Surrey Refusal to fly Pride Flag denies local business hundreds of thousands in economic benefit. #holycow #missedchance #ferriswheel #surrey #bcpoli #canpoli #pride #itsrasodetime

What’s the Cost to Surrey of not Flying this Flag?

Today we have an excellent piece written by special guest blogger,Martin Rooney,detailing the economic impact of not flying the Pride Flag in Surrey.

So we have had the conversation about the social impact of raising and flying the Pride Flag at Surrey City Hall; (the statement that Surrey is open to the GLBT business community, that Surrey is embracing of the GLBT community by offering space that might facilitate an ever-growing youth population that is intolerant of labels and so on..) that has apparently fallen on deaf ears.
So now let us take a look at the potential economic positives of embracing flying the Pride Flag and fully embracing the Pride Festival and see if this was to be weekend of events how it could potentially have a positive impact on the city, its businesses and taxpayers…….
New West raised and flew the Pride Flag during the Olympic and Paralympic games on a city flag pole in unison with the National outpouring of support for the GLBT Athletes in Sochi .New Westminster has a fourth flag pole referred to as a friendship pole which is located just east of City Hall in Friendship Park. The City Council has totally embraced NW Pride, closed off Columbia Street for the Festival Day and many local businesses are sponsors/partners of this years Festival. Anticipated economic impact to New West is expected to be north of $500k according the President of Royal City Pride.
Prince George Annual Gay Pride Celebrations across North America are used as major tools to generate economic activity while promoting a right culture and a safe and inclusive community for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirited, Queer and Questioning citizens. While in major city centres like Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto etc. are much more likely to see more tourism and local economic activities based on size and location, places like Prince George are in a uniquely different situation and often have to work smarter to create more activity. The Prince George Pride Society has worked very hard to bridge the gap between local businesses and local government as a means to move forward plans to use the Gay Pride Celebrations to generate more economic activity. The positive relationships that have been formed with local business such as Topaz Bead Gallery, SHAGG Romance Enhancement Centres, the Ramada Hotel, etc. have all benefited directly from the ongoing support of our Mayor and Council. ” Due to the nature of our local economic industry drivers and the diversity that exists within a smaller centre like Prince George we recognize that the economic and social success aspects of the Gay Pride Celebration are not mutually exclusive to one relationship or another. In fact it is only from the successful and positive relationships between local government, businesses, labour unions, and other service agencies that the Pride Celebrations in Prince George has survived and flourished over the last 18 years. While the actual economic impact has not been analyzed at this point, we know that these relationships would not have been continued if the economic relationship was not successful”. (Valentine Crawford – PG Pride)
Victoria and other cities hosting Pride have not surveyed the record of economic impact known at time of writing; there was no need to, it is however apparent that positive economic impact occurred as these cities continue to host Pride events. Trina Mousseau (Tourism Victoria) reports that there is a huge positive economic impact to embracing Pride in Victoria. People frequent local bars, stores and spend money, as they are having fun. The Legislature flies the Pride Flag as does the city and down by the inner harbour. Quote “The Pride Parade has significant economic impact to Victoria. It is a day where thousands of people fill our streets, restaurants and shops, spending money while showing their support for our vibrant LGBTQ community.”
Vancouver flew the Pride Flag in support of the Sochi Athletes and flies the Pride Flag at City Hall, has banners throughout the west end, has side walks painted in the rainbow colours, and this year on the “flag island” at the foot of Davie and Denman, is flying 6 trans pride flags and 6 rainbow pride flags. This is the first year that Vancouver Pride Parade has become an official civic event and the estimated economic impact to the Vancouver economy is $30 M according to the VPS General Manager Ray Lam – yes MILLION generated over week-long celebrations. Attendance at the Parade in 2013 was some 500,000 people line the route.(source Global TV). Vancouver is also advertised worldwide as a tourist destination for GLBT Travel.
A historic first for North America with Toronto having just hosted the first ever World Pride in North America. Despite the lack of support both visible and apparent from Mayor Rob Ford. the scenes of Canada’s largest city embracing millions or people from across the Globe proud of who they are, was amazing. There was also a human rights conference attached to the World Pride events,
The economic impact of the willingness to fly the Pride flag on municipal flag poles and embrace Pride Parades and/or festivals has served many Canadian cities well. Imagine the potential economic impact of Surrey Pride if the city was to embrace the Flag and look at placing the festival to “open” Fusion Festival week. Holland Park would be full two weekends in a row, and the economic impact could be astounding to the local businesses.
So what is the city of Surrey doing to embrace a potentially large positive economic impact of Pride to its residents?
Refusing to fly the Pride Flag and “sponsoring” the Pride Festival to the tune of $1,000! yes $1,000 does not send a positive message to the Pride and business communities in Surrey or around the world for that matter.
Whether it be a 4th flag pole or amend the recent flag Protocol it might be advisable to take a proactive approach and live the motto – “The Future Lives Here”.

Rumor Du Jour-Surrey Municipal! #bcpoli #surrey #canpoli

A new slate at Surrey City hall?

Heard this past week in Surrey is talk of a new slate to be put together in time for the November Municipal elections.

As the story goes the new slate would be headed by mayoralty candidate Barinder Rasode.

Her slate would take on the invincible Surrey mayor Dianne Watts.

Apparently the Mayor is not so incincible with the lack of police and the recent Surrey hockey Mom Murder.

Watts has done a great job in her tenure as Mayor but so has Rasode in her role as a councilor.

I met her last week at the Surrey Women’s Center.She was excellent and would be a good mayor too!

It would also be good for the city to have some strong competition for Watts come the election as the last election was a cakewalk for her and her slate and a lot of people didn’t even bother to vote.

It also adds fuel to the fire of the other rumor drifting around Surrey.

That would be Watts leaving to run federally for the Conservative party.

Heard any rumors? Drop me a confidential line through the contact page and I’ll dig around and report what I find.

Christmas Langley Surrey Style! #Surrey #Langley #bcpoli #canpoli

Another quiet day in the Hood, Not!

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you are all releaxing enjoying the day.

Meanwhile, a scant few blocks from my home and right where my daughter was kind enough to go to Timmies and get me a coffee, the cities of Langley and Surrey celebrated the festive season as only they can do, with a special down home touch.

I’ll let Cheryl and Dave of the Vancouver Province tell the tale for you.

There were no reports that a fat guy in a red suit was anywhere near the scene and no coffee was spilled on the return home.

Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas to all!

Rumors Eh! BS more like it. Surrey mayor Watts denies rumour she is gunning for Conservative leadership

It must have been a slow news day at the Surrey Now what with them running a figment of somebody’s imagination about the Mayor of Surrey gunning for BC Conservative leader John Cummins’s job.

Not only that,you would think with all the shootings in Surrey ( as recently as today),the Now would have better choice of words than gunning in the headline.

The rumor this writer hears is that the B.C. Liberals, in an attempt to salvage their party, are said to be reaching out to the Mayor to replace Christy Clark who has lost traction with the voting public.

That would be like asking a different ships captain to hop aboard the Titanic and replace the existing one after the boat has started to take on water and tilt.

Not gonna happen either,not even in the Now’s wildest imagination.

THEY PULLED THE STORY

SURREY – If Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is planning to bump B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins out of his job, nobody has bothered to tell her about it – or Cummins, for that matter.

Asked about a rumour that she’s seeking Cummins’ job, Watts responded with laughter.

“I haven’t even given it any thought,” she said Tuesday. “If there’s not a rumour started by 10 o’clock, better start one,” she laughed.

The rumour was news to Cummins, too.

“I hadn’t heard the leadership is up for grabs,” he said Tuesday. “As far as I know, there’s no movement afoot to replace me.”

A recent Angus Reid poll indicates that while the B.C. Conservative Party has gained some ground (up one percent, to 19 per cent) in popularity, Cummins’ popularity had dropped by a point.

According to the poll, NDP leader Adrian Dix enjoys 26 per cent of the vote in the “preferred premier” category, up seven per cent since November, while Liberal Premier Christy Clark has dropped three points to 22 per cent, Cummins dropped one point to eight per cent, and Green Party Leader gained one point, to three per cent.

The polling company interviewed 800 British Columbian men and women between Jan. 27 to 29. The poll results have a margin error of plus/minus 3.5 per cent.

tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com

Read more: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/Surrey+mayor+Watts+denies+rumour+gunning+Conservative+leadership/6115223/story.html#ixzz1lkARWAt0