I love a good rumour as much as the next person.
But in my line of work, I canāt fill this space with the a-little-birdie-told-me-that-this-person-or-that-person-is-going-to-run-for-mayor type of copy.
Unfortunately, I have to let the facts get in the way of a sensational story.
Although some civic politics junkies might lose their minds hearing that Trevor Linden, Christy Clark and Chip Wilson are serious contenders to become the Non-Partisan Associationās mayoral candidate, those same junkies can calm down because I just made that up.
Since Mayor Gregor Robertson that he will not seek a fourth term at city hall, the rumour mill has been operating 24/7 as to who will be Vancouverās next mayor. A lot of those names being tossed about are women.
Iāve come up with four: Tamara Vrooman, Katrina Pacey, Libby Davies and Adriane Carr.
So what Iāve done is something revolutionary in these new times for journalism. I reached to my right, picked up a banana-shaped piece of plastic, punched in some numbers on a plastic pad and waited to hear those four womenās voices in my ear.
Regular readers who read to the bottom of some of my epic tales learned a what city councillor Carr of the Green Party said about running for mayor; sheās not ruling it out. So letās get to some fresh news on what Vrooman, Pacey and Davies are up to.
Iāll begin with Vrooman, the CEO of Vancity, because she didnāt have much to say. In fact, her PR team sent me a good ole statement instead of lining up an interview.
āI am humbled that some people think I can make a positive contribution to public service, however, at this time, I am fully committed to Vancity and I will not be putting my name forward,ā she said in her statement.
On to Pacey, who recently announced she was leaving Pivot Legal Society after a 17-year run where she became a champion for sex workersā rights and won a landmark case in the Supreme Court of Canada. Why is she leaving? Must be because sheās running for mayor, right?
After all, former COPE councillor Ellen Woodsworth has taken to Twitter to campaign for Pacey to run. She was on CBCās Early Edition also calling for Pacey to run. Headline writers obsessed with 1980s pop band references were hoping it was true: Katrina makes waves, runs for mayor
So how about it, Katrina, are you running for mayor?
āI definitely had some conversations with people who have thought that might be something I was interested in and might be the direction my career was going,ā she said by telephone. āBut those are not new conversations in so far as the opportunity or the thought that I might enter politics has been something thatās been possible or, at least, contemplated for some time.ā
OK, but are you running?
āItās not something Iām doing or thinking seriously about right now. But I havenāt closed that door ā thatās for sure ā in terms of the future. But itās not this year. The answer is Iām not running for mayor or council this year.ā
That same day, Libby was good enough to take my call. Last time I spoke to her was about her retiring in October 2015 as the longtime NDP MP for Vancouver-East. I reminded her then that she ran for mayor in 1993 with COPE, which prompted my question about whether she was interested in doing that again.
Her response in 2015: āNo, Iāve had people raise that with me. But I would like to see a woman mayor in Vancouver, though. Isnāt it incredible that weāve never had a woman mayor?ā
Her response this week to the same question: āIāve certainly been contacted by a lot of people on Facebook and through emails and messages and what not. Iām certainly interested in whatās going to happen in the civic election, overall. I certainly want to play a role in helping to bring about cooperation on the progressive side of things. I think itās really important that we not allow an NPA council in Vancouver. So Iām going to work really hard to ensure that doesnāt happen.ā
OK, but are you running?
āIn terms of myself running, I think thatās very up in the air. Iām thinking about it just because people have talked to me. So I think itās important that I think about it. But I feel like my energy right now is directed towards helping to find a way, overall, that there is cooperation and a sense of agreement about how to move forward.ā
No matter who runs for mayor this year, both Davies and Pacey want the winner to be a woman.
Pacey: āMy conversations with lots of people in the progressive community, generally, have been surrounding, āHow do we get more women into politics and into those leadership roles?ā So certainly that would be very exciting. I would love to see a woman in that position. It would be wonderful.ā
Davies, reiterating what she told me in 2015: āItās quite something that Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³»has not had a woman mayor.ā
Seems hard to believe, said the white male journo, that Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³»has never had a woman lead city hall. Coquitlam, Victoria, Delta, Surrey, West Vancouver, Maple Ridge, to name a few, have all had women as mayors.
Maybe 2018 is Vancouverās turn.
Note: In next weekās print and online editions of the Courier, my colleague Naoibh OāConnor looks at that very issue of why Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³»has never had a woman in the mayorās chair. Itās a ripping read.
@Howellings
