Vision Vancouver
Encyclopedia
Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council
in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.
members first elected to Vancouver city council in 2002. Following that election, Mayor
Larry Campbell
and Councillors Jim Green , Raymond Louie
and Tim Stevenson
were soon dubbed "COPE Light" by the local media due to their moderate positions on taxation and development, as opposed to the more leftist "COPE Classic" Councillors.
Ongoing disagreements between the two factions led to Campbell and his allies forming an independent COPE caucus in December 2004. At the same time, supporters of Campbell and his allies created a fundraising organization independent of COPE called "Friends of Larry Campbell".
This group and its backers eventually formed a new party called "Vision Vancouver", initially to be led by Campbell. However, when Campbell announced that he would not seek a second term as Mayor, he called on Jim Green to run to succeed him. The party decided in August 2005 to run only five of a possible ten Council candidates and did not contest school board and park board slate elections.
In the election for Vancouver City Council held in November 2005, four Vision Vancouver candidates (Raymond Louie
, Tim Stevenson
, Heather Deal
and George Chow
) were elected, but the party's mayoral candidate, Jim Green, was defeated by the NPA
's Sam Sullivan
. Six members of the NPA were elected along with one for COPE.
, Vision was seen as a serious contender for control of the city due to the perceived unpopularity of the Sam Sullivan
Non-Partisan Association
(NPA) team. On Father's Day
, June 2008 Vision held an election to nominate their mayoral candidate. The choices were Gregor Robertson
(a local 'Green' businessman, owner of the Happy Planet
juice company and a New Democratic Party Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Vancouver-Fairview
), Raymond Louie
(serving Vision city councillor), and Allan De Genova
(Independent Vancouver Park Board
Commissioner who defected from the NPA because of his dislike of Sam Sullivan
's leadership). The original dynamic for this contest was changed when the NPA voted to replace as their mayoral candidate incumbent Sam Sullivan
with longtime Councillor and businessman (editor of Business in Vancouver newspaper) Peter Ladner. Gregor Robertson was nominated to be the Vision candidate for mayor in 2008 despite his perceived similarity to the main rival NPA's candidate. The turnout for this contest was very high and many new members joined the party for this reason.
Under the direction of mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson, Vision Vancouver responded to COPE's requests (dating back to a change in leadership at COPE in May, 2007) to negotiate an electoral coalition with COPE and the Vancouver Green Party (who ran joint slates with COPE in previous years). Vision Vancouver, COPE and the Greens agreed to support Gregor Robertson as mayor, run uncompeting slates and coordinate other elements of the election. The new Vision party attracted many potential nominees for City, Park and School Board positions.
On November 15, 2008, Gregor Robertson was elected Mayor of Vancouver. The Vision–COPE–Green coalition came to power. The only Vision Vancouver candidate not to be elected was Kashmir Dhalliwal. The following is a list of all successful candidates:
Council:
Park Board:
Vision Vancouver's Executive currently consists of 11 members:
Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.
Formation
As centre-left civic party, Vision was founded by former COPECoalition of Progressive Electors
The Coalition of Progressive Electors is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia.-Origins:...
members first elected to Vancouver city council in 2002. Following that election, Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Larry Campbell
Larry Campbell
Larry W. Campbell was the 37th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently a member of the Canadian Senate. Starting in 1969 Campbell worked for the RCMP in Vancouver and then in 1973 as a member of the Drug Squad...
and Councillors Jim Green , Raymond Louie
Raymond Louie
Raymond Louie is a three term Vancouver City Councillor and a former school Trustee. Formerly a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors civic party, Louie broke away and was re-elected in 2005, and again in 2008, as a member of Vision Vancouver.-Background:Born and raised in East Vancouver,...
and Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson is a Canadian politician and United Church clergyman. He is currently an elected member of the Vancouver City Council as a member of Vision Vancouver. He is one of two openly gay city councilors in Vancouver, along with Ellen Woodsworth.-Background:He received a B.A...
were soon dubbed "COPE Light" by the local media due to their moderate positions on taxation and development, as opposed to the more leftist "COPE Classic" Councillors.
Ongoing disagreements between the two factions led to Campbell and his allies forming an independent COPE caucus in December 2004. At the same time, supporters of Campbell and his allies created a fundraising organization independent of COPE called "Friends of Larry Campbell".
This group and its backers eventually formed a new party called "Vision Vancouver", initially to be led by Campbell. However, when Campbell announced that he would not seek a second term as Mayor, he called on Jim Green to run to succeed him. The party decided in August 2005 to run only five of a possible ten Council candidates and did not contest school board and park board slate elections.
In the election for Vancouver City Council held in November 2005, four Vision Vancouver candidates (Raymond Louie
Raymond Louie
Raymond Louie is a three term Vancouver City Councillor and a former school Trustee. Formerly a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors civic party, Louie broke away and was re-elected in 2005, and again in 2008, as a member of Vision Vancouver.-Background:Born and raised in East Vancouver,...
, Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson is a Canadian politician and United Church clergyman. He is currently an elected member of the Vancouver City Council as a member of Vision Vancouver. He is one of two openly gay city councilors in Vancouver, along with Ellen Woodsworth.-Background:He received a B.A...
, Heather Deal
Heather Deal
Heather Deal is a professional biologist and Vancouver city councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008. She served as a Vancouver parks board trustee for the 2002 to 2005 term as a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors.Heather was born in England and...
and George Chow
George Chow
George Chow is a two-term Vancouver City Councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008. Prior to being elected Chow worked at BC Hydro for over 30 years, where he currently works part time.-Background:...
) were elected, but the party's mayoral candidate, Jim Green, was defeated by the NPA
Non-Partisan Association
The Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
's Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
. Six members of the NPA were elected along with one for COPE.
Current status
For the November 2008 electionVancouver municipal election, 2008
The 2008 Vancouver municipal election was held on November 15, 2008, filling seats on the Vancouver School Board, the Parks Board, the Vancouver City Council, and the position of Mayor of Vancouver. It was held at the same time as municipal elections throughout the province...
, Vision was seen as a serious contender for control of the city due to the perceived unpopularity of the Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
Non-Partisan Association
Non-Partisan Association
The Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
(NPA) team. On Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
, June 2008 Vision held an election to nominate their mayoral candidate. The choices were Gregor Robertson
Gregor Robertson (politician)
Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson is a Canadian politician who has been the 39th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2008. He was elected as part of the Vision Vancouver party slate...
(a local 'Green' businessman, owner of the Happy Planet
Happy Planet
Happy Planet is a private company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, known for making organic juices and smoothies. The company was started in 1994 by Randal Ius and Gregor Robertson. They originally started out with one farm producing carrot juice. At first the company supplied primarily...
juice company and a New Democratic Party Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
for Vancouver-Fairview
Vancouver-Fairview
Vancouver-Fairview is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :-MLAs:#Gary Farrell-Collins, Liberal #Gregor Robertson, NDP #Jenn McGinn, NDP...
), Raymond Louie
Raymond Louie
Raymond Louie is a three term Vancouver City Councillor and a former school Trustee. Formerly a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors civic party, Louie broke away and was re-elected in 2005, and again in 2008, as a member of Vision Vancouver.-Background:Born and raised in East Vancouver,...
(serving Vision city councillor), and Allan De Genova
Allan De Genova
Allan "Al" De Genova was a five-term Park Board Commissioner for the City of Vancouver, British Columbia. He was first elected in 1993, and subsequently re-elected in 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2005. He was a candidate for the Vision Vancouver Mayoral Nomination in 2008 and was defeated by Gregor...
(Independent Vancouver Park Board
Vancouver Park Board
The Vancouver Park Board is an elected board with exclusive possession, jurisdiction and control over public parks in the City of Vancouver. Established by section 485 of the Vancouver Charter, the Park Board , is one of the only elected bodies of its kind in Canada...
Commissioner who defected from the NPA because of his dislike of Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
's leadership). The original dynamic for this contest was changed when the NPA voted to replace as their mayoral candidate incumbent Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
with longtime Councillor and businessman (editor of Business in Vancouver newspaper) Peter Ladner. Gregor Robertson was nominated to be the Vision candidate for mayor in 2008 despite his perceived similarity to the main rival NPA's candidate. The turnout for this contest was very high and many new members joined the party for this reason.
Under the direction of mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson, Vision Vancouver responded to COPE's requests (dating back to a change in leadership at COPE in May, 2007) to negotiate an electoral coalition with COPE and the Vancouver Green Party (who ran joint slates with COPE in previous years). Vision Vancouver, COPE and the Greens agreed to support Gregor Robertson as mayor, run uncompeting slates and coordinate other elements of the election. The new Vision party attracted many potential nominees for City, Park and School Board positions.
On November 15, 2008, Gregor Robertson was elected Mayor of Vancouver. The Vision–COPE–Green coalition came to power. The only Vision Vancouver candidate not to be elected was Kashmir Dhalliwal. The following is a list of all successful candidates:
Council:
- Gregor RobertsonGregor Robertson (politician)Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson is a Canadian politician who has been the 39th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2008. He was elected as part of the Vision Vancouver party slate...
(Mayor) - Heather DealHeather DealHeather Deal is a professional biologist and Vancouver city councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008. She served as a Vancouver parks board trustee for the 2002 to 2005 term as a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors.Heather was born in England and...
(incumbent) - Tim StevensonTim StevensonTim Stevenson is a Canadian politician and United Church clergyman. He is currently an elected member of the Vancouver City Council as a member of Vision Vancouver. He is one of two openly gay city councilors in Vancouver, along with Ellen Woodsworth.-Background:He received a B.A...
(incumbent) - Raymond LouieRaymond LouieRaymond Louie is a three term Vancouver City Councillor and a former school Trustee. Formerly a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors civic party, Louie broke away and was re-elected in 2005, and again in 2008, as a member of Vision Vancouver.-Background:Born and raised in East Vancouver,...
(incumbent) - George ChowGeorge ChowGeorge Chow is a two-term Vancouver City Councillor who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver party in 2005 and 2008. Prior to being elected Chow worked at BC Hydro for over 30 years, where he currently works part time.-Background:...
(incumbent) - Andrea ReimerAndrea ReimerAndrea Reimer is a Canadian politician, currently serving on Vancouver, British Columbia'sCity Council. She was first elected in 2002 to the Vancouver School Board as a Green Party candidate. She was defeated as a Green Party candidate in her re-election campaign in 2005 and then joined the Vision...
- Kerry JangKerry JangKerry Jang is a Canadian politician, currently serving on Vancouver, British Columbia's City Council. He currently serves as a Director of the Greater Vancouver Regional District Board. He was first elected in the 2008 municipal election...
- Geoff MeggsGeoff MeggsGeoff Meggs is a Canadian politician, currently serving on Vancouver, British Columbia's City Council. He was elected in the 2008 municipal election. He is also President of Tideline Communications, a strategic communications firm.-Background:...
Park Board:
- Constance BarnesConstance BarnesConstance Barnes is an elected Vancouver Park Board commissioner in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and operations manager of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden...
- Sara Blyth
- Raj Hundal
- Aaron Jasper
Vision Vancouver's Executive currently consists of 11 members:
- Carolyn Askew
- David Eaves
- Esther Rausenberg
- Denise Taschereau
- Joie Warnock
- Martha Burton
- Vanessa Gearey
- Vardip Dhaliwal
- Stepan Vdovine
- George Jung
See also
- List of mayors of Vancouver
- Vancouver City CouncilVancouver City CouncilVancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
- Non-Partisan AssociationNon-Partisan AssociationThe Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
- Coalition of Progressive ElectorsCoalition of Progressive ElectorsThe Coalition of Progressive Electors is a municipal political party in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia.-Origins:...
- Green Party of VancouverGreen Party of VancouverThe Green Party of Vancouver is a municipal political party in Vancouver, Canada who has nominated Green Party of Canada deputy leader Adrianne Carr as their sole nominee for Vancouver City Council...
- Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable VancouverNeighbourhoods for a Sustainable VancouverNeighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver is a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is running candidates in the Vancouver 2011 Municipal Election. The party is running a candidate for mayor , and four city council candidates...