Early Morning Thought: Bob Rennie Gives Back, What Have You Haters Done

Dec 19 2017, 11:54 am

Bob Rennie, for those of you who don’t know who this man is check out this fantastic article by Matt O’Grady, in short he is Vancouver’s biggest condo marketer. Make no mistake this guy is a great marketer, some may call him a liar, not me, exaggerator maybe, but not a liar. Plain and simple this man believes in what he says and  he works his ass off every day to make this city a better place. Furthermore, he has given back to the Vancouver community over and over again. Born in East Van now a condo dweller he talks the talk and backs it up too. You may hate him because he’s rich and secretly wish you made as much as he did (APC pricks included) or because he is the main driver of this city’s condo market which has sent many fleeing to the ‘burbs. However, you cannot deny that he has done more than most to bring Vancouver up.

Call it boosterism, but I’d much rather have more people like him that believe in this city than people who do nothing but constantly whine and complain whilst using big words in an attempt to veil their own insecurities.

Recently, Bob Rennie opened up a new private art gallery in Chinatown, a neighbourhood most have neglected but not Rennie. He believes in the renewal so much that he even has his new office located in the same building that houses the art gallery. So I ask this, what have you (poverty pimps) done except further perpetuate the ghettoization of the DTES. Furthermore, these so called avengers of the DTES like to paint developers and the people that can afford market rate condo’s as some sort of evil force hell bent on eradicating the “lessor people”. Not true as the developers provide amenities and social housing and these “yuppies” you despise so much pay for most of the services via taxes, so tread lightly because your socialist bullshit is starting to wear thin on Vancouverites.

The sign on the gallery “Everything is Going to be Alright” is a welcome change from the APC rhetoric “No Homes, No Peace” that was once perched on top of a DTES building. Now is Bob Rennie setting up shop in hopes to push forth the gentrification and show other investors he’s a firm believer that Chinatown will get better, perhaps? However, I feel that neighbourhood needs some form of urban renewal from its current decrepit state. Look, this man came from a working class family living in East Van and has climbed his way up that ladder in life with good old hard fashioned work ethic. If you hate that, then I seriously think you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

Note: I don’t want the DTES to become Yaletown. I think it needs more density, continued social housing support and services mixed in with a healthy dose of market housing. Market housing brings in people with money who will then in turn support the small business located in the neighbourhood. End rant.

photo credit: Kathy Stillwell

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