From embarrassment to pride: #VancouverCleanup @VancouverClean
I responded to the call from a group that sprung on Facebook and Twitter (@VancouverClean). I had a meeting with the Invoke team for our City of Surrey project, and headed down right after. I had a number of conversations with people who were volunteering helping. I got talking with the folks who helped me clean up the area where I was working on (I spent a bunch of time on Richards between Georgia and Dunsmuir). Everyone was so happy about the overwhelmingly positive response to the call to clean up. Lots of youth were, and are still helping clean around (people from all ages, but in general, A HECK OF A LOT OF YOUTH).
I was chatting with a couple of girls who were maybe 13 or 14 and they both said “wow, this is embarrassing, what were these people thinking”. Others said “well, we were horribly embarrassed by what others did, but we can totally rebuild our city, and this is our city and we’re taking it back”. I felt an incredible sense of empowerment. I bumped into a number of people, Myke Ames and Spencer Chandra Herbert notably, with whom I chatted for a little while.
I was interviewed by Komo News (Channel 4 I think, Seattle) and I mentioned that I was completely overwhelmed and happy about the strong response to the call to clean up our city. By the time I got to the operations centre (which by now should be closed) where City of Vancouver staff were directing people and offering brooms, bags, etc., they were already saying “I have no clue where to direct you – so much of the city downtown core has already been cleaned and we have had so many amazing volunteers”.
Everywhere I walked, people said “thank you for cleaning up” and I did the same to anyone I bumped into. This collective sense of civic pride made my eyes well. A lot of people were emotionally overcome by the messages of healing, compassion and pride. So many people were writing on The Hudson’s Bay’s plywood boards, just expressing their love for our city, and their outrage at the rioters.
I feel so incredibly overwhelmed with pride. These people, everyone who helped document what was happening, who tried to help identify the rioters, everyone who cleaned up our city, and everyone in general who helped not destroy but rebuild our city, you make me proud and I thank you.
For every one rioter, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of great and generous citizens who truly love our city. We can’t let the rotten apples spoil the bunch. We can’t let the media depict our city based on the deplorable actions of the few. We, as a people, must demonstrate that there is far more good in this city than there is bad. Kudos to all the people who volunteered. Thank you.
Great post – I wish I could of been there to help clean up. This is a true representation of what Vancouver is – not last night.
Thanks for doing this and posting Raul. It helped restore my faith a bit. I’m in England right now and the riots made BBC News. I’ll spread the word that there is a counter-movement to the appalling behaviour of many last night.
Thanks for leading one of many charges to take our city back, Raul. And for spreading the word on what you witnessed the day after. Hopefully, THAT is what will make history, not the riot. Vancouver has such a positive and open-minded culture, which I hope will focus on the effect and not the cause. Thanks again….
I hope that more of these types of posts go out. I am trying to come to terms with what is happening in the aftermath. It is hard to reconcile everything that is happening.
This is an amazing story Raul. Many trees were damaged during the riot on Wednesday. Today, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is donating $15,000 to the City of Vancouver for tree planting, repairs to green space and bike lane planters.