Mayor Gregor Robertson's remarks on election night are posted after the break. Thank you to everyone who voted, to our friends at COPE, and to our volunteer teams. What a wonderful night for Vancouver.
Remarks by Mayor Gregor Robertson
Election night party, Saturday, November 19, 2011
(Check against delivery)
Good evening Vancouver.
This is a great night for everyone who believes in a bright future for our city.
We are so grateful to be gathered here on Coast Salish territory. We give thanks to the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh people.
Look around the room: you’ll see the many faces of Vancouver — so much rich culture — aboriginal, Chinese, Scottish, South Asian, European, Filipino, Latino and African backgrounds, and many, many more.
This city is all about diversity.
You’ll see faces from labour — including the people who keep our city services running, our buses moving, and of course our great firefighters.
And they’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with entrepreneurs, business owners large and small, not-for-profit leaders, and advocates who all want our city to succeed.
Vision Vancouver is all about bringing the people of this city together to do great things, and tonight we’ve done just that.
I’m going to begin by thanking the people of Vancouver. It has been a real privilege to serve as your mayor, and I’m humbled to have that honour for three more years.
Thank you for electing every single candidate on the Vision team, and entrusting me to continue as your Mayor.
You’ve sent a message tonight that goes well beyond our borders.
We’ve shown that we can manage budgets responsibly through a recession and still be environmental leaders;
We’ve shown that businesses, non-profits, labour, faith, and community groups can work together towards common goals;
We’ve shown the world that we can dream big and accomplish great things;
And that every one of us has the power to make change.
Tonight, you’ve shown that Vancouver is a city that cares. A city that works together to lift everyone up.
We aren’t always perfect, but we learn from our mistakes and become stronger and better for it.
That’s what you’ve told us you want. You want your leaders to tackle the tough questions, to listen to you, and to take action.
And you want us to continue to work on the issues we started with three years ago:
- Ending street homelessness, and making it more affordable to live here.
- Making our neighborhoods safer and more vibrant.
- Creating good jobs across our diverse economy, and elevating the status of our arts community.
- And making Vancouver the world’s greenest city by 2020.
We want to create, inspire, and support innovation — both as a city, and with community and business partners.
Whether it’s in planning, transportation, education, parks, or arts and culture, we will continue to try new solutions and new ways to work together. To make positive change in Vancouver that we can share with the world.
Tonight, we celebrate a hard-fought victory. And tomorrow, we get back to work.
I want to thank Suzanne Anton for her many years of public service as a City Councillor and a Park Board commissioner, for her dedication to making our city a better place and for her love for Vancouver. She deserves both our respect and our thanks.
To the candidates from all the parties, thank you for your commitment to our city, and for all you’re doing to build a better Vancouver.
The city owes a huge thank you to outgoing Councillor George Chow, School Board Trustee Sharon Gregson and Park Board Commissioner Raj Hundal who have all given so much.
Thank you also to outgoing COPE Councillors David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth. Both have served for multiple terms on Council, and their service to Vancouver is so valued and appreciated.
Congratulations to Allan Wong, who was re-elected tonight as COPE’s school trustee.
To COPE’s many supporters and volunteers, thank you for your tireless efforts and your belief in our city. We have worked hard together towards a common purpose, and I’m disappointed that we won’t have more members of the Vision/COPE team on Council, Park Board, and School Board.
And we will continue to work together in the coming years.
This election, I was lucky enough to work with the most fun, and most talented campaign team ever. To the hundreds upon hundreds of Vision volunteers across the city who worked so hard, for so long … I want you to do something for me.
In the next three years, every time you see a headline about something good coming out of City Hall…
…please remind yourself, you helped make that happen. This is your victory: for you, your family, your kids, and your friends and neighbours.
And please know just how grateful I am. Huge thanks for the Vision Campaign Team!
There is one last thank you that I know all of the candidates want to make.
Words aren’t powerful enough to truly thank our families for their support and sacrifices in political life.
To my sweetheart Amy… and my kids, Hanna, Satchel, Terra and Jinagh
For putting up with the empty seat at the dinner table night after night, to smiling and handing out leaflets in monsoon-like weather, to keeping me grounded at just the right times …
…thank you. And I love you.
We went into this campaign with the strongest team of candidates that has ever been fielded in this city.
And with your help, I know that the entire Vision Team will make this the strongest Council, School Board, and Park Board in this city’s history, too.
I wish we could have had the entire COPE team by our sides over the next three years. But I know they’ll be putting their talents, passion and commitment to work for our community in many other ways.
We have a challenging agenda ahead of us. Our friends and neighbours have given us an ambitious mandate to make our city better, greener, more compassionate and fair, and more livable for everyone.
Vancouver is a great city, but it can be even greater. I know we are all up to the challenge — every one of us.
Because tonight, voters also reaffirmed the vision behind our mandate: to create jobs, restore our environment, tackle homelessness and affordability, and protect our neighborhoods.
To build a city with an exceptional quality of life, and help our most vulnerable citizens.
The opportunity to help make that vision a reality is a tremendous privilege. And for that privilege — for your trust — for all your hard work and effort — Thank you Vancouver.
