2015: The year in quotes

We talked with a lot of people in 2015 — politicians, healthcare workers, athletes, musicians, body builders, even a piñata maker. Here’s a small sampling of the most compelling things people told us in the pages of the Courier this past year.

Seeking refuge

It’s like drinking from a fire hydrant of humanity.

Chris Friesen of the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. on the outpouring of donations and offers from people wanting to help refugees.

It’s just so horrible to be in a safe place but thinking about your family and your parents every single day and knowing that someday you might wake up one day knowing you might not be able to talk to them. I feel homesick every day.

Majd Agha, a 22-year-old government-sponsored refugee from Syria.

Civic affairs

I don’t look at it as some kind of crown, or whatever. For me, it’s just something that if I can be of help, then I will do something to help the NPA. That’s all.

Former NPA city councillor B.C. Lee on becoming the NPA’s president.

They’ve been very receptive and want to hear that independent health viewpoint on a lot of their decisions, but not all governments do that. But they’re still making the decisions.

Dr. Patricia Daly of Vancouver Coastal Health on the agency’s influence on city council in forming public policy.

I don’t believe she had intentions to retire. Refreshing leadership is necessary and I think — without pointing specifically to changes that need to happen — I think there’s an opportunity with new leadership to address some of those concerns around a more collaborative approach as a city.

Mayor Gregor Robertson on dumping city manager Penny Ballem, who was hired by Vision Vancouver in 2008.

She obviously played an important role in the Vision communications team, but I had no knowledge of her personal beliefs on fossil fuels. She was a great resource on our campaign but she has her own personal views and is working in Alberta now and felt compelled to express those.

Mayor Gregor Robertson on former Vision co-chairperson Marcella Munro declaring her support for the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal. 

I just wish they [CP] weren’t so greedy. I’m pleased that our city government is looking out for our tax dollar interests because I think the amount that CPR was asking is outrageous.

Gudrun Langolf, a long-time Marpole resident, saying she wouldn’t mind if the city bought the Arbutus Corridor land — but not at any price. 

The park board did not give us any assurance about programming. But I thought it was important to get the project going. It’s a leap of faith and our way of saying to the park board we’re willing to work with you.

Ainslie Kwan, president of the Killarney Community Centre Association, on signing an agreement with the park board determining the group has no claim to ownership of the centre or the land it sits on. 

I’m not at liberty as a trustee to confirm or deny anything that may have occurred or didn’t occur in camera. I just thought it in the best interest of the board, for the good governance of the board, that my stepping aside would be the right thing to do.

Vancouver School Board chair Christopher Richardson about his surprise decision to resign.  

This is your chance to not only acknowledge past dislocation and exclusion but to see to it that the black community that was displaced and the subsequent generations who have been impacted by that loss are thoughtfully consulted with the purpose of re-establishing a place for Vancouver’s black community.

Stephanie Allen, an urban studies master’s student at Simon Fraser University in a presentation to city council about the removal of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.

Right now, the drug dealers, the pimps and the exploiters have more command of the social system than does the social care system.

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth on the need for better services for aboriginal children. 

House calls

We’re just seeing our city disappear, so it’s my small attempt to capture some of this before it’s all gone. 

Caroline Adderson before the release of the book Vancouver Vanishes: Narratives of Demolition and Removal.

Vinyl windows. I continue to call them the spawn of the devil. They are a horrible thing to do to a building. Just awful for many, many, many reasons. Just don’t do it. Please.

Donald Luxton on one of his pet peeves about what people do to heritage buildings.

I guess my feeling is that if this was happening in Shaughnessy or Point Grey on a regular basis — the two or three times a year that these people seem to surface — I think there’d be a plan to say, ‘No, this is not appropriate.’

Tom MacDonald, a Grandview-Woodland resident, on an unsanctioned street party going ahead in his neighbourhood.

You tell me where the hell is affordability. Things have gone insane. So when they’re talking row houses etc., I don’t know where they’re going to get affordable homes when the new development at 25th and Ash where the Hobbit House is — [those] townhouses are going to go for a million plus.

Allan Biuim, of the Riley Park South Cambie Community Vision Group, on references to affordability in the staff report on phase three of the Cambie Corridor plan.

What’s missing is [people’s] realization that if you don’t have Internet at home or at work or you don’t work, then you are almost helpless in today’s society. It’s like you’re set back 50 years in terms of your capabilities compared to the average person.

Roland Clarke, one of the coordinators for the Downtown Eastside Street Market, on how difficult life is for people who don’t have access to Wi-Fi.

So, so far I’ve been very politically correct. I kept my mouth shut. I kept my head down. But I kind of think there’s a very interesting book here, one that I call, ‘Don’t be so f***ing hypocritical.’

Brian Jackson, the city’s head planner before he retired in November, on planners and academics who’ve been critical.

I guess we think homes should be lived in by people and if people do want to speculate, which happens globally now, it’s up to the government to get a public benefit out of that. 

James Macdonald, a contributor to the popular Beautiful Empty Homes Tumblr site, urging penalties on vacant homes.

I’m a third generation Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver, and somebody sent me an email saying, ‘I think this house is empty and I see an Asian guy in a suit in there and he must be the real estate agent or a foreign investor.’ And it was my house.

Coun. Kerry Jang on not jumping to a conclusion that a home is vacant.

Co-housing is the opposite of [a lonely existence]. It allows people to enter into a community of like-minded people where they can share all kinds of activities and they can be involved in events and [they] are able to create a family of their own.

Jack Brondwin, 68, on the appeal of co-housing.

We’re not against heritage, but in this particular case [we] have the sense that heritage is being used as a way to densify and get a more profitable outcome for the builder.

Dale Leibel, a Douglas Park resident, on a proposal for a multi-family development that would save a 1920s-era church.

You know, there’s reference here to climate change and so in aiming to be the greenest city, how are they embracing how we’re going to be the bluest city?

Shahira Sakiyama at a City of Vancouver open house about the planning process for False Creek Flats, commenting on how the city should incorporate or honour the historic site of the creek.

Sporting life

There’s only one champion. We take the silver, and I am incredibly proud of these boys. We’re back at it Wednesday to start the next season.

Jeff Gourley, head coach of the Tupper Tigers, speaking after a crushing loss at the AAA B.C. senior boys basketball championship final.

We will race the last stage of the Tour de France alongside the men on the Champs Elysees, in Paris. The women finally have one race alongside the men. That’s the next big goal for me.

Shelley Olds, U.S. national team racer who finished on the podium in every B.C. Superweek event, discussing her future plans after finishing third in the Gastown Grand Prix.

That woman doesn’t deserve to take that stick. International football ain’t easy, and Sinclair is giving everything, every single game. 

John Herdman, Canada’s national soccer coach speaking about team captain Christine Sinclair and the criticism she received in the Group Stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in June. In the first three games, she scored one goal on a penalty shot. 

I feel like I blacked out in the first 30 minutes of the game. I was on a mission today.

Carli Lloyd, FIFA World Cup MVP and U.S. captain scored the fastest hat trick in the tournament’s history to lift her side 5-2 over Japan at B.C. Place July 5. The U.S. led 4-0 by the 16th minute.

Turn ’em loose, boys!

Mike Reno, lead rocker from Loverboy, had this advice after he sang the Canadian anthem with Catherine St Germain before the opening of the Little League B.C. Championship at Memorial Park South.

I wore Wranglers and cowboy boots and a cowboy hat everywhere.

Jonathan Dieleman, a para-swimmer who grew up on a farm in Quick, B.C. and now lives in Vancouver, competed at the Toronto Para-PanAm Games in July. He calls himself the “prototypical cowboy.” 

Best money I ever spent. It wasn’t that hard, and he sold it pretty good so I’m laughing on the bench afterwards so I don’t think he’s too hurt. I wasn’t trying to injure him […] When I swing by, I got my stick active.

Brandon Prust, Vancouver Canucks winger fined $5,000 for spearing Boston Bruin Brad Marchand between the legs at Rogers Arena in early December.  

I’ll tell you clearly, it was Dave who brought me here. He’s the one who reached out to me, he’s the one who sold me on the potential and helped me see his vision and now I can safely say that it’s our vision. He offered me a chance to build the Laval of the West Coast.

Blake Nill, the head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds football team, speaking about 13th Man Foundation creator David Sidoo during the first day of training camp. 

If you build it, they will come. You have world-class facilities like this in a world-class city at a world-class university, we can only look forward to exciting days ahead.”

David Laing, director of Baseball BC, channelled the Field of Dreams in promoting the new baseball training centre at UBC. 

This is the fastest district in the province.

Simeo Pont, senior cross-country runner with Jules Verne secondary, speaking about the level of competition in the Vancouver Secondary School Athletic Association. He said five district racers could finish in the top 15 in the province at the B.C. championship meet in Nov. 7 at Jericho Park. 

The cruiser scene has kinda died out to a point, it was quite popular 10 to 12 years ago. Nowadays, kids are more into riding shitty old Apollo bikes but the appeal with the cruisers is that it’s fun and anybody can do it. It’s slow and easy, just roll along, chit chat, have a beer.

Long-time cruiser enthusiast Rod “Pappy” Kirkham. 

Gone to pot

We’re just trying to normalize the business practice here. We aren’t trying to regulate the product. That’s up to the federal government to do, but we’re trying to regulate the businesses like any other city would whether it’s hats or books or whatever.

Coun. Kerry Jang on city staff’s proposal to regulate marijuana businesses and marijuana-related businesses.

If Parliament decides that marijuana is going to be legal, and it’s going to be regulated in some way, for example, like liquor, well then we can easily adapt to that and I think the city will be in very good shape.

Vancouver police Deputy Chief Doug LePard on the legalization of marijuana and the city’s decision to regulate illegal marijuana dispensaries.

I just want to say to the dispensary operators that I thought many of you were completely tone deaf  to what was the fundamental issue here in front of this council, in terms of neighbourhood protection and so on. There has not been a consistent record of good neighbourly behaviour by the dispensaries in this city and that’s what drove us to make the steps that are in front of us now. We saw an exponential growth in the number of dispensaries, which were clearly heading their sales towards children, which were clearly undermining the viability of business districts.

Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs to pot shop owners who spoke at a public hearing regarding the city’s proposal to regulate illegal marijuana dispensaries.

Politically speaking 

So when you look at who to vote for in an election, which is only part of what you should do in politics, you’re talking about triage. Let’s alleviate the maximum amount of suffering that we have the power to do. Let’s not pretend that we can create paradise on earth if we pull the right lever and we fill in the right circle… It’s really just a crappy first past the post English system designed by bad people. 

Singer-songwriter and accordion player Geoff Berner discussing his begrudging election endorsement song “Probably NDP.”

I’ve had to work in complex environments and deal with issues. And the approach I’ve taken, and have been known for, is being a bridge builder and working with many diverse interests and approaches and seeking to try to forge consensus. 

Jody Wilson-Raybould on being prepared for her now job as the Liberal MP for Vancouver-Granville and Canada’s justice minister.

Humans of Vancouver

It’s difficult to sell a one-hour documentary about something that happened 70 years ago that doesn’t include a Kardashian. 

Morgan Elliott, executive producer of a documentary about the last two airworthy Lancaster bombers that served in the Second World War. 

After all of my work with Honour House, I am proud to wear this uniform. I want those men and women to know I am here to serve them.

Allan De Genova, Honourary Lieutenant-Colonel to 15th Field Regiment, who founded Honour House, a home away from home for Canadian Forces personnel, veterans, first-responders and their families while receiving medical care and treatment in the Metro Vancouver area. 

He’s all I’ve got.

Tellier Tower resident Rob Dumas speaking to the Courier about his multi-coloured Shih Tzu named Chico for a story about the importance of the relationships between residents from the Downtown Eastside and their pets. 

It’s not a trade or an exchange. The idea is that however it would be useful to you that is how you can participate. We find homes for abandoned objects that would otherwise go into the landfill, particularly stuff that people value but they can’t use anymore, they just don’t want to see it go to the Salvation Army or anywhere.

Julia Higgs, founder of the East Side Free Store, where everything is free for the taking. 

It’s like a category of people that’s totally hidden, what they do. There are lots of stories and romantic ideas about sailors and being at sea, but actually, it’s not that romantic.

Artist Elisa Ferrari after returning from a three-week artist residency at sea on a ship.

I make a living wage and I think everyone else should, too.

Gloria Roque, a teacher, at a demonstration in support of the City of Vancouver adopting a living wage.

It’s about reclaiming these aspects of yourself so that you don’t carry forward with the confusion and the haze and the fog that allows you to be a victim or vulnerable. Until you own that rage, you never have your body back.

Singer-songwriter Frazey Ford about her song “Season After Season,” which deals with abuse Ford experienced as a child. 

The more people we have around us, the safer we are in the world. My dream for this project is to build as many connections for these young people — safe, good connections — where they can work through the trauma of having not had housing or not being accepted in their family of origin, so that they’ll never be homeless again.

Aaron Munro, community development manager for RainCity, which teamed up with B.C. Housing to launch a LGBTQ2S youth housing project.

Regardless of what you think is going to come out of your pen or your computer, pick a number [of words] and write to that number every day, and never, ever stop and go, ‘Well that sounds dumb, I won’t write that.’ Just keep writing because some of the most brilliant ideas come out as you are writing.

Vancouver principal-turned-mystery writer Iona Whishaw.

I think all trustees felt that for the savings that we would find in, really, downloading the maintenance costs to the users, we would lose far more than that in morale and goodwill.

Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus on why the boarded nixed a plan to charge teachers and other school staff for parking.

Vancouver is for sure an extremely diverse city with a lot of interesting people in it, but perhaps not enough cross-pollination. We want science and art to meet. We want South Asia and Europe. It doesn’t mean that you find an easy common ground, it means that you actually explore if there is good friction.

Sirish Rao, artistic director and co-founder of the Indian Summer Festival.

I like how he tells the story of the war. And the part when Hitler dies.

Grade 4 student Roshin Sandhu following a presentation as part of the Memory Project at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre on Hastings Street during which Ernest “Peter” Bone spoke of his time serving with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. 

It’s going to be like Boxing Day at Wal-Mart. I’ll probably be pushing down old people who get in my way.

Negroni cocktail enthusiast Colin Bradley discussing the eventual end of Vancouver’s months-long Campari shortage.

They taste a bit nutty but they don’t taste like much. Crunchy. The legs and wings get stuck between your teeth. That’s interesting.

Marc Lieberman, Mink Chocolates owner and creator of the drink “Don’t Bug Me,” which features free-range crickets sprinkled on top.

Don’t just pass graffiti art as not an art form because it’s a stepping stone. It’s a stepping stone for many graphic artists that are worldwide now, for many digital artists, and musicians, and hip hop artists. This is an art form and an expression, just like any other. Give us the space and the time to do it.

Graffiti artist Joel Alaouze

The language is filthy. It’s amazing, many of the actors have young children and they’re like, ‘It’s so hard to turn it off when you leave the rehearsal hall.’

Rachel Peake on directing David Mamet’s 1984 Pulitzer-Prize Glengarry Glen Ross with an all- female cast. 

Their influence is really everywhere and even if you don’t like them, what they did is bring attention to Canada and Canada’s music machine. They don’t even get that credit, which is crazy to me. If four dudes had done that, they’d be on our f***ing dollar bills — if we had dollar bills. 

Author Andrea Warner on Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain and Sarah McLachlan, the subjects of her book We Oughta Know: How Four Women Ruled the ’90s and Changed Canadian Music.

People have an unadmitted sadistic feeling towards puppets, they want to see them suffer.

Old Trout Puppet Workshop co-founder Judd Palmer on the popularity of his troupe’s show, Famous Puppet Death Scenes. 

I see them as neighbours that just don’t happen to be humans. How we treat these cats can tell us a lot about ourselves.

Writer and photographer Jordan Matthew Yerman who’s taken 2,500 photos of feral felines in cities around the world. 

[I had] to dress up as Tourism Nanaimo mascot ‘Nanaimo Barney’ — literally a huge, fuzzy Nanaimo Bar that smelled of despair and broken dreams — and endure occasional gut punches by some jerky little kid. 

Local actress Elizabeth Bowen on her most humbling acting gig of her career thus far. 

If I do continue to compete, it will be a consideration, which is something I never thought I’d say out loud. When I was fatter, I had great boobs. I miss my boobs. I still have the bags they came in… 

Writer-turned-bodybuilder Jenn Farrell discussing the possibility of getting plastic surgery. 

It’s made my experience better because I know now that it has nothing to do with me… and that other people are experiencing it too, and also that it’s going to make good material for my blog, too, if I respond in a funny way.

Hannah Maté, who started the blog Hey Sup Girl?: Celebrating the Real S*** Dudes Say on Online Dating.

What pays my rent is businessmen. I make a lot of the CEO of a company, like white, bald dudes in suits… If your boss already owns his Rolex, he owns his yacht, what do you buy a guy that has everything? A custom piñata of them.

Custom piñata maker Meaghan Kennedy

Not wanting to miss out on a big celebration, I decided to make my 99th the ‘Big One.’ You never know at this stage whether you will reach 100.

Centenarian Janet Shier, a resident of Cavell Gardens retirement community who was recently awarded the 2015 Let’s Embrace Aging Passionately (LEAP) Award from the B.C. Seniors Living Association. 

I feel very lucky to be at my stage in life and to be able to do very good, sophisticated dancing with good choreography. Sometimes I pinch myself and just think I’m going to be performing in the Rothstein Theatre — that’s pretty cool — with 28 of my good friends and family there to watch.

Retired B.C. Supreme Court Justice Donna Martinson, who joined the Razzmatap dance troupe in 2002 when she was 52 and her 17-year-old son told her to get a life. 

My brother-in-law worked near there at a gas station, and he heard it was closing. So he went by and they were pulling up the wooden dance floor in long slats and going to throw it all out. He bought it all off it. He took some of it for his cabin in Point Roberts and we got the rest of it for $35. We did our whole basement floor with it. 

Mildred Henderson, 92, who outfitted her basement with floorboards of the Danceland Ballroom before it was demolished in 1965.

You get up and say, ‘This is it, this is the last day.’ And to have all this, with family and friends and the luncheon, it’s quite a way to go out. I didn’t think this many people liked me.

Rick Caulfield on retiring after 47 years as a barber in Kitsilano.

I still sing and I’m still blowing my horn, playing the saxophone and clarinet, which is good for the diaphragm. And I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle. I walk a mile every day and I still take singing lessons.

The soon-to-be 98-year-old bandleader Dal Richards speaking on his longevity.