So check it out online.... http://www.visionvancouver.ca/
I won't go into much about Gregor's bio or the Vision platform, cause you can read about that on 100 other places, but rather you will get my take on it and why I am excited!
When I was weighing out the options of moving to Canada there was many great things and many challenges. One of the great opportunities that helped tip the scale for me was to be involved in a campaign to hopefully elect a strong values based business leader into a political position with some power and see how effective their organization, their values and their entrepreneurial spirit would be at effecting change. So here I am, living out my very own experiment.
Gregor is a thoughtful, smart business man. The company he founded was Happy Planet Juices (the Odwalla or Naked Juice of the North). He has a great history in sustainable agriculture and business. His values are deep. And his support groups (including those with some wealth) are rooted in mission based work. As someone termed him the other day, he is the catalyst for change in the North, he is Canada's Obama. He has a great group of people running under the Vision umbrella.
Since I can't vote, I am donating my time and my energy to this campaign. I have volunteered at several events, will be doing some phone calling this evening, but my favorite was mainstreeting. I wasn't sure what it meant, but basically I stood on the street corner with some of the candidates and other volunteers (and Libby Davies - a Rep. on Parliament from Van) and danced around with Vision and Gregor signs. The carnivale band was even out playing (I brought my trombone to play, but chickened out). It was sooooo much fun! Waving at everyone, Talking up the Vision platform, Smiling, Dancing and just plain ol' having fun. Shoot - if I wasn't a vision fan already, I would have been watching all these people having so much fun on the street.
So if you know anyone in Vancouver, tell them to go vote this Saturday, November 15th!
Some articles about the election and the candiates:
General Info --- http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/election2008/index.htm
Recent article on Homelessness -- http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081110/BC_homeless_mayoral_race_081110/20081110/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
Long article with both candidates bios -- http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=bb20f405-56fe-4b1b-a6f4-ab3ecaec2d8c
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Canadian Elections... too many to count!
Four elections in three months - for real!? I don't know if I could do it...
The first election was small, but still an election. It was some weekend day mid-September (just after the Hollyhock SVI that I put on). It was a chance for people in their 'parties' to select who they would want to run for city council and other municipal positions (the municipal elections are this Saturday). The turn out was small, but the candidates were selected and have been campaigning ever since (it turns out I could have voted in this election. I applied, but never received information about how to vote, so I didn't and went to Ikea instead - not a proud moment, but the truth all the same).
The second election... this is the one that really irks me the most. Since I moved to Canada I am trying to learn and understand as much about this place as possible. At first you think it is just like the states, but trust me it is not. Far from it. Any time you see a similarity, something comes out to bite you to remind you that it is not the home you know, but rather a foreign country. So they Parliament (excuse my layman terms.). They have Prime Minister. They do note elect the Prime Minister. The PM gets the job based on who has the most seats in Parliament. They do not have set federal elections every four years. It some how works where the PM can call an election anytime. Stephen Harper, the PM of Canada, called for new elections in September. Last year, he passed some legislation or signed some paper guaranteeing that there wouldn't be another election until 2009. But he broke that agreement and called one anyway because his party didn't have a majority in the Parliament and wanted to get more of his people in there. So another incredibly wasteful election took place (not that I have an opinion or anything). All the parliament seats were up for re-election - there were the two many parties to count (CON - conservative, LIB - Liberal, BQ - the Bloq, NDP - New Democratic Party, IND - Independent, GRN - Green) Phew - that was a lot to remember! The CON party is Right and most everyone else is left of right. So as you can imagine, Stephen Harper and his Right friends of the Conservative party are pretty much a shoe in. No one can decide on which party to stand behind... Then there is talk of strategic voting... (my head is spinning trying to think and remember all this, so look it up if you want more info and probably more factual info). Needless to say, millions of wasted dollars later, the second election happened on October 15th (see results at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/map/2008/) and Stephen Harper is reappointed (is that the right term?) and they still don't quite get majority. one word - frustrating.
The third election was a couple of weeks ago and this was to fill two interim seats in the Provincial elections. This is the one I know the least about. But based on the reaction in my office, the people they wanted elected were elected. These roles are only held until March when the full on Provincial elections happen (Provincial elections are like state elections).
The fourth election will be held this Saturday - which is sooooo exciting! This is for the Municipal elections. And this election I think deserves its very own blog... so stay tuned for more on Vancouver's Municipal elections.
The first election was small, but still an election. It was some weekend day mid-September (just after the Hollyhock SVI that I put on). It was a chance for people in their 'parties' to select who they would want to run for city council and other municipal positions (the municipal elections are this Saturday). The turn out was small, but the candidates were selected and have been campaigning ever since (it turns out I could have voted in this election. I applied, but never received information about how to vote, so I didn't and went to Ikea instead - not a proud moment, but the truth all the same).
The second election... this is the one that really irks me the most. Since I moved to Canada I am trying to learn and understand as much about this place as possible. At first you think it is just like the states, but trust me it is not. Far from it. Any time you see a similarity, something comes out to bite you to remind you that it is not the home you know, but rather a foreign country. So they Parliament (excuse my layman terms.). They have Prime Minister. They do note elect the Prime Minister. The PM gets the job based on who has the most seats in Parliament. They do not have set federal elections every four years. It some how works where the PM can call an election anytime. Stephen Harper, the PM of Canada, called for new elections in September. Last year, he passed some legislation or signed some paper guaranteeing that there wouldn't be another election until 2009. But he broke that agreement and called one anyway because his party didn't have a majority in the Parliament and wanted to get more of his people in there. So another incredibly wasteful election took place (not that I have an opinion or anything). All the parliament seats were up for re-election - there were the two many parties to count (CON - conservative, LIB - Liberal, BQ - the Bloq, NDP - New Democratic Party, IND - Independent, GRN - Green) Phew - that was a lot to remember! The CON party is Right and most everyone else is left of right. So as you can imagine, Stephen Harper and his Right friends of the Conservative party are pretty much a shoe in. No one can decide on which party to stand behind... Then there is talk of strategic voting... (my head is spinning trying to think and remember all this, so look it up if you want more info and probably more factual info). Needless to say, millions of wasted dollars later, the second election happened on October 15th (see results at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/map/2008/) and Stephen Harper is reappointed (is that the right term?) and they still don't quite get majority. one word - frustrating.
The third election was a couple of weeks ago and this was to fill two interim seats in the Provincial elections. This is the one I know the least about. But based on the reaction in my office, the people they wanted elected were elected. These roles are only held until March when the full on Provincial elections happen (Provincial elections are like state elections).
The fourth election will be held this Saturday - which is sooooo exciting! This is for the Municipal elections. And this election I think deserves its very own blog... so stay tuned for more on Vancouver's Municipal elections.
Poppy's, Poppy's Every where there are Poppy's
Last weekend, my friend Tony was in visiting from SF. We were wandering around the Granville Island Public Market and everywhere we turned there were kids in kilts giving out Poppy pins. Everyone was wearing them. They even had them out on the 7-Eleven counter where we bought bus passes earlier. But no one had them the day before. I had never seen a red poppy on a coat, until this day. It was Sunday, November 2nd. And now they were every where.Turns out these young men in kilts were collecting donations for Royal Canadian Legion to provide assistance to ex-service people in financial distress and giving poppy flower pins for people to wear as a symbol of rememberance for soldiers who have fallen in combat. Then everyone wears their poppy with pride. It is a-mazing to see the unity in supporting their service people. You can't turn a corner without someone else wearing their poppy.
Today is Remembrance Day. There are ceremonies happening all over. So today we remember...
Money raised through poppy donations helps the Legion provide assistance to ex-service people in financial distress.
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