This afternoon at 2pm, COPE: The Coalition of Progressive Electors present a special screening of the widely-acclaimed, award-winning documentary by Teresa Alfeld, Harry Rankin: Legacy of a Radical, as least in part as former City Councillor Tim Louis wrote in a Facebook post yesterday to …
” … celebrate the progressive socialist history of Vancouver City Hall, as championed by Harry Rankin, the most popular civic politician in Vancouver history, the most outspoken political figure in our city’s history, a man who inspired a whole new generation of socialists and activists, including the candidates running with COPE in the 2018 Vancouver civic election.”
Prior to the matinée screening of Harry Rankin: Legacy of a Radical, after the doors of the Rio Theatre open at 1pm, you’ll have an opportunity to interact with COPE’s 2018 candidates for civic office …
-
City Council candidates, Order of Canada recipient and respected anti-poverty activist Jean Swanson (one of the warmest, friendliest people you’d ever want to meet — and you do want to meet Jean, and speak with her, as one of our city’s great listeners and community activists); beloved former COPE School Board trustee and Vancouver City Councillor, Anne Roberts, who will emerge as the ‘can do, get things done’ social conscience of our next City Council; and Derrick O’Keefe, our very own Kshama Sawant, Ben Isitt, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and John Sewell, all wrapped up into the soon-to-be City Councillor, who will become the most beloved political figure in our city and our province when he is elected to Vancouver City Council on Saturday, October 20th;
- School Board trustee candidates Diana Day and Barb Parrott, who don’t view themselves as caretakers of a public education system in Vancouver that, for years, has suffered and continues to suffer economic distress, the two activist School Board candidates in this civic election who will be on the side of children enrolled in our city’s school system, and who will fight for more and better in Vancouver, including the restoration of the band & strings programme, who will fight for better educational outcomes for our indigenous students, more English as Second Language & French Immersion teachers, and more speech pathologists & support staff to meet the needs of Vancouver’s special needs students;
- Park Board candidates, Gwen Giesbrecht and Dr. John Irwin, two of the finest people you’d ever want to meet, longtime advocates for Vancouver’s beleaguered, and woefully underfunded, parks and recreation system, who will fight against a 12-foot-wide asphalt bike path through Kitsilano Beach, and the construction of a destination Olympic pool and hockey rink that would take over the entirety of Kitsilano’s Connaught Park, while shutting down the existing Kitsilano Community Centre and hockey rink, who recognize maintenance, growth and proper funding of our parks and recreation system represents a class issue for many, many families for whom our parks are their back yard, and for whom our community centres are a second home.
Following the screening of the film, a panel discussion will be held from 3:30pm til til 4pm, with panelists and attendees provided with a second opportunity from 4pm til 4:45pm to formally (and informally) meet, interact and question COPE’s candidates for office, and where candidates want to hear what your priorities issues are in the 2018 Vancouver civic election.
The Rio Theatre, southwest corner of Commercial Drive and East Broadway, doors open at 1pm, screening at 2pm, a chance to get out of the rain, and where a good time is guaranteed for all amidst some of the finest people our city has ever produced. Tickets are $10 in advance, or $12 at the door.
