Written by Tina Winterlik (Zipolita) and AI
Scene 1: Monday Morning, Downtown Vancouver, December 2034
The camera pans over a gray, rain-soaked cityscape. Streets once bustling with holiday shoppers are eerily quiet. Towering luxury condos stand half-empty, their windows dark. Below, makeshift shelters line the sidewalks.
Narrator (Voiceover)
Vancouver. The city of glass. A playground for the wealthy... and a survival ground for the rest.
Zoom in on a tiny community garden wedged between two abandoned office towers. A small group of people tend to the soil under plastic tarps, their faces weathered but determined.
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Scene 2: Inside a Tiny Home Community
A cramped but cozy room. A kettle whistles on a solar-powered hot plate. Maya, mid-40s, sits at a laptop, her fingers freezing despite fingerless gloves. She’s writing a blog post.
Maya (mutters)
“Not exactly Christmasy... but they need to hear it.”
Her screen displays a post titled 2034: What Happened to Vancouver? She pauses, thinking, then types:
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On Screen Text (typed by Maya):
"Twelve years ago, scientists said we had a window to act. Some of us screamed from the rooftops, begged for change. Others clung to the status quo. Now? The window has shattered."
"The rich fled to higher ground, leaving ghost towers behind. The rest of us learned to adapt. We grow food in what’s left of the soil. We share solar panels and water filters. We live small, not by choice but by necessity."
"Is this the end? No. But it’s a world we didn’t have to choose."
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Scene 3: Outside, the Garden
Maya steps out, a mug of herbal tea in hand. The rain has stopped, revealing a murky sunset. Children play near the garden, their laughter a rare sound. An older man, Joe, approaches her.
Joe
“Another blog post?”
Maya
“Yeah. Not sure who’s still reading.”
Joe (grins)
“They’re reading. Trust me. Even if it bums them out.”
Maya chuckles, but her smile fades as she looks toward the skyline.
Maya
“If we’d acted when we had the chance... maybe those towers wouldn’t be empty. Maybe we wouldn’t be here, scraping by.”
Joe
“Maybe. But we’re still here. That counts for something.”
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Scene 4: A Glimmer of Hope
The camera pans to a close-up of the children planting seeds in the garden, their hands caked with soil. The narrator’s voice returns.
Narrator (Voiceover)
“In the ashes of what was, seeds of resilience are growing. The question isn’t what could have been—it’s what we do now.”
Fade to black. Text appears on the screen:
“The future isn’t written. What will you do today to shape tomorrow?”
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End Blog Post
Reflection/Call to Action:
This fictional glimpse into Vancouver’s future is a cautionary tale—but it doesn’t have to become reality. Let’s work together to address the challenges we face today. Share your thoughts, join a movement, or start a conversation. The window may be closing, but it’s not gone yet.
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