A Maclean's Magazine feature story in late 1970 focused
on the social revolution that had erupted in Vancc-uver,
and the new thinking that banished freeways, revitalized
neighborhoods and threatened to take control of city hall.

Gary
Bannerman

This was the climate that
created Gastown, saved China-
town and put creative thinkers in
charge of every institution.

Maclean’s singled out threc
young leaders to symbolize the
Spirit. The first was Larry Killam,
the Gastown redeveloper, describ-
ed as ‘‘a carnivore among the
vegcetarians.”’ The second was
Skirtey Chan, a dynamic crusader
in efforts to save Strathcona.

But Maclean’s associate editor
Sandy Ross saved his best line for
a 27-year-old lawyer and former
athlete who seemed far too
thoughtful, friendly and polite for
the revolutionary role he aspired
to. Ross called Mike Elarcourt, a
gray flannel guerrilla.

I remember Mike in those days.
He was an eamest young man.
God was he earnest! Any question
would be rewarded by a long,
awkward and painful response,
laced with phrases such as social
justice, equality for all, and pro-
tecting the intrinsic worth of a
community.

The young Harcourt could easi-
ly have wor a position with a
large law firm. He always has
rubbed shoulders with the
establishment. Instead, he chose
to open up a storefront law office
in the East End.

**We'd take the cases Harry
Ramkkiec’s firm wouldn’t touch,”
he told me recently.

“*storefront,”’ he had moved to an
upper floor at 777 Hornby. A
skid-row rubbic then needed the
navigational skills of Vasco de
Gama ta find his lawyer.

It took me five years to teach
Harcourt kow to pronounce the
name of the ncighborhood he was
saving. To him, it was Strath-ah-
cona. They loved him anyway.

and

OPEN LINES

The Chinese residents never could
pronounce Lord Strathcona’s
name either.

The gray flannel guerrilla
became part of The Electors’ Ac-
tion Movement, the largely liberal
Shaughnessy movement to reform
city hall. He was detuched but en-
thusiastic.

Mike Harcourt is careful. He
meticulously prepared for his first
Vancouver aldermanic campaign,
cuaning and winning in 1972.

As the elections rolled by, he
became the most popular member
of city council. As he distanced
himself from Mayor Art Philips,
TEAM, subsequent Mayer Jack
Volrich and the NPA, he also
evaded the embraces of the NDP
and COPE on the left. He turned
down the early entreaties to seek
the mayoralty.

In 1980, he was ready. He ran
and won as an independent. He
was grateful for the endorsement
of the feft and centre-left parties.

Mike Harcourt was mayor for
six years, more popular at the end
than he was at the beginning.
He'd still be mayor if he had

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chosen to stay.

The provincial scene proved
more elusive. He lost for the NDP
in 1975 and 1979, before finally
winning in 1986. The leadership
was vir} sally thrust upon him.
There was no one else of
substance available for the shat-
tered party.

There is a myth that stalks
Harcourt everywhere he goes. It
has become conventional political
wisdom to say he opposed Expo.
The NDP leader has given up try-
ing to explain the truth.

In 1980, when Mayor Jack
Volrich and a Vancouver delega-
tion made its official bid to the
International Bureau of Exposi-
tions in Paris, Harcourt was runn-
ing for mayor.

He and his supporters were
worried that no thought had been
given to the neighborhoods that
might be plowed under to make
way for this fair. He had serious
questions about money.

He dispatched an unofficial
telegram to Paris urging the
Bureau to turn down Vancouver’s
application. Mayor Volrich, the
official representative, told
Patrick Reid to toss the telegram
in the garbage.

It never was presented.

Vancouver was awarded Expo.
Harcourt became the mayor. And
that was the end of the cpposi-
tion.

The city had many debates with
Expo planners about the Cambie
Street Eridge, Pacific Boulevard,
preservation of neighborhoods
and access to the new trade and
convention centre, but all these
matters were brilliantly done by
both Expo and the city.

City manager Fritz Bowers, city
engineer Biil Curtis, planner Ray
Spaximan, police chief Bob
Stewart and others deserved
trophies.

Mike Harcourt was an Expo
booster.

Sunday, October 13, 1991 - North Shore News - 9

flannel guerrilla

But who cares? He’s given up
explaining. And so should I.

He is infuriating to deal with.
There is no such thing as a hard
and fast atiswer. Harcourt is
pleasant, accessible, thoughtful,

intelligent, honest and dependable.

When you visit any of his
storefronts, there will be a
thorough analysis for your shopp-
ing list. You'll be so exhilarated
by ic all that you'll forget that
your basket remains empty.

The only satisfaction is the cer-
tain knowledge that your com-
petitors will be treated the same
way.

His agenda is one of broad
goals and consensus. He steers the
middle course between strong-
willed protagonists, and through
it, inoffensive progress is made. If
there is no conflict, Harcourt is
content to enjoy his job, himself
and everyone else,

Some weeks ago, a powerful
Socred expressed concern to me
for the province if Mike Harcourt
were to become premier. He
wouldn’t listen to contrary opi-
nion.

T tried a different tack. ! sug-
gested that it might be good for
the Social Credit party to have a
period in opposition to rebuild,
rethink and renew.

He replied: ‘‘The problem with
that is, I'm afraid that once Har-
court gets into power, he’ll be
there for a long, long time.”’

I smiled at this and said: ‘*What
does that tell you?”’

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He thought for a moment, and
then grinned: ‘'I guess it means
he’s got a few things going for
hirn, doesn’t it?”

Harcourt in power is just about
as comfortable as the favorite
sweater in your closet. It might
not be the one you wear to im-
press visitors, but it has its use.

For years Mike Harcourt would
walk around as mayor parroting
New York’s Ed Koch, asking
everyone he met: ‘“‘How am I do-
ing?”

Guerrilla, the storefront you are
looking for is just up the stairs at
the Menzies Street side of the
building.

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