Community

A group of women participate in the Women’s Memorial March, with one woman wearing a woven cedar hat and holding a drum, singing during the gathering.
Community

Downtown Eastside Marks 34th Women’s Memorial March

On February 14, 2025, the 34th annual Women’s Memorial March will move again through Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside streets. Beginning at noon at the intersection ...
Front view of Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House and Princess Market on a bustling street. Cars pass by in the foreground, while individuals gather near the entrance, emphasizing the community-oriented nature of the space.
Community

Banana Beat Celebrates 20 Years With a Special Fundraiser

For over 20 years, the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House (DTESNH) has provided essential support to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, offering nourishment, dignity, and a sense ...
A view from Carnegie Library overlooking East Hastings Street in Downtown Eastside Vancouver, showing a bustling urban scene with people walking along the sidewalks and traffic passing by. The image captures the historic buildings and the lively, dynamic neighbourhood outside.
Community

Affordable Meals Supporting Downtown Eastside Amid Growing Food Insecurity

In a neighbourhood often portrayed through the lens of struggle, two meal programs in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) are quietly fostering dignity and connection. ...
People in distress standing alongside East Hastings Street in Downtown Eastside Vancouver
Community

The Downtown Eastside Phenomenon Where a Neighbourhood Becomes a Metaphor

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has long symbolized the complexities of urban inequality, its streets reflecting a deep convergence of poverty, addiction, and systemic neglect. Once ...
Community

Advocate for DTES Housing Wins 2024 SFU Urban Studies Alumni Award

Amid Vancouver’s ongoing housing crisis, Alie Lynch, a master’s student in Simon Fraser University’s Urban Studies Program, has emerged as a powerful advocate for ...
Photo of busy East Hastings Street in Downtown Eastside Vancouver
Community

Ten Years Into the Downtown Eastside Plan, Progress Remains Elusive

In 2014, Vancouver City Council approved the Downtown Eastside Plan, a 30-year blueprint aimed at revitalizing one of Canada’s most complex and stigmatized neighbourhoods. ...
Community

WISH Drop-In Centre for Sex Workers Closes Temporarily Amid Funding Issues

The WISH Drop-In Centre Society in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has been a critical support hub for sex workers since its opening in 2020. Offering ...
Community

Roll for Warmth Brings Vital Winter Aid to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

Elliot Way’s “Roll for Warmth” initiative has been a beacon of hope for over a decade during Vancouver’s coldest months. Founded with the simple ...
Image of a mobile clinic medical assistant helping a client
Community

Mobile Health Program Delivers Elder-Led Care in Downtown Eastside

In the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, transformation takes the form of a vibrant mobile clinic—a beacon of care, connection, and cultural healing. It’s ...
Image of dense Vancouver Downtown architecture with North Shore Mountains in the background
Community

Science or Activism? The Ethical Maze of Research in Downtown Eastside

In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, one of Canada’s most heavily studied yet persistently misunderstood communities, the intersection of research, ethics, and activism raises difficult questions. ...
A picture of an elderly man working in the shop
Community

Why More Vancouver Seniors Are Working Past Retirement

Retirement in Canada is no longer the predictable milestone it once was. What was traditionally a time to step away from the workforce and ...
Image of a volunteer serving meals to people in need at Downtown Eastside Vancouver
Community

Community-Driven Solutions for Emergency Preparedness in DTES

In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, even minor emergencies can escalate into crises. Residents of the DTES face unique challenges in accessing essential resources, and recent ...
Picture of Brandon Buckingham interviewing a resident of Downtown Eastside Vancouver on East Hastings Street
Community

Life in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with Brandon Buckingham

In a brutally honest portrayal of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Brandon Buckingham’s Life on East Hastings goes beyond statistics and media headlines to capture the ...
An image of demolition of what left from the Winters SRO Hotel in Downtown Eastside Vancouver after a deadly fire
Community

Class Action Seeks Accountability in Deadly Downtown Eastside Fire

In the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, tragedy struck when the Winters Hotel—a 100-year-old, single-room occupancy building—caught fire on April 11, 2022. The blaze ...
Photo of a man using the City of Vancouver's misting station installed in the Downtown Eastside are during the heat wave
Community

The Struggle for Air Conditioning in Vancouver’s SROs

With rising global temperatures, the urgency of providing air conditioning for low-income and vulnerable residents has become a pressing issue, particularly in Vancouver’s Downtown ...
Image of people in need welcomed in winter shelter space located in Downtown Eastside Vancouver
Community

2024-2025 Winter Shelter Spaces Across British Columbia

As temperatures begin to drop across British Columbia, thousands of people experiencing homelessness will have access to safe, heated spaces this winter. Through BC ...
Lorraine Campbell captured with her three daughters smiling for the photographer
Community

A Family’s Fight for Respectful Death Notifications Reform in Canada

In a tragic revelation that has left a family shocked and grieving, the Vancouver Police Department is under scrutiny for its next-of-kin notification procedures ...
Volunteers of Vancouver's Salvation Army Harbour Light Program are pictured serving Thanksgiving turkey meals to those in need in Downtown Eastside.
Community

Salvation Army’s 2024 Vancouver Thanksgiving Meal

As Thanksgiving approaches, the Salvation Army’s Vancouver Harbour Light is once again preparing to open its doors to serve the community of Vancouver’s Downtown ...
The 2025 Hope in Shadows calendar captured lying on the table
Community

2025 Hope in Shadows Calendar Shares Life in DTES

The 2025 Hope in Shadows Calendar has officially launched, and with it comes a collection of striking images that offer an authentic look at ...
Picture showing conditions of people living in tents in the Crab Park located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.
Community

CRAB Park Residents Take Vancouver to Court Over Homeless Encampment Rules

Tammy Littlejohn and Robbie Wallace, two women who have lived in Vancouver’s CRAB Park encampment, are now taking their fight to the B.C. Supreme ...
Participants of 2024 Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation Run participating in marathon
Community

2024 Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation Run

The 18th annual Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation Run is set to return on October 20, 2024, at Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver. For ...
Boy standing on the beach next to the ocean, proudly waving the Canadian flag and smiling
Community

Most Canadians Reject the “Settler” Label—And It’s Sparking a National Identity Debate

In a country known for its diversity and progressive ideals, the label “settler” is stirring up a heated debate. A new poll reveals that ...
British Columbia's Premier, David Eby, leans over newspaper as province's residents raise more and more concerning questions.
Community

Cost of Living Crisis in British Columbia: Political Promises vs. Real Solutions

In the seven years since the New Democratic Party (NDP) took control in British Columbia, the cost of living has exploded. Food prices have ...
Participants of British Columbia's Community-Based Employment Services for the Unemployed posing for a group photo
Community

How Community-Based Employment Services Are Changing the Game for the Unemployed

The fight against poverty has taken a sharp turn with the launch of Community-Based Employment Services (CBES), a groundbreaking initiative designed to help individuals ...
A neighborhood trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, vacant storefronts, and social crises.
Community

The Downtown Eastside’s Struggle for Economic Survival

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) is often portrayed as a neighborhood drowning in despair, with headlines focusing on drug use, crime, and poverty. But these ...