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Bitcoins Before discussing some of the highlights of the past year, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle made it clear her disdain for ICE operations in the city before eventually pivoting to her love for the arts and the city\u2019s support of the arts<\/h2>\n
Paul Valencia<\/strong> It was fitting that Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle gave her State of the City Address at the Vancouver Arts Hub Building as she concluded her roughly 45-minute speech with a salute to the arts and an announcement that the city is launching a new cultural access program.<\/p>\n Inspire Vancouver is dedicated to increasing public access and removing barriers to arts, culture, heritage and science throughout the city.<\/p>\n The mayor also outlined what she described as the city\u2019s successes in the past year, including efforts to improve water safety, climate change agendas, more accessible streets, plans for more affordable housing as well as addressing the homeless problem, and she is looking forward to moving toward construction of the new Interstate Bridge.<\/p>\n Before all the praise, and after the mayor thanked guests and other politicians, she opted to open the substantive part of her speech with an anti-law enforcement message.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to acknowledge the fear, uncertainty, and frustration many in our community are feeling and experiencing around ICE activity,\u201d the mayor said, noting that ICE has caused \u201creal harm and destabilization.\u201d<\/p>\n She praised the city\u2019s anti-ICE declaration in January, and wanted residents to know that the city will pursue every avenue available \u201cto limit ICE\u2019s reach and protect our community.\u201d<\/p>\n From there, the mayor transitioned to a pro local law enforcement stance, thanking residents for passing Proposition 5, funding 13 new police officers, new equipment, and more to serve the community\u2019s public safety priorities.<\/p>\n Also regarding public safety, she noted that construction is expected to start on Station 8 in Cascade Park for Vancouver Fire, and the hope is to start the design phases on two more stations later in the year.<\/p>\n McEnerny-Ogle said 2025 was a year defined by meaningful progress across the city.<\/p>\n The mayor then pivoted to the theme of the evening, using 20 minutes of her speech dedicated to arts and culture.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve taken on some of the biggest challenges facing our city, and we\u2019re making real progress. But a thriving city isn\u2019t defined only by the challenges it takes on or the problems it solves. It is defined by what it creates,\u201d McEnerny-Ogle said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why tonight I want to talk about arts, culture, and heritage, and the role they play in shaping\u201d Vancouver, she said.<\/p>\n The city has supported more than 40 arts programs and events. The signature event is the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival, held every August. More than 50,000 people came to downtown Vancouver for the 2025 festival.<\/p>\n She was proud to be speaking at the Arts Hub. The building used to be a library, and when the building was returned to the city in 2023, \u201cwe saw an incredible opportunity,\u201d the mayor said, to turn it into Vancouver\u2019s first arts and cultural center.<\/p>\n The mayor is hopeful that city leaders and business owners can come up with a plan for a downtown performing arts center.<\/p>\n She then turned her attention to the next generation of artists, introducing a video produced by Evergreen Public Schools, with students explaining the importance of the arts.<\/p>\n The mayor said the students said it better than she could.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why today, the city council is proud to share that the city is launching \u2018Inspire Vancouver,\u2019 our new cultural access program dedicated to increasing public access and removing barriers to arts, culture, heritage and science throughout Vancouver.\u201d<\/p>\n To ensure it is funded, the city council dedicated a 0.1 percent Cultural Access Sales Tax, which can only be used for arts, culture, heritage, and science.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that strong cultural connections create stronger communities with deeper engagement, and positive economic results,\u201d McEnerny-Ogle said.<\/p>\n She wrapped up her address noting that the state of the city is strong.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough our continued commitment to our arts, culture, and heritage, we\u2019re building the resilience, creativity, inclusion, and sense of purpose that this moment demands and the future will require.\u201d<\/p>\n The State of the City event also featured a performance from the Vietnamese Community of Clark County, the debut of a poem from Susan Dingle, Clark County Poet Laureate, and a performance from the Vancouver Ballet Folklorico.<\/p>\n
Clark County Today<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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