Campbell gets Cooking!

Gordon Campbell was elected to the Vancouver city council in 1984. From 1986 to 1993, Campbell served as the city's mayor.

There were some notable projects that were accomplished during Gordon's time in civic politics. The area of Yaletown was transformed from an industrial area with run down buildings slated to be demolished to make way for parking lots into the trendy, residential/work district with some of the coolest lofts I have ever seen. (I have only seen them on the Internet when the unit is up for sale but some of them are quite impressive.)

Expo lands were developed during this time as well as the foundation of the Coal Harbour residential area. However, one of the most significant projects of his term was the construction of the new Vancouver Public Library. Gordon also served as chair of the Greater Vancouver Regional District and president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

Here's a photo of Gordon Campbell which I got from Wikipedia.

The last three photos are of the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library. I took these photos and they appeared in a November 2011 entry of this blog.

Gordon Campbell became leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party in 1993. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly the next year in a Vancouver-Quilchena by-election.

In the 1996 election, Campbell was elected to the Vancouver-Point Grey riding, a position he held until 2010. Thanks to a fundraising scandal in the NDP, the Liberals entered the 1996 election leading in the polls. When the votes cast and counted the NDP did manage to retain enough seats to continue a majority government, but the Liberals gained 16 seats and won a slight majority of the popular vote.

In May of 2000, Gordon joined forces with Michael de Jong and Geoffrey Plant to bring a court case against the Nisga'a Nation, the Attorney General of Canada and the Attorney General of British Columbia - parties to the first modern day Aboriginal Treaty in British Columbia known as the Nisga'a Final Agreement. Campbell and his colleagues felt that the treaty was "in part inconsistent with the Constitution of Canada and therefore in part of no force and effect". Justice Williamson ruled that the legislation did "establish a treaty as contemplated by Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. The legislation and Treaty are constitutionally valid." Therefore, the application was dismissed.

Things were brighter for Campbell the next year. In the 2001 election, the Liberal party defeated the NDP, taking 77 out of 79 seats. This made B.C. history since it was the largest majority of seats and the second-largest majority of the popular vote. (I assume that means won in an election.)

 Thanks to Wikipedia for the information on Gordon Campbell. On Friday, I will look at Campbell's terms as Premier.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, NDP, history, Treaty, Yaletown mayor, Expo, politics,Nisga'a Nation,