Mount Pleasant community members continue to participate with the City of Vancouver community planning initiatives. The most recent Social Coordinating Group meeting hosted a large turnout to address social issues within the community. With the large turnout, even splitting out into groups to address key areas of neighbourhood (and Vancouver) social issues, there were good numbers present and participating to offer a strong voice representative of a diverse community.
In attendance and participating brought a blend of history upon the neighbourhood's issues, growth, politics, and more. Equally, the items tabled added more fodder for the trough. The task? To have each participant place 3 x's alongside a proposed line-item - proposed, as in explored further - that was a practical, actionable priority that could be sustainable once the City is no longer directly involved.
As diverse a community as we are, we are still one community. The traditional strategy to address social issues appears to target special groups. Whether it is for youth, seniors, immigrants, panhandler, or low-income, our problems still resonate, have commonalities. Rather than continue to segregate, re-integrate. Allow the community to discover one another, be exposed and finding opportunities to work and volunteer alongside one another, and our issues can become the shared burden they have always meant to be in any civilized society.
People live, work, and play, and business provides goods, services, and earnings. Taxes are collected, programs are implemented, and the more demanding the public gets, the more strained the public-coffers, the more adept the politically savvy, and the more unwisely spent go our public dollars. A real cohesive community with a solid infrastructure of systems in place, a residents association with appropriate sub-committee's for special interest, and the more benefits a community can enjoy.
Prior experience, other municipal examples, all demonstrate the power of the everyday common citizen and business that contributes to community. LiveInMountPleasant.com places this platform, this website and community portal at the disposal of the Mount Pleasant Vancouver East community. We also like to acknowledge Rick Stonehouse, Real Estate Advisor, whose generous sponsorship has made this possible.
The Community Discussion Forum can be a profound vehicle of impact, enabling participants to Register a User Account and to begin engaging in conversations, connecting people to opportunity, and creating it where there is none. Contact the Community Relations Director for the LiveInMountPleasant.com project here.
Divide and conquer is actually what is happening and will continue if left as is: One Voice, One Community, One People. All multicultural arguments belong in the same solution outlined here. Wherever we see these good things exist, despite the odds, these are people building community. Embrace each other.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Mount Pleasant and City of Vancouver Work Together
Tuesday evening the Native Education Centre hosted the City of Vancouver Mount Pleasant Planning Group Open House. The Centre offers a nice cozy atmosphere, a fireplace to gather around, and the individuals involved in moving the project forward - city employees, consultants, and volunteers - put on a tremendous display covering all areas of concern for our neighbours.
Civic Planning determines construction and real estate development, transportation infrastructure, and so much more. Heritage is a strong and visible presence in the architecture - not only of the physical houses, but also of some neighbourhood aesthetics as well. The redefinition, exploration, and updating of the register, along with creating new forward-thinking policy that encompasses other areas of historical, cultural, arts, and possibly other areas of significance.
Social Programs are also key to a city such as Vancouver. With a diverse history, a rough history, being a port city and a city that has long been considered a transient population - it's always moving. This has left much decay, and brought to bear influences that have corrupted many spirits as they struggle with their demons. Correcting the cause and effect that leads to these tragedies is challenging to city resources, and a detriment to our communities and neighbourhoods. To ignore it would be our peril. The Social Action group requires involvement and support to bring about empowering change.
Donald Luxton & Associates have worked long and strenuous hours with reams of paper, research, interviews, and writing. The Mount Pleasant Heritage Working Group is benefiting from the wealth of history compiled, and the expertise and dedication to preserving, enhancing, and planning for Heritage Strategies.
Civic Planning determines construction and real estate development, transportation infrastructure, and so much more. Heritage is a strong and visible presence in the architecture - not only of the physical houses, but also of some neighbourhood aesthetics as well. The redefinition, exploration, and updating of the register, along with creating new forward-thinking policy that encompasses other areas of historical, cultural, arts, and possibly other areas of significance.
Social Programs are also key to a city such as Vancouver. With a diverse history, a rough history, being a port city and a city that has long been considered a transient population - it's always moving. This has left much decay, and brought to bear influences that have corrupted many spirits as they struggle with their demons. Correcting the cause and effect that leads to these tragedies is challenging to city resources, and a detriment to our communities and neighbourhoods. To ignore it would be our peril. The Social Action group requires involvement and support to bring about empowering change.
Donald Luxton & Associates have worked long and strenuous hours with reams of paper, research, interviews, and writing. The Mount Pleasant Heritage Working Group is benefiting from the wealth of history compiled, and the expertise and dedication to preserving, enhancing, and planning for Heritage Strategies.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Mount Pleasant | The City of Vancouver | Planning Our Future
The City of Vancouver has launched a number of initiatives aimed toward creating a better future for everyone in Vancouver. Most likely it is the presence of City Hall in Mount Pleasant that has Mount Pleasant as the Vancouver guinea pig with these collaborative steps with the Mount Pleasant community.
The City of Vancouver Mount Pleasant Community Planning Group has established the Mount Pleasant Community Liaison Group which meets regularly to share information about the various working groups and the progress being made, as well as issues and concerns of the local community.
Other Working Groups include the Mount Pleasant Heritage Working Group, and the Social Coordinating Group. The Heritage Working Group is in active discussion with the City of Vancouver over what constitutes Heritage, and the Mount Pleasant community is the framework from which tangible conversation stems. Rather than focusing solely upon physical structures and architecture, the conversations expand to include history of culture, the evolution and heritage of the working class neighbourhood, and the gathering places both current and of old, to name a few.
Angelo Ko from the City of Vancouver's Mount Pleasant Community Planning Program informs us that Local Historian and Author, Bruce Macdonald is leading a Walking Tour of Mount Pleasant organized by Proximity Arts on Sunday, February 10 and Saturday, February 16 at 2 p.m. For details of the tour and registration, please visit www.proximityarts.com. If you have any questions, please send email to info(at)proximityarts.com.
The Social Coordinating Group is focusing their efforts on Social Action to address the issues of homelessness, drug addiction, the four pillars program, harm reduction, and involving community members and organizations in creating, developing, and implementing successful strategies.
While no system is perfect, and this effort may seem fraught with errors or seem in vain at times, it is the slow wheels of change that drive progress and always have. Our voices matter now more than ever as we reach forward to an uncertain future, in particular according to many experts, including Vancouver's own Dr. David Suzuki. These warning signals are the catalyst for the City of Vancouver's launch of EcoDensity: A strategy of significant proportion that a municipality can implement to reduce the municipal ecological footprint.
More can be found in the discussion forums related to these various topics, and a variety of links to various participating sources. Lend your voice here online, or at the meetings. It's time we got involved.
The City of Vancouver Mount Pleasant Community Planning Group has established the Mount Pleasant Community Liaison Group which meets regularly to share information about the various working groups and the progress being made, as well as issues and concerns of the local community.
Other Working Groups include the Mount Pleasant Heritage Working Group, and the Social Coordinating Group. The Heritage Working Group is in active discussion with the City of Vancouver over what constitutes Heritage, and the Mount Pleasant community is the framework from which tangible conversation stems. Rather than focusing solely upon physical structures and architecture, the conversations expand to include history of culture, the evolution and heritage of the working class neighbourhood, and the gathering places both current and of old, to name a few.
Angelo Ko from the City of Vancouver's Mount Pleasant Community Planning Program informs us that Local Historian and Author, Bruce Macdonald is leading a Walking Tour of Mount Pleasant organized by Proximity Arts on Sunday, February 10 and Saturday, February 16 at 2 p.m. For details of the tour and registration, please visit www.proximityarts.com. If you have any questions, please send email to info(at)proximityarts.com.
The Social Coordinating Group is focusing their efforts on Social Action to address the issues of homelessness, drug addiction, the four pillars program, harm reduction, and involving community members and organizations in creating, developing, and implementing successful strategies.
While no system is perfect, and this effort may seem fraught with errors or seem in vain at times, it is the slow wheels of change that drive progress and always have. Our voices matter now more than ever as we reach forward to an uncertain future, in particular according to many experts, including Vancouver's own Dr. David Suzuki. These warning signals are the catalyst for the City of Vancouver's launch of EcoDensity: A strategy of significant proportion that a municipality can implement to reduce the municipal ecological footprint.
More can be found in the discussion forums related to these various topics, and a variety of links to various participating sources. Lend your voice here online, or at the meetings. It's time we got involved.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Mount Pleasant Active Citizens
Mount Pleasant Vancouver continues to show itself to be a hot-bed of actively involved citizens. From seniors living at the Cavell Gardens, to other residents renting, owning, living and working in and around the Mount Pleasant community, many are involved in various ways to promote, educate, and create a better future for all who live, work, and enjoy Mount Pleasant.
Cavell Gardens General Manager, Marjorie Bungay, hosts and administrates one very active senior living centre. Cavell Gardens is committed to providing today's seniors with a lifestyle choice that gives them the freedom and independence they seek through a variety of amenities and services in a secure, affordable residential setting. Cavell Gardens not only delivers this committment, they have also encouraged active and involved lifestyles.
The Cavell Voices is a residential newsletter contributed to by both staff and residents. With a wealth of historical and personal knowledge and experience, a number of the more vocal and creative residents contribute fantastic stories, informative stories, and other useful general information. The LivingInMountPleasant.com team is grateful for their active participation in sharing the history of Mount Pleasant, and for the active involvement of a few members in the Mount Pleasant Heritage WorkGroup and City of Vancouver Planning.
If you are interested in Cavell Gardens for your aging lifestyle, visit Cavell Gardens website (best viewed via Internet Explorer) for more information. If you are interested in volunteering with the seniors, contact Cavell Gardens directly to determine fit and opportunity.
Cavell Gardens General Manager, Marjorie Bungay, hosts and administrates one very active senior living centre. Cavell Gardens is committed to providing today's seniors with a lifestyle choice that gives them the freedom and independence they seek through a variety of amenities and services in a secure, affordable residential setting. Cavell Gardens not only delivers this committment, they have also encouraged active and involved lifestyles.
The Cavell Voices is a residential newsletter contributed to by both staff and residents. With a wealth of historical and personal knowledge and experience, a number of the more vocal and creative residents contribute fantastic stories, informative stories, and other useful general information. The LivingInMountPleasant.com team is grateful for their active participation in sharing the history of Mount Pleasant, and for the active involvement of a few members in the Mount Pleasant Heritage WorkGroup and City of Vancouver Planning.
If you are interested in Cavell Gardens for your aging lifestyle, visit Cavell Gardens website (best viewed via Internet Explorer) for more information. If you are interested in volunteering with the seniors, contact Cavell Gardens directly to determine fit and opportunity.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Valerie Arntzen, Assemblage Artist, Vancouver
Not many people in mainstream society would be familiar with the term Assemblage Art. A visit with Assemblage Artist, Valerie Arntzen, in Vancouver's Eastside Strathcona neighbourhood would astonish, astound, and amaze as found objects, odds and ends collected over the years, are assembled with a themed three-dimensional artistic composition. Arntzen's journey to this point in her career as an artist, and Executive Director of Vancouver's Eastside Culture Crawl for more than a decade, demonstrates how naturally this form of artistic expression is to her.
Arntzen's natural talents for pieces, objects, and creating found her pursuing an education and career behind the scenes in film and theatre productions. Attending school in Los Angeles in 1985 to study theatre, Valerie Arntzen was hired by the school upon completion. Working on everything from wigs, make-up, costumes, sets, and props, she also worked for other production companies as well. Growing tired of the LA life, and missing family and friends in (read more...)
Monday, December 24, 2007
We Wish You a Merry Christmas!
Christmas Eve and all through the city, the shoppers they bustle and hustle from mall to mall, with motorists tooting and hooting with fumes of ire.
It is a great season for fun, family, friends, and celebration. Preparation has been fun, catching up, sharing good cheer, buying gifts for those we love, and the rare moments in between when we get to sit down and relax, reflecting on the wonderful moments of the season. Time passes quickly, and the team here at StrataXL and LiveIn wish you a happy, safe, and joyous festive season.
Make the moments and memories count. Give and love easily, quickly, and freely. Soak up the Joy!
Happy Holidays Mount Pleasant Vancouver, Strathcona Vancouver, and Commercial Drive!
On a sad note, I know there are some adults and children alike who are fighting this nasty flu bug that is making its' rounds. Eat well, keep hydrated, and rest. We will celebrate together and wish everyone speedy recoveries and happy moments with loved ones.
Who are you going to call that may be spending Christmas alone?
It is a great season for fun, family, friends, and celebration. Preparation has been fun, catching up, sharing good cheer, buying gifts for those we love, and the rare moments in between when we get to sit down and relax, reflecting on the wonderful moments of the season. Time passes quickly, and the team here at StrataXL and LiveIn wish you a happy, safe, and joyous festive season.
Make the moments and memories count. Give and love easily, quickly, and freely. Soak up the Joy!
Happy Holidays Mount Pleasant Vancouver, Strathcona Vancouver, and Commercial Drive!
On a sad note, I know there are some adults and children alike who are fighting this nasty flu bug that is making its' rounds. Eat well, keep hydrated, and rest. We will celebrate together and wish everyone speedy recoveries and happy moments with loved ones.
Who are you going to call that may be spending Christmas alone?
Monday, December 3, 2007
Fighting For Transit, Highways, and Transportation Planning
Visiting our dear neighbourhood Benny's this afternoon to buy some lunch, I saw on the counter the flyer "Keep Translink Public" at the cash. Sometimes, life buries me and I don't hear all of the issues, and this is one I've missed.
Transportation Minister, Kevin Falcon, introduced Bill 43 October 23, 2007, and spoke about it the next day stating, "the amendments that are contained in Bill 43 will restore public confidence and accountability in TransLink."
NDP transportation critic, Maurine Karagianis, on the other hand says this is "the most insidious piece of legislation." She goes on to elaborate: "With the creation of this new TransLink board, they are giving a group of business appointees powers equal to a municipality: the power to increase property taxes, the power to reclassify business tax for the purpose of taxation, and they are giving them the power to land-bank. Certainly, privatization will be a huge component of this. You mark my words: if this board has no impediments to being put in place, they are going to look at privatizing SkyTrain and everything else that is built in future in the Lower Mainland."
These are some pretty heady statements and concerns. Balanced perspective often seems to be missing as we encounter these viewpoints that are being shared. On the one hand, any local transit rider acknowledges that there exist a large number of short-comings with the transportation systems, networks, and services available in the Lower Mainland. Whether you live in the depths of the city and want to see less impact from outlying commuters, or you're a commuter wishing for better and consistent levels of service and costs.
Any individual with a private and personal agenda wishes for their side to win. Looking at all the different groups supporting different initiatives below give a clear example of how we create our own divisions. However, we are a city, a society, a community, and the problems we face today were not dealt with historically with a view to the future needs of Vancouver. Here we are today trying to resolve many of them; let's not create more.
A real distrust exists toward business, and I'd be a first to suggest controls and monitoring be in place for accountabilities sake. Any businessman and entrepreneur acknowledges and recognizes the benefits they have experienced through creating relationships of accountability that helped them grow, manage, and navigate business successfully. So why not the transit system?
Where we are so concerned about the people losing their say, I wondered suddenly as I was about to jump on the bandwagon, how much say have we had so far with elected officials? Politicians make promises every six ways to Sunday in order to get elected. Can I trust them any more than a businessman?
As I pondered this I realized that the businessman has a lot more at stake. Planning transit decisions effectively must take into consideration a great deal of factors. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made that are less than popular. Lets face it, change and progress won't happen without some fallout that will displease some. The overall aim is to minimize that fallout and bring about the most positive impact and long-lasting change possible for the largest number of people - today's and tomorrow's.
Can business do it better than a politician? When I consider who stands to gain more through promises, versus who has more to gain through better management, I'm thinking I would go with business on this one. How I want to cover my collective butt, however, is to adamantly ensure that this support must come with accountability and customer service to the community it's core value and mandate.
Unfortunately, the worst example of this truth is the way Bill 43 got pushed through. Due to a self-imposed deadline by the Ministry of Public Transportation, the Minister, Kevin Falcon successfully pushed the Bill through at the end of November without any public debate. This does not mean that the fight is over, nor that the public voice will go unheard. This is the time to ensure that this new body acquiesces, becomes, and is an accountable body the public they serve.
Make a Difference - Get Involved:
Keep Translink Public
Rail for the Valley
Revive the Interurban
500 Buses by 2010
Car-Free Neighbourhoods
References:
TransLink Out of Service But Democracy Rides On, The Livable Blog, November 30, 2007
Critics line up against neo-Translink Bill 43, Georgia Straight, November 15, 2007
New TransLink board seen as 'erosion of democracy', The Province, November 1, 2007
TransLink Legislation: Falcon power grab to end local control, CUPE BC, October 25, 2007
Transportation Minister, Kevin Falcon, introduced Bill 43 October 23, 2007, and spoke about it the next day stating, "the amendments that are contained in Bill 43 will restore public confidence and accountability in TransLink."
NDP transportation critic, Maurine Karagianis, on the other hand says this is "the most insidious piece of legislation." She goes on to elaborate: "With the creation of this new TransLink board, they are giving a group of business appointees powers equal to a municipality: the power to increase property taxes, the power to reclassify business tax for the purpose of taxation, and they are giving them the power to land-bank. Certainly, privatization will be a huge component of this. You mark my words: if this board has no impediments to being put in place, they are going to look at privatizing SkyTrain and everything else that is built in future in the Lower Mainland."
These are some pretty heady statements and concerns. Balanced perspective often seems to be missing as we encounter these viewpoints that are being shared. On the one hand, any local transit rider acknowledges that there exist a large number of short-comings with the transportation systems, networks, and services available in the Lower Mainland. Whether you live in the depths of the city and want to see less impact from outlying commuters, or you're a commuter wishing for better and consistent levels of service and costs.
Any individual with a private and personal agenda wishes for their side to win. Looking at all the different groups supporting different initiatives below give a clear example of how we create our own divisions. However, we are a city, a society, a community, and the problems we face today were not dealt with historically with a view to the future needs of Vancouver. Here we are today trying to resolve many of them; let's not create more.
A real distrust exists toward business, and I'd be a first to suggest controls and monitoring be in place for accountabilities sake. Any businessman and entrepreneur acknowledges and recognizes the benefits they have experienced through creating relationships of accountability that helped them grow, manage, and navigate business successfully. So why not the transit system?
Where we are so concerned about the people losing their say, I wondered suddenly as I was about to jump on the bandwagon, how much say have we had so far with elected officials? Politicians make promises every six ways to Sunday in order to get elected. Can I trust them any more than a businessman?
As I pondered this I realized that the businessman has a lot more at stake. Planning transit decisions effectively must take into consideration a great deal of factors. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made that are less than popular. Lets face it, change and progress won't happen without some fallout that will displease some. The overall aim is to minimize that fallout and bring about the most positive impact and long-lasting change possible for the largest number of people - today's and tomorrow's.
Can business do it better than a politician? When I consider who stands to gain more through promises, versus who has more to gain through better management, I'm thinking I would go with business on this one. How I want to cover my collective butt, however, is to adamantly ensure that this support must come with accountability and customer service to the community it's core value and mandate.
Unfortunately, the worst example of this truth is the way Bill 43 got pushed through. Due to a self-imposed deadline by the Ministry of Public Transportation, the Minister, Kevin Falcon successfully pushed the Bill through at the end of November without any public debate. This does not mean that the fight is over, nor that the public voice will go unheard. This is the time to ensure that this new body acquiesces, becomes, and is an accountable body the public they serve.
Make a Difference - Get Involved:
Keep Translink Public
Rail for the Valley
Revive the Interurban
500 Buses by 2010
Car-Free Neighbourhoods
References:
TransLink Out of Service But Democracy Rides On, The Livable Blog, November 30, 2007
Critics line up against neo-Translink Bill 43, Georgia Straight, November 15, 2007
New TransLink board seen as 'erosion of democracy', The Province, November 1, 2007
TransLink Legislation: Falcon power grab to end local control, CUPE BC, October 25, 2007
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