had enough of NIMBY's
How many people are there in your immediate family? How about your extended family? Ok, how many people do you work with? How about friends, how many do you have? How many are really close to you? How many people out there, reading this have more than 5 people in their lives that are important to them.
Hopefully there are more than 5 people out there that will read this post...
About a week ago I came home to find a single paged leaflet in the mail alerting me and the fine folks of Hastings Sunrise to a potentially disastrous development about to take place at 2750 East Hastings. (site of the former Bell Funeral Home) The group that produced the flyer (sorry, I can't remember their name and my wife recycled the flyer before I had the presence of mind to write this) is urging residents to do whatever we can to stop this atrocity from occurring in our back yard. Write or call your MLA or city hall, take part in a rally... whatever just do something else our neighbourhood will surely be doomed!
So what is the development that is chilling the bones of this very concerned group? A supervised injection site? Is it another liquor store? An arcade (are there still arcades out there?) Is it a skateboard park or are they thinking about building mechanical dinosaurs in Hastings Park? Slot machines?
Sorry, all good guesses but its none of those...coming soon to 2750 East Hastings, Bosa Land Corporation hopes to build a 3 story building that will house a Shoppers Drug Mart on the main floor and offices for Vancouver Coastal Health on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Scary huh! Ok so VCH plans to use these offices to provide counselling and outreach services for patients suffering mental illness. I guess I can see how the ignorant and uninformed might be a little bit scared. These people probably aren't aware that 40% of the clients that will use the facility already live within walking distance of it as they are likely stuck on the fact that 1 in 10 of the people who will use the facility have a chemical dependency. So what!
The group that is opposed to this new mental health facility, in truth offices for outreach workers and approximately 70 clients per day, is clearly misinformed and they would like the rest of us to believe that by allowing this development our neighbourhood will become the next downtown eastside. Once built, according to those ignorant about mental illness and the services that VCH already provides in other communities, our community will be flooded with drug addicts, panhandlers and the homeless. At least those that aren't here already. The truth is however, that there is already a mental health facility that services the DTES located at 330 Heatley meaning that there would really be no sensible reason to believe that our facility would service anyone other than primarily our residents.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association nearly 1 in 5 Canadians or about 20% of the population will personally experience a mental illness within their lifetime. So again I have to ask, how many people do you know? When I look closely at my friends and family some days I think this number could be more like 1 in 2, but seriously what do we tell our loved ones who need the help as we write our letters, make our phone calls and march en masse to stop this development. Personally I'm ashamed!
Mental illness accounts for approximately 4% of all hospital visits in this country and its treatment costs us about $7.331 billion per year. There are proven and effective treatments for most forms of mental illness and many of those treatments will be available to our community (and others) at 2750 East Hastings. Unless our own selfishness and ignorance gets in the way, you see the trouble with mental illness and the greatest barrier to a persons ability to get treatment is the stigma that we hang on our friends and family members that suffer from it.
Shame on those of you out there that would stand in the way of this badly needed facility!
On another note... sometimes I find myself trapped between the things that I like and my own ideologies (see the comments on my last post). While I really used to enjoy drinking Miller Genuine Draft I had to stop only because of the fact that Miller is owned by cigarette giant Phillip Morris. Many of you will think that this is ridiculous but then I've never admitted to be anything other than ridiculous. In doing research for a tobacco-free strategy at my last job I also learned a surprising fact about Shoppers Drug Mart, a fact that in my mind makes the above development thousands of times more objectionable than the mental health facility that will occupy most of it. Shoppers Drug Mart is owned by none other than Imasco... the same company that controls about 69% of the Canadian tobacco market through its "Players" brand.
So while I personally support VCH's bid for a new facility, guess which new drug store in the community I won't be using.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Ahh Another rainy day in the lower mainland...
My wife loves the rain...at least that's what she tells me every time I start griping about the weather. Me, I understand that rain is important but I'm no great fan of it nonetheless. Especially on a miserable rainy Saturday when my wife is at work and I am left to find creative ways to entertain our two boys.
Yesterday I decided that after skating lessons we would head out to Langley, the plan being to catch up with some old friends and drop in at my folks place. Driving out there can be a pain at the best of times so I wasn't relishing the idea of making the trip in crappy weather, but we hadn't been out in a while so off we went. On the way I tried to call a couple people to find out who was up for a visit, unfortunately it seemed as though everyone was busy or at least unable to answer the phone. This should have been my first clue but no worries, one of my parents is almost always home so we continued on anyway.
Well in this case it turned out that almost was the optimum word. Worse, when I got to my folks place I realized that I hadn't brought my key and so there we were in Langley, in the rain with nothing to do and no one to do it with. Looking at the entire situation it had appeared as though I had made "the wrong plan!"
What to do next? We loaded ourselves back up into the car and, not knowing anyone else to call we headed back in the same direction that we had come. Back home to kill the couple of hours until we had to pick mom up from work. Needless to say none of us were thrilled but despite the poor planning on my part all went fairly well on the trip home until we got to about the 104th st exit of highway 1. Surprise, surprise here we were at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon crawling our way west toward the Port Mann bridge.
Turns out that despite being the only way we could have gone at the time we had in fact headed in "the wrong direction!"
I grew up in Langley but have lived about the last 17 years divided between parts of North Vancouver and now East Vancouver or, more specifically Hastings-Sunrise. That said, I'm pretty familiar with the different route choices available to get to my parents house and back again. Choosing a route home yesterday I suppose that I could have gone over the Pattullo bridge but driving through the heart of Langley and Surrey has never been a great option. I guess I could have taken the Alex Fraser route but I've never really been a fan of going to far out of the direction I need to go. Same with the tunnel, plus I've had some pretty bad traffic luck there in the past. Albion ferry? I wouldn't even consider it. To get where I needed to go I was really only left with one choice in crossings, the Port Mann.
Turns out that, despite this lack of choice, I had in fact chosen "the wrong bridge!"
Sound familiar? On Thursday September 27 BC NDP Leader Carole James told the Union of BC Municipalities that "the governments current Gateway plan spends billions of infrastructure dollars on yesterday's solution to tomorrows problem." An interesting statement and I guess I should agree with her since the Port Mann was in fact my problem yesterday. Unfortunately its been the problem of a lot of lower mainland commuters for about 20 years now and will continue to be a problem for thousands of commuters until the expansion proposed with the Gateway Program is completed.
Finally, after months of speculation Carole James has told the people of British Columbia where she stands (albeit not in the same place as most of us and many within her own party) on Gateway. In Carole's world the BC Liberal plan to ease congestion over the Fraser River and stop the idling that happens daily approaching it is "the wrong plan, the wrong direction and the wrong bridge!"
Sort of makes you wonder if Carole James isn't looking at the wrong picture, in the wrong century from the wrong planet doesn't it?
My wife loves the rain...at least that's what she tells me every time I start griping about the weather. Me, I understand that rain is important but I'm no great fan of it nonetheless. Especially on a miserable rainy Saturday when my wife is at work and I am left to find creative ways to entertain our two boys.
Yesterday I decided that after skating lessons we would head out to Langley, the plan being to catch up with some old friends and drop in at my folks place. Driving out there can be a pain at the best of times so I wasn't relishing the idea of making the trip in crappy weather, but we hadn't been out in a while so off we went. On the way I tried to call a couple people to find out who was up for a visit, unfortunately it seemed as though everyone was busy or at least unable to answer the phone. This should have been my first clue but no worries, one of my parents is almost always home so we continued on anyway.
Well in this case it turned out that almost was the optimum word. Worse, when I got to my folks place I realized that I hadn't brought my key and so there we were in Langley, in the rain with nothing to do and no one to do it with. Looking at the entire situation it had appeared as though I had made "the wrong plan!"
What to do next? We loaded ourselves back up into the car and, not knowing anyone else to call we headed back in the same direction that we had come. Back home to kill the couple of hours until we had to pick mom up from work. Needless to say none of us were thrilled but despite the poor planning on my part all went fairly well on the trip home until we got to about the 104th st exit of highway 1. Surprise, surprise here we were at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon crawling our way west toward the Port Mann bridge.
Turns out that despite being the only way we could have gone at the time we had in fact headed in "the wrong direction!"
I grew up in Langley but have lived about the last 17 years divided between parts of North Vancouver and now East Vancouver or, more specifically Hastings-Sunrise. That said, I'm pretty familiar with the different route choices available to get to my parents house and back again. Choosing a route home yesterday I suppose that I could have gone over the Pattullo bridge but driving through the heart of Langley and Surrey has never been a great option. I guess I could have taken the Alex Fraser route but I've never really been a fan of going to far out of the direction I need to go. Same with the tunnel, plus I've had some pretty bad traffic luck there in the past. Albion ferry? I wouldn't even consider it. To get where I needed to go I was really only left with one choice in crossings, the Port Mann.
Turns out that, despite this lack of choice, I had in fact chosen "the wrong bridge!"
Sound familiar? On Thursday September 27 BC NDP Leader Carole James told the Union of BC Municipalities that "the governments current Gateway plan spends billions of infrastructure dollars on yesterday's solution to tomorrows problem." An interesting statement and I guess I should agree with her since the Port Mann was in fact my problem yesterday. Unfortunately its been the problem of a lot of lower mainland commuters for about 20 years now and will continue to be a problem for thousands of commuters until the expansion proposed with the Gateway Program is completed.
Finally, after months of speculation Carole James has told the people of British Columbia where she stands (albeit not in the same place as most of us and many within her own party) on Gateway. In Carole's world the BC Liberal plan to ease congestion over the Fraser River and stop the idling that happens daily approaching it is "the wrong plan, the wrong direction and the wrong bridge!"
Sort of makes you wonder if Carole James isn't looking at the wrong picture, in the wrong century from the wrong planet doesn't it?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
facebook, the planet and the many faces of the environmentalist
Thanks to Facebook I have recently re-connected with an old high school friend. (Yes I too am part of the massive and growing facebooker movement) In my friends profile he lists as one of his favorite books "endgame" by Derrick Jensen and along with the book he posts a challenge for all to "shut the #%$! up about current affairs until you've read it!" Not being able to resist a good challenge (and needing to be able to talk about current affairs) I immediately went out and bought Volume 1 (its a 2 volume book)"The Problem of Civilization" and dove right into reading it.
Derrick Jensen, for those that haven't heard of him is a bit of an environmental extremist. According to his bio he is a "leading voice of uncompromising dissent" and fellow author (Peoples History of the United States) Howard Zinn praises Jensen as "a rare and original voice of sanity in a chaotic world". Endgame basically tells the story of how civilization has and is ruining the planet and all of the living things, (plant and animal) that occupy it.
Looking at the world around me, its really hard to disagree with many of the points raised by Jensen or with the twenty premises that he poses at the start of the book. I too am concerned about our environment and I can't disagree that civilization has had the greatest negative impact on our planet and the future of everyone and thing that calls it home. Still, there were several times throughout my reading of Endgame where I thought I would put it down and move on to something else. I don't know if Jensen is in fact the leading voice of dissent but he is certainly the loudest I've read in a while. His points are valid, I'm just not so sure that I'm ready to buy into his solutions yet!
According to Derrick Jensen the only way to save the planet is to destroy civilization as we know it. Blow up dams, pull down cell phone towers, and all-in-all create a level of chaos that will force those people who survive to change the way that they are living. All for the benefit of the salmon (Derrick Jensen really likes salmon).
Civilization has most certainly reached a crossroad where we must make what could arguably be the most important decision we've ever made before. The decision that we make will have a profound impact on the future of not only civilization but the planet as a whole for sure, but I'm not yet at the point with Jensen where I believe that we need to start blowing up dams to save the world. Perhaps the biggest challenge that I had with the book lies in the fact that Derrick Jensen seems to dismiss the impact that we as individuals have or can have on a sustainable future. No doubt our efforts are small and seemingly insignificant when stacked up against the damage caused by industry and government but I can't help believe that more of us need to clean up our own back yards to demonstrate that we actually have the conviction to take on the big offenders. Only once the majority of us agree that our planet is important and that saving it is a priority will we be able to truly affect any kind of positive change.
I'm not ready to blow up dams, but on the subject of dams and recognizing that since most of us don't want to see civilization destroyed, I am in favour of efforts to find alternative sources of energy that don't destroy salmon populations, contribute to melting ice caps or rely heavily on non-renewable fossil fuels. Common sense tells me that finding alternative energy sources is not going to be easy and meeting future demands, especially as our population grows is a challenge that required serious thought and creative solutions. But then I'm no expert when it comes to energy, not like Vancouver-Hastings NDP MLA and Environment Critic Shane Simpson.
When it comes to energy and the environment the BC NDP and Simpson's strategy (or lack of) only manage to confuse me more. British Columbian's have largely told the government that the environment is a priority and the BC Liberals have responded to the level that even environmental groups within the province have applauded the governments efforts. Yet the NDP still find the time to oppose green energy such as independent run-of-the-river projects. In case you've missed it, Shane Simpson is a long-standing opponent to run-of-the-river projects like the one currently being built at Ashlu Creek in the Squamish valley. Run-of river power is achieved (very simply stated) when a portion of a river is diverted through a tunnel or pipeline toward a turbine and then returned, unchanged back to the river. It seems like a pretty reasonable alternative to bigger dams that flood valleys, harm the salmon and face the potential risk of being blown up by Derrick Jensen, doesn't it? Ashlu Creek, once completed will generate enough power to service 23,000 home each year. Not bad considering that BC Hydro doesn't have enough power to service BC right now and has to import power from other places.
So what is Shane Simpson's problem? I know I've said it before but here it is again...
Ownership!
Shane Simpson and the BC NDP don't like the idea that anyone other than the government control power in British Columbia. Shane Simpson and the BC NDP stay awake at night worrying over the very notion that private companies might generate power that they might then turn around and sell...for a profit! Worse, they might sell it to people other than British Columbians! I can understand and in some ways respect a politician, critic, or minister for that matter placing the needs of British Columbians before those of anyone else. This is why we elect them after all, to represent us. That said, there just seems to be something wrong with an environment critic who's concerns for a greener planet stop at the border. On this I have to agree with Nigel Protter in the Oct 4 Georgia Strait where he identifies run-of-the-river projects "as a means of avoiding dirty fossil fuels in electricity generation." Don't we all benefit in some way from cleaner energy?
There are currently some 1.7 million hydro customers in this province and BC Hydro already must import energy to meet our needs. The province's energy demand is expected to increase by 1.7% each year for the next 10 years meaning, as I mentioned earlier, that if we expect to meet our own power demands we will have to seriously explore alternative sources.
Shane Simpson has promised to start asking some serious questions in the legislature about the future and scale of power generation in the province. He intends to use question periods to raise his concerns over "massive projects" like the one at Ashlu Creek and the some 50 other projects awaiting approval.
I may not agree with Jensen's form of extreme environmental dissent but at least I can respect his conviction when it comes to saving the planet (I'm currently reading volume 2 of Endgame). Unfortunately the same can't be said for Shane Simpson, the environment critic that seems to have no clue or conviction at all for a greener planet.
Thanks to Facebook I have recently re-connected with an old high school friend. (Yes I too am part of the massive and growing facebooker movement) In my friends profile he lists as one of his favorite books "endgame" by Derrick Jensen and along with the book he posts a challenge for all to "shut the #%$! up about current affairs until you've read it!" Not being able to resist a good challenge (and needing to be able to talk about current affairs) I immediately went out and bought Volume 1 (its a 2 volume book)"The Problem of Civilization" and dove right into reading it.
Derrick Jensen, for those that haven't heard of him is a bit of an environmental extremist. According to his bio he is a "leading voice of uncompromising dissent" and fellow author (Peoples History of the United States) Howard Zinn praises Jensen as "a rare and original voice of sanity in a chaotic world". Endgame basically tells the story of how civilization has and is ruining the planet and all of the living things, (plant and animal) that occupy it.
Looking at the world around me, its really hard to disagree with many of the points raised by Jensen or with the twenty premises that he poses at the start of the book. I too am concerned about our environment and I can't disagree that civilization has had the greatest negative impact on our planet and the future of everyone and thing that calls it home. Still, there were several times throughout my reading of Endgame where I thought I would put it down and move on to something else. I don't know if Jensen is in fact the leading voice of dissent but he is certainly the loudest I've read in a while. His points are valid, I'm just not so sure that I'm ready to buy into his solutions yet!
According to Derrick Jensen the only way to save the planet is to destroy civilization as we know it. Blow up dams, pull down cell phone towers, and all-in-all create a level of chaos that will force those people who survive to change the way that they are living. All for the benefit of the salmon (Derrick Jensen really likes salmon).
Civilization has most certainly reached a crossroad where we must make what could arguably be the most important decision we've ever made before. The decision that we make will have a profound impact on the future of not only civilization but the planet as a whole for sure, but I'm not yet at the point with Jensen where I believe that we need to start blowing up dams to save the world. Perhaps the biggest challenge that I had with the book lies in the fact that Derrick Jensen seems to dismiss the impact that we as individuals have or can have on a sustainable future. No doubt our efforts are small and seemingly insignificant when stacked up against the damage caused by industry and government but I can't help believe that more of us need to clean up our own back yards to demonstrate that we actually have the conviction to take on the big offenders. Only once the majority of us agree that our planet is important and that saving it is a priority will we be able to truly affect any kind of positive change.
I'm not ready to blow up dams, but on the subject of dams and recognizing that since most of us don't want to see civilization destroyed, I am in favour of efforts to find alternative sources of energy that don't destroy salmon populations, contribute to melting ice caps or rely heavily on non-renewable fossil fuels. Common sense tells me that finding alternative energy sources is not going to be easy and meeting future demands, especially as our population grows is a challenge that required serious thought and creative solutions. But then I'm no expert when it comes to energy, not like Vancouver-Hastings NDP MLA and Environment Critic Shane Simpson.
When it comes to energy and the environment the BC NDP and Simpson's strategy (or lack of) only manage to confuse me more. British Columbian's have largely told the government that the environment is a priority and the BC Liberals have responded to the level that even environmental groups within the province have applauded the governments efforts. Yet the NDP still find the time to oppose green energy such as independent run-of-the-river projects. In case you've missed it, Shane Simpson is a long-standing opponent to run-of-the-river projects like the one currently being built at Ashlu Creek in the Squamish valley. Run-of river power is achieved (very simply stated) when a portion of a river is diverted through a tunnel or pipeline toward a turbine and then returned, unchanged back to the river. It seems like a pretty reasonable alternative to bigger dams that flood valleys, harm the salmon and face the potential risk of being blown up by Derrick Jensen, doesn't it? Ashlu Creek, once completed will generate enough power to service 23,000 home each year. Not bad considering that BC Hydro doesn't have enough power to service BC right now and has to import power from other places.
So what is Shane Simpson's problem? I know I've said it before but here it is again...
Ownership!
Shane Simpson and the BC NDP don't like the idea that anyone other than the government control power in British Columbia. Shane Simpson and the BC NDP stay awake at night worrying over the very notion that private companies might generate power that they might then turn around and sell...for a profit! Worse, they might sell it to people other than British Columbians! I can understand and in some ways respect a politician, critic, or minister for that matter placing the needs of British Columbians before those of anyone else. This is why we elect them after all, to represent us. That said, there just seems to be something wrong with an environment critic who's concerns for a greener planet stop at the border. On this I have to agree with Nigel Protter in the Oct 4 Georgia Strait where he identifies run-of-the-river projects "as a means of avoiding dirty fossil fuels in electricity generation." Don't we all benefit in some way from cleaner energy?
There are currently some 1.7 million hydro customers in this province and BC Hydro already must import energy to meet our needs. The province's energy demand is expected to increase by 1.7% each year for the next 10 years meaning, as I mentioned earlier, that if we expect to meet our own power demands we will have to seriously explore alternative sources.
Shane Simpson has promised to start asking some serious questions in the legislature about the future and scale of power generation in the province. He intends to use question periods to raise his concerns over "massive projects" like the one at Ashlu Creek and the some 50 other projects awaiting approval.
I may not agree with Jensen's form of extreme environmental dissent but at least I can respect his conviction when it comes to saving the planet (I'm currently reading volume 2 of Endgame). Unfortunately the same can't be said for Shane Simpson, the environment critic that seems to have no clue or conviction at all for a greener planet.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
How many New Democrats does it take to save a tree?
A good question isn't it, but I think that the real joke here is in the absence of a punchline (or any answer at all). The truth is that when it comes to an NDP environmental strategy not much has really changed since Glen Clark decried environmentalists as "enemies of British Columbia".
Federal NDP... provincial NDP, take your pick but it really doesn't matter that much as both NDP representatives for Vancouver-Hastings and Vancouver-East (Shane Simpson and Libby Davies respectively) are equally shallow in their criticism of the BC Liberals environmental strategy and both have demonstrated a complete lack of productive solutions to a problem that I for one, take very seriously.
Our own BC NDP Environment Critic Shane Simpson is so confused by his backward left of center ideology that he refuses to even consider the benefits of environmentally sustainable energy sources (like run-of-the-river) as long as that power is owned by private companies. But I'll leave Shane alone for now as the real focus of this particular entry goes a little further east to East Vancouver's "Queen of Junk Mail" Libby Davies.
Earlier this week I came home to find the latest, hot off the press issue of the Vancouver East Community Bulletin, a 16 page multi-lingual quarterly reminder to the fine people of East Vancouver of all the great things that our federal NDP representative, Libby Davies has done to make our lives better. This comes to us in addition to the monthly and at times several times monthly newsletters and updates that Libby likes to send out. This also comes despite my email several months ago asking her to stop sending them and after I stapled all 5 identical newsletters that came addressed to my house together and returned them to sender. (interestingly enough the staple must have failed in the mail and two of the newsletters were re-delivered to my house).
Libby Davies is killing tree's at a furious pace in order to feed her junk mail habit. I haven't received this much mail from any other political figure before...even during an election! But big deal you say! Maybe its recycled paper, maybe not but despite the electronic mediums like email lots of people still send junk mail. Right? This may be so but still there is something unsettling about a 16 page leaflet that outlines the NDP environment strategy" on page 11.
Libby Davies, like Carole James, Shane Simpson and a few others is opposed to the BC Liberals Gateway Program. No surprised here! In her bulletin she tells us of the 5 forums that's she's hosted in East Vancouver and how hundreds of us have told her that we are also against Gateway, primarily because of the environmental impact that the project supposedly brings with it.
Hundreds!!
I don't have a problem with people that oppose a project like Gateway and I think its great that people ask questions of our government and the decisions that it makes everyday on our behalf. The problem that I do have with Libby's (et al) stance on Gateway (her own environmental hypocrisy notwithstanding) is that it appears to be torn out of the same old play book as the BC NDP, SPEC and a few others. Lots of criticism and virtually no reasonable alternatives. Investing in sustainable transportation, public transportation and the efficient use of existing roads and rail are all great ideas for sure, but the trouble is that none of these come close to addressing the current problem of the Port Mann bridge and the bottleneck that it creates for almost 13 hours every single day.
Unfortunately Libby, like her fellow NDP opponents can't seem to see the project beyond the twinning of the Port Mann and the adding of a single lane on each side of the freeway. A lane I might add that can be equally served by buses, hybrids and other alternative energy vehicles. One lane is hardly massive expansion as the critics would have us believe. Unfortunately Libby and those of like thinking don't see the environmental problem (among the other problems) of sitting idle in traffic for several hours each day. Unfortunately Libby, Carole, Shane and those like them probably don't get out to Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack etc. that often so they likely haven't experienced this grid-lock first hand. Unfortunately it doesn't appear as though Libby has talked to anyone that does make this trip on a regular basis (people like my co-worker who car pools from Chilliwack to North Vancouver with 3 other guys 5 days per week).
Unfortunately Libby Davies and those of like mind don't see the provinces Gateway Program as an opportunity to expand and offer more transportation choices like buses on the Port Mann bridge, light rail, cycling and yes cars.
Fortunately we know better.
Hopefully Libby will soon see the relationship between her own junk mail habit and the points that her party raises in its environmental strategy.
A good question isn't it, but I think that the real joke here is in the absence of a punchline (or any answer at all). The truth is that when it comes to an NDP environmental strategy not much has really changed since Glen Clark decried environmentalists as "enemies of British Columbia".
Federal NDP... provincial NDP, take your pick but it really doesn't matter that much as both NDP representatives for Vancouver-Hastings and Vancouver-East (Shane Simpson and Libby Davies respectively) are equally shallow in their criticism of the BC Liberals environmental strategy and both have demonstrated a complete lack of productive solutions to a problem that I for one, take very seriously.
Our own BC NDP Environment Critic Shane Simpson is so confused by his backward left of center ideology that he refuses to even consider the benefits of environmentally sustainable energy sources (like run-of-the-river) as long as that power is owned by private companies. But I'll leave Shane alone for now as the real focus of this particular entry goes a little further east to East Vancouver's "Queen of Junk Mail" Libby Davies.
Earlier this week I came home to find the latest, hot off the press issue of the Vancouver East Community Bulletin, a 16 page multi-lingual quarterly reminder to the fine people of East Vancouver of all the great things that our federal NDP representative, Libby Davies has done to make our lives better. This comes to us in addition to the monthly and at times several times monthly newsletters and updates that Libby likes to send out. This also comes despite my email several months ago asking her to stop sending them and after I stapled all 5 identical newsletters that came addressed to my house together and returned them to sender. (interestingly enough the staple must have failed in the mail and two of the newsletters were re-delivered to my house).
Libby Davies is killing tree's at a furious pace in order to feed her junk mail habit. I haven't received this much mail from any other political figure before...even during an election! But big deal you say! Maybe its recycled paper, maybe not but despite the electronic mediums like email lots of people still send junk mail. Right? This may be so but still there is something unsettling about a 16 page leaflet that outlines the NDP environment strategy" on page 11.
Libby Davies, like Carole James, Shane Simpson and a few others is opposed to the BC Liberals Gateway Program. No surprised here! In her bulletin she tells us of the 5 forums that's she's hosted in East Vancouver and how hundreds of us have told her that we are also against Gateway, primarily because of the environmental impact that the project supposedly brings with it.
Hundreds!!
I don't have a problem with people that oppose a project like Gateway and I think its great that people ask questions of our government and the decisions that it makes everyday on our behalf. The problem that I do have with Libby's (et al) stance on Gateway (her own environmental hypocrisy notwithstanding) is that it appears to be torn out of the same old play book as the BC NDP, SPEC and a few others. Lots of criticism and virtually no reasonable alternatives. Investing in sustainable transportation, public transportation and the efficient use of existing roads and rail are all great ideas for sure, but the trouble is that none of these come close to addressing the current problem of the Port Mann bridge and the bottleneck that it creates for almost 13 hours every single day.
Unfortunately Libby, like her fellow NDP opponents can't seem to see the project beyond the twinning of the Port Mann and the adding of a single lane on each side of the freeway. A lane I might add that can be equally served by buses, hybrids and other alternative energy vehicles. One lane is hardly massive expansion as the critics would have us believe. Unfortunately Libby and those of like thinking don't see the environmental problem (among the other problems) of sitting idle in traffic for several hours each day. Unfortunately Libby, Carole, Shane and those like them probably don't get out to Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack etc. that often so they likely haven't experienced this grid-lock first hand. Unfortunately it doesn't appear as though Libby has talked to anyone that does make this trip on a regular basis (people like my co-worker who car pools from Chilliwack to North Vancouver with 3 other guys 5 days per week).
Unfortunately Libby Davies and those of like mind don't see the provinces Gateway Program as an opportunity to expand and offer more transportation choices like buses on the Port Mann bridge, light rail, cycling and yes cars.
Fortunately we know better.
Hopefully Libby will soon see the relationship between her own junk mail habit and the points that her party raises in its environmental strategy.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
here's to a new beginning
Has it really been over 2 months since I last graced this space with my presence? Hard to believe but thanks to two different friends pointing it out to me last week I have been reminded that I do in fact own a small piece of the blogging world. Apparently there are at least a couple of people out there interested in what I have to say. Thanks!
So here I am again, staring out the kitchen window, watching my back yard flood thanks to the rain and reflecting on a summer that never really came but is now long gone. Looking at the lake forming next to the garage I'm reminded of all the things that I planned to do this summer (like fixing the drainage) but never really got around to. Contributing to blog space is just one of many projects cast aside over the past couple of months but to be completely honest, looking back now it doesn't seem like there was really that much to talk about anyway.
What have I typically filled this space with after all? Looking back in previous posts you'll find all sorts of stuff about politics (mostly provincial), my community (Vancouver-Hastings) and some of the volunteer opportunities within it, the Gateway Program (interesting that now all of a sudden so many others are bringing attention to this), the environment and of course mountain biking. An odd mix perhaps but these are the things (along with my family of course) that make me happy. Question then is how do they contribute (or not) to my absence from the blogosphere?
Some may disagree but I think that politically speaking its been a pretty quiet summer as the province has managed to tick along quite nicely with Gordon Campbell at the helm. For those that didn't know I am a fan of the man and his leadership and therefor tend to agree with most of the things that the BC Liberals have done, or at least those things that affect me and my family. Frankly I see no problem in his plan to turn over the University Golf Club to the Musqueam's! Politics...oh yeah I guess there is that nasty little labour dispute that doesn't seem to want to go away. This has been a challenge hasn't it? But I quite intentionally left it alone as I, along with many Vancouverites have managed to find a way to get through it. The truth is that I don't agree with or support either side of this particular dispute. I believe that the union is being completely unreasonable and at the same time I think that Sam Sullivan has demonstrated a complete lack of leadership on the matter. But then if you ask me I think Christy Clark should be mayor.
The strike has contributed in some ways to my lack of inspiration as it has affected my ability to participate with at least 4 of the volunteer groups that I belong to since they have been handcuffed by picket lines. While most of these groups shut down for the summer anyway it is never-the-less difficult to talk or get excited about the City's Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program, the Hastings Community Association, the Hastings-Sunrise City Vision or the Public Realm when all of their projects and facilities have been shut down. (My son doesn't need to go to pre-school anyway)
Short of his brilliant move to risk life and limb and enter an active construction area without benefit of even the most basic personal protective equipment, my pal Shane Simpson has been pretty quiet this past summer. Nothing too ridiculous for me to mention here anyway, although I see that is quickly changing so stay tuned. The PNE has come and gone for yet another year with over 900 000 visitors and I'm happy to say that my family and I are included in this number yet again. It amazes me to think that there are people in this community that seem bent on dismantling Hastings Park and the PNE as we know them and as they have stood as institutions in our community for so long.
So I guess this leaves mountain biking...ah mountain biking probably the second or third love of my life. What happened to you this summer? Things really started off well and we were managing to get out at least once per week for a good while but then life started getting in the way I suppose. People got busy, people moved, changed jobs and so forth and suddenly it became near impossible to find a time that our faithful group could get together at the same time. My own schedule and family responsibilities made getting away for even one afternoon or evening almost impossible. The weather... well one great thing about mountain biking is that sometimes the crappier the weather the better the ride.
So here I am, the last day of September and the water level in the back yard is almost to the point where it starts pouring into the garage...
But not to worry! If I have sounded bit dreary up to this point all is till ok (but thanks for listening anyway) because I have a feeling that things are about to change after all, I see both Carole James and Shane Simpson back in the news with one foot or another rapidly approaching one mouth or another. The groups that I love that aren't stuck behind a picket line seem to be ramping up for the tail end of 2007. I've started a great new job that is challenging me in all of the right ways (its also allowed me to stay in Vancouver) and, perhaps most important I dropped my bike off at the shop yesterday for a much needed tune-up. It should be ready in about a week just in time for some wet, muddy fall riding.
It feels good to be back in the saddle again!
Has it really been over 2 months since I last graced this space with my presence? Hard to believe but thanks to two different friends pointing it out to me last week I have been reminded that I do in fact own a small piece of the blogging world. Apparently there are at least a couple of people out there interested in what I have to say. Thanks!
So here I am again, staring out the kitchen window, watching my back yard flood thanks to the rain and reflecting on a summer that never really came but is now long gone. Looking at the lake forming next to the garage I'm reminded of all the things that I planned to do this summer (like fixing the drainage) but never really got around to. Contributing to blog space is just one of many projects cast aside over the past couple of months but to be completely honest, looking back now it doesn't seem like there was really that much to talk about anyway.
What have I typically filled this space with after all? Looking back in previous posts you'll find all sorts of stuff about politics (mostly provincial), my community (Vancouver-Hastings) and some of the volunteer opportunities within it, the Gateway Program (interesting that now all of a sudden so many others are bringing attention to this), the environment and of course mountain biking. An odd mix perhaps but these are the things (along with my family of course) that make me happy. Question then is how do they contribute (or not) to my absence from the blogosphere?
Some may disagree but I think that politically speaking its been a pretty quiet summer as the province has managed to tick along quite nicely with Gordon Campbell at the helm. For those that didn't know I am a fan of the man and his leadership and therefor tend to agree with most of the things that the BC Liberals have done, or at least those things that affect me and my family. Frankly I see no problem in his plan to turn over the University Golf Club to the Musqueam's! Politics...oh yeah I guess there is that nasty little labour dispute that doesn't seem to want to go away. This has been a challenge hasn't it? But I quite intentionally left it alone as I, along with many Vancouverites have managed to find a way to get through it. The truth is that I don't agree with or support either side of this particular dispute. I believe that the union is being completely unreasonable and at the same time I think that Sam Sullivan has demonstrated a complete lack of leadership on the matter. But then if you ask me I think Christy Clark should be mayor.
The strike has contributed in some ways to my lack of inspiration as it has affected my ability to participate with at least 4 of the volunteer groups that I belong to since they have been handcuffed by picket lines. While most of these groups shut down for the summer anyway it is never-the-less difficult to talk or get excited about the City's Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program, the Hastings Community Association, the Hastings-Sunrise City Vision or the Public Realm when all of their projects and facilities have been shut down. (My son doesn't need to go to pre-school anyway)
Short of his brilliant move to risk life and limb and enter an active construction area without benefit of even the most basic personal protective equipment, my pal Shane Simpson has been pretty quiet this past summer. Nothing too ridiculous for me to mention here anyway, although I see that is quickly changing so stay tuned. The PNE has come and gone for yet another year with over 900 000 visitors and I'm happy to say that my family and I are included in this number yet again. It amazes me to think that there are people in this community that seem bent on dismantling Hastings Park and the PNE as we know them and as they have stood as institutions in our community for so long.
So I guess this leaves mountain biking...ah mountain biking probably the second or third love of my life. What happened to you this summer? Things really started off well and we were managing to get out at least once per week for a good while but then life started getting in the way I suppose. People got busy, people moved, changed jobs and so forth and suddenly it became near impossible to find a time that our faithful group could get together at the same time. My own schedule and family responsibilities made getting away for even one afternoon or evening almost impossible. The weather... well one great thing about mountain biking is that sometimes the crappier the weather the better the ride.
So here I am, the last day of September and the water level in the back yard is almost to the point where it starts pouring into the garage...
But not to worry! If I have sounded bit dreary up to this point all is till ok (but thanks for listening anyway) because I have a feeling that things are about to change after all, I see both Carole James and Shane Simpson back in the news with one foot or another rapidly approaching one mouth or another. The groups that I love that aren't stuck behind a picket line seem to be ramping up for the tail end of 2007. I've started a great new job that is challenging me in all of the right ways (its also allowed me to stay in Vancouver) and, perhaps most important I dropped my bike off at the shop yesterday for a much needed tune-up. It should be ready in about a week just in time for some wet, muddy fall riding.
It feels good to be back in the saddle again!
Monday, July 16, 2007
the best place on earth...
My family and I recently returned from a week spent exploring parts of British Columbia. Specifically the southern parts from Vancouver to Cranbrook and back. With over 2000 km to travel and only a week to do it, the trip was an ambitious one from the start. Never mind the fact that our Ford Focus, overstuffed with kids, bikes and gear left us wondering more than a few times whether or not we would actually make it to the top of that next summit along the way.
Never-the-less, we were excited about the trip and despite the rush and some of the challenges faced along the way, we still managed to see some really great places and were provided with many reasons as to why BC should be considered as "the Best Place on Earth!"
One of the main reasons for this particular route was so that we could visit some of our friends that had recently moved away from the Vancouver area. It seems like lately more and more of our friends are pulling up roots and replanting themselves in parts scattered across the province, sad perhaps but a great reason for a road trip! This time around the plan was to hit Lac Le Jeune, Kamloops, and Cranbrook with various stops in between, most important for me was a stop at Panorama Ski Resort outside of Invermere for a couple of days of mountain biking.
Because of all the places that we had to be and the time that we had to get there we ended up spending a lot of time on the road, staring longingly at majestic mountain vistas, lakes, pristine rivers and vast forests (sadly more than a few devastated by the beetle) through the windshield of our belaboured Focus wagon. Still, we did manage a few key stops at places like the last spike in the transcontinental railroad, Rogers Pass, the Hope slide and other significant points of Canadian and British Columbia history, just to keep the trip educational for our boys. Of equal importance, we were able to glimpse a few areas of the province that we would like to see more of and so are better able to plan our next trip into parts of ...the best place on Earth!
Which brings me to my final point, if there's to be a point in this particular story at all. During the trip I often found myself caught up in our surroundings, from the devastating results of the Pine Beetle in the Kamloops area, to the Shushwap, to the rugged mountain passes around Revelstoke, Golden and Invermere, to the deer on the street in front of the house we were staying at in Cranbrook, to the desert of Osoyoos (you get the picture). This trip, for whatever reason extended my sense of community from our little piece of Vancouver-Hastings to the greater community of British Columbia. Maybe its because of all the people we now know in these places, I don't know but this trip made me realize what a great place we are a part of.
There has been a certain amount of objection and negative comment to the BC governments decision to identify our province as "the best place on earth". Many of the negative comments identify the narrow mindedness of such a label and point out equally fantastic parts of others places in the world. Others point out some of the challenges to living in BC and, more specifically Vancouver as a result of high housing prices and so on. While I understand these challenges and also accept that I have seen some great things in the places I've been, places like Germany, Mexico, Fiji, Australia, I point out that I (and many of us) have always returned to BC. For me, and for most of us that live here, British Columbia is the best place on Earth and I think thats the point to the governments message. Perhaps more of us should stop and take a look at what we have for a minute instead of always finding ways to point out what we don't have or what we should have, or what is owed to us.
If you are a British Columbian, BC really should be the best place on Earth!
transit\'tran(t)s-et, 'tranz-\ n [L transitus, fr. transitus, pp. of transire to go across, pass} (15c) 1 a: an act, process, or instance of passing through or over ; PASSAGE b: CHANGE, TRANSITION c (1) : conveyance of persons or things from one place to another (2) : usu. local transportation esp. of people by public conveyance; also : vehicles or a system engaged in such transportation.
What is transit? To some transit is limited to public buses, light rail, trains, seabuses and other forms of public transportation as point (2) in Webster's definition (above) seems to support. However, I would argue that points (1) and (3) imply that transit includes any form of transportation or infrastructure that supports it thereby allowing people and things to move.
This should then include cycling and cycling infrastructure. What do you think? Is money spent on cycling infrastructure not money invested in better transit? I think so!
What is transit? To some transit is limited to public buses, light rail, trains, seabuses and other forms of public transportation as point (2) in Webster's definition (above) seems to support. However, I would argue that points (1) and (3) imply that transit includes any form of transportation or infrastructure that supports it thereby allowing people and things to move.
This should then include cycling and cycling infrastructure. What do you think? Is money spent on cycling infrastructure not money invested in better transit? I think so!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
BC Liberals invest $1.7 million for "Better Transit"
A few months ago I made comment here about a sign that I had spotted in my neighbourhood. The sign, produced by the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) read Better Transit, Not Freeways and its intent (presumably) was to draw attention to the concerns of a few citizens over the provinces Gateway program. Gateway, of course is a project set up by the BC government to address much needed transportation infrastructure upgrades throughout British Columbia.
Better Transit signs can be found scattered throughout neighbourhoods across the GVRD but I would wager that no community hosts as many as that of the Commercial and Victoria Drive areas of East Vancouver. The signs, while very simple in nature draw the reader towards the SPEC web site at http://www.spec.bc.ca/ where it is the hopes of the organization that concerned citizens will sign the on-line petition to encourage the government to invest our money in... Better Transit, not freeways!
To say that SPEC and similar organizations like it are against Gateway is probably a bit of an understatement. Nonetheless and despite the narrow focus I would say that their position is fair, after all in a society like ours its important that citizens take part in any debate over how our tax dollars are spent. The trouble is in this case I don't believe that many of those in opposition to Gateway are actually looking at the project as a whole. Many critics seem stuck on the notion that Gateway is about twinning a bridge and widening a freeway, a view that limits their ability to see the forest through the trees (sorry).
Case in point. On Friday July 6 I (along with 2 fellow members of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) had the opportunity to be on hand as BC Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Minister of State for ActNow BC Gordon Hogg announced $ 1.7 million for cycling infrastructure in communities throughout the province. Or, for the benefit of anyone from SPEC that might be reading, for "Better Transit!" This $1.7 million is a part of the almost $100 million (more money for cycling in BC than ever spent before) spent or pledged on cycling by the BC Liberals and it will be distributed through the Cycling Infrastructure Partnerships Program (CIPP) which is a province wide cost share initiative between the provincial government and local governments.
CIPP funding is intended to allow for the development of critical cycling infrastructure like separate bicycle paths, shoulder bike ways, bike lanes and shared roadways. All of these are important elements to encourage more and more people to take up cycling as a viable transportation alternative or to simply get out and enjoy the health benefits of cycling in the safest manner possible. During the announcement just over a week ago Minister Falcon showed his passion for cycling by committing to bicycle lanes on every new piece of road built by the province. He also stated that new cycling funding, among other things will "...give commuters a chance to get out of their vehicles and get on their bikes, it will also help ease congestion, cut down on emissions, and improve the air quality."
For those from SPEC that may still be reading, once again read more money for Better Transit... not just freeways!
A few months ago I made comment here about a sign that I had spotted in my neighbourhood. The sign, produced by the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) read Better Transit, Not Freeways and its intent (presumably) was to draw attention to the concerns of a few citizens over the provinces Gateway program. Gateway, of course is a project set up by the BC government to address much needed transportation infrastructure upgrades throughout British Columbia.
Better Transit signs can be found scattered throughout neighbourhoods across the GVRD but I would wager that no community hosts as many as that of the Commercial and Victoria Drive areas of East Vancouver. The signs, while very simple in nature draw the reader towards the SPEC web site at http://www.spec.bc.ca/ where it is the hopes of the organization that concerned citizens will sign the on-line petition to encourage the government to invest our money in... Better Transit, not freeways!
To say that SPEC and similar organizations like it are against Gateway is probably a bit of an understatement. Nonetheless and despite the narrow focus I would say that their position is fair, after all in a society like ours its important that citizens take part in any debate over how our tax dollars are spent. The trouble is in this case I don't believe that many of those in opposition to Gateway are actually looking at the project as a whole. Many critics seem stuck on the notion that Gateway is about twinning a bridge and widening a freeway, a view that limits their ability to see the forest through the trees (sorry).
Case in point. On Friday July 6 I (along with 2 fellow members of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) had the opportunity to be on hand as BC Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Minister of State for ActNow BC Gordon Hogg announced $ 1.7 million for cycling infrastructure in communities throughout the province. Or, for the benefit of anyone from SPEC that might be reading, for "Better Transit!" This $1.7 million is a part of the almost $100 million (more money for cycling in BC than ever spent before) spent or pledged on cycling by the BC Liberals and it will be distributed through the Cycling Infrastructure Partnerships Program (CIPP) which is a province wide cost share initiative between the provincial government and local governments.
CIPP funding is intended to allow for the development of critical cycling infrastructure like separate bicycle paths, shoulder bike ways, bike lanes and shared roadways. All of these are important elements to encourage more and more people to take up cycling as a viable transportation alternative or to simply get out and enjoy the health benefits of cycling in the safest manner possible. During the announcement just over a week ago Minister Falcon showed his passion for cycling by committing to bicycle lanes on every new piece of road built by the province. He also stated that new cycling funding, among other things will "...give commuters a chance to get out of their vehicles and get on their bikes, it will also help ease congestion, cut down on emissions, and improve the air quality."
For those from SPEC that may still be reading, once again read more money for Better Transit... not just freeways!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
our plan is working!
In this booming economy with unemployment at a record low and a provincial government that actually cares and is doing something about the environment, health care, poverty, the provinces critical infrastructure and relationships with first nations (to name a few), its easy to forget the 90's. We shouldn't forget the 90's and how the NDP government of the day very nearly destroyed it all. 6 years later, with many ups and downs encountered along the way, its easy to see that the plan is working. Remember this in May 2009.
In this booming economy with unemployment at a record low and a provincial government that actually cares and is doing something about the environment, health care, poverty, the provinces critical infrastructure and relationships with first nations (to name a few), its easy to forget the 90's. We shouldn't forget the 90's and how the NDP government of the day very nearly destroyed it all. 6 years later, with many ups and downs encountered along the way, its easy to see that the plan is working. Remember this in May 2009.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
There goes my hero...
Wow! Just when I was beginning to think that nothing interesting was going to happen in BC politics this summer (now that summer has finally happened), Shane Simpson comes along and, for the sake of the environment and at tremendous personal risk, tries to take on Ledcor Power.
According to Province columnist Michael Smyth, Vancouver-Hastings own BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson has been recently accused of trespassing (along with an entourage of environmental activists) at Ledcors Ashlu Creek hydro project. Is anyone really surprised? Simpson has never made a secret out of the fact that he opposes the environmentally friendly run-of-the-river project at Ashlu Creek. Strange when you consider the impact that projects like this one have compared to bigger hydro projects that require large reservoirs, that cause large-scale flooding and that contribute greenhouse gas emissions.
Run of the river projects divert a portion of a creek or rivers water through an intake structure and into an underground tunnel. As Mr. Simpson correctly pointed out from his unauthorized "inspection" of the Ashlu project, a 7 km tunnel is being built (in this case) to take this diverted water to a power house (roughly the size of a large house). The advantage of the tunnel system (despite what Shane may try and tell us) is that it can be built without disturbing the landscape or the wildlife that lives above it. Once at the power house, the diverted water turns turbines that in turn generate electricity, in the case of the Ashlu project that's enough electricity to provide power to some 23 000 homes annually. Once used, all water is returned clean and unchanged to Ashlu creek.
Sounds pretty good doesn't it? After all, since we need power why wouldn't we try to get it from green sources like the one being built at Ashlu creek? Well if your Shane Simpson, environment critic for the BC NDP you don't agree. As Michael Smyth points out in today's column, Shane Simpson "likes to stay on top of all the big construction projects affecting the environment in British Columbia." But wait... Ashlu is a green project! How could Simpson possibly object to a green hydro project? The truth is that when it comes to Ashlu creek it really has nothing to do with anything green except that is, for money.
Shane Simpson objects to the Ashlu creek project because it is a private project, not because its not green! Simpson and the BC NDP by their very nature can't accept any project of this nature unless it is controlled by the government and so, in the interest of trying to find a real environmental reason to oppose the Ashlu Creek Project, Shane Simpson chose to lead a group of like-minded, misguided supporters on an unauthorized and extremely dangerous fact-finding mission into a construction site. This without any of the appropriate personal protective equipment needed to enter an active construction zone (where is Bill C-45 when you need it?)and without any regard for the health and safety of himself or anyone in his group.
Who said that there aren't any heroes left in the world?
Meanwhile, back in Vancouver-Hastings crime seems to be on a steady increase, the troubles of the Downtown Eastside seem to be spilling into our community, residents no longer feel safe... and the community continues to go largely under-represented by any of its elected officials!
Wow! Just when I was beginning to think that nothing interesting was going to happen in BC politics this summer (now that summer has finally happened), Shane Simpson comes along and, for the sake of the environment and at tremendous personal risk, tries to take on Ledcor Power.
According to Province columnist Michael Smyth, Vancouver-Hastings own BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson has been recently accused of trespassing (along with an entourage of environmental activists) at Ledcors Ashlu Creek hydro project. Is anyone really surprised? Simpson has never made a secret out of the fact that he opposes the environmentally friendly run-of-the-river project at Ashlu Creek. Strange when you consider the impact that projects like this one have compared to bigger hydro projects that require large reservoirs, that cause large-scale flooding and that contribute greenhouse gas emissions.
Run of the river projects divert a portion of a creek or rivers water through an intake structure and into an underground tunnel. As Mr. Simpson correctly pointed out from his unauthorized "inspection" of the Ashlu project, a 7 km tunnel is being built (in this case) to take this diverted water to a power house (roughly the size of a large house). The advantage of the tunnel system (despite what Shane may try and tell us) is that it can be built without disturbing the landscape or the wildlife that lives above it. Once at the power house, the diverted water turns turbines that in turn generate electricity, in the case of the Ashlu project that's enough electricity to provide power to some 23 000 homes annually. Once used, all water is returned clean and unchanged to Ashlu creek.
Sounds pretty good doesn't it? After all, since we need power why wouldn't we try to get it from green sources like the one being built at Ashlu creek? Well if your Shane Simpson, environment critic for the BC NDP you don't agree. As Michael Smyth points out in today's column, Shane Simpson "likes to stay on top of all the big construction projects affecting the environment in British Columbia." But wait... Ashlu is a green project! How could Simpson possibly object to a green hydro project? The truth is that when it comes to Ashlu creek it really has nothing to do with anything green except that is, for money.
Shane Simpson objects to the Ashlu creek project because it is a private project, not because its not green! Simpson and the BC NDP by their very nature can't accept any project of this nature unless it is controlled by the government and so, in the interest of trying to find a real environmental reason to oppose the Ashlu Creek Project, Shane Simpson chose to lead a group of like-minded, misguided supporters on an unauthorized and extremely dangerous fact-finding mission into a construction site. This without any of the appropriate personal protective equipment needed to enter an active construction zone (where is Bill C-45 when you need it?)and without any regard for the health and safety of himself or anyone in his group.
Who said that there aren't any heroes left in the world?
Meanwhile, back in Vancouver-Hastings crime seems to be on a steady increase, the troubles of the Downtown Eastside seem to be spilling into our community, residents no longer feel safe... and the community continues to go largely under-represented by any of its elected officials!
Transportation in the BC (and especially the GVRD) has become a very hot topic over the past couple of years, partly with the introduction of the BC Liberals Gateway program, desperately needed improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway and the Kicking Horse Pass, the Canada Line and a number of other initiatives designed to improve a largely neglected transportation infrastructure. Complicating matters, there seems to be almost as many opinions about how to fix the problem as there are transportation choices but very few seem to look at the whole picture. In the end, whether you drive, take the bus, ride a bike or walk, we are all somehow impacted by a growing population and a long outdated transportation infrastructure. This said, it appears as though Translink and an aging bus fleet seem to be the focus of the latest conversation on transportation in Vancouver and the GVRD...
More buses...
One solution being offered up by organizations like SPEC and the Bus Riders Union is to increase the number of buses in the area by as much as 20%. This isn't a bad idea although one might argue that a significant increase in buses will only increase congestion unless some serious road upgrades are made at the same time. Of course the counter-argument would be that more buses will decrease the number of cars on the road meaning less congestion however, Jan Efting of the Bus Riders Union raises some speculation on this point in her column in the Friday 22 Jun Province. In her opinion piece Ms. Efting points out that in 2006 bus riders were left to wait at stops 10 extra minutes, 19 000 times, as full buses passed by. She goes on to say that there are 500 fewer buses running during the rush hour than what were promised (imply necessary) by Translink in 2000.
While I don't necessarily dispute Jan Efting's claim I can't help but wonder if this means that the proposed 20% more buses will be just enough to take up the current slack in the system or whether this includes room for new riders? Long line-ups at the bus stop will do very little to encourage more people to take the bus meaning that 20% more buses may in fact do little to decrease congestion on the streets. More buses, without rapid transit (as the Bus Riders Union seem to favour) is not the answer!
...lower fares!
This is the all important second half of the war cry of the Bus Riders Union, and why not? Don't we all relish the thought of getting something for nothing? Recently Translink announced that it would seek fare increases of about 12%, or $0.25 per trip on buses, skytrain and the Seabus. To most of the population, including many of us that take the bus this seems reasonable, after all if we expect an increase in any kind of service there should be some expectation that someone has to pay for it. Shouldn't we?
Not if you are a member of the Bus Riders Union or for that matter the BC NDP. Despite the rising price of commodities (like fuel), the expanded maintenance costs of an expanded fleet, extra staff and the initial cost of new buses, these groups feel it unfair that the end user of Translink's services, the bus rider's actually pay any part of an increase in service. Translink has made plans to increase its current fleet by adding 400 buses at an approximate cost of $500 000 for each bus (assuming they are standard 40 pax diesels) and to replace 228 aging trolley buses with new low floor models that cost significantly more. The 20% increase in buses proposed by SPEC comes with a price tag of about $170 million, either way a lot of money and since most of us know that nothing really comes free this would mean that any increase in Translink's services would be placed squarely on the shoulders of the taxpayer.
Thank goodness for calmer heads at Translink and for a BC government that understands that there is a limit to how far a tax dollar can stretch. In the end we will all have to pay for a part of these increases and, as tough is it may be for some, bus riders must be prepared to pay their share as well.
What's making you Sicko?
I haven't yet seen Michael Moores latest project Sicko. To be honest, if I see it I will likely wait until I can rent it on video. Its not that I have anything against Moore or his movies, in fact in most cases I have agreed with what he try's to say I just don't necessarily agree with the journey he takes to get to his decisions. Like the establishment that he criticizes, I don't believe that Michael Moore necessarily offers up the whole story. Anyway, I am interested in the topic he has chosen this time as health care is a very important topic in British Columbia right now and its a subject that has hit kind of close to home lately.
While it can be argued that our health care system is not yet anywhere near the poor shape of our neighbours to the south of us, there is certainly no denying that the system is in trouble. Currently in this province health care spending gobbles up about 40% of our tax dollars and its only getting worse. Why? Great question and there are undoubtedly hundreds of possible answers. To their credit the BC Liberals are in the process of trying to find these answers along with some practical solutions to our health care woes through the Conversation on Health. Despite these efforts, critics such as the BC NDP, BC Federation of Labour (to name a few) still believe that the best solution to health care in BC is to throw more money at it.
I'm no expert on health care, but I do believe that I have a fair amount of common sense and so the irony of the picture that I came across in the paper last week wasn't lost. Aging population, bad habits such as smoking, lack of exercise, new strains of virus's are all contributors to a system bulging at its seams, but maybe part of our problem lies a little closer to our waist lines than we would like to believe.
I haven't yet seen Michael Moores latest project Sicko. To be honest, if I see it I will likely wait until I can rent it on video. Its not that I have anything against Moore or his movies, in fact in most cases I have agreed with what he try's to say I just don't necessarily agree with the journey he takes to get to his decisions. Like the establishment that he criticizes, I don't believe that Michael Moore necessarily offers up the whole story. Anyway, I am interested in the topic he has chosen this time as health care is a very important topic in British Columbia right now and its a subject that has hit kind of close to home lately.
While it can be argued that our health care system is not yet anywhere near the poor shape of our neighbours to the south of us, there is certainly no denying that the system is in trouble. Currently in this province health care spending gobbles up about 40% of our tax dollars and its only getting worse. Why? Great question and there are undoubtedly hundreds of possible answers. To their credit the BC Liberals are in the process of trying to find these answers along with some practical solutions to our health care woes through the Conversation on Health. Despite these efforts, critics such as the BC NDP, BC Federation of Labour (to name a few) still believe that the best solution to health care in BC is to throw more money at it.
I'm no expert on health care, but I do believe that I have a fair amount of common sense and so the irony of the picture that I came across in the paper last week wasn't lost. Aging population, bad habits such as smoking, lack of exercise, new strains of virus's are all contributors to a system bulging at its seams, but maybe part of our problem lies a little closer to our waist lines than we would like to believe.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Its been a tough month for me as a blogger. Lots going on in my own life means not a lot of time for following all that's going on around me. Truth is though, there hasn't been that much going on that I've found exciting. It seems to me that local media has run out of things to talk about and so they just keep dragging up the same issues over and over again. All in all pretty boring.
Of course there are a couple of things of interest to me (outside of cycling which seems to dominate the few posts I've done lately). I've also had a few ideas bouncing around my head for future posts. I just can't seem to find the energy to bring them to life. (I thank Garibaldi School for this) I'm very concerned about the state of the provinces rivers and the communities surrounding them as this years spring freshet brings water levels to near record highs. As of today eight communities in the province have declared states of emergencies. As a volunteer with the Provincial Emergency Program I am prepared to go and help wherever I'm needed and asked and as a human being I feel for those affected by another example of the power of nature.
Of course last week the provincial legislature finished for the summer with a significant raise and pension plan for our MLA's. Good for them, I believe its deserved and as a voter I expect to get what I pay for. Many comparisons are being made between MLA salaries, highly paid executives and those making minimum wage but in reality this is like comparing apples and oranges. We have expectations that our elected officials are going to work for us 24/7 and therefor they should be paid to reflect that. If they are not fulfilling these expectations (as many opponents to the raises say) then it is incumbent upon us to do something about it. Perhaps if we held our local representatives more accountable they would have no choice but to work for us and the money we pay them.
If the NDP is willing to do the job for less money then fine, let them however I would caution that when you give a job to the lowest bidder you don't always save in the long run! The truth is that despite the BC NDP attempting to demonstrate moral superiority by donating their raises to charity, I would argue that most (if not all) of them felt deserving of the raise. Lets not kid ourselves, this year the raise was given to charity but what about next year, the year after, or how about the year after that. What about the pension? As NDP MLA's retire (or more likely get defeated) will they then donate a significant portion of their pension to the same charities? I doubt it!
So how about the comparison between the new MLA salary and a $10 minimum wage suggested by the NDP and many leaders within the labour movement? This one is a little bit tougher for me. I do believe that people should be able to make a decent wage in this province and I don't believe that anything under 10 bucks is decent, but I don't believe that a $10 minimum wage needs to be necessarily legislated. The fact is that in today's market the employees are in charge. As someone who hires workers (mostly in the mid range between $10 and $20 and hour) I know painfully well how difficult it is to find people. As this situation gets worse and skilled and unskilled labour becomes more and more difficult to find employers will be forced to become more and more creative in order to attract and retain their workers.
I'm sure that Jim Sinclair knows this, but this won't give him any press.
I would like to talk about safety and security and the lack there of in the community of Vancouver-Hastings. I'd also mention the fact that neither our NDP MP Libby Davies nor our BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson seem to give it much thought. As crime in our community seems to get worse and worse we have one representative with her head buried in the DTES while the other is off somewhere fighting run-of-the-river energy plants, fish farms and flooding rivers. All important issues for sure, but not a great deal to do with the people who voted for them. I'd like to talk about these things but will save them for later. Right now its back to cycling.
As most of you know my commuter bike was stolen last week during Bike to Work Week. As angry as I still am about this I did learn a few lessons from it. First, check your insurance deductible against your bike limits. In my case both were $1000 so I got nothing and unfortunately my bike was valued at about $3000. Second, don't buy a cable lock. Even though the big Kryptonite lock is going to add some pounds to your ride it will be worth it in the end. Third, never assume that your bike will be safe just because you've locked it up outside of the police station!
Good news though, I bought a new bike this past Tuesday. Its a Trek 7.5 disc and while it is very different from anything I've ever ridden, so far I love it. I would like to mention the amazing service that I received from James and his staff at Obsession Bikes in North Vancouver. You can visit Obsession on 1st and Lonsdale or go to http://www.obsessionbikes.com/
Finally. I have found the opportunity to combine one of my passions (cycling) with a cause that I feel is extremely important. I have recently registered for the 23rd annual Bicycle Trek for Life and Breath with benefits going to The Lung Association of British Columbia. This is a 2 day 200 km ride designed to raise money in support of lung health and I couldn't be more excited to participate. Tobacco use has directly impacted my family and my wife and oldest son are among the 1 in 20 British Columbian's that have asthma. According to the Lung Association smoking kills 1 in 10 adults worldwide and air pollution causes 5000 premature deaths in Canada each year. Every hour 2 British Columbian's die from tobacco related disease.
Its a great cause and I would encourage cyclists everywhere to consider registering for the event by calling 604 731 5864 or going online at http://www.bc.lung.ca/ . If your not a cyclist but would like to help out anyway I would encourage you to consider a donation, you can even sponsor me if you like by going to http://www.bicycletrek2007.kintera.org/ . Just click on "Sponsor a Participant" and enter my name (Ray Henderson). The Lung Association (and I) certainly appreciates any help that you can give.
Until next time...
Of course there are a couple of things of interest to me (outside of cycling which seems to dominate the few posts I've done lately). I've also had a few ideas bouncing around my head for future posts. I just can't seem to find the energy to bring them to life. (I thank Garibaldi School for this) I'm very concerned about the state of the provinces rivers and the communities surrounding them as this years spring freshet brings water levels to near record highs. As of today eight communities in the province have declared states of emergencies. As a volunteer with the Provincial Emergency Program I am prepared to go and help wherever I'm needed and asked and as a human being I feel for those affected by another example of the power of nature.
Of course last week the provincial legislature finished for the summer with a significant raise and pension plan for our MLA's. Good for them, I believe its deserved and as a voter I expect to get what I pay for. Many comparisons are being made between MLA salaries, highly paid executives and those making minimum wage but in reality this is like comparing apples and oranges. We have expectations that our elected officials are going to work for us 24/7 and therefor they should be paid to reflect that. If they are not fulfilling these expectations (as many opponents to the raises say) then it is incumbent upon us to do something about it. Perhaps if we held our local representatives more accountable they would have no choice but to work for us and the money we pay them.
If the NDP is willing to do the job for less money then fine, let them however I would caution that when you give a job to the lowest bidder you don't always save in the long run! The truth is that despite the BC NDP attempting to demonstrate moral superiority by donating their raises to charity, I would argue that most (if not all) of them felt deserving of the raise. Lets not kid ourselves, this year the raise was given to charity but what about next year, the year after, or how about the year after that. What about the pension? As NDP MLA's retire (or more likely get defeated) will they then donate a significant portion of their pension to the same charities? I doubt it!
So how about the comparison between the new MLA salary and a $10 minimum wage suggested by the NDP and many leaders within the labour movement? This one is a little bit tougher for me. I do believe that people should be able to make a decent wage in this province and I don't believe that anything under 10 bucks is decent, but I don't believe that a $10 minimum wage needs to be necessarily legislated. The fact is that in today's market the employees are in charge. As someone who hires workers (mostly in the mid range between $10 and $20 and hour) I know painfully well how difficult it is to find people. As this situation gets worse and skilled and unskilled labour becomes more and more difficult to find employers will be forced to become more and more creative in order to attract and retain their workers.
I'm sure that Jim Sinclair knows this, but this won't give him any press.
I would like to talk about safety and security and the lack there of in the community of Vancouver-Hastings. I'd also mention the fact that neither our NDP MP Libby Davies nor our BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson seem to give it much thought. As crime in our community seems to get worse and worse we have one representative with her head buried in the DTES while the other is off somewhere fighting run-of-the-river energy plants, fish farms and flooding rivers. All important issues for sure, but not a great deal to do with the people who voted for them. I'd like to talk about these things but will save them for later. Right now its back to cycling.
As most of you know my commuter bike was stolen last week during Bike to Work Week. As angry as I still am about this I did learn a few lessons from it. First, check your insurance deductible against your bike limits. In my case both were $1000 so I got nothing and unfortunately my bike was valued at about $3000. Second, don't buy a cable lock. Even though the big Kryptonite lock is going to add some pounds to your ride it will be worth it in the end. Third, never assume that your bike will be safe just because you've locked it up outside of the police station!
Good news though, I bought a new bike this past Tuesday. Its a Trek 7.5 disc and while it is very different from anything I've ever ridden, so far I love it. I would like to mention the amazing service that I received from James and his staff at Obsession Bikes in North Vancouver. You can visit Obsession on 1st and Lonsdale or go to http://www.obsessionbikes.com/
Finally. I have found the opportunity to combine one of my passions (cycling) with a cause that I feel is extremely important. I have recently registered for the 23rd annual Bicycle Trek for Life and Breath with benefits going to The Lung Association of British Columbia. This is a 2 day 200 km ride designed to raise money in support of lung health and I couldn't be more excited to participate. Tobacco use has directly impacted my family and my wife and oldest son are among the 1 in 20 British Columbian's that have asthma. According to the Lung Association smoking kills 1 in 10 adults worldwide and air pollution causes 5000 premature deaths in Canada each year. Every hour 2 British Columbian's die from tobacco related disease.
Its a great cause and I would encourage cyclists everywhere to consider registering for the event by calling 604 731 5864 or going online at http://www.bc.lung.ca/ . If your not a cyclist but would like to help out anyway I would encourage you to consider a donation, you can even sponsor me if you like by going to http://www.bicycletrek2007.kintera.org/ . Just click on "Sponsor a Participant" and enter my name (Ray Henderson). The Lung Association (and I) certainly appreciates any help that you can give.
Until next time...
Sunday, June 03, 2007
a crappy end to an otherwise great week...
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The 1st annual Greater Vancouver Bike to Work Week has come to a close and by all accounts it seems to have been a success. 587 teams and 3494 participants is impressive for a first effort and should make the organizers proud of all the work that they have done. Never mind the fantastic weather that we were blessed with all week. At Grouse Mountain we managed to enlist 13 staff to participate which is great considering the seemingly insurmountable hill(s) that must be tackled on the way to work. Over the week (and including the weeks leading up to the event) our staff managed to clock just over 600 km's, burning 17,295 calories and preventing 143 kg's of green house gas emissions from entering the atmosphere.
So why the less than enthusiastic start to this post?
Don't get me wrong, I had a great time all week and am proud to have been involved with such a worthwhile activity. Unfortunately, for me Bike to Work Week came to an abrupt end last Wednesday. Somewhere out there is a bike with my name on it... literally. More likely, somewhere out there are a bunch of parts floating around from the bike that was once mine!
.jpg)
Last Wednesday I got up nice and early and rode to the commuter station located in West Vancouver at the Lions Gate Bridge, where I had agreed to volunteer. Admittedly, I didn't really want to ride that day as I was pretty sore from the previous two days of riding and I thought one day off might be a good idea. However, being that I was actually participating in a BTWW activity and that I am on the Board for the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition I thought I had better ride. Once finished at the commuter station I proceeded to the North Vancouver RCMP detachment where I had a meeting at the Emergency Management Office.
Imagine my surprise a little more than an hour later when I entered the courtyard in front of the detachment only to find the empty space where my bike had once been locked! Amazing that it would happen in front of the police station and ironic that it would happen given what I had done in the interest of cycling up to that point. Also interesting (to me at least) is the fact that this post comes one year after my very first which talked about the theft of my wife's pansies from the front deck of our house.
The pictures I've attached don't really give the bike justice but they are all I have. I also don't hold out much hope that the bike is still in one piece, it may not even be anywhere near the area. The bike is a Santa Cruz Chameleon, the frame is gray and it has red Kooka cranks and headset. Rhino lite rims with slick tires and Hayes hydraulic disc brakes.
It also has my name on it, in red. The same color as my anger over the fact that it no longer has my butt on it.
Monday, May 28, 2007
bike to work week May 28 to June 3
Wow! Almost a month since my last post, unfortunately the end of the ski season, preparations for a new fiscal year and, most importantly mountain biking have kept me pretty well tied up over these past 4 weeks. But here I am.
Today was the first day of the first annual Greater Vancouver Bike to Work Week. It was also the first day in a long time that I managed to pedal my butt the whole way from my home in Hastings-Sunrise to my work at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver (I have ridden part way there and all the way home several times). I've been dreading this almost 18 km (mostly uphill) trek for weeks but, now that its been done I've got to say that it mostly wasn't that bad. Besides whats uphill one way is all downhill the other right? (hopefully I still feel this way tomorrow morning).
The Greater Vancouver Bike to Work Week event has been modelled after a similar event, now in its 12th year in Victoria. Sponsored by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, Bike to Work Week is a fun event designed to create friendly competition between organizations and individuals to get people onto their bikes as a healthy alternative for commuting to work. According to the VACC, some of the most important reasons for biking to work is that it allows us to:
1. Get out of traffic.
2. Get healthy. Cycling to work allows us to use our commute as a part of an exercise routine.
3. Cut down on our personal greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Engage our communities, meet our neighbours, breath some fresh air and enjoy the beauty of our landscape.
During Bike to Work Week the VACC and local businesses, municipalities and volunteers will be hosting commuter stations throughout the GVRD. These are essentially gathering places for cyclists that offer up free refreshments, mechanical expertise and opportunities to win prizes. For more information on Bike to Work Week, the VACC, the location of commuter stations and cycling in the community go to http://www.vacc.bc.ca/ . Its not too late to get involved and keep in mind that Bike to Work Week also marks the beginning of Bike Month, another reason to keep the car parked for a while.
One note of concern regarding many of the fellow cyclists that I encountered on my ride this morning... we're an awfully serious bunch aren't we? Not a smile or a wave from a single person that I met and I just can't understand why everyone seemed so serious on such a fantastic day. Cheer up everyone, just think of all the great things that you are doing for yourself and our environment!
Wow! Almost a month since my last post, unfortunately the end of the ski season, preparations for a new fiscal year and, most importantly mountain biking have kept me pretty well tied up over these past 4 weeks. But here I am.
Today was the first day of the first annual Greater Vancouver Bike to Work Week. It was also the first day in a long time that I managed to pedal my butt the whole way from my home in Hastings-Sunrise to my work at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver (I have ridden part way there and all the way home several times). I've been dreading this almost 18 km (mostly uphill) trek for weeks but, now that its been done I've got to say that it mostly wasn't that bad. Besides whats uphill one way is all downhill the other right? (hopefully I still feel this way tomorrow morning).
The Greater Vancouver Bike to Work Week event has been modelled after a similar event, now in its 12th year in Victoria. Sponsored by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, Bike to Work Week is a fun event designed to create friendly competition between organizations and individuals to get people onto their bikes as a healthy alternative for commuting to work. According to the VACC, some of the most important reasons for biking to work is that it allows us to:
1. Get out of traffic.
2. Get healthy. Cycling to work allows us to use our commute as a part of an exercise routine.
3. Cut down on our personal greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Engage our communities, meet our neighbours, breath some fresh air and enjoy the beauty of our landscape.
During Bike to Work Week the VACC and local businesses, municipalities and volunteers will be hosting commuter stations throughout the GVRD. These are essentially gathering places for cyclists that offer up free refreshments, mechanical expertise and opportunities to win prizes. For more information on Bike to Work Week, the VACC, the location of commuter stations and cycling in the community go to http://www.vacc.bc.ca/ . Its not too late to get involved and keep in mind that Bike to Work Week also marks the beginning of Bike Month, another reason to keep the car parked for a while.
One note of concern regarding many of the fellow cyclists that I encountered on my ride this morning... we're an awfully serious bunch aren't we? Not a smile or a wave from a single person that I met and I just can't understand why everyone seemed so serious on such a fantastic day. Cheer up everyone, just think of all the great things that you are doing for yourself and our environment!
Monday, April 30, 2007
...using less - living better?
A rhetorical question if I may... How many people out there are, like me, fed up with the vast amount of unsolicited junk mail that seems to clog our mail slots and fill our recycling bags each week? Judging by the number of "No junk mail" signs in my neighbourhood I'd say there are a lot of you.
Really though! Does anyone actually read it? Do any of you really care how many houses realtor A has sold and do you actually compare this information against the flyer from realtor B? Just how many credit cards, consolidation loans or mortgages does the average person apply for? If you need your house painted or your gutters cleaned, do you go digging for that flyer that you know came a couple of months ago? How many people actually make decisions based on the things they've taken from their junk mail?
Most of the unwanted stuff that we get goes directly, unread and often unopened, to the recycling bag. I barely have the time to read the things that I want to read or that I should be reading these days. Never mind everything else. Each week it gets carried out to the curb so that it may be returned, recycled and reprinted so that it may be re-delivered another day. Sadly, our yellow bag is often more full than the blue bag, blue box and the garbage can combined. I'm not kidding! Frankly, in this day of electronic access to nearly everything, I find the scale of this waste a little disturbing.
Which brings me to the point today where I had decided it was enough. I don't even know how I got on this mailing list, but now for the second time in just over a week I received a newsletter from East Vancouver's own Libby Davies. Champion of everything, protector of all, but apparently a poor environmental steward. I guess that's not completely true, there are three names on the envelope mine, my brother in law's (lives downstairs) and a name I've never heard of but can only assume that he used to live here, so I guess the intention is that I read it and pass it on to the other two guys. That's called reducing. Anyway, the title of today's bulletin for those interested is...
A bulletin that describes a new residential energy efficiency assessment service for Canadian homeowners in order that we may improve the energy efficiency of our homes and... reduce our homes impact on the environment!
Wonderful! I've always been a bit suspect when it comes to the NDP's true position on the environment and this just makes me scratch my head a little more. In the Community Links bulletin that I received from Libby Davies last week she tells us about some of the very important things that she's been working on for all of the citizens of East Vancouver. These include workers rights, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and so on.
Anyone that's followed my ramblings up to this point knows that I am very fond of recognizing the small steps, since they all lead to bigger things, especially where the environment is concerned. So while two bulletins (3 pages and 2 envelopes) in a little over a week may not seem like a big deal to some, to me its ridiculous especially when the information could easily be sent out electronically and further since it came without my asking for it in the first place. An information pamphlet sent out during an election to inform voters of their choices is one thing, a steady barrage of letters and bulletins is another thing entirely.
A rhetorical question if I may... How many people out there are, like me, fed up with the vast amount of unsolicited junk mail that seems to clog our mail slots and fill our recycling bags each week? Judging by the number of "No junk mail" signs in my neighbourhood I'd say there are a lot of you.
Really though! Does anyone actually read it? Do any of you really care how many houses realtor A has sold and do you actually compare this information against the flyer from realtor B? Just how many credit cards, consolidation loans or mortgages does the average person apply for? If you need your house painted or your gutters cleaned, do you go digging for that flyer that you know came a couple of months ago? How many people actually make decisions based on the things they've taken from their junk mail?
Most of the unwanted stuff that we get goes directly, unread and often unopened, to the recycling bag. I barely have the time to read the things that I want to read or that I should be reading these days. Never mind everything else. Each week it gets carried out to the curb so that it may be returned, recycled and reprinted so that it may be re-delivered another day. Sadly, our yellow bag is often more full than the blue bag, blue box and the garbage can combined. I'm not kidding! Frankly, in this day of electronic access to nearly everything, I find the scale of this waste a little disturbing.
Which brings me to the point today where I had decided it was enough. I don't even know how I got on this mailing list, but now for the second time in just over a week I received a newsletter from East Vancouver's own Libby Davies. Champion of everything, protector of all, but apparently a poor environmental steward. I guess that's not completely true, there are three names on the envelope mine, my brother in law's (lives downstairs) and a name I've never heard of but can only assume that he used to live here, so I guess the intention is that I read it and pass it on to the other two guys. That's called reducing. Anyway, the title of today's bulletin for those interested is...
Eco-energy - Using Less - Living Better
A bulletin that describes a new residential energy efficiency assessment service for Canadian homeowners in order that we may improve the energy efficiency of our homes and... reduce our homes impact on the environment!
Wonderful! I've always been a bit suspect when it comes to the NDP's true position on the environment and this just makes me scratch my head a little more. In the Community Links bulletin that I received from Libby Davies last week she tells us about some of the very important things that she's been working on for all of the citizens of East Vancouver. These include workers rights, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and so on.
Anyone that's followed my ramblings up to this point knows that I am very fond of recognizing the small steps, since they all lead to bigger things, especially where the environment is concerned. So while two bulletins (3 pages and 2 envelopes) in a little over a week may not seem like a big deal to some, to me its ridiculous especially when the information could easily be sent out electronically and further since it came without my asking for it in the first place. An information pamphlet sent out during an election to inform voters of their choices is one thing, a steady barrage of letters and bulletins is another thing entirely.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
OPERATION: Clean Sweep!
Yesterday (Saturday April 28) Aiden, Jack and I spent a couple of hours with the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) helping with its contribution toward this years Pitch-in Canada week. It was a beautiful day to be out for sure, and after our experience at the bank machine earlier it felt really good to be doing something positive for the community. It also provided me with the opportunity to try and drive some good values and positive morals into my boys and I think it worked. By the end of the day Jack, my youngest was telling anyone who'd listen how "we're never going to litter!"
This year marked the 41st anniversary of Pitch-in Canada week. According to the Pitch-in site this is the largest and only multi-province environmental improvement campaign in the country, involving some 3.5 million volunteers. The objectives of this years campaign, entitled OPERATION: Clean Sweep include to:
- involve millions of Canadian, young and old in local projects which clean-up, restore and/or preserve the environment, thereby promoting environmental sustainability and involving both young and older people in local partnerships which benefit and enhance their communities.
- clean up, restore and beautify the environment by cleaning up litter and other garbage from urban, rural and wilderness areas and by initiating local projects such as habitat preservation and restoration and urban renewal activities, thereby promoting respect for Canada's natural and urban environments.
- encourage voluntary action as a means of resolving environmental problems.
- stress the value of waste as a resource by encouraging Canadians to refuse, reuse, recycle and properly dispose waste.
- educate Canadians to pack-in/pack-out their waste when they enjoy the natural environment.
- encourage civic pride and develop long-term working relationships for the future which will help local communities develop in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, thereby leaving lasting benefits.
I'd have to say that these objectives were accomplished in our little part of the greater operation! As I said, it felt great to be out doing something positive for the community and for me, it was even better that the VACC chose a part of my own community to clean up. By the end of the afternoon our group had amassed an impressive (yet somewhat disturbing) pile of rubbish from the area of the TransCanada trail between North Kaslo and the Second Narrows Bridge. We all had a great time in the process.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
A lesson in line-ups...
I can hardly believe this one myself!
How many lines do you think should form at a bank that has more than one Automated Teller Machine (ATM)? I have to assume that the majority would agree that one line is all it takes. As a machine becomes available the first person in the line takes it, the next person takes the next machine and so on...right? Seems like common sense to me but, today being a day for lessons I learned a valuable new one about ATM line-ups.
Today my sons and I walked into the TD Canada Trust at Hastings and Kamloops and, seeing a line for the 2 ATM machines, did what came naturally and stood behind the last person in the single line to wait our turn. The fellow in front of us was at the front of the line so it wasn't that big a deal for us and we weren't in that big of a hurry anyway. At some point as we waited another man (a large white man) entered the line, only instead of standing behind us he took up a position to the left of the guy in front of me.
Soon the machine on the left became open but, against traditional ATM line etiquette the guy that had just recently joined the line went for it, ahead of the fellow that had been waiting before me! Well the natural thing happened of course, the guy who had been waiting longest said "Excuse me, I was here first." This is where my years of ATM Line experience were suddenly cast into doubt. The large white guy (LWG) then replied "You were standing in the wrong line." The fellow in front of me, who happened to be a middle aged Asian guy (AG), answered (as I would have) "There's only one line."
So the LWG, seeming to realize his mistake, let the Asian guy go ahead and thankfully, all seemed right once again in the land of the ATM line.
The machine on the right opened up and I took it. As is usually the case when I go to the bank with my two sons (Salt and Peter), my attention was pretty much absorbed with preventing them from pushing buttons out of turn, stopping them from taking all of the deposit envelopes out of the rack, handling my transaction and grabbing the cash before one of them can do it. Needless to say I had pretty much forgotten about the exchange between the LWG and the other guy, that is until the Asian fellow was finished with the machine beside me and the LWG took his turn.
As the large white guy approached the ATM and the Asian fellow headed for the exit, the former made some kind of strange comment that none of us really heard that clearly. But although we may have missed the actual words I think the intent was pretty loud and clear. The Asian guy asked "What?" and here is kind of what followed...
BWG: "You were in the wrong line."
AG: "There's only one line!"
BWG: "There's 2 machines, there should be 2 lines"
AG: "There's only one line!"
BWG: "Why don't you go back to where you came from."
Thats right... I couldn't believe it either!
AG: "What? I've probably been here longer than you have." (in absolutely perfect English)
BWG: "I doubt that, I've been here since I was born 63 years ago."
At some point during the last statement the Asian guy had left the bank, and me, standing there in complete astonishment at what I'd just heard. As much as I really like to look at my community through rose colored glasses sometimes, I'm not an idiot (unlike the BWG) and I understand that sadly, attitudes like this still do exist. But while attitudes like this are absolutely unacceptable anywhere, they seem especially out of place in a community like Vancouver-Hastings whose population is approximately 48% Chinese, 10% Italian, 5% Vietnamese, 3% Filipino, 3% Aboriginal, 3% East Indian, 2% Portuguese and a mere 14% English (whatever Elections BC means by English)
Finishing my transaction and gathering my boys, I turned to the BWG and said "There's only one line." Its not what I really wanted to say... but my kids already had one crappy experience that I would have to spend the day explaining and de-programming. Although it probably made no difference to the attitude of the BWG, I had to say something!
I can hardly believe this one myself!
How many lines do you think should form at a bank that has more than one Automated Teller Machine (ATM)? I have to assume that the majority would agree that one line is all it takes. As a machine becomes available the first person in the line takes it, the next person takes the next machine and so on...right? Seems like common sense to me but, today being a day for lessons I learned a valuable new one about ATM line-ups.
Today my sons and I walked into the TD Canada Trust at Hastings and Kamloops and, seeing a line for the 2 ATM machines, did what came naturally and stood behind the last person in the single line to wait our turn. The fellow in front of us was at the front of the line so it wasn't that big a deal for us and we weren't in that big of a hurry anyway. At some point as we waited another man (a large white man) entered the line, only instead of standing behind us he took up a position to the left of the guy in front of me.
Soon the machine on the left became open but, against traditional ATM line etiquette the guy that had just recently joined the line went for it, ahead of the fellow that had been waiting before me! Well the natural thing happened of course, the guy who had been waiting longest said "Excuse me, I was here first." This is where my years of ATM Line experience were suddenly cast into doubt. The large white guy (LWG) then replied "You were standing in the wrong line." The fellow in front of me, who happened to be a middle aged Asian guy (AG), answered (as I would have) "There's only one line."
So the LWG, seeming to realize his mistake, let the Asian guy go ahead and thankfully, all seemed right once again in the land of the ATM line.
The machine on the right opened up and I took it. As is usually the case when I go to the bank with my two sons (Salt and Peter), my attention was pretty much absorbed with preventing them from pushing buttons out of turn, stopping them from taking all of the deposit envelopes out of the rack, handling my transaction and grabbing the cash before one of them can do it. Needless to say I had pretty much forgotten about the exchange between the LWG and the other guy, that is until the Asian fellow was finished with the machine beside me and the LWG took his turn.
As the large white guy approached the ATM and the Asian fellow headed for the exit, the former made some kind of strange comment that none of us really heard that clearly. But although we may have missed the actual words I think the intent was pretty loud and clear. The Asian guy asked "What?" and here is kind of what followed...
BWG: "You were in the wrong line."
AG: "There's only one line!"
BWG: "There's 2 machines, there should be 2 lines"
AG: "There's only one line!"
BWG: "Why don't you go back to where you came from."
Thats right... I couldn't believe it either!
AG: "What? I've probably been here longer than you have." (in absolutely perfect English)
BWG: "I doubt that, I've been here since I was born 63 years ago."
At some point during the last statement the Asian guy had left the bank, and me, standing there in complete astonishment at what I'd just heard. As much as I really like to look at my community through rose colored glasses sometimes, I'm not an idiot (unlike the BWG) and I understand that sadly, attitudes like this still do exist. But while attitudes like this are absolutely unacceptable anywhere, they seem especially out of place in a community like Vancouver-Hastings whose population is approximately 48% Chinese, 10% Italian, 5% Vietnamese, 3% Filipino, 3% Aboriginal, 3% East Indian, 2% Portuguese and a mere 14% English (whatever Elections BC means by English)
Finishing my transaction and gathering my boys, I turned to the BWG and said "There's only one line." Its not what I really wanted to say... but my kids already had one crappy experience that I would have to spend the day explaining and de-programming. Although it probably made no difference to the attitude of the BWG, I had to say something!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
All about the ride!
A few months ago, thanks to Volunteer Vancouver and BoardMatch, I was introduced to the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition. I was looking to gain some experience with a volunteer Board and exploring ways to get more involved in my community and so, being an avid mountain biker (frequent mountain bike crasher) this seemed like a good match and a great opportunity.
Established in 1988, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) is a non-profit, volunteer operated organization that has committees in municipalities throughout the GVRD. Members are all passionate cyclists from all walks of life and with a variety of cycling experiences, passions and stories to tell. The goal of VACC members (as found at http://www.vacc.bc.ca/) is to "work to improve conditions for cycling in the lower mainland."
Before joining this Board, I attended a couple of meetings with the Vancouver committee. Not being much of an urban cyclist (unless you count a few trips around Stanley Park) and being relatively new to the area, I was still surprised by how much I didn't know about cycling in a city, within traffic and in all types of weather and conditions. I had never before even considered what some of the challenges faced by daily (or occasional for that matter) cycle commuters could be and, being a mountain biker I have largely focused my riding attention on things like "hucks", "skinny's", "teeters" and slippery roots and logs. Railroad crossings, traffic bulges and circles and cycle route signage just haven't been within my frame of reference, until now that is.
The VACC is made up of an incredibly intelligent and passionate group of people that seem to put the greater issues of cycling before all of the little reasons why people cycle. Our main purpose is simply to get more people out on their bikes. The work of the VACC is grounded in these following values:
1. We support a variety of styles and approaches to cycling.
2. We value education and role-modelling for safe cycling.
3. We respect those who use other forms of transportation.
4. We value cycling as a community building tool, and as a healthy practice for individuals and our environment.
5. We avoid funding or support that could compromise the integrity of our mission, purpose or values.
6. We seek positive legislative and policy change to make a lasting difference.
7. Our membership is open to all who share our goals and values.
These values are important as one of the things that drew me most to the VACC was how little it mattered that I was ignorant to a lot of the issues facing urban cyclists and cycling. That the people making up the VACC come from all points of many different spectrum's doesn't seem to matter since we are all joined somehow by a love for the ride. In all of its forms! My early experiences with this group have inspired me to "urbanize" one of my mountain bikes so that I may use it to be come more familiar with this great city that I call home. I would encourage cyclists from all stripes to check out the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition at http://www.vacc.bc.ca/ . Become a member, join a committee or just get inspired to go for a ride.
A few months ago, thanks to Volunteer Vancouver and BoardMatch, I was introduced to the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition. I was looking to gain some experience with a volunteer Board and exploring ways to get more involved in my community and so, being an avid mountain biker (frequent mountain bike crasher) this seemed like a good match and a great opportunity.
Established in 1988, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) is a non-profit, volunteer operated organization that has committees in municipalities throughout the GVRD. Members are all passionate cyclists from all walks of life and with a variety of cycling experiences, passions and stories to tell. The goal of VACC members (as found at http://www.vacc.bc.ca/) is to "work to improve conditions for cycling in the lower mainland."
Before joining this Board, I attended a couple of meetings with the Vancouver committee. Not being much of an urban cyclist (unless you count a few trips around Stanley Park) and being relatively new to the area, I was still surprised by how much I didn't know about cycling in a city, within traffic and in all types of weather and conditions. I had never before even considered what some of the challenges faced by daily (or occasional for that matter) cycle commuters could be and, being a mountain biker I have largely focused my riding attention on things like "hucks", "skinny's", "teeters" and slippery roots and logs. Railroad crossings, traffic bulges and circles and cycle route signage just haven't been within my frame of reference, until now that is.
The VACC is made up of an incredibly intelligent and passionate group of people that seem to put the greater issues of cycling before all of the little reasons why people cycle. Our main purpose is simply to get more people out on their bikes. The work of the VACC is grounded in these following values:
1. We support a variety of styles and approaches to cycling.
2. We value education and role-modelling for safe cycling.
3. We respect those who use other forms of transportation.
4. We value cycling as a community building tool, and as a healthy practice for individuals and our environment.
5. We avoid funding or support that could compromise the integrity of our mission, purpose or values.
6. We seek positive legislative and policy change to make a lasting difference.
7. Our membership is open to all who share our goals and values.
These values are important as one of the things that drew me most to the VACC was how little it mattered that I was ignorant to a lot of the issues facing urban cyclists and cycling. That the people making up the VACC come from all points of many different spectrum's doesn't seem to matter since we are all joined somehow by a love for the ride. In all of its forms! My early experiences with this group have inspired me to "urbanize" one of my mountain bikes so that I may use it to be come more familiar with this great city that I call home. I would encourage cyclists from all stripes to check out the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition at http://www.vacc.bc.ca/ . Become a member, join a committee or just get inspired to go for a ride.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
