Norma and Mike

Well, I am in there as well but only as a minor player and I have a projected sign across my face. Very dignified. We ran into Mike at Barry O'Neill's retirement party. Mike Harcourt was mayor of Vancouver from 1980 to 1986 and Premier of BC from 1991 to 1996.

Norma worked with Mike on all the campaigns and various projects for most of these years and we have been friends since the 70's. At the retirement party we were sitting with Patrice Prat, Sharon Prescott and Angie Schira and when Mike saw the three of them he yelled across the room, "There is my "A" Team! That is why we lost the last election, they sent in the "B" team!", and came charging over for hugs. Norma, Patrice, Sharon and Angie were the Back Room 'Boys' of the BC New Democratic Party machine for many years. The Party has never found a suitable replacement for them and has been importing organizers from Ontario for the past several elections, most notable the last one. Ontario organizers do not understand BC's hardball politics and the election results have shown this. Mike wants his "A" Team back!

This photo was taken with a cell phone. There was a professional photographer working the room who was hired by the Canadian Union of Public Employees who Sharon now works for. I have been promised better photos but they have not been forthcoming.

We almost lost Mike in 2002 when he fell off the deck of his Pender Island cottage. He was working on his deck and fell twenty feet, landing face down in the shallow water and rock strewn beach below. He almost drowned and also suffered a near fatal spinal cord (neck) injury for which the prognosis was very poor. Mike, ever the fighter, shocked doctors with his rapid recovery. He is now walking with almost no sign of his injury.

Mike is one of the people we worked closely with years ago but hardly see any more. We always say we will have to get together more often but as usual, life gets in the way. When we do get together though, Life Is Good!

here is the REAL shot!