In the News

Byline: Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun

Some of the last vestiges of Vancouver’s industrial history along False Creek will give way today to the opening of a new 600-metre seawall in front of the Olympic village.
For decades False Creek was part of an industrial district that featured heavy-metal industries, shipbuilders and even a barrel-maker.
Over the years, as condominium developments have moved in, much of the creek’s waterfront has been redeveloped to incorporate a seawall walkway that links the city’s west side with Stanley Park.
But until the Olympic village at the southeast end of the creek was created, pedestrians had to contend with traversing through an industrial wasteland between Cambie Bridge and Science World.

  Paralympic Torch route, courtesy Vancouver Sun
Click for larger version

Flame will cross Cambie Bridge, past B.C. Place, before heading to Chinatown
by Gary Kingston
Personal principle might have kept him out of Beijing if he was still competing, but Walter Wu says respect for the Paralympic movement means he’d love to carry the 2008 Games torch during its four-kilometre relay route in Vancouver on Aug. 29.
Wu, the son of Chinese immigrants, is one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympians, having won 14 medals, including eight gold, at three Games as a visually impaired swimmer.
“It would be great to be asked to do something like that,” the Richmond native said of carrying the torch. “I had a couple of friends who did the Petro-Canada [Olympic torch relay] in 1988 and they told me it was a great thrill and experience. I’d love to be able to do this.”

To mark the conclusion of the second annual Vancouver Creative City Conference at the Playhouse Theatre, Mayor Sam Sullivan will release a “to do list” of arts & culture initiatives over the next 30-45 days. It includes:

• approve funding for community celebrations – including annual Pride Parade, Celtic Fest, Chinese New Years Parade, Vaisakhi and Canada Day Fireworks
• promote Vancouver arts & culture on Board of Trade mission to Hong Kong
• support the campaign to keep the CBC Radio orchestra in Vancouver
• encourage Vancouver’s participation in Quebec’s 400th anniversary celebration
• introduce measures the City of Vancouver can support to make 2009 Juno Awards the best ever
• unveil details of first annual Mayor’s Arts Awards
• get final cultural tourism plan to Council for review and vote by end of July
• institute street closures to restore public order to downtown entertainment district
• work to further increase number of taxi licenses by end of 2008
• resume construction on Queen Elizabeth Theatre improvements

The Creative City Conversation is taking place throughout the day today and focused on four items that will help shape a Cultural Tourism Plan that Council can review and approve this summer:

• Facilities Review – including recommendations on how to convert boarded-up buildings to art studio space for students
• Public Art Reviews – including how to leverage over $1 million from Olympic Celebration Fund
• Multi-Year Grants – focused on how to provide increased certainty for community organizations
• Cultural Tourism Strategy – review best ways to allocate and leverage $1.5 million Cultural Tourism Fund and 2010 initiatives

Our community supports it. Former opponents now support it. Insite is proving it works.

You have all read about international surveys ranking Vancouver as one of the best places in the world to live, work and visit.

But for every one of those, you will also read about the social challenges of homelessness, drug addiction and mental health facing our city.

Recently, these issues have been raised in the context of the debate around Vancouver’s supervised injection site (Insite) – the only one in North America.

Some opponents have described Insite as a big party with free drugs. As Mayor, I see it more like a palliative care facility.

Despite apparent reservations about the future of Insite, Prime Minister Harper and his government deserve credit for significant federal investments in drug treatment, prevention and mental health. Over $30 million will be allocated to Vancouver priorities thanks to these recent announcements.

These initiatives – combined with the BC government’s leadership on social housing – have led to a renewed sense of hope that collaboration between all levels of government is a reality and a critical part of the solution for Vancouver.