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Two heroes of Vancouver’s left passed away yesterday. Ben Swankey, a lifelong activist, died at age 98. As Georgia Straight editor Charlie Smith wrote last evening, “In 2003, the City of Vancouver turned his 90th birthday into “Ben Swankey day”.
Swankey’s 2008 autobiography, A Prairie Marxist’s Memoir, was edited by Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs. In 2008, Tom Sandborn wrote in The Tyee that Swankey had “worked as a bartender, road construction labourer, organizer, salesman, journalist, editor, author, lecturer and researcher. He helped found an influential civic political group (COPE) in Vancouver. And well into his 80s, he agitated for seniors’ and health care rights.”
To many, Ben Swankey was a hero. He will be missed.
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Activist and teacher Bob Rosen was equally well-loved as Ben Swankey.
Bob Rosen passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 64. As Bill Tieleman wrote in his tribute, “Bob’s music, commitment to the fight for social change and his humanity will be deeply missed.” As recently as last month, I saw and spoke to Bob each day at the 30th annual Vancouver International Film Festival, as we exchanged perspectives on the films we had seen, or planned to see, on any given day. As always, Bob was welcoming, with a warm and kind spirit, and always ready to engage.
I had met and worked with Bob in the 1970s and 80s when I was active in the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Although we were but passing acquaintances, when we ran into each other over the years, we always greeted one another and took time out of our day to talk politics.
At a time when Vancouver’s left appears to be in disarray, particularly following the defeat of the Coalition of Progressive Electors at the polls this past Saturday, Bob Rosen’s and Ben Swankey’s voices will be missed.
