A great deal of ink has hit newsprint of late regarding South East False Creek and Olympic Village. Some of it very positive, some of it very negative. In one far camp is the naysayers who believe our city has been burdened with a generational albatross that will pull down the economic ability for our city to move forward. In the other far camp is a group who believe that a visionary urban village is being created, one that will become a hallmark of sustainability and a much studied blueprint for visionary planning and potentially provide rippling economic dividends to the city.

I for one lean to the later.

What has been accomplished at South East False Creek is nothing short of extraordinary, and I believe that this community will be the envy of cities around the world once completed. Am I unhappy about the bad deal the city struck? Yes. Am I mad about the tax burden likely to impact the city? Yes. But given the task to develop this area on an insanely tight timeline and with incredibly demanding sustainability initiatives was difficult in and of itself. Throw in a global economic meltdown and the hurdle, for a time, must have seemed insurmountable.

But I challenge any naysayer to visit the sight and see for themselves the truly outstanding community taking shape. This is only a small part of what is a larger plan for the entire area. Let the debate rage if one must, but the true answer will only come once this community comes fully to life. My bet is that the City of Vancouver will stand vindicated for it commitment to South False Creek. In time (it’s already happening) a global community of Urban Planners and strategist will see an urban community that will broaden Vancouver’s vibrancy and international appeal, and position us as a world leader in creating sustainable and livable urban environments. And in this particular instance, it took a lot of courage and faith to make it happen.

Happy selling!

Cameron McNeill