Waterbugs

[BrianWilliams]

A little tribute to our tiny Vancouver city ferries. False Creek Ferries and Aquabus are a triumph of small-scale entrepreunership ... and a fabulous asset to the city.

A lot of our members live in or close to Vancouver, so the waterbugs are not new to y'all. For an older (57-yrs) native Vancouverite like me, they are still an amazing example of how our city has improved.

Dirty ol' False Creek was an obstacle to be avoided when I was a kid. Go over on a bridge, or around.

These days, the clear waters are a joy to walk by, swim our dogs in, and sip a coffee on its shore.

The ferries are the very best use of our tiny inland sea. For two to four dollars, walkers like us can zig-zag the central city, alternating long hikes with quick zips along shore or across.

FC and Aquabus in a water race to Stamp's Landing:



Not much of a prize: just we two walkers and dogs waiting for a ride to Science World. Earlier, we enjoyed a few hops along the Yaletown side, then crossed to Kits Point from Sunset Beach.



The Aquatic Centre landing buzzed with blue boats

and

.... while the Cyclebus trundled to Granville Island

Even on very grey day, Vancouver's contrasts are stupendous. Behind us, the condo towers
and westward: the reach of English Bay with the snowy Coast Mountains beyond O Paradise!

The waterbug ferries make it so easy to explore our urban seafront. And, yes, it's nice for we dog folks to be welcomed aboard with pooches.

On our seven short hops, six had wet, sandy mutts as fellow passengers. Happy dogs all. Most of the travelling dogs were big Labs, GSDs and Goldens, well-behaved and completely at home in the small boats.

We thought of the city streetcars and subways we'd seen in Europe, where dogs rode quietly with their folks.

[Balfour]

I've seen those aquabuses lots of times zipping around the False Creek area. Wonderful little things they are.

[SHipbuilders daughterwife]

We have similar boats that travel in the inner harbor here in Victoria.

[BrianWilliams]

Last note: crossing to Homer Street on one run, a young mother, girl and their damp dog crowded a USA tourist couple accidentally.

Whoops. The American woman brushed damp sand from her skirt with one hand, while petting the dog with the other.

A friendly chat followed. The visitors were from Houston, here for a business convention. They'd never been to Vancouver, and had no idea of what we have to offer. This short ferry ride was a spontaneous adventure.

Voila! The mother and girl overflowed with suggestions. Their enthusiasm for my hometown made me proud.

The Texans petted Bo and Virginia as well, but I kept quiet while my compatriots sold 'em on Vancouver's charms. Yeah!

[Neil]

I've always wondered how long it was going to be before a seaplane nailed one of those things in Victoria's harbour. The False Creek ferries give us a tiny taste of what it would be like if we emulated the example of Sydney, Australia. A wonderful harbour, actually used for transportation. Nice photos, Brian.

[Quinsam]

Yep, both Burrard Inlet and False Creek are bustling with boats and ships.
That is what makes Vancouver, Vancouver.
I like Vancouver, and I did travel on a Aquabus, and I drove it!
Very friendly boats.

[Koastal Karl]

Just like our little harbour ferries here in Victoria!!

[Ferryman]

I've been on the little Harbour Ferries in Victoria a few times. Whenever I have family come out from England, they seem to really enjoy going out on those little Ferries. It's more so a tourist attraction, than a way of commuting everyday though, although it would be fun to commute on one of those everyday though! haha. I'm sure they don't go out if it gets to choppy out in False Creek, or the Victoria Inner harbour, as that would be kind of dangerous in one of those.

[Scott]

They're kind of expensive, but they're good little ferries. I think they're a good example of how to use the water to get around the city - something we don't do very well yet in Vancouver. In Vancouver Harbour we just have the SeaBus and on the Fraser River we have nothing. Talk about building more roads and highways, but no one talks about using our "marine highways".

[Retrovision]

A little unrelated, but:

brianwilliams said:

A lot of our members live in or close to Vancouver, so the waterbugs are not new to y'all. For an older (57-yrs) native Vancouverite like me, they are still an amazing example of how our city has improved.

Dirty ol' False Creek was an obstacle to be avoided when I was a kid. Go over on a bridge, or around.

These days, the clear waters are a joy to walk by, swim our dogs in, and sip a coffee on its shore.

Simply put, because of the recent change in municipal governments around the Lower Mainland towards the right, specifically in this case that of the City of Vancouver, don't expect the former area-plan for the Flase Creek Flats to be developed as-written.

The City-Government that created it was Larry Campbell's Left-Leaning COPE (and eventually COPE / COPE lite), and was, unfortunately, not-yet binding.

Sam will do as much as possible to further the NPA's (and, as per usual, their, as with any political asociation in the world, buisness-associates) agenda while in the mayors chair... but it does look suspiciously like The Nader Factor in the States, or G. W. Bush's electoral tactics in 2000, After all, we're talking about the James Green-factor of recent Vancouver Election-Fame... A guy hired an all-black bus (himself African-Canadian) with the name James Green on the side in green letters, to roll around-town at strategic times (combined with the, let's say, 'multicultural' nature of Vancouver's population), When the True-Lead-Candidate's name was Jim Green... And Sam Sullivan won by *far* fewer than the votes pulled in by James Green.

...things that make you go 'hmm'


...But still, False Creek: I love you just the same

[Retrovision]

brianwilliams said:

...

Great photos in that post, by the way... I really do love my city core; and shots like that remind me why.

[Neil]

...and I loved James Green's post-election-local-Oscar-winning-performance of, "what, ME trying to confuse the electorate? Never!" A sham worthy of a third world country.

[Retrovision]

...A sham worthy of *the* first-world-country: The States.

--== @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ==--[/b]

It will be interesting to see the outcome of the recent Italian Election, where the incumbent leader, losing by the slimmest of margins, refuses to secede from the race, and even suggests following the Germans' example of a 'Grand Coalition' of sorts.

[BrianWilliams]

To Tsawwassen Terminal especially-

The failures of right-wing govt's still haunt us. Though I am pleased by the improvement of False Creek; Concord Pacific's monopoly on the north side is a disgrace.

Pardon this history lecture: In the early 1980's, all of the north and east shore of False Creek belonged to CPR. The city had tried to negotiate deals with CPR, starting in Art Phillip's TEAM days of the 1970's.

Central city industrial land was unsustainable - the railway had already moved their Vancouver terminal operations to Port Coquitlam. CPR then played dog-in-the-manger.

They kept a few operations on Coal Harbour and False Creek alive, while their Marathon Realty branch lobbied hard for re-zoning.

Rightist Mayor Volrich and leftist Mayor Harcourt resisted the CPR; because the company wanted absolute control over our city's two waterfonts.

Here's the bad news:

In 1984, the BC government granted CP Railway's fondest dream. Without notice to the owners (that'd be us, the people of BC), Bill Bennett and Grace McCarthy announced that we had swapped several blocks of downtown Vancouver for CPR's False Creek lands.

Yippee! Now our village-by-the-sea can begin.

Nope. First we have to host a "world-class" fair, the very successful Expo 86. Grrr - 1986 was the Centennial anniversary of my city, and the reason for the fair.

Not one exhibit in Expo 86 referred to its host city. The provincial and federal governments hijacked the event and shut out the city of Vancouver.

I will never forget, and never forgive that cynical partisan political bullfudge.

To the point, finally. When Expo 86 ended, the Province of BC owned a huge piece of central Vancouver city.

Did they ask for our opinions on its future? Did they read the City plan (published in 1966) ... or even have a chat with the city planners?

No. Like Louis XVIII, Premier Bill Bennett waved his sceptre. His minion, Grace McCarthy sold all our central city to Li-Ka Shing in one stroke.

The Concord Pacific towers are not ugly, I admit, but there are too many .. and worse, we have traded the CPR's domination of our city for another monopolist.

We had the opportunity to invite many enterprising people to build a new city, a bit at a time, but we threw that away.

Worse, we sold our city at a bulk discount. When folks criticize NDP failures - remember: the biggest, dumbest failure ever was the Socred giveaway of central Vancouver.

[Retrovision]

(Brian, I'm about to read your post, this is only a disclaimer about one of my last posts)

Just to Clarify: The "Flase Creek Flats" that I spoke of are East and South of False Creek... they are where, for example, the 'Olympic Village' will be built for 2010, and were to be an international example of how to properly plan such an area, inegrating as much 'green' technology as possible...
Unfortunately this was COPE's vision, and much of its genius *will* be 'lost in translation' by the new city-government.

[Retrovision]

brianwilliams said:

Not one exhibit in Expo 86 referred to its host city. The provincial and federal governments hijacked the event and shut out the city of Vancouver.

This revelation is a surprise to me; funny, how things such as that are conveniently forgotten.

brianwilliams said:

Worse, we sold our city at a bulk discount. When folks criticize NDP failures - remember: the biggest, dumbest failure ever was the Socred giveaway of central Vancouver.

hear, hear


...although, all that I can really say is if you could only see what really goes on...

[Retrovision]

BrianWilliams,

I was only born in '82, so most of what I know about Expo '86 is through conjecture and books (although I do have a few vivid memories, such as of the space ship). Visiting my future brother-in-law's place tonight for Easter dinner, I found their coffee-table-book about Expo. So, then, the BC Pavillion (or was it the BC-'something' @ the Canada Pavillion?) was just a sham? This would be fitting on the fed's part considering that Brian Mulroney's centralist Progressive-Conservatives were in power at the time.

The reason my last post was so short, btw, is that I really find it difficult to fathom some of what goes on behind-the-scenes politically in this world, let alone in a place like B.C., where the electorate seems to care more about who the head-coach of the Canucks is, rather than who they vote for as head-coach (or, more fitting, as the 'team') of their own province. This inability of mine to comprehend certain ethical choices made by everyone around me, in this regard, makes it quite painful for me to carry-on too-long of a debate (or, even, "agreement-session," for that matter) about much that is political.

...But ask me my opinion, knowledge, or otherwise, and you just might ignite an insatiable fire in me. You've been warned

[Scott]

I think to blame James Green for Jim Green losing the election is a bit of a cop out. I know people who voted for James Green and not for Jim Green, and I don't think most people are that stupid, even if they didn't understand English. And I don't think False Creek is in much danger because there will be less subsidized housing around it.

[Neil]

There was an (admittedly) informal poll taken after that election which indicated that the number of people who thought they were voting for THE Jim Green when they voted for James Green would have easily made up the margin of victory that Sam Sullivan had. Plus, Sullivan came to James Green's aid when he was having difficulty with his campaign office. Pretty smelly, I'd say.

[Retrovision]

hornbyguy said:

There was an (admittedly) informal poll taken after that election which indicated that the number of people who thought they were voting for THE Jim Green when they voted for James Green would have easily made up the margin of victory that Sam Sullivan had. Plus, Sullivan came to James Green's aid when he was having difficulty with his campaign office. Pretty smelly, I'd say.

hear, hear

admin said:

And I don't think False Creek is in much danger because there will be less subsidized housing around it.

tsawwassenterminal said:

...were to be an international example of how to properly plan such an area, inegrating as much 'green' technology as possible...
Unfortunately this was COPE's vision, and much of its genius *will* be 'lost in translation' by the new city-government.

I was only speaking to the 'green' issue, myself... but do have concerns about this city-council's views on social-housing.

[BrianWilliams]

To be really fair, early-1980's posturing on False Creek was poisoned by partisanship on left and right.

Mayor Mike Harcourt's centrist City coalition was tugged left by Harry Rankin, Libby Davies and Bruce Campbell. The moderate rightists, led by then-alderman Gordon Campbell, were pulled farther right by some ol' dinosaurs; and the BC government; and surprisingly, by the federal Liberals.

Even though the national gov't was led by Pierre Trudeau, BC's federal Liberals were dominated by a rightist backroom - the loudest voice was Senator Ed Lawson: once boss of the Teamsters, but a big money power man. Uggh. Those were awful days.

[Retrovision]

brianwilliams said:

To be really fair, early-1980's posturing on False Creek was poisoned by partisanship on left and right.

I have no qualms about leftist tactics, as it seems that the left is dealing with an opposition that uses, and in many cases is motivated by, questionable ethics. The left is simply taking the most logical course of action to counter questionable tactics, without compromising their ethics: Fighting Fire with Fire

(I am speaking of current times, of course; such as since, for example, our provincial NDP recently cut many significant ties to Unions - taking away their weighted party-votes)

brianwilliams said:

Even though the national gov't was led by Pierre Trudeau, BC's federal Liberals were dominated by a rightist backroom...

BC is always on a tangent of it's own in a way, like Alberta, whether Ottawa is leaning leftor right. And as for backroom deals, we cannot foster complacancy by relegating those deals, in our minds and in the way we vote, to the history books.

Cheers.

P.S. I'm only trying to Stir the Pot, not Rock the Boat

[BrianWilliams]

A very happy Saturday morning today (6 May).

With our mutts, Jeannie and I wandered through Vancouver's Grandview neighbourhood. From First Ave and Commercial Drive, we rambled the quiet streets; Salsbury, Napier, Adanac, Kitchener, Semlin, and hidden little Rose and Lily.

It poured with rain as we walked, but we met a few folks with their dogs, and many more working in their gardens.

Grandview was nearly lost in the 1970's; even though the Stathcona War was won, Vancouver City nearly rezoned Grandview for high-density building.

Well, Grandview is aptly-named. Its "grand views" are coveted by the condo-meisters who built Burnaby's Metrotown.

Grandview is another wooden village like Strathcona. There are more 1920 bungalows than tall Edwardian manors.

But the big leafy street trees are as permanent as the residents.

PS: we walked down a block of Lakewood Drive when the rain pelted most hard. Under the canopy of 1912 chestnut trees, we were as dry as toast.

[Neil]

Vancouver's eastside does indeed have some nice areas- Grandview is one. The east end has been undergoing a lot of change since I move out in the late '80s.
I used to live in the Renfrew and Parker area, not far from the PNE, and by the early '70s that area was starting to look somewhat down at the heels, with a lot of the '40s and prior houses not being well kept up. Now, when I walk around that neighbourhood, everything seems flourishing; tastefully updated houses, really nice, creative gardens, sometimes in very small spaces. People tend to see the places they left in their youth as having gone downhill, but that part of Vancouver has clearly improved, at least aesthetically.
Another noticeable change is the demographics. My old elementary and secondary schools are now almost exclusively Asian, a sign of our increasing ties across the Pacific.
Just another sign of Vancouver's inherent vitality. It's not always changing for the better, as some areas have seen poorer residents pushed out in favour of the new gentry, but it's certainly not wasting away.

[BrianWilliams]

"People tend to see the places they left in their youth as having gone downhill, but that part of Vancouver has clearly improved, at least aesthetically ... Another noticeable change is the demographics. My old elementary and secondary schools are now almost exclusively Asian ..."

I grew up on the 2500-block of Yale Street (7 blocks NW of Nanaimo and Hastings).

Were you a Lord Roberts kid? - or maybe you went to my elementary alma mater, Hastings School. You must have been a Temp student anyway.

In the pouring rain on Saturday, we took shelter in Templeton's doorway. Wonderful! This is an "inner-city" school ... but there is no litter, no graffiti. Just the ol' 1927 stucco building almost as I remember it. Mr. Elliott's 1964 Grade 9 home room is the top right in this pic.



Even better, the Adanac Street side of Templeton. Flower beds and trimmed shrubs! I remember this wall as the illegal smoke pit for recalcitrant punks like me. Today's neat grass between sidewalk and wall was then a muddy mess of butts, Coke bottles and DQ wrappers.

www3.telus.net/cmstp/canis/grandtempflowers.jpg
[/img]

Templeton, like Tech and Britannia, are flourishing east end schools these days. Part of their success is due to many more hard working Asian kids, but there is a long-standing neighourhood stability that is good for all families.