u/coffeeinthemorning3

Hi all! Wondering if anyone here currently lives or has previously lived at Aspen (188 E 6th Ave, managed by Catalyst) and would be willing to share their experience with the building.

I’m considering a 1-bedroom LEM unit there that's currently going for $1,880/month. I’d love to hear about things like building management, noise/soundproofing, utilities (particularly the Metergy hot water billing thing), maintenance, and just the overall experience of living there.

I’d also be moving from Metrotown, where I’ve lived for the past few years, so I’m curious about the area itself. I know Mount Pleasant is much more walkable, but it would be a bit of a change for me. For anyone who lives around Main & 6th, how do you like it day-to-day? How is it for groceries, transit, safety, noise, etc.? Would you recommend the area for someone in their late 20s living alone?

Any experiences with the building or neighbourhood would be really appreciated!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long post but I’m hoping to get some advice on this roommate situation.

I have been living in a 2b2b apartment for over 4 years and I am the primary tenant. So whenever a new roommate has come in, I have to let the landlord know of the change in occupancy, but the roommate themselves doesn’t get a separate lease to sign.

My most recent roommate moved in on Sept 1st 2025. She was a friend/acquaintance so I felt very comfortable and relaxed about her moving in and I neglected making her sign a roommate agreement. But the arrangement was that she would send me her share of rent by the first of each month as full rent is withdrawn from my account via direct debit. We also agreed that she would need to give at least 30 days notice if she will be moving out, otherwise she would still need to pay rent for the following month (similar terms to the lease agreement).

We became very good friends and had a very good roommate relationship overall. However, on July 4th, 2026, she informed me that she would be moving out in early August and that she would obviously pay August rent. That was a bummer, but fell in line with what would be reasonable so that was fine. A few weeks later she revealed she would actually be leaving on July 31st but would of course still pay August rent. When she left on July 31st, she left behind a bunch of her property including her bed, 2 mattresses, a table etc and did not do a move out clean. On August 2nd, when I asked her about her rental payment, she said she was having issues with her bank but would pay by the 4th. I have since followed up 3 times and she has been ignoring my messages.

So not only did she not leave the apartment in good state, but she has also failed to pay rent she was supposed to. I know I cannot go through the RTB in this case, but I can file a claim against her through the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal. From some preliminary research, it seems like I have a relatively strong case especially because I have evidence (through text) that she understood she was meant to pay August rent and was planning on, but then didn’t. But some of this is coming from my searches using Co-Pilot so I was wondering if others have experience going through the CRT process with a roommate and whether they have had any success. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!

TLDR; Roommate gave verbal notice on July 4th that she would be moving out mid-August (and thus would pay August rent), but then later decided to leave on July 31st instead (but would still pay Aug rent). Now she has not paid still and is ignoring my messages. Can I successfully file a CRT claim against her?

Sssooo my parents want to gift me a car but I’m not sure I want one.
Basically, I’m 26 and have never owned a car in Vancouver. For a while I really wanted a car because I was a grad student at SFU (and SFU can be a pain to get to on transit) and I was also working somewhere that was also not very fun to get to on transit. My parents had promised to get me a car as a graduation gift and I was eagerly waiting. But when I graduated there were other priorities for my parents so that was delayed for a bit. Now I work downtown, I live in Burnaby (10min from the Expo line), and it takes me about 35min to get to work (inclusive of the walk to the train). I would never drive in to work if i had a car just because it’s probably faster (and no parking cost) to skytrain. I do occasionally need a car to get places conveniently, but when I do, I often Evo or Uber.

Recently my parents said they’re ready to honour their promise and were excited at the idea of gifting me a car. But I just wasn’t enthused anymore and told them I’m not sure I want/need it anymore and it’s also an added expense to own a car that I wouldn’t need day-to-day. I said I’d think on it — this is where y’all come in. It is a free car after all; so should I just accept it? Should I defer the gift lol. What would be a reasonable estimated monthly cost of owning a non-fancy car that is primarily for leisure. Would love to hear your thoughts and advice! Thank you!

Hoping to get other people's advice on whether there is any value in trying to reapply and what other supporting information I could potentially provide.

My brother (has lived in Canada for 4 years and is currently on a study permit) is getting married this fall. I also live in Canada (8 years now) and currently on a PGWP.

Our parents and sister who don't live here will be coming to the wedding. They have visited Canada twice before and have 10 year visitor visas. We really wanted to have at least one relative from both sides of the family attend the wedding so invited an aunt from each side of our parents' family.

Aunt 1: Early 60s and is employed with the same employer for over 20 years. Her income in not very high as is quite common where we're from. She owns property in her home country and has travelled in the past (albeit not very extensively, and not in the last 5 years). For her application, I included a letter from her employer, proof of home ownership, her wedding invite, marriage certificate, and a sponsorship letter from my parents who will be paying for all her expenses.

Aunt 2: 45 years old. She has 4 kids under 18 and she is a stay-at-home mom. As such, she doesn't have income, but again, my parents are sponsoring her. I knew this would be a barrier but I tried to prove her ties as best as I could. I included all the children's birth certificates, letters from the schools noting that she is an involved parent, and a letter from a church that she is actively involved in and volunteers at. I also included her marriage certificate.

She unfortunately has never travelled (which meant this was going to be such a big deal for her 😔)

For both applications, I included letters from my parents saying that they will be sponsoring my aunts financially. Their bank statements showed ~$55,000 CAD. I thought this would be strong enough to offset the poor individual financial capability of both aunts. I also included letters of invitation from both my brother and myself.

The applications were rejected last week and this was the officer's note:

"J'ai examiné la demande. Les biens et la situation financière du demandeur ne sont pas suffisants pour financer l’objectif déclaré du voyage pour lui-même (et tout membre de sa famille qui l’accompagne, le cas échéant). Considérant les facteurs dans cette demande, je ne suis pas convaincu que le demandeur quittera le Canada à la fin de la période autorisée pour son séjour. Pour les raisons susmentionnées, j'ai refusé cette demande."

This translates to: I reviewed the application. The applicant’s assets and financial situation are insufficient to fund the stated purpose of the trip for themselves (and any accompanying family members, if applicable). Considering the factors in this application, I am not satisfied that the applicant will leave Canada at the end of their authorized period of stay. For the reasons stated above, I have refused this application.

Is there anything else you would recommend I submit if I were to reapply? I thought even if you don't have strong income yourself, that's fine as long as you have a sponsor? Would my own bank statements and sponsorship help? If it's personal bank statements that are required, would it be sufficient for my parents to just send my aunts the money so they hold the money needed for this trip in their own accounts? Are round-trip flights (refundbale ofc) helpful?

Is it a lost cause? I would hate to see my aunts miss out on being able to celebrate my brother simply because they themselves are not as 'well-off' as my parents.