Maybe this is cheating. Maybe it just gives me a chance to prick my personal filter bubble in front of a wider, discerning audience. Whatever. For the first time, I’m letting the people in my echo chamber (that would be self-selected Facebook and Twitter followers) out into the cold light of BIV scrutiny with their answers to a simple year-end question: What was GOOD about 2016?
Here’s an edited sampling of what they told me:
•The Paris Agreement – dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020 (Simon de Weerdt) – 1,000 mayors committed to transitioning to 100% renewable energy (Shauna Sylvester).
•The dignity and the solidarity of the indigenous people at Standing Rock (Gillian Maxwell), a victory for water protectors (Anelyse Weiler), where some 500 Native American tribes coalesced and rebranded the word “protester” as “protector.” A single stride but a big one in the resurgence of indigenous peoples (Bob Mercer). Most hope I’ve felt in ages (Lindsay Brown).
•Donald Trump didn’t win (the popular vote) (Sid Tafler). Trump will not officially be president until 2017 (Mark Vulliamy). Donald Trump was elected, bringing the American Revolution 2.0 that much closer (Lorraine Murphy)! Trump for sure – corruption in the rotten U.S. government is finally coming under the microscope, the beginning of a new era in government accountability (Jason Upton). Really (Patrick Condon)? Lots of optimism in the U.S. these days. His cabinet choices have been spot on (Greg Hopper).
•Bernie Sanders’ principled, populist and mildly socialist run (Bob Mercer).
•Prince Edward Island and Maine both passed electoral reform (Kyle Hawke). Ontario announced it is launching a basic income pilot (Janet Webber).
•The provincial government finally took a step toward reining in Vancouver housing costs with the foreign-ownership tax (Doug Burns, Julie Burtinshaw). Three levels of government finally taking action on housing (Evaline Xia).
•The BC Teachers’ Federation Supreme Court judgment returned teachers’ rights to bargain classroom size and composition – after 14 years (Claudia Ferris, Linda Villarreal).
•This being Facebook: I got a new cat (Jamie Maw).
•The Pacific Autism Family Network, a first of its kind in North America (Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia).
•The Syrian refugees coming (Sandra James). Opening of Immigrant Services Society of BC Welcome Centre at 1260 Victoria Drive, the first combination of transitional housing and targeted services in the world (Frank Stebner). The Vancouver startup community helping Syrians get connected to the local startup scene by providing technical training, equipment and access (Michael Tippett).
•The launch of the Metro Vancouver Regional Prosperity Initiative (Greg Moore). Vancouver is recognized as a global hub for startups, and Vancouver Startup Week (Bob Garlick).
•New Evergreen Extension to Tri-Cities (Diana Russell Dilworth). Mobi goes into operation; gets major Shaw sponsorship after four months. Bike trip mode share reaches 10% for trips to and from work. (Ken Ohrn). The Arbutus corridor (Nicky Khan)! After 40 years, the Robson 800-block is car-free year-round (Tanya Paz).
•Michael Audain opened his gallery in Whistler. Spectacular (Patricia Webb, Karen Hemmingson).
•A new roof and a new bell tower were added to Christ Church Cathedral. Now, every half-hour we are reminded to be GOOD (Leslie Nolin). Roof looks horrible (Mark Osburn).
•Massive returns of chum salmon across the province (Bob Kronbauer). Native Pacific tree frogs that were thought to be no longer inhabitants of Stanley Park are found to be thriving (Leslie Nolin).
•Some sectors of the marine industry saw record sales (Cormac O’Keilly). The Kits coast guard was reinstated (Karen Morton).
•The fact that it’s cool to wrap your sweatshirt around your waist again (Bari Golin-Blaugrund)?
And finally, some worthy year-end perspective from the patriots:
•Canada (Gaeten Royer). We live in Canada (Brian Moghadam). My family became Canadian citizens (Mike Meneer). Living in Canada, living in British Columbia, living in the Lower Mainland ... our problems and issues are trivial when compared with the vast majority of our fellow earthlings (Robert Parry).
Best wishes for an even better 2017! •
Peter Ladner ([email protected]) is a co-founder of Business in Vancouver. He is a former Vancouver city councillor and former fellow at the SFU Centre for Dialogue. He is the author of The Urban Food Revolution.
