When we launched Funcouver back in 2002 we did so because we were compelled by a power; a force that is bigger than any of the individuals involved with the effort.

It was obvious to us that, for reasons that we could not fully comprehend, there was a concerted effort being made to suck the joie de vivre out of Vancouver. Everywhere we looked, efforts to breathe life into the city's artistic and cultural mosaic were being resisted and repelled.

When we tried to understand what motivated the forces of gloom, we came to the inescapable conclusion that, more often than not, their attempts to thwart the party were simply gratuitous and they were successful only because Vancouver funsters had not countered in any organized fashion.

Needless to say, that imbalance changed drastically when Funcouver exploded that year. Finally there was an organized campaign to dispel the idea that Vancouver was fated to become an artistic and cultural ghetto.

And when Funcouver dared to opine that our city had everything necessary to become one of the world's truly great cities, the nattering nabobs of negativity were silenced and the no-fun-niks began to retreat.

Truth be told, the triumph of Funcouver was not an incredibly taxing war of attrition. Funcouver changed the dynamic and direction of our city because it was a timely cause; its raison d'etre was both irrefutable and irresistible. Save for a small band of spiritual sadists and masochists, who doesn't want to have fun?

We have accomplished exactly what we set out to accomplish by creating a paradigm shift in the collective conscience of Vancouverites. No longer do artistic and cultural impresarios cower in the shadow of oversized no-fun-niks with their ludicrously large rule books and rolls of red tape.

In his forward to Brave New World, his seminal (but admittedly bleak) work looking into the future of humankind, Aldous Huxley wrote, "Robespierre achieved the most superficial kind of revolution - the political." Those are profound words and must be considered and understood by any who attempt to, in any way, make the world a better place. We understand what Huxley meant.

We understand that social change is more important than political change. We believe we have accomplished exactly that. We believe that Vancouverites will never again tolerate institutional impediments to our collective evolution into a city that pulses with the intoxicating life-blood of art and culture.

Yes, Vancouver still has a long way to go on the path to Funcouver and we are monitoring that progress. When we feel it is necessary, or prudent, we speak up. Otherwise, we continue to support the indisputable power of Vancouver's creative class to slowly transform this magical place we call home.

We hope you'll join us.

Tim Crowhurst
tim@funcouver.com