Huge crowd pays tribute to Owen

Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen received a standing ovation on Wednesday night at the screening of a documentary film about the battle for safe injection sites for drug users

More than 1,100 people turned out at Vancouver's Vogue Theatre to say good-bye to Owen at a gala fundraiser.

The three main candidates to replace Owen were there, as was Dean Wilson, the star of the film, FIX: The Story Of An Addicted City.

The heavily tattooed man who fights his heroin addiction throughout the film is a big fan of Mayor Owen.

"The mayor is finally getting his piece of cake," says Wilson. "He's paid a heavy political price. I think he's paid a heavy personal price, and the thing is, he's right."

The three mayoralty candidates seem to agree that Owen's innovative approach to Vancouver's drug problem is the right one.

"We support the mayor and his fourpillars program," says vcaTEAM's Val Maclean.

"He's such a leader in many of the areas that I'm trying to emulate," says Larry Campbell of the Coalition of Progressive Electors.

"I support what's in the fourpillar approach to crime prevention and drug treatment in its entirety," says Jennifer Clarke of the NonPartisan Association.

Mayor Owen says he appreciate the expressions of support, but remains skeptical.

"Are they going to have one view on Saturday, Nov. 16, and on Monday the 18th, two days after the election have a different view? That worries me," says the outgoing mayor.