With North Vancouver district ushering in a new council this month, we get to know political newcomer Megan Curren – who is no stranger to our community. Besides being a business owner in the Cove, Curren stood up for seniors displaced by the Lions Manor fire this summer, and is huge champion of the environment. During her campaign, Curren handmade 11 plastic-free signs – made from wood and paper. She’s going to repurpose the wood into plant stands.
Deep Cove Crier: How did you celebrate being elected to council?
Megan Curren: I haven't officially celebrated yet! It's been a whirlwind since election day, as I had a trip planned long ago to the East Coast and just got back. We're inaugurated Monday, Nov. 5 and my friends and family will be there (at district hall). I'd love to celebrate a victory for the environment soon though!
DCC: What’s your history with the Seymour area?
MC: My husband and rescue dog and I moved to Deep Cove about 15 years ago from Vermont. A job opportunity is what brought us here initially and the mountains, ocean, forest, and community have kept us here. I left my job as director of media services for Burton Snowboards in Vermont. I wasn't sure what I was going to do professionally, but I knew I wanted to be self-employed again. I started selling my handmade cards to a beautiful flower shop in the Cove (Pollen Count) and when the owner said she was relocating her business, I took a chance on the space and opened Room6 in 2005.
DCC: How did you come to settle here?
MC: When we first moved to Vancouver from Vermont, we were temporarily staying downtown in Vancouver. We weren't sure where we wanted to live, but one trip to the Cove and we were smitten. Ocean, mountains and forest ... and close to a large city (but not a large city). We literally looked at one house – a 1946 cottage that was built and occupied by the original owners. It immediately felt like home and we've been working away on our little cottage in the Cove for 15 years.
DCC: What’s an interesting fact or two about you that you would like people to know?
MC: I'm a research and policy nerd – haha! I graduated from University of Wisconsin with a degree in journalism and I've always enjoyed fact finding and research. I intended to continue on to law school, but I moved to San Diego to surf and let's just say the LSAT never happened! I was contemplating going back to law school this year because I was dissatisfied with the district's policies on tenant displacement and the shortcomings on environmental policy. A good friend convinced me that I could try to get a seat on council, and rather than spending the next few years in law school (and years after petitioning for new policy) ... I could perhaps be more effective shaping policy from the inside. Here's hoping she was right!
DCC: What inspires you about this community?
MC: Ravens serenading me on a winter hike on Seymour, seals popping up to say "hey" on a paddle in the Cove, raindrops falling gently on the inlet ... there is so much at stake. Every day the Cove reminds me of why we have to take a stand for climate justice. I'm constantly inspired by our community's passion for taking care of the planet. Working with Erian Baxter from Deep Cove Kayak, Alison Wood from Ocean Ambassadors Canada, and Jen McCarthy from Bluhouse this summer on our first single-use plastic reduction initiative was an amazing experience. Witnessing behaviour shifts in our community, people dropping by the shop to show off their reusable coffee mug, or stopping by to tell me about what they're doing to reduce single-use plastics in their schools and homes is really encouraging. The people of Tsleil-Waututh have cared for the inlet for thousands of years, and more recently taken a stand against the pipeline expansion. I'm looking forward to learning from and working with Tsleil-Waututh on good environmental policies that consider many generations ahead. I'm inspired by the TWN solar power project and would love to move forward together to expand renewable energy projects throughout the DNV.
DCC: In your opinion, where is there room for improvement within the scope of council’s powers?
MC: The district needs to be a leader on climate justice and set a model for other municipalities to follow. The top two greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation and construction and we're not doing enough to change the way people move or the way we build. I see far too much "business as usual" and it's anything but. I also feel strongly about creating new policies around tenant displacements that are enforceable and demonstrate our priority is to our community, not to developers.
DCC: What are a couple of the top issues or concerns you have heard from Seymour-Cove residents recently?
MC: Increased traffic and the resulting concerns over safety. From speeding on residential streets, to lack of safe crosswalks, to lack of safe cycling infrastructure. Overall lack of alternative transit options and of course, increased bridge traffic concerns. Development. Concerns over poor planning, not creating the right mix of housing and not doing enough to protect the environment. Tenant displacements for both residents and small businesses are serious concerns as is the lack of truly affordable rental housing and increased commercial rents. I was also very encouraged to connect with many, many residents who share my passion for climate action and concern that we are not moving quickly enough as a municipality. We have to tackle housing and transportation challenges through the lens of climate crisis.
DCC: You were among a group of business owners in the Cove area who pushed to ban plastic straws. What’s the next step in getting the community to reduce their plastic footprint and how are you involved?
MC: I would like to introduce a motion to ban Styrofoam throughout the district (Vancouver has done this already effective June 2019), as well as a phased single-use plastic reduction strategy. We need to create public awareness about the urgency to "refuse single-use" and empower people to take action to reduce their individual footprints. We need to support small business as they transition away from environmentally destructive packaging and this will involve collaborating with other levels on government.
DCC: What council committees are you interested in being involved with, or which ones do you feel your experience might serve you well on?
MC:
• Metro Zero Waste Committee. I'm obsessed with waste ... specifically, not making any!
• All things climate action related, all the time! If there's a committee on climate policy, I'm there! And if there isn't, I'll try to create one.
• My background in communications is helpful when it comes to fostering transparent community engagement and I feel there is lots of room to improve on how we engage with our community. Through social media, more casual conversation and most importantly consistent follow-up and follow-through.
• As a small business owner, I'm passionate about working with fellow small business owners to ensure that we're being supported by the DNV and all levels of government. I don't like the trend of displacing small businesses out of our community and we need to put a stop to that.
DCC: What are you looking forward to and what are some goals for your four-year council term?
MC: I'd like to make bold moves on environmental policies in partnership with other Metro Vancouver municipalities. On a large scale, as a society, we need to rethink the way we build, the way we move and the way we live. No big deal, right?! We have very little time and we have to move quickly. We need to reduce our GHG emissions by 80 per cent (over 2007 levels) by 2050, but we are currently on track to increase. These changes begin with education and there is a lot we can do to engage our community and support community-led climate initiatives. Using district land, I'd like to help shape a new paradigm of truly affordable housing. Built for the future, unlike anything we've ever done! ■
