City hall annoyed many people again in 2013. So much so that readers who participated in our Reader’s Choice vote selected the loud push back by residents against the city’s community plans as their top newsmaker of the year.
With final poll results counted Tuesday, 50 per cent of all participants in the poll chose the community plan protests.
The result is no surprise as 2013 saw neighbourhoods across Vancouver oppose plans to guide development in their communities. Residents in Grandview-Woodland were stunned to see highrises marked for their neighbourhood, and residents in Marpole were equally shocked when so-called “thin streets” were made part of the proposed plan for their area.
They organized quickly, formed alliances across neighbourhood boundaries and successfully forced the city to delay the plans in favour of more consultation.
Their rebellion was foreshadowed by the Courier when we chose rising neighbourhood dissent as Newsmaker of the Year for 2012, and their acumen at organization was likely reflected in our online poll.
The runner up for Reader's Choice vote was the surprise results of the May provincial election with 24 per cent of poll participant votes.
With Liberal Premier Christy Clark stunning the province with her party’s comeback, NDP challenger David Eby dramatically defeating Clark in her own riding and former civic politicians like Sam Sullivan winning a provincial seat, it’s a logical choice, and the reason it ended up among our top stories of 2013.
The Vancouver Park Board’s contentious year, the choice of the Vancouver Courier’s editorial team for Newsmaker of the Year, was third with 16 per cent of reader votes.
It was followed by the Musqueam’s historic win with six per cent and the city’s drug policy legacy at three per cent.
Thanks to everyone who voted and commented. We’ll do it again next year.
