Park board’s Coupar seeking NPA’s mayoral nomination
John Coupar chose a spot at the top of Vancouver to announce his desire to run for the city’s top job.
“We’re at the pinnacle of Vancouver and the geographic centre of Vancouver,” Coupar, a two-term Vancouver park board commissioner, told reporters gathered Wednesday outside the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park, 150 metres above sea level.
Coupar told the crowd how his father, the conservatory’s first director, instilled in him “an appreciation and a love for Vancouver that has led me to be up here today,” before announcing he’s seeking the Non-Partisan Association’s mayoral nomination.
“For the past years, I’ve been listening to Vancouver residents and I’ve been listening to them very closely, and I’m really concerned at the present priorities of the city, the uncontrolled spending and the lack of attention to basics,” Coupar said, before providing an example involving the park board.
“We have a situation where the spin doctors at Vancouver city hall have more than 40 people working in communications. We have just slightly more than 30 professional gardeners in the Vancouver park board for 240 parks. That is a shameful legacy of this administration.”
Coupar also highlighted a “lack of true consultation” at city hall, and concerns around affordability and livability, as top issues facing Vancouver.
Coupar touted his past successes in both business and politics. Coupar first waded into the political sphere a decade ago, when the park board of the day announced plans to close the Bloedel Conservatory to save money. Coupar helped found Friends of the Bloedel Association and spearheaded the effort to save the conservatory.
Coupar is also president of Novex Delivery Services, which describes itself as Canada’s first carbon-neutral delivery service.
“My green credentials are pretty strong,” Coupar said. “One of the reasons I joined Novex is because it fit with my core values.”
Coupar becomes the third candidate to announce plans to seek the NPA mayoral nomination, after first-term Coun. Hector Bremner and financial analyst Glen Chernen. Coupar’s public announcement notably included the support of some senior party members, including NPA Vancouver school board trustees Fraser Ballantyne and Lisa Dominato. NPA Coun. and caucus chairman George Affleck introduced Coupar Wednesday, saying his announcement would be “great for Vancouver.”
Affleck said afterward he’s endorsing Coupar because “no matter who the competition is, John is the candidate, I believe, who will take us past the finish line in October, and that’s what this is all about.”
“The negativity that exists in this city right now, the anger toward city hall, I think John could turn that around and make it more positive,” Affleck said.
Ballantyne added: “I’m endorsing (Coupar) 100 per cent. I’ve always felt he’s very trustworthy and has a strong base of integrity.”