Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Radio
Sundays 8pm to 11pm on Radio 2
New Episodes at CBC Music
Need more Strombo Show? Head over to our page on CBC Music for new episodes, playlists and video extras.
Gregor Robertson is just your average sort of mayor. You know, he spends his time on politics... his career choices have been pretty straightforward. Typical things. Let's see: Gregor started off wanting to be a doctor. But despite good marks he didn't get into med school so he did the next best thing - he became a cowboy. In British Columbia.
But that got a little boring so Gregor thought maybe he'd give sailing a try. That's pretty normal, right? Except that he sailed the Pacific Ocean, with his wife, for eighteen months. He eventually decided that life as a farmer in New Zealand was a good idea and settled there. All this before the age of twenty-five.
But Gregor had an awakening in New Zealand - something that sent him down the path he's been pursuing to this day. Gregor's wife Amy got pregnant with their first child and Gregor got soaked with chemical herbicide at the industrial farm where he worked. He knew instantly this type of farming was wrong. So, Gregor and his growing family moved back to B.C. where he started an organic farm and, eventually, a juice business called Happy Planet.
All this and Gregor hadn't even hit 30 yet. It's been almost twenty years since then and Gregor's had a stint in British Columbia's provincial legislature and has been mayor of Vancouver since 2008. He's managed to live enough of a life for at least five people. We'll ask him what's next.
@TheStromboShow