The Electors' Action Movement (TEAM) was a centrist political party from 1968 to the mid-1980s at the municipal level in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It fielded candidates for the office of mayor as well as for positions on the City Council, School Board, and Park Board. It was most successful in the 1970s when it held the majority of council seats from 1972 to 1976.
Retrospective accounts of TEAM have painted it as distinctly shifting civic governance in Vancouver when it gained power. Rod Mickleburgh of The Globe and Mail wrote in 2013 that TEAM's Art Phillips' four years as mayor "were pivotal in changing the face of Canada's third largest city, just when it seemed to be headed for pell-mell, American-style development that was ruining so many cities south of the border".Mickleburgh, Rod. "Visionary mayor Art Phillips remade Vancouver" The Globe & Mail April 24, 2013 May Brown, one of the original TEAM members who represented the party on council for ten years, told Pat Johnson of the Vancouver Courier in 1999 that "TEAM radically altered the face of city government".Johnson, Pat. "TEAM spirit saved NPA" The Vancouver Courier, November 14, 1999, p. 4
Creation
The catalyst for the creation of TEAM was a proposal to build a freeway through historic Chinatown. At the time, power at City Hall was not in the hands of the elected mayor and aldermen, but in those of two appointed city commissioners.Tennant, Paul. "Vancouver Civic Politics, 1929 to 1980" BC Studies No. 46, Summer 1980, p. 12. In 1959, one of the commissioners, chief planner Gerald Sutton-Brown, generated a city plan that former TEAM alderman and transportation engineer Setty Pendakur described as "completely automobile and freeway oriented".Pendakur, Dr. V. Setty. Cities, Citizens & Freeways BC Transportation Development Agency, Vancouver, BC 1972; p. 13.
While such freeways were being built in major cities throughout North America at that time, in Vancouver, opposition grew as the plans progressed. By the fourth quarter of 1967, a public hearing on how the route was chosen turned into one of the "wildest, most stormy meetings ever seen at city hall", wrote The Province Bud Elsie.Elsie, Bud. "Freeway meeting raises rumpus" The Province. November 24, 1967, p. 29. The nearly 500 people who attended, most of whom were opposed to freeways, turned it into a networking opportunity, "and, with their vest pocket diaries in hand, eagerly arranged to meet again for further discussion".Tennant, Paul. "Vancouver Civic Politics, 1929 to 1980" BC Studies No. 46, Summer 1980, p. 14. Those further discussions led to the formation of a political movement that in just nine months would develop policies and attract candidates to run for every position in the next civic election."TEAM Picks 'New-Face' Candidates" The Vancouver Sun October 30, 1968, p. 35.
TEAM came into being at a public meeting held at Vancouver's Grandview Community Centre on March 12, 1968.Davis, Chuck (General Editor). The Vancouver Book. J.J. Douglas Ltd., North Vancouver, BC 1976; p. 15. The founding president was Phillips, the head of a successful Vancouver investment firm; first and second vice-presidents were broadcasting executive Bill Bellman and labour leader Ed Lawson. Also on the founding executive committee were hotelier Frank Bernard; UBC history of medicine professor W. C. Gibson; Citizens' Housing Council president Alice Moore; head of UBC's department of community and regional planning; Peter Oberlander; UBC geography professor Walter Hardwick; businessman Charles Jordan-Knox; lawyer Haig Farris; and West Vancouver councillor Donald Lanskail.Strand, Alf. "New Deal Civic Party Christened TEAM", The Vancouver Sun. March 13, 1968, p. 3.
In less than five years' time, TEAM would be in a position to shift the power balance at City Hall and implement the policies for which the electors had voted.
Policies and platform
TEAM sought to be a moderate reform group committed to democratic principles, appealing to people of all political leanings. Its candidates would be tied to policies determined by the general membership. In contrast, the ruling Non-Partisan Association endorsed individuals, but not policies."Wife, Professor, Indian Tell Why They're Joining TEAM" The Vancouver Sun. October 30, 1968, p. 4. Oberlander described TEAM as the first civic party to run on a platform and with a caucus on council, school board and park board that could coordinate coherent policy."Interview with Dr. Peter Oberlander" 2005 July https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15y1gdbuzeE
Within a month of the founding meeting, about 150 people met at the Waldorf Hotel to set up committees dealing with all aspects of civic life. There were four subcommittees and a special research committee, operating under an over-all policy committee headed by Oberlander and Farris.Strand, Alf. "Policy Committee Formed by TEAM", The Vancouver Sun. April 5, 1968, p. 25. Oberlander stated, "We want to involve the maximum number of people in the evolution of our policies."Strand, Alf. "Policy Committee Formed by TEAM", The Vancouver Sun. April 5, 1968, p. 25.
In August 1968, TEAM released its procedure on selection of candidates. Instead of candidates being appointed by the executive board, every eligible nomination would be voted on by the entire membership."All TEAM Members Pick Slate" The Province. August 14, 1968, p. 34.
In September, there was a general membership meeting to present, discuss and vote on the policies TEAM would promote. These included: creation of a Vancouver Development Authority to plan growth in the city core and particularly False Creek and the downtown waterfront outside of the downtown core, planned commercial and residential districts, each with its own "core" a "parks for people" program aimed at securing park land for future generations greater involvement in regional municipal government a mayoral executive committee to oversee city management and "give the government back to the elected representatives"."People working together for a better Vancouver" TEAM campaign brochure, 1968 an expanded city council with some aldermen elected at large and others by district"TEAM shapes a platform..." The Province. September 7, 1968, p. 4.
Political opponents criticized the latter as a step backwards to the patronage and cronyism of ward systems past. But Phillips said TEAM had never used the word "ward" and instead was advocating a system of partial area representation. He said Vancouver was the only major city in Canada that elected all its aldermen at large, so this proposal was hardly revolutionary. Partial area representation would mean fewer names on the ballot and district aldermen "would be available to perform the ombudsman function which is so important if we are to counteract the feeling of alienation that exists all over this city"."TEAM clarifies ward system" The Province. October 2, 1968, p. 4. He added that the district aldermen would ensure points of view from all parts of the city would be represented on council, while the at-large aldermen meant a balance would always exist between neighbourhood and city-wide concerns.
First civic election: limited success in 1968
Running under the TEAM banner, Burnaby mayor Alan Emmott lost to NPA incumbent Tom Campbell, who received fifty percent more votes. Hardwick and Phillips took two of ten council seats, with Phillips moving up from eleventh spot after a recount. For school board, Oberlander topped the polls, while Fritz Bowers and Peter Bullen also won seats. Helen Boyce was elected to the park board. In the aftermath, a Province analysis suggested TEAM had made a tactical error in choosing an outsider as its mayoral candidate.Arnason, Al. "Tom's Foes Blew It" The Province. December 13, 1968, p. 1. And The Vancouver Sun wrote that Hardwick, "while pleased about his own win, said the people were 'obviously not ready' for the TEAM concept. 'It is an organization 40 years ahead of its time.""Civic Vote Turns Up 10 New Faces" The Vancouver Sun. December 12, 1968, p. 24.
In their first year on council, Phillips and Hardwick were vocal about the need for change. At a TEAM meeting, Phillips cited the lease of land to the Pacific National Exhibition and lack of development in False Creek as "glaring examples of stupid management policies"."Tax-Free Track, Land Policies Hit" The Vancouver Sun. September 24, 1969, p. 26. Hardwick promoted False Creek as a major residential, recreational and service area in the future, complaining that "some aldermen can't see anything in False Creek except industry"."Tax-Free Track, Land Policies Hit" The Vancouver Sun. September 24, 1969, p. 26.
The two were busy. Phillips succeeded in a motion to have the planning department investigate rezoning the 1000 block of Robson Street for a high-rise apartment district with two levels of pedestrian-oriented shopping malls. Hardwick proposed changes to the city charter to allow for elections earlier in the autumn, and for ballots to include candidates' names in non-alphabetical order, along with political affiliations."Robsonstrasse to be rezoned" The Province. October 6, 1969, p. 29. With NPA alderman Brian Calder, who often voted with them, they did a helicopter tour of the city to check out air pollution."3 Aldermen to Inspect Air Pollution" The Vancouver Sun. April 29, 1969, p. 16.
By early 1970, Phillips and Hardwick had made an impact. Province columnist Lorne Parton wrote that their record "has given the movement respectability and credibility".Parton, Lorne. The Province. January 6, 1970, p. 25. And the left-leaning Committee of Progressive Electors (COPE), criticized the news media for "playing down news on city political organizations other than the one they supported, TEAM"."News Suppressed, Labor Body Told" The Vancouver Sun. February 4, 1970, p. 3.
During the year, park board commissioner Boyce left TEAM to join the NPA and Calder joined TEAM. With the election approaching, TEAM chose William C. Gibson as its mayoral candidate and endorsed a full slate for city council, including Calder, Hardwick and Phillips. The sitting school trustees were nominated along with six others, and there was a full park board slate.The Vancouver Sun. October 29, 1970, p. 23.
Candidates for city council said they were united by "a common concern for the quality of life in Vancouver" and cited as accomplishments the halt to the downtown freeway and progress toward development of False Creek."Candidates tell you why you should elect them" The Vancouver Sun. December 7, 1970, p. 19 Park board candidates promised a complete review of the operations of the Park Board and greater control of pollution. School board candidates pledged to promote students' choice in schools and programs, and greater autonomy for students as they aged."Candidates tell you why you should elect them" The Vancouver Sun. December 7, 1970, p. 18
1970: Same number of seats but other gains
Gibson did not defeat the incumbent mayor Tom Campbell, but closed the gap significantly compared with the 1968 result. TEAM's three sitting aldermen were re-elected, this time placing in the top five. TEAM elected three school trustees; a fourth almost made it but an NPA candidate eventually took the spot. Art Cowie was elected to the park board.The Vancouver Sun. December 10, 1970, p. 1.
Campbell began his third term by placing himself and his six NPA aldermen in ten choice appointments to committees and boards. Hardwick said TEAM had tried to avoid an opposition role on council "but Campbell has obviously decided to run the body on partisan political lines".Bannerman, Gary. "Campbell attacked over council jobs" The Vancouver Sun. January 20, 1971, p. 1.