Peter Ladner
Encyclopedia
Peter Ladner is a former Vancouver
city councillor, first elected as a member of the Non-Partisan Association
in 2002 and re-elected in 2005. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Vancouver in the 2008 Vancouver municipal election
.
The NPA's electoral platform suggested that, as mayor, he would focus on reducing crime, improving housing affordability, leveraging the 2010 Winter Olympics
, protecting the environment, advancing the city's arts and culture sector, and working collaboratively with senior levels of government, community groups, and the private sector. His campaign has also emphasized the importance of experience and fiscal prudence during an economically tumultuous time. The NPA's core message was distilled to the promise of "a safer, greener, more affordable, more internationally competitive Vancouver."
, a prominent Canadian law firm, Peter Ladner grew up in the wealthy Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver
. His ascendants also originally settled and gave their name to the community of Ladner
, British Columbia
. He briefly attended the nearby St. George's School
, before graduating from the prestigious Shawnigan Lake School
on Vancouver Island, and proceeding on to the University of British Columbia
where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
in Sociology and a Master's Degree
in Urban Planning
.
Ladner joined the Vancouver Sun as a journalist after university but was fired in 1969 when he quipped publicly that many Sun staff smoked marijuana. He later worked at newspapers on Vancouver Island and was editor of the Victoria
alternative weekly Monday Magazine
from 1981 to 1986. He has written for The Globe and Mail
, Canadian Business
and Saturday Night
.
Peter Ladner founded the weekly newspaper Business in Vancouver in 1989 and continues as Business in Vancouver Media Group's vice-president. With a weekly readership of 60 000, Business in Vancouver is branded as Vancouver's leading source of business news, targeted at senior decision-makers. It is responsible for several prominent recognition events including the Top 40 Under 40 awards and the Influential Women in Business awards. Business in Vancouver Media Group also publishes Green Space magazine, which focuses exclusively on sustainability business opportunities, initiatives and challenges.
Ladner has served on the boards of the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society, Leadership Vancouver, the International Centre for Sustainable Cities, the University of British Columbia
Alumni Association, New Media BC, the International Association of Area Business Publications, and the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs. He participated in the Vancouver City Planning Commission, the capital campaign committee for Vancouver Public Library
and the Central Valley Greenway.
Ladner is a long-time environmentalist
, healthy living enthusiast, and advocate of the smart city concept of using technology to make government more efficient and effective. He blogs about issues of sustainability
and civic governance in Vancouver and elsewhere on his website.
, Ladner was a director of TransLink and is currently vice-chair of Metro Vancouver, the Regional District. He has been vice-chair of the Metro Vancouver Sustainable Region Initiative and a member the World Urban Forum Committee. On City Council, he formerly chaired the budget committee and is a member of committees on transportation and traffic and planning and environment. He is also a member of the Vancouver Economic Development Commission.
During his time on Vancouver City Council
, Ladner has been a sustainability and liveability advocate on issues such as transportation, green buildings, energy use, and waste reduction. He championed greenhouse gas
reduction, setting a goal of making Vancouver carbon neutral
by 2030. An avid cyclist, Ladner commutes by bicycle, is Council Liaison to the city's Bicycle Advisory Committee, and has been an advocate of cycling issues on City Council. He came under fire from some in the cycling community when he withdrew support for a bicycle lane on the Burrard Bridge due to public outcry and concerns over cost versus benefit. He has advocated for a bike sharing program built on the successful model used in cities such as Paris
.
Building on theories about the knowledge economy
championed by Richard Florida
, Ladner has spoken about the importance of keeping Vancouver internationally competitive. The 2010 Winter Olympics
have been identified as an opportunity to attract new investment in local industries with high growth potential. This includes clean energy, new media
, and information technology
, and would presumably deliver high-paying jobs. Attracting and retaining head offices and their attendant support for the local culture industry
was noted as a key priority.
On June 8, 2008, Ladner won the Non-Partisan Association
's mayoral nomination for the 2008 municipal election
, defeating incumbent mayor Sam Sullivan
in a surprise upset. He defeated Sullivan by 1,066 to 986 votes, after convincing NPA members that Sullivan would be defeated in the upcoming election. However, he was soundly defeated on November 15, 2008 by Gregor Robertson
, the mayoral candidate of Vision Vancouver
.
, "past board member of Sports BC and chair of the KidSport Fund, a national charity set up to help low-income families participate in sport." Peter Ladner stated that despite the tragedy of his sister's murder, Vancouver remains a safe city to live in. In a public statement, Ladner stressed that:
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
city councillor, first elected as a member of the Non-Partisan Association
Non-Partisan Association
The Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
in 2002 and re-elected in 2005. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Vancouver in the 2008 Vancouver municipal election
Vancouver municipal election, 2008
The 2008 Vancouver municipal election was held on November 15, 2008, filling seats on the Vancouver School Board, the Parks Board, the Vancouver City Council, and the position of Mayor of Vancouver. It was held at the same time as municipal elections throughout the province...
.
The NPA's electoral platform suggested that, as mayor, he would focus on reducing crime, improving housing affordability, leveraging the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, protecting the environment, advancing the city's arts and culture sector, and working collaboratively with senior levels of government, community groups, and the private sector. His campaign has also emphasized the importance of experience and fiscal prudence during an economically tumultuous time. The NPA's core message was distilled to the promise of "a safer, greener, more affordable, more internationally competitive Vancouver."
Background
Descended from the eponymous founding partner of what has now merged into Borden Ladner Gervais LLPBorden Ladner Gervais
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is the largest full-service Canadian law firm. The Firm has over 750 lawyers, intellectual property agents and other professionals in offices in Calgary, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Waterloo Region...
, a prominent Canadian law firm, Peter Ladner grew up in the wealthy Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. His ascendants also originally settled and gave their name to the community of Ladner
Ladner, British Columbia
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He briefly attended the nearby St. George's School
St. George's School (Vancouver)
St. George's School , of Vancouver, Canada is an independent boarding and day university-preparatory school for boys.-History:...
, before graduating from the prestigious Shawnigan Lake School
Shawnigan Lake School
Shawnigan Lake School is a private boarding school, located in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded by Englishman, Christopher Windley 'C. W.' Lonsdale in 1916, and partly modelled on one of England's leading private schools, Westminster School.- Location :Shawnigan Lake School...
on Vancouver Island, and proceeding on to the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Sociology and a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Urban Planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
.
Ladner joined the Vancouver Sun as a journalist after university but was fired in 1969 when he quipped publicly that many Sun staff smoked marijuana. He later worked at newspapers on Vancouver Island and was editor of the Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
alternative weekly Monday Magazine
Monday Magazine
Monday Magazine is a free alternative weekly newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Contrary to what the name suggests, Monday is distributed throughout greater Victoria area every Thursday...
from 1981 to 1986. He has written for The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Canadian Business
Canadian Business
Canadian Business is the longest-publishing business magazine in Canada. It was founded in 1928 as The Commerce of the Nation, the organ of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The magazine was renamed Canadian Business in 1933...
and Saturday Night
Saturday Night (magazine)
Saturday Night was a Canadian general interest magazine. It was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1887.The publication was first established as a weekly broadsheet newspaper about public affairs and the arts, which was later expanded into a general interest magazine. The editor, Edmund E. Sheppard,...
.
Peter Ladner founded the weekly newspaper Business in Vancouver in 1989 and continues as Business in Vancouver Media Group's vice-president. With a weekly readership of 60 000, Business in Vancouver is branded as Vancouver's leading source of business news, targeted at senior decision-makers. It is responsible for several prominent recognition events including the Top 40 Under 40 awards and the Influential Women in Business awards. Business in Vancouver Media Group also publishes Green Space magazine, which focuses exclusively on sustainability business opportunities, initiatives and challenges.
Ladner has served on the boards of the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society, Leadership Vancouver, the International Centre for Sustainable Cities, the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
Alumni Association, New Media BC, the International Association of Area Business Publications, and the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs. He participated in the Vancouver City Planning Commission, the capital campaign committee for Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver Public Library
The Vancouver Public Library is the third largest public library system in Canada, with more than 2.5 million items in its collections, 22 branches, approximately 375,000 cardholders, and nearly nine million item borrowings annually...
and the Central Valley Greenway.
Ladner is a long-time environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, healthy living enthusiast, and advocate of the smart city concept of using technology to make government more efficient and effective. He blogs about issues of sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and civic governance in Vancouver and elsewhere on his website.
Politics
As a former member of Vancouver City CouncilVancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
, Ladner was a director of TransLink and is currently vice-chair of Metro Vancouver, the Regional District. He has been vice-chair of the Metro Vancouver Sustainable Region Initiative and a member the World Urban Forum Committee. On City Council, he formerly chaired the budget committee and is a member of committees on transportation and traffic and planning and environment. He is also a member of the Vancouver Economic Development Commission.
During his time on Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
, Ladner has been a sustainability and liveability advocate on issues such as transportation, green buildings, energy use, and waste reduction. He championed greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
reduction, setting a goal of making Vancouver carbon neutral
Carbon neutral
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference...
by 2030. An avid cyclist, Ladner commutes by bicycle, is Council Liaison to the city's Bicycle Advisory Committee, and has been an advocate of cycling issues on City Council. He came under fire from some in the cycling community when he withdrew support for a bicycle lane on the Burrard Bridge due to public outcry and concerns over cost versus benefit. He has advocated for a bike sharing program built on the successful model used in cities such as Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Building on theories about the knowledge economy
Knowledge economy
The knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints, or to a knowledge-based economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it refers to the use of knowledge technologies to...
championed by Richard Florida
Richard Florida
Richard Florida is an American urban studies theorist.Richard Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto. He also heads a private consulting firm, the...
, Ladner has spoken about the importance of keeping Vancouver internationally competitive. The 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
have been identified as an opportunity to attract new investment in local industries with high growth potential. This includes clean energy, new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
, and information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, and would presumably deliver high-paying jobs. Attracting and retaining head offices and their attendant support for the local culture industry
Culture industry
Culture industry is a term coined by critical theorists Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer , who argued in the chapter of their book Dialectic of Enlightenment, 'The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception' ; that popular culture is akin to a factory producing standardized cultural goods...
was noted as a key priority.
On June 8, 2008, Ladner won the Non-Partisan Association
Non-Partisan Association
The Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
's mayoral nomination for the 2008 municipal election
Vancouver municipal election, 2008
The 2008 Vancouver municipal election was held on November 15, 2008, filling seats on the Vancouver School Board, the Parks Board, the Vancouver City Council, and the position of Mayor of Vancouver. It was held at the same time as municipal elections throughout the province...
, defeating incumbent mayor Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
in a surprise upset. He defeated Sullivan by 1,066 to 986 votes, after convincing NPA members that Sullivan would be defeated in the upcoming election. However, he was soundly defeated on November 15, 2008 by Gregor Robertson
Gregor Robertson (politician)
Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson is a Canadian politician who has been the 39th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2008. He was elected as part of the Vision Vancouver party slate...
, the mayoral candidate of Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...
.
Personal tragedy
On April 3, 2009, Peter Ladner's sister, Wendy Ladner-Beaudry, was found dead in Pacific Spirit Park, "the victim of an apparent random attack." Wendy was the current co-chair of the BC Games SocietyBC Games Society
The BC Summer and Winter Games are two of the largest multi-sport Games in British Columbia and in Canada, bringing together young developing athletes from every region of the province....
, "past board member of Sports BC and chair of the KidSport Fund, a national charity set up to help low-income families participate in sport." Peter Ladner stated that despite the tragedy of his sister's murder, Vancouver remains a safe city to live in. In a public statement, Ladner stressed that:
- "Our family, all of us, pledge to work diligently with the police, the neighbours and the wider community to bring this killer to justice and establish the safety of our entire community."