Category Archives: BC Politics

Vancouver Votes 2018 | NPA Choose Their Mayoralty Candidate

June 4, 2018BC Politics, Politics, Vancouver, Vancouver Votes 2018Raymond Tomlin

Novice political candidate Ken Sim Chosen as 2018 NPA Mayoral candidate

Ken Sim, The Once and Forever Saviour | Part 1
Forever Cagey Peter Armstrong Chooses NPA Mayoral Hopeful
Results of the Non-Partisan Association Mayoral nominee contest …

1. Ken Sim: 977 votes;

2. John Coupar: 602 votes;

3. Glen Chernen: 379 votes.

There were 2 spoiled ballots.

Novice political candidate Ken Sim chosen as 2018 NPA Mayoral candidate

Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 5th, VanRamblings will explain what the sub-headlines above mean for the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association, for Vancouver’s progressive parties, and for the voters of Vancouver.
On Tuesday, at the top of the column, we’ll also run newly-chosen Non-Partisan Association Mayoralty candidate Ken Sim’s victory speech.
Today, we’ll post the speeches for the three candidates vying for the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association Mayoral nomination. Order selected alphabetically, by surname, first up: Glen Chernen, who while dressed to the nines gave one of the best speeches we’ve ever heard him give. Not good enough for a victory, nor anything close to it, garnering only 20% of the nearly 2,000 votes cast, chances are Mr. Chernen will get to be the disruptor he wants to be as a Non-Partisan Association candidate for Vancouver City Council, where he’ll shake things in his inimitable fashion.
Introduced by NPA Board of Directors President, Gregory Baker …

3. Glen Chernen ask NPA party members to select him as their Mayoral nominee

Next up was the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association establishment candidate — not necessarily a bad thing, Mr. Coupar our favourite of the three NPA nomination Mayoral nominees, and the only one who spoke about affordable housing, the homeless, a culture policy for the city and support for the arts, and continuing the progressive initiatives undertaken by the current civic administration, while returning services to the people for which monies were either cut or eliminated, as a class issue of prominence for all persons of conscience, proper funding of renewal of our community centres, construction of pools, and ensuring more park space.
VanRamblings apologizes for the shaky camera work in the John Coupar video below. We’ll acquire a tripod soon to ensure steadier recordings of the 2018 municipal candidates for Vancouver civic office, going forward …

John Coupar seeks support from NPA members to become party’s Mayoral nominee

And here he is, the successful, winning candidate for the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association mantle for the party’s 2018 Mayoral nominee, Ken Sim, a novice candidate for political office, but an astute businessman, family man, life long Vancouver resident, who by this time next month will emerge as the single most-informed candidate for Mayor ever, after a series of tutoring sessions by 2014’s NPA Mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe, current Park Board Commissioners and in both cases likely Vancouver City Council candidates, John Coupar and Sarah Kirby-Yung, and a raft of NPA electeds and veteran party political politicos, who will turn Ken Sim into the winningest NPA candidate for Mayor this century.

Businessman Ken Sim emerged as the NPA’s 2018 Mayoral candidate, on June 3rd 2018
See ya back here tomorrow for analysis of what Mr. Sim’s win means.

Vancouver Votes 2018 | Erin Arnold for School Board Trustee

June 3, 2018BC Politics, Politics, Vancouver, Vancouver Votes 2018Raymond Tomlin

Earlier this afternoon, VanRamblings attended the Erin Arnold campaign launch for Vancouver School Board, at Kitsilano’s General Gordon elementary school, where she is a Parent Advisory Committee member, and where her son Keegan attends Grade 5, today’s launch in support of Ms. Arnold’s bid to win a Vision Vancouver nomination for School Board.
At present, there are six candidates seeking a Vision Vancouver nomination for School Board. The nominating meeting to choose Vision’s 2018 candidates for School Board will take place this upcoming Sunday, July 8th.

Erin Arnold | Vision Vancouver campaign launch for School Board trustee

On the front page of Erin Arnold’s campaign website, Ms. Arnold writes …

“I spend a lot of time working on communities, bringing together as many different people with unique voices and experiences to find common ground and make the world a safer, stronger place for all of us.

Since 1998 I have worked for various ministries including Attorney General, Public Safety and Solicitor General, Children and Family Development, and Public Services Agency of BC. I also hold a certificate in complex trauma and child sexual abuse intervention, an undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Care Counselling, and have over 18 years of facilitation, victim services, and trauma based work experience. I have managed multi-year government contracts and assisted in drafting public policy on various progressive issues.

Difficult conversations will need to be navigated at the school board, and new voices will need to be represented. I have waded through many difficult conversations in my professional life, including as a Victim Services Program Manager, Family Services Social Worker, and Foster Home Recruitment Project Manager. Indeed, I’m not one to shy away from the tough conversations and I have a demonstrated ability to make wide changes at the municipal and other levels of government.”

Erin Arnold is Vice-President of David Eby’s Vancouver Point Grey NPD riding association, in addition to her work with the federal Vancouver Quadra NDP riding association. VanRamblings has worked with Ms. Arnold on all three of David Eby’s campaigns for office, where she played a key role, and on Scott Andrews’ 2015 Vancouver Quadra federal NDP campaign for office, where her humanity and people skills shone, where she was a daily inspiring presence, hard working, friendly and well-organized each and every day. To say that we’re over-the-moon with the announcement of Erin’s candidacy for School Board is to dramatically understate the matter.
VanRamblings wholeheartedly endorses Erin Arnold for School Board, as we know her to be an articulate, community-involved advocate for children, a woman of conscience, and a true community advocate and activist.

Support community activist & child advocate, Erin Arnold, for School Board trustee

Vancouver Votes 2018 | June Civic Party Candidate Nominations

May 31, 2018BC Politics, Politics, Vancouver, Vancouver Votes 2018Raymond Tomlin

June is a big month for Vancouver’s civic parties, and all the candidates who are vying for a nomination with One City Vancouver, the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association, the Green Party of Vancouver, Vision Vancouver, COPE, and the good folks who are organizing with TeamJean 2018.
Each of the above named registered Vancouver civic parties will meet in June to select their candidates for City Council, Vancouver School Board, and Vancouver Park Board, with a surfeit of candidates likely to emerge.
Throughout the month of June — and into July, should it become necessary — VanRamblings will report out on the upcoming nomination meetings for each civic party, giving our readers fair notice of each nomination date.

June 3rd | The Vancouver Non-Partisan Association (NPA) Mayoral Nomination

First off the mark in the race to get their nominated candidates chosen is the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association, but not in a conventional sense.

John Coupar, NPA Mayoral nomination candidate introduces himself to party members

This upcoming Sunday, June 3rd, at what is scheduled to be an all-day nominating meeting that will be held at the Hellenic Hall, in the beautiful Arbutus Ridge neighbourhood, the NPA will choose only their party’s 2018 mayoral nominee — a choice between former Cedar Party candidate Glen Chernen; recent Park Board Chair and current Commissioner, the affable John Coupar; and the NPA’s corporate-backed-and-funded candidate for mayor, Ken Sim. The successful mayoral nominee will then set about to choose the team he wishes to run with in the 2018 Vancouver civic election.

Glen Chernen wants to lead the NPA, but says he’s battling ‘forces’ within the party

Democracy, thy name is not the Vancouver Non-Partisan Association.

Vancouver entrepreneur Ken Sim introduces introduces himself to party members

Vancouver Non-Partisan Association Board of Directors President, Gregory Baker — despite our being somewhat snarky above — weighs in kindly with the correct information in respect of the voting for the party’s mayoral nomination, with voting to get underway at 10am, and closing at 8pm.
For the record: members of the NPA, past and present, and their elected contingent represent as a group some of the most compassionate, heartful persons of conscience and integrity we have run across in civic life — we remain grateful every day for their humanity, community spirit, ‘can do’ spirit and attitude, and their commitment to making life better for all of us.

Speeches begin at 6pm, ~~with voting taking place immediately afterwards~~. Please note the correction above, from 2014 NPA mayoral candidate, Kirk LaPointe, and current NPA Board of Directors President, Gregory Baker.
The three NPA mayoral candidates have reportedly signed up in excess of 3,000 new members, with each candidate hoping and praying their supporters turn up for the vote. That’s unlikely, though — attendees at Sunday’s nomination meeting can reasonably expect many fewer that 1,000 party members to arrive to cast their ballot; it’s just a fact of life.
VanRamblings will be present for the NPA’s mayoral nomination meeting, and will report out online throughout the afternoon, and into the evening.

Vancouver Votes 2018 | Pete Fry for Vancouver City Council

May 30, 2018BC Politics, Politics, Vancouver, Vancouver Votes 2018Raymond Tomlin

Although the video above was made for the purposes of last autumn’s City of Vancouver by-election, to fill a vacant seat on Vancouver City Council, the Green Party of Vancouver’s Pete Fry will once again be throwing his hat into the ring for the 2018 City of Vancouver civic election, his candidacy to be confirmed at a Special General Meeting of the party that will be held on Wednesday, June 27th, at 6:30pm, in the Heritage Hall, at 15th and Main.
Pete Fry is a city builder; a longtime, effective community activist who has worked closely with the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods; a democrat; wildly intelligent and passionate about the city, and probably more knowledgeable about city issues than any other candidate putting their name forward in the 2018 City of Vancouver municipal election.

Wherever you stand across the political spectrum, know one thing: as a passionate advocate for our city, as someone who listens and then acts on your concerns, and in the best interests of those with whom he comes into contact, who has committed to answering every telephone call, responding to every e-mail and snail mail that comes across his desk, while meeting regularly with constituents in community meetings across the city, you must save a vote for Pete Fry when it comes time to cast your civic ballot, at the advance polls, or on election day, Saturday, October 20th.
Pete Fry on the Issues

Here’s where Pete Fry stands on some issues of the day, of ongoing and long concern to Vancouver voters. You’ll want to click on the links below.

Pete Fry on the loophole in the BC NDP’s finance reform legislation;
Pete Fry on the development at 105 Keefer, in historic Chinatown;
Pete Fry on foreign investment in our real estate market; and renter tax credits;
Pete Fry on the viaducts removal, and Vancouver’s eastern expansion;
Pete Fry on Vancouver’s housing crisis as a failure of government;
Pete Fry on tackling the roots of Vancouver’s housing affordability crisis;
Pete Fry on building a better city, one Vancouver neighborhood at a time;
Pete Fry on his run for Vancouver City Council, and why to vote for him.

On Friday, June 8th, from 6pm til 9pm at the Performing Arts Lodge, located at 581 Cardero Street, just north of Georgia Street (and very easy to find), the Green Party of Vancouver will host a meet and greet with their 2018 candidates for office, where Mr. Fry will be present. You’ll want to attend: the food is always great, the company & camaraderie even better.
Get involved. Meet the candidates. We look forward to seeing you there!
Remember, though: save a vote for Pete Fry in Vancouver’s 2018 municipal election for Vancouver City Council. You’ll be glad you did.