Monday, June 05, 2006
Vancouverite of the Year: Larry Campbell
Who's our new mayor? He's a lot of things to a lot of people.
By David Beers
Vancouver Magazine
January 2003
Scene: Election night, 2002, 7 p.m. Larry Campbell needs to shake reporters chasing him around. He wants an intimate moment with his soon-to-be-predecessor, Philip Owen, who is dining with a small circle of friends and family in the restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel. So Campbell pulls a floppy fedora low over his eyes, melts into the crowd, and pops up all alone at Owen's table. He lingers long enough to enjoy a glass of wine and a warm exchange. "I worked undercover for seven years," Campbell says. "I know how to blend in."
That's Vancouver's new mayor. The man of the moment who is Everyman. The shining star who can wink himself invisible. Is there a more post-modern politician than Larry Campbell?
He is, after all, the candidate whose campaign buttons urged ŒDaVinci for Mayor.'
He is the TV character voters found more authentic than his real-life opponents, the dandy dresser who identifies with the ragged poor, the former drug cop who wants to make it safer for addicts to do drugs. A famous joker, he's the one the voters took seriously - even after he misheard a question about leaky condos, and told a church hall full of voters: "Leaky condoms! What a disaster!"
Mayor Campbell, the lawman who waxes nostalgic for dens of sin. Mayor Campbell, the Olympics enthusiast whose referendum may sink the Olympics.
He's the avuncular speechifier who - when out of sight during the election - was said to seethe with anger at NPA tactics. He is a "bully," says a former underling at the coroner's office. He is a "cowboy" according to Jennifer Clarke. He is "a great, great man and a total collaborator" says a colleague on DaVinci's Inquest, "and he knows how to give a great gift. He gave me a bath bomb from Lush. Chocolate. He told me chocolate was his favorite bath bomb."
He makes his home in toney, lightly populated Point Grey. He vows a more densely developed Vancouver including Point Grey - which makes him the people's mayor whom a developer might love even more than the NPA.
He is the pragmatic populist who's surrounded himself with staunch ideologues. He is, says one political advisor, "a natural born leader type who seems like Venus springing fully born out of the seashell." And yet, says the same advisor, "everything he's done has led up to being mayor."
He is the seasoned pro who ran a tight council meeting first time out, ousting a sign-waving protester and daring to cut fellow COPE councillor Jim Green off in mid-attack on the Olympic bid corporation. He is the newby who marvels that his office has a shower. "Looks like it's been used three times!"
He is the outsider Jennifer Clarke never saw at a City Hall meeting. He is the king of the West whose meeting schedule, on a December visit to Ottawa, filled to overflowing with Liberal ministers eager to meet the new national celebrity.
Scene (well known to all by now, like a famous shot in a feel-good flick), Election night, the moment of victory:
Larry Campbell, thronged by ecstatic supporters, draws a roar of approval by shouting, "I don't know about you, but suddenly Vancouver seems like a much more fun place to be!"
That's Vancouver's new mayor. The guy who studied dead people. The guy who charmed his city to life.
Who's our new mayor? He's a lot of things to a lot of people.
By David Beers
Vancouver Magazine
January 2003
Scene: Election night, 2002, 7 p.m. Larry Campbell needs to shake reporters chasing him around. He wants an intimate moment with his soon-to-be-predecessor, Philip Owen, who is dining with a small circle of friends and family in the restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel. So Campbell pulls a floppy fedora low over his eyes, melts into the crowd, and pops up all alone at Owen's table. He lingers long enough to enjoy a glass of wine and a warm exchange. "I worked undercover for seven years," Campbell says. "I know how to blend in."
That's Vancouver's new mayor. The man of the moment who is Everyman. The shining star who can wink himself invisible. Is there a more post-modern politician than Larry Campbell?
He is, after all, the candidate whose campaign buttons urged ŒDaVinci for Mayor.'
He is the TV character voters found more authentic than his real-life opponents, the dandy dresser who identifies with the ragged poor, the former drug cop who wants to make it safer for addicts to do drugs. A famous joker, he's the one the voters took seriously - even after he misheard a question about leaky condos, and told a church hall full of voters: "Leaky condoms! What a disaster!"
Mayor Campbell, the lawman who waxes nostalgic for dens of sin. Mayor Campbell, the Olympics enthusiast whose referendum may sink the Olympics.
He's the avuncular speechifier who - when out of sight during the election - was said to seethe with anger at NPA tactics. He is a "bully," says a former underling at the coroner's office. He is a "cowboy" according to Jennifer Clarke. He is "a great, great man and a total collaborator" says a colleague on DaVinci's Inquest, "and he knows how to give a great gift. He gave me a bath bomb from Lush. Chocolate. He told me chocolate was his favorite bath bomb."
He makes his home in toney, lightly populated Point Grey. He vows a more densely developed Vancouver including Point Grey - which makes him the people's mayor whom a developer might love even more than the NPA.
He is the pragmatic populist who's surrounded himself with staunch ideologues. He is, says one political advisor, "a natural born leader type who seems like Venus springing fully born out of the seashell." And yet, says the same advisor, "everything he's done has led up to being mayor."
He is the seasoned pro who ran a tight council meeting first time out, ousting a sign-waving protester and daring to cut fellow COPE councillor Jim Green off in mid-attack on the Olympic bid corporation. He is the newby who marvels that his office has a shower. "Looks like it's been used three times!"
He is the outsider Jennifer Clarke never saw at a City Hall meeting. He is the king of the West whose meeting schedule, on a December visit to Ottawa, filled to overflowing with Liberal ministers eager to meet the new national celebrity.
Scene (well known to all by now, like a famous shot in a feel-good flick), Election night, the moment of victory:
Larry Campbell, thronged by ecstatic supporters, draws a roar of approval by shouting, "I don't know about you, but suddenly Vancouver seems like a much more fun place to be!"
That's Vancouver's new mayor. The guy who studied dead people. The guy who charmed his city to life.
# posted by Larry @ 1:41 PM 
