Faces we

Viewpoints
Viewpoints
Mount Pleasant’s
future hangs in the
ballot box balance
The fabric of the
neighbourhood may very
well be determined by the
provincial by-election
By Megan Lau
Photo courtesy City of Vancouver Archives
Change is afoot in Mount Pleasant, the
provincial riding I call home. It’s bound
by Main Street to the west, Commercial
Drive on its eastern border, and Kingsway
to the Burrard Inlet on its south and
north ends, respectively. Mount Pleasant
covers a swath of neighbourhoods that
speak different languages, are mixed
income, and are generally diverse in
their needs, hopes, and challenges.
Despite its diversity—or perhaps because
of it—in recent history, Mount Pleasant
is united politically. For almost 20 years,
we’ve hardly needed to pay attention
to provincial election results in Mount
Pleasant. You could count on voters to
choose BC NDP incumbent Jenny Kwan.
Kwan was a perennial shoo-in for the
legislative seat starting from her first
election in 1996. Thanks to Kwan’s abilities
and track record, Mount Pleasant is one
the safest NDP seats in the province.
In July, Kwan left her seat to run in
last year’s federal election, and ever
since Mount Pleasant has been without
representation in “The Ledge.” The byelection
will take place on Feb. 2 and there
are three neophyte candidates in the race.
The three candidates
Last month, the Georgia Straight
reported, “If conventional wisdom holds,
New Democrat candidate Melanie Mark
is in for a sure win in this traditional
BC NDP bailiwick.” Mark is a former
president of the Urban Native Youth
Association, and worked in the office of
B.C.’s representative for children and youth
for eight years. She was also a critical force
in bringing about changes in the way the
police interact with Aboriginal peoples.
The BC Liberals nominated Gavin
Dew, a young candidate whose focus is
on the relocation of St. Paul’s Hospital,
improving transit, and growing the tech
sector. His official biography notes, “He
is running to make sure that people in
Vancouver Mount Pleasant have the same
opportunity to work hard, prosper, and lay
a foundation for the next generation—the
Canadian Dream.” With credentials from
Harvard and those allusions to Manifest
Destiny, Dew seems to be out of touch
with most of Mount Pleasant’s residents.
And finally, Pete Fry, Strathcona resident
and small business owner, is the Green
Party candidate. I like Fry’s communityfocused
platform—addressing poverty
reduction, climate change, and public
housing. Fry made a run for city council
in 2014, earning about 46,000 votes, and
has served as chairman of the Strathcona
Residents' Association. He’s advocated
for his neighbourhood in the Local Area
Planning Process and in dealings regarding
the viaducts removal. When a man brutally
sexually assaulted a Strathcona resident
in her home last year, Fry was noted in
the local media as leader in organizing the
community to support the woman. On paper,
Fry best represents progressive politics and
a grassroots approach to social change.
If we were all informed and engaged
voters, Fry could have a shot at winning. But
our susceptibility to party politics means
that it’s a race between the Dems and the
Libs. And I’m starting to feel that it hardly
matters which one wins on a community
level (I think it does matter, a lot, when
it comes to your positions on LNG, our
responsibility to children and youth in care,
and public education). The NDP and Liberal
candidates seem to be jockeying for their
parties at the expense of the neighbourhood.
With a provincial election coming up in
less than two years, the by-election was
a testing ground for campaign strategies
in preparation for the real deal in 2017.
An ever-changing horizon
The thing is, with the pace and the degree
of change happening in Vancouver, the
most vulnerable in our community stand to
lose a lot before the government changes.
When I worked in Chinatown in 2014 and
2015, I watched buildings disappear, and
storefronts being boarded up, as if as
quickly as a sped-up, time-lapse video—
the transformation was so rapid. Mount
Pleasant had the lowest average income in
B.C. and the highest proportion of lowincome
single parents in 2006. Today,
it’s the home of several craft breweries
and countless market condos. Pushed out
by high rents and housing prices, young
families and upstarts have been moving
east for years, bringing with them a taste for
pressed juices, fixed-gear bicycles, and yoga.
I bet it wouldn’t be hard to find a dozen
Mount Pleasant residents on social media
who are more than willing to pay $4 for a
donut. Statements like that acknowledge
there’s something wrong with the prices
and that there’s some guilt involved. But it’s
all said with a smirk and shrug—the online
equivalent to knowingly turning a blind eye.
I’m one of them
As disapproving as I sound, by all
measures, I was among the first of the
gentrifiers. I moved into Mount Pleasant
in 2011. I chose the neighbourhood for its
affordability. It would bring me closer to
my friends and work, and I could walk,
bike or bus anywhere easily. I found a
basement suite just east of Fraser Street
and off the 10th Avenue bike path, and
enjoyed cheap rent and a true sense of
community. Politically, too, I felt at home in
Mount Pleasant, where the riding’s voting
record aligns with my personal values. I
believe in protecting the environment.
I believe in investing in social services
and working towards justice and equality
for all. I believe we should properly
fund agencies that serve low-income
people and people with addictions.
But I’m also a middle-class, unattached
professional who will be able to ride out
the increases in rent and property values
for a little while longer. When a new fancy
restaurant replaces an old neighbourhood
haunt, I can afford to try it and come
back if I like it. When it’s cold and rainy,
I have the luxury of considering flying
somewhere warm for a vacation. Because
I and people like me are attracted to
Mount Pleasant, the most vulnerable
in our population—particularly those
living in Chinatown-Strathcona and the
Downtown Eastside—could lose their
homes, livelihoods and communities.
The dynamics of Mount Pleasant aren’t
unique in Vancouver, or the world, for that
matter. Look at any neighbourhood around
the world where communities of colour and
low-income families live, and the stakes
are the same: affordability and livability
are eroding, and a sense of community
is disappearing with it. Residents who
have put down roots and contributed to
the area’s social fabric are the ones who
lose out in the process of gentrification.
Who’s the right choice?
In the by-election, there is a lot to
consider. When it finally happens on Feb.
2, I’m pessimistic that Mount Pleasant’s
progressive colours will show with the same
boldness they have for the last two decades.
The hipsters are here, their corporate
offices are next door, and upwardly mobile
families have put down roots. Most don’t
think about how Strathcona and Chinatown
were officially sanctioned ghettos for
communities of diverse racial backgrounds;
they can’t tell you how Main and Hastings
has transformed in the last decade.
Only the most facile conversations
about gentrification are strictly against
development. Change is often the result of
the very basic need for housing and work,
which is a factor for every resident of Mount
Pleasant. Change is fine—but what kind
and at what cost? I’d like Mount Pleasant to
elect an MLA who supports progress that is
enterprising, equitable and compassionate;
someone who knows Chinatown, the
Downtown Eastside, small business owners,
the local Aboriginal community, the
neighbourhood houses, and our history. But
I don’t know who best fits that description.
m This 1939 photo taken by W.J. Moore
was snapped on city hall’s roof.
Editor's note: BC NDP candidate Melanie
Mark won the Mount Pleasant by-election.
20
Change that Works
MegaphoneMagazine.com
21