The Mayor of English Bay

 In Memory of Joe Anderson (1950-2021)

When I first met Joe in 2008, he accosted me outside the boathouse, asking me if I had a key after he saw me going inside. At first, I was annoyed by this challenge from someone I didn't even know, then I quickly realized that he was trying to guard the boathouse and after I showed him my key his attitude quickly changed and he smiled at me apologetically explaining that he just hadn’t seen me before. I told him I hadn't seen him before either and we both laughed about it. After this, we became good friends and even bought a kayak together, which he hardly used at all. 

Joe (Left) and his brother Bob

Joe Anderson had a very colorful life. Born in 1950 in Timmins, Ontario, he left home as a young teen as school was tough for him. He had learning difficulties, which were not yet recognized in the mid-sixties. He got involved with some nefarious people and even associated with the Hell's Angels for a while. He was quite good at working with his hands and crafting so he got various jobs upholstering and traveling across Canada. He did settle down for a while and got married, which was one of the happiest times of his life. Then tragedy struck and Holly passed away.

Joe and Holly

After losing his wife, he became an alcholic like his father and eventually alcohol and drugs took over his life, he became homeless, living on the street and eventually he also did time in prison. He travelled a lot, often hitching a ride to get around and ended up on the West coast of Canada in Vancouver. Despite all the turbulence he endured, through his down-to-earth attitude and simple life philosophy he managed to touch the lives of so many. He decided to quit drinking almost 10 years ago and amazingly managed to go cold turkey without any organizational help. He did have a very supportive group of friends who encouraged him though, and I believe that it was this community of people centered around the boathouse storage at English Bay that he was a major part of, functioned as a sort of AA group he never had. He was quite frank and direct in his communication but also had a playful side and a good sense of humor.

He believed in actions more than words, he told me he looked for that in people to know whether they had integrity. But it was his kindness, loyalty, and generosity that really stood out, as well as his resilience. He was almost a permanent fixture of the boathouse because no matter whatever the weather- Joe would always be there. He is still there even now- on google maps if you look for pictures of the boathouse at English Bay!

Anyone who was a regular visitor of English bay, including the local businesses such as the Cactus club and the Vancouver Parks Board knew Joe. If you were a visitor from abroad and decided to sit down on the bench outside the boathouse to enjoy the beautiful view of English Bay between dawn and sunset you probably had a high chance of seeing Joe. He was there pretty much every day, the one constant we could rely on. All the members of the boathouse have their own stories of Joe, he would assist anyone he saw he thought needed help bringing out their boats or craft, especially the ladies!

He was a real gentleman, behaved with chivalry that is rare these days and never asked anyone for anything in return. He helped both myself and Andre out many times with his collection of tools and his skills in boat craft. He would often find stuff on the beach with his metal detector and either give it away or store it in the boathouse. His kindness to animals, particularly dogs was legendary. He would often look after and walk the dogs of his friends and also give stranger's dogs treats that he kept in the boathouse.

We would treat him and take him out to eat occasionally too, but what he seemed to enjoy most of all was fast food. I guess he appreciated somewhere he could eat without too much fussing around! One time a couple of friends and I took him to a fancy restaurant and Joe hardly ate a bite. When we asked him why he hardly ate anything, he told us, “I don’t like European food!” He would have made Gordon Ramsay blush. 

Years ago, he was attacked by an unknown assailant and ended up in hospital with severe injuries that required a metal plate being attached to his skull. Homeless people are often the target of hate and violence, it is very sad that there are some people who have little or no empathy for those less fortunate. In Joe's favor was the huge bank of good karma he had regularly contributed to. It was because of all of the friends he made that we were able to help him when he needed it the most. One friend Ghizlaine assisted him in dealing with the ministry to get him registered and fast-tracked for housing assistance, Jaeny went with him and advocated for him numerous times for official business. This together with Sherri’s fundraising effort enabled Joe to move into an apartment building with all the provisions of a home. The silver lining through this traumatic event was that his many years of homelessness had come to an end. And notably, it was a community effort which Joe also personally acknowledged.

We all cared for him as he cared for us, not through a sense of reciprocity but because if you met him you just saw a kind, yet vulnerable man, plain-spoken and genuine that you just could not help but like. Sure, he could be grumpy sometimes, particularly when he was still drinking, but that did not change his essential character. It was his way of dealing with his past until he felt strong enough to let go of it. That was a testament to his fortitude and determination. His wisdom was his simple and uncomplicated approach to things, sometimes he would say something that could sound absurd and yet brilliant simultaneously! 

It was quite a thing to witness, to see a man who was once homeless and an alcoholic, finding redemption through his own acts of kindness and creating a community. After he sadly passed away just a couple of months ago, over 50 friends showed up to his ‘Celebration of Life’ standing in the rain and listening to stories about the life and times of Joe Anderson, the mayor of English Bay.

Joe was once ‘accidentally’ offered a job teaching English - thankfully he did not do that. He told me, “I’ve got no teaching certificate, what am I gonna teach? Homeless? I can do that, homeless 101!”

Instead, he gave us all a masterclass in some essential life lessons; how we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, that people are capable of change under the right conditions, and that it takes love to build a community.