Vision fills park-board and school-board slates minus Ian Waddell

by Carlito Pablo on September 21st, 2008 at 8:12 AM

Like some candidates who vied for Vision Vancouver's council slate, a number of contenders for the party's park-board and school-board formed minislates in advance of yesterday's nomination meeting.

One sample ballot for park board had it on the money. The flyer endorsed Sarah Blyth, Constance Barnes, Aaron Jasper, and Raj Hundal.

The four won park-board slots alloted to Vision under the deal cut with the Coalition of Progressive Electors and the Vancouver Greens.

Blyth is a founding partner of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition and has worked as a youth outreach coordinator.

Barnes, daughter of former NDP MLA Emery Barnes, has worked on various fundraising initiatives for local and international causes.

Jasper is a well-known West End activist who has fought for tenants' rights and to preserve St. Paul's Hospital in the neighbourhood.

Hundal is a political aide to Surrey North NDP MP Penny Priddy, who is not seeking reelection.

Former NDP provincial cabinet minister and ex-NDP MP Ian Waddell came fifth, which means his name won't appear on the ballot as a Vision candidate this November.

For school board, one handbill endorsed district parent activist Patti Bacchus, former teacher and British Columbia Teachers' Federation staffer Mike Lombardi, Helesia Luke, and Stepan Vdovine, a 23-year-old West End resident who was elected to the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school board in 2005.

This one came quite close. Lombardi placed second and Bacchus third whereas Vdovine placed fifth, only eight votes behind Ken Clement, an urban aboriginal man who attended a residential school.

Under the Vision-COPE-Green deal, Vision was permitted to nominate four candidates to run for the nine-member school board.

There will be a recount to confirm the fourth slot.

Incumbent school trustee Sharon Gregson, who moved from COPE to Vision, topped the slate. Gregson, a strong advocate of child care, attained some notoriety when she told CBC during her first term that she is a gun owner.

"It's a formidable team," Vision mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson told the Straight in describing his party's slates for park board and school board. "We're battle ready now."

Vision nomination results for park board:

1. Sarah Blyth 2,602

2. Constance Barnes 2,242

3. Aaron Jasper 1,999

4. Raj Hundal 1,963

5. Ian Waddell 1,738

6. Tony Kosivic 1,453

7. James Gill 1,261

8. Rob Wynen 983

9. Hadani Ditmars 834

10. Kevin Neilsen 788

11. Thomas Lockhard 389