Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Vancouver Courier Column June 11, 2014 Seniors Housing

Opinion: Seniors housing needs a range of choices
Michael Geller / Vancouver Courier
June 10, 2014 03:12 PM
The Louis Brier Home and Hospital is an example of a larger seniors' facility in Vancouver that provides excellent care for the elderly. Photo Michael Geller
 

Recently, the Vancouver Heritage Foundation organized its annual visit to heritage properties potentially threatened by future redevelopment.

Of the 11 stops on this year’s tour, by far the most popular was Casa Mia, the magnificent Spanish-style mansion at 1920 Southwest Marine Drive.

As previously reported, this property, with its large ballroom featuring a sprung dance floor, is considered one of Vancouver’s best known heritage houses.

It is the subject of a controversial rezoning application by the Care Group which, if approved, would designate it a heritage structure in return for approval to convert it into a seniors care facility, along with a sizeable addition.

In a recent column, I called this proposal “questionable.” I question the appropriateness of this location for the proposed scale of development, as well as the size and design of the proposed addition.

However, this column is not about the application per se. Instead I would like to address the statement on Casa Mia issued by the Vancouver Seniors Advisory Committee, a city council-appointed committee with a mandate to advise the mayor and council on issues affecting older adults in Vancouver.

The committee opposes this development. Let me quote from their report: “As has been raised in our submissions concerning the Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment, we believe that the Green House Project Model of housing is superior to institutional housing for seniors and people with disabilities. We are opposed to the development of any new institutions, which by their very size and nature tend to ‘warehouse’ people.”

The typical green house project provides accommodation for 10-12 residents. It is designed to blend in with surrounding houses and neighbourhood.

Each resident has a private room and bathroom and shares a living room, dining room and kitchen where staff and residents can eat together and socialize. There are no fixed or strict schedules for eating or bathing.

Meals are prepared on site, rather than pre-cooked. Staff include “total care workers” who are trained to manage a range of daily activities such as cooking, housekeeping, and care. There is a clinical support team that provides individualized care for each elder.

I am certain many seniors and their families find the green house project model very appealing and would like to see this type of accommodation built in neighbourhoods around Vancouver. I agree and think it is important that zoning bylaws allow them to be built.

However, I worry that a council-appointed committee for seniors appears to be decreeing that this should be the only model for all new care facilities to be developed in Vancouver, since its membership believes larger facilities inevitably become institutions that warehouse the elderly.

This has not been my experience.

For 10 years I worked for CMHC during which time I co-authored the 1970s publications Housing the Elderly and Housing the Handicapped. I was subsequently involved with the Louis Brier Home and Hospital and the planning and development of dozens of assisted living and care facilities around Metro Vancouver.

While I have met many seniors who hope to remain in their house “until they carry me out in a box,” they know that at some point it may be necessary to move into a form of supportive housing.

This might be congregate housing, which provides a self-contained rental or ownership suite in a building offering shared dining and recreational facilities, or assisted living or care facilities. Just as we want a range of housing choices in the years leading up to becoming a senior citizen, we deserve to have a broad range of choices when we get older, including small facilities like the green house project, and large new facilities offering a broader array of amenities.

Some may be government-funded while others are totally private pay. They would be developed by ethnic, religious or community based organizations such as the Lions Club or Rotary, or purely commercial enterprises like those developed by members of the B.C. Care Providers Association.

While none of us wants to be warehoused when we are older, we might want to live in a converted Casa Mia, especially if we can party late into the night on its sprung dance floor.

mgeller@sfu.ca
twitter.com/michaelgeller

© Vancouver Courier

- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-seniors-housing-needs-a-range-of-choices-1.1124271#sthash.Fr0T4MrA.dpuf

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Vancouver Courier Column June 4, 2014 French Lessons

B.C. could benefit from some French lessons
Michael Geller / Columnist
June 4, 2014 11:04 AM
In France, each candidate is allocated an equal amount of space to affix political campaign posters. Photo Michael Geller
In France, where it is common to enjoy a few glasses of wine each day, it is mandatory to carry a single-use breathalyser in every car. Photo Michael Geller
The French parking disc is a clever way to manage time restricted free parking. Photo Michael Geller
 

After spending nine months going around the world in 2007, I concluded there are two types of travel. You can go to unusual places and seek out the familiar. Or you can go to familiar places and seek out the unusual.

On a recent trip to France, a country which in many respects is similar to Canada, I was impressed by some of the unusual things I found.

One example is political campaign signage. In Vancouver and across British Columbia, most politicians raise as much money as possible to purchase and install as many campaign signs as possible.

In some municipalities, signs can be installed on both public and private property. Thankfully, in Vancouver, they are restricted to private property.

However, despite our claim to be a sustainable city, a small fortune is spent on manufacturing and installing plastic signs with little if any reuse potential. Not so in France.

Throughout France, campaign posters are restricted to designated areas identified by local authorities. For the three-month period leading up to an election, each candidate is allocated a similar amount of space and prohibited to affix signs or posters anywhere else.

I might add that paid radio and television commercials and other forms of media advertising are also prohibited during the same period.

The result is less visual blight, less pressure on candidates to raise money from donors and a more equitable approach to evaluating candidates.

I was disappointed campaign finance reform was not approved in B.C. for this fall’s municipal elections. Hopefully new regulations will be in place prior to the next elections, and we should learn from the French practises.

The French can also teach us when it comes to driving and parking. A Vancouverite now living in Aix-en-Provence told me driving is serious business in her adopted country. For one thing, you do not eat and drive.

While the French are often aggressive drivers, they generally demonstrate a greater respect for the rules of the road.

They do not pass on the inside and they signal when they turn. They understand the concept of giving way at intersections and roundabouts, which are common throughout the country.

When in congested traffic, drivers know not to try and pass through a controlled intersection if they are not certain of being able to clear the intersection before the light switches to red.

Compare that to how things are in downtown Vancouver.

To encourage motorists to respect the law, speed radar and red-light cameras are common. They are often accompanied by illuminated signs letting offending motorists know how many demerit points they were just penalized.

The French, like other Europeans, manage time-restricted free parking by requiring a parking disc or clock disc to be displayed on a car dashboard showing the time when the vehicle was parked. Parking officers can inspect the disc to determine if a car has been parked too long.

As Vancouver’s supply of free parking becomes increasingly limited, I foresee potential for a similar approach here. It would certainly be better than the alternative — paid parking.

I would also like British Columbia to consider another French law that requires motorists to carry a single-use, self-test breathalyzer in their cars.

While these units are not perfect, they can help detect when a motorist should not be driving. I purchased a portable breathalyzer many years ago in the United States and it has helped me on numerous occasions.

France, like other European countries, has developed a comprehensive system of toll roads. I often used them and the cost generally seemed fair. While the payment infrastructure is no doubt expensive, monies collected help fund road and transit improvements.

While we can learn much from the French, they can certainly learn from us, too. One of their most urgent challenges is how to manage graffiti, especially in urban centres. It is heartbreaking to see the amount of graffiti in French cities (and most other cities around the world). By comparison, Vancouver has done an excellent job.

As Courier readers travel outside of Vancouver this summer, I would encourage you to look out for ideas to make Vancouver an even better place to live. I will happily include the best ideas in future columns.

mgeller@sfu.ca
twitter.com/michaelgeller

© Vancouver Courier

Vancouver Courier Column May 28, 2014 European Sustainability

Opinion: Green with envy for Europe’s sustainability
 

Michael Geller / Columnist
May 27, 2014 03:15 PM
Montpellier's decorated trams glide along designated lanes, which in many areas are landscaped. Photo Michael Geller

It is a noble goal. It would be nice to achieve it. But it is so unrealistic I have to smile every time I think about it.

I refer to the mayor’s proposal to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020.

I have been smiling a lot about the Greenest City initiative while travelling around France over the past two weeks. I thought about it as I shifted the gears of a small rental car whose GPS system provided relative fuel economy for different routes. I thought about it while looking at local real estate listings and cooling some wine in my apartment’s small under counter fridge.

To be fair, a transformation is taking place in both Europe and North America. It seems they want to be more like us, and we want to be more like them. But by 2020 we are not going to be living the kind of sustainable or durable lifestyle the French and other Europeans live today. It is not in our DNA.

On the other hand, they are not going to be living a typical North American lifestyle. Indeed, while we implement new measures to reduce energy and resource consumption, they are adding solar panels to their roofs.

Look at real estate listings in shop windows in France and you will notice something quite interesting. Every listing is accompanied by a small coloured bar chart, which indicates the heating/cooling energy consumption of the property for sale.

This is now the law throughout Europe. Before selling a property, the owner must retain an independent firm to conduct an energy audit and include the measurement with the listing. 

Property ratings range from “A” Green that use less than 50kWh for heating and cooling, to “G” Red that use more than 451kWh. On average, the French use about half the energy we use in our homes.

Can you imagine a similar law in Vancouver? While I would support it, most would not. Just think about the battle over smart meters or all the strata councils who have voted not to prepare depreciation reports on the condition of their property.

To be more sustainable than the Europeans, Vancouverites would have to cut their energy consumption by about half. Many of us would need to subdivide our houses into smaller suites and possibly construct infill units on the front lawns. (To make new units more acceptable to neighbours, they could be designed to look like large hedges!)

We would have to give up our large multi-door refrigerators and trade in older washers and dryers for energy efficient models.

While most of us like European appliances, we want North American sizes. On a recent tour of laneway houses I noticed many refrigerators seemed larger than the bathrooms. 

When it comes to our cars, to achieve the fuel economy of the average French motorist, we would have to give up our automatic SUVs for smaller manual transmission vehicles, or hybrid or electric models.

While some of us are making this shift (pun intended), the vast majority is not.

If anything we are buying larger cars to feel safer on the road since so many others are driving larger cars. It is a vicious circle.

Fortunately, new transit-oriented developments will make it easier to live without a car. But not all of us want to live in a high-density apartment above a supermarket on a busy street.

Moreover, it will be a long time before Vancouver has a comprehensive public transit system like those found in most European cities such as Montpellier where colourful trams quietly glide along dedicated lanes around the region.

To conclude, we should all try to live more sustainable lifestyles. We should cycle and recycle. We should start converting the remaining garbage to energy, rather than truck it hundreds of kilometres away.

But let us not kid ourselves. Vancouver will not be the most sustainable city in the world by 2020. We probably will not achieve that distinction by 2120.

More importantly, let us not make decisions in an effort to be the Greenest City that might compromise the economic health of our city and province.  That will not be sustainable.

twitter.com/michaelgeller

© Vancouver Courier

- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-green-with-envy-for-europe-s-sustainability-1.1077364#sthash.BMtNWng1.dpuf

 

Vancouver Courier Column May 21 Loss of Character homes

New homes a shadow of what they could be

Michael Geller / Columnist
May 20, 2014 12:45 PM
MichaelGeller calls proposal to build a seniors care facility in return for heritage designation of Casa Mia "questionable." Photo Dan Toulgoet

What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?

When I was a child, my father often challenged me to think about this classic paradox. Today, I continue to think about it as I travel around Vancouver.

The irresistible force is the need for change and regeneration. The immovable object is the desire to protect the past and keep things the way they are.

I think about this paradox when driving along Southwest Marine Drive where heritage mansions are being demolished and replaced with large houses often appearing to belong to another time and place. Nearby is a questionable proposal to build a seniors care facility in return for heritage designation of Casa Mia.

I think about this paradox when driving through Shaughnessy where more than 20 applications have been submitted to demolish what many of us would consider important heritage structures.

I think about this paradox every time I see orange protective fencing being installed around boulevard street trees in my neighbourhood. It generally means an older home and its mature landscaping is to be demolished to make way for a new house I probably will not like as much as what was there before.

An example can be found on Blenheim Street between West 41st and West 49th where a lovely old house forming part of a special streetscape was demolished and a large boxy house with a red clay tile roof is under construction.

When finished and landscaped, it will probably look better than it does right now. But it may never look as good as the older house it replaced. Furthermore, based on what has happened elsewhere around the city, without a change in zoning, it is inevitable that the remaining character houses in the block will one day be replaced by similar boxy houses with red clay tile roofs.

These older houses are being demolished for a number of reasons. The most significant is they do not take advantage of the maximum floor area permitted under the zoning. Also, they are often energy inefficient and not likely to last without expensive upgrading.

Ironically, while it is often said the most sustainable building is an existing building, these houses are also being demolished in the name of sustainability. The city wants to gently densify single-family neighbourhoods and create affordable housing choices.

Consequently, these older houses are often replaced by three new units: a principal dwelling, a basement suite and a laneway suite.

Unfortunately, the zoning does not always require the degree of design review to ensure new structures fit in. Moreover, it does not result in smaller, more affordable ownership choices many households, especially empty nesters, are seeking in established neighbourhoods.

There is a solution. We could take lessons from zoning changes implemented 20 years ago that encouraged builders to retain and renovate older homes by allowing construction and sale of an adjacent coach house, along with subdivision of older houses into smaller suites.

We could do the same thing in single-family zones. Builders could be encouraged to retain older character houses by allowing them to build and sell a coach house equal in size to the “unused density.” Alternatively, in return for taking special care to design a development that fits in with neighbouring properties, they might be permitted to build smaller duplex homes with or without a coach house.

These proposals were included in reports prepared as part of the Mayor’s 2012 Affordable Housing Task Force; including the Roundtable on Building Form and Design which I was pleased to chair.  The city has made good on one of these recommendations by appointing a chief housing officer, Mukhtar Latif, an international property consultant from the U.K.

The city also initiated an interim rezoning policy to encourage more affordable housing choices close to transit and commercial areas.

Sadly, given the program’s ill-conceived regulations, not one new affordable ownership unit has proceeded to date.

Hopefully Mukhtar and the planning department will now take another look at the task force’s findings and recommendations and follow up with innovative zoning changes to both encourage protection of older character houses, and offer much needed affordable ownership housing choices. This is not a paradox.

geller@sfu.ca
twitter.com/michaelgeller


© Vancouver Courier

- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/new-homes-a-shadow-of-what-they-could-be-1.1068045#sthash.N7abajuT.dpuf

 

Vancouver Courier Column May 14, 2014 Voter Worries


Opinion: Affordable housing tops list of voter worries

Michael Geller / Vancouver Courier
May 13, 2014 03:09 PM
Vancouverites identified transit and transportation as among their top civic concerns.
What civic issues are of major concern to you as a resident of Vancouver?
This is one of the questions pollster Barbara Justason asked a select number of Vancouver voters last month. They identified a list of ten issues.
Not surprisingly, their top issue was housing affordability. For millennials, trying to rent an affordable apartment, or empty nesters hoping to downsize and sock away money for retirement, Vancouver’s high housing prices are the number one concern.
To its credit, city council has followed the advice of economists and approved a number of initiatives in an effort to improve affordability by increasing housing supply. The Short Term Incentive Rental (STIR) program offered density bonuses, relief from development cost charges and speedier approvals to those willing to build new rental housing.
Unfortunately, many neighbourhoods claim the resulting developments are often out of scale with their surroundings, and the high rents do not justify the concessions offered.
The city has also rezoned properties for higher density condominium developments, such as along the Cambie corridor. However, in return for rezoning, developers have to pay community amenity contributions averaging $55 per square foot of building area.
The result is more housing, but not necessarily more affordable housing. Although city planners claim these added costs are not being passed onto buyers, most housing experts believe otherwise.
The next civic issue identified by voters was the cost of living. This was not surprising since the cost of many products and services are often higher, due in part to provincial taxes. Unfortunately, as long as healthcare consumes 40 per cent of the provincial budget, these taxes are not likely to be reduced.
On the contrary, as the percentage of senior citizen households increases, healthcare costs and related taxes will continue to rise unless we change the way the government delivers healthcare services.
The third concern identified by Vancouver voters was transportation and transit. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to this problem either.
While most of us want improved public transit, we are not prepared to pay for it. This contradiction is going to become more evident as the deadline for the transit funding referendum draws nearer. Sadly, I fear this referendum is likely to be a lose-lose proposition.
The survey results did offer some good news. Number 10 on the list was safety and security. This surprised me since so many of us have experienced a home or car break-in in the past few years, or known someone who has been victim to these crimes.
However, we should take comfort and pride in the fact that safety and security does not seem to be a major concern for Vancouverites.
I was also surprised by the ninth item on the list — the environment. While the mayor wants to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world, Vancouver residents, at least those polled by Justason, do not consider the environment a major issue. Maybe that is because we already enjoy good air and drinking water.
Other civic concerns identified by voters included the social issues so prevalent in the Downtown Eastside: mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness. The recently approved DTES plan is intended to address these concerns.
However, many of us worry the plan, with its emphasis on social and rental housing in the heart of the neighbourhood, may exacerbate rather than improve the situation.
That is because it will likely result in a greater concentration of low-income households suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.
I question whether we can ever end homelessness or effectively deal with mental illness until we open more facilities and provide more support services.
Issue number six may be more easily addressed — bike lanes and cyclists. It appears council’s initiatives, including expensive bike lanes, contorted road patterns, ugly barricades at West 41st and Angus, and the recent closure of Point Grey Road, continue to upset many voters.
Residents are also frustrated by the increasing sense of entitlement displayed by many cyclists.
These ten issues all need to be addressed. But compared to what is happening in Syria, Ukraine and Nigeria, our problems are minor. We should never lose sight of the fact we are fortunate to live here.
michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com
twitter.com/michaelgeller


© Vancouver Courier
- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-affordable-housing-tops-list-of-voter-worries-1.1059671#sthash.t00ipriM.dpuf
Affordable housing tops list of voter worries
Michael Geller / Vancouver Courier
May 13, 2014 03:09 PM

Vancouverites identified transit and transportation as among their top civic concerns.

What civic issues are of major concern to you as a resident of Vancouver?

This is one of the questions pollster Barbara Justason asked a select number of Vancouver voters last month. They identified a list of ten issues.

Not surprisingly, their top issue was housing affordability. For millennials, trying to rent an affordable apartment, or empty nesters hoping to downsize and sock away money for retirement, Vancouver’s high housing prices are the number one concern.

To its credit, city council has followed the advice of economists and approved a number of initiatives in an effort to improve affordability by increasing housing supply. The Short Term Incentive Rental (STIR) program offered density bonuses, relief from development cost charges and speedier approvals to those willing to build new rental housing.

Unfortunately, many neighbourhoods claim the resulting developments are often out of scale with their surroundings, and the high rents do not justify the concessions offered.

The city has also rezoned properties for higher density condominium developments, such as along the Cambie corridor. However, in return for rezoning, developers have to pay community amenity contributions averaging $55 per square foot of building area.

The result is more housing, but not necessarily more affordable housing. Although city planners claim these added costs are not being passed onto buyers, most housing experts believe otherwise.

The next civic issue identified by voters was the cost of living. This was not surprising since the cost of many products and services are often higher, due in part to provincial taxes. Unfortunately, as long as healthcare consumes 40 per cent of the provincial budget, these taxes are not likely to be reduced.

On the contrary, as the percentage of senior citizen households increases, healthcare costs and related taxes will continue to rise unless we change the way the government delivers healthcare services.

The third concern identified by Vancouver voters was transportation and transit. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to this problem either.

While most of us want improved public transit, we are not prepared to pay for it. This contradiction is going to become more evident as the deadline for the transit funding referendum draws nearer. Sadly, I fear this referendum is likely to be a lose-lose proposition.

The survey results did offer some good news. Number 10 on the list was safety and security. This surprised me since so many of us have experienced a home or car break-in in the past few years, or known someone who has been victim to these crimes.

However, we should take comfort and pride in the fact that safety and security does not seem to be a major concern for Vancouverites.

I was also surprised by the ninth item on the list — the environment. While the mayor wants to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world, Vancouver residents, at least those polled by Justason, do not consider the environment a major issue. Maybe that is because we already enjoy good air and drinking water.

Other civic concerns identified by voters included the social issues so prevalent in the Downtown Eastside: mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness. The recently approved DTES plan is intended to address these concerns.

However, many of us worry the plan, with its emphasis on social and rental housing in the heart of the neighbourhood, may exacerbate rather than improve the situation.

That is because it will likely result in a greater concentration of low-income households suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.

I question whether we can ever end homelessness or effectively deal with mental illness until we open more facilities and provide more support services.

Issue number six may be more easily addressed — bike lanes and cyclists. It appears council’s initiatives, including expensive bike lanes, contorted road patterns, ugly barricades at West 41st and Angus, and the recent closure of Point Grey Road, continue to upset many voters.

Residents are also frustrated by the increasing sense of entitlement displayed by many cyclists.

These ten issues all need to be addressed. But compared to what is happening in Syria, Ukraine and Nigeria, our problems are minor. We should never lose sight of the fact we are fortunate to live here.

michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com
twitter.com/michaelgeller



© Vancouver Courier

- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-affordable-housing-tops-list-of-voter-worries-1.1059671#sthash.t00ipriM.dpuf

 




 

A new role: Columnist for the Vancouver Courier

It was with both surprise and delight that I received a note in early April from Vancouver Courier editor Barry Link asking if I would be interested in writing a weekly column. I was delighted to accept. While it is a learning experience, compared to writing for the Vancouver Sun or blogging, I hope my initial columns have prompted people to think about civic and planning issues in a slightly different way.

So far, comments to the editor have been predictably negative, (I"m an elite who lives in a bubble...) but I have received a great deal of private encouragement and support for some of my suggestions. Here are my first four columns.

NPA down but not out for fall election


Michael Geller / Columnist
May 6, 2014 11:08 AM
Mayor Gregor Robertson shoots a selfie with the rest of his party at Sunday's Vision Vancouver AGM. Columnist Michael Geller isn't surprised incumbents were endorsed, but he was surprised about the mayor’s reference to the NPA as “a party of angry old white men.” Geller argues many people are angry at Vision at the moment. photo Matt Desouza

Starting this week, Michael Geller joins us as a columnist. An architect, adjunct professor at SFU, former council candidate in the 2008 election and a force in social media, Geller brings four decades of experience in Vancouver planning and civic affairs. We look forward to his observations in this election year. — Editor
Two weeks ago, at a press conference on Olympic Village finances, Mayor Gregor Robertson brushed aside my question following his self-congratulatory remarks with a terse “Hey, you’re not media!”
It is therefore with some delight that I can now let Mayor Robertson know I will be offering my perspective on Vancouver civic affairs in the Courier on a weekly basis.
Since the Nov. 15 municipal election is just over six months away, it seems only appropriate that we start here.
Last month, Barb Justason’s Market Intelligence asked 357 decided voters which party should form a majority on Vancouver city council. The choices were Vision, NPA, COPE and Green, since they were all known to be running candidates. However, at least three other parties, TEAM, NSV (Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver) and the Cedar Party (rooted in democracy) will likely run candidates, just to further confuse things.
Justason’s poll revealed 38 per cent support for a Vision Vancouver majority, five points less than in January 2014. Support for a Green party majority increased to 24 per cent while only 18 per cent of poll respondents supported an NPA majority.
Justason noted this was the lowest level of support ever recorded by her firm. COPE’s support was also at an all-time low 10 per cent.
I found the poll results surprising, and told Justason so on Twitter. She responded that she was sorry about the numbers. I told her not to apologize, adding I was happy to see the Greens doing well, and planning to support incumbent Carr and newcomer Cleta Brown, the daughter of the late Rosemary Brown.
Coincidentally, another Green candidate Pete Fry is the son of Liberal MP Hedy Fry.
While I am sure the NPA is disappointed with their numbers, if they can put together a slate of good candidates covering a broad political spectrum, they will significantly increase their percentage of the vote.
With the right mayoral candidate, they could win. With half a year to go, a lot can happen in politics, as we have seen in many recent elections across Canada.
I should add I am not a member of the NPA and my decision to run as an NPA councillor in 2008 was attributable to the fact they asked me first, rather than any particularly strong party allegiance.
Indeed, if it was up to me, I would change Vancouver’s political landscape so that good candidates do not have to belong to any party to get elected. That way Sandy Garossino would be elected to council, rather than a lesser candidate who simply belongs to the winning party.
Another thing I would change is the ballot. While I support politicians whose names begin with A, B, C and D, listing candidates in alphabetical order is unfair to those whose names begin with K or P. I would like to see multiple ballots with all candidate names equally on top, middle, and bottom.
On Sunday Vision held its AGM. Not surprisingly, all incumbents were endorsed and the final slate will be selected June 22. What was surprising, indeed quite shocking, was Mayor Robertson’s reference to the NPA as “a party of angry old white men.”
The fact is, there are a lot of people angry with Vision at the moment. While many NPA members are old white men, many are young men and women, and even transsexuals. They are white and of colour. They are as ethnically diverse as those attending the Vision AGM. This will be evident at the May 7th NPA sold-out fundraising event at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
Perhaps the key question for NPA is who will be the mayoral candidate. Sadly, it will not be Carole Taylor.
But is anyone talking to Surrey mayor Dianne Watts? After all she has proven herself to be a most capable municipal leader and adept at bringing together people of various political persuasions.
Alternatively is the NPA considering former park board commissioner Ian Robertson? While he’s not as handsome, and may not have the name recognition as Gregor Robertson, the confusion over their last names might be sufficient to elect him Mayor Robertson.
After all, the late Jim Green was convinced independent candidate James Green cost him his mayoral victory.
geller@sfu.ca
twitter.com/michaelgeller
© Vancouver Courier
- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/npa-down-but-not-out-for-fall-election-1.1023206#sthash.DPFlyyd4.dpuf

NPA down but not out for fall election

Michael Geller / Columnist
May 6, 2014 11:08 AM
 Mayor Gregor Robertson shoots a selfie with the rest of his party at Sunday's Vision Vancouver AGM. Columnist Michael Geller isn't surprised incumbents were endorsed, but he was surprised about the mayor’s reference to the NPA as “a party of angry old white men.” Geller argues many people are angry at Vision at the moment. photo Matt Desouza
Starting this week, Michael Geller joins us as a columnist. An architect, adjunct professor at SFU, former council candidate in the 2008 election and a force in social media, Geller brings four decades of experience in Vancouver planning and civic affairs. We look forward to his observations in this election year. — Editor

Two weeks ago, at a press conference on Olympic Village finances, Mayor Gregor Robertson brushed aside my question following his self-congratulatory remarks with a terse “Hey, you’re not media!”

It is therefore with some delight that I can now let Mayor Robertson know I will be offering my perspective on Vancouver civic affairs in the Courier on a weekly basis.  
Since the Nov. 15 municipal election is just over six months away, it seems only appropriate that we start here.

Last month, Barb Justason’s Market Intelligence asked 357 decided voters which party should form a majority on Vancouver city council. The choices were Vision, NPA, COPE and Green, since they were all known to be running candidates. However, at least three other parties, TEAM, NSV (Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver) and the Cedar Party (rooted in democracy) will likely run candidates, just to further confuse things.

Justason’s poll revealed 38 per cent support for a Vision Vancouver majority, five points less than in January 2014. Support for a Green party majority increased to 24 per cent while only 18 per cent of poll respondents supported an NPA majority.

Justason noted this was the lowest level of support ever recorded by her firm. COPE’s support was also at an all-time low 10 per cent.

I found the poll results surprising, and told Justason so on Twitter. She responded that she was sorry about the numbers. I told her not to apologize, adding I was happy to see the Greens doing well, and planning to support incumbent Carr and newcomer Cleta Brown, the daughter of the late Rosemary Brown.

Coincidentally, another Green candidate Pete Fry is the son of Liberal MP Hedy Fry.
While I am sure the NPA is disappointed with their numbers, if they can put together a slate of good candidates covering a broad political spectrum, they will significantly increase their percentage of the vote.

With the right mayoral candidate, they could win. With half a year to go, a lot can happen in politics, as we have seen in many recent elections across Canada.

I should add I am not a member of the NPA and my decision to run as an NPA councillor in 2008 was attributable to the fact they asked me first, rather than any particularly strong party allegiance.
Indeed, if it was up to me, I would change Vancouver’s political landscape so that good candidates do not have to belong to any party to get elected. That way Sandy Garossino would be elected to council, rather than a lesser candidate who simply belongs to the winning party.

Another thing I would change is the ballot. While I support politicians whose names begin with A, B, C and D, listing candidates in alphabetical order is unfair to those whose names begin with K or P. I would like to see multiple ballots with all candidate names equally on top, middle, and bottom.

On Sunday Vision held its AGM. Not surprisingly, all incumbents were endorsed and the final slate will be selected June 22. What was surprising, indeed quite shocking, was Mayor Robertson’s reference to the NPA as “a party of angry old white men.”

The fact is, there are a lot of people angry with Vision at the moment. While many NPA members are old white men, many are young men and women, and even transsexuals. They are white and of colour. They are as ethnically diverse as those attending the Vision AGM. This will be evident at the May 7th NPA sold-out fundraising event at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
Perhaps the key question for NPA is who will be the mayoral candidate. Sadly, it will not be Carole Taylor.

But is anyone talking to Surrey mayor Dianne Watts? After all she has proven herself to be a most capable municipal leader and adept at bringing together people of various political persuasions.
Alternatively is the NPA considering former park board commissioner Ian Robertson? While he’s not as handsome, and may not have the name recognition as Gregor Robertson, the confusion over their last names might be sufficient to elect him Mayor Robertson.

After all, the late Jim Green was convinced independent candidate James Green cost him his mayoral victory.
 

geller@sfu.ca
twitter.com/michaelgeller
© Vancouver Courier
- See more at: http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/npa-down-but-not-out-for-fall-election-1.1023206#sthash.DPFlyyd4.dpuf
 

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The grand finale: Les Baux-en-Provence

Before leaving Vancouver we received an email from Phil Boname to say he and Marilyn and some friends would be in France at the same time as us and we should connect. He suggested we join them at their second home in Cagnes sur Mer, or at the Grand Prix at Monte Carlo. He also mentioned he had a reservation for 6 at 8pm at a 2 star Michelin restaurant in Les Baux-de-Provence which could be changed to 8 or 10. He suggested that we invite Chuck and Margot to join us.

While we hoped to return to Cagnes sur Mer since we once did a house exchange there, we were so enjoying Provence and Languedoc we thought it might be best to stay in the area. So we passed. We also passed on the Grand Prix since Sally doesn't like the noise (even though new regulations have significantly dialled down the noise of F1 cars). But we did decide to book a night in the Oustau de Baumaniere in Les Baux http://www.oustaudebaumaniere.com/en/home and told Phil and Marilyn we would be delighted to join them for dinner.
We arrived just after noon. We were told by reception that we had been upgraded to the Manoir (no doubt a result of Phil's gentle intervention) but our room would not be ready till 3. So we set off for the village.
 
The medieval town of Les Baux-de-Provence has had an amazing history.As our guidebook noted, it's a too-good-to-be-true collection of sixteenth and seventeenth century churches, chapels and mansions.

However, for two hundred years from the mid 17th to mid 19th century both the citadel and village were inhabited almost exclusively by bats and crows. The discovery of bauxite brought back some life and today it is a major tourist attraction.

After wandering around the town we visited an amazing sound and light show in the Carrieres de Lumieres, the former bauxite quarry. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. (Although if you go, take a sweater!)


We then returned to the hotel, and relaxed for the afternoon. While there were two pools and a wonderful spa, the weather changed a bit and we were not tempted. Also, our suite was so large it seemed a shame to leave it.

Around 6 Phil, Marilyn and their friends Lucinda Fothergill, Wayne Kozak, Penny Lehan and Ron Bogdonov arrived in a very large vehicle and by 7:45 we were all in the garden of the restaurant drinking champagne. While Sally was worried whether the other dinner guests would be able to speak English, she need not have worried. They all lived in the Cowichan Valley!

Indeed, we were surprised to learn that Phil and Marilyn had purchased a heritage farm and were living in a  house converted from a 100 year old model dairy barn near Cobble Hill and Maple Bay where they keep their boat.
The dinner was superb, and enhanced by our dinner companions by virtue of their considerable knowledge of wine and food. For us it was the most extravagant meal we had ever had, but we were not disappointed. Phil's selections of wines was a significant departure from the wines we had generally been drinking.

(Do not ask Chuck and Margot about the time I asked one of their dinner guests, a highly regarded wine expert, if she could tell me more about a wine I had brough with me from the Luberon. Litle did she know it had arrived in a re-filled plastic coke bottle...but she seemed to guess by the way she spat it out onto the ground!)
None of the wines Phil ordered from the wine book...it wasn't a list....it was a book... came in plastic bottles. Indeed, they were all about 20 years old and were quite remarkable. While some people often make fun of people who rave over very good wine, the fact is it usually has a remarkable and memorable taste. That certainly was the case that night.

Dinner lasted 4 hours.

8 1/2 hours later, the 8 of us had a beautiful breakfast which the staff had especially prepared for us in the garden. It too was superb.
After breakfast we packed up the car and set off for Marseille. It was only a one hour trip, but we arrived in a very, very different place. While portions of the Vieux Port are quite beautiful, and some of the new cultural developments are most impressive, many Marseille neighbourhoods feel quite unsafe, and are visually disturbing, in part due to the excessive graffiti.

However, while I trip ended in Marseille, Les Baux-de-Provence with Phil and Marilyn and friends was truly a grand finale to our three week holiday in France.