Mayor Roberston’s statement above represents the big lie of Vision politics.
The contest for a Vision Vancouver Park Board nomination proved just as dishonest and lacking in transparency as every policy-oriented decision taken on by the cynical, near imperialist power, Vision political machine, a hard-driving, arrogant, crude, conniving, ruthless, intolerant, and devious municipal administration dedicated to the maintenance of power at all costs.

VanRamblings would also like to believe triumphant New Voices, One Vision campaign organizer Stefan Avlijas, when he wrote to us last week, stating:

I wanted to let you know that in your most recent piece, the trusted source you quote is wrong on several assumptions — from the (New Voices, One Vision) team’s individual strengths and credentials, to a perception of a “fix”. While I’m honoured that my design skills have been mistaken for the polish of an establishment slate, I have to point out factual errors. I guess there is such a thing as being too organized!

For the record, while I eschew identity politics that paints people into corners, I wanted to point out that Coree has been extremely active in the LGBTQ community as a Board member of Out In Sports, and has robust environmental credentials as a biologist with a specific interest in ecological restoration.”

VanRamblings is particularly querulous about Stefan’s Facebook post last evening, when he wrote, “I’m excited to unplug and take some time off after several months on the campaign trail, but I’m feeling exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to show how much campaigns matter.”
VanRamblings would ask how a several month campaign organizing involvement squares with the notion that the “fix” wasn’t in; that doesn’t quite, somehow, jibe with our notion of a fair process for the contest to win a nomination for the party of one’s choice — all of which begs the question, as well, of “Who funded Stefan Avlijas’ involvement in the successful Park Board nomination race for the New Voices, One Vision campaign?”

And how was it that VanRamblings was able to predict in our first tweet on the matter, on June 12th — a full ten days before the Vision nominating meeting — who the eventual winners of the Vision Vancouver Park Board nomination race would be, if in fact the fix wasn’t in, as we wrote subsequently on VanRamblings, and Vision Vancouver hadn’t predetermined that a young diversity | LGBTQ+ | ethnic community friendly slate was necessary to secure the Vision vote this November?

For the record, VanRamblings is not calling into question Stefan Avlijas’ integrity; we both like and respect Stefan, the campaign organizer who, in 2013, was hired by the David Eby Vancouver-Point Grey NDP campaign to get out the student vote (which he did), and who played an integral role — along with COPE’s Sean Antrim, current Eby constituency assistant Gala Milne, defeated Vision Park Board candidate Catherine Evans, community activist Mary Tenny, and David Eby campaign manager, the quite spectacular, ever-wonderful Kate Van Meer-Mass, and a host of volunteers, one of whom was (in the interests of full disclosure) VanRamblings — in securing a David Eby win in the 2013 campaign for provincial elected office.
VanRamblings will publish further background and necessary insight into the (we believe, essentially corrupt) process that led to the overwhelming New Voices, One Vision victory on Sunday evening, and what the New Voices slate win means for Vision Vancouver, and for the electorate, heading into the heart of the 2014 Vancouver civic election campaign.

The COPE Summer Solstice BBQ (and fundraiser) proved to be a great success on Saturday afternoon, raising many thousands of dollars in funds for the upcoming civic election campaign, also providing a comfortable and inviting forum for those COPE members present to discuss COPE Council, Parks and Board of Education policy, as well as the mechanics of an electoral campaign for civic office that all present pledged to devote their entire energies to through until voting day, Saturday, November 15th.
Breaking News: Vision Vancouver Park Board Nominations
The Fix Was In | Vision Vancouver Not An Open Party

Just as VanRamblings predicted last week, the New Voices, One Vision slate trounced those candidates running to secure a spot on the Vision Vancouver Park Board slate — who had not been identified by the party as supplicants to party interests, over the interests of Vancouver citizens who actually give a damn about parks and recreation in our city — to be certain, that would be most of us, although Vision surely doesn’t give a damn.

Vision Vancouver Park Board winners Naveen Girn, Coree Tull, Trish Kelly, Sammie Jo Rumbaua

Trish Kelly was the big winner, securing the most votes at 1,162. Naveen Girn won 1,125, followed by Sammie Jo Rumbaua at 1,029 and Coree Tull at 894. The New Voices, One Vision slate doubled and tripled their closest competitors in the race to secure a nomination for Park Board this autumn.
On Monday, VanRamblings will provide analysis of the Vision Vancouver machine — as we’ve written previously, this nasty crew of backroom fixers and Hollyhock cult followers makes Stephen Harper’s Tories look like Sunday school teachers — and the pre-determining factors that secured a victory, and a hardly fair fight win, for a Vision Park Board candidacy.

“In my five years (working for the city, as the City of Vancouver’s senior administrator) this would certainly be unprecedented to have this volume [of lawsuits] in this short period of time.”
Vancouver City Manager, Dr. Penny Ballem

As CityHallWatch observers have written, the Heather Place rezoning …

… calls for three times the height and density, halves the parking requirements, and reduces the number of affordable housing units from the present 86 units to 52 units. The new Heather Place project would provide 178 units at full market rental rate; the rezoning would also waive approximately $2.5 million in Development Cost Levy fees.

Only Green Party of Vancouver Councillor Adriane Carr voted against the rezoning, noting the loss of affordability (only 22% of units will be subsidized, as opposed to the current 30%), and the much higher market rents that will be charged (e.g. a projected $1968 for a 2-bedroom vs $900 currently being charged for the same Heather Place unit, more than double the current rental rate, tantamount to constructive eviction for tenants).
In addition, Ms. Carr took issue with the proposed 94-foot (28.7meter) height of the building on the northern lot, noting that it fails to conform to the adjacent neighbourhood; questions she asked on the impacts on existing services (given the greater number of residents to be housed in the massive 278-unit rezoned complex) were not answered by city officials — neither were questions pertaining to the costs of the chosen construction form (which is to say, concrete vs. the current wood frame).
Meanwhile, there are 11 other community-based legal actions and injunctions launched against the City of Vancouver and Vision Vancouver members of City Council that have either been resolved, or await adjudication in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

1. On May 21, 2014, the False Creek Resident’s Association filed for judicial review by the Supreme Court of the city’s decisions to grant back-to-back temporary development permits to Concord Pacific for the operation of their sales centre on land zoned for park and recreation. The court petition challenges the city’s ability to allow a property designated for parks to be used for commercial purposes.

2. The Community Association of New Yaletown filed a legal petition at BC Supreme Court to prevent the development, on the downtown city block containing Emery Barnes Park, at Davie and Seymour, of what could become the densest residential building in Vancouver.

3. The Casa Mia rezoning court action. As the Southlands Community website states, “The Casa Mia Heritage Estate, located at 1920 SW Marine Drive, is threatened with precedent-setting rezoning.”

The Southlands community is not opposed to the use of the Casa Mia heritage site for the purposes of a small scale care facility for seniors. Rather the concern arises respecting the proposed large-scale, multi-level development that would encompass a hospital-like, 62 bed seniors care facility that residents believe would detrimentally impact, and significantly change the character of, the surrounding neighbourhood. Residents believe, as well, that the net effect of the proposed construction would serve to “warehouse” seniors, an approach to seniors care that is not only inhumane, but in direct contravention to the policy adopted by Vancouver City Hall’s very own Seniors Advisory Committee. More information may be found here.

4. Manipulation of protected view cones. A notice of civil claim was filed by the Residents Association Mount Pleasant in B.C. Supreme Court on March 4 alleging that the city — without Council debate, public notice, or motion of Council to amend the applicable zoning and development bylaw — significantly narrowed “view cones” that are legally protected. Details may be found in this Straight story.

5. An alleged conflict of interest in the building lease to social media company HootSuite, this suit launched against the City of Vancouver, including Mayor Gregor Robertson. Background to the suit may be found in this Valentine’s Day Vancouver Courier Bob Mackin story.

6. Short Term Incentives for Rental (STIR) and Rental 100, a petition filed by West End Neighbours, that has now been resolved (not in favour of the plaintiff). The legal action sought to quash bylaws that override existing zoning guidelines, violate the Vancouver Charter, and which it was alleged provided excessive incentives to developers.

7. The Hadden Park, 12-foot wide asphalt bike path, since resolved in favour of the plaintiff — there will be no bike path constructed through Hadden Park, nor through the adjacent Kitsilano Beach park. Extensive VanRamblings coverage of the issue may be found here.

8. Community Centre Associations suit against the Park Board and the City of Vancouver, some insight into which may be found here. In the coming days, VanRamblings will provide more extensive coverage of this issue, and an update as to where the parties are, at present, in the long-running, and not soon to be resolved, dispute.

9. Vancouver Not Vegas court challenge to PavCo and Paragon BC Place Casino Plan. Just click on the link above for details.

10. Alleged violation of Canadian Charter of Rights. City worker Milan Kljajic has taken the City of Vancouver to the Human Rights Tribunal, alleging that City of Vancouver managers violated the Charter of Rights by using the city’s code of conduct to muzzle a worker who stepped into a fight for control of the city’s community centres. Mr. Kljajic’s action hopes to reveal that some provisions of the City’s Code of Conduct are unconstitutional. More details on this legal action may be found in the September 29, 2013 Province newspaper story.

11. Alleged conflict of interest pertaining to the Oakridge Centre development. Cedar Party founder Glen Chernen, and nine others, filed a March 7th petition in B.C. Supreme Court asking that a judge disqualify Mayor Gregor Robertson, and his caucus, for failing to disclose a direct or indirect pecuniary conflict of interest. Details of the suit may be found in this Bob Mackin Vancouver Courier story.

As this editorial in The Province states, “Hey, Vision, city hall lawsuit
s are not a sign of happy citizens.” And so it has been written, and recorded.

A couple of days ago, Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) External Chair Tim Louis weighed in on the potential for a COPE-Green Party of Vancouver coalition going into the November 15th civic election.

“For people that are progressive, there is a very clear, very highly organized alternative, and that is COPE and the Vancouver Green Party,” Louis told Straight reporter Travis Lupick. “That (would) not (be) a formal alliance, but … progressive parties putting the best interests of this city ahead of the best interests of their own parties.”

At the time we read Louis’ statement, we thought he must be dreaming in technicolor. Adriane Carr, the sole Green Party of Vancouver Councillor on Vancouver City Council, responded to Louis’ invitation, stating …

“The Greens really span the political spectrum. You can’t peg us down as left or right. We really are ahead of that whole old spectrum. We draw support from a wide range of people, which is why in the last election, the Green Party of Vancouver made a decision to not have an alliance with any other party, to stand as a strong, independent choice for Vancouverites, no matter what other choices they might make.”

Although it pains us to say so, we partially agree with (former?) COPE member, Nicholas Ellan, who commented in the Straight, writing …

Carr is right. In 2011 she didn’t win by being the most popular left-wing politician, she won by being the most credible protest vote, receiving significant support from NPA and Vision voters which allowed her to beat Ellen Woodsworth for the 10th spot.

In 2014, she won’t be re-elected by siding with fringe parties, but rather by continuing to build on her record of credible opposition, open politics, and strong on-the-ground campaigning. She will likely have to beat an NPA candidate for 10th spot this time – no small feat. But if the right is split enough, the NPA incoherent enough, and the pipeline opposition strong enough, then it’s certainly possible that she’ll be returned to office.

At any rate, the whole issue of a COPE-Green Party of Vancouver coalition / ‘co-operative agreement’ is moot.
Last evening, in a special general meeting, Green Party of Vancouver members voted unanimously against participating in a coalition or electoral alliance with any other civic party. As Ms. Carr told VanRamblings, at last evening’s Green Party of Vancouver campaign kick-off event …

“Of course, Green Party of Vancouver members of Council would work together with other elected members of Council in the best interests of the citizens of Vancouver, but as the membership of the party clearly stated earlier this evening, there will be no formal alliance with any other civic party seeking office in the 2014 Vancouver general election.

Another 2014 civic election rumour / COPE wishful thinking put to rest.

Earlier today, VanRamblings met with deposed NPA Vancouver Board of Directors member, Ken Charko. Reasonably, we thought that Mr. Charko might wish to wrap his hands around our throat — we have been kind of mean to him in print, after all, these past couple of days — but he proved as genial and forthcoming as we’ve always found him to be.

“I’m still trying to come to terms with my removal from the NPA’s Board of Directors,” Charko told VanRamblings. “I’m not exactly sure what led to the decision taken by the Board. Fortunately, a great many people have reached out to me to offer support for the work I’d undertaken with the NPA these past couple of years, and my commitment to openness and transparency while sitting as an NPA Board member.”

“On other matters you raised in your column: There was reference made respecting my involvement in releasing to the media confidential information pertaining to NPA Board internal decision-making. I want to assure you, and your readers, that was not ever the case. Further, I want you to know that I have not had, nor will I have, any involvement with Vancouver First as a civic electoral party.

Well, there you go. Make of the statements above what you will — if nothing else, the machinations involved in Mr. Charko’s removal from the NPA’s BoD speaks volumes to the bloody sanguininity with which political parties approach the prospect of undertaking campaigns for office.

Finally, in today’s post covering Vancouver’s civic electoral scene …

Always a salutary event, COPE’s Summer Solstice BBQ provides a ready opportunity to get together with a welcoming and friendly group of civic-minded folks who possess a deep caring and commitment to the livability of our city. Low-income tickets are $5, regular tickets only $20 (although, for those who can afford it, a greater sum is always very much appreciated).
VanRamblings will be present at Saturday’s COPE BBQ, as we were for last evening’s welcoming and wonderfully enlightening (not to mention, friendly and inviting) Green Party of Vancouver campaign kick-off, and as we will be for (almost) all upcoming informal civic electoral campaign events that will occur over the summer months — always a great time to be had by all.