NPA three candidates shy of full school board slate

Cheryl Rossi, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Following its second nomination meeting in nearly four months, the NPA does not have a full slate of candidates to run for school board. It has six nominees for nine seats.

At the Sept. 13 nomination meeting, Heather Holden and Lakhbir Singh joined the four school board contenders appointed at the NPA’s initial nomination meeting in June. Acclaimed at that first meeting were Ken Denike, Carol Gibson and Clarence Hansen, who are incumbents on the school board, and Sophia Woo, a mental health clinician with Vancouver Coastal Health.

A seventh nominee, Joanne Pulis, was announced before the September meeting “inadvertently” said the party’s campaign co-chair, Paul Wilson. He said she withdrew for personal reasons.

The NPA seems to be running six or seven candidates for school board. It is a bit puzzling that the NPA is not able to find a full slate at this late date. I suspect that, unless they are intentionally planning to run a short slate, they will manage to put some bodies into the remaining two or three slots before the close of the nomination period. Here’s a review of what is being said online about the situation.

How many NPA school-board candidates?

It’s a bit confusing, since the news release that went out this afternoon listed newcomer Joanne Pulis as the party’s seventh candidate. That’s in addition to veterans Clarence Hansen, Carol Gibson, and Ken Denike, along with first-timers Heather Holden, Lakhbir Singh and Sophia Woo. But then I was told by a couple of people that Joanne may have to withdraw because of a family issue. She was not at the meeting. So now I’m not sure. Stay tuned.

NPA nominates more candidates

Three candidates were nominated to run for the Vancouver School Board: Heather Holden, Joanne Pulis and Lakhbir Singh.

Four candidates were nominated in June: school trustees Ken Denike, Carol Gibson and Clarence Hansen were renominated, along with Sophia Woo.

NPA council slate includes five women and a gay man :: The Hook

For School Board: Ken Denike, Carol Gibson, Clarence Hansen, park-board commissioner Heather Holden, Lakhbir Singh, Sophia Woo, and Joanne Pulis.

Local News Story

Heather Holden, Joanne Pulis and Lakhbir Singh round out School Board.

24 Hours Vancouver

NPA is for now also short three candidates for the traditional nine spots on the school board slate.

News1130 – ALL NEWS RADIO.

three new NPA candidates are running for the Vancouver School Board: Heather Holden, Joanne Pulis and Lakhbir Singh. Current trustees Carol Gibson, Clarence Hansen and Ken Denike were re-nominated in June, along with Sophia Woo.

Non-Partisan Association announces full list of candidates

School board candidates include Heather Holden, Joanne Pulis, Lakhbir Singh, Ken Denike, Carol Gibson, Clarence Hansen and Sophia Woo.

Who is the seventh NPA School Board Pick?

Having never heard of nor having never previously met the named 7th school board pick here are some possibilities as to Ms. Pulis’ identity. Please note that as with all web-based searches the information should not be considered accurate unless independently verified. Nonetheless, if this is the NPA candidate I do feel a bit concerned about their approach to school board issues.

CGA-BC Announces President and Board of Governors For 2007

Joanne Pulis, CGA, has been on the CGA-BC Board since 2004. She is a management consultant based in Richmond.

Testimonials

Pay Less Tax CGA Richmond Chapter 2004

“This seminar is of interest to all as it brings to light monetary opportunities for persons with disabilities and their families”

Joanne Pulis, CGA

Prayer Circle For Whales and Dolphins: Page 2
A Joanne Pulis of Richmond BC, is listed as a member of the prayer circle for whales etc which is described on the main page as follows: “From a mystical point of view, whales and dolphins, both members of the cetacean race, are said to have come from the Syrian system. They carry the living records of perfect harmony and balance, and work to hold the oceanic grids of the planet. Whales in particular hold a very powerful vibration of love and peace; they hold an expansive state of consciousness, which they emit into the waters of mother earth. All our cetacean friends are here to share their advanced consciousness and wisdom with us.”

Kanman Wong, a member of Vancouver DPAC and chair of the Churchill Secondary Parents Advisory Council is reported to have entered the race for City Council. I had understood for some time now that Kanman was interested but wasn’t sure that he would get his wish. All the best to you Kanman!

Frances Bula — vancouver city life and politics

I posted last night that I was wondering if the Non-Partisan Association would bring its 10th candidate up to scratch by this morning. They did, but not the retired police officer I’d been hearing rumours about. Instead, we got the news as we came into the NPA nomination meeting this morning that the the new candidate is Kanman Wong. Wong ran for the Conservatives in 2006 in Vancouver Kingsway but was defeated by, you guessed it, that noted Liberal David Emerson.

Read also comment by Irwin Loy.

The Report Card
J. Steffenhagen interviewed the minister of education on the Premier’s new project. The ‘Neighbourhoods of learning’ concept is one that VSB Super Chris Kelly has been promoting through last springs educational facilities review in the UBC/Dunbar area and it would seem was picked up by the province to frame projects in the Pt. Grey riding.

I had an interview today with Education Minister Shirley Bond about the Neighbourhoods of Learning project to be piloted in five schools, including two in Premier Gordon Campbell’s riding. I wrote a story for the paper but wasn’t able to include much from the interview, given time/space constraints. Here is the full meal deal, although – I hate to say it – I don’t think it sheds a lot of light.

Tim Louis going to go to battle against Vision/COPE deal

In case anyone had any doubts, The Tyee has extensive quotes from Tim Louis about how and why he’s going to try to negate the “co-operative agreement” that the parties have reached on slate-splitting.

24 Hours Vancouver

Aboriginal community leader Ken Clement says he wants to run for school board with centre-left Vision Vancouver. He believes he would be the first person of First Nations descent ever to be elected in the city’s civic scene.

“We felt it was time to have our voices heard,” said Clement, a member of the Ktunaxa First Nation near Cranbrook and executive director of Healing our Spirit B.C. Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Society. “There has never been an Aboriginal voice in city politics.”

Aboriginal activist to run for Vision :: The Hook

A long-time community activist hopes to become what he believes is the first person from the Aboriginal community to be elected in Vancouver city politics.

Ken Clement, executive director of Healing our Spirit B.C. Aboriginal HIV/AIDS society, will run for a school board slot with Vision Vancouver.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had an Aboriginal person on school board, park board or city council,” Clement said.

Clement said his candidacy is the result of meetings with executives from Aboriginal groups around the city.

“We felt it was time to have our voices heard,” he said. “There has never been an Aboriginal voice in city politics. I think the time is right for the Aboriginal community to step forward to present a lot of our issues.”

I had said ‘sells out’ school board, but thought it was, well, maybe too strong a statement. But it does seem clear that what I was afraid of is the case -Vision appears to be in fact more interested in controlling city council and the mayor’s office then they are in issues like public education. Throughout the year the executive advised the Vision Education Committee that the goal was a majority on all boards. When asked directly if school board would be traded for council seats the exec members who came to committee meetings hedged their bets and were evasive.

What has to be said is that the COPE negotiators have shown that they are experienced and know a thing or two about what is important. By working to establish a strong hold on School Board and extend their reach on Park Board COPE will be well positioned to move forward next time around. One or two council seats will keep them in the spot light (and also allow for the Gregor effect to wash across the rest of the COPE slate). It’s not a bad thing in the long run. COPE will have shown that it can stay the course, shape outcomes, and be the effective party of the progressive voice.

My admiration and respect goes up.

In light of these changes my earlier endorsements will have to switch. I had anticipated a short slate and named five Vision possibles that I would support: Luke, Bacchus, Vdovine, Clement, and Lombardi. To be honest, I’m not sure were to go on this one. I am going to wait until the Tuesday meet the candidate meeting to make up my mind. There are good reasons for all of these people. And no good reasons to remove anyone of them from the list. Its a shame that Vision brokered a deal to trade school board for city council and mayor.

From Frances Bula: Internal war breaks out among Vision candidates

The situation is ugly and tense, according to just about everyone I’m talking to, as Vision Vancouver members and candidates head towards the Sept. 20 vote for their slates. People are threatening to quit; Vision women are demanding a meeting with Vision leader Gregor Robertson; and there’s just a lot of unhappiness. What’s going on?

1. Robertson started calling candidates this weekend to tell them about the likely numbers negotiated for slate splits with COPE and Green Party. The multitudes of Vision candidates are supremely unhappy because it appears that COPE will get the majority of spots on the nine-spot school board slate, while Vision will only get a bare majority on the park board. That means even rougher competition than is already going on for the fewer spots now available. The numbers being put out: 8 Vision/2 COPE for council; 5 COPE/4 Vision for school board; and 4 Vision/2 COPE/1 Green for park board.

The NPA is still short three candidates for school board -unless they are only planning to run six candidate with the hopes of running up the middle between Vision and COPE.

2008 Candidates for Nomination – Vancouver Non-Partisan Association

The second 2008 Nomination Meeting of the Vancouver Civic Non-Partisan Association is being held on Saturday, September 13 to elect 5 candidates for City Council, 5 candidates for School Board and 3 candidates for Park Board.

Facebook | Desmond Rodenbour for VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD