Who is going to make it past the nominations fight to represent Vision Vancouver, COPE, and Green Party for city council, school board, and parks board?

It's going to be tough. There are 17 Vision candidates and 5 Cope candidates positioning for 8 Vision spots and 2 COPE spots for City Council.  Assuming that the incumbent councilors David Cadman, Raymond Louie, George Chow, Heather Deal and Tim Stevenson all get in, – that leaves 13 Vision candidates for 4 spots and 4 COPE candidates for 1 spot.

Here's the deal as reported in the Globe & Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080909.wvancouver0909/BNStory/National/home
Mayor – 1 Vision
City Council  – 8 Vision 2 COPE = 10 total
School Board – 4 Vision 5 COPE = 9 total
Parks Board – 4 Vision 2 COPE 1 Green = 7 total

Frances Bula has a list of all the candidates for all the parties, including NPA, on her blog site State of Vancouver: Frances Bula on city life and politics

The best surprising story is the Green candidate for Parks board is included in this slate. 

Stuart Mackinnon has run for the Greens in past elections.  He is quoted in the G & M article:

“Personally, I am pleased that we've been recognized as a force in
civic politics,” said Stuart Mackinnon, the Green Party's park board
candidate.

“And Vision is running the greenest mayor we've ever had. Gregor Robertson could be a Green Party member.”

While 5 COPE candidates scrap for 2 seats on Parks Board, and 6 Vision
candidates battle for the remaining 4 seats, Mackinnon is assured of
his spot on the COPE/VISION/GREEN slate.

Stuart
Mackinnon with musician Michelle Carlisle of the Halifax Wharf Rats, at
Kilts Night event – 1st Thursday of each month at Doolin's Irish Pub –
photo Todd Wong

I am proud to say that Stuart Mackinnon is a 2 year member of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  While on the team Stuart has been exposed to all sorts of issues such as cultural diversity, paddling on sewage threatened False Creek, the importance of water front park land for dragon boat festivals, as well as Chinese-Canadian and Scottish-Canadian histories. Much of which was already close to his heart.

Stuart loved paddling so much in his first weeks last year, that he was inspired to start up a junior dragon boat team for Killarney Secondary students where he teaches as a special needs teacher.  The team won silver medals in their division in their rookie year at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival and has matured tremendously and improved in performance in its second year.  Stuart and I are now preparing the 2009 team, with early planning for practices this fall.

It's been an honour to be welcomed into Stuart Mackinnon's life and become his friend.  He is an inspiring figure to his students, and those around him.  Last year, he led a delegation of teachers to China and gave an address about Norman Bethune, the Canadian doctor so revered in China.  Stuart is thoughtful, respectful and diplomatic.  He does his research, and he is passionate about his issues and beliefs.

I have learned a lot from Stuart about city politics over these past two years.  Through Stuart, I have also gotten to know his good friend Andrea Reimer, who is running for a Vision Vancouver nomination for city council.  Andrea was the first elected Green candidate tp a school board when she became a Vancouver School trustee in 2002. 

I have given an endorsement for Andrea Reimer's website, as well as for Raymond Louie, Meena Wong, Ellen Woodsworth, and Kerry Jang

Good luck to all the candidates… but especially to Stuart Mackinnon and the Green Party.