Former Vancouver Mayor Art Phillips Passes Away

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

A former mayor of Vancouver, Art Phillips, has passed away at the age of 82. Phillips is majorly renowned due to his supervision of a vivid change that took over the entire city, ranging from emphasize on building towers and freeways to quality of an ordinary resident’s life and classy urban planning. Even though he only spent four years in office, i.e. from 1973 to 1976, Mr. Phillips is commonly referred to as one of the most important mayors in the city’s history, as he is credited of handing over one of the most momentous changes to the city that took place under his leadership.

Mr. Phillips aided in a successful launch of a new political party, called TEAM, which was keen to apprehend citizens’ pent-up desire for political reform and greater community involvement. Once, Mr. Phillips, along with the TEAM, saved the Orpheum Theatre and the entrance to Stanley Park, while ending plans for waterfront and Chinatown expressways, and instead planted trees throughout the city, and launched the Property Endowment Fund, which began the transformation of False Creek from industrial to residential lands, and opened up city hall to citizen participation.

The president of TEAM at the time of Mayor Phillips’s tenure, Marguerite Ford, mentioned that “Vancouver was making all the mistakes of American cities,” and the “art changed the direction of the city. We wouldn’t have the city we do if he hadn’t been where he was, when he was.”A city planner hired by Mr. Phillips, Ray Spaxman, alleged that “major, major changes took place, including comprehensive urban design guidelines. He was also very people-oriented and compassionate, [and] reached out to communities.”