Jim Green was an activist who championed social justice, democracy and the arts, with the vision of a fair, inclusive, and creative city.
He was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1943 and found his way to Vancouver in 1968. Jim fell in love with the city and his life’s work became improving it as a place for people to live and thrive. Jim wore many different hats over the course of his career. He worked as a longshoreman in Vancouver’s waterfront; as an organizer for the Downtown Eastside Residents Association; an author; a developer; was a student of anthropology and then a lecturer in subject; Jim was devotee of the arts, and from 2002 to 2005, he served as a city councillor.
Through his different vocations wound the common thread of building a better society for groups pushed to the edges. Up until his death in February of 2012, Jim tenaciously promoted the inclusion of the marginalized poor, the homeless, artists, and others. His socially innovative projects included: BladeRunners, the Portland Hotel Society, Four Corners Community Savings, the expansion of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, and the Woodward’s redevelopment. Much of his work continues to benefit Vancouver.
With Jim’s passing, a group has come together to establish an on-going legacy for his work. The Jim Green Foundation was established as a tribute to Jim and as a means to keep building the Vancouver that he saw possible.
