Its Wild Heart Broken, a City, Like Its Eagles, Rebuilds

Posted inIn the News

By CHRISTOPHER MASON
Source: New York Times
Published: January 29, 2007
No matter how high the office towers and condominiums get in this fast-growing city, those who live here still cling to the laid-back way of life that draws so many to Canada’s west coast, where spandex and a yoga roll are as common a sight as a suit and briefcase.
Nothing symbolizes this dichotomy more than Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre forested oasis next to downtown Vancouver that juts into the Burrard Inlet. Its trails and pathways are an escape for the growing legions who may live in a high-rise building and conduct an otherwise urban life but who disappear by the thousands into the park’s hiking trails or jog the six-mile path along the water.
That tranquillity was shattered, though, by two recent brutal winter storms that have all but decimated huge swaths of the park, knocking down some 10,000 trees and forcing much of it to be closed as crews struggle to clear the debris.

Living large on a small planet

Posted inIn the News

Source: The Globe and Mail Thu 25 Jan 2007
Byline: Gary Mason, gmason@globeandmail.com
While Mayor Sam Sullivan’s Eco-Density initiative hasn’t produced much excitement locally, it’s drawing attention elsewhere.
The program, which promotes increasing density as a means of reducing our collective impact on the planet, is the subject of a lengthy and mostly positive examination in a recent issue of Planning, a highly influential magazine put out by the American Planning Association.
Densification, of course, is not new. It has been tried elsewhere in North America with mixed to little success. People have become accustomed to their sprawling single-family dwellings and don’t like the idea of anything cramping their lifestyle. But because of the debate now raging around climate change, the timing may be right for densification initiatives that are predicated on the need to reduce our “ecological footprint.”

Alternative treatments give addicts a chance

Posted inIn the News

Maintenance programs for cocaine and heroin users isn’t so different than giving meth to hyper-active children

Source: Vancouver Sun
Editorial Page, Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan’s plan to set up an alternative drug-treatment plan for 700 cocaine and crystal methamphetamine addicts might never come to fruition, but it’s something that should be seriously considered.
The plan might not see the light of day because the federal government has made it clear that it opposes any treatment or harm reduction programs that involve providing addicts with drugs. Last year, for example, the Conservatives refused to extend the life of the supervised injection site for another 31/2 years, despite the recommendations of scientists and Health Canada bureaucrats.

Mayor Sullivan backs substitution treatment

Posted inIn the News

Mayor Sam Sullivan is playing a leadership role in the formation of a group that is seeking a Health Canada exemption to allow ‘substitution treatment’ for people with chronic addictions. The exemption would allow doctors to prescribe legally available oral medications as substitutes for addictive illegal drugs.

Mayor Sullivan says the eventual goal of this form of treatment is to get people off drugs. “Prescribing legally available medications provides people an opportunity to regain stability in their lives and ultimately a path to abstinence,” he said. “Recognizing that drug addiction is one of the root causes of property crime and public disorder, I believe that this new approach will also help to reduce harm to the community.”

Mayor applauds $2 million in federal funding for Stanley Park

Posted inIn the News

Urges Council to issue formal thank you to Park donors

Mayor Sam Sullivan was joined by Park Board Chair Ian Robertson today to accept a cheque for $2 million from the Government of Canada for the restoration of Stanley Park.

The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, and the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, made the announcement of federal funding at Prospect Point in Stanley Park, their second visit in recent weeks. The Honourable Barry Penner, British Columbia’s Minister of the Environment, was also on hand for the presentation.

Happy New Year

Posted inSam's Blog

In the first Council meeting of 2007, I took the opportunity to give a State of the City address outlining my goals and priorities for 2007 as your Mayor. The State of the City is a tradition that was observed by previous Mayors, but has not been practiced in recent years. I felt it was important to use the coming of the New Year to update the citizens of Vancouver on my activities and to outline how I intend to work with our Council towards a better Vancouver in 2007.

In order to address some of the key challenges Vancouver faces, I have asked Council to join me in working towards Five Goals for a Better Vancouver:

  • Ensure civility on our streets and developing compassionate and long-term solutions to our City’s most challenging social issues;
  • Become a world leader in environmental practices and sustainable transportation;
  • Develop the strongest local and regional economy in Canada;
  • Make Vancouver a premiere destination for the support and celebration of arts and culture; and,
  • Ensure that Vancouver is the most accessible and accountable City in the country.

Mayor backs green cabs

Posted inIn the News

Sullivan said he favours licences for taxis that use alternate fuels

Mayor Sam Sullivan added Tuesday to the cascade of green initiatives into which Canadian politicians have been throwing themselves recently.
He announced he will support new city taxi licences only for vehicles that use alternate energy sources, and that he has invited former U.S. vice-president Al Gore to the city to learn more about Sullivan’s EcoDensity initiative.

Ottawa boosts accessible taxi licences after Vancouver mayor’s complaint

Posted inIn the News

From CBC News
Ottawa city council decided Monday to increase the number of wheelchair-accessible taxi licences following a complaint from Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan.
During a visit to Ottawa in December, Sullivan, who is a quadriplegic, waited so long for one of Ottawa’s 25 accessible taxis that he had to cancel an activity — an incident that Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien brought up at city council Monday.
But the problem goes far beyond Sullivan’s complaint, city spokeswoman Linda Anderson told CBC News Online Tuesday.
“The mayor of Vancouver is not the only person who has found that, especially late at night, that they’re not able to get an accessible taxicab,” she said, adding that city staff worry wheelchair users may take a taxi to go out in the evening and then have trouble getting home again.

Mayor Sullivan outlines Five Goals for a Better Vancouver

Posted inIn the News

On January 16th, Mayor Sam Sullivan delivered his first State of the City address during the first Council meeting of 2007, reviving a New Years tradition in which Vancouver Mayors make a formal speech on the priorities of the year ahead.

Focusing on Five Goals for a Better Vancouver, Mayor Sullivan urged Council to work together to provide leadership in addressing some of the most difficult challenges our City faces. Noting that Vancouver is “emerging on the world stage as a City of the Future,” Mayor Sullivan outlined several initiatives he intends to undertake this year.