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VV’s George Chow to leave council; doppelganger Tony Tang to run instead

May 27th, 2011 · 36 Comments

Quirky George Chow has finally made his decision, it appears. He never did phone or email me back to say officially that he’s not running, but the news release about Tony Tang stepping up to take his spot on the Vision slate for the fall election makes it clear.

With Tang, Vision seems to have managed to achieve the goal of finding almost an exact substitute: like George, Tony is an engineer; also like George, he’s been active in the Shaughnessy Heights Property Owners Association; and finally, like George, he’s got a low-key, friendly style, though I’m not sure he can ever match the positive references George got in local media to his Dadaist poems, speeches and jokes.

Below, the news release on Tony’s run:

Former Board of Variance Chair Tony Tang to seek Vision Vancouver Council NominationTony Tang, a long-time Vancouver neighbourhood activist who most recently served as chair of the City’s Board of Variance, announced today he is seeking a Vision Vancouver nomination for City Council.“Vancouver is a great city that has so much going for it, and I’m proud to announce that I will seek the nomination to run with Vision Vancouver for City Council,” said Tony Tang. “Under Mayor Gregor Robertson’s leadership, it is clear that Vision Vancouver is the only civic party that has the ideas and commitment to make our city more affordable to live in.“As Chair of the Board of Variance, I heard on a regular basis about the hardships that homeowners face in Vancouver, and the importance of public safety and protecting our neighbourhoods. The cost of living is a big concern. I want to change that. We need to make Vancouver a more affordable and inclusive city, and with Vision Vancouver, I want to help make that happen.”Tony Tang is a professional engineer with a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia, and has worked for over 20 years in the home construction industry. He and his wife have lived in Vancouver for over 22 years. Fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin, he has served as Chair of the Board of Variance since 2009, and from 2001-2006 was a Board member of the Shaughnessy Heights Property Owners’ Association.Two-term Vision Vancouver CityCouncillor George Chow, who will retire from city politics this fall, says that Tony Tang understands the need to work towards solutions on housing affordability.“I’ve known Tony for many years, and he is a smart, pragmatic businessman,” said Councillor Chow. “He understands the importance of strengthening our local economy by revitalizing neighbourhoods such as Chinatown as well as by promoting stronger business and cultural ties with Asia.  In particular, his experience in the building industry and his caring personality make him uniquely suited to help bring forward solutions on making housing more affordable for people across Vancouver.”In addition to his community and business experience, Tony Tang was a member of the Vision Vancouver executive from 2006-2009. He joined Vision Vancouver for its inclusive and balanced approach.

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