Civic Election Spotlight: Vancouver
John Ackermann, November 18, 2011
News1130.com
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – There are 41 candidates running, but you can only pick 10, so choose wisely; News1130 is taking a look at the hopefuls for Vancouver City Council.
Vision Vancouver heads into the civic vote with a majority on council, but increasingly on the defensive from attacks on its green policies and how the mayor handled the Stanley Cup Riot and Occupy Vancouver.
Heather Deal is defending Vision’s record on homelessness. “We’ve taken over 600 people off the streets — homeless people who are now in shelters and/or housing and then working their way through that spectrum into stable housing. That’s the first time this has been done this rapidly in a city like this.”
In the “everything old is new again” department, Tim Louis is back running for COPE and sounds as feisty as ever. “I’m running for city council, because I’m going to get things done.”
Also running for council is former BC Green Party Leader Adriane Carr, who feels the city faces another watershed moment, not unlike the Freeway Fight of the ’60s.
“I think we’re at another crossroads about how we accommodate growth in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the neighbourhoods we love and that doesn’t lead to increasing unaffordability in our city,” she explains.
Besides your expected crop of COPE, Vision and NPA candidates, there are also slates for entities like De-Growth Vancouver, Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver, and RICH (Rent Is Crazy High), giving you an idea of some of the other dominant themes of this election.
Vancouver Council candidates (ten to be elected):
AFFLECK, George (Non Partisan Association)
ALM, Kelly (Independent)
AQUINO, RJ (Coalition of Progressive Electors)
BALL, Elizabeth (NPA)
BENSON, Nicole (Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver)
BICKERTON, Sean (NPA)
CARANGI, Joe (NPA)
CARR, Adriane (Green Party of Vancouver)
CHARKO, Ken (NPA)
COPELAND, Cord “Ted” (Independent)
DEAL, Heather (Vision Vancouver)
DHARNI, Michael Singh (Independent)
FOX, Amy “Evil Genius” (Independent)
FRASER, Grant (Independent)
GAROSSINO, Sandy (Independent)
GILL, Lauren R.I.C.H. (RICH — Rent is Crazy High)
GREGSON, Ian (De-Growth Vancouver)
JANG, Kerry (Vision)
KERCHUM, Marie (NSV)
KLASSEN, Mike (NPA)
LAMARCHE, Jason (NPA)
LOUIE, Raymond (Vision)
LOUIS, Tim (COPE)
MARTIN, Terry (NSV)
MASSON, Chris (De-Growth Vancouver)
MAXWELL N BUR, RH (Independent)
MCCREERY, Bill (NPA)
MEGGS, Geoff (Vision)
MURPHY, Elizabeth (NSV)
NGUYEN, Bang (Independent)
NGUYEN, Marc Tan (Independent)
ORSER, Rick (Independent)
REIMER, Andrea (Vision)
SHAW, Chris (De-Growth Vancouver)
SPIRES, Aaron R.I.C.H. (RICH)
STEVENSON, Tim (Vision)
TANG, Tony (Vision)
WENDYTHIRTEEN (Independent)
WONG, Francis (NPA)
WOODSWORTH, Ellen (COPE)
YUEN, Bill (NPA)
