Sam Sullivan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sam Sullivan CM
Sullivan in May 2008
38th Mayor of Vancouver
In office December 5, 2005 – December 8, 2008
Preceded by	Larry Campbell
Succeeded by	Gregor Robertson
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development of British Columbia
In office June 12, 2017 – July 18, 2017
Premier	Christy Clark
Preceded by	Peter Fassbender
Succeeded by	Lisa Beare (Tourism, Arts, and Culture)
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Vancouver-False Creek
In office May 14, 2013 – October 24, 2020
Preceded by	Mary McNeil
Succeeded by	Brenda Bailey
Personal details
Born	(1959-11-13) November 13, 1959 (age 65)
Political party	BC Conservatives (provincial, current) BC Liberal Party (provincial, former) Non-Partisan Association (municipal)
Alma mater	Simon Fraser University Langara College

Sam C. Sullivan CM (born November 13, 1959) is a Canadian politician who has served as the mayor of Vancouver and as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He is a member of the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honors.

Sullivan is known for his work helping people with disabilities and for his time in politics. He is currently the President of the Global Civic Policy Society, which works on community issues.

Early Life and Education

Sam Sullivan was born on November 13, 1959, in East Vancouver. His father, Lloyd, owned an auto parts store, and he grew up with three brothers and one sister. He went to Chief Maquinna Elementary and Vancouver Technical Secondary School.

Overcoming a Major Challenge

When he was 19 years old, Sullivan had a serious skiing accident where he broke his neck. This injury left him a quadriplegic, meaning he is paralyzed from the neck down.

After the accident, Sullivan faced a difficult time. But he didn't give up. He went on to earn a business degree from Simon Fraser University. He then started six non-profit organizations to help improve life for other people with disabilities.

Helping People with Disabilities

In 2005, Sullivan received the Order of Canada for his amazing work helping people with disabilities. The organizations he started have raised over $20 million and helped thousands of people.

Creating Helpful Organizations

Here are some of the groups Sullivan created:

• Tetra Society: This group connects skilled volunteers with people who have disabilities. The volunteers build special custom devices that can't be bought in stores.
• Disabled Sailing Association: This group helps people with disabilities learn to sail. Sullivan helped create a special sailboat, the Martin 16, that can be controlled using "sip-and-puff" technology, where a person uses their breath to steer.
• British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society: Sullivan helped invent the TrailRider, a special one-wheeled chair that lets people with disabilities explore wilderness trails. People have even used it to climb Mount Kilimanjaro!
• Vancouver Adapted Music Society: This group helps people with disabilities create and perform music. Sullivan himself was in a band and played keyboards using special computer software.
• ConnecTra Society: This organization helps people with disabilities find activities and jobs in their community, helping them become more active and confident.

For his work, Sullivan was also added to the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in 2000.

Career in Vancouver Politics

City Councillor

Sullivan was first elected to Vancouver City Council in 1993. He was a member of the Non-Partisan Association (NPA) party and served on the council for 15 years.

In 2004, he led a successful campaign called "Knowards." It was against a plan to change how city councillors were elected. The plan was to switch from an "at-large" system (where everyone votes for all councillors) to a "ward" system (where the city is divided into districts, and people vote for a councillor in their own district). The people of Vancouver voted to keep the at-large system.

Becoming Mayor of Vancouver

In 2005, Sullivan decided to run for mayor of Vancouver. He won the nomination for his party, the NPA. He then led his party to a big victory, winning a majority of seats on the City Council, School Board, and Park Board.

During the election, there was some controversy. Another candidate named James Green also ran for mayor. Sullivan's main opponent was named Jim Green. Because the names were so similar, some people worried that voters might get confused. Sullivan won the election by a small number of votes.

As Mayor of Vancouver

As mayor, Sullivan was the subject of a documentary film called Citizen Sam, which was nominated for a Gemini Award.

A Famous Olympic Moment

One of Sullivan's most memorable moments was at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He accepted the Olympic Flag on behalf of Vancouver, the next host city.

A special bracket was attached to his wheelchair to hold the flag. He then moved his wheelchair back and forth eight times to wave the flag. People all over the world were inspired by this moment. Sullivan said he received many letters from people who felt moved and encouraged by what he did.

Ideas for the City

EcoDensity

Sullivan launched a plan called "EcoDensity." The goal was to make Vancouver a better place to live by allowing more people to live in the same amount of space. This meant building more townhouses and apartments and allowing smaller "laneway" houses on single-family lots. The idea was to create more affordable housing and reduce the city's impact on the environment.

Project Civil City

Sullivan also started "Project Civil City" to improve safety and order in public spaces. One important part of this project was creating the Street to Home Foundation. This group worked with community leaders to find solutions to help people experiencing homelessness. He also supported programs that provided medical help to people struggling with addiction.

Life After Being Mayor

After his term as mayor ended in 2008, Sullivan stayed active in the community.

Community Projects

In 2009, he started the Global Civic Policy Society. This group organizes public talks and creates TV shows about important issues in Vancouver. It also runs projects to encourage people to learn greetings in different languages, including the languages of local First Nations.

Sullivan has also worked to bring back Chinook Jargon, a historic trade language used by Indigenous peoples and settlers in British Columbia. He has hosted workshops and created videos to help people learn it.

Another project he started is Transcribimus. This group of volunteers has been typing out Vancouver's oldest handwritten city council records from the 1880s and 1890s. This makes the city's history available for everyone to read online for free.

Working for British Columbia

In 2013, Sullivan was elected to the provincial government as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vancouver-False Creek. He was a member of the BC Liberal Party.

He was re-elected in 2017 and was briefly appointed as a government minister. After his party lost power, he served as the critic for housing. In 2018, he ran for the leadership of the BC Liberal Party but was not successful. He served as an MLA until the 2020 provincial election.

Electoral record

2018 BC Liberal leadership

     = Eliminated from next round

     = Winner