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Jim Green: “I hope I’ve made the city a better city.”

February 24th, 2012 · 4 Comments

My story on a conversation with Jim as he looks back on a life that he filled to the brim.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • Morry

    Good Story. Read it this morning over an espresso.

    I think there is abook that could be written re Jim Green’s life.

  • vancouverstreetblog.blogspot.com

    He’s done a lot for the Downtown Eastside. Where would Woodwards have been without his vision.

  • JamieLee

    I am saddeneed to hear that Mr Green is struggling with Cancer as I would be with anyone dealing with the dreaded C, however, the title of this blog issues a statement of ‘I hope I’ve made the City a better place’, obviously the comment is attributed to Mr Green and it is in this context that I wish to make comment. Mr Green started the push when he became head of DERA to lobby for a concentration of housing and social services in the Downtown Eastside. Concentrating all subsidized housing and social services in a really small area has been disastrous for this community and neighbourhood. Having said that, one of Mr Green’s most significant contributions to the area and hence to the City was raising awareness of how Expo 86 was in turn creating the displacement of poor people from the hotels in the area. Mr Green should be commended for bringing attention to the gentrification which was happening. Interesting though a few decades later people need to be reminded that while Woodward’s was attributed as Mr Green’s crowning glory, the impact that Woodward’s is having on the DTES community is very noticable. Once again residents of the area are being forced out as Woodward’s by most accounts is contributing significantly to the rampant gentrification going on in my former community. It is ironic that Mr Green lives in a beautiful skybox in the Woodward’s development, resting somewhat comfortably albeit coping with a terminal illness and yet below those poor people that Mr Green once championed for are being herded out of their community at alarming rates as Woodward’s has become the major gentrifying force within this longstanding community.

  • Everyman

    Sadly, the Georgia Straight is reporting that Jim Green has passed away. RIP.