The work, produced by a civic official who represents the local municipal government, is emblematic of an important type of public space: a dialogic ‘zone’ created by a public spokesperson whose very role, age-old, is to challenge assumptions, ask critical questions and to prod and poke at dominant discourses. 

Vancouver is a city where the intersection between art and politics is all-to-often reflective of a shyness and a desire not to rock the boat. However, in this case Mr. Cran has lifted the oars, pulled the rudder, and steered us into delightfully turbulent waters. Good work!

Naturally the City government has been trying to put a bit of distance between itself and Mr. Cran who, late last week, announced he wouldn’t be participating in the Olympics cultural celebrations because of what he claimed was an “attack on free speech” by VANOC. That being said, the City’s Poet Laureate is doing exactly what he ought to be doing. That is: speaking his mind. 

Regardless of whether or not you are for or against the Olympics, this is something of which we can all be proud.

2010 Handbook for Entering Canada

by

Brad Cran

Are you bringing any fruits or vegetables into Canada?

Have you visited a farm in the last 30 days?

Are you now or have you ever been a member of a group that disagreed with government?

Do you intend to ride the zip line?

Do you approve of product placement in movies?

Do you like my uniform?

:: Read the rest of the poem here.

The event has also been recorded by VPSN member Lenore and will be on our website over the next couple of days.

In the course of the evening, a set of 15 brainstorming scrums took place, and we invited community members to give their thoughts on how to deal with the sticking points. Materials from these sessions is being used to develop a brief report and presentation – a portion of which will be presented to City Council on December 12. This is the date of Council’s “Special” session dealing with the recent announcement around Supported Housing. This meeting seeks to gather public input on the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and Province about the creation of new social and supported housing….

More information on the Report and how you can be involved:

Check out our Civil City webpage: www.civilcity.ca.

Not only is this an opportunity for the public to provide much needed support for the initiative, but it is also an opportunity to provide encouragement for a more proactive approach to housing issues.

Anyone can make a presentation at this event. For those of you who also wish to make a deputation please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 604-873-7276. Tell them that you want to be added to the speakers list for the session in question. It’s best to do this sooner rather than later.

When making a presentation of this sort, it helps to ground your comments in the immediate issue at hand, namely the MOU. You can view this document, and other relevant reports and background materials at the BC Housing website.

They’re also available on our www.civilcity.ca webpage, in the “Housing Backgrounder.”

Note: Link to Housing Forum webpage has temporarily been disabled.