. This indicator responds quickly to market sentiment and seasonality, but it does not always reflect the long-term reality of existing leases. An “annual decline” means that current prices are lower than they were in the same month a year earlier. When that decline “narrows,” it signals that the market is turning toward growth. “Household formation” is the process by which people leave their parents’ homes or stop sharing accommodation with roommates and begin living independently. High rents in previous years forced many young Canadians to postpone this step, creating pent-up demand. Now that prices have eased somewhat and landlords are offering move-in incentives, that demand is beginning to be released, pushing prices upward.
Despite Vancouver’s local increase, the national picture looks different. September marked the 24th consecutive month in which asking rents in Canada declined year over year. British Columbia was one of only two provinces where rents have fallen over the past three years. This indicates that the country’s rental market is undergoing a correction after a period of rapid growth driven by pandemic-era migration and record immigration. However, the correction is uneven: while some regions are becoming cheaper, others, including Vancouver, are beginning to grow more expensive again.
The economic backdrop is adding to the concern. According to an Ipsos survey conducted for the MNP Consumer Debt Index, 53 percent of British Columbians are worried about their professional mobility and career opportunities. Economic uncertainty, tariffs, the trade conflict between the United States and Canada, and growing concerns about artificial intelligence are putting pressure on the labor market. Twenty-four percent of respondents in the province fear that tariffs, trade disputes or broader economic instability will negatively affect their jobs or incomes; among employed residents, that figure reaches 31 percent. Another 20 percent are concerned about AI’s impact on their careers, while 12 percent worry that technology will devalue their skills. Twenty-eight percent of British Columbians are anxious about the difficulty of finding a new job with comparable pay and benefits.
Vancouver’s rental-market situation is therefore not merely a local episode but an indicator of broader trends. On the one hand, renters’ return to the market points to a recovery in economic activity and confidence. On the other, it is occurring against a backdrop of continued household vulnerability and labor-market instability. If the trend continues, Vancouver could once again top the list of Canada’s most expensive cities, while the promised relief for renters may prove short-lived. Shaun Hildebrand’s central conclusion—that “the rest of the country follows Toronto and Vancouver”—means that the current shift toward higher rents in these metropolitan areas could foreshadow similar developments in other parts of Canada in the coming months.
Victoria Named the World’s Best Small City Again
British Columbia can be proud of its southern neighbor: the provincial capital, Victoria, has once again been named the world’s best small city by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller, winning the title for the fourth consecutive year. It is unusual for a relatively small city by global standards to consistently outperform Europe’s best-known tourism magnets, including Venice and San Sebastián. The award is part of the 39th annual Readers’ Choice Awards, and nearly 800,000 readers took part in this year’s voting, rating the world’s best travel experiences. The scale of the participation gives the result additional weight: this was not the opinion of a small panel of judges, but the enthusiastic verdict of travelers themselves.
The publication specifically noted that Victoria should not be viewed merely as a day trip from Vancouver—it deserves a visit of its own. Travelers can reach it by one of the world’s most scenic ferry routes, crossing the strait near Swartz Bay, and stay at the legendary Fairmont Empress, where Fairmont Gold rooms provide access to a private waterfront lounge. The magazine also highlighted the city’s reputation as Canada’s most “British” corner, with many restaurants and hotels offering guests a traditional afternoon tea. For those who prefer nature, CN Traveller recommends escaping the hustle and bustle in an old-growth forest during a road trip around Vancouver Island.
Paul Nair, executive director of tourism organization Destination Greater Victoria, called the recognition “both humbling and inspiring,” linking it to the region’s global reputation and the combined efforts of the tourism industry, businesses and local residents. In addition to the top award, several British Columbia hotels, including a number in Greater Victoria, also made the list of winners for the 2026 awards. The news, published by Daily Hive, once again confirms that a strong tourism brand can maintain its leadership for years, even amid intense competition. The key takeaway is simple: in a world where travelers are increasingly seeking authenticity and compact destinations instead of megacity gigantism, Victoria has found its own formula for success—British charm, natural landscapes and impeccable service.
Vancouver Is Finally Getting a Genuine New York Jewish Deli
Vancouver is a city often praised for its Asian cuisine, coffee shops and farmers’ markets, but when it comes to a genuine Jewish deli, things have historically been less successful. More precisely, there have been attempts, but they have felt tentative: there were individual establishments here and bagel shops there, but the city clearly lacked a place that could boil, bake, spread and serve on a grand scale. Now, two people are stepping in to fill that gap, each bringing a story of their own: chef and television host Duran “Dman” Bodasing and Herschel Medzygorcki, whose name, symbolically enough, gives the upcoming establishment its name. Daily Hive reports on the development.
The news came through Bodasing’s Instagram, written in his characteristic style—in all caps, with exclamation marks and the unmistakable sense that he is not merely opening a business but inviting everyone to a celebration. “HELLO VANCOUVER BC WE ARE HERSCHEL’S DELI AND SCHMEER!! Get ready for some New York City Jewish Deli Soul Vibes with a kick of Canadian style,” he wrote. If you read closely, the entire concept is contained in that sentence: not to copy New York literally, but to capture its soul and add a Canadian accent. The location is symbolic—1500 W. 2nd Ave., right by the entrance to Granville Island, in the space formerly occupied by Tru Cafe. It is essentially a gateway to Kitsilano, a neighborhood already known for its high concentration of restaurants, so competition will be serious—but so will the foot traffic.
The main promise is bagels. Not the kind sold in six-packs at supermarkets, but the real thing: they will be hand-rolled, boiled and baked fresh every day. Boiling, for those unfamiliar with the process, is the secret behind a true New York bagel—the dough is briefly immersed in boiling water, creating a dense, glossy crust while leaving the inside chewy and slightly moist. Without that step, you simply get a round loaf of bread, and Vancouver has unfortunately had plenty of those. The lineup is expected to be broad, ranging from plain classics to cinnamon raisin, asiago cheese and caraway rye. Then come the sandwiches, all made according to tradition: Lox and Schmeer, featuring smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, capers, cucumber, tomato and lemon; and a BEC on Everything, with a fried egg, crispy bacon, aged cheddar, arugula, tomato and herb aioli on an “everything” bagel. There will also be coffee—drip and lattes, without any third-wave pretensions but also without the snobbery. “The party is just getting started at the entrance to our beloved Granville Island in the heart of Kitsilano,” Bodasing added, which is perhaps the best description of what he has in mind.
Now for the people behind the project. Bodasing is not simply a chef but a local media personality, known for The Dome Cooking Show, in which he prepares travel-inspired dishes using British Columbia ingredients in his own dome-shaped penthouse apartment. In a sense, it is Vancouver’s version of a celebrity kitchen—only without the pomp and with an obvious love of local produce. He is also preparing to launch The Cheeseburger Show, in which he will interview celebrities and create their ideal cheeseburgers with guest chefs. Medzygorcki is a different kind of figure, someone from the industry rather than television. He was the owner of Harry’s on Robson, Harry’s Diner on Pender and Kitchen on Main St., which he ran with Uli Schnurr, and he was also behind Southside Delicatessen in Whistler, which operated from 1984 to 2003. In other words, one brings media charisma and storytelling ability, while the other brings management experience and an understanding of how a deli works from the inside. The combination is, to put it mildly, promising.
An opening date has not yet been announced, leaving the only real element of uncertainty. But the news matters for more than just bagel lovers. It shows that Vancouver continues to explore culinary traditions that once seemed foreign to the city, doing so not through timid imitation but through the personal experiences of specific people. A Jewish deli is not merely about food; it is a particular ritual: the noise, the smells, the speed, the generosity and the conversation across the counter. If Herschel’s Deli and Schmeer can recreate that experience, even with a Canadian accent, the city will gain another place people want to return to—not because it is trendy, but because of the feeling that they were expected here.
