{"id":2603,"date":"2025-09-24T09:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T16:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/?p=2603"},"modified":"2025-09-24T09:59:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T16:59:35","slug":"the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/eternal-2603-the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen","title":{"rendered":"The Story of Vancouver\u2019s Remarkable Mayor, Philip Owen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Philip Owen is remembered in Vancouver not only as a <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouveryes.com\/en\/eternal\/a-propos-de-gordon-campbell-maire-de-vancouver-qui-a-ete-reelu-trois-fois\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">former mayor<\/a> but as a man who dared to change the rules of the game. Born and raised in the heart of the city, he knew Vancouver from childhood. In 1993, Owen became Vancouver\u2019s 36th mayor and held the position for nearly a decade, shaping the lives of tens of thousands of residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2604\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-8.png 1180w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-8-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-8-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-8-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Owen never shied away from tough decisions.<\/strong> Under his leadership, the city experienced rapid transformation: from revitalizing downtown and opening Library Square to laying the groundwork for the 2010 Winter Olympics. But he is most remembered for confronting the drug crisis in the Downtown Eastside not as a crime issue but as a health issue. Thanks to his bold approach, Vancouver became the first city in North America to open a legal supervised injection site\u2014Insite. More on <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\">vancouveriski com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a79c664ea305\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a79c664ea305\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/eternal-2603-the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen\/#Childhood_and_Early_Career\" >Childhood and Early Career<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/eternal-2603-the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen\/#Political_Career\" >Political Career<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/eternal-2603-the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen\/#The_Four_Pillars_Approach\" >The Four Pillars Approach<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/eternal-2603-the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen\/#Criticism_and_Controversy\" >Criticism and Controversy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/eternal-2603-the-story-of-vancouvers-remarkable-mayor-philip-owen\/#Recognition_and_Legacy\" >Recognition and Legacy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Childhood_and_Early_Career\"><\/span>Childhood and Early Career<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Philip Owen was born in Vancouver into a family where public service was almost a tradition. His father, Walter Owen, served as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1973 to 1978. Growing up, Philip saw how local government worked, giving him a deep understanding of the city\u2019s challenges. He studied at Prince of Wales Secondary School and later attended New York University, gaining business knowledge and international experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before politics, Owen was an entrepreneur. In his twenties, he launched a textile business that expanded to Toronto and New York. He also managed Eaton\u2019s department store in Vancouver but quit rather than fire a senior employee who was close to retirement. That moment revealed his strong character and genuine care for people. Owen was active in Vancouver\u2019s cultural life as well\u2014he served as director of the Vancouver Art Gallery, chaired the Downtown Vancouver Association and St. George\u2019s School, and worked with charities ranging from the Salvation Army to the Vancouver International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Political_Career\"><\/span>Political Career<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen\u2019s political journey began in 1978 when he was elected to the Vancouver Parks Board. He later served seven years on city council, gaining experience and developing his vision for Vancouver. In 1993, he became <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouveryes.com\/en\/eternal\/biographie-de-kennedy-stewart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mayor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1286\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-9.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-9.png 1286w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-9-297x300.png 297w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-9-768x776.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-9-696x704.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1286px) 100vw, 1286px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his time in office, the city saw major changes. The opening of the Vancouver Public Library\u2019s Central Branch in 1995 was a milestone in cultural development. The revitalization of the Woodward\u2019s complex, completed in 2009, breathed new life into the city\u2019s historic core by blending housing, retail, and cultural space. Under Owen, the downtown population nearly doubled\u2014from 40,000 to 80,000\u2014and housing policies underwent a major transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Four_Pillars_Approach\"><\/span>The Four Pillars Approach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the mid-1990s, Vancouver faced a public health emergency. The Downtown Eastside was overwhelmed by injection drug use, leading to HIV\/AIDS and hepatitis C outbreaks. At first, Owen\u2014like many others\u2014was skeptical of reform. Most politicians believed drug users should be punished, not helped. But seeing people die of overdoses changed his mind. He realized criminal enforcement alone could not solve the problem. It had to be treated as a health crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s when Vancouver embraced the <strong>Four Pillars Approach<\/strong>, a model borrowed from Switzerland, built on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. It was a groundbreaking shift toward compassion and public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The highlight of this strategy was the 2003 launch of Insite\u2014the first supervised injection site in North America. Here, users could inject drugs under medical supervision, access counseling, and get referrals for treatment. The results were striking: in its first 20 years, Insite staff intervened in nearly 12,000 overdoses and referred over 70,000 people to treatment. Not a single person died of an overdose inside the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criticism_and_Controversy\"><\/span>Criticism and Controversy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen\u2019s decisions were not always popular. His support for harm reduction and the Four Pillars model sparked backlash within his own party, the Non-Partisan Association (NPA). Many colleagues felt he was too lenient on drug users. As a result, Owen lost party backing for future campaigns. The NPA even lost the 2002 municipal election, regaining power only in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also faced criticism during the investigation of serial killer Robert Pickton. When dozens of women disappeared in the Downtown Eastside, Owen initially said there was no evidence of a serial killer. His comments were seen as dismissive, especially toward missing sex workers. Years later, in 2011, Owen issued a public apology in major Canadian newspapers for downplaying the crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"915\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-10.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-10.png 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-10-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-10-768x549.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-10-696x498.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a personal level, his stance cost him friendships. Some longtime acquaintances distanced themselves from him and his wife Brita because of his support for drug policy reform. Still, Owen remained committed to saving lives, even when it came at a personal cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recognition_and_Legacy\"><\/span>Recognition and Legacy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen received many honors for his work. In 2008, he was appointed to the <strong>Order of Canada<\/strong>, one of the nation\u2019s highest awards. In 2014, he was recognized with the <strong>Order of the Diocese of New Westminster<\/strong> for decades of service to civic and church life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But his greatest legacy is lasting change. The University of British Columbia created the <strong>Philip Owen Professorship in Addiction Medicine<\/strong>, training a new generation of specialists. This contribution to public health reform will benefit Canadians for decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-11.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2613\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-11.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-11-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-11-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vancouveriski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2025\/09\/image-11-696x365.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Owen also left a mark on Vancouver\u2019s city life\u2014through housing policy, cultural development, and civic projects. His leadership showed that politics, at its best, can save lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He shared his experience internationally as well, speaking at drug policy conferences in Canada, Europe, the U.S., and even Afghanistan. His evidence-based, compassionate approach became a model for other cities and countries seeking humane solutions to addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vancouver.anglican.ca\/news\/philip-owen-cm-odnw-awarded-honorary-degree-by-vst\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.vancouver.anglican.ca\/news\/philip-owen-cm-odnw-awarded-honorary-degree-by-vst<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/magazine.alumni.ubc.ca\/2020\/give-ubc\/four-pillars-legacy-philip-owen-professorship-addiction-medicine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/magazine.alumni.ubc.ca\/2020\/give-ubc\/four-pillars-legacy-philip-owen-professorship-addiction-medicine<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thetyee.ca\/News\/2012\/03\/21\/Vancouver-Drug-Policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/thetyee.ca\/News\/2012\/03\/21\/Vancouver-Drug-Policy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vancouver.citynews.ca\/2021\/10\/01\/vancouver-mayor-philip-owen-obit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/vancouver.citynews.ca\/2021\/10\/01\/vancouver-mayor-philip-owen-obit<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Philip Owen is remembered in Vancouver not only as a former mayor but as a man who dared to change the rules of the game. Born and raised in the heart of the city, he knew Vancouver from childhood. In 1993, Owen became Vancouver\u2019s 36th mayor and held the position for nearly a decade, shaping [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":315,"featured_media":2600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[1777,1770,1771,1772,1776,1773,1782,1778,1781,1769,1780,1774,1775,1768,1779],"moimportance":[33],"motype":[196],"moformat":[82],"class_list":["post-2603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-success-stories","tag-addiction-treatment","tag-canadian-politics","tag-drug-policy","tag-four-pillars-approach-2","tag-harm-reduction","tag-insite","tag-leadership","tag-library-square","tag-order-of-canada","tag-philip-owen","tag-public-health","tag-supervised-injection-site","tag-urban-development","tag-vancouver-mayor","tag-woodwards-redevelopment","moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory","motype-eternal","moformat-list"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/315"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603\/revisions\/2616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2603"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2603"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2603"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vancouveriski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}