Vancouver Reflections

While waiting for my food in a Gastown restaurant, I wrote the following impressions of Vancouver:

1. It's true. Canadians are nice. They even use "Sorry , Out of Service" signs on their buses (emphasis added).
2. Very few black or brown people.
3. Not many homeless people downtown. My cab driver said the Eastside "is famous for homelessness." I assume the police have expedited that phenomenon.
4. Most women wear no makeup.
5. The beach is fantastic, unlike any in San Francisco.
6. Stanley Park is more beautiful than Golden Gate Park.
7. I've seen few BMWs and no Lamborginis.

Noticing three articulate women at a nearby table, I asked them if I could share my notes so they could correct any incorrect statements of fact. They consented and we had a spirited conversation. It turns they work for a charitable foundation and had lots of opinions on my comments.

They agreed that Canadians are nice, but when I read my observation about not seeing many black or brown people, they curiously told me that 52% of Vancouverites do not have English as their first language.  When I restated that I had not seen many black or brown people downtown, they said Vancouver is a collection of neighborhoods, which include some with substantial black and brown populations. But when I consulted the Wikipedia, I learned that black and brown people constitute only 1% of Vancouver's population. Strange. Why did they not simply acknowledge that reality?

Concerning homeless people, their comments were extensive, for they work with a charitable foundation. They said the reasons include a commitment to provide sufficient shelters, income support, and social services. They insisted the police do not tell panhandlers to leave the downtown area.

I explored the Eastside, which is about a mile from downtown, and did see considerable visible poverty. I talked with people in that neighborhood about why there are so few panhandlers in affluent downtown Vancouver. Most people said it was because so few are desperately poor. But one individual said private security guards encourage panhandlers to go elsewhere. And one legal aid group is suing the city on behalf of a homeless man who kept getting arrested for sleeping outdoors because he considered the shelters too dangerous.

But the fact remains: I saw few panhandlers anywhere and little visible severe poverty, in a city roughly the same size as San Francisco. So I assume the social welfare policies of British Columbia and Vancouver are very supportive, which minimizes visible poverty.

This foundation of economic security likely contributes to the general cultural atmosphere. The town is remarkably peaceful, quiet, and low stress. San Francisco is mellow for the United States, but Vancouver is in another league.

My three consultants agreed most Vancouver women don't wear makeup. The one who was somewhat defensively said, "I didn't used to." Another commented, "We're granola."

Concerning the lack of fancy cars, they assured me I could find them in certain neighborhoods and I'm sure they were right. But I suspect less so than in the Bay Area.

Other observations:

1. A t-shirt that read, "Keep calm and carry on."
2. Many bus passengers would say thank you to the driver even when exiting the rear door.
3. Rapid transit trains have signs announcing the next station.
4. The buses post "Transit Rules" and "Transit Offences" and are very quiet.

One of my informants asked me if I would like to live in Vancouver. My immediate response was yes. But that night I saw "20 Feet from Stardom" about the history of black backup singers in popular music and realized that in fact I would choose San Francisco, for I value the direct and indirect exposure to and interaction with black and brown culture and people. Even though I get irritated by the noisy buses, the depth of passion I encounter is enriching. Vancouver is simply too homogeneous for my taste. The richness and diversity of the Bay Area deepens my experience and enhances my learning. It's home, sweet home.