The Storms Our Parents Remember — The Future We Inherit

 The Storms Our Parents Remember — The Future We Inherit

To the young people speaking up about data centres, climate, water, and the future:

You understand something important.

Every decision has a footprint.

A building is not just a building.

A project is not just a project.

It uses land. It uses energy. It uses water. It changes the world around it.

Many people living in Vancouver today have never heard of Hurricane Freda, also known as the Columbus Day Storm of 1962.

But our parents and grandparents remember.

They remember winds powerful enough to destroy forests, damage communities, knock out power, and change landscapes forever.

I was only 10 months old when that storm happened. I don't remember it, but my family lived through it. My mother remembered the fear of those winds.

That is how history works.

One generation experiences something.

The next generation decides whether to remember.

Today, we face new challenges:

🔥 Wildfires
🌊 Rising risks along our coast
💧 Pressure on water resources
🌎 Climate change
🏙️ Rapid development

The question is not whether we can stop every storm, every fire, or every change.

We can't.

The question is:

Are we making decisions with enough respect for nature and enough care for the future?

Young people are asking these questions because they know they will live with the consequences.

Keep asking.

Keep learning.

Keep looking beyond the exciting promises and ask:

“What does this mean 10, 20, or 50 years from now?”

The future is not something we inherit.

It is something we build.

10 Reflective Questions

1. If a storm like Hurricane Freda happened again, would our waterfront decisions today show that we learned from history?

2. Do we design our cities for the best weather days—or for the worst days nature can bring?

3. When we build something new, are we asking only “Can we build it?” or are we asking “Should we build it here, and what are the long-term consequences?”

4. Who speaks for the ocean, the whales, the forests, and the wildlife that cannot attend council meetings?

5. Are we treating water as an unlimited resource, or are we protecting it as something every living thing depends on?

6. When young people inherit the decisions being made today, will they thank us for our choices—or ask why we ignored the warnings?

7. Have we become so focused on growth and convenience that we forget the natural systems supporting our lives?

8. What does “sustainable development” really mean if a project creates more pressure on water, energy, ecosystems, or infrastructure?

9. Are we preserving the memories and lessons of previous generations, or are we allowing them to disappear as cities change?

10. If we knew a major storm, flood, or climate event was coming someday, what decisions would we make differently today?

#ClimateAction

#ProtectOurWater

#NatureNeedsAVoice

#SustainableCities

#HistoryMatters

#AskTheHardQuestions