Opinion: Vancouver has turned from love story to heartbreak

Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Adrian Crook, the author of the 5Kids1Condo.com blog, and a co-founder of the Abundant Housing Vancouver and Abundant Transit BC advocacy groups.

Over the years, I’ve been privileged to travel extensively, experiencing an array of cities worldwide. Yet, Vancouver has always remained a city that delivers an exceptional equilibrium of work and play, and an ideal environment for families. Its vibrant, diverse community, an ethos of social consciousness, and its captivating natural tableau have deeply endeared themselves to me. Beyond the majestic North Shore mountains and tranquil city parks and beaches, it’s the subtle nuances like the yearly burst of springtime daffodils and the practice of thanking bus drivers that truly stir my affection.

Guided by this affinity, I laid down my roots in downtown Vancouver a decade ago, dedicating myself to raising my five children in the vivacious heart of Yaletown.

Cherry blossom-inspired umbrella public art at Yaletown-Roundhouse Station. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

If you’ve ever crossed paths with my blog, 5kids1condo.com, you’d have experienced my first-hand account of navigating family life downtown. My chronicles have found their way into diverse avenues — from national television to local news outlets, even featured in the City of Vancouver’s own PowerPoint presentations on idyllic urban family living. That, however, feels like another time.

The vibrant hues of my city life are now tinged with disconcerting shades. The city I adore seems to have strayed from its comforting rhythm. The pleasures of urban living are increasingly marred by unsettling incidents.

Adrian Crook gives a tour of his home. (Youtube screencap)

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What used to be routine morning walks to the bus stop have assumed a chilling dimension. We walk past the site where a horrendous crime unfolded in broad daylight. A father, Paul Schmidt, met a fatal end merely for asking someone not to vape near his daughter. Having to explain such an appalling act to my children, while trying to reassure them that this is not the norm in the city they call home, is an overwhelming task.

Daily Hive

My mission has always been to nurture my children into responsible, compassionate, and confident individuals, traits that would serve them well in a lively city like Vancouver. But how do I ready them for the troubling transformation our city is undergoing? Beneath the bustling city life, a disconcerting fear lurks — the irrational fear of becoming the next random victim. This fear found a voice in a recent Research Co. survey that showed 72% of British Columbians aged 18 to 34 fearing they may fall prey to crime in their communities. The revelation was disheartening, yet not surprising.

Exacerbating our distress is the refusal by those in power to acknowledge the city’s troubles. Our elected leaders, whose lack of action has played a role in bringing us to this juncture, insist that everything is just fine, a notion blatantly at odds with the daily realities we witness. I have always stood for compassion, inclusion, and evidence-based policy-making. Yet it’s glaringly obvious that not everything is fine. The city I deeply cherish is in a state of disarray, a direct fallout of policy inaction, fragmented efforts, and inadequate governance. 

Despite it all, I continue to take pride in calling Vancouver my home. But the question that hangs heavy is – for how much longer?