Jim Green, sadly, passed away on Tuesday 28th, 2012 of cancer. Jim was a friend to me and to many others and especially a friend to the homeless and dispossed on Vancouver's Eastside. Jim came and presented me with the City of Vancouver scroll for D.O.A. Day in Vancouver ( that's myself, my wife Laura and Jim in the photo) on December 21st, 2002 at the Railway Club. Jim started reading the long and laborious scroll, laughing I grabbed the scoll and said "Let's hurry this up, I have a show to do!", we all had a good chuckle. I first met Jim when he organized a benefit for the folks that had been kicked out of their homes to make way for Expo 86 tourists. Jim and D.E.R.A. set up a benefit show at Malkin Bowl with D.O.A. unplugged , Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie. It was incredible, 10,000 people came out and it raised a ton of dough for the evicted people.

Jim was many things: he was an American draft resistor against the Vietnam War, he helped saved The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, he spearheaded the reconstruction and revitalization of our famous Woodward's building ( which was a big thing for me as I have many memories traveling on the bus with my mother when I was 10 or 11 to do our big Saturday shopping) The list of Jim's accomplishments are almost endless. Jim it was an honor to be your friend, Vancouver will miss you. We will all miss you.
Joe Keithley

Photos by Bev Davies