E-day +4 and already the e-mails and phone calls have started. I don't actually assume my role as a Park Commissioner until the 1st of December, but the lobbying has begun. Some of it has been cheerful and polite, some down right strange. The Pool at Mount Pleasant tops the list of inquiries/advice followed by dogs and the Hollow Tree in Stanley Park. A defeated candidate for Parks is even telling me how I should vote when it comes to choosing a Chair for the Park Board.
I enjoy receiving the e-mails and phone calls and hope they keep coming. I want to be known as the 'go-to' guy on the Board. I want people to feel that they can approach elected leaders with ideas and inquiries. I just hope people understand that I can't always reply immediately and cannot make all their wishes come true. It is going to be a busy 3 years. I'm looking forward to it.
19 November 2008
16 November 2008
Better Parks are coming to Vancouver
Thank you Vancouver for electing me to the Board of Parks and Recreation. An awesome responsibility that I accept with humility and gratitude. Vancouver's natural beauty is worth protecting. Neighbourhood services are worth preserving. And you agreed.
Last night was exciting for many reasons. We saw the advent of a new way of thinking in city government. Gregor Robertson has made promises of real change in the way business is done. I am excited to be part of this process--to be part of the solution. We have a lot of work to do. It is now time to roll up our sleeves and dig in!
Thank you to my wonderful friends and my amazing Dragon Boat teammates from Gung Haggis Fat Choy for believing in my dream of better parks and working toward that goal. I also want to thank the many people who offered encouragement and sage advice along the way--please keep in touch!
Last night showed what can be accomplished when progressive voices work in unison to create positive change. Let's keep this momentum going.
Last night was exciting for many reasons. We saw the advent of a new way of thinking in city government. Gregor Robertson has made promises of real change in the way business is done. I am excited to be part of this process--to be part of the solution. We have a lot of work to do. It is now time to roll up our sleeves and dig in!
Thank you to my wonderful friends and my amazing Dragon Boat teammates from Gung Haggis Fat Choy for believing in my dream of better parks and working toward that goal. I also want to thank the many people who offered encouragement and sage advice along the way--please keep in touch!
Last night showed what can be accomplished when progressive voices work in unison to create positive change. Let's keep this momentum going.
15 November 2008
Why haven't the NPA talked about last year's civic strike? Even while it was happening they ignored it!
by Todd Wong Gung Haggis Fat Choy
"The NPA will not talk about the strike. They refuse to talk about the issues we believe are important to Vancouverites," said Andrea Reimer at last night's general meeting for Vancouver Library Workers CUPE 391.
Andrea Reimer - Vision Vancouver council candidate, Loretta Woodcock - COPE incumbent parks commissioner, and Stuart Mackinnon - Green Party parks board candidate, all were special guests addressing civic issues for the Nov. 15th Vancouver civic election.
"The civic strike affected our parks, our community centres, our libraries. It is an important issue. But the NPA have not been addressing it." said Stuart Mackinnon. "It is important for our civic workers to be treated fairly."
"The NPA has a total disrespect for unionized workers," said Woodcock. "I see that as a parks commissioner."
"The City just made many managerial staff exempt staff, by re-classifiying them at a cost of about $10,000 increased salary for doing basically the same job," said Woodcock "They are doing this to strike-proof the city. They state that unionized workers are getting a 4% increase, and exclude that managers are also getting the same 4% increase."
The special guest speakers were clearly the highlight of the meeting. Woodcock also discussed how NPA parks chair had put a motion forward to initiate a morale survey, but withdrew it once Woodcock had identified key issues to address. These same issues had shown up on an in-house library culture survey, that showed that the morale at the Vancouver Library was poor before last year's strike action. Everybody agrees the situations are worse post-strike.
I did ask them what they thought about Sam Sullivan's comments to Don Cayo's interview in the Vancouver Sun. Sullivan says 'I did everything I wanted do' Sullivan admitted that one of his regrets during his 14 years of city hall including 3 years as mayor, was that the strike went on too long. Sullivan said:
'The strike is a considerable regret. I don't like to implicate anybody. These are all my own weaknesses, my own shortcomings. But I chose to not have any role in it -- to leave a lot of room for our staff. ...
Everybody knew what the deal was -- 17.5 per cent. We knew it the weekend the strike started. Everybody knew it.
So I suggested, "Why don't we just offer that?"
It was, "Mayor, you don't understand negotiations. You have to offer less. Then they ask for more. Then you offer more. And eventually you get to the right number."'
If this was truly the case, why didn't Mayor Sullivan step in to ensure that a strike never happened. All the other municipalities saw the bargaining positions happening, and they were quickly able to avert forcing strike action. Our CUPE 391 bargaining committee said they had never seen labour negotiations like the ones the city put them through in years of bargaining. The GVRD labour relations bureau kept rejecting CUPE 391 proposals since January when the contract ran out, and never put forward a contract counter-offer until July when it was too late.
Mayor Sullivan instead decided to table a "final offer" to Vancouver civic workers and then force them to vote on it which Vision Vancouver councilor Raymond Louie said "is dangerous bullying, and is more likely to provoke a strike than to end it. It was actually Louie who proposed mediatio only two weeks into the strike, in an effort to bring it to a quick close. Unfortunately the NPA rejected the mediation process.... and the strike dragged on and on.
The GVRD Labour Relations Bureau also had it set that they would not deal with the smaller CUPE 391 library workers, until it had finished negotiating with the larger CUPE 15 inside workers and CUPE 1004 outside workers. So library workers were out of luck regardless. This doesn't sound like a fair negotiating strategy that would ensure good labour relations for a city that has just been chosen as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2009 by Mediacorp Canada Ltd.
It's actually an embarrassment.
Peter Ladner was not helpful in resolving the strike issues and actually helped to make them worse when he submitted "a vitriolic column in the Vancouver Sun that regurgitates the City’s discredited propaganda and continues the myth of a City council protecting residents from their city workers."
"The NPA will not talk about the strike. They refuse to talk about the issues we believe are important to Vancouverites," said Andrea Reimer at last night's general meeting for Vancouver Library Workers CUPE 391.
Andrea Reimer - Vision Vancouver council candidate, Loretta Woodcock - COPE incumbent parks commissioner, and Stuart Mackinnon - Green Party parks board candidate, all were special guests addressing civic issues for the Nov. 15th Vancouver civic election.
"The civic strike affected our parks, our community centres, our libraries. It is an important issue. But the NPA have not been addressing it." said Stuart Mackinnon. "It is important for our civic workers to be treated fairly."
"The NPA has a total disrespect for unionized workers," said Woodcock. "I see that as a parks commissioner."
"The City just made many managerial staff exempt staff, by re-classifiying them at a cost of about $10,000 increased salary for doing basically the same job," said Woodcock "They are doing this to strike-proof the city. They state that unionized workers are getting a 4% increase, and exclude that managers are also getting the same 4% increase."
The special guest speakers were clearly the highlight of the meeting. Woodcock also discussed how NPA parks chair had put a motion forward to initiate a morale survey, but withdrew it once Woodcock had identified key issues to address. These same issues had shown up on an in-house library culture survey, that showed that the morale at the Vancouver Library was poor before last year's strike action. Everybody agrees the situations are worse post-strike.
I did ask them what they thought about Sam Sullivan's comments to Don Cayo's interview in the Vancouver Sun. Sullivan says 'I did everything I wanted do' Sullivan admitted that one of his regrets during his 14 years of city hall including 3 years as mayor, was that the strike went on too long. Sullivan said:
'The strike is a considerable regret. I don't like to implicate anybody. These are all my own weaknesses, my own shortcomings. But I chose to not have any role in it -- to leave a lot of room for our staff. ...
Everybody knew what the deal was -- 17.5 per cent. We knew it the weekend the strike started. Everybody knew it.
So I suggested, "Why don't we just offer that?"
It was, "Mayor, you don't understand negotiations. You have to offer less. Then they ask for more. Then you offer more. And eventually you get to the right number."'
If this was truly the case, why didn't Mayor Sullivan step in to ensure that a strike never happened. All the other municipalities saw the bargaining positions happening, and they were quickly able to avert forcing strike action. Our CUPE 391 bargaining committee said they had never seen labour negotiations like the ones the city put them through in years of bargaining. The GVRD labour relations bureau kept rejecting CUPE 391 proposals since January when the contract ran out, and never put forward a contract counter-offer until July when it was too late.
Mayor Sullivan instead decided to table a "final offer" to Vancouver civic workers and then force them to vote on it which Vision Vancouver councilor Raymond Louie said "is dangerous bullying, and is more likely to provoke a strike than to end it. It was actually Louie who proposed mediatio only two weeks into the strike, in an effort to bring it to a quick close. Unfortunately the NPA rejected the mediation process.... and the strike dragged on and on.
The GVRD Labour Relations Bureau also had it set that they would not deal with the smaller CUPE 391 library workers, until it had finished negotiating with the larger CUPE 15 inside workers and CUPE 1004 outside workers. So library workers were out of luck regardless. This doesn't sound like a fair negotiating strategy that would ensure good labour relations for a city that has just been chosen as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2009 by Mediacorp Canada Ltd.
It's actually an embarrassment.
Peter Ladner was not helpful in resolving the strike issues and actually helped to make them worse when he submitted "a vitriolic column in the Vancouver Sun that regurgitates the City’s discredited propaganda and continues the myth of a City council protecting residents from their city workers."
07 November 2008
Parks help narrow health gap between rich, poor: study
Friday, November 7, 2008 CBC News
Green spaces encourage people to be physically active and reduce stress. Green spaces like parks and forests help narrow health gaps between the rich and poor living in cities, say researchers who are urging urban planners to invest in greenery.
In Saturday's issue of the Lancet, Richard Mitchell of the University of Glasgow and his colleagues looked at mortality records, income data and the amount of green areas for more than 366,000 people in England who were below retirement age in 2001 to 2005.
In general, studies show that people living in poorer areas tend to be more unhealthy and die earlier because of differences in diet, lifestyle and access to medical care. Living near open, undeveloped land such as parks, forests, playing fields and river corridors seemed to help reduce this gap, according to the latest study.
The difference in the rate of deaths between the richest and poorest was roughly halved for those living with the most greenery around them, compared with those with the fewest green spaces, the researchers found.
"The size of the difference in the health gap is surprising and represented a much bigger effect than I had been expecting," said Mitchell. "So the key message is green spaces are another tool for governments to combat this health gap between rich and poor."
Green space `more than pretty'
The difference more than doubled for deaths from circulatory disease such as heart disease and stroke, but there was no effect on suicides, the researchers said. Green spaces may encourage people to be more physically active, and previous studies have suggested that parks and open space help people reduce blood pressure and stress levels, and perhaps even heal more quickly after surgery.
"The implications of this study are clear: environments that promote good health might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities," the study's authors concluded. In a commentary accompanying the study, Terry Hartig of the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Uppsala University in Sweden agreed: "This study offers valuable evidence that green space does more than pretty up the neighbourhood. It appears to have real effects on health inequality, of a kind that politicians and health authorities should take seriously."
The final report of the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health also called for wide-ranging improvements in daily living conditions. Restoring environmental supports to mitigate health inequities could help achieve these goals, Hartig said.
CBC.CA
Green spaces encourage people to be physically active and reduce stress. Green spaces like parks and forests help narrow health gaps between the rich and poor living in cities, say researchers who are urging urban planners to invest in greenery.
In Saturday's issue of the Lancet, Richard Mitchell of the University of Glasgow and his colleagues looked at mortality records, income data and the amount of green areas for more than 366,000 people in England who were below retirement age in 2001 to 2005.
In general, studies show that people living in poorer areas tend to be more unhealthy and die earlier because of differences in diet, lifestyle and access to medical care. Living near open, undeveloped land such as parks, forests, playing fields and river corridors seemed to help reduce this gap, according to the latest study.
The difference in the rate of deaths between the richest and poorest was roughly halved for those living with the most greenery around them, compared with those with the fewest green spaces, the researchers found.
"The size of the difference in the health gap is surprising and represented a much bigger effect than I had been expecting," said Mitchell. "So the key message is green spaces are another tool for governments to combat this health gap between rich and poor."
Green space `more than pretty'
The difference more than doubled for deaths from circulatory disease such as heart disease and stroke, but there was no effect on suicides, the researchers said. Green spaces may encourage people to be more physically active, and previous studies have suggested that parks and open space help people reduce blood pressure and stress levels, and perhaps even heal more quickly after surgery.
"The implications of this study are clear: environments that promote good health might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities," the study's authors concluded. In a commentary accompanying the study, Terry Hartig of the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Uppsala University in Sweden agreed: "This study offers valuable evidence that green space does more than pretty up the neighbourhood. It appears to have real effects on health inequality, of a kind that politicians and health authorities should take seriously."
The final report of the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health also called for wide-ranging improvements in daily living conditions. Restoring environmental supports to mitigate health inequities could help achieve these goals, Hartig said.
CBC.CA
06 November 2008
Which Parks Board candidate will you choose?
COPE? Vision Vancouver? Green Party? NPA? Independent?
How about one of each, then your next favorite!
by Todd Wong, Gung Haggis Fat Choy
Stuart Mackinnon, Green Party candidate and paddler on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, answers a question about accessibility to parks, and speaks to the audience. - photo Todd Wong 2008 Nov2
The candidates for Vancouver Parks Board have been making the rounds visiting Community Centres, and other all-candidates debates. On Monday night, they were at Killarney Community Centre. On Tuesday night, they were at Kerrisdale Community Centre.
The evening opened with each candidate having a few short minutes to introduce themselves. Aaron Jasper and Raj Hundal represented the Vision Vancouver Party. Incumbent Loretta Woodcock and former parks commissioner Anita Romaniuk represented COPE. NPA were represented by Laura McDiarmid, Marty Zlotnik, Sharon Urton, Christopher Richardson, Ian Robertson, Melissa De Genova.
Stuart Mackinnon is the only Green Party candidate in the 2008 Vancouver civic election. Ivan Doumenc of the Work Less Party, as well as independents Jamie Lee Hamilton, Thomas Lockhart and Richard Mayencourt.
It was a busy night, I arrived just before 8pm, on a night when many people were more interested in the U.S. Presidential election results.
There were about 50 to 60 people attending, and I could count 6 active dragon boaters in the room + 3 of the candidates that I had tried to recruit for our team.
With 15 candidates attending, the moderator did a good job of spreading out the answers from the candidates as she tried ensure that that everybody got a chance to address the issues.
If you wanted to ask a question, you had to write it down and hand it to a handler - where it was inspected for suitability.
My question was:
Our community centres are under-utilized and under-recognized for the important role that they play in making culture and diversity accessible to our citizens. What will you and your party do to better represent the cultural needs and representation of Vancouver's diversity?
It was the most popular question of the evening for the candidates as many of them wanted to answer it. Raj Hundal gave an example of how the Roundhouse had recently celebrated the Diwali Festival, and how important it is for ethnic communities to become involved with the community centres.
Two of the more emotional highlights of the evening were 1) a question about the Hollow Tree, and 2) a question about limiting transportation use in Stanley Park.
Stuart Mackinnon gave a very good example of how many factors all play roles in transportation issues. He cited that one of the tour operators has given tours to the special needs teens that he teaches at Killarney Secondary School, as a way to "give back to the community." There are many factors, and Mackinnon emphasized that stake holders must be included in the process.
My question that did not get asked was deemed "beyond jurisdiction" and a "labour issue." I had wanted to ask that "given the long civic strike last year, how would each of the candidates and their party work to avoid or address the loss of important services such as community centres, pools, ice rinks and libraries to our citizens.
It's unfortunate that the question could not be asked, because it was terribly painful to see our parks grow steadily neglected and the trees dry out because of the protracted civic strikes caused by the inability of the GVRD labour relations bureau to negotiate fairly and reasonably, as they consistently walked away from talks with each of the three civic unions. It was a shame that only a few weeks after schools let out for summer that the swimming pools were closed, and that all the summer community programs were closed, leaving children and their parents to find alternatives if possible.
I had followed the library strike carefully, since I was a Vancouver library employee forced onto the picket line, because the GVRD labour relations bureau wasn't going to deal with our small CUPE 391 local, until it had completed its priority with the two larger CUPE 15 and CUPE 1004 (city inside and outside workers) first.
The protracted civic strike was a lose-lose-lose scenario. The citizens lost. The workers lost, and the NPA dominated city council and mayor looked like bullies. All the municipalities surrounding Vancouver were able to settle with their workers leaving Vancouver the only city forced into an unnecessary strike. For this coming election, it will be important to elect progressive parks board commissioners and city councilors who will look for solutions instead of confrontation.
Two weeks into the strike last year, it was Vision councilor Raymond Louie who called for mediation - which was rejected by NPA councilors. Three months later, the strikes are solved by mediation - almost 90 days later. For these reasons, I am supporting the COPE / Vision / Green candidates for the Vancouver civic election + the fact that I think they are accomplished individuals, and wonderful people.
Gung Haggis Fat Choy
How about one of each, then your next favorite!
by Todd Wong, Gung Haggis Fat Choy
Stuart Mackinnon, Green Party candidate and paddler on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, answers a question about accessibility to parks, and speaks to the audience. - photo Todd Wong 2008 Nov2
The candidates for Vancouver Parks Board have been making the rounds visiting Community Centres, and other all-candidates debates. On Monday night, they were at Killarney Community Centre. On Tuesday night, they were at Kerrisdale Community Centre.
The evening opened with each candidate having a few short minutes to introduce themselves. Aaron Jasper and Raj Hundal represented the Vision Vancouver Party. Incumbent Loretta Woodcock and former parks commissioner Anita Romaniuk represented COPE. NPA were represented by Laura McDiarmid, Marty Zlotnik, Sharon Urton, Christopher Richardson, Ian Robertson, Melissa De Genova.
Stuart Mackinnon is the only Green Party candidate in the 2008 Vancouver civic election. Ivan Doumenc of the Work Less Party, as well as independents Jamie Lee Hamilton, Thomas Lockhart and Richard Mayencourt.
It was a busy night, I arrived just before 8pm, on a night when many people were more interested in the U.S. Presidential election results.
There were about 50 to 60 people attending, and I could count 6 active dragon boaters in the room + 3 of the candidates that I had tried to recruit for our team.
With 15 candidates attending, the moderator did a good job of spreading out the answers from the candidates as she tried ensure that that everybody got a chance to address the issues.
If you wanted to ask a question, you had to write it down and hand it to a handler - where it was inspected for suitability.
My question was:
Our community centres are under-utilized and under-recognized for the important role that they play in making culture and diversity accessible to our citizens. What will you and your party do to better represent the cultural needs and representation of Vancouver's diversity?
It was the most popular question of the evening for the candidates as many of them wanted to answer it. Raj Hundal gave an example of how the Roundhouse had recently celebrated the Diwali Festival, and how important it is for ethnic communities to become involved with the community centres.
Two of the more emotional highlights of the evening were 1) a question about the Hollow Tree, and 2) a question about limiting transportation use in Stanley Park.
Stuart Mackinnon gave a very good example of how many factors all play roles in transportation issues. He cited that one of the tour operators has given tours to the special needs teens that he teaches at Killarney Secondary School, as a way to "give back to the community." There are many factors, and Mackinnon emphasized that stake holders must be included in the process.
My question that did not get asked was deemed "beyond jurisdiction" and a "labour issue." I had wanted to ask that "given the long civic strike last year, how would each of the candidates and their party work to avoid or address the loss of important services such as community centres, pools, ice rinks and libraries to our citizens.
It's unfortunate that the question could not be asked, because it was terribly painful to see our parks grow steadily neglected and the trees dry out because of the protracted civic strikes caused by the inability of the GVRD labour relations bureau to negotiate fairly and reasonably, as they consistently walked away from talks with each of the three civic unions. It was a shame that only a few weeks after schools let out for summer that the swimming pools were closed, and that all the summer community programs were closed, leaving children and their parents to find alternatives if possible.
I had followed the library strike carefully, since I was a Vancouver library employee forced onto the picket line, because the GVRD labour relations bureau wasn't going to deal with our small CUPE 391 local, until it had completed its priority with the two larger CUPE 15 and CUPE 1004 (city inside and outside workers) first.
The protracted civic strike was a lose-lose-lose scenario. The citizens lost. The workers lost, and the NPA dominated city council and mayor looked like bullies. All the municipalities surrounding Vancouver were able to settle with their workers leaving Vancouver the only city forced into an unnecessary strike. For this coming election, it will be important to elect progressive parks board commissioners and city councilors who will look for solutions instead of confrontation.
Two weeks into the strike last year, it was Vision councilor Raymond Louie who called for mediation - which was rejected by NPA councilors. Three months later, the strikes are solved by mediation - almost 90 days later. For these reasons, I am supporting the COPE / Vision / Green candidates for the Vancouver civic election + the fact that I think they are accomplished individuals, and wonderful people.
Gung Haggis Fat Choy
27 October 2008
Vancouver Parks Board candidate Stuart Mackinnon blends multiculturalism with Green Party environmental issues.
from: www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com
by Todd on Sat 25 Oct 2008 11:58 AM PDT
This week I have had the pleasure to attend dinner events with Stuart Mackinnon, Vancouver parks board candidate for the Green Party. On Thursday, we attended the Oct 23rd Vision Vancouver dinner at Floata Restaurant. On Friday, we attended the Oct 24th Chinese Canadian Military Museum 10th Anniversary dinner, where we also volunteered to help sell raffle tickets. On Tuesday, I spoke on Stuart's behalf at the Vancouver & District Labour Council.
The following is an amendment to what I said about why I believe Stuart will be a great Vancouver Parks Board Commissioner, with pictures from the Vision Vancouver Floata dinner.
Stuart Mackinnon (in kilt) with his good friend Andrea Reimer - who is running for Vancouver city council. - photo Todd Wong
Stuart Mackinnon is active. He speaks out on issues. He attends Parks board meetings. He has been a thorn in the NPA side, to make sure they follow proper democratic process.
The first time I met Stuart, it was through his blog Better Parks. He was writing about naming the proposed "Selkirk Park" at 72nd St. Whether it became Obasan Park or David Suzuki Park, Stuart wanted and helped to make it more of a democratic process. Stuart has fought against the privatizing of parks, such as against the imposition of high priced restaurants at Kitsilano Beach and English Bay.
Stuart is a teacher at Killarney Secondary School. He teaches special needs. He was vice-president of his Vancouver Teachers Federation Local 392.1, of the BCTF. Stuart is amazing. Last year he took a group of teachers to China, where he delivered a key note talk about Norman Bethune as an organizer for the "Follow Dr. Norman Bethune to China Committee."
Stuart Mackinnon with COPE school board candidate Bill Bargeman. Stuart was vice-president with Bill's presidency for Vancouver Teachers' Federation local 39.2 BCTF - photo Todd Wong
Stuart is passionate about what he believes in. He joined our dragon boat team last year, loved the intercultural process and the fitness opportunities it presented - then almost immediately asked how to create a junior dragon boat team for Killarney high school students, then guided them to a silver medal in their first year of competition. That's Stuart - a man of action, while thinking how to be a team builder, and ensure that every person is included and feels empowered.
And along the way, he realized more the importance of Vancouver's False Creek's waterways and parks as important to our recreational activities. And he saw first hand the pollution that threatened this important recreational jewel, when unacceptable "accidents dumped raw sewage into False Creek". Stuart Mackinnon thinks big picture. Stuart Mackinnon thinks long range. Stuart Mackinnon thinks community and environment first.
Stuart is Scottish - of Scottish descent. I am of Chinese descent. Vancouver has a large Chinese population. Vancouver has a large multicultural population. He participates actively on our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. He understands multiculturalism. This is what we need for our city and for our community centres. Stuart is president of the Canada China Education Association
Stuart Mackinnon with Charlie Wu of the Taiwanese Cultural Festival (Stuart LOVES the Taiwanese dragon boats), and City Councilor Raymond Louie and son - photo Todd Wong
It's important to have a Green candidate on the slate. It's important to have a diversity of ideas - and especially to represent our environment. Our environment isn't just about trees and grass, it is also about our culture and our history. I believe that Stuart Mackinnon will be honorable in supporting these values. Stuart genuinely cares about our environment and is a past president of SPEC (the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) and past chair for Vancouver Green Party.
During the Vancouve civic strike, Stuart supported CUPE 15, 1004 and 391 and our issues. He knows the importance that hard working and loyal city workers can make. He knows that we put our hearts and souls into the pride of our jobs. Stuart Mackinnon will listen. He will be inclusive, He will be supportive of city workers, but more important, he will be empowering. I believe in Stuart. He will be honourable.
Check out Stuart Mackinnon's website: www.betterparks.ca
by Todd on Sat 25 Oct 2008 11:58 AM PDT
This week I have had the pleasure to attend dinner events with Stuart Mackinnon, Vancouver parks board candidate for the Green Party. On Thursday, we attended the Oct 23rd Vision Vancouver dinner at Floata Restaurant. On Friday, we attended the Oct 24th Chinese Canadian Military Museum 10th Anniversary dinner, where we also volunteered to help sell raffle tickets. On Tuesday, I spoke on Stuart's behalf at the Vancouver & District Labour Council.
The following is an amendment to what I said about why I believe Stuart will be a great Vancouver Parks Board Commissioner, with pictures from the Vision Vancouver Floata dinner.
Stuart Mackinnon (in kilt) with his good friend Andrea Reimer - who is running for Vancouver city council. - photo Todd Wong
Stuart Mackinnon is active. He speaks out on issues. He attends Parks board meetings. He has been a thorn in the NPA side, to make sure they follow proper democratic process.
The first time I met Stuart, it was through his blog Better Parks. He was writing about naming the proposed "Selkirk Park" at 72nd St. Whether it became Obasan Park or David Suzuki Park, Stuart wanted and helped to make it more of a democratic process. Stuart has fought against the privatizing of parks, such as against the imposition of high priced restaurants at Kitsilano Beach and English Bay.
Stuart is a teacher at Killarney Secondary School. He teaches special needs. He was vice-president of his Vancouver Teachers Federation Local 392.1, of the BCTF. Stuart is amazing. Last year he took a group of teachers to China, where he delivered a key note talk about Norman Bethune as an organizer for the "Follow Dr. Norman Bethune to China Committee."
Stuart Mackinnon with COPE school board candidate Bill Bargeman. Stuart was vice-president with Bill's presidency for Vancouver Teachers' Federation local 39.2 BCTF - photo Todd Wong
Stuart is passionate about what he believes in. He joined our dragon boat team last year, loved the intercultural process and the fitness opportunities it presented - then almost immediately asked how to create a junior dragon boat team for Killarney high school students, then guided them to a silver medal in their first year of competition. That's Stuart - a man of action, while thinking how to be a team builder, and ensure that every person is included and feels empowered.
And along the way, he realized more the importance of Vancouver's False Creek's waterways and parks as important to our recreational activities. And he saw first hand the pollution that threatened this important recreational jewel, when unacceptable "accidents dumped raw sewage into False Creek". Stuart Mackinnon thinks big picture. Stuart Mackinnon thinks long range. Stuart Mackinnon thinks community and environment first.
Stuart is Scottish - of Scottish descent. I am of Chinese descent. Vancouver has a large Chinese population. Vancouver has a large multicultural population. He participates actively on our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. He understands multiculturalism. This is what we need for our city and for our community centres. Stuart is president of the Canada China Education Association
Stuart Mackinnon with Charlie Wu of the Taiwanese Cultural Festival (Stuart LOVES the Taiwanese dragon boats), and City Councilor Raymond Louie and son - photo Todd Wong
It's important to have a Green candidate on the slate. It's important to have a diversity of ideas - and especially to represent our environment. Our environment isn't just about trees and grass, it is also about our culture and our history. I believe that Stuart Mackinnon will be honorable in supporting these values. Stuart genuinely cares about our environment and is a past president of SPEC (the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) and past chair for Vancouver Green Party.
During the Vancouve civic strike, Stuart supported CUPE 15, 1004 and 391 and our issues. He knows the importance that hard working and loyal city workers can make. He knows that we put our hearts and souls into the pride of our jobs. Stuart Mackinnon will listen. He will be inclusive, He will be supportive of city workers, but more important, he will be empowering. I believe in Stuart. He will be honourable.
Check out Stuart Mackinnon's website: www.betterparks.ca
Candidates in market for local food
JEFF HODSON/ Metro Vancouver
27 October 2008 05:05
Farmers’ markets need a permanent place in Vancouver, said members of three civic political parties at the season’s final market held in Kitsilano yesterday.
Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson, a former organic farmer, said the markets need longer-term permits and signage.
“There’s no doubt that they bring incredible economic value and community strength for Vancouver,” said Robertson, flanked by COPE council candidate Ellen Woodsworth and Greens Stuart MacKinnon (park board) and Ben West (electoral district A).
“They’ve grown enormously over these past few years. I think everyone in this city wants to see a stronger and more secure place for farmers’ markets.”
Woodsworth said the markets exemplify the idea of growing locally and said the city needs a building so that they can be held year round.
27 October 2008 05:05
Farmers’ markets need a permanent place in Vancouver, said members of three civic political parties at the season’s final market held in Kitsilano yesterday.
Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson, a former organic farmer, said the markets need longer-term permits and signage.
“There’s no doubt that they bring incredible economic value and community strength for Vancouver,” said Robertson, flanked by COPE council candidate Ellen Woodsworth and Greens Stuart MacKinnon (park board) and Ben West (electoral district A).
“They’ve grown enormously over these past few years. I think everyone in this city wants to see a stronger and more secure place for farmers’ markets.”
Woodsworth said the markets exemplify the idea of growing locally and said the city needs a building so that they can be held year round.
19 October 2008
ALL CANDIDATES MEETINGS
Meet Stuart and some of the other Park Board candidates as they discuss the issues
October 30 @ 7 pm: West Point Grey Community Centre located at 2nd Avenue and Trimble Street
November 2 @ 2 pm: Roundhouse Community Centre located in Yaletown at 181 Roundhouse Mews near Pacific and Drake
November 3 @ 7 pm: Killarney Community Centre located at Killarney st off of 49th av
November 4 @ 7 pm Kerrisdale Community Centre located at the corner of West Boulevard and 42nd
October 30 @ 7 pm: West Point Grey Community Centre located at 2nd Avenue and Trimble Street
November 2 @ 2 pm: Roundhouse Community Centre located in Yaletown at 181 Roundhouse Mews near Pacific and Drake
November 3 @ 7 pm: Killarney Community Centre located at Killarney st off of 49th av
November 4 @ 7 pm Kerrisdale Community Centre located at the corner of West Boulevard and 42nd
12 October 2008
Campaign for Better Parks under way!
You can visit my new website betterparks.ca now for information about my campaign for Parks Commissioner in Vancouver. If you would like a sign or want to donate you can do so at the betterparks site. Our campaign headquarters official opening will be announced shortly. More coming up!
01 October 2008
Green candidate gets the nod from Vision, COPE
Sandra Thomas, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Parks board candidate Stuart Mackinnon says the Vancouver Green Party made a deal with COPE and Vision Vancouver for the civic election because of its enthusiasm for Vision's mayoral candidate.
"From our end we endorsed the agreement because we believe the greenest mayor Vancouver will ever have will be Gregor Robertson," said Mackinnon.
Last week the local Green Party announced it had reached an agreement to work cooperatively with Vision and COPE and to endorse Gregor Robertson for mayor. The deal is not being called a joint campaign or a coalition, but the parties agreed not to have any overlap in candidates nominated to run for council, school board and parks board.
Vision is running three candidates for parks board and COPE is running two, including incumbent Loretta Woodcock and former parks board commissioner Anita Romaniuk, who were nominated Sunday at the COPE membership meeting. One space was left for Mackinnon to run for parks board and a second allows Ben West to run as a Green candidate for Electoral Area A, which includes the UBC Endowment Lands.
Mackinnon, a teacher at Killarney secondary school, said the deal will also allow the Green Party to meet with elected officials twice a year to discuss council and school board issues.
"They left one space for the park board because parks and the Green Party go hand in hand," said Mackinnon. "It was a natural choice."
Mackinnon said the agreement acknowledges the Vancouver Green Party as a player in municipal politics. He added the Green Party has a local core base of 27,000 supporters.
"Realistically that number is much smaller than what COPE and Vision have," he said. "So we decided, why split the vote?"
Mackinnon said when he ran for a seat on parks board in the last civic election he increased the party's vote by 10,000. In the 2005 municipal election Mackinnon was 6,000 votes short of election to the parks board.
Mackinnon said recent parks board decisions show a trend toward creating destination attractions, when the focus should be on community amenities. He cited the closure of the outdoor pool at Sunset Community Centre, as well as the looming closure of the Mount Pleasant outdoor pool, as examples. The parks board is building a new aquatic centre at Riley Park designed to serve several communities, including Sunset and Mount Pleasant.
"Neighbourhoods are the core of the city," said Mackinnon. "It's one thing to let your kids walk down the block to their neighbourhood pool and another to put them on a bus."
Mackinnon has also been active in the effort to re-green Hastings Park. He added despite the fact a casino was built on the property--against the wishes of numerous neighbours and community groups, much more can be done to create additional green space there.
"I had a wonderful youth in Vancouver," said Mackinnon. "It was almost magical with trips to the beach and outdoor pools and to the park. I want to give that to the children of today."
Political analyst Kennedy Stewart said the Greens "wouldn't have a prayer" without the endorsement of Robertson.
"But now at least they have a shot, or at least a much better chance," said Stewart, a political scientist at SFU.
He said COPE is in the same position after agreeing to run fewer people and not run a mayoral candidate. Stewart said the deal means COPE might end up with two members on council instead of a single councillor, David Cadman.
"It's kind of like one step backwards and two steps forward," he said. "But it's the best they could have hoped for."
© Vancouver Courier 2008
Published: Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Parks board candidate Stuart Mackinnon says the Vancouver Green Party made a deal with COPE and Vision Vancouver for the civic election because of its enthusiasm for Vision's mayoral candidate.
"From our end we endorsed the agreement because we believe the greenest mayor Vancouver will ever have will be Gregor Robertson," said Mackinnon.
Last week the local Green Party announced it had reached an agreement to work cooperatively with Vision and COPE and to endorse Gregor Robertson for mayor. The deal is not being called a joint campaign or a coalition, but the parties agreed not to have any overlap in candidates nominated to run for council, school board and parks board.
Vision is running three candidates for parks board and COPE is running two, including incumbent Loretta Woodcock and former parks board commissioner Anita Romaniuk, who were nominated Sunday at the COPE membership meeting. One space was left for Mackinnon to run for parks board and a second allows Ben West to run as a Green candidate for Electoral Area A, which includes the UBC Endowment Lands.
Mackinnon, a teacher at Killarney secondary school, said the deal will also allow the Green Party to meet with elected officials twice a year to discuss council and school board issues.
"They left one space for the park board because parks and the Green Party go hand in hand," said Mackinnon. "It was a natural choice."
Mackinnon said the agreement acknowledges the Vancouver Green Party as a player in municipal politics. He added the Green Party has a local core base of 27,000 supporters.
"Realistically that number is much smaller than what COPE and Vision have," he said. "So we decided, why split the vote?"
Mackinnon said when he ran for a seat on parks board in the last civic election he increased the party's vote by 10,000. In the 2005 municipal election Mackinnon was 6,000 votes short of election to the parks board.
Mackinnon said recent parks board decisions show a trend toward creating destination attractions, when the focus should be on community amenities. He cited the closure of the outdoor pool at Sunset Community Centre, as well as the looming closure of the Mount Pleasant outdoor pool, as examples. The parks board is building a new aquatic centre at Riley Park designed to serve several communities, including Sunset and Mount Pleasant.
"Neighbourhoods are the core of the city," said Mackinnon. "It's one thing to let your kids walk down the block to their neighbourhood pool and another to put them on a bus."
Mackinnon has also been active in the effort to re-green Hastings Park. He added despite the fact a casino was built on the property--against the wishes of numerous neighbours and community groups, much more can be done to create additional green space there.
"I had a wonderful youth in Vancouver," said Mackinnon. "It was almost magical with trips to the beach and outdoor pools and to the park. I want to give that to the children of today."
Political analyst Kennedy Stewart said the Greens "wouldn't have a prayer" without the endorsement of Robertson.
"But now at least they have a shot, or at least a much better chance," said Stewart, a political scientist at SFU.
He said COPE is in the same position after agreeing to run fewer people and not run a mayoral candidate. Stewart said the deal means COPE might end up with two members on council instead of a single councillor, David Cadman.
"It's kind of like one step backwards and two steps forward," he said. "But it's the best they could have hoped for."
© Vancouver Courier 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)