What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about (if you think about) East Vancouver?
Almost 3 years ago, as my wife and I frantically searched for a house big enough to accommodate our growing family without breaking the bank, our realtor mentioned East Vancouver. We were moving from the North Shore as it was obvious we wouldn't be able to afford a bigger place there and we were considering going as far east as Cloverdale. We looked in Burnaby, New Westminster, the Coquitlams and even Langley. But East Van???
Like many people, the image that came to mind for us back then was one largely created by what we'd seen, heard and read about in the news. Aside from the annual trip to the PNE, our East Vancouver experience was somewhat limited and our impression of the community was unfortunately shaped by a stigma perpetuated by the media, poor political representation and, in many cases the communities own residents. How many people can conjure up an image of East Vancouver that doesn't include the Downtown Eastside? Needless to say we had our reservations.
Since moving here and become active members of our new community we have realized just how wrong this negative perception of East Vancouver really is. It is extremely unfortunate that a large and otherwise vibrant, culturally diverse and lively community must carry the label provided by a very, very small (geographically speaking) part of it. The challenges of homelessness, drug abuse, prostitution and so on that plague the DTES (and beyond) are undeniably real and they certainly need to be addressed and dealt with in a way that works for everyone. But it is important to understand that these problems are not (nor should they be considered) exclusive to our community and therefor they should not be used as the stick by which to measure the entire community of East Vancouver.
Forget the media for a second, the problem is that our own elected officials and, in many cases residents often focus too much of their efforts on the worst parts of our community forgetting that there is so much more to East Vancouver than homelessness, drug abuse, prostitution and so on.
Not long after moving in I read an article in the Vancouver Courier outlining the history of Hastings-Sunrise and its important part in the shaping of Vancouver as we know it. I know that I've talked about this before but it's certainly worth repeating some of the proud historical achievements of a community now famous for what it doesn't have. Hastings, formally New Brighton has laid claim to many Vancouver firsts such as the first road, wharf, post office, museum, sub-division and hotel. Our community was even the first one in the area to have a telephone. In the latter part of the 1800's, Hastings played a critical role in transportation as stage coaches made their way from the capital of New Westminster to New Brighton to catch the ferry to Stamps Mill and to the logging operations at Moodyville (now North Vancouver). How can one not be impressed (and perhaps a little bit surprised) but such a proud history. Learning of my communities past played a large part in my desire to learn and do more but at the same time, I am often curious and somewhat disappointed that so many of my neighbors seem unaware of this past or have otherwise chosen to forget about it.
Recently I was talking with a person much more familiar with the area than I am and after our conversation I believe that I have a greater understanding of the community and the East Vancouver identity crisis. Or at least one possible explanation for it. According to this person a lot of the challenges that we face today (in respect to who we are and our place within this city) can be traced back to those early days at New Brighton. Although our community was the one to get the ball rolling for what would eventually become Vancouver, for whatever reason we weren't able to hold onto that ball and it rolled away. Somehow, a city that was supposed to take shape on our shores moved west leaving what would later become East Vancouver, in its shadow. 
Today we are recognized by the outside world as the community surrounding the DTES or, more accurately from the outside all of East Van is the DTES. This identity is unfortunately legitimized by our own elected representatives like NDP MP Libby Davies who despite her obligation to the entire community, can't seem to pull her head out of the very small part of it that is the DTES. That's the look from the outside anyway.
From the inside, our identity goes back to our being denied right to the city itself. Ever since we have chosen to describe ourselves by all of the things that we are not or that we don't have. We are not the West End, we're not as affluent, we don't get as much money, our services aren't as good, we're forgotten, Hastings Park isn't Stanley Park, the government(s) ignore us... you get the picture. At least this is the impression that I have after attending a few meetings in the community, talking to people and listening to other people talk. We want so badly to be recognized like the Vancouver west of Main street that we fail to see the beauty within our own back yards, or at least the potential for beauty there. Worse, in our efforts to be more like them we (or some of us anyway) are actually working to destroy some of the great institutions still alive that helped create us in the first place and that continue to remind outsiders that there is a reason to visit East Vancouver. There is more to us than the DTES. That we are home to Hastings Park race track and the PNE is something that should be celebrated (I'll save them for another post I think).
Of course I am new to the community and the lens through which I view it hasn't yet become clouded over by visions of private enterprises setting up shop, attracting visitors that spend money here and making a little money of their own in the process. I love this community and couldn't be happier about the decision that we made to become a part of it. While at times its easy to get bogged down by the false identity of East Vancouver and forget about our significance to all communities surrounding us I do believe that the times are-a-changin and we can rediscover our proud past and rightful place in the future of the City of Vancouver. But first we have to work on our own views of ourselves. We need to start celebrating all that we have along with the things that we don't have, recognizing that these are the things that make us unique. We need to participate in creating and maintaining a vibrant community that is safe and that people want to visit and we need to celebrate the private and public partnerships that help make us strong. We need to elect federal, provincial and municipal representatives that recognize all parts of our community and not just the aspects that further their own agenda's. The problems of the DTES will be fixed when they are made a part of a greater community plan and not as long as they are the only part of the plan.
Finally, we need to tell other people what we have. We need to encourage people to visit, move here, set up shop, do business here. We need to encourage growth and move on. The city may have passed us by, but where would it be without us?
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Identity in Crisis...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Go figure!
"People in this province want action on climate change. That means taking real, concrete steps toward reducing emissions. It means coming up with meaningful strategies to address the consequences of climate change."
That was BC NDP MLA and Environment Critic (Vancouver-Hastings own) Shane Simpson back on January 13 2007, before the speech from the throne and before the unveiling of the BC Liberals 2007 budget. Back when the opposition, in desperate need of something, anything that would allow it to claw itself back into relevance on the political landscape of this province chose the environment as one of three platforms that it would use to show British Columbians that the NDP still gave a "you know what" about our future and that it had an edge on the current government.
The weeks and days leading to the opening of the legislature this year provided us with a steady barrage of what would prove to be not so well thought out challenges by the NDP for the government to do something about climate change, the health care system and poverty. These were the areas that the NDP felt they had the greatest chance at making a difference in BC politics at least, and the areas that they hoped would allow them to gain back some of the support that has been slipping through their fingers lately. As the gears began turning on a new year in BC's political machine the NDP demanded action on the environment, changes in health care and support for the homeless. The foot stomping was relentless! After a year of near obscurity the opposition seemed fired up with a new energy and it had clearly identified the areas that this energy would be challenged. And here are some of the things that our own Shane Simpson said about the governments action on climate change.
Carole James has called on the government to "put more money into solving the shortage of affordable housing and the problems of addiction and mental illness in this province." Times Colonist 19 Feb 07. This was before the budget at a time when the BC Liberals had already spent 54% more on social housing than the NDP government before it. The NDP have called on the Premier to fix the very problems that it began to create while in office even though former NDP MLA's admitted that the problem may not be so easily fixed.
But, despite all the money spent up until now, the 2007 budget still provides more money for low income families, more money for affordable housing, decreases in income taxes for low income earners, increase in shelter allowances, millions of dollars for an increased number of shelter beds and so on.
Why am I bringing this up? After all it shouldn't be too terribly surprising for those of us familiar with the tactics of the NDP and the way that their position on key issues changes with the wind. I only bring all of this up again as a point of reference. The NDP has made some very serious demands of the government to make changes that it feels necessary to reverse damage that it feels has occurred/is occurring in a few key areas. On the environment alone Carole James has said that "Working together through the legislature we can freeze emissions now...BC can be among North America's climate change leaders. That's what British Columbians want us to be."
Carole James wants to work with the government yet her party has unanimously voted against a throne speech and a budget that will accomplish the very things she is asking for. She has voted against a budget that is committed to climate change, that provides an additional $870 million for health care and that clearly addresses some of the key issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.
This is called working together...
"We will be looking for meaningful action from the government and if its there we will support it..." Shane Simpson on News 1130 12 Feb 07.
Shane Simpson also voted against a budget that is committed to climate change, that provides an additional $870 million for health care and that clearly addresses some of the key issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.
Go figure.
"People in this province want action on climate change. That means taking real, concrete steps toward reducing emissions. It means coming up with meaningful strategies to address the consequences of climate change."
That was BC NDP MLA and Environment Critic (Vancouver-Hastings own) Shane Simpson back on January 13 2007, before the speech from the throne and before the unveiling of the BC Liberals 2007 budget. Back when the opposition, in desperate need of something, anything that would allow it to claw itself back into relevance on the political landscape of this province chose the environment as one of three platforms that it would use to show British Columbians that the NDP still gave a "you know what" about our future and that it had an edge on the current government.
The weeks and days leading to the opening of the legislature this year provided us with a steady barrage of what would prove to be not so well thought out challenges by the NDP for the government to do something about climate change, the health care system and poverty. These were the areas that the NDP felt they had the greatest chance at making a difference in BC politics at least, and the areas that they hoped would allow them to gain back some of the support that has been slipping through their fingers lately. As the gears began turning on a new year in BC's political machine the NDP demanded action on the environment, changes in health care and support for the homeless. The foot stomping was relentless! After a year of near obscurity the opposition seemed fired up with a new energy and it had clearly identified the areas that this energy would be challenged. And here are some of the things that our own Shane Simpson said about the governments action on climate change.
"When you get to the substantive aspects of the actual actions they've taken, you'd be hard pressed to point to many things that this government has done that will actually deal with reductions in emissions" Shane Simpson 24 hrs 19 January 2007
"This government has an absolutely atrocious record on climate change, we should be long past arguing that climate change is an issue worth discussing, we should be working at getting some real results." Shane Simpson 13 January 2007
And then came the throne speech and the budget for 2007...
Since then it seems to me that the markers identifying the NDP's position on such things as climate change, health care and the plight of the homeless have become noticeably grayer. Despite the fact that these three things are arguably the most significant issues in the minds of many British Columbians, the lines that divide what the NDP says in public and what they are actually practicing themselves just seem to get longer and wider.
Consider the environment!
Carole James has, on more than one occasion blasted the BC Liberals for what she refers to as government inaction on climate change. She states on the official NDP web site that "BC is falling behind the rest of Canada (in respect to climate change and the use of clean energy)" yet she herself still drives an SUV. Remember that it was Carole James who demanded the government set greenhouse gas emission limits, and on her parties own site she identifies the need to "examine and invest in clean technologies today so that we don't have to play catch up tomorrow."
Carole James announced six priorities for action to help cap emissions (one of which encourages the use of alternative fuels and fuel efficient automobiles) and she has challenged the Premier to "work with us to do better". Interesting...
And then we move to health care...
According to Carole James she (and the NDP) is listening to the concerns of people in BC. Ms. James has "innovative and practical new ideas that will get results now." Wow! We just don't know what they are. Carole James is going to reverse BC Liberal cuts to health care and make the system more affordable for years to come. The same system that, during the 90's under the NDP saw a reduction in the number of long-term care beds, was promised $125 million dollars for a mental health plan that never materialized and witnessed scores of doctors leaving rural communities across the province.The NDP demands the Gordon Campbell work with them to fix a system that they broke in the first place. A system that the Liberals have since poured $3.8 billion extra, dollars into, that has seen an increase in the number of doctors in training and has created 2500 new nurse training spaces. Among other things.
Finally we have affordable housing and the issue of homelessness...Carole James has called on the government to "put more money into solving the shortage of affordable housing and the problems of addiction and mental illness in this province." Times Colonist 19 Feb 07. This was before the budget at a time when the BC Liberals had already spent 54% more on social housing than the NDP government before it. The NDP have called on the Premier to fix the very problems that it began to create while in office even though former NDP MLA's admitted that the problem may not be so easily fixed.
But, despite all the money spent up until now, the 2007 budget still provides more money for low income families, more money for affordable housing, decreases in income taxes for low income earners, increase in shelter allowances, millions of dollars for an increased number of shelter beds and so on.
Why am I bringing this up? After all it shouldn't be too terribly surprising for those of us familiar with the tactics of the NDP and the way that their position on key issues changes with the wind. I only bring all of this up again as a point of reference. The NDP has made some very serious demands of the government to make changes that it feels necessary to reverse damage that it feels has occurred/is occurring in a few key areas. On the environment alone Carole James has said that "Working together through the legislature we can freeze emissions now...BC can be among North America's climate change leaders. That's what British Columbians want us to be."
Carole James wants to work with the government yet her party has unanimously voted against a throne speech and a budget that will accomplish the very things she is asking for. She has voted against a budget that is committed to climate change, that provides an additional $870 million for health care and that clearly addresses some of the key issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.
This is called working together...
"We will be looking for meaningful action from the government and if its there we will support it..." Shane Simpson on News 1130 12 Feb 07.
Shane Simpson also voted against a budget that is committed to climate change, that provides an additional $870 million for health care and that clearly addresses some of the key issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.
Go figure.
Monday, March 19, 2007
101 people screwing up BC?
A few weeks ago I came across a very interesting site that is counting down the 101 people that are screwing up Canada. I was so impressed by what I was reading that I had to add it to my links and this list is part of the reason for this particular post.
I've been very interested in provincial level politics for some time and I have spent an almost ridiculous amount of time following it over the past few years. My family and I moved to East Vancouver two years ago and since that time I have been especially interested in the interaction between this new community of mine and its politicians but, to my detriment I have largely ignored the going's on at City Hall and the doings (or lack of) of our Federal MP Libby Davies.
I've been so focused on the lousy job being done by our provincial MLA that I haven't realized the impact that Libby may be having across the country. But thanks to Ms. Davies and google alerts I discovered the 101 people list.
Libby makes the list at number 55 and reading her contributions to the demise of our country it became clear to me Why I've ignored her up until now. Libby Davies is not on my radar largely because I'm not on hers. Like the vast majority of the population of Vancouver-East I am not a resident of the Downtown Eastside, I'm not addicted to drugs, not a prostitute and when it comes to child care I happen to prefer methods that encourage and allow my wife and I to do the majority of it ourselves.
Outside of these issues (all important and deserving of attention) it is very difficult to determine what, if anything Libby has done for East Vancouver and for this reason, while deserving of number 55 on the national list, I'm not sure that she would even register if a similar list were created identifying 101 of the people screwing up BC. After all, you have to do something in order to screw it up. But don't take my word for it. Sign up for google alerts and see what comes up for Libby Davies, I guarantee that it will be one of the same 3 issues over and over again.
As to a list for BC, Libby may not make it but BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson... that's another story entirely.
A few weeks ago I came across a very interesting site that is counting down the 101 people that are screwing up Canada. I was so impressed by what I was reading that I had to add it to my links and this list is part of the reason for this particular post.
I've been very interested in provincial level politics for some time and I have spent an almost ridiculous amount of time following it over the past few years. My family and I moved to East Vancouver two years ago and since that time I have been especially interested in the interaction between this new community of mine and its politicians but, to my detriment I have largely ignored the going's on at City Hall and the doings (or lack of) of our Federal MP Libby Davies.
I've been so focused on the lousy job being done by our provincial MLA that I haven't realized the impact that Libby may be having across the country. But thanks to Ms. Davies and google alerts I discovered the 101 people list.
Libby makes the list at number 55 and reading her contributions to the demise of our country it became clear to me Why I've ignored her up until now. Libby Davies is not on my radar largely because I'm not on hers. Like the vast majority of the population of Vancouver-East I am not a resident of the Downtown Eastside, I'm not addicted to drugs, not a prostitute and when it comes to child care I happen to prefer methods that encourage and allow my wife and I to do the majority of it ourselves.
Outside of these issues (all important and deserving of attention) it is very difficult to determine what, if anything Libby has done for East Vancouver and for this reason, while deserving of number 55 on the national list, I'm not sure that she would even register if a similar list were created identifying 101 of the people screwing up BC. After all, you have to do something in order to screw it up. But don't take my word for it. Sign up for google alerts and see what comes up for Libby Davies, I guarantee that it will be one of the same 3 issues over and over again.
As to a list for BC, Libby may not make it but BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson... that's another story entirely.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
more green baby steps...
Like watching an old M*A*S*H re-run sometimes the classics are hard to resist. So here is yet another post about the environment, climate change, sustainability... you pick the buzz phrase.
This past Saturday I went to the 1st EPIC Sustainable Living Expo under the sails, at Canada Place. I kind of had to go, given the amount of space I've provided for the environment here and the lengths I've gone through to make a difference in my family's lives, but really I wanted to go to see what a first (presumably annual) expo would have to offer and I wanted to learn of anything else that I could do specifically in my life and of what I could bring to the place that I work. The Expo was certainly interesting and I did get the answers to a couple of my questions but, surprisingly perhaps I also learned a couple of things about current environmental trends and the potentially negative side of a movement recently thrust into the limelight.
I arrived at the Expo in time to see the "Greening your home" presentation on the main stage. It was interesting and I learned a bit about paints and some of the chemicals that we use to clean our homes but I'll admit that it was hard to follow for long, especially given the environment of the Convention Center and especially when you hearing is less than perfect like mine is. So my friend and I decided to skip out early and check out some of the exhibits instead. It didn't take us very long to realize the first hard lesson about a life totally green, it costs a lot of money! Looking at just a few of the products on display made us realize that current trends in sustainability don't come cheap.
I know, and I can already envision the responses to this post... Yes I do believe that the earth is worth the money... I understand that at the end of the day its a small price to pay to ensure a future for our children and generations to come... and yes I understand that we have neglected our planet for so long now that we really can't afford not to do it. But I am sorry, walking through the displays and exhibits at the EPIC fair it didn't take me that long to do the math and I was never that terribly good at math. $30 000 for a Toyota Hybrid... I guess that seems reasonable! $500 for a lamp made solely from recycled agricultural waste (who knows what that is)... I don't know! $1200 for a coffee table made of recycled industrial materials... It was a nice looking coffee table but I paid $149 for the one I have now at IKEA. $1800 for a partition made from old cross walk signal lenses... pushing it for sure. $45 for a t-shirt made out of bamboo? Enough... I don't care how soft it felt or that it had natural odour control properties. The fact is that if this is the face of the environmental movement it is doomed before it gets off the ground, no one can afford it!
Don't get me wrong, I think its great that there are some innovative people out there that have found a way to create products with low environmental impact and some that actually have social conscience as well. The fact that my friend and I found it a bit of a stretch to connect sustainability to some of the products that we saw doesn't mean that we don't give them credit for trying.
The cost of going green may be one thing but the second, and possibly the most puzzling lesson learned surrounded the fact that a lot of the stuff that we saw at EPIC really had to travel a long way to get there. One can only question the validity of the claim of "sustainability" by a product that has travelled from literally the other side of the world and then costs a small fortune for the consumer. Bamboo flooring makes a great deal of sense to me, its attractive, its durable but is it environmentally friendly? I loved the quilts that I saw that were made from used sari's and I appreciated the social causes under which they were presented, but sustainable? I didn't even try the potato chips shipped from Malaysia although they looked delicious. Face it, most of these things, all of these things are presented with the best of intentions and they are probably all great products, but dig a bit deeper. Isn't the manner in which most of these things are transported to us the most significant contributor to climate change and global warming?
Despite these lessons I did get out of the Expo exactly what I had hoped to get. It was the last booth that I visited, but not only did it provide me with the answers that I needed, but it also cast aside a lot of the negative impressions that I have been left with recently after talking to some of the "really green" members of my community. This last booth was, in my opinion the only one delivering the real message, for no reason other than the fact that the message needs to be delivered.
As I have mentioned in perhaps too many posts now, I have unfortunately encountered a few "green" people of late bent on delivering an all or nothing message when it comes to individual efforts at reducing our impact on the environment. These people are more than a little reluctant to recognize those little steps that some of us are trying to take on the road to becoming more environmentally responsible. I have had more than one conversation where I have been told that what I was doing wasn't enough and several conversations where I've been told that our current BC Liberal government is moving too slow, despite the fact that they are moving faster and with greater resolve than anyone preceding them. The really green people want it all and they want it to happen right now. I applaud their ambition but...
Back to the Expo. I have always been one to recognize the small steps and that is why I almost fell in love with the One Day Vancouver booth. When we stopped in at this exhibit we became immediately aware of how important individual contribution was/is. The booth seemed to not only recognize it but to celebrate it as well, as the entire back wall of the display was covered with Polaroid's of real people with one sentence explanations of what they are doing to contribute towards a sustainable planet. The message was clear, it was sincere, it had impact and I was impressed. So I went to onedayvancouver.ca to learn more (I've added it to my links if your interested)...
One day's purpose so incredibly mirrors my own feelings that I have to print it here. According to their site, One day:
...is about small first steps. Its about individual actions that each of us can take in our every day lives. Its about what is possible, and will reward and applaud each and every action, no matter how big or how small. Its about momentum and shared success.
...is about values - about protecting the best place to live in the world, about preserving our unparalleled quality of life for our children and grandchildren, and shared effort and enterprise.
...is about health, fitness and well being. Walking and cycling are easy ways to stay fit, lose weight and help cut down on the amount of energy we use. Changing the way that we move through our day also helps us slow down and take more time with our children, neighbourhoods and communities, reminding us that life doesn't need to be as hectic as we make it out to be.
...is about leadership. One day, Vancouver will be a model for how urban populations use and consume energy. Together, business, neighbourhoods, individuals and communities will showcase Vancouver to the world at the 2010 Olympic Games as a model city for sustainable energy consumption and urban development.
...is working with partners - youth, community groups, business leaders - to start this movement from the ground up, seeding the idea in schools, workplaces, businesses, neighbourhoods, coffee shops and more.
The one day web site provides some simple suggestions to the things that we do everyday at home, at the office and on our way in between. Things like, if you have to drive make sure that your tire pressure is correct, or how installing low-flow shower heads can save you money (so you can afford that bamboo t-shirt) or about the benefits of switching to cold water washing. One day Vancouver tells us that we don't actually have to drop everything that we have learned up to this point to become overnight environmental extremists. It does tell us that there are reasonable and practical things that we can do right now, that will reflect in immediate positive impacts on our environment.
EPIC must be rated as a success by all measures. Any gathering that would cause people to reflect on what they are doing and on what can be done to make our world a better place must be considered as a good thing. My hope is that the "really" green people will take a look at some of the things that organizations like One Day Vancouver are doing and realize that if they hope to actually gain momentum and win the support of that huge portion of the population that is currently sitting on the fence they will have to start celebrating these small steps. Change will not occur overnight and, whether the climate demands it or not, people will not buy into any ideology that is shoved down their throats.
Like watching an old M*A*S*H re-run sometimes the classics are hard to resist. So here is yet another post about the environment, climate change, sustainability... you pick the buzz phrase.
This past Saturday I went to the 1st EPIC Sustainable Living Expo under the sails, at Canada Place. I kind of had to go, given the amount of space I've provided for the environment here and the lengths I've gone through to make a difference in my family's lives, but really I wanted to go to see what a first (presumably annual) expo would have to offer and I wanted to learn of anything else that I could do specifically in my life and of what I could bring to the place that I work. The Expo was certainly interesting and I did get the answers to a couple of my questions but, surprisingly perhaps I also learned a couple of things about current environmental trends and the potentially negative side of a movement recently thrust into the limelight.
I arrived at the Expo in time to see the "Greening your home" presentation on the main stage. It was interesting and I learned a bit about paints and some of the chemicals that we use to clean our homes but I'll admit that it was hard to follow for long, especially given the environment of the Convention Center and especially when you hearing is less than perfect like mine is. So my friend and I decided to skip out early and check out some of the exhibits instead. It didn't take us very long to realize the first hard lesson about a life totally green, it costs a lot of money! Looking at just a few of the products on display made us realize that current trends in sustainability don't come cheap.
I know, and I can already envision the responses to this post... Yes I do believe that the earth is worth the money... I understand that at the end of the day its a small price to pay to ensure a future for our children and generations to come... and yes I understand that we have neglected our planet for so long now that we really can't afford not to do it. But I am sorry, walking through the displays and exhibits at the EPIC fair it didn't take me that long to do the math and I was never that terribly good at math. $30 000 for a Toyota Hybrid... I guess that seems reasonable! $500 for a lamp made solely from recycled agricultural waste (who knows what that is)... I don't know! $1200 for a coffee table made of recycled industrial materials... It was a nice looking coffee table but I paid $149 for the one I have now at IKEA. $1800 for a partition made from old cross walk signal lenses... pushing it for sure. $45 for a t-shirt made out of bamboo? Enough... I don't care how soft it felt or that it had natural odour control properties. The fact is that if this is the face of the environmental movement it is doomed before it gets off the ground, no one can afford it!
Don't get me wrong, I think its great that there are some innovative people out there that have found a way to create products with low environmental impact and some that actually have social conscience as well. The fact that my friend and I found it a bit of a stretch to connect sustainability to some of the products that we saw doesn't mean that we don't give them credit for trying.
The cost of going green may be one thing but the second, and possibly the most puzzling lesson learned surrounded the fact that a lot of the stuff that we saw at EPIC really had to travel a long way to get there. One can only question the validity of the claim of "sustainability" by a product that has travelled from literally the other side of the world and then costs a small fortune for the consumer. Bamboo flooring makes a great deal of sense to me, its attractive, its durable but is it environmentally friendly? I loved the quilts that I saw that were made from used sari's and I appreciated the social causes under which they were presented, but sustainable? I didn't even try the potato chips shipped from Malaysia although they looked delicious. Face it, most of these things, all of these things are presented with the best of intentions and they are probably all great products, but dig a bit deeper. Isn't the manner in which most of these things are transported to us the most significant contributor to climate change and global warming?
Despite these lessons I did get out of the Expo exactly what I had hoped to get. It was the last booth that I visited, but not only did it provide me with the answers that I needed, but it also cast aside a lot of the negative impressions that I have been left with recently after talking to some of the "really green" members of my community. This last booth was, in my opinion the only one delivering the real message, for no reason other than the fact that the message needs to be delivered.
As I have mentioned in perhaps too many posts now, I have unfortunately encountered a few "green" people of late bent on delivering an all or nothing message when it comes to individual efforts at reducing our impact on the environment. These people are more than a little reluctant to recognize those little steps that some of us are trying to take on the road to becoming more environmentally responsible. I have had more than one conversation where I have been told that what I was doing wasn't enough and several conversations where I've been told that our current BC Liberal government is moving too slow, despite the fact that they are moving faster and with greater resolve than anyone preceding them. The really green people want it all and they want it to happen right now. I applaud their ambition but...
Back to the Expo. I have always been one to recognize the small steps and that is why I almost fell in love with the One Day Vancouver booth. When we stopped in at this exhibit we became immediately aware of how important individual contribution was/is. The booth seemed to not only recognize it but to celebrate it as well, as the entire back wall of the display was covered with Polaroid's of real people with one sentence explanations of what they are doing to contribute towards a sustainable planet. The message was clear, it was sincere, it had impact and I was impressed. So I went to onedayvancouver.ca to learn more (I've added it to my links if your interested)...
One day's purpose so incredibly mirrors my own feelings that I have to print it here. According to their site, One day:
...is about small first steps. Its about individual actions that each of us can take in our every day lives. Its about what is possible, and will reward and applaud each and every action, no matter how big or how small. Its about momentum and shared success.
...is about values - about protecting the best place to live in the world, about preserving our unparalleled quality of life for our children and grandchildren, and shared effort and enterprise.
...is about health, fitness and well being. Walking and cycling are easy ways to stay fit, lose weight and help cut down on the amount of energy we use. Changing the way that we move through our day also helps us slow down and take more time with our children, neighbourhoods and communities, reminding us that life doesn't need to be as hectic as we make it out to be.
...is about leadership. One day, Vancouver will be a model for how urban populations use and consume energy. Together, business, neighbourhoods, individuals and communities will showcase Vancouver to the world at the 2010 Olympic Games as a model city for sustainable energy consumption and urban development.
...is working with partners - youth, community groups, business leaders - to start this movement from the ground up, seeding the idea in schools, workplaces, businesses, neighbourhoods, coffee shops and more.
The one day web site provides some simple suggestions to the things that we do everyday at home, at the office and on our way in between. Things like, if you have to drive make sure that your tire pressure is correct, or how installing low-flow shower heads can save you money (so you can afford that bamboo t-shirt) or about the benefits of switching to cold water washing. One day Vancouver tells us that we don't actually have to drop everything that we have learned up to this point to become overnight environmental extremists. It does tell us that there are reasonable and practical things that we can do right now, that will reflect in immediate positive impacts on our environment.
EPIC must be rated as a success by all measures. Any gathering that would cause people to reflect on what they are doing and on what can be done to make our world a better place must be considered as a good thing. My hope is that the "really" green people will take a look at some of the things that organizations like One Day Vancouver are doing and realize that if they hope to actually gain momentum and win the support of that huge portion of the population that is currently sitting on the fence they will have to start celebrating these small steps. Change will not occur overnight and, whether the climate demands it or not, people will not buy into any ideology that is shoved down their throats.
Friday, March 09, 2007
is labour out of touch???
Employers within the province are not only competing with the site down the road for workers as shortages exist east of the Rockies as well. For this reason it seemed to make perfect sense to me that our provincial government come up with creative ways to attract workers from other provinces into the BC labour force. Creating an environment where our citizens pay the lowest tax in the country thanks to a 10% tax break seems like a pretty good way to start. Did I mention that Jim Sinclair opposed this tax break when it was introduced by Minister of Finance Carol Taylor?
No doubt the lowest unemployment rate in some 32 years is beginning to show its marks on all business and industry sectors across BC. It means that we are going to have to get creative in finding and retaining workers in a variety of ways and we will have to start exploring options and looking in places that we haven't really looked that hard in before. Extending the length of time that a foreign worker can stay in Canada is one option that seems to make sense to most of us however, it is a concept that the heads of the labour movement may never fully grasp. The numbers will likely never really add up to them and they won't justify what is seen by the likes of the BC Fed as a "cheap labour strategy", even when those foreign workers do receive the same benefits as we do.
So you tell me... is the labour movement out of touch with the reality of labour today? I'm sure beginning to think so.
On February 28 the Federal government announced long-awaited changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Essentially these changes extend the amount of time that someone from another country can be employed in Canada, from 12 months to 24. It also helps simplify and speed up the application process. As a manager in the tourism industry I am one of many people that are relieved to see these changes. The past two years (at least) have been extremely challenging in finding new skilled and unskilled workers for us and I know that this has been equally difficult for other areas similar to ours throughout the province.
I know it... and most people that hire (or try to hire) workers in the tourism, restaurant, construction, retail and other industries know it as well. Strangely enough though BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair and Wayne Peppard of the Building and Construction Trades Council either haven't been told about this growing problem or they have chosen to ignore it. You would think that anyone with their fingers on the pulse of labour in this province (as I would assume these guys have) would be very aware of the nearly 350 000 person shortfall that BC and Alberta combined will face within the next few years.
Wouldn't they?
In the tourism sector alone, in this province it is projected that we will need to fill some 84 000 skilled and unskilled positions leading up to and beyond the 2010 Olympics. This is significant considering that about 1 in 14 British Columbian workers are employed in or otherwise rely on tourism. Worse, according to the Globe and Mail's BC Editor Patrick Brethour after the Olympics if things continue as they are now, employers will look back on 2007 and reflect on how "easy" they had it way back then. Meanwhile, here in 2007 the restaurant industry is reporting a 13% shortfall in labour and the construction industry is scrambling to find the 20 000 extra workers that it will need within the next 3 years.
One of the key reasons that the likes of Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Peppard oppose changes to foreign worker rules is because they feel that the workers are vulnerable to their employers. The fact that many of these people may not speak or understand english means that they will not fully understand theirs rights and responsibilities. They become a gift to employers looking for "cheap labour". This is the most ridiculous accusation I have heard recently and speaking for my workplace (where I am responsible for employee Health and Safety) and in part for my industry, I can quite honestly say that the foreign workers employed by us are paid and treated exactly the same as their Canadian counterparts. They receive the same health and safety orientations and training, the same benefits, the same safety equipment and they are made to feel part of the same team. To suggest otherwise is simply insulting!
Employers within the province are not only competing with the site down the road for workers as shortages exist east of the Rockies as well. For this reason it seemed to make perfect sense to me that our provincial government come up with creative ways to attract workers from other provinces into the BC labour force. Creating an environment where our citizens pay the lowest tax in the country thanks to a 10% tax break seems like a pretty good way to start. Did I mention that Jim Sinclair opposed this tax break when it was introduced by Minister of Finance Carol Taylor?
No doubt the lowest unemployment rate in some 32 years is beginning to show its marks on all business and industry sectors across BC. It means that we are going to have to get creative in finding and retaining workers in a variety of ways and we will have to start exploring options and looking in places that we haven't really looked that hard in before. Extending the length of time that a foreign worker can stay in Canada is one option that seems to make sense to most of us however, it is a concept that the heads of the labour movement may never fully grasp. The numbers will likely never really add up to them and they won't justify what is seen by the likes of the BC Fed as a "cheap labour strategy", even when those foreign workers do receive the same benefits as we do.
So you tell me... is the labour movement out of touch with the reality of labour today? I'm sure beginning to think so.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
quit now!
Most of the things that I've posted here so far have been about things that I have a certain amount of passion about. They are things that I've studied, I'm involved with personally or that I feel are interesting enough to share with the world, or at least the small part of it that cares what I think. Whenever possible I try and back up what I say with facts but still, at the end of it all if your reading my blog your getting my views on the things that I feel are important. What a great place we live in! That said, given the number of times that the topic of this particular blog has presented itself to me in the past two days alone, it seems as though this blog was meant to be posted.
Nothing that I have said so far on these pages means anything, compared to what I am about to say. Nothing!
Two years ago I devised a plan to make my workplace tobacco free. It was an ambitious plan that wasn't really received that well by a lot of the people that I work with (roughly 15% of them at least), but the Executive Team liked it and so we began taking steps that would eventually see the end of smoking at the place where I work. Two years later we have significantly changed the way that people smoke there but smoking is still permitted and lately I've found myself faced with a pretty big challenge in implementing the next step. Yesterday I had a telephone conversation with the person at Coastal Health Authority heading up the Tobacco-free sports program. It was a great call and I was very pleased to hear how far ahead we are compared to other companies similar to ours, but at the end of it I really wasn't that much closer to solving the problem I'm faced with right now.
First thing this morning I decided to drop in on our General Manager and get his advise on how to proceed with this project. We talked about the programs successes so far and the challenges we've faced along the way and, most importantly what we can do next. It was a very productive session and I left feeling really good about the idea and motivated to come up with the way to move it forward. Timing being on my side today, I arrived in my office shortly after only to read about yesterdays introduction by the BC Liberals of tougher legislation surrounding tobacco that will make tobacco products "invisible" by January 2008.
I was absolutely ecstatic!
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for about the last 60 years or so, you know that tobacco use (especially smoking) is bad for you. You know that about 6000 British Columbian's will be killed this year directly or indirectly due to tobacco related illness and that some of these people will have never smoked in their lives. Canada wide 50 000 people will die from tobacco use and about 1000 of them will be non-smokers. You may know that tobacco accounts for 90% of all lung cancers, 75% of all emphysema deaths and 25% of all cardiovascular deaths. You may not know that about 4.9 billion people worldwide will die this year because of tobacco.
Then again, you may not care!
Climate change, global warming and other environmental issues being the hot topics these days, you may understand that the cultivation of tobacco has a significant negative impact on the world. Most tobacco is grown in the third world so you may not know just how much land is cleared and fuel is burned to grow and cure the leaf, land that could be used to grow food. You may not know that it is actually difficult to grow tobacco and therefor farmers tend to use a lot of pesticides to guarantee their crops. Since this occurs in the third world most farmers aren't protected from harmful exposure to toxins and pesticides. You may have an idea about the amount of waste smoking and tobacco packaging produces. In Canada its about 2 billion empty cigarette packages and some 50 billion butts, worldwide cigarette butts pile up to a staggering 954 million kilograms.
You may not care that much about this either!
British Columbian's are concerned (with good reason) about the state and future of our health care system. You may know that tobacco use gobbles up about $2.3 billion health care dollars in BC every year, Canada wide the number is about 6 times higher and I can only imagine what the cost world wide is. According to a study completed by the Conference Board of Canada in 1995 tobacco use costs the average employer about $2 565 more per year to employ a smoker versus a non-smoker. Two years ago I figured that my employer probably pays about $7 000 per year just to clean up after our smoking staff and customers.
Its quite possible that you don't care about this any more than my other points!
I took the bus home today. The number 16 down Hastings was packed, noisy and it didn't smell too terribly great either. About halfway through the trip my phone rang and in the midst of all that was around me I tried to listen to my Mom, clearly upset, tell me about her day. She spent it at Vancouver General Hospital where my Dad was getting a biopsy on his throat to hopefully determine the extent of damage that over forty years of smoking has done to him.
This hurts! I can't begin to tell you how much and hopefully you'll never find out on your own.
So... Excuse me while I climb up onto my beloved soapbox! To the 15% of British Columbian's that still smoke and more specifically to those that would like people like me to shut up because its "your habit", "your life" and "your right" to do whatever you want since you are only harming yourself... Your wrong! Your not only harming yourself you are killing everyone around you, including those you love physically, financially and emotionally. Quit Now!
Most of the things that I've posted here so far have been about things that I have a certain amount of passion about. They are things that I've studied, I'm involved with personally or that I feel are interesting enough to share with the world, or at least the small part of it that cares what I think. Whenever possible I try and back up what I say with facts but still, at the end of it all if your reading my blog your getting my views on the things that I feel are important. What a great place we live in! That said, given the number of times that the topic of this particular blog has presented itself to me in the past two days alone, it seems as though this blog was meant to be posted.
Nothing that I have said so far on these pages means anything, compared to what I am about to say. Nothing!
Two years ago I devised a plan to make my workplace tobacco free. It was an ambitious plan that wasn't really received that well by a lot of the people that I work with (roughly 15% of them at least), but the Executive Team liked it and so we began taking steps that would eventually see the end of smoking at the place where I work. Two years later we have significantly changed the way that people smoke there but smoking is still permitted and lately I've found myself faced with a pretty big challenge in implementing the next step. Yesterday I had a telephone conversation with the person at Coastal Health Authority heading up the Tobacco-free sports program. It was a great call and I was very pleased to hear how far ahead we are compared to other companies similar to ours, but at the end of it I really wasn't that much closer to solving the problem I'm faced with right now.
First thing this morning I decided to drop in on our General Manager and get his advise on how to proceed with this project. We talked about the programs successes so far and the challenges we've faced along the way and, most importantly what we can do next. It was a very productive session and I left feeling really good about the idea and motivated to come up with the way to move it forward. Timing being on my side today, I arrived in my office shortly after only to read about yesterdays introduction by the BC Liberals of tougher legislation surrounding tobacco that will make tobacco products "invisible" by January 2008.
I was absolutely ecstatic!
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for about the last 60 years or so, you know that tobacco use (especially smoking) is bad for you. You know that about 6000 British Columbian's will be killed this year directly or indirectly due to tobacco related illness and that some of these people will have never smoked in their lives. Canada wide 50 000 people will die from tobacco use and about 1000 of them will be non-smokers. You may know that tobacco accounts for 90% of all lung cancers, 75% of all emphysema deaths and 25% of all cardiovascular deaths. You may not know that about 4.9 billion people worldwide will die this year because of tobacco.
Then again, you may not care!
Climate change, global warming and other environmental issues being the hot topics these days, you may understand that the cultivation of tobacco has a significant negative impact on the world. Most tobacco is grown in the third world so you may not know just how much land is cleared and fuel is burned to grow and cure the leaf, land that could be used to grow food. You may not know that it is actually difficult to grow tobacco and therefor farmers tend to use a lot of pesticides to guarantee their crops. Since this occurs in the third world most farmers aren't protected from harmful exposure to toxins and pesticides. You may have an idea about the amount of waste smoking and tobacco packaging produces. In Canada its about 2 billion empty cigarette packages and some 50 billion butts, worldwide cigarette butts pile up to a staggering 954 million kilograms.
You may not care that much about this either!
British Columbian's are concerned (with good reason) about the state and future of our health care system. You may know that tobacco use gobbles up about $2.3 billion health care dollars in BC every year, Canada wide the number is about 6 times higher and I can only imagine what the cost world wide is. According to a study completed by the Conference Board of Canada in 1995 tobacco use costs the average employer about $2 565 more per year to employ a smoker versus a non-smoker. Two years ago I figured that my employer probably pays about $7 000 per year just to clean up after our smoking staff and customers.
Its quite possible that you don't care about this any more than my other points!
I took the bus home today. The number 16 down Hastings was packed, noisy and it didn't smell too terribly great either. About halfway through the trip my phone rang and in the midst of all that was around me I tried to listen to my Mom, clearly upset, tell me about her day. She spent it at Vancouver General Hospital where my Dad was getting a biopsy on his throat to hopefully determine the extent of damage that over forty years of smoking has done to him.
This hurts! I can't begin to tell you how much and hopefully you'll never find out on your own.
So... Excuse me while I climb up onto my beloved soapbox! To the 15% of British Columbian's that still smoke and more specifically to those that would like people like me to shut up because its "your habit", "your life" and "your right" to do whatever you want since you are only harming yourself... Your wrong! Your not only harming yourself you are killing everyone around you, including those you love physically, financially and emotionally. Quit Now!
To those of you out there that feel the need to continuously compare the supposed small impact of your habit towards respiratory disease to that of vehicle emissions... Stop it! This is not about comparing apples to oranges and the fact that one thing is probably worse in one respect than another doesn't mean that the other thing is suddenly OK. Then again, if you want to go and take a long haul off of someones tailpipe I guess you'll say that its your right to do so! Quit Now!
To those of you still out there that think we need you to keep smoking because of the supposed significant contribution that you are making to our economy in the way of the taxes you pay on cigarettes... Stop being stupid! The approximate $8 billion dollars of tax revenue generated annually from the sale of tobacco pales considerable when compared to the $15 billion spent in Canada each year to treat tobacco related illness. Quit Now!
After smoking for about 15 years I quit. It took me about 8 different tries and it was probably the most difficult thing that I have ever done, but I did it. Its been 4 years or so since my last cigarette, If I can do it anyone can... Please, quit now!
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Election day so soon?
When I woke up on Thursday morning I had no idea that this would be the day I travelled forward in time! It seemed like a pretty average day from the start, granted it had snowed a bit overnight and it was a bit colder than I can remember other March 1st's being, but other than that nothing special. Work that day was busy but not unusual, it was the end of my work week so I was excited to see the end of the day so I could begin enjoying the weekend. It really wasn't until I got home later in the evening and opened my mailbox that I realized I was no longer in March 2007...tucked in between the Visa bill, some flyer's and a letter was my first clue that it was actually May 2009 with a provincial election right around the corner!
At least this is the best way that I can describe the feeling I got when I glimpsed Shane Simpson's MLA report for the past 18 months. As I read it the feeling that an election was near only got stronger! His personal report card reads a lot like election material as he proudly extols all of the great things that he's done for our community since the last election, all the while reminding his loyal followers how little the nasty government actually cares about them.
If even half of it were true I'd run up to Shane's constituency office today (thank goodness its closed) and shake his hand, no wait, I'd give him a big hug and thank him for all of his tireless efforts as champion of Vancouver-Hastings and all things swimming, green and down-trodden. The trouble is that there are a few things missing from his report, leaving a couple of holes big enough to drive a hydrogen powered bus or bio-diesel truck through. So I feel that it is my duty to try and patch a couple of those holes here.
Shane Simpson is the NDP Environment Critic and it is in this role that he reminds us about a few "important environmental issues facing our province", including climate change. Of course anyone with a pulse that has been in the same room with a radio, TV or newspaper within the past couple of weeks knows this. Simpson tells us of the urgent need to take action on fossil fuel reduction (I wonder if John Horgan is listening) and the importance of a plan to address climate change, of course as critic it is incumbent upon him to say that the government is not doing enough.
Hmmm.
What Mr Simpson fails to address is the fact that the BC Liberals (before the 2007 budget) have already pledged millions of dollars toward projects that will directly reduce British Columbia's contribution to climate change. This includes $40 million for the Green Cities Project, $10 million toward the Hydrogen Highway, $2 million for cycling infrastructure and $325 000 in incentives and funding to support the development of alternative fuels and energy efficient appliances. This is before the $103 million provided in the 2007 budget for green initiatives. Shane Simpson tells us how committed he and his SUV driving leader (Carole James) are toward freezing greenhouse gas emissions but he doesn't mention the fact that emissions increased by 24% during the time that the NDP ran the province into the ground or that government emissions were actually reduced by 24% during the Liberals first term in office. Not only did the NDP not have a plan in the 90's but, as Corky Evans reminds us they didn't even have an "idea how to deal with climate change and its implications for socialist principles."
Simpson accuses the government of doing nothing to address climate change. He says that they have abdicated their responsibility and that their inaction has only made things worse. He doesn't mention his own personal stand against such green power alternatives as the Ashlu Creek run of the river micro plant, leading me to believe that green power is only acceptable if there is no private interest in it.
The report shifts gears from the environment to affordable housing and alleviating poverty. This is reasonable and, as MLA for the second poorest electoral district in the province I would actually expect that Shane had done more in this area. What he does instead is continue to blame Premier Campbell and the BC Liberals saying that affordable housing and the plight of the homeless is not a priority for this government. Not mentioned is the $2.4 million announced last September for the Pennsylvania Hotel Project, the recent 10% tax cut making British Colombian's the lowest taxed in the country, the $50 per month increase in the housing allowance (the first increase since 1992) or the $50 per month increase in the basic rate for single, employable people.
While it is no surprise that Mr. Simpson falls short on suggestions for the problem of poverty and affordable housing it is important that we understand that there have in fact been important steps taken. The government, in its 2007 budget has committed $27 million toward 300 emergency shelter beds and another $38 million for supportive housing projects. In 2005 the Liberals budget for social housing was 54% higher ($172 million) than that of the previous NDP government and 10 times higher than it was 10 years earlier. Shane calls this "government inaction" but the truth is that it was under the NDP that beds began closing at Riverview Hospital and Shane's own predecessor Joy McPhail herself, acknowledged that many homeless people wouldn't access housing if they could. Of course this doesn't mean that we shouldn't do something about the problem and despite what our own MLA would like us to believe, we are.
To round off the big three, Shane Simpson brings up health care and the BC Liberals "Conversation on Health". Of course he would like us to believe that the conversation is nothing more than the justification of private health care. He fails to touch on a few of the key elements regarding the state of health care in our province like the fact that health care spending has increased by over 50% since 2000/01. Not surprisingly absent from Shane's report card in respect to health care are the facts that under the NDP the average wait for a residential care bed was 360 days and that the NDP government of the time actually reduced the number of long-term care beds by 18%.
The BC Liberals have put aside $13.1 billion for health care in this years budget, but the NDP still clings precariously to the notion that more money will help the problem. Simpson would like us to believe that the Conversation on Health is the governments way of ignoring real solutions and avoiding promises, what he doesn't mention is the $125 million promised by the NDP for a mental health plan that never materialized. In fact, according to Corky Evans (as Minister of Health) the NDP "made announcements about things we weren't even going to do."
The report card goes on to mention a myriad of other things that the government has apparently forgotten or ignored. Things like the supposed sell-off of BC parks, the flooding of the Chilliwack River and the Gateway program. Certainly Simpson brings up some very key issues facing British Columbian's, things that we should all be aware of however residents of Vancouver-Hastings are really only give one side of the story. He's done a pretty good job with the handout too, its colorful, attractive with lots of pictures of our MLA "working hard" for our community. He must be working hard because he says so right in the pamphlet. The truth is however, there is absolutely nothing in the report that provides us with the slightest glimpse of anything measurable that our MLA has done or is doing for Vancouver-Hastings. There are no suggestions for solutions to the important issues that he raises, there is no mention of a plan that he or the opposition have to contribute to the good governance of our province and there is no mention of what we can expect from him over the next 2 years.
The truth is there is nothing in Shane's report that leaves me with any reason to believe that Vancouver-Hastings is any better off today than it was before with almost 75 years of representation by center to extremely left leaning MLA's. Someone tell me where this has put our community?
Finally, while I can understand the importance of the union label on Shane's literature, wouldn't you think that the Environment Critic would make sure that everyone reading his material would be able to clearly see that he uses recycled paper? Just a thought.
When I woke up on Thursday morning I had no idea that this would be the day I travelled forward in time! It seemed like a pretty average day from the start, granted it had snowed a bit overnight and it was a bit colder than I can remember other March 1st's being, but other than that nothing special. Work that day was busy but not unusual, it was the end of my work week so I was excited to see the end of the day so I could begin enjoying the weekend. It really wasn't until I got home later in the evening and opened my mailbox that I realized I was no longer in March 2007...tucked in between the Visa bill, some flyer's and a letter was my first clue that it was actually May 2009 with a provincial election right around the corner!
At least this is the best way that I can describe the feeling I got when I glimpsed Shane Simpson's MLA report for the past 18 months. As I read it the feeling that an election was near only got stronger! His personal report card reads a lot like election material as he proudly extols all of the great things that he's done for our community since the last election, all the while reminding his loyal followers how little the nasty government actually cares about them.
If even half of it were true I'd run up to Shane's constituency office today (thank goodness its closed) and shake his hand, no wait, I'd give him a big hug and thank him for all of his tireless efforts as champion of Vancouver-Hastings and all things swimming, green and down-trodden. The trouble is that there are a few things missing from his report, leaving a couple of holes big enough to drive a hydrogen powered bus or bio-diesel truck through. So I feel that it is my duty to try and patch a couple of those holes here.
Shane Simpson is the NDP Environment Critic and it is in this role that he reminds us about a few "important environmental issues facing our province", including climate change. Of course anyone with a pulse that has been in the same room with a radio, TV or newspaper within the past couple of weeks knows this. Simpson tells us of the urgent need to take action on fossil fuel reduction (I wonder if John Horgan is listening) and the importance of a plan to address climate change, of course as critic it is incumbent upon him to say that the government is not doing enough.
Hmmm.
What Mr Simpson fails to address is the fact that the BC Liberals (before the 2007 budget) have already pledged millions of dollars toward projects that will directly reduce British Columbia's contribution to climate change. This includes $40 million for the Green Cities Project, $10 million toward the Hydrogen Highway, $2 million for cycling infrastructure and $325 000 in incentives and funding to support the development of alternative fuels and energy efficient appliances. This is before the $103 million provided in the 2007 budget for green initiatives. Shane Simpson tells us how committed he and his SUV driving leader (Carole James) are toward freezing greenhouse gas emissions but he doesn't mention the fact that emissions increased by 24% during the time that the NDP ran the province into the ground or that government emissions were actually reduced by 24% during the Liberals first term in office. Not only did the NDP not have a plan in the 90's but, as Corky Evans reminds us they didn't even have an "idea how to deal with climate change and its implications for socialist principles."
Simpson accuses the government of doing nothing to address climate change. He says that they have abdicated their responsibility and that their inaction has only made things worse. He doesn't mention his own personal stand against such green power alternatives as the Ashlu Creek run of the river micro plant, leading me to believe that green power is only acceptable if there is no private interest in it.
The report shifts gears from the environment to affordable housing and alleviating poverty. This is reasonable and, as MLA for the second poorest electoral district in the province I would actually expect that Shane had done more in this area. What he does instead is continue to blame Premier Campbell and the BC Liberals saying that affordable housing and the plight of the homeless is not a priority for this government. Not mentioned is the $2.4 million announced last September for the Pennsylvania Hotel Project, the recent 10% tax cut making British Colombian's the lowest taxed in the country, the $50 per month increase in the housing allowance (the first increase since 1992) or the $50 per month increase in the basic rate for single, employable people.
While it is no surprise that Mr. Simpson falls short on suggestions for the problem of poverty and affordable housing it is important that we understand that there have in fact been important steps taken. The government, in its 2007 budget has committed $27 million toward 300 emergency shelter beds and another $38 million for supportive housing projects. In 2005 the Liberals budget for social housing was 54% higher ($172 million) than that of the previous NDP government and 10 times higher than it was 10 years earlier. Shane calls this "government inaction" but the truth is that it was under the NDP that beds began closing at Riverview Hospital and Shane's own predecessor Joy McPhail herself, acknowledged that many homeless people wouldn't access housing if they could. Of course this doesn't mean that we shouldn't do something about the problem and despite what our own MLA would like us to believe, we are.
To round off the big three, Shane Simpson brings up health care and the BC Liberals "Conversation on Health". Of course he would like us to believe that the conversation is nothing more than the justification of private health care. He fails to touch on a few of the key elements regarding the state of health care in our province like the fact that health care spending has increased by over 50% since 2000/01. Not surprisingly absent from Shane's report card in respect to health care are the facts that under the NDP the average wait for a residential care bed was 360 days and that the NDP government of the time actually reduced the number of long-term care beds by 18%.
The BC Liberals have put aside $13.1 billion for health care in this years budget, but the NDP still clings precariously to the notion that more money will help the problem. Simpson would like us to believe that the Conversation on Health is the governments way of ignoring real solutions and avoiding promises, what he doesn't mention is the $125 million promised by the NDP for a mental health plan that never materialized. In fact, according to Corky Evans (as Minister of Health) the NDP "made announcements about things we weren't even going to do."
The report card goes on to mention a myriad of other things that the government has apparently forgotten or ignored. Things like the supposed sell-off of BC parks, the flooding of the Chilliwack River and the Gateway program. Certainly Simpson brings up some very key issues facing British Columbian's, things that we should all be aware of however residents of Vancouver-Hastings are really only give one side of the story. He's done a pretty good job with the handout too, its colorful, attractive with lots of pictures of our MLA "working hard" for our community. He must be working hard because he says so right in the pamphlet. The truth is however, there is absolutely nothing in the report that provides us with the slightest glimpse of anything measurable that our MLA has done or is doing for Vancouver-Hastings. There are no suggestions for solutions to the important issues that he raises, there is no mention of a plan that he or the opposition have to contribute to the good governance of our province and there is no mention of what we can expect from him over the next 2 years.
The truth is there is nothing in Shane's report that leaves me with any reason to believe that Vancouver-Hastings is any better off today than it was before with almost 75 years of representation by center to extremely left leaning MLA's. Someone tell me where this has put our community?
Finally, while I can understand the importance of the union label on Shane's literature, wouldn't you think that the Environment Critic would make sure that everyone reading his material would be able to clearly see that he uses recycled paper? Just a thought.
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