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August 09, 2017

Vancouver's Pride Parade


The whole gang went. Well almost the whole gang: BT Mendelbaum marched of course. G. G. Blynn wheeled along, and Jim and Jeem went too.

A selfie with Morgan Oger.


The idea was to join our political leader, and the new premier, John Horgan, in the march. And we did, one way or the other.









Getting there was difficult. The West End was crowded with tens of thousands on the sidewalks and in the streets, making it especially difficult for G. G. Blynn to navigate. "Would ya keep up already!" exclaimed BT Mendlebaum, always helpful.







We finally got to our designated group only after Jeem was questioned by police for jumping over a barricade. And then we waited.... and waited. Our "float" was to join the parade at 12:30, and most of us arrived before noon. We waited, or most party members waited, until 1:20 before they actually took a small step.



Our gang, restless and fading in the heat, wandered off, to rejoin fellow New Democrats later, around the corner and down the street.











Jim's union.
What can we say about the parade? "No bagpipes. That's a problem," according to Mendlebaum. "Marching bands and marching soldiers would be nice" suggested Blynn. "It's not that kind of parade," said Jeem, as he looked up to see some people on a roof top. "Now that's where we should be!" and G. G. Blynn wheeled off to find an elevator.

Ever cool and smiling.


Thousands of people marched,  and several hundred thousands more watched, and our new premier received a fantastic response along the entire route.

Hedy Fry, a federal Liberal Party MP, was less well received though highly flamboyant. As usual.



Hedy Fry, MP.










G. G. Blynn never did find an elevator to a rooftop. BT Mendlebaum, our favourite lawyer (disbarred), handed out business cards. While taking photos Jeem backed harmlessly into a cyclist. That didn't go well, and there was more explaining to do with a nice constable from the VPD. Mendlebaum decided to represent her client and we all ended the day down at the station. For about four hours. "It's like going to Emergency," said Blynn.





And almost hidden, and certainly nearly forgotten, the homeless were present too. A reminder of the kind of the world class city we've become.



Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.

June 17, 2017

Battle of Ballantyne Pier ~ the pitch at In Tune 2017


On this day, one day short of the anniversary of the Battle of Ballantyne Pier, Sherry MacDonald and Earle Peach pitched their new musical at In Tune 2017, a showcase of new Canadian musical theatre, and its a presentation of Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver.

Sherry MacDonald, Earle Peach,
Kevin Armstrong & Jeff Hoffman. Waiting.



First of fourteen presenters, Sherry and Earle presented the opening number in their musical: The Battle of Ballantyne Pier. Called Life on the Hook, it's a loud and raucous number that celebrates men on the docks, in the middle of the 1930s: lifting, hauling, pulling, and all for scandalous pay and terrible working conditions.









Sherry introduces the musical's opening number


In 1935 the men on the docks had been striking for several weeks. They were being replaced by scabs, and on June 18, two thousand members and supporters of the fledgling union peacefully marched down Hastings. They were met by mounted police, teargas, batons and live ammunition. While The Battle of Ballantyne Pier, the musical, is not a historical piece, the events of this day in Vancouver's history provide the context for a powerfully dramatic story.

Earle Peach, Jeff Hoffman & Peter Boychuk





Performing with Sherry and Earle were Kevin Armstrong, Jeff Hoffman and Peter Boychuk. Sherry is writing book and lyrics for the musical, Earle is the composer. Local 500 of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada, the ILWU,  have expressed interest and support for the project.



 


Composer, Earle Peach


Sherry MacDonald is a writer and playwright, most recently having her work, The Seduction Theory, produced at FemFest in Winnipeg. Earle Peach is an activist, composer, musical director, and leads the musical group: Illiteratty.




Earle Peach & Jeff Hoffman







Photos by Jeem.
Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.




June 11, 2017

The balloon incident ~ April 15




It was the annual Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver. About 250,000 people attend every year. During an election year, this event is a grand opportunity to meet people, introduce yourself and your candidate, and possibly discuss issues of the day. Or so it seemed to me. Boy, was I surprised.






We showed up early in the morning to set up. Signs, banners, leaflets, and of course: the bright orange helium balloons for which my party is famous. Since Jeem was very early indeed, he got to put up his candidate's signs in the most prominent places.






It turned out we were too busy to talk with anyone. It was a non-stop balloon-making hullabaloo. Instead of engaging with voters, we had an assembly line trying to keep up with the frenzied demand for balloons, from thousands of people

And, how many volunteers does it take to blow up one balloon? I've often wondered about that question, and now I know.




Madeline Lalonde
 Candidate for Vancouver-Quilchena

We went through two tanks of helium and hundreds and hundreds of balloons. Several thousand in fact.

The candidates who showed up, including the leader, were enlisted to make, and hand out, balloons.

Kelly Green
Candidate for Richmond-Steveston






















Long after our candidates departed Jeem was pulled aside by some official event organisers who reminded him (he appearing to be the official representative for the BC NDP at this point) that we had been told a number of times over several years that balloons were not to be used at the Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver. "We want to be environmentally responsible, and helium and plastic balloons are not being responsible," they said with slightly raised voices. "Oh, I didn't know," was Jeem's reply, and that didn't go over too well. So...

"I think the Liberals are giving out balloons too," Jeem said. "Their tent is over there," as he pointed vaguely, in a westerly direction.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.