A collective of 40 working-class tenants in Vancouver has formed to resist the rezoning process that threatens to evict them and their families. Two giant corporations, aided by politicians, are pushing to tear down their building so they can redevelop it into a worker-less “tech hotel.”
In the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver, with the support of Vancouver Tenants Union (VTU), the Myron Manor collective has been fighting to prevent the rezoning of their residential block. A convenient loophole in the city’s tenant protection laws could allow asset management firms Nicola Wealth Real Estate and Lotus Capital Corp to displace them from some of the only “affordable” rental units left in the city.
On June 15, The North Star joined the collective and VTU as they disrupted a charity golf tournament hosted by Nicola Wealth, their would-be evictors, at one of Vancouver’s most elite clubs. Chants and speeches made by tenants and VTU organizers expressed their clear intent to stop the evictions and to disrupt the firm’s attempt to launder their reputation as they displace working-class families.
Several polo-clad club members and managers made attempts to get the tenants to leave. A few resorted to yelling insults and intimidation, but the demonstrators (who stood out amidst the expensive wine bottles, champagne, and a Rolls-Royce that covered the putting green) stood their ground and spread their message for 45 minutes straight.
Major loophole for developers
The North Star spoke with Michael Cook, a tenant of 11 years at Myron Manor. The steel fabricator and father of two young children explained that Nicola Wealth and Lotus Capital are just two of the many real estate investors and financialized landlords seeking to get around the few protections that renters have by taking advantage of the exemptions offered by community plans.
“There’s like a dozen different neighbourhoods that they’re planning to just destroy any low-rise rental apartments and replace them with these hotel high-rises. And I just want people to know that if this happens to us, it could happen to another tens of thousands of people.”
The Broadway Plan, approved by City Council in June 2022, has facilitated the rezoning of several residential neighbourhoods, including Mount Pleasant, in an effort to expand the city’s downtown core. The plan itself mentions the necessity of protections for tenants living in the older affordable housing units, but according to Cook, the fact that the plan is in place means their protections are voided.
“In section 3.2.2.1 of the Hotel Development Policy, they say that purpose-built rental apartments will not be replaced by hotel developments. And then there’s a subsection D, which says that protection doesn’t apply in any area that’s governed by a new community plan.”
Cook explained that, because of the Broadway Plan, the developer is allowed to replace their affordable apartments with a hotel. Because the developer has decided to build a hotel, they have no need to give Cook and his neighbours the right of first refusal which would give them first place priority to move back into a new unit on the same lot post-construction.
He continued to say that Nestwell Tenant Relocation Services, the “eviction specialists” hired by the developer are all using the same justification for the rezoning as the city council, planning department, and the developers. They all say the building needs to be replaced since the block is designated as “Industrial” and the building is nonconforming.
However, “it’s really a lie because our site has never been used for industrial purposes. And the building predates the industrial use designation […] which means there’s no reason to demolish it,” said Cook.
Nightmare Tech Hotel
Myron Manor is but one among many buildings being slated for demolition in favour of the new hotel developments. Vancouver reportedly has 29 hotel projects in or planned for development as of January 2026, with the goal of reaching 10,000 additional rooms by 2050.
Cook describes the hotels being largely automated, “apartment-style living” high-rise designed for transient tech professionals. Nicola Wealth and Lotus Capital can potentially avoid both tenant protections and the need to hire people with their vision of a scaleable Airbnb-esque complex.
“They do automated check-in, and the rates that guests are paying are completely volatile based on what the demand is.”
A recent investigative report by the Union Unite Here Local 40 found that the city was approving 16.2% more hotel units than social/affordable/co-op housing. “They’re deliberately destroying working-class neighbourhoods,” Cook remarked.
Politicians Support Evictions
In the beginning, Cook struggled to garner support for the tenants of Myron Manor and looked towards local politicians for help. He was surprised to learn that local NDP representative Christine Boyle was supported the redevelopment plans.
“She’ll hide behind the fact that the city has the authority to rezone whatever they want, but then she’ll defer to their authority when they tell her what to do with provincial policy,” he said.
It wasn’t until the Vancouver Tenants Union stepped in to provide the necessary collective support that the Myron Manor struggle started to attract media.
“The VTU, Mount Pleasant Chapter started meeting with us, just being incredibly generous with their time and incredibly patient with us.” Cook recounted. “Coming to help us door knock, helping us with communication strategies and organizing, helping us with the website.”
“It’s actually incredible to see the difference between the behaviour of a city government that gets paid to represent us (with) how they lie and abuse us. Compared to the Vancouver Tenants Union… they’re helping us, with no gain for themselves.”
The collective plans to continue their struggle against Nicola Wealth and the City’s rezoning, joining Unite Here Local 40 at their rally on July 9 at 5 p.m. in front of Vancouver City Hall for affordable housing exposing the city’s bias towards Hotel units.
The building’s rezoning hearing has also been scheduled for July 16, nine months earlier than previously communicated to the collective by Nestwell Tenant Relocation Services.
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