I got an e-mail from the publisher of Something Cool News asking my reaction to a planned fundraiser “Renewal of the Jewel” and comments by John McComb of CKNW’s “The World Today” on Stanley Park and homelessness. He called Stanley Park a “Jewel” and stated fixing it should be a major priority. When it was suggested by a listener that radio air time would better be spent on an issue such as homelessness Mr McComb’s reply was along the lines of “We did a whole week on homelessness on this station. How many shows on homelessness do you want?”
The publisher wanted to know what I felt about Mr McCombs attitude and about fundraising for the repair of Stanley Park since while I may be a passionate advocate on homeless and poverty issues, I am acknowledged as being objective, forthcoming and rational on the subject.
As I told him, I think that indeed it is important to aid Stanley Park recover from storm damage. The Park is described as natural and undisturbed old growth, leading to its description as a “Jewel”. I use the word aid deliberately. The damage from the storm is something that happens in the natural life of a forest and in due course the forest will heal itself as part of the cycle of life. But … such a self healing would be on the timeline of the trees of Stanley Park and on a plan that results from Nature, not man.
These calls for “repair” or to “restore” are about people’s wants and human hubris, because “we want OUR Park and we want it now”. It is not about Stanley Park. If it was about Stanley Park it would be about cleaning up the portions of the park – roads, causeway, paths – that give access to people to enjoy and commune with the park and letting the Park itself “decide” how, when and in what form it will heal and grow. If this is truly about maintaining the “spirit” or essence of Stanley Park then we must be willing to let Nature and the Park choose the HOW and WHEN.
I feel it extremely important that it is Stanley Park itself that dictates its growth and recovery; otherwise it will be no more than a very large garden or any other ordinary city park.
Still even doing a minimum to restore access and allow the Park to choose its own destiny will have costs and so I fully support the idea of a “Renewal of the Jewel” fundraiser. Especially since the funds raised may be needed for lawyers to protect the Park from overzealous human “friends”. Either way, a fund raiser of this sort seems a perfectly good idea for, hopefully, a sound purpose. Besides, as I rather snidely commented to the News a fundraiser such as this, while it would buy a good supply of Band-Aids for homeless issues, is not what is needed to fund programs to actually accomplish reductions in homelessness, addiction, poverty and a host of other related challenges.
Before I had the opportunity to formulate my thoughts on Mr. McComb I had the misfortune to see the Global 11PM news and their telethon. Seeing their self-congratulation on a telethon to raise money for Stanley Park left a foul taste in my mouth and granted me understanding of what is meant by “seeing red”. It is actions such as this that leave me despairing for the human race.
Several months ago in the Vancouver Sun Peter McMartin had a story about a church that was opening its sanctuary to those homeless who needed a safe place to sleep during the day. Included in this group were those who worked full time at night jobs such as cleaning office towers, but who cannot afford to rent housing in the very city they work in nor can they afford to live elsewhere and commute to work.
The church had accumulated a huge deficit and would continue to add to the deficit because they choose to live their faith and open their doors and hearts to those who needed help. Front page of the Vancouver Sun, a realistic need of hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps a million or two for a operating trust fund. Where was Global News that day?
Variety, the Children’s Charity; BC Children’s Hospital; a church in dire need because the pastor and congregation choose to live their faith; are worthy of a telethon. But trees? I just hope that there is someone at CanWest with common sense and clout enough to give everyone responsible for this display of thoughtlessness, bad judgement and a total lack of priorities the swift kick in the ass they deserve.
Although, it would appear that this lack of judgement and common sense is rife on the airways. “A major priority” Mr McComb? If you can look around Vancouver, at our province, our country and our world and consider, what is after all at its very root a bunch of trees, a major priority … well all I can say and/or suggest is that for you a major priority should be removing your head from where you obviously have it lodged.
The answer to the question “how many shows” is – as many as it takes. I am not advocating 24 hour homeless radio or television. But we have no hope of intelligently addressing the issues surrounding poverty and homelessness unless we can, over time, educate and get the public thinking about these complex and messy issues.
People can spend uncounted hours watching Jerry Springer, pseudo-news programs, televised poker or reruns. More hours listening to Mr McComb, Howard Stern and trash radio. They will spend hours, days even weeks arguing and thinking about the Canucks. But thought provoking programs on poverty, addiction or homelessness? Don’t wana see it, don’t wana hear it, most assuredly don’t wana to think… … … about it. Millions can be raised for trees, trendy causes, animals or politicians but people in need?
Maybe therein lies the lesson that Stanley Park has to offer us. On its own timeline, in its own fashion and in accordance with its nature the Park can, will and should be allowed to heal itself. But if we, as a society lack the wisdom inherent in this old forest, then a hundred years from now as the forest is invigorated by the changes that nature has wrought, camped out among its new growth will be the poor, the homeless and the other unwanted. A wise old Park watching over the same old human society, a society that itself remains still desperately in need of healing.