Earth Hour: Tonight at 8pm

Posted inIn the News

On Friday Mayor Sam Sullivan signed the following proclamation in support of Earth Hour (pdf). The City of Vancouver lists the actions they are taking in recognition of Earth Hour. The list includes:

  • shutting down interior and exterior lights in City Hall, the East Wing and the VanCity Building – except for emergency lights
  • shutting off decorative up-lighting under Burrard and Cambie Bridges Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings
  • turning off lighting for the Olympic Flag and the City Hall clock

Your pledges for Earth Hour

Top seven things Vancouverite pledge to do to take action on climate change (taken from our {4 One Earth I Will} city-wide photo outreach):

  1. Escape the car (“I will ride my bike once a week to work”)
  2. Shut it off (“I will turn off my computer at night”, “I will pull the plug”)
  3. Go local (“I will buy local”)
  4. Eat less meat (“I will not eat gaseous cows”)
  5. Share the word (“I will hunt you down if you don’t go green”)
  6. Go simpl(er) (“I will consume less”)
  7. Reduce water use (“I will put a brick in my toilet”)

Check out all the photos of Vancouverites who made the climate change pledge.

Mayor supports budget proposal for Community Policing Centres

Posted inIn the News

Mayor Sam Sullivan today confirmed his support for a city budget proposal to invest $979,900 for Community Policing Centres (CPCs) across the Vancouver in 2008. This plan provides for a funding increase and extends the current CPC service agreement for one year.

“Community policing centres play a vital role in helping to keep our neighbourhoods safe,” said Mayor Sullivan. “It has been an honour for meet to meet and visit with many of the staff and volunteers of various community policing centres across the city. We are very proud to support this work and I hope our colleagues on Council will support this budget recommendation.”

Vancouver Wins Bid to Host 2013 Canadian Conference of Municipal Leaders

Posted inIn the News

Mayor Sam Sullivan and Councillor Suzanne Anton today announced that Vancouver has been selected to host the 2013 Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual General Meeting and Municipal Expo.

“The FCM’s annual meeting is an excellent opportunity for municipal leaders from across Canada to learn from each other and share ideas,” said Mayor Sullivan. “I want to thank the FCM for choosing Vancouver in 2013. In addition to supporting our local economy, the conference will be an opportunity to showcase Vancouver’s success.”

Final Results of UBC Transit Line Survey Released

Posted inIn the News

Respondents favour a tunnel, and want the City to help protect businesses & residents along the route during construction
survey chart question 10

The final results are now available of an on-line survey (PDF) of local residents and businesses regarding the completion of the Millennium Rapid Transit Line to central Broadway and UBC.

I want to thank everyone who took time from their busy schedules to complete the survey and give us their ideas. The public consultation process we have initiated in partnership with the City of Vancouver and Translink will give residents, businesses and community organizations the opportunity to help shape the future of their communities for generations to come.

Two Year Countdown to 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Begins: Progress Report on Venue Construction

Posted inIn the News

$1.7 million investment for playing fields at Andy Livingstone Park will help promote healthy living & fitness legacy of Games: Sullivan

Mayor Sam Sullivan and Park Board Chair Korina Houghton today welcomed the two-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games beginning this week in Vancouver and Whistler. The Olympic Winter Games will take place February 12-28, 2010.

The Paralympic Winter Games are scheduled for March 12-21, 2010.To mark the countdown, Mayor Sullivan and Park Board Chair Houghton provided an update on local venue construction and confirmed their plans to support a $1.7 million investment for playing fields at Andy Livingstone Park to help promote a healthy living and fitness legacy for 2010.

“There is a growing awareness around the world that no city has been as prepared as Vancouver to host a Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Mayor Sullivan. “And as good as the Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be for Vancouver – we will be good for Games. Our city is uniting for that common cause.”

Ottawa Citizen: “Gunning for easy answers”

Posted inIn the News

Courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen
A mayor, reacting to killings on his city’s streets, can choose to adopt one of two attitudes. There’s the path of outrage and the simple idea; or there’s the more difficult path of circumspection and wisdom.
Toronto Mayor David Miller has chosen to take the first course, over and over again. Whenever someone is shot in Toronto, Mr. Miller expresses outrage, and demands that the federal government ban handguns. Every crime, to him, comes down to the same cause. Every story is the same story.
When bystander Hou Chang Mao was shot and killed this month, Mr. Miller said publicly, “The reason I keep going back to the guns is because these tragedies happen simply because of the easy availability of handguns. That’s what causes this.”
There’s no doubting the sincerity of his grief and anger. Indeed, outrage is an appropriate response when people kill, especially when they kill people they’ve never met out of indifference to human life. But outrage isn’t a solution. It’s an emotion that leads people to assign blame, as quickly and loudly as possible. Outraged people need rallying cries, and rallying cries must be short and simple.