There was a lot of hissing and scratching at council today, but there were also some delightful moments (I got to hear about the advantages of brine over rock salt as city staff explained their winter snow-removal plan.)
One of the nicer ones was the prayer from Councillor Geoff Meggs, at this administration’s last council meeting, as he passed on wishes to the new council.
Prayer
Nov. 1, 2011
This council’s last meeting before the November 19 election gives us a chance to reflect on the problems that have faced this council and those that will face the new one.
Elections are a time of change and renewal.
On our city’s 125th anniversary year, the magnitude of the changes our city has seen come into focus, perhaps most of all when it comes to transportation.
No matter what happens on election day, we can be quite sure our successors will face some tough debates about our city’s streets.
Streets are the veins and arteries of a city, but they’re the public spaces where life takes place, people encounter each other, politics happens and goods and services move from place to place.
We’ve all seen the pictures of our streets in 1888 or the turn of the 20th century.
Streetcars with old growth trees on either side.
Horses.
A few bicycles.
Pedestrians in the middle of the road.
No cars. No parking meters.
That was the old normal. It seemed to work.
Fifty years later and things changed: streetcars, buses, lots of cars, but no horses, few bicycles and many pedestrians.
Of course, our streets have always been used for more than driving or walking: recall the pictures of the Post Office riot, with unemployed workers being clubbed to the ground in Hastings St.; marches to the Cenotaph, or the massive Depression-era rallies and marches that started at Oppenheimer or the Cambie St. Grounds, now Larwell Park.
Don’t forget the long, bleak lines of Japanese Canadian families walking to Hastings Park for deportation or the massive peace marches of the 1980s, with tens of thousands crossing the Burrard St. Bridge.
This council has had its own share of street pre-occupations and occupations:
We had the Burrard Bridge and bike lane debates.
Street closures for the Granville Entertainment district.
Then there was the occupation of the downtown core for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Car-free days. The Santa Claus parade.
And now Occupy Vancouver.
So as the gavel drops on this council’s three-year term, let us wish our successors well as they manage our city’s streets.
May they be granted sound judgement, a sense of perspective, a willingness to experiment and a mandate to keep our Vancouver streets the centre of our city’s democratic life.
17 responses so far ↓
1 brilliant // Nov 1, 2011 at 9:42 pm
More hot air from Gregor’s “brain”.
2 George // Nov 1, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Even when Meggs prays he is grandstanding and pandering..very clever how he slid the Renewal comment in there….
3 Ilove604 // Nov 1, 2011 at 11:26 pm
In most modern global cities, transportation systems have become defined by freeways, wide lanes, marginal sidewalks, and a general dearth of public life. Vancouver has a history of bold experimentation with its streetscape, and many shining examples have come through in the last three years. It’s very easy to criticize an administration, or person, or city, that challenges the prevailing logic of the times, and I hope Geoff continues making Vancouver’s streets pleasant at a human-scale. Only when our cities are designed for people will community and democracy fluorish.
4 Julia // Nov 2, 2011 at 3:00 am
that’s not a prayer – that’s a speech.
incredibly disrespectful.
5 Morry // Nov 2, 2011 at 8:48 am
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! May the Force be with You Obi-Meggs Kenobi.
6 Michelle // Nov 2, 2011 at 9:45 am
Another (not needed btw) proof that this Vision Council was a joke from the very start.
How is it that no one sees the fact that while Father Geoff was praying everyone from Vision and Mayor were keeping their fingers crossed… just in case someone from above, already pissed off on their grandstanding, sends some thunder and lightening over sorry asses and wipes them out.
Why wait until the 19th?
7 Bill Lee // Nov 2, 2011 at 10:13 am
Not particularly uplifting prose.
He is the wastrel son of the legendary Reverend Peter Meggs of CBC’s “Open House”
Not related to “Ginger Meggs” though.
8 City Observer // Nov 2, 2011 at 10:20 am
How unfortunate that the commenters above feel it necessary to be so ungenerous in regards of such a well-crafted, thoughtful and moving prayer, as Mr. Meggs offers ‘direction’ to this Council’s successors (clearly, if one reads between the lines, the writer of this quite wonderful reflection on Vancouver’s history, believes the new Council will have as members a broader constituency of opinion).
Bravo, Councillor Meggs.
9 brilliant // Nov 2, 2011 at 11:20 am
@City Observer- You mean how fortunate some of us have our blowhard detectors engaged?
10 MB // Nov 2, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Yes, and Ms. Anton has never grandstanded, or let a prayer pass her lips for that matter, let alone an eloquent one.
I suspect if the identical words were repeated but with her moniker on them instead of Meggs’ at least five of the above comments would swing to automatic praise, like flipping a switch.
Speaking of flipping ………….. oh never mind. It’s been rehashed ad nauseum.
11 boohoo // Nov 2, 2011 at 3:59 pm
“very clever how he slid the Renewal comment in there….”
wow, you see goblins everywhere don’t you.
‘disrespectful’
‘hot air’
‘grandstanding and pandering’
‘wastrel son’
and then michelle hoping they’re all struck down by god.
You guys never fail to amaze.
12 F.H.Leghorn // Nov 2, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Councillor Meggs invokes “the massive peace marches of the 1980s”. Which war is he talking about? The last American left Vietnam on 30/April/1975.
13 F.H.Leghorn // Nov 2, 2011 at 4:44 pm
As Canadian intervention in Afghanistan and Libya demonstrate those marches failed utterly to change government policy or inspire a mass movement to oppose militarism. (see, for example, $30 Billion for warships, billions more for fighter planes and LAV upgrades)
The much more modest Occupy “movement” is unlikely to be any more successful at reforming banking practices.
14 lizzie // Nov 3, 2011 at 6:23 am
Foghorn,
You’re apparently relatively new to the area. In the 1980’s, peace marches were mostly aimed at nuclear disarmament. It was in response to the marches that City Hall declared Vancouver a nuclear free zone (which it still is). Many guests to my friends’ wedding in the early 1980’s were late to the ceremony because a peace march had closed the Burrard bridge & traffic through downtown was disrupted. I remember marching in another march some time in the 1980’s – can’t remember the exact year, but I know it was after 1980.
15 F.H.Leghorn // Nov 3, 2011 at 9:41 am
@lizzie: “nuclear free zone”. Yet we host American ships which are nuclear-powered and armed with nuclear weapons, our railroads and port ship yellow-cake from Saskatchewan to fuel the nuclear industry and uranium mining schemes await approval by the Provincial govt.
Where did I put those placards and my bull-horn?
16 George // Nov 3, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Boohoo and you never fail us …but you must admit paying homage to Father Joel by mentioning Renewal during a prayer to “a God” was brilliant!
Wonder how much that was worth to the party coffers..sadly for you and Vision boo we aren’t stupid..
17 boohoo // Nov 5, 2011 at 8:43 pm
I wonder how many words you have flagged in your conspiracy notebook George.