Last Saturday was an exciting day for Vancouver as we voted in a new mayor and a progressive majority for city council, school board, and parks board. I was so pleased that Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver and COPE team will be bringing new direction to City Hall in the coming weeks, and would like to congratulate Vision and COPE and all the many volunteers who helped make this election happen. I was happy to help out their campaign wherever I could handing out leaflets and mainstreeting with the terrific candidates and I very much look forward to working with the new mayor and all of our new councilors. Congratulations to you all!

It is tragic to hear of the death of Marilyn Holsten, and I can believe her life was a “living hell” (The Province, August 26).

Her death is tragic because Marilyn was a real fighter and displayed incredible strength as she took on the eviction, and the federal medical marijuana program. MLA Jenny Kwan and I visited Marilyn and tried to get the provincial and federal governments to get better home support for her and approval for medical marijuana.

Ironically, we just got a copy of the letter from the federal health Minister today, saying she had been approved for the medical marijuana program, in late June. It is a telling story of our health care system, that Marilyn had to contend with so many obstacles and barriers, when she was so debilitated and just needed security and medical support.

I feel very saddened that her life ended this way.