In the words of British sociologist Stuart Hall, a politician should not represent, and to create a majority. Sam Sullivan is not exactly representative of the "majority", as it is - a unique politician, a politician in a wheelchair.
fatal leap
Sam Sullivan was born in 1959 in East Vancouver. Parents - Ida and Lloyd - could not get enough, that there was a fifth absolutely healthy child in their family. His father worked in the repair shop, the mother was busy with household chores, and Sam went to school.
In 1978, a tragedy occurred in the Sullivan family - Sam broke his neck. Nasty fall during a ski holiday - and as a result of fracture of the fourth and fifth vertebrae. Instant and almost total paralysis of the body - a profound disability.
There are two "clan" among wheelchair users, people with congenital diseases and people, shrunken in wheelchair due to injuries or acquired diseases. In this case, the first "sympathetic" to the second, when life is divided into "before" and "after", not everyone is able to revive her.
Sam Sullivan learned to live "after" seven years - exactly as it lasted depression. But he still found the strength and enrolled at Simon Fraser University. A few years later, he received a bachelor's degree in business administration.
Almost at the same time he founded the non-profit organization, which was designed to help people with disabilities. This was the first step on the thorny path of social activity.
Sam learned the Chinese language, learned to drive a car, has created several funds, and in 1993 ran for and was elected to the City Council of the city of Vancouver.
Mr. Mayor
December 5, 2005 Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver became 38.
Being in this position, he took an active part in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. So, in 2006, when Vancouver hosted the baton to Turin Mayor Sullivan participated in the closing ceremony of the games. To do this, Sam had to take the Olympic flag and waving it, inviting the audience into his own city. Of course, to keep the heavy flag yourself Sullivan could not. He was offered an assistant, but he felt that as the official Vancouver has to handle himself, so asked him to equip elektrokreslo special bracket for the flag.
In the same year, Mr. Sullivan offered his environmental project - EcoDensity. The idea is to build more high-rise buildings instead of low-rise homes, as it will allow to maintain high rates of population growth, causing minimal damage to the environment. The project was heavily criticized, debated for a long time, but in the end the Canadian Institute of Planning EcoDensity awarded a special prize.
Activities Mayor Sullivan can not be assessed unambiguously. For example, many do not like his policy towards drug addicts, others - initiatives to improve the social order. But it definitely can not be called faceless manager, does not show.
Sam Sullivan entered the history of the country (for which he was awarded the Order of Canada). He remembered bold innovative solutions rather than disabilities, as there is for him no excuses.
Currently Sam Sullivan is still busy developing strategies for urban growth with the environment. In addition, in 2011 he founded the Center for the Study and reform of municipal government - Centre for Fourth Wave Reform.
Sam Sullivan on population density, Drugs and Democracy:
In 2012, he announced his intention to return to politics.
A photo: 1, 2, 3