Participants

Bob Williams

Bob Williams is a former Vancouver city councillor and B.C. government cabinet minister has spent many years on the Vancity board (1983-1995), as chair for three years (1988-1991) and as vice-chair for three years (1985-1987 and 1991). He is passionate about community leadership, economic development and progressive change, and brought with him experience and vision when re-elected to the Vancity board in 2007. In BC, Bob Williams has had a distinguished career in politics—first as a Vancouver city councillor (1965-66) and then as a BC MLA for the constituency of Vancouver East (1966-1984). Between 1972 and 1975, Williams was Minister of Resources in the government of former Premier Dave Barrett, and is most proud of his role in saving Blackcomb Mountain from logging and creating Whistler Town Centre; his efforts with renowned architect Arthur Erickson to create Robson Square in downtown Vancouver; and, supporting the establishment of the Central City/ SFU project in the Surrey City Centre, which won international awards. Williams was also instrumental in establishing three million acres of wilderness parks in BC, including Kalamalka Lake, Spatsizi and Naikoon, among many others. More people know him as an avid supporter of the arts in Vancouver and as a past owner of the Railway Club in downtown Vancouver, a pioneering music venue where k.d. lang got her first gig out of Alberta.