Pro Stadium? Please read.

[johnnybluenose]

Does this post look ominously similar to the one dutch received!?
Pretty frustrating...

Hello John,

Thank you for your recent message regarding the construction of a new soccer stadium on Vancouver’s waterfront. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me about this issue.

As your Mayor, I am completely supportive of this initiative. In addition to personally championing the stadium during several meetings in Ottawa, I have encouraged Council and city staff to expedite our approval process once the negotiations between the Port and Whitecaps are complete.

Prior to this recent round of negotiations, our government expressed our openness to constructing a new soccer stadium on City owned land outside the downtown core. However, the Whitecaps preferred a waterfront location.

Building a new privately funded soccer stadium is entirely dependent on a complex negotiation between the federally controlled Port of Vancouver and the Whitecaps.

While I share the frustration of many fans, I am hopeful that these negotiations will prove fruitful and that this proposal can come back to Council for approval in short order.


Sam Sullivan
Mayor
City of Vancouver
Tel: (604) 873-7621
Fax: (604) 873-7685

[Johnnie Monster]

Yep, I received the same one too.

I'm writing again to insist for a proper answer to the questions.

[johnnybluenose]

I asked again for him to not speak out both sides of his mouth, put down the politicko speak and answer the three pointed issues.

[dutch13]

Another somewhat dissapointing response from my local MP, seems he wont be of much help in personally in this issue:

Thank you for your email in support of the negotiations between the
Vancouver Port Authority and Mr. Greg Kerfoot and the Vancouver
Whitecaps.

I can assure you that Transport Canada and the Minister's office are
working with the port authority in support of its negotiations with Mr.
Kerfoot.

Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,
James Moore MP
Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam

[johnnybluenose]

Write him back and ask him what his stance on the topic is, and if he is Pro-Stadium, if he is willing to be a champion for the cause or a cheerleader (which means he wants it, but will just sit on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs hoping others will work it out)

[trece verde]

James Moore? Naaahh...

He's just hoping to stay out of any controversy and get re-elected on taking credit for the Federal funding for the Evergreen Line...

Not really "champion" material...

Be interesting to hear what some of the Vancouver MPs/MLAs have to say for themselves (yes, Dude, even the NDP ones aside from your gal-pal Libby). I'm sure that there will be at least one interesting form letter from Adrian Dix in there somewhere...

Vote 4 Dude's hair,

Trece

[BlazeArmy]

Originally Posted by trece verde

Vote 4 Dude's hair

IT may be pretty to look at but where does Dude's hair stand on all the issues?!?!?!

Who has given him money etc....

I demand action from Dude's Hair if he is elected.

[Dude]

I can not control the actions of my hair, and take no responsibility for it.

Below is the 3rd letter I've send off in a mass e-mail. Yesterday I sent one out and copied all the MPs. Here it is:

Vancouver and surrounding area MPs,

I am writing you as a concerned Canadian Citizen who loves the Beautiful game of soccer, but frustrated with the current state of our game in this country, and asking you as an MP in the Lower Mainland Area if there is anything you can do to help advance the Vancouver Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium Project.

As you no doubt are aware, The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club has been on the record as willing to PRIVATELY finance and proceed with construction of a soccer specific stadium located in the Vancouver Gastown area.

As a Canadian, it deeply concerns me that a crown corporation could very well stand in the way of a private business person who has offered to build a world class facility that the public can enjoy and be proud of. The economic and social impact of this facility are well documented. Yet, for some reason, there doesn’t seem to be any political strength behind this business person championing his cause. On the outside looking in, this situation seems ludicrous, especially when facilities like BMO field in Toronto can be approved, built, and put into use with three levels of PUBLIC financing inside the time this project has been held up by several levels of political red take.

I selected you for this mailing list because you are an MP that resides in the area of the Province that will benefit most from the proposed facility. As politicians acting in your citizen's best interest, I fully expect that you should be supportive of this project, and do what you can to help push this through. It simply makes too much sense to not be supportive.

As it is, we know as Western Canadians we can’t expect to receive the same level of public funding as the effort behind BMO field. That being said, when a Private Business person is being impeded from moving forward with a project with such high public value, and our Federal politicians aren’t doing anything to publicly help the cause, one can argue that these same politicians have not acted in the best interest of the Canadian Citizens.

I am asking you to please do something- ANYTHING- to help this cause. If you are not doing anything about this, then why not?


Thank you,



~Mike Meade
Citizen of Langley, Burnaby Based Business Owner.

I sent this to the parents of my son's team, plus other friends / neighbours / familly:

Parents / friends / people with interest in soccer,



I am writing you as a concerned Canadian Citizen who loves the Beautiful game of soccer, but frustrated with the current state of our game in this country, and urging you to help in any way possible to try and advance a cause that is common to us all: making it the best it can be.



As you may or may not be aware, The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club has been on the record as willing to finance and proceed with construction of a soccer specific stadium located in the Vancouver area. The intent of the stadium, among others, is to be the home of Whitecaps FC teams, as well as a suitable BC based host venue for International caliber games, and World Cup Qualifiers. The Whitecaps are also on the record as stating that it is their desire to have their club playing in the top Professional league in North America, which is widely considered to be the MLS. The MLS has expressed a strong desire to expand to Vancouver, with the major stumbling block being the lack of a suitable facility.



Soccer in this country was never stronger at both an international level and grass-roots level than it was in 1986, when Canada qualified for the World Cup. The competitive level of play, training, and preparation that our team required to qualify for that tournament was due mostly to the fact that the core of the squad had been playing in the North American Soccer League, which folded due to financial mismanagement in 1984. Despite the league folding, the success of Canada’s Senior Men’s team was largely credited to the NASL, where our best players could get the level of competition they needed to be world class players.



Since 1994, the United States has become an International Power in the game, while Canada’s teams have slowly slid down the FIFA standing, failing to qualify for every World Cup since 1986. There has not been a strong domestic league in Canada since the NASL folded; our best players are forced to either play overseas at the lower divisional ranks, or quit the game at the elite level and get real jobs. Meanwhile, the MLS in the United States has provided a strong domestic league, that compensates its players well enough to make a living, and allows the core of American elite players to compete at home at a fairly high level.



The MLS has proven its value as a competitive league, but Canadians are still restricted from playing in US Cities due to import ratios. The only team w/ out import restrictions is Toronto. Realistically, Canada needs three MLS teams to make a significant impact on our elite international competitiveness. Montreal is imminent. In Vancouver, the opportunity is slipping away due to a Crown Corporation standing in the way of shovel hitting the ground. Again, the proposed Waterfront Stadium is to be financed PRIVATELY! Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot OWNS THE LAND!



What does this have to do with your kid playing at the house club level? Everything!



Follow the dominos…the better sports are run at the highest levels, the better they are at the grassroots. The benefits to our youth players is a very long list, not to mention the benefits of our city gaining a world class facility without spending public money. The trickle down effect from having the Whitecaps playing in the MLS will mean an increase in their revenues, and flow down to an increase in both their boys and girls development programs.



I am asking anyone who has just a bit of passion about this as I do to please SPEAK UP, and petition our politicians. Send your local MP, or all the relevant MPs (as I have), a letter demanding they put pressure on the Crown Corporation to work in good faith w/ the Whitecaps and move this project forward.



Some key contacts who I'm sure will love to hear from their you:



 Lawrence Cannon: Minister responsible for Transport Canada, which oversees the Port Authority that is presently stonewalling the land transfer with the Caps. Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca



 David Emerson: MP for Vancouver Kingsway & current Federal Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver–Whistler Olympics. emersd@parl.gc.ca





Also, following is a list of Vancouver Area MPs (Liberal and Conservative members selected only):





Abbotsford

Ed Fast

Fast.E@parl.gc.ca



Delta-Richmond East

John Cummins

Cummins.J@parl.gc.ca





Langley

Mark Warawa

Warawa.M@parl.gc.ca





Newton-North Delta

Sukh Dhaliwal

Grewal.G@parl.gc.ca





North Vancouver

Don Bell

Bell.D@parl.gc.ca





Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam

James Moore

Moore.J@parl.gc.ca





Richmond

Raymond Chan

chan.r@parl.gc.ca





South Surrey - White Rock - Langley

Russ Hiebert

Hiebert.R@parl.gc.ca





Vancouver Centre

Honourable Hedy Fry

Fry.H@parl.gc.ca





Vancouver Kingsway

Hon. Emerson, David

Emerson.D@parl.gc.ca





Vancouver Quadra

Honourable Stephen Owen

Owenwen.S@parl.gc.ca







Vancouver South

Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh

Dosanjh.U@parl.gc.ca





West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast

Blair Wilson

Wilson.B@parl.gc.ca





Many thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope you can lend your voice to the cause.





~Mike Meade

I will not be insulted if anyone poaches portions or all of my letter(s). Go ahead and cut N' Paste. If you coach, send this to every parent.

Let's get the snowball rolling! Make your voice heard, and encourage others to do the same.

[Dude]

Upon re-reading, I am finding grammar errors here and there, so if you poach, be sure to edit. I've done this on the fly and from the heart, so accuracy is not the best, but it gets the point accross.

[Regs]

Dude, nicely done.

I'm just starting my 'coaching' career but sadly the parents of my players are in their 70s and probably don't give 2 you-know-whats about a stadium - how do I approach them?

[Dude]

You send it anyhow.

You aren't going to get everyone on board. Many may fire back their own political objections, and you may hurt someones feelings. But, one, two, or three may write letters. One may send it on to all their friends, and get another coach on board who will distribute to their team.

It's all about creating the snowball, and making it big. Our only voice is to raise awareness, and hope that a public bombardment to these MPs raises the political value to them so they can see the point in championing it. At the end of the day, they do what is right for their pensions, and that means winning votes- but they need to be pushed.

In fact, I'm going to fire this to Spiro right now to see if he'd have any objection petitioning his coaches to do the same.

[FriendsofSoccer]

Great letter, Dude!

If it's ok with you, I'd like to post it to the Friends of Soccer site. It's the best example of grassroots action I've seen so far.

Also, feel free to use anything from the Friends of Soccer site. It's there as a resource for everyone.

There's a stock reply I usually use when faced with opposition...trust me, changing their minds is a waste of time and energy. It usually goes along the lines of "Thanks for your e-mail / letter / obscene phone call... obviously, we disagree. However, the public have spoken and there is overwhelming public support for the stadium. I hope you'll examine the same facts about the issue and join us."

Cheers,
Bill Currie
Friends of Soccer

[Dude]

Yeah, no worries.

[suburbanator]

I didn't have much time to prepare a letter but I fired this off anyhow to about 25 people that I thought were relevant including my contacts with a couple of the local papers what handle our soccer news and reports. Thanks for the inspiration guys. Nice work Dude.

Chad

To Whom it may concern,

In regards to the ongoing Vancouver waterfront stadium project I would ask that you take the time to read my comments.

I strongly urge you all to use what powers you may have to assist the apparently rail-roaded stadium project. It appears to be tied up in political tape, despite most of you declaring that it is "out of your hands". I believe this to be untrue and if in fact you are worried about offending some of your voters in the downtown area, I believe you have grossly underestimated the quantity and dedication of your voters who are also supporters of the soccer community. I also believe you have grossly underestimated the impact professional sports has on our amateur sporting world, and ultimately our Children.

According to a February 7th 2008 Article published on the statcan.ca website (2005 General Social Survey), the most popular sport in Canada for 8-14 year old children is Soccer. The decline in popularity after the age of 14 certainly has ties relating to the media and professional exposure. In the business world we call this marketing, in your political world we call it campaigning. In any genre you need to do something to create exposure, Youth Soccer counts on Professional soccer just like you count on your billboards, television ads and public appearances to help you promote your name.

We are currently circulating the discussions with as many facts as we can regarding this matter to all our membership and colleagues in the various soccer organizations around the lower mainland. Langley United Men's soccer strongly supports the building of a new soccer stadium and encourages you to take charge of this situation.

My personal agenda is not political but that of a sports fan, long time coach, and more importantly as a father of two children that play youth soccer. I am not going to get into the ridiculous business side of the stadium argument, but let me say as a business person myself I am disheartened by watching the whole thing unfold. It reminds me that not only does Vancouver have a reputation of being a No-fun City, it is also a tough place to try and do business. I highly doubt that is the reputation you want for your city as we move forward into tougher economic times.

Please consider my comments and those of the many other people you are no doubt hearing from. Please do not claim that it is out of your hands. Clearly I can do something about it by writing to you today, If you are not the person that can make something happen, then you should do your part and contact the people that will. If you have not, then you have not done your job. If you stand against the stadium project then you should say so, don't hide behind the port authority. If you support it, take a stand and let's make this happen.


Sincerely,


Chad Spurgeon
LUFCA - Secretary
Langley United Men's Soccer Association

[Dude]

I love it Chad- that a nice piece of writting!

Keep the snowball growing!

Utah, Ranger, Billyboy...I sent you all e-mails. Get something out to the parents. Utah- please cut and paste, otherwise it will appear as you typing w/ your nose. We can't have that.

[utah]

Fack off! I'm busy.

[knvb]

I got letters like this when I was in grade 6 too. "If you forward this on to 10 of your friends and they do the same we will set a new world record (for biggest group of losers no doubt) and you will have good luck and good fortune. Do not break the chain... "

Have your manceptionist call my people...

[suburbanator]

Originally Posted by knvb

I got letters like this when I was in grade 6 too...

If you had carried on to Grade 7, then you' be able to read the letters as well

[suburbanator]

Originally Posted by Dude

I love it Chad- that a nice piece of writting!
,.

I got two responses so far, both wanted me to confirm my address as they only "dealt with matters concerning their own constituents"

[Dude]

Originally Posted by knvb

I got letters like this when I was in grade 6 too. "If you forward this on to 10 of your friends and they do the same we will set a new world record (for biggest group of losers no doubt) and you will have good luck and good fortune. Do not break the chain... "

Have your manceptionist call my people...

Chicken shit.

It's like the "cool card" we all carried around in High School. You're either too cool or too concerned w/ what people will think if you pull a finger out and try to lobby for a cause.

That, and apathy. Too many people like to watch from the outside instead of doing a little bit to help.

You can't tell me that you are opposed to either the Sadium, or the possibility of the MLS coming to Vancouver, and you would be lying to me if you thought an MLS franchise here wouldn't help raise not only the profile of the game, but the competitiveness on all levels. Young Dave Hleucka would have provided a left nut for the opportunity to play MLS.

But hey...meh.

On a positive note- Shark Club @ 3:30 for pints. Be there. You too Utah. Lock the kids in the closet w/ a bag of crackers and a pee bucket.