Socialists set to storm City Hall in 2022

Is Vancouver ready?

Jan 13, 2022

“Vancouver For All” participatory platform launched in lead-up to October’s municipal elections

As rents continue to spiral out of control amidst multiple intersecting societal crises, is Vancouver ready for a political revolution? Some local socialist organizers think so, and they’re making plans to elect some of their own to City Hall.

Taking a page from Barcelona in Common, the insurgent left platform that elected and then re-elected feminist mayor Ada Colau, the Democratic Socialists of Vancouver (DSOV) are launching a pre-election platform process ahead of this year’s municipal elections. “Vancouver For All” is a grassroots, participatory platform aiming to build community power ahead of the municipal election taking place in October 2022.

The ten-point platform calls for defunding the VPD and reallocating budget money to mental health, housing and community-safety initiatives. The platform includes a call for a massive build out of social housing, free and expanded public transit, and a number of other demands addressing issues faced by residents of Vancouver today. The platform process is open to all who agree with the goals and want to participate. The DSOV are hoping to identify 10,000 supporters of these ten key points, and to work with grassroots organizers to develop more detailed policy proposals. Although an article in the Georgia Straight described this new initiative as in competition with other left of centre municipal parties in Vancouver, the DSoV is extending an invitation to other parties and candidates to participate in the process:

“Vancouver for All is an initiative of the Democratic Socialists of Vancouver, but open to all who agree with our goals and want to participate including candidates and members of other municipal parties. We will be hosting listening circles and organizing across the city to build community power.”

The platform launch this Saturday at 7:00 pm will be an online event featuring guest speakers including Gabrielle Peters and Vince Tao as well as the first of many listening circles where guests will be invited to speak.

Call for socialists to run for municipal council across Canada

Socialist Action, an organization with a presence across the country, is calling on municipalities across Canada to elect socialists to local councils. Socialist Action is circulating a draft program as part of a developing discussion among the socialist left, oppressed groups and workers in Vancouver and other municipalities and towards a socialist municipal election campaign in the October elections. Spokesperson Gary Porter believes it is possible to develop a powerful united socialist coalition alongside the DSOV and other group, and they are encouraging members to attend the Vancouver For All Launch this Saturday and help develop the program with the goal of organizing for a labour city hall.

Fridays for Future rallies at Vancouver City Hall

Maybe you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get more involved in climate activism and advocacy in 2022, in the wake of a series of damaging extreme weather events in B.C. last year. For Vancouver residents looking for a low-barrier way to get involved, a local chapter of Fridays for Future is holding rallies every Friday outside Vancouver City Hall from Noon to 2p.m. Look for their banners and signs at the corner of 12th and Cambie, conveniently located near the Broadway and Cambie transit hub for those coming by bus or Skytrain. With a Mayor who opportunistically voted against a key plank of his own climate emergency, it’s an appropriate place to rally each week for climate justice.

Vancouver and District Labour Council expected to endorse incumbent council candidates

Expect the VDLC to endorse OneCity’s Christine Boyle for re-election this coming Tuesday. The district labour council is expected to announce endorsements of incumbent candidates at their monthly meeting next week. There’s a good chance the VDLC will also endorse Vancouver Green Party incumbents Pete Fry, Michael Wiebe and Adriane Carr as well, along with COPE’s Jean Swanson who announced today she will also seek re-election.

Fed up with your landlord? Organize your building!

The Rent, Strike, Bargain! Campaign is putting our a call to renters across B.C. to organize their buildings. They’ve release an online guide with step-by-step explanations of what it takes to build tenant power where you live:

The guide “is intended to provide a starting point for tenants in British Columbia who wish to organize to improve conditions in their buildings. There is more information on our website at rentstrikebargain.com. Why form a Building Committee? The answer is simple: there is power in numbers. Join with your neighbours to make demands of your landlord.“

Right-wing groups gear up for the election in B.C.’s newest real estate goldmine: Squamish

Squamish has been an expensive market since the Sea to Sky Highway expansion in the lead-up to the Olympics, but the last two years have seen real estate values take off like the hockey stick graph of global temperature. The new B.C. assessments show the average single-family home price in Squamish up 35% and hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate investment are pouring into the community. It’s showing in Squamish’s municipal politics where multiple right wing groups have been spending thousands of dollars on social media advertising targeting the incumbent centrist Council and mayor.

There’s evidence that some of these groups, which include a seemingly grassroots anti-density campaign, may be part of a nationally backed far right astroturf campaign that extends well beyond Squamish.

Squamish has become a real estate goldmine and our political infrastructure isn’t ready for the influx of money that comes with that: if the left doesn’t begin organizing for the upcoming election soon, it will bring a hard turn to the right that will only accelerate the gutting of the Squamish community.

Photo: Steve Lambert

Capitalism Works for Me!

With this pointed, provocative installation project, part of the 2022 PUSH Festival in Vancouver, Steve Lambert poses a question that is too often buried in our public discourse: Does capitalism really work? The artist has constructed an interactive, street-level billboard that allows citizens to vote on the issue; one could call it an ideological scorecard, with tallies refreshed each day and hosts on-site to engage in conversation with participants. You’ll find this installation at various locations throughout Vancouver January 20-24. A Canadian Premier, it’s presented with Vancouver Public Library, Living Things Festival and The Grand.

UNITE HERE! Local 40 Continues To Fight For BC's Unequal Women

Hotel Workers unjustly fired by Westmont Hospitality Group, who own hotel properties across Canada, ask for support through various actions including leafletting, boycotts & phone banks. Next week, from January 17th to 21st, Local 40 is having a week of action across North America at all of Westmont's properties, and they need our help. To help out please connect with the DSOV at democraticsocialistsyvr@gmal.com

Photo: Socialist Action

Robbie Mahood 1946-2021

Robbie Mahood, 75, a founding member and a leading light in Socialist Action / Ligue pour l’Action socialiste, passed away in Montreal on December 26, 2021. He lost his long battle against cancer following a completely debilitating stroke on December 24. Robbie was born in Saskatchewan in 1946 and grew up in Saskatchewan and Montreal. He studied history and then medicine becoming a family doctor. Robbie grew up during the fight led by Tommy Douglas and the CCF for the introduction of Medicare in Canada against a long and bitter doctor’s strike. Later he worked with Dr Henry Morgethaler providing safe medical abortions for women when abortions were illegal.. he was part of the fight that resulted in legalized abortions in Canada today. A gentle man, he was a tough revolutionary fighter and an insightful Marxist Leninist theoretical contributor. He is deeply missed. Full tribute here.