Growing up in South Delta, it was always interesting to motor down Arthur Drive.
It's a long, winding road with farmland, idyllic views of Mount Baker and gives drivers the chance to experience some of the most stunning sunsets in the province on a clear evening.
The road is also home to several palatial estates, including the home of former premier Bill Vander Zalm. Riding by his house as a kid, it looks like something you'd see on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Four football-field-sized yards cover each corner and a long driveway meanders to the front door and garage.
When I was younger, I'd hear my parents or relatives grumble about the Fantasy Gardens debacle, telling me he resigned after being charged with criminal breach of trust during the sale of the gardens when he was in office. People would drive by his house and shake their head in disgust. The house even served a purpose for me. As I got older, I'd tell dates the mansion was my summerhouse. For some reason they didn't believe me.
Years passed and Vander Zalm all but disappeared from the public eye. He lost a by-election in South Delta in 1999 and quietly retired from politics.
Which is why it was interesting to see Vander Zalm suddenly re-emerge in 2009 after plans to bring about the HST were announced by the Liberal government. I remember articles mocking his campaign, but the man never gave up. He traveled all across the province to drum up support to get the 10 per cent necessary on each riding's registered voting list and he let people know about the Recall and Initiative Act.
Support for the petition grew and on June 30, 2010, Vander Zalm delivered 85 boxes containing more than 700,00 signatures in support of his campaign. After jumping through several more hoops, Elections B.C. approved the petition and that leads us to today with the referendum on the HST, which is now set for June 24.
Of course, the Liberal government has now shined up the tax to make it more appealing to those very same voters who likely supported Vander Zalm. They've lowered it to 10 per cent (beginning in 2014), offered rebates, and made it much more appealing for British Columbians.
But let's not forget the efforts of Vander Zalm. We often whine about how democracy is a sham and our votes don't matter, but I think Vander Zalm helped bring a voice to what was an extremely upset voting public last summer.
Whether the HST gets approved or not, you can't question the impact he made and the benefits his rallying did for unhappy voters in this province.
And I think the next time I drive down Arthur Drive, I'll smile and tell the other passengers in the car that enormous monstrosity is the home of Bill Vander Zalm -the man who went toe to toe with the HST and won.
