Category Archives: Park Board

#VanPoli | Movements Build Slowly, Inexorably

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Vancouver’s West End in the 1960s, a comfortable family neighbourhood next to Stanley Park

In the 1960s, when Vancouver was still very much a village rather than the thriving metropolis we know it to be today, in those near soporific, pre-movement times, rare was the occasion when the citizens of our fine city got up on their hind legs to protest the status quo or what seemed like the inevitable, as wealthy old men of circumstance wrought change unchallenged, untrammelled by reflection.


Tom ‘Not So Terrific’ Campbell, controversial Vancouver Mayor, in office from 1966 to 1972

Such was the case in 1971, when Vancouver Mayor Tom Campbell and his Non-Partisan Association Council cohorts decided that the time had come to develop the Coal Harbour site at the entrance to Stanley Park, cherished green space of long duration, but not much longer if Mr. Campbell — and the provincial government, led by 17-years-in-power Socred Premier W.A.C. Bennett — had their way.

The Coal Harbour site, owned by Harbour Park Developments, a politically connected local group with strong ties to the Non-Partisan Association, developer Tom Campbell — who in 1966 ran for Mayor as an independent, and won — and the Socred government, first unveiled their development plans in 1965.

The Four Seasons Hotel chain came forward in 1965 with a $40-million development plan on the Coal Harbour waterfront. The initial plan would house 3,000 people in three 30-storey buildings, including a 13-storey hotel and townhouses.

Over time, the development plan was expanded into an unheard of at the time $55-million massive multi-tower plan, with 15 apartment towers, ranging from 15 to 31 storeys set to be constructed on the then green space, a veritable high-rise forest along the Georgia Street causeway entrance to Stanley Park.

As you might well expect, the massive tower development plan for the 14-acre Coal Harbour waterfront site turned into a contentious issue that lasted for years and years, causing increasing numbers of people to rise up in adversarial opposition. The public wanted the site preserved as green space. Developers, Tom Campbell, the Non-Partisan Association, and the Social Credit government had other ideas.

Each week, for years, the community rose up in high dudgeon.

After all, the West End at the time was a single family dwelling neighbourhood, the tallest structure in Vancouver was the Marine Building on Burrard Street.

In 1966, each weekend for the first couple of months, a rag tag group of community activists — who came to include a young storefront lawyer, Mike Harcourt, and Darlene Marzari, an employee of the City — protested on the deserted site. Over time, their numbers grew to five hundred, and then a thousand, rising up in protest and stark and strident opposition to development plans for the cherished green space.


Vancouver City Councillor and then Mayor, Art Phillips; Councillors Walter Hardwick and Harry Rankin

In 1968, a reform-minded Art Phillips and his friend, Walter Hardwick — an Urban Planning professor at UBC, and a community leader whose work would come to shape the city and Metro Vancouver region — ran for Vancouver City Council under the banner of a civic party they had created, The Electors’ Action Movement (TEAM), securing two seats on City Council, joining a young lawyer by the name of Harry Rankin, who had been elected to Council in 1966, sitting in sole opposition to the developer-friendly Non-Partisan Association City Council of the day.

Throughout their campaign for office in 1968, both Art Phillips and Dr. Hardwick stated their clear opposition to the Harbour Parks Development / Four Seasons plan for the green space at the entrance to Stanley Park, standing with the community, and with Vancouver City Councillor Harry Rankin. Would community opposition to the Coal Harbour development plan, in ever increasing numbers, carry the day?

Only the continued opposition of Vancouver citizens could and would tell the tale.


A model of the Harbour Park Developments proposal for the entrance to Stanley Park. The $55-million development would have constructed 15 high-rise towers. Photo: Selwyn Pullan / PostMedia

By the early spring of 1971, hundreds of community activists gathered each weekend on the Coal Harbour site at the entrance to Stanley Park, in protest.


June 7, 1971. All Seasons Park after squatters reclaimed the site. Photo credit: Vancouver Sun

On May 29th, 1971, seventy community activists (hippies they were called by the press) took matters into their own hands, ripping down a fence surrounding the site, storming onto the Coal Harbour waterfront site to plant maple trees, setting up a camp of tents and ramshackle huts, the protest squat sustaining for a year, each subsequent weekend joined by hundreds and hundreds of concerned, mostly young, Vancouver citizens, at what was now called All Seasons Park.


September 23, 1971. An A-frame squatter’s shack in All Seasons Park. Photo: Ross Kenward / PostMedia

In early 1972, bowing to public pressure, a combative Tom Campbell announced there would be a plebiscite on the Four Seasons development, but that only property owners could vote.

This was roundly denounced at a public meeting on June 21, when urban planner Setty Pendakur dubbed the project “the biggest abortion in the history of development in Canada.” Pendakur said the development would create traffic chaos at the entrance to Stanley Park, that Council was confusing people with its plebiscite.

Property owners voted to reject the Four Seasons proposal by 51%. Then the federal government stepped in. On February 10, 1972, Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s government killed the proposal by withholding the transfer of a crucial water lot.


1972.  Alderman Harry Rankin talking to activists at All Seasons Park. Photo: Gord Croucher / PostMedia

With a new Mayor and majority progressive T.E.A.M. (The Electors’ Action Movement) Council voted into office in 1972 by a public eager for change, led by Mayor Art Phillips, with Walter Hardwick, Darlene Marzari, Mike Harcourt and Setty Pendakur securing seats on, perhaps, Vancouver’s most progressive Council ever, in November 1973, the City of Vancouver bought the entire site for $6.4 million.

The green space at the entrance to Stanley Park is now known as Devonian Harbour Park, but for some of us, it will always be All Seasons Park.

Some historical source material for this article provided by Vancouver Sun reporter John Mackie.

There is a correlation to be drawn between the movement leading to the defeat years ago of the Harbour Park Development project at the entrance to Stanley Park — championed by the City Council of the day — and the movement opposition of, now, 200 informed citizens (and more) who gathered at City Hall two weeks ago, and again this past Monday evening to state their opposition to the initiative of the Ken Sim-led ABC Vancouver City Council to eliminate Vancouver’s cherished, 135-year-old, independent and elected Board of Parks and Recreation.

Movements start off small, with generally only a few of our better informed citizens coming to the fore to state their opposition.

As time passes, more of our citizens become informed, inform themselves, taking the power to change for the better into their own hands, to rise up for the better, to work in common cause with friends and neighbours who share their concern to, in time, elect a more democratically-minded local government committed to the livability of our beloved city.

#SaveOurParkBoard | A Preservation Conversation

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On Monday evening, February 12th, 2024, approximately 100 citizens tried-and-true, almost to a person strong advocates for the preservation of Vancouver’s cherished 135-year-old independent, elected Vancouver Park Board met together.

Why do we say almost to a person?

Because at meeting’s outset, a group of “concerned citizens” were present, who did their best to hijack the meeting, to push their agenda that take our present Park Board to task for failing to “save the trees in Stanley Park.” A righteous cause, for sure (or, perhaps not) but not the reason why the 100, or so, people meeting in the Hillcrest Community Centre gym on Monday evening had gathered together in common cause, which is to say: save Vancouver’s much cherished and beloved 135-year-old independent, elected Board of Parks and Recreation.

The video above pretty much presents the highlights of Monday night’s phenomenally moving meeting of a sterling group of Vancouver’s finest, most activist citizens, persons possessed of uncommon wit and intelligence, heart and conscience, committed to a social democracy that champions the community, the hope of our present and our future, folks who could just as easily stayed at home, but instead gathered in common cause to work together to preserve our elected Park Board.

Terri Clark, in charge of Park Board communications from 1973-2008, was present, as was Erin Shum, a past Park Board Commissioner (and one of our very favourites), in the city, traveling from her home in the Okanagan, and Jerry Fast, the President of the Kitsilano Community Centre — to whom we owe a thousand apologies — as well as former Killarney Community Centre President Ainslee Kwan (another one of our very favourites), and someone who we’ve been asked not to write about — cuz she’s in the employ of the City, and no one, we mean no one (except maybe a dastardly few in the administration and employ of Mayor Ken Sim … hey, it’s politics, and the current folks at City Hall, like many folks in past civic administrations, play hard ball) wants to see this fine woman of character, intelligence and passion for our city have her employment with the City jeopardized.

Of course, Scott Jensen — current Vice-Chair of Park Board — was present.

One wonders if Mr. Jensen ever thought for a moment — when a couple of years back, then ABC Vancouver candidate for Mayor Ken Sim asked him to run for Vancouver Park Board on his party’s slate — whether a couple of years on he’d find himself in the midst of a trying political maelstrom that rather than lead to an enhanced quality of life instead has changed his focus, such that too much of his energy is being directed away from his family, his satisfying career of contribution as an educator, and his very important work as a Park Board Commissioner.

Still, as a nascent #SaveOurParkBoard movement begins to burgeon, how can one not take heart that we are together a small but sturdy group of activists working collectively in common cause, part of a salutary movement for the ages in our little burgh by the sea, destined to be recorded in the history books as a grassroots democratic movement the likes of which we’ve not seen in Vancouver in decades.

Fills one with hope for a better, more democratic and more community-minded city.

#VanPoli | Ken Sim | Swagger | Bullying, Misogyny & Hubris | Pt. 1

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ABC Vancouver Mayor, Ken Sim

What is it with men who lack humility, intellectual heft, or have little character and no experience, and their unwholesome mistreatment of women?

In the case of Mayor Ken Sim, perhaps there is a partial answer to the multiple questions above, deriving from Mr. Sim’s use of the word “swagger”.

Social media response to former Park Board Chairperson, Anita Romaniuk

A Definition of Swagger

Pompous, arrogant, boastful. An insolent braggart, and from the definition of insolent:  disrespectful, rude, insulting in manner and speech, and deviant.

Swagger. Think: that jerk on the beach in a too small swimsuit who believes he’s God’s gift to women, who moves with a near drunken stagger, on the prowl for a victim of his all-too-visible misogyny and disdain for women, a man who is lacking in fidelity of purpose, and a little man devoid of empathy, and humanity.


Mayor Ken Sim, the next time he uses the word swagger, think: misogynist, arrogant, pompous, lacking in character, intellect and empathy, boastful, braggart, rude, scornful, with no conscience.

Under the current provincial Police Act, the Mayor of Vancouver upon election becomes the de facto Chairperson of the Vancouver Police Board.

Faye Wightman led several high-profile agencies before Solicitor General Mike Farnworth appointed Ms. Wightman, a well-respected and accomplished member of our community, to the Vancouver Police Board, in September 2020.

In past years, dating back to 1990, Ms. Wightman served as CEO of the Vancouver Foundation, CEO of B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation, vice-president of the University of Victoria, Board Chair of Inspire Health, and interim CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, appointed as a B.C. Housing Commissioner, and Coast Capital Savings Executive Director.

“The Vancouver Police Board is guided by the values of independence, fairness, objectivity and accountability in all that it does,” Faye Wightman wrote in a statement she issued last week, following her resignation from the Police Board. “I believe Police Board Chair Ken Sim, and certain directors of the Board have lost sight of these key values, and I resigned.”

Faye Wightman’s departure comes less than a year after Police Board member Rachel Roy resigned in June 2023. Stephanie Johanssen also lost her job as Executive Director in November 2022, after serving three years and seven months in the role. Note should be made that Ms. Johanssen’s departure came the same month Mr. Sim and his ABC Vancouver majority Council were sworn into office.


From Mike Howell’s Glacier Media story: “The Vancouver Police Board won’t say why its Executive Director Stephanie Johanssen (far right) is no longer on the job.” File photo Mike Howell.

In a follow-up interview with Glacier Media’s Mike Howell, Ms. Wightman states …

“If the Board is comprised of directors who have a professional reliance on the City of Vancouver for funding, or on maintaining a positive relationship with the Mayor, who also chairs the Police Board, then their objectivity is compromised,” Ms. Wightman said in her statement.

“That is the case with two of our directors at the [police board] and it was becoming clear they were in a position of conflict.”

Ms. Wightman also named Trevor Ford, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, when asked about her allegation of interference from Mayor Ken Sim’s staff.

“[Trevor Ford] came to an in-camera meeting, he phoned and directed Board members to fire the Executive Director,” Ms. Wightman alleged in the interview.

“He sat in on one-on-one meetings that the Mayor had with individual Board members. If that’s not political interference, I’m not sure what is.”

Vancouver Police Board Executive Director Stephanie Johanssen,  Board member Rachel Roy and now Faye Wightman, who has stated that “Ken Sim, from the outset and throughout our tenure together on the Police Board repeatedly asked for my resignation.”

Gone.

Harassment of Ms. Wightman? Political inference from the Mayor’s Chief  of Staff in the firing of Police Board Executive Director, Stephanie Johannsen?

VanRamblings, in reading Ms. Wightman’s statement, believes so, yes.

Readers. Do you notice a pattern?

Could it be that Mayor Ken Sim demanded the resignation of the three strong women of accomplishment written about above because Vancouver’s current Mayor finds strong women of character, integrity and accomplishment threatening, and as such they must be excised from his circle of influence?

Not to worry, though.

Although B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has been uncharacteristically silent following the resignation of Ms. Wightman as his chosen appointee to the Vancouver Police Board, fear not …

Premier David Eby in his GlobalBC interview on Police Act reforms, states …

“I understand there’s some concern in Vancouver right now. The reforms (to the Police Act) are clearly needed. We’ll be working with local governments, and with police and the public in terms of the changes that are coming forward. The Solicitor General’s office is working on it right now.”

GlobalBC reporter Catherine Urquhart ends her report, stating …

“Legislation changing the Police Act to remove Mayors from police boards is expected to come as early as the spring session.”


British Columbia Solicitor General Mike Farnworth keeping his powder dry. Buh-bye, Mayor Ken Sim.

Solicitor General Farnworth’s silence thus far = revenge is a dish best served cold.

#VanPoli | The Parlous State of Politics in Our Little Burgh by the Sea

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Sam Sullivan, one-term Mayor of Vancouver, 2005 – 2008

On Friday, June 29, 2006, without prior notice, Non-Partisan Association Mayor of Vancouver Sam Sullivan fired all the members of the Board of Variance.

The announcement firing all five members of the Board was made late on the Friday afternoon, in a press release emanating from the Mayor’s office.

The decision to fire the five members of the Board of Variance was contrary to the advice of former Non-Partisan Association Councillor George Puil, who the Mayor and NPA Councillor Peter Ladner had called in to “investigate” the Board, with Mr. Puil reporting back following his exhaustive six month investigation of the Board.

In his report to the Mayor and Councillor Ladner, Mr. Puil told Mayor Sam Sullivan and Councillor Peter Ladner that he had found no wrong-doing on the part of the Board of Variance members and, in fact, in his discussion with dozens of citizens of the community who had appeared before the Board with their appeal of a decision of the City of Vancouver’s Development Services and Planning Departments — citizens ranging from homeowners and members of the community, to developers — they had found the Board to be a fair and thoughftul body, adjudicating the appeals that were brought before the Board with a seriousness of purpose and intent.

Mr. Puil strongly advised Mayor Sullivan and Mr. Ladner against firing the Board.

“Let them finish out their term,” Mr. Puil advised. “The terms of Board members Terry Martin and Jan Pierce will end later this year or early next, with Raymond Tomlin’s term to be completed not too long after, with Quincey Kirschner and Tony Tang’s tenure on the Board to be completed before the next election.

Allow the current members of the Board of Variance to finish out their terms,” Mr. Puil intoned, “and replace them with stalwart members of the NPA to three-year terms on the Board, and should Vision Vancouver gain victory at the polls in 2008, our people will be in place on the Board, which means, we win.“


Peter Ladner, Non-Partisan Association Vancouver City Councillor, 2008, NPA Mayoralty candidate

NPA Councillor Peter Ladner maintained the members of the Board were fired because they had “refused to bring legal and administrative spending under control,” to which accusation fired Board Chairperson Terry Martin responded …

“Legal and administrative fees were never discussed with city officials. In fact, the Board had cut its administrative costs by $8,500,” said Mr. Martin, in an interview with CBC Vancouver.

At 6pm on the Friday evening, each of four of the members of the Board of Variance — Terry Martin, Jan Pierce, Raymond Tomlin and Tony Tang — received a hand-delivered letter from the City advising them of the termination of their work on the City’s Board of Variance. Board member Quincey Kirschner (pictured above), 27, had moved recently, and did not receive the letter of termination. Ms. Kirschner was otherwise unavailable on the Friday night. Raymond Tomlin was assigned the task of calling Ms. Kirschner on Saturday morning to advise her of the termination of her work on the Board of Variance.

When contacted on the Saturday morning at 9 a.m., still in bed and groggy, after a night out on the town, Ms. Kirschner was informed by Mr. Tomlin of her “sacking” (as it was referred to in the press).

Ms. Kirschner cried for an extended period of time, and was inconsolable.

Ms. Kirschner had poured her life blood, her passion, her integrity and immense dedication into her work on Vancouver’s Board of Variance, following her appointment as a Board member in late 2005, spending hours each week pouring over the six-inch thick binders Board members received each Thursday or Friday afternoon, and informing herself of the intricacies of development, planning, zoning and community consultation on planning and development and decisions.

Background and history. In the 1950s, by an order of the U.S. and Canadian Supreme Courts, Boards of Variance were created in all communities across the North American continent, communites with 10,000 or more citizens, as independent, lay bodies, protective of and advocates for the community interest, these lay bodies responsible for overseeing all development in the city that did not conform with City zoning bylaws, or in the case of new construction were overheight, lacked the property frontage, where shadowing impinged on a neighbour’s property, or were not otherwise outright approvals of the City’s Planning and Development Services departments — ranging from simple home renovations, to the construction of high-rise towers in their communities, the Board of Variance responsible for hearing appeals from the public on all such related matters.

The arrogance displayed by Mayor Sam Sullivan in his unprecented firing of the members of the Board of Variance, and other matters of misjudgment eventually led to internal dissension in the majority Non-Partisan Association caucus on Vancouver City Council, which in 2008 resulted in Mr. Sullivan being denied the opportunity  to run for re-election that year. Councillor Peter Ladner was chosen as the Non-Partisan Association Mayoral candidate, instead, in 2008.

On November 15, 2008, the Non-Partisan Association was all but wiped out at the polls, losing the Mayor’s chair and four seats on Council, losing to novice Vision Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson by nearly 20,000 votes, Vision Vancouver securing seven Council seats, giving the party a “super majority” on Vancouver City Council, allowing them to pass budgets and conduct the affairs of government without input from the three-member (two COPE, David Cadman, and Ellen Woodsworth; one NPA, Suzanne Anton) opposition on Vancouver City Council.

There is a correlation between one-term Non-Partisan Association Mayor Sam Sullivan, and current and certain-to-be one -term ABC Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, a topic VanRamblings will explore in depth this upcoming Monday, February 12th.