Defeated COPE councillors say goodbye

Most used their last council meeting to say gracious farewells, but one took a final shot

VANCOUVER Three years ago, Vancouver city council chambers filled with the sounds of jubilation and chants about the power of the people as the new Coalition of Progressive Electors council was inaugurated.

Tuesday, with five of the original councillors defeated in the recent election and their party divided in two, the outgoing councillors spent their last meeting expressing sadness, thanking staff, graciously praising the hard work of their fellow politicians and — in the case of Coun. Tim Louis — taking one last bitter shot at former colleagues.

Mayor Larry Campbell warned the future councillors they will have to govern the city while the difficult job of actually building the Richmond rapid-transit line and Olympic facilities takes place on their watch. “ It ’ s much tougher to build than it is to plan. It will be challenging, but we have a council and a mayor who are experienced.”

Coun. Ellen Woodsworth said: “This is a very sad day for me . . . It’s been kind of a roller-coaster ride, but I hope all of you will stand steady with what we started.”

Coun. Anne Roberts promised to be back at council carrying on political work, but from the community instead of city hall.

And Louis, in an oblique speech heavy with critical subtext aimed at Campbell and the Vision Vancouver councillors who split off from COPE, praised Coun. Fred Bass for teaching him to value the capacity to differ with people politically but to still work together.

“ He believed in celebrating those differences and not allowing the very negative and artificially bankrupt concept of forced conformity to be imposed,” Louis said, adding Bass was clear that the “sort of chain-of-command approach, simply does not work, cannot work. When it is imposed artificially by the Rasputins of the world, it will lead to chaos.”

Coun. Jim Green, who was narrowly defeated by Coun. Sam Sullivan in his bid for mayor and has avoided public appearances since, left before the speeches.

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