Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally the time when civic election campaigns in Vancouver really get underway. This year, things got rolling a little earlier, with the NPA starting its campaign in early September, and Vision and COPE upping their activity level last weekend.
My colleague Ian Bailey and I took a look at what both campaigns are doing. As political junkies know, every campaign tries to tell one big story to voters and drive them to the ballot box with one question is their heads. It can be: Who will fix the mess in the Downtown Eastside? or Who will make me feel like they really care about my city? or Is this person really qualified to lead?
On the Vision side, the message is going to be, as Ian writes, targeted to affordable housing, homelessness, transit and (subtext) electing Vision again to avoid another 180-degree turnaround at city hall for the fourth election in a row.
On the NPA side, the message has to be, as several former NPA strategists told me, about Gregor’s ability to lead. Vision will make hay of this, saying that the NPA is only conducting a negative campaign. But everyone I talked to said the party has no choice.
It’s behind. Mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton has low name recognition. And Vision hasn’t faced a persistent months-long scandal. Some definite bumps, not no Montreal-style computer-contract mess or Toronto-style civic strike that had garbage piled on the streets for months.
(Oh, and all the NPA gung-ho campaigning in neighbourhoods all summer? I again asked people both right and left about the impact of this? Zilch, they all said. But it’s a good way to rub some of the rough edges off the newer candidates and keep their spirits and momentum up, as they fan out in teams across the city.)
There is still a long way to go: five weeks, which is an eternity in election cycles. The public is just starting to wake up and pay attention. The heavy artillery will only start to come out later in October and November.
I will bet that there will be embarrassing information that somehow makes its way out about some of the new candidates running. The oppo researchers have been busy for weeks already.
And I also would not be surprised if brown envelopes with damaging information to Vision make their way to reporters. Those could provide the biggest bombs of the campaign.
Vision has created an awful lot of aliented and resentful staffers as they’ve remade city hall. As reporters know, there’s nothing that is more likely to create the conditions for a leak than a lot of disguntled employees who think there’s something wrong being done in an institution they’re normally loyal to. Watergate was the best example of that. The FBI thought the White House and CIA were up to no good and it was one of their main guys who was the source.
That’s a dramatic and extreme example, but we in the media see this all the time in smaller stories. (Think about the leaks from the police department in the days following the riots about lack of staffing and planning.)
It sounds as though Vision has prepared for this because I hear from a couple of credible sources that there’s a lot of shredding going on at city hall these days.
I’m not sure what damaging information there might be inside city hall. But it doesn’t even have to be that bad for it to have an impact. Release it at the right moment, with the right spin, and it will get us MSM reporters all wound up and, if timed correctly, with not enough reporting leeway to figure out what it all means.
49 responses so far ↓
1 No choices // Oct 8, 2011 at 1:33 pm
So I’ve read most of the blogs and this one really stood out for me and made me shake my head. I think Vision is a shoe in because the NPA picked a flip flop leader with two stances on every posistion. I’ll stay home this year
Alex T… can’t spell it
http://alexgtsakumis.com/2011/10/05/exclusive-the-npa-campaign-on-life-support-anton-on-both-sides-of-every-issue-klassen-back-biting-running-mates-traditional-supporters-staying-home-with-their-wallets/
2 Everyman // Oct 8, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Frances, I’m not really sure how you could say Anton has no name recognition, when your own story from a year ago on a Justason poll shows that hypothetically naming her as the NPA mayoral candidiate closed the gap with Vision from 15 to 3 % points?
http://francesbula.com/2011-vancouver-civic-election/another-day-another-poll-a-jump-in-disapproval-for-mayor-gregor-robertson/
Given she outpolled even the well known NPA mayoralty candidate in 2008, topped the council polls in 2005 and the claim that she has low name recognition don’t seem to hold up. Add to that the fact that those who are likely to vote are probably much more aware than the random phone poll.
3 Glissando Remmy // Oct 8, 2011 at 2:27 pm
The Thought Of The Day
‘In regione caecorum rex est luscus!’
From Adagia (III, IV, 96) – Desiderius Erasmus
…
‘In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!’
Let me be your one-eyed man for a moment…
‘And Vision hasn’t faced a persistent months-long scandal.’
Say again? I may be blind in one eye but you guys are also deaf in both ears!
Some of you Vision apparatchik are more privy to the #OccupyWallStreet & Then #OccupyWhateverVancouver trend, than to the one item that has been on this city’s agenda for more than three months… say, #Robertson’sRiot!
My point exactly!
But don’t you get inconvenienced by such a little boo-boo, worth say, what… 1$Billion dollars in damages… for the city, that Vision was supposed to…(drum-rolls inserted here) administer LOL!
I can’t believe it!
I wrote ‘Vision’ and ‘administer’ in the same sentence…
As for the Mayor Gregor, geee, what’s not to like A-Boot? After playing hide and seek with media better than Waldo, he comes up with this terrific cheer-leading type lingo of ‘‘Not a slam dunk’ , something that a high school-er may use in order to be accepted by his pot smoking peers.
Some people inside city hall are shredding sensitive stuff, you’re saying?
Wiping the door knobs clean for fingerprints? Bleaching the blood stains from the carpets? Booking The Cooks OR Cooking The Books?
We are way beyond hearsay, authentication, admissibility, reasonable doubt, and clear and convincing evidence.
No need to look for it.
Exhibits One & Two … Ballem and Aufochs, (and only Lucifer knows how many other implants are there) are THE walking proof.
Even a One-Eyed Man like myself can see that.
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
PS.
For more Intel try the real Vision 2011 Sightseeing Tour here:
http://twitter.com/#!/glissandoremmy
Enjoy!
4 Frances Bula // Oct 8, 2011 at 6:11 pm
@Everyman. I am not the one saying she has poor name recognition. (I’m a reporter, remember? I don’t make these kinds of statements unless I can observe it with my own eyes or people who are more knowledgeable than me tell me so.) Her own campaign team says that. If you look at a story I did earlier, you’ll hear Norm Stowe saying their biggest challenge is to boost her name recognition. I talked to the people who have been doing the polling and they also confirm that, in recent polls, Suzanne’s name is not well enough known for people to have any kind of opinion at all in about half the cases.
As she gets better known, her positives are increasing, but, as a very smart campaigner once told me, “You never lose a campaign. You just run out of time.”
We all know who she is because we’re into civic politics. But the sad truth is that two-thirds of people do not vote in every election, largely because they don’t know who the candidates or why they should care. That’s the challenge for both sides.
5 brilliant // Oct 8, 2011 at 6:57 pm
No Choices Alex Tsakumis sometimes raises good points and can be very entertaining but he comes at things with pretty strong biases. Take it with a grain of salt.
6 Bobbie Bees // Oct 8, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Glissando, for me the NPA will always remind me of “Sam’s strike”, you know, the strike we actually didn’t need to have. The strike where Sam wanted to prove that he had balls as big a Buicks and was going to single handedly teach the unions who wore the pants at city hall. Too bad all of the other municipalities in the GVRD were settling contract negotiations with their respective unions.
Then there’s “Sam the drug buying man”.
Bzzzzzttt.
Then there’s the James Green / Jim Green deal where some guy named James Green comes out from nowhere to run in a civic election. Somehow Sammy found it is his heart to talk to the landlord at Plaza of Nations when James was having trouble with his rent.
New Years Eve 1999/2000 “No Fun City”
The NPA infighting and self destruction.
And the list goes on and on.
7 Everyman // Oct 8, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Sorry Frances, poor choice of words on my part. I meant the findings reported on seem to be at odds with the earlier Justason poll and with past election results.
Over the past week I’ve seen Suzanne Anton on the nightly news and heard her commercials on News1130 several times, so I suspect that recognition gap will close quickly for voters. Whether it is in time or not, we’ll see.
8 Jason // Oct 8, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Bobbie et al…stop labeling this NPA team with things previous NPA mayor did. Completely new team in every way. I find it curious that you don’t hear people on the NPA side ever bring up past Vision administrations…why? Because each team is new and brings a completely different perspective….focus on this election and these issues…they are the only ones relevant.
Frances…you don’t feel candidates taking part in community events have an affect? Really? It maybe the only time many citizens end up interacting with candidates…just like going door to door, it introduces candidates to voters and I believe impacts perception of parties/candidates to a large degree.
And I hope to see discussion of disgruntled city hall workers and watergate comparison in one of your columns…as most to date seem to go incredibly easy on Vision when compared to those you’ve written about the NPA
9 Frances Bula // Oct 8, 2011 at 8:31 pm
@Jason. Do you guys not understand the way reporting operates? I am telling you WHAT NPA STRATEGISTS are telling me. I have no idea at all whether door-knocking/mainstreeting helps.
10 Frances Bula // Oct 8, 2011 at 8:35 pm
@Everyman. Yes, getting her name recognition up is the main focus of the campaign and I’m sure it’s going up. But it is true that it takes a phenomenal amount of repetition to impact public consciousness. My whole career, I’ve been taken aback more than once by people who say to me, “Why don’t you ever write about X or Y issue?” when I’ve done dozens of stories on it. (Or students who ask me, just after I’ve said something about four times in the space of two hours, to explain it again.)
It just takes a lot to get through to the 90 per cent who don’t pay attention the way we do. The most deceptive thing for candidates is to imagine, because their name has been mentioned three or four times in media, that they are now “known.”
11 sv // Oct 8, 2011 at 8:46 pm
To put both your points together Jason the some NPA candidates showed up at the “This is Strathcona” event a couple of Sundays ago much to the amusement of a great deal of long term residents who had quite a chuckle about the NPA’s sudden concern for the neighbourhood.
While you’re technically right that the NPA team changed the brand hasn’t. I’d suggest it’s hard for some to forget the perception that their neighbourhoods didn’t matter to those in charge. And as great as Gordon Price was(and is!)it will be a long time before some have any time for the party that brought us George Puil.
12 Bobbie Bees // Oct 8, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Jason, as good as your intentions may be, the other thing that scares me away from voting for the NPA is Suzanne’s wishy-washy stance on the bike lanes. Like it or not, if we are to keep Vancouver a livable city, we need some serious movement on alternative transport. Having years of consultations and focus study groups isn’t the way forward.
We had a perfect solution for running street cars or LRT out to Richmond. Which party was in power when the creme de la creme scuttled the plan simply because our doctors and lawyers are simply to good to have the unwashed masses mass transiting through their neck of the woods?
And now Suzanne has discovered street cars?
Sorry, but the NPA to me equates “No Proletarian Allowed”
13 Max // Oct 8, 2011 at 9:38 pm
@sv:
Just curious, what has Vision done for Strathcona as of late? (or early, for that matter?)
From what I see Vision is promising housing -affordability, homelessness, transit -pretty much everything they promised in 2008 and didn’t deliver on….
But we have back yard chickens, 450 garden plots, wheat fields in place of front lawns and what else exactly – oh, yes, bike lanes….
Homelessness is up 12%; they instituted the STIR plan for big developers, because it is certainly not for the people; they have brought about no new social housing units; the drastically underestimated the riot, the bike lanes came in at higher costs that quoted to the public; the Mayor has redecorated his office – twice and to the tune of $1+ Million..; they worked with the Chinese government on drafting a protest bylaw for CANADIANS and now, I see they are working on dividing every section of Vancouver into some `town`of sorts – in order to get immigrant votes. (most refer to it as pandering)
So tell me, what has Vision done that is so fabulous….
14 bc bud // Oct 8, 2011 at 10:10 pm
a couple nights back, Robertson attracts 800 to a fundraiser, 1,000 attend the COPE nominating meeting a few weeks back compared to 100 diehard stragglers that bothered to show up to the NPA AGM last month … if these numbers reflect party strength and are translated into campaign volunteers to pull the vote on election day, the NPA will be steamrollered into oblivion …
15 Silly Season // Oct 8, 2011 at 11:07 pm
I love underdogs.
Or the appearance of same.
16 Glissando Remmy // Oct 9, 2011 at 12:22 am
The Though of The Night
‘Based on their record, in general, politicians need to be changed as often as diapers. And in the majority of cases for the same reasons.”
You don’t want a Putin – Medvedev castling (as in the King – Rook move in Chess) in Vancouver Bobbie Bees… then you better change them every term. Change is the better alternative versus the danger of having them (Vision) take over of every ounce of city bureaucracy and then administer the city according to the Solomonic scriptures. Enough!
The Vision team and their Excuse for a Mayor have proven to be one of the most vicious, vindictive group of elected politicians that ever step foot inside that hall. Nepotism, cronyism and incompetence are Vision TM.
COPE have signed a pact with the S-Team. they said they signed it in ink, but gossip inside the Hall says that it’s actually Type O.
For forcing another Party – COPE (apparently independent of Vision and with their own following) to sign a gag order, to accept a reduced number of candidates, and have no candidate for Mayor… says a lot. It is unacceptable, because it is undemocratic. It is plain and simple blackmailing at its finest.
That’s why they lost Cadman, which BTW is the best example of falling on your own sword, considering that he was one of the cheer-uppers of this demonic pact.
I was a COPE member right now I would rather stay home on the voting day or vote for an independent.
And Bobbie Bee, one more thing, and I want you to read this carefully… again:
“I never was, am or will ever be a member of NPA, VISION, COPE, NDP, BC LIBERALS, CONSERVATIVES, GREEN, or any other self serving Party or of sorts.
Capisci!?”
Read more here:
http://francesbula.com/uncategorized/npa-comes-up-with-candidate-list-that-leaves-empty-spots-requires-no-vote/
(Though I noticed you called in #36)
Some people suggested that Alex G Tsakumis is… writing me. Others … that is Frances doing the same here… for the kicks, LOL!
That’s too funny! I am truly flattered and amused.
Some people know their Wine. Others know their Aikidō. Me? I have a high sensitivity to Counterfeit BS.
And Vision Vancouver’s suit is so full of it, it’s steaming at the seams.
Bobbie, if you were an unsuspecting buyer, and I was and art dealer I would have told you that the painting Vision seller is trying to unload on you is … a fake.
Let’s go back a bit in time. The times of Philip Owen. Since him we had … Larry The Bully, Sam The Wicked and Gregor The Useless.
I am fed up with party politics and allegiances. They always cater to their voters, which in almost all cases are a % of a % of a % of whoever shows up during the Voting Day, and then they blindly follow their hidden agendas and pay backs. Period.
To that extent I’d favour Gerry McGuire and Sandra Garossino. I like to fly on my own, and apparently so do they. I respect that!
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
17 Bill McCreery // Oct 9, 2011 at 12:23 am
@ Sv 11.
This 2011 NPA team might surprise you and your neighbours if you’ll work with us. We’ve met with Strathcona and other neighbourhood representatives and our discussions were productive. If we are elected you will see some significant improvements leading to creating a more balanced, healthier community for Strathcona residents.
I also would like to point out that I personally, when I was a TEAM Park Commissioner in the 1970s, was a part of the City administration that stopped the freeway from destroying your unique neighbourhood, and which, in fact, created the revitalized neighbourhood you are rightly proud to live in today.
I was committed then to supporting strong, healthy, sustainable neighbourhoods in Vancouver. I still am today. That’s the reason I’m running for Council. Vision’s track record has demonstrated clearly they are not as Max has articulated above. In fact they are systemically destroying them across the City with their self serving policies and retrogressive planning practices.
18 Bill McCreery // Oct 9, 2011 at 12:35 am
@ Glissy 16.
“I am fed up with party politics and allegiances.”
You, Sandy and others may be rightly fed up, but the reality in Vancouver’s at large system when voters have 27 representatives to vote for and in the order of 100 candidates to choose from, we’re stuck with what we have. History tells us independents chances are +/-1/100. So let’s make the best of it. In my view there are good candidates even within the confines of the established parties. I hope you and others will take the time to find out who they are. I suspect you will.
19 Bobbie Bees // Oct 9, 2011 at 1:33 am
@Glissando #16
And Bobbie Bee, one more thing, and I want you to read this carefully… again:
“I never was, am or will ever be a member of NPA, VISION, COPE, NDP, BC LIBERALS, CONSERVATIVES, GREEN, or any other self serving Party or of sorts.
Capisci!?”
Okay Glissando, I’ve read that very carefully, but I’m still trying to understand what it has to do with me. Did I accuse you of being with the NPA or any other party?
I live in Vancouver and this keeps me scratching my head………
20 Richard // Oct 9, 2011 at 6:59 am
@Max
The cost of the bike lanes increased because they listened to people and put in measures that cost money to make them work better for everyone.
@Bill McCreery
Just how is a moratorium on child friendly bike lanes going to create “supporting strong, healthy, sustainable neighbourhoods “.
So far, it seems like all you want to to is have endless studies, reviews and planning exercises. I know that is much easier to do than to show bold leadership but hat actions will you take to create a better city?
21 Everyman // Oct 9, 2011 at 9:03 am
@bc bud 14
The high turnout at the COPE event probably shouldn’t give the comfort you seem to be deriving from it. It is an indication that there are a lot of COPE members unhappy with the deal with Vision, and they were willing to ditch Cadman to show it and place Vision-hater Louis on the slate.
There are also many people who have come to see Vision as a creature of developers in the same way they see the NPA. COPE may capture their vote, but they won’t be voting for the Vision members of that alliance.
22 Morry // Oct 9, 2011 at 9:59 am
“It sounds as though Vision has prepared for this because I hear from a couple of credible sources that there’s a lot of shredding going on at city hall these days.”
Legally? what about FOI? Just knowing this fact will make me vote against Vision.
23 Bobbie Bees // Oct 9, 2011 at 10:30 am
@Morray #22, don’t make me laugh.
You don’t honestly think that any government keeps anything unsavory written down?
You don’t think the NPA went on a search and destroy mission in their final days?
Infact the supreme court of Canada just ruled this past may that notes and papers of minister and the prime minister are not subject to FOI.
So, it’s not just Vision, it’s all levels of government.
24 Roger Kemble // Oct 9, 2011 at 10:45 am
But seriously Gliss @ # 16
“If you need a leader to lead you out of the wilderness this year, he will lead you right back into the wilderness next year.”. That’s wot John dos Passos wrote back in 1930: seems good for today.
You’re the only one that makes sense to me!
Politics! Cut the scope of the damage. I’m for incrementalism: i.e. wards so we can smell the rat who’s nibbling on our cheese.
25 sv // Oct 9, 2011 at 10:49 am
@Max-not sure I was cheerleading for the fabulous Vision in my post. Instead I was offering Jason a reason that past administrations might be relevant to the segments of the electorate today.
@Bill-thanks for your previous works. This underlines my response to Jason-we do bring up what previous parties have done(and how they’ve acted)while in power-the good and the bad.
26 Jason // Oct 9, 2011 at 10:56 am
“Do you guys not understand the way reporting operates? I am telling you WHAT NPA STRATEGISTS are telling me. I have no idea at all whether door-knocking/mainstreeting helps.”
Sorry frances…just disagreeing with the statement as it’s not been my experience as a voter.
“be, the other thing that scares me away from voting for the NPA is Suzanne’s wishy-washy stance on the bike lanes”
Yes a nuanced pro bike lane position is much harder to get your head around than visions “we dont care what you think or whether it’s done right..we’ll just put them in and hope for the best” views on bike lanes. But I think its safe to say that as an avid, life long cyclist herself, she might be pro bike!
27 Everyman // Oct 9, 2011 at 11:17 am
@brilliant 5
The most remarkable thing about that blog is that every comment seems to agree with the blogger’s opinion. To a one. Remarkable.
28 Agustin // Oct 9, 2011 at 11:23 am
Bill, have you guys got a date in mind for releasing a platform document?
29 Richard // Oct 9, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@Jason
Well, the NPA has brought some really comprised “bike lanes” in the past by trying to not piss off anyone. Just look at the “suicide lane” on Burrard where the few cyclists that us it are stuck between moving buses and cars. Or the really confusing mess on Hornby where sometimes there is parking and sometimes not. There are bike stencils on both sides of the lane. In an attempt to explain this mess, they put tiny little signs that no one can figure out. Some friends asked me if the whole 4.3 metre lane is a bike lane. I jokingly replied yes. Have to have a bit of a sense of humor with some of the NPA’s attempts at bike lanes.
Anyway, on either Burrard or Pender, I’ve never seen people cycling with their children. It is however, quite common to see people cycling with their children on Dunsmuir and Hornby.
So, the question is will the NPA commit to building bike lanes for people of all ages including children and seniors?
30 Bobbie Bees // Oct 9, 2011 at 4:16 pm
I will have to add my agreement with Richard on this. Even though I’m not a dedicated cyclist by any means. I live downtown and i work downtown. Anything that calms traffic is a good thing in my book.
31 Bill McCreery // Oct 9, 2011 at 4:55 pm
@ Richard 20.
Your “… child friendly bike lanes…” are quite confusing at best and dangerous in that someone is going to seriously hurt or worse. That’s hardly “child friendly” is it?
It’s only a matter of time. I say that based on my own experience waiting in blocks long backed up traffic and then trying to figure out how and where I’m supposed to turn left or right on single and then double and single again lanes which weave back and forth across the width of the street. I’ve also spoken to several people who have had near collisions when turning right. There also seems to be an increase in the number of accidents blocking traffic on Hornby which I’ve heard on the news (needs to be confirmed).
I want to make the bike lanes work, and that means they have to be safe for everyone involved — adult and child bikers, pedestrian and vehicular drivers. IMO the current Downtown and north end of the Burrard Bridge bike lanes are not safe. The City Engineering Department is tweeking I know, but their tweeking to date will not necessarily make the bike lanes as safe as they must be.
Besides, the Downtown bike lanes are a “trial” are they not? Isn’t it normal at the end of a trial to stop, catch your breath, and evaluate what you’ve done. Fresh eyes will do that better than the same eyes who put them in. That’s why architects and engineers have fresh eyes checking their calculations, specifications and drawings.
I want these bike lanes to be truly safe for children. At the moment they are not.
32 Bill McCreery // Oct 9, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@ Agustin 27.
Soon… Stay posted. I note VV has not put out their platform yet either.
33 Richard // Oct 9, 2011 at 7:24 pm
@Bill McCreery
It is the NPA’s position(s) on this is really confusing. So, is the issue safety? If so, will you commit to implementing a network of separated lanes around the city with safety being the priority. There are plenty of separated lanes in cities around the world so it would be no problem bring in some expertise if you feel that is lacking. Maybe signalizing all the right turns?
A moratorium, whatever that means today, is certainly not the answer.
If people have had collisions when turning right, they are not obeying the traffic signals or signs. If they can’t obey signals, perhaps they should not be driving. However, from my experience, the vast majority of motorists and cyclists are obeying the signals and signs. I expect that this will improve even more as people figure it out.
No one is saying that the separated bike lanes don’t need some minor improvements but they are much better than anything the NPA ever did. Please actually use real data rather than relying on anecdotal evidence. The staff report said that ICBC said that collisions are down on Hornby since the bike lanes were installed. If you have evidence otherwise, please report it.
Everyone knows that the intersection of Burrard and Pacific needs fixing. That was identified in the 2002 Downtown Transportation Plan (DTP) along with several other intersections. Unfortunately, the DTP is yet another example of an NPA council’s plan in which many of the recommendations are just sitting on the self.
34 Frances Bula // Oct 9, 2011 at 8:43 pm
@bc bud. Just have to step in when I see an obvious misinterpretation. It is really a mistake to compare the 100 at the NPA AGM with a fundraiser or a nominating meeting where there’s an actual competition going on. AGMs that are simple pro forma meetings with nothing to decide never attract many people to any of the parties. You will have a better sense of the NPA’s strength when you look at who they get out to actual fundraising events.
35 Gerry McGuire // Oct 9, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Hi Gliss, thanks for the endorsement. Here’s some interesting info on bike lanes-
ICBC FOI shows bike accidents up 15% from 2009-2010. Segregated bike lanes are deceptively dangerous, and the intention is to lure older and younger inexperienced people into them. Machiavellian manipulation at it’s most egregious. Shame on Vision who have had this information for over a year
“Evidence against-The UK Cycle Campaign Network made a 2007 statement that they know “of no evidence that cycle facilities and in particular cycle lanes, generally lead to safer conditions for cycling”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregated_cycle_facilities#Segregated_facilities_and_safety
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space
http://www.labreform.org/BFC.html
Of course, I don’t expect this scientific information to change the mind of any cyclist-safety deniers…
36 David // Oct 9, 2011 at 11:16 pm
>No one is saying that the separated bike lanes don’t need some minor improvements but they are much better than anything the NPA ever did.
Richard, don’t forget that many of the original bike routes (yes, not the same as bike lanes), were created during an NPA administration, the one from 86-02) http://g.co/maps/r9x6d
>Which party was in power when the creme de la creme scuttled the plan simply because our doctors and lawyers are simply to good to have the unwashed masses mass transiting through their neck of the woods?
COPE is the technically correct answer, not that the fact that they had the majority of councillors at Vancouver City hall gave them the final say; at the end of the day, the line down Cambie serving City Hall, Oakridge, and Langara is more useful than a line serving….. ?
37 bc bud // Oct 9, 2011 at 11:59 pm
@ frances 34
hi frances, nevertheless, a meagre 100 at an AGM weeks before election day is not a reassuring sign and underscores the ongoing enthusiasm gap plaguing the NPA this time around – delayed meetings, dropped candidates, incomplete slates and now reports of dissension among their Council slate with candidates feuding and fighting, charges of favouritism, they’re turning into a real Gong Show … at this pace of destruction, they could be wiped out altogether come election day.
38 ThinkOutsideABox // Oct 10, 2011 at 2:21 am
bc bud, the primary purpose of the NPA AGM a few weeks back was to elect the board of directors and pass some standard motions. Just as Frances pointed out, a “pro forma” meeting – but don’t let reality get in the way of lowering expectations. Carry on.
39 ThinkOutsideABox // Oct 10, 2011 at 2:28 am
P.S. Frances,
Anything new and exciting amongst the thousand new LinkedIn friends?
Still deliberating whether I should accept the invite even though I know it was a digital debacle.
40 Bobbie Bees // Oct 10, 2011 at 10:06 am
David, sorry, but the Cambie Corridor wasn’t Campbell’s idea. Trnaslink/ BC Transit, The provincial government, RAVco and city hall had been going over the routing of the RAV line since the mid ’90s.
It actually takes quite a while to get the utilities to come up with a plan for relocating their equipment, first on a temporary basis then on a permanent basis.
And then the crown on behalf of SNC Lavalin / RAVco has to go about securing the right-of-ways. The RAVline also crosses the Fraser river, so that’s now the department of fisheries that has to be involved with their studies and reviews.
The Cambie residents knew what was coming hence the ‘Save Cambie Boulevard” from the “Cambia Blvd Heritage Society” protests in the mid ’90s which scuttled the idea of an elevated train system such as Skytrain from running down the centre of Cambie Street.
The line down the Arbutus Corridor was always going to end up heading out to Richmond. Not too many people along Cambie actually depend on public transit. Hence the ‘save our trees’ as their attempt to keep the unwashed masses out of the area. And Arbutus was always pegged as having a spur line going out to UBC.
41 Frances Bula // Oct 10, 2011 at 10:14 am
@TOB. This whole LinkedIn thing is utterly bizarre. I’ve had 400 people accept my invite in the last 72 hours, including people I haven’t spoken to for three years and people in parts of North America I never report on but whom I called once for an obscure detail about a long-forgotten story. It’s a testament to something, I’m not sure what. (And excuse my absence from the news pages, as I’ll be busy writing back to the people who kindly messaged me saying they don’t belong to LinkedIn but are happy to talk to me in person any time.)
I still haven’t figured out what I can do with LinkedIn — don’t want to start boring people to death with additional updates reminding them to look at my latest blog post or story. What IS the point, does anyone know?
Sorry, a digression from this thread. I should start a new post on the whole strange mess.
42 Jeff L // Oct 10, 2011 at 12:27 pm
@Gerry McGuire #35:
You posted:
“ICBC FOI shows bike accidents up 15% from 2009-2010. Segregated bike lanes are deceptively dangerous, and the intention is to lure older and younger inexperienced people into them. Machiavellian manipulation at it’s most egregious. Shame on Vision who have had this information for over a year”
But the CoV report said this:
“The total number of collisions reported to ICBC on Dunsmuir Street is down noticeably. The
five years 2005-2009 saw between 144 and 193 collisions per year and an average of 164 per
year. During the 9 months following the installation of separated bike lanes on Dunsmuir
Street, the number of collisions is reduced when compared to the 5-year average of same 9-
month period of previous years. July 2010-March 2011 saw only 98 collisions, down 18% from the 119 average from the previous July-March periods (2005-2010).
ICBC-reported collisions involving bicycles are infrequent events. To date, there is insufficient
collision data to be able to assess this element of overall cycling safety related to the separated bike lanes.”
The Burrard Bridge is safer for cyclists, looking at the hospital visits. It is also safer for pedestrians, considering reported bicycle collisions. Are you referring to distracted drivers hitting each other at the north end of the bridge with your reference to 15%? If so, that isn’t a bike lane safety issue as much as it is a driver confusion issue related to a change in traffic patterns.
It seems like you are cherry-picking statistics. It is easy to find people who don’t like separated lanes, including on this blog. And some of them are cyclists. But those of us who use the separted lanes can largely attest to the positive effect they have. As do the overall usage statistics.
43 Agustin // Oct 10, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Thanks – I await both platforms eagerly. I think it would be premature for both parties to have released an election platform already because most people are not paying attention to the campaign; I just thought I’d see if there was a particular date I should circle on my calendar.
Happy Thanksgiving!
44 Traysea // Oct 10, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I am a long time resident of the West End and have taken the time to get to know the homeless in this neighborhood. And I was appalled to hear from several of them as well as witnessed it twice myself, that the street operations crew from the engineering dept drives right into the parks down here every morning and wakes up these guys sleeping on the ground ordering them to get out of the park immediately. They have threatened these homeless on numerous occassions with bodily harm if they did not get up and leave immediately. I called to complain myself after being surrounded by a group of these men and sworn at profusely with every vulgar word possible for asking them who authorized them to harass the homeless like this. I was refered to the street and traffic bylaw yet nowhere does it say in this bylaw that the street operations people deal with public parks though it did state how it was illegal to block traffic and cause disturbance to it yet every month the critical mass idiots take over the roads with a police escort right behind them. Vision Vancouver claims it helps homeless yet instructs the street operations crew to harass them and threatening to kick the shit out of them (exact wording) is acceptable.
45 Bobbie Bees // Oct 10, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Hrrrmmmm.
I’ve lived in the west end since 1992. And actually, until just recently, Nelson Park was always on my way to work.
I can’t for the life of me ever say that I’ve seen the city crews do anything mean to the homeless people.
I tend to head to work at 07:00 in the morning.
46 No choices // Oct 10, 2011 at 4:42 pm
After reading all the blogs again I have come to the conclusion that I can not support the change to the NPA and will not vote for any of them.
The constant negative attacks coming from the NPA have turned me off. As well the NPA candidates that have come on to these blogs to defend Anton or her stance on issues is very disappointing. I feel like they are acting like clones.
Can anyone give me a list of alternative choices?
47 George // Oct 10, 2011 at 5:50 pm
no choices.. I’m curious do you feel that way about the parties, or are there individuals that you find worth giving your vote to…I’m talking to individual candidates that have caught my attention…I agree it turns me away when everyone is in lock step…I prefer a candidate that has a mind of his/her own and has the conviction to stand up with integrity…
48 Dave Pasin // Oct 11, 2011 at 3:05 pm
@George 47
@ No Choices 46
@Augustin 43
et al
While you may not support any party, please ensure you vote. Ask questions, listen closely and support those candidates you find sincere in their answers and best match what you believe and what path you want your City, Parks & Schools to follow over the next 3 years.
Dismissing a candidate because of the actions of others whether NPA, Vision, COPE or Green does a disservice to the hard working people running, wanting to make a difference.
While you may choose to not support me or the NPA ( I would hope you do) as a Vancouver resident I hope you make your choices based on fact and not just emotion, for the betterment of process and the City, if nothing else.
49 Everyman // Oct 11, 2011 at 10:59 pm
@Dave Pasin 48
Not to worry, I suspect No Choices is being rather disingenuous and had his mind made up regardless.
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