Green Party of Vancouver

As we wrap up our last week of council, I’m reflecting back on everything I went through this year, and everything we faced as a city and community. It has been... a humbling year -- exhilarating and rewarding, confusing and frustrating -- and I am incredibly proud of the work I’ve done amongst the chaos and uncertainty. As the pandemic shone a light on many things -- holes in our social safety nets and insufficient mental health supports for starters -- it also provided an opportunity for rapid, effective change. We were able to see what it looks like when people put their differences aside in order to work together for the greater good. My first priority as a public servant has always been to change the dynamic between small businesses and the city. Too often the city acts as a gatekeeper, using its policies, permits, and processes as barriers to entry, making it near impossible for regular folks to get their dreams off the ground. The pandemic showed us that it doesn’t have to be like this, that we can work with urgency, efficiency, and cooperation. As you may know, my position as city councillor is currently in contention. I have not spoken publicly about these legal challenges for many reasons. First and foremost being the time and energy this litigation is taking away from the necessary work is not something I want to give more attention to. I stepped into public service to bring more transparency and efficiency to local government to co-create a healthy, affordable, inclusive and resilient city with all of you. I am committed to progress and am determined to continue doing this work. While it has been a lonely process, I am grateful to everyone who reached out to offer their support. Though it has been frustrating and distressing to be singled out and attacked, I am sadly not surprised. The mechanisms of government unfortunately continue to serve the interests of profit over people, and those who push for systems change are always at risk. As I have always done, I will continue to stand in my integrity and put the needs of the community first. Some of the work I am most proud of this year is recognizing and affirming water and sanitation services as fundamental human rights and making progress towards aligning city services with a human-centric approach; putting forward multiple motions to support new approaches to housing and outreach solutions for people dealing with homelessness; calling for a paradigm shift in how we support local businesses by removing the barriers to entry and creating flexible, accessible processes and supports; speeding up the transition to a circular economy by designing out waste and pollution; daylighting rivers and streams and helping hold the vision of a regenerative community guided by local First Nations and urban Indigenous knowledge; and doing everything in my ability to take of small businesses during a global pandemic. Thank you to everyone for trusting me to be in service to our community. I am looking forward to a new year and more opportunities to grow, learn, and impact change. Happy holidays and take care.

Finally we have a coordinated response rolling out for Strathcona Park; with City, Parks and new provincial government at the table. This means: - Services for ...folk in need until we get them into shelter - Asserting presence in the park for safety, outreach, cleaning - Carefully managing the location of shelters - Control and remediation of park It's been a lot of work behind the scenes to get us to this place, and it will seem frustratingly slow yet, as we operationalize this work. People both housed and unhoused will need to resolve to getting folks out of the park and into shelter. The new GM of Park Board and new Ministry of Housing have been instrumental in getting some of the final hurdles cleared, and of course the elected park board, and Chair Camil Dumont... Lastly, I need to acknowledge the support and smarts of my council colleagues Rebecca Bligh and Lisa Dominato who have helped immensely behind-the-scenes, and been very kind in focusing my frustration these last seven months.

"I want to see schools serve as community hubs by creating or redefining space for neighbourhood use, such as childcare, arts, senior support, food, and healthcare." - Estrellita Gonzales

Just held a press conference to discuss the chance in a lifetime we have to move to a green recovery. It is time for Canada to lead on the climate, and get us t...o net-zero emissions while creating the jobs of the future. The Green Party of Canada has a plan to get us there. - Nous venons de tenir une conférence de presse pour discuter de l’opportunité unique que nous avons de passer à une reprise verte. Il est temps pour le Canada de prendre la tête du mouvement en faveur du climat et de nous amener à un niveau d’émissions net zéro tout en créant les emplois de l’avenir. Le Parti Vert du Canada a un plan pour y parvenir. See more

THANK YOU!!! It's been 2 years since Vancouver made history by electing the most Greens ever in Canada!" We are incredibly grateful for our supporters and will continue to work hard to earn the honour of representing our city!... #vanpoli

As Greens our founding values include Non-violence, Social Justice, and Respect for Diversity; as such we stand staunchly opposed to all forms of hate and bigotry, as well as any groups or individuals who put the public’s safety at risk with misinformation.