Anyone who wants to enjoy Vancouver can stroll down Point Grey Road, where the pavement shimmers, the boulevards are grassy and green, and where, from the public access point on the west side of Chip Wilson’s concrete mansion, kayakers can be seen silently gliding across the water.
That stroll now includes a “see the sign for myself” option for visitors curious about the billboard the Lululemon billionaire erected in front of his property earlier this week with his commentary on the provincial election: “Eby will tell you the Conservatives are “Far Right” but neglects saying the NDP is “Communist.”
Whether visitors want to deepen their understanding of the issues during an election cycle in which the return of plastic straws and relief from the 25 cent shopping bag levy, bridges, tunnels and tax relief are among the parties’ election promises, the stream of onlookers was steady on Sunday morning.
“On brand,” quipped a neighbour who had come out to gaze upon the colossus nestled among Wilson’s perfectly groomed hedge.
“It’s aggressive, but not something I’m used to seeing here in Canada,” said her companion, a genial American.
The women didn’t want to be named — one because the conversation in her family has become too divisive, the other because speaking out about politics in a public forum could get her fired from her local government job.
They pointed out the sign’s grammar, including a period inside the quote marks around the word “communist” as a matter of some concern.
“Well, he’s right,” said a tall, wiry man who stopped to snap a photo of the sign. “The communists want to redistribute the wealth.”
Does he think he might benefit from such a redistribution, if and when the communists come to power?
“I don’t live in B.C.,” he said.
A biker pointed out that size matters: in his neighbourhood, Kerrisdale, B.C. Conservative signs are proliferating on the houses with the biggest price tags. Houses “in the $2.5 to $3 million range,” on the other hand, have the smaller NDP signs, he said.
Another person pointed out that the sign faces west. Drivers wouldn’t see it unless they get mousetrapped in the no-exit loop that was installed when Point Grey Road was redesigned as a cycling and pedestrian route dubbed the Seaside Greenway.
That project generated a number of lawn signs during its genesis, primarily attacking city hall for “wasting millions” on sidewalk upgrades — the same luxuriously wide sidewalks on which visitors to the sign now cluster.
A young man on an electric bike was concerned about the sign’s proximity to what appears to be a B.C. Hydro transformer box, which contain high-voltage electrical equipment.
“Is that legal?” he asked.
On Sunday evening the sign was heavily defaced and slogans were painted on Wilson’s gates.
According to municipal bylaws, election and political signs are allowed between the backs of sidewalks and adjoining private property, although B.C. Hydro requires a hefty 0.9 metres between any landscaping and the transformer box.
Legalities aside, one observer compared Wilson to another Vancouver resident who spent years protesting ICBC with lawn signs, back before the redevelopment of Cambie simply erased him from view.
Wilson may in fact be part of an urban phenomenon that has not received enough attention: grouchy old men who feel their voices haven’t been heard, their lawn signs a public protest using ritual (the unannounced erection of the sign), narrative (however grammatically incorrect) and occupation of space to assert hegemony and address imbalances of power in the public sphere.
Or he may be trying to do a public service, using hyperbole in an attempt to get everyone to tone down their rhetoric.
It’s hard to tell.
Eby’s response to the sign last week was brief. “When you are so rich that the Red Hot Chili Peppers play your birthday party, it’s possible to lose perspective. I would just say to Mr. Wilson, ‘People are struggling out there, and we need to provide support to them,’” he said.
Wilson has not commented and did not answer the door on Sunday, but a hand-lettered amendment on the sign that read “This guy lives in an $80,000,000 house earned off the backs of workers. The system is rigged for the rich. F— you Chip,” was quickly painted over.
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