Community leadership: Ian Gillespie
Ian Gillespie, former UBC Thunderbird, helped changed the conversation about Syrian refugees back in November: “The dialogue that we’re having is not very Canadian. It’s unhealthy, mean-spirited and small-minded. It is not what I hope Canada is.”
As a Real Estate developer, Ian is passionate about bringing architectural artistry to individual buildings and cities as a whole. It should come as no surprise that he was able to re-frame the refugee 'crisis' as an opportunity. He was quoted saying, "We need to think of this as an opportunity to make Vancouver a better city. To make Canada a better country…I think that the vast majority of Vancouverites are going to welcome them and embrace this for the opportunity that it really is…this group is going to make Vancouver a better city."
Ian took the opportunity to look through his company's (Westbank) inventory and found a 12-unit property in the West End that was sitting unused, waiting for city permits to be redeveloped. He refurbished and furnished the building so that it could be used as first-stop housing for refugees waiting for permanent homes in B.C. So far, this one building has been a temporary home for nearly 10% of all of the families resettling in Vancouver: 26 different families totaling around 140 people.
While he may have topped Vancouver Magazine's Power 50 list last year, the former 800m runner from Port Coquitlam stressed that he is "No different than most other Canadians who are watching the news every night and thinking, 'what can I do to help?'" He said "Some can volunteer time, donate money…We're in the property business, so it seemed an obvious place to start."
Ian hoped that his gestures would spark others into action as well -- and it did. Other Real Estate developers, like Concert, have also offered up some of their properties as temporary housing. On top of donating the use of the building, Westbank conducted a series of successful food and clothing drives. In total, over 30 truckloads were collected, weighing over 11,000kg. The company also raised over $45,000 through a Chimp campaign, with all proceeds going directly to the Refugee Sponsorship Fund of the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia.
At a time when many people are choosing to dwell on a declining economy, local housing issues, and view the refugees as a further drain on an already constrained resource, Ian is again quick to reframe the situation. He says, “Bringing refugees to Canada doesn’t deplete our resources. Refugees are a resource.” To that end, once the refugees are settled, his staff will look for opportunities to utilize these resources by matching the refugees' skill sets with jobs within both his organization and others depending on the individual and their resettlement location.
Ian is also working with all three levels of government, other corporations, and post-secondary institutions to develop and support a program that will teach coding skills to young adults in the refugee community. When asked about things that have touched him the most throughout this process, Ian said "Westbank is a company that is full of young people; young people that want to give back. And as a team building experience, this has been invaluable." Although the people at Westbank have already donated a lot of their own personal time and resources towards this cause, they are still excited for this long-term role to help execute and support this curriculum.
On a personal level, Ian appreciates the opportunities he has had to chat with these individuals and hear dozens of their stories. "It makes you realize that these are real people. They aren't just something you read about in a newspaper, or see on TV. These people exist. It's eye opening to hear what they have been through. They aren't statistics, they are real people." He has been further overwhelmed and inspired by the amount of people that have wanted to volunteer and donate food, clothing, time , and money. "It's been amazing to see how it has affected people. Canadians by and large have embraced the fact that we are a country full of immigrants. This has brought us closer together as a country and a community."
Ian hopes that the federal government appreciates not only what this has done within our borders, but also outside of them. "Canada's brand is a valuable asset. This has been exemplified by what is going on in the United States right now. The United States' brand is not being enhanced by the debate that is going on in the presidential primaries. Conversely, our value has gone up due to our response to the refugee crisis." While he admits that there have been some kinks that need to be worked out, he feels that the government should continue to support these people in their time of need.
Even though it has been over 20 years since Ian’s last race, when asked why he feels it is important to give back to community, the former 800m runner was quick to point out that giving back to community is not something he does in his spare time, but rather it is his entire mission in life. Everything he and Westbank does, is about giving back to community. He does not take living in one of the best cities on earth for granted. Rather, he appreciates all of the contributions that have made the city what it is today. "Someone decided to build a seawall around Stanley Park, and now everyone can enjoy it. We all stand on the shoulders of generations before us that made previous contributions, which we benefit from now. It is our responsibility to keep building on what they started. It's how civilization has to function."
And build he does. Westbank, which Ian regards as a "platform to build communities," is the largest LEED platinum developer in the World. That platform has built some of the most iconic buildings in the Vancouver skyline including: the Shangri-La, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Woodwards building, and the Telus Garden. And though he founded and built Westbank after hanging up his spikes, Ian appreciates that "it would not exist if weren't for people giving back and building community, like Doug and Diane Clement, who helped me along the way." He both ended and summarized our conversation by stating "It takes a lot of people to build a community, and it is up to all of us to contribute."
Nigel Hole
BCOM 2012 | Finance and Accounting
XC, 800m, 1500m
