September 23, 2019

Vision Vancouver VSB Trustee Allan Wong has formally put forward a motion calling upon the Vancouver School Board to take steps to support student involvement in climate-focused activities leading up to and including the September 27 Climate Strike. If passed, Wong’s motion would call on the Vancouver Board of Education to fully supports participation in the Climate Strike on September 27th and direct staff to encourage Vancouver schools to incorporate the Climate Strike into educational programming, as appropriate, during the week of September 23rd; including field trips, in-school actions or classroom discussions on climate change.

The motion will be tabled and debated at tonight’s (September 23) school board meeting where Wong will ask fellow Trustees to back his calls to support student-led activism. 

“I think it’s imperative that our youth have the opportunity to participate in activities during this week of climate action,” says Wong. “Students are leading the way on calling for action to address climate change, which is something that must be supported by educators and the entire education system. I’m optimistic that this proposal will be supported by my fellow school board trustees.”

Vision Vancouver has a long record of supporting local and global climate action including Greenest City 2020, Renewable City 2050, and Transportation 2040 to transition Vancouver to a more sustainable future. As a Vision Vancouver Trustee, Wong continues to advance a progressive agenda that supports environmental protection and the involvement of our youth in advocating for student-friendly policy decisions. 

Wong is available to speak more about his motion before tonight’s meeting.

Media Contact

Allan Wong

(604) 313-3436

Vision Vancouver School Board candidates Erin Arnold, Aaron Leung and Allan Wong are announcing a bold new plan today to fast-track at least 400 new not-for-profit child care and early learning spaces in Vancouver with the construction modular child care buildings on school property.

“Supporting affordability for working families has always been a priority for Vision School Board Trustees, including our unwavering support for the $10-a-day childcare plan,” said Erin Arnold. “The Vancouver School Board finally has a BC government committed to universal childcare, and that’s ready to work with school districts and municipalities to create thousands of new childcare spaces in BC.”

Vision outlines action on overdose crisis, child care while NPA remains silent

The Vision team - Heather Deal, Catherine Evans, Diego Cardona, and Tanya Paz - released their platform for a fairer and more compassionate city today, outlining the next steps they will champion on issues ranging from drug addiction to homelessness to inequality and child care.

“Voting for the Vision team on October 20th means five solid votes on City Council for making Vancouver a fairer, more compassionate city,” said Vision candidate Diego Cardona. “Our platform stands in stark contrast with the NPA and other right-wing parties, who think City Hall is simply ‘a business’ and degrade the city’s most vulnerable residents by calling them ‘vagrants’ and ‘crackheads.’”

Vision Vancouver puts people first by fighting to improve quality of life for people

The Vision team - Heather Deal, Catherine Evans, Diego Cardona, and Tanya Paz - marked Thanksgiving weekend by celebrating Vancouver’s status as a vibrant, lively and beautiful place to live, work and play, and by outlining their plan to build on this success to make the city even more fun for people.   

“Vancouver is the best place to live in the world. Voting for the Vision team on October 20th means five solid votes on City Council for making Vancouver an even more fun place for people to live, work and play,” said Vision candidate Heather Deal.

The Vision team - Heather Deal, Catherine Evans, Diego Cardona, and Tanya Paz - released their environmental and climate action platform for City Council, outlining the next steps they will champion to keep Vancouver a clean, green place to live where people work together to protect the environment.

“The choice for voters is clear. A progressive council with the Vision team that builds public transit, shifts to clean energy and protects our coast, or an NPA-led council that will ax public transit, double down on fossil fuels and roll over for big oil and gas,” said Vision Council Candidate Heather Deal.

With less than a month until the civic election, NPA mayor candidate Ken Sim and other NPA candidates are in disarray over the Broadway Subway, contradicting each other and sending mixed messages on a major transportation project in Vancouver.

At yesterday's mayoral town hall hosted by SUCCESS and CIJA, the NPA's Ken Sim went on “a spirited rant” against the subway to UBC, and said there “isn’t the ridership” to justify it.

This past spring, Metro Vancouver Mayors achieved a significant milestone when, after years of advocacy, they announced a partnership with the BC Government to ensure the region’s 10-year Transit and Transportation Plan is fully funded.

Vision Vancouver’s right-wing detractors in the NPA and other parties said trying for transit was hopeless. They said Vision should give up. But we never gave up. We fought for transit. Thanks to that work, and thanks to the support of thousands upon thousands of ordinary people who want Vancouver to be the greenest city, the Broadway Subway is being built out to Arbutus. This is an historic achievement - it’s the biggest transit investment in BC’s history.  

The transit challenge now is this: We need to start thinking about what’s next.

Party Will Not Field Mayoral Candidate, Pledges Progressive Cooperation, Considering Options Including Endorsement

Vision Vancouver today unveiled the largest progressive team of candidates for Vancouver City Council, School Board and Park Board.

“After considering all the options, and listening carefully to party members and progressive voters, Vision Vancouver has decided we will not field a mayoral candidate. This was a difficult decision, because we believe our chances would have been very good, but we believe this decision is the right decision for our city,” said Ange Valentini.

New team will be bold and fight for an inclusive city, says Mayoral Candidate Campbell

Vancouver–Vision Vancouver members have selected new candidates for Council, Park and School Board, who will join Vision Mayoral Candidate Ian Campbell on the election ticket this October.

"I'm proud to lead a new Vision team that is progressive, diverse, and represents our growing and changing city," said Ian Campbell, Vision's Mayoral Candidate. "This election is a critical choice for the future of Vancouver. Do we choose to be bold and fight for an inclusive city, and stay committed to the Empty Homes Tax, the Broadway Subway, and strong action on the opioid crisis? Or do we let the NPA take us backwards – ignoring the toughest social challenges facing our residents including housing, transit, and the overdose crisis? That's what Vancouver voters will have to decide on October 20th."

Vision members cast a ballot today to select the new, progressive Vision team for the 2018 election. Advance voting was also held on July 4 for members.

For Council, the three new candidates who will join incumbent Councillor Heather Deal in this election are:

Diego Cardona: A social justice advocate, Diego is active in a variety of organizations including Fresh Voices, which aims to make BC and Canada a better place for immigrant and refugee youth; most recently he was Programs Coordinator for Kiwassa Neighbourhood House.

Catherine Evans: A current Park Board Commissioner and community advocate, Catherine has been a past Vancouver Library Board chair, business owner, and lawyer, and is passionate about equality, the environment, and inclusive, accessible public spaces.

Tanya Paz: A leader in active transportation, car sharing, sustainability, and community planning — she's also a proud #WestEndYVR resident and advocate for safer streets, better transit, and building our green economy.

Vision Vancouver members nominated two candidates for Park Board: 

Shamim Shivji: Lawyer, mediator and former president of West Point Grey Community Association who is dedicated to meaningful community engagement.

Cameron Zubko: Metis business owner with 20 years of experience building partnerships and infrastructure across the country, and who also serves on the City of Vancouver’s Urban Indigenous Peoples’ Advisory Committee where he works with city councillors to advise city policy.

Vision has also acclaimed the following two candidates for School Board, who will join incumbent Allan Wong on the ballot in October:

Aaron Leung: A public education advocate, an engaged resident of Champlain Heights and a locally and nationally recognized leader for his work supporting students on sustainability-related issues at the Vancouver School Board, which included co-founding the VSB Sustainability Conference.

Erin Arnold: A parent and an experienced professional in counselling, victim services, and facilitation, and who is familiar with government policy and process after working within multiple provincial government ministries.

You can learn more about all the Vision candidates by reading their online profiles here.

"I'm looking forward to a spirited election campaign this fall," added Campbell. "Vision will be putting forward a bold, progressive plan for the future of our city and we will be working hard to rally all progressive voters around a shared vision for Vancouver. There is too much at stake for our city to risk the NPA winning in October."

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Note: event photos available upon request

Media contact: Bevin Middleton at bevin.middleton [at] votevision.ca

On July 8, Vision Vancouver members select two candidates for Park Board to represent Vision on the election ballot this October.

Last week, Vision announced eight Council nomination candidates representing a broad range of ages, ethnicities, professional experience and political backgrounds within Vancouver.

“The race to join the Vision team is really heating up,” said Vision Co-Chair Michael Haack. “We’re so excited to have such a diverse, talented team stepping forward to run with Vision Vancouver this October. “With Ian Campbell as our mayoral candidate, we are presenting a new and exciting Vision team to Vancouver voters - a team is putting forward new ideas and a progressive agenda this fall.”

The three candidates seeking Vision’s nomination for Park Board are:

• Cole Rheaume: Has owned a Vancouver-based consulting business for over 15 years where, as a sustainability consultant and facilitator, he’s played a role in developing many programs and policy initiatives. Cole sees running for the Park Board as a natural next step in a lifetime of community activism. He’ll be bringing with him both a passion to encourage City Hall’s new Indigenous reconciliation agenda and the well-being of all Vancouver residents.

• Shamim Shivji: lawyer, mediator and former president of West Point Grey Community Association. Shamim is dedicated to meaningful community engagement and wants to continue to work to meet community needs for access to parks and recreation facilities as a Park Board Commissioner.

• Cameron Zubko: Metis business owner with 20 years of experience building partnerships and infrastructure across the country. He serves on the City’s Urban Indigenous People’s Advisory Committee where he works with city councilors to advise city policy. Cameron is committed to provide leadership and meaningful dialogue on today’s issues and to build safe, inclusive community spaces for Vancouver.

The nomination vote for Vision Vancouver’s candidates for City Council and Park Board will take place on Sunday, July 8 at Creekside Community Centre from 10 am to 6 pm.  

Profiles of all of the candidates seeking nomination to run on Campbell’s slate are online at  http://www.votevision.ca/meet_your_vision_nomination_candidates

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For media: Ange Valentini || ange.valentini [at] votevision.ca