Wednesday 30 November 2011

Premier Christy Clark confirms citizens want giant screen removed – Discussions imminent


Following Vancouver City Mayor Gregor Robertson’s critical comments about the giant screen and also the recent fiery criticisms received by PavCo Minister Pat Bell on the floor of the BC Legislative Assembly, in a letter sent November 21, 2011, BC Premier Christy Clark also confirms receiving demands that the giant screen be removed and states that citizens’ “feedback and requests will be included in any related discussions”

Please keep up your email and letter writing folks!  PavCo’s friends are quickly disappearing!  (for simple instructions on how to write an email, please click on the following link and follow the instructions)  http://takethegiantscreendownnow.blogspot.com/2011/11/pavco-minister-is-warned-modifying-how.html


Chinese language news story – Outrage spreads over giant PavCo video screen

Overwhelming rejection of PavCo’s unscrupulous actions continues – The citizen’s protest campaign over the reckless erection of a giant video screen in Yaletown at Terry Fox Plaza in front of hundreds of glass residential homes has been picked up by Chinese language website Goldy News, signalling a further dissemination of the protest movement across languages, further helping to unite Vancouver City residents in their demand for the immediate removal of the giant screen.  

(Please click on the following link for full story)
http://www.goldynews.com/2011/11/1-1302/

Saturday 19 November 2011

PavCo Minister is warned: “Modifying how you break the law is still breaking the law!”

In this CTV News story, the discrepancies in PavCo Minister Pat Bell’s misinformed comments about the giant video screen at Terry Fox Plaza become glaringly obvious – No doubt, as a result of PavCo’s extended mis-information campaign.  We are hopeful that once the Minister’s staff has had a chance to verify for themselves that Vancouver City By-Laws are indeed being broken and that the Vancouver City Mayor himself has asked for the removal of the screen, that Minister Bell will instruct PavCo to stop breaking City By-laws, to Take the Giant Screen Down Now, and to relocate the screen to a venue where it is not directly facing hundreds of glass residential homes.  (CTV video link should appear just below this paragraph)

PavCo Minister says that breaking Vancouver City By-laws is a “successful conclusion”??

In this video of the BC Legislative Assembly, Vancouver West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert warns the Minister responsible for PavCo that the giant video screen MUST BE TAKEN DOWN NOW!  Please email Minister Pat Bell <JTI.Minister@gov.bc.ca> and MLA Mary McNeil <mary.mcneil.mla@leg.bc.ca> (and be sure to ‘cc’ MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert <s.chandraherbert.mla@leg.bc.ca>), and tell Minister Bell and MLA McNeil that:
  1. local residents STILL have a giant video screen invading their living rooms, flashing across their dinner tables, and pumping ads into their children’s bedrooms;
  2. this situation has DEFINITELY NOT “reached a successful conclusion”;
  3. modifying how you break the law is STILL breaking the law;
  4. EVEN THE MAYOR OF VANCOUVER has asked the Province to comply with City By-laws;
  5. PavCo cannot possibly be “working within the structure of the approved bylaws” because the screen’s SIZE ITSELF contravenes City By-laws (as well as several other sections of the law);
  6. City Councillor Meggs has said that PAVCO AMBUSHED CITY HALL with this giant screen and therefore the Minister cannot claim that “PavCo has been working with the City”;
  7. comments about operating hours and brightness are a poor whitewash tactic – The health and wellbeing of Vancouver City residents is NON-NEGOTIABLE;
  8. the giant video screen at Terry Fox Plaza MUST BE TAKEN DOWN NOW!
(Legislative Assembly video link should appear just below this paragraph)


Thursday 17 November 2011

MLA tells Minister Pat Bell in BC Legislative Assembly that the giant screen “needs to be taken down now”!

See here below a letter and transcript record of Vancouver West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert standing up for the rights of local residents in Vancouver in the BC Legislative Assembly by asking Minister Pat Bell to respect Vancouver City By-laws and by asking for the immediate removal of the giant screen at Terry Fox Plaza.  Please be sure to take immediate action by 1. having MLA Mary McNeil’s office call you, and 2. by emailing Minister Pat Bell’s office with your complaint – Contact them again, even if you’ve done it before.  You’ve already contacted them twice?  Do it a third time!  They must be told firmly that you are expecting PavCo and the Province to comply with the City Signage By-laws that were put in place to protect citizens from exactly this type of advertising harassment.

                                                                   
                 --------------------------------


Tuesday 15 November 2011

PavCo’s shameful betrayal of public trust on display; Residents desperately seeking action from elected Provincial officials


In the following radio interview on CKNW’s Simi Sara Show, I give concrete examples describing PavCo’s shameful betrayal of public trust.  Now that Mayor Robertson, in support of the public outrage over the giant video screen, has specifically asked Minister Pat Bell to have PavCo comply with City By-laws, how many provincial officials will step forward and add their voice to the growing drumbeat for the screen’s immediate removal?  This harassment cannot continue to be imposed on us; recall that we’re not requesting special treatment – we are simply demanding that PavCo be ordered to comply with City By-laws, the very laws written to protect citizens from exactly this type of situation.  (CKNW audio/video link should appear just below this paragraph)


Monday 14 November 2011

Mayor Robertson requests compliance with City By-laws, Mayoral Candidate Anton also not happy with screen

Mayoral Candidate Suzanne Anton says: "I've had many complaints about the new screen...Not good enough that neighbours are badly impacted."  Read it on Global News 

(Please click on the link and scroll to the bottom of the page) http://liveblogs.globaltvbc.com/Event/Suzanne_Anton_live_blog?Page=1

‘B.C. Place’s bright signs could spark lawsuit’ – but we hope it doesn’t come to that

In the following story appearing in The Province newspaper, PavCo and Telus further demonstrate how willing they are to continue betraying the public trust and how comfortable they are violating City of Vancouver by-laws. 

(Please click on the following link for full story)  http://www.theprovince.com/news/Place+bright+signs+could+spark+lawsuit/5693489/story.html


Sunday 13 November 2011

Giant advertising billboards at BC Place Stadium are by far the brightest objects in Vancouver


Follow the link for an incredible picture taken of beautiful Vancouver on a typical hazy November afternoon.  The photographer claims that if PavCo were deliberately setting out to be hated, they couldn't be doing a better job.  (Please click on the following flickr link)  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouno/6333730620/

In the photographer’s blog, she states “The brightest light in Vancouver is a giant digital billboard! Welcome to Idiocracy!”  -The author goes on to say “The underlying problem is with the landowner, a public, provincial corporation called PavCo that repeatedly acts against community interests.”  Please be sure to check out her full story (Click on the following link for the blog)  http://blog.ounodesign.com/2011/11/20/bc-place-stadium-pavco-billboard/

Friday 4 November 2011

Reply to The Honourable MLA Mary McNeil

The Honourable MLA Mary McNeil, respectfully,  (November 4, 2011)

Thank you for your direct message on Twitter.  To those paying attention however, it would sound as though your office is seeking concessions regarding two instances of impermissible misconduct by PavCo:  1. non-compliance with City by-laws and 2. contempt regarding the health and well-being of this community.  Please know in the strongest possible terms that these are Non-Negotiable.  This abusive giant screen must be taken down immediately and relocated to a venue where it is not directly harassing an entire residential glass community.

Reduction of hours and immeasurable-and-ambiguous ‘dimming’ are not at all what this community has been demanding. Perhaps your office has forgotten that this is a residential glass neighbourhood and that this oversized abomination is at point blank range from our children’s bedrooms.  Any reasonable observer will conclude that if PavCo had wanted less light in our homes they would have bought a smaller screen and they would have pointed it in a different direction.  This abusive giant screen must be taken down immediately and relocated to a venue where it is not directly harassing an entire residential glass community.

By allowing your office to be placated by a supposed promise of ‘reduced hours’, you are essentially accepting that PavCo decide when our families can enjoy their glass homes.  Recall that if the giant screen remains in place, our community will forever remain hostage to this billboard assault on ‘main event nights’, with PavCo operating the screen until whatever random hour that pleases their cash-abundant advertisers.  Notice also that this concept put forward by PavCo that a reduction of operating hours on some nights ‘solves the issue’ is ill-formed as it suggests that continued harassment of this community and disregard for City by-laws is perfectly acceptable so long as it's not perpetuated all of the time.  This abusive giant screen must be taken down immediately and relocated to a venue where it is not directly harassing an entire residential glass community.

As the provincial representative of this community, we will expect that your office strongly voice our demands to Minister Bell and to Premier Clark; we are counting on your strong support of this community and of our demands on this non-negotiable matter.  This abusive giant screen must be taken down and relocated to a venue where it is not directly harassing an entire residential glass community.

 - An error becomes a mistake when you refuse to correct it -

Regards,
David Cookson

--
David Cookson, Primary spokesperson
Take the Giant Screen Down Now
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Thursday 3 November 2011

Telus complicit with PavCo in demonstrating contempt for Vancouver City By-laws

In this, Geoff Olson’s part-2 follow-up editorial column (please also see part-1 on this blog), Telus is named-and-shamed for its continued inexcusable giant-flash-advertising assault on the local residential glass community, and also for its complicity with PavCo in demonstrating contempt for Vancouver City By-laws. 

(Please click on the following link)  http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/editorials/Place+screen+lighting+city+wrong/5652447/story.html