Art Walk Strathcona brings striking contemporary art to East Hastings and invites you to discover Strathcona’s extraordinary gallery district.

May 21 to June 14 find the public art billboards for a chance to win an exclusive Art Walk Strathcona experience, including your very own art piece.  

Strathcona’s galleries are coming together to bring a diverse selection of contemporary art from Indigenous and Canadian artists to the streets through five billboards along East Hastings. Art Walk Strathcona is a self-guided experience that invites people to take a walk, discover the public billboard images, and enjoy a change of perspective. Follow what intrigues you and explore the associated exhibitions taking place throughout May and June in Strathcona’s gallery district. 

“After a year of being stuck at home, we’re all starved for fresh ideas and inspiration. We can’t think of a better antidote to the bleak mundanity of pandemic life than the Art Walk Strathcona experience,” says Mónica Reyes, Gallery owner and arts supporter. “Art has the power to bring joy, provoke questions, and spark conversations. By bringing art to billboards we can extend the public’s access to the power of art while sharing local artist’s work with audiences who might not normally engage with it”.  

When you discover the featured artworks on billboards along East Hastings, snap a picture, share to your Instagram account, use #ArtWalkStrathcona and tag @madeinstrathcona to be entered to win an exclusive Art Walk Strathcona experience prize. The winner will have the opportunity to choose an art piece from a selection from Mónica Reyes Gallery to kick-off your own art collection, experience a private tour for you and friend with the gallery owner at Fazakas Gallery and Howard495, as well as win $200 in gift cards to local cafes, restaurants, and breweries to start and cap off a day of exploring art in Strathcona. Each billboard can be used as a photo entry, up to five entries per person. The contest starts May 21st and runs until June 14th. 

It’s no secret that Strathcona is home to a flourishing arts community. Strathcona has also become a hub for some of the most notable contemporary art galleries in Vancouver and across the country. We invite you to discover our extraordinary gallery district. You’ll find galleries focused on lifting up local emerging artists, Indigenous artists, and artists who are renowned nationally and internationally. The diversity of art disciplines, exhibition approaches, and unique spaces offer something for everyone.

Featured Galleries and Artists

Art Walk Strathcona features the following participating galleries and artists:

Howard495

495 Railway St, 2nd Floor

Howard495 exhibits a rotating, secondary market inventory of contemporary work by international and national artists at all junctures of their careers. They are dedicated to offering diverse art, across all disciplines, as a compliment to Vancouver’s world class local artists.

Featured Artist: Aaron Jones

Aaron Jones is a multi-disciplinary, visual artist based in Toronto. He works with different forms of collage to build characters and space that reflect upon the nuances of his own upbringing, current life, and the environment. For Jones, the act of collage-making is part of a journey of self-discovery; to see one’s self separate from the stereotypical constructions of people and places in media.

Fazakas Gallery

688 E Hastings St

Fazakas Gallery promotes a diverse selection of contemporary art with a special emphasis on works by established and up-and-coming Indigenous artists. They offer a vibrant program that features an array of art aimed to enhance, enrich, and broaden visibility and understanding of Indigenous art.

Featured Artist: Beau Dick (1955 – 2017)

Chief Beau Dick, Walas Gwa’yam was a Kwakwaka’wakw (Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nation) artist and activist who was acclaimed as one of the Northwest Coast’s most versatile and talented carvers. He began carving at an early age, studying under his father, Benjamin Dick, his grandfather, James Dick, and other renowned artists such as Henry Hunt and Doug Cranmer. He also worked alongside master carvers Robert Davidson, Tony Hunt, and Bill Reid. Dick created several important public works, including a transformation mask for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver and the Ga’akstalas Totem Pole for Stanley Park, carved with Wayne Alfred and raised in 1991.

Mónica Reyes Gallery

602 E Hastings St

Mónica Reyes Gallery is dedicated to young emerging and mid-career artists with a focus in contemporary art. Located in the heart of Strathcona the gallery is uniquely positioned to create dialogues with the artists and cultural engineers who call the neighbourhood home

Featured Artist: Annie Briard

Annie Briard is a Canadian visual art and media artist whose work challenges how we make sense of the world through visual perception. Creating lens-based and light-focused works, she explores the intersections between perception paradigms in psychology, neuroscience, and existentialism.

Monte Clark

53 Dunlevy Ave

Established in 1992 in Vancouver, Monte Clark exhibits and promotes the work of contemporary Canadian artists alongside a selection of international artists, situating the gallery platform in a global and historical context.

Featured Artist: Jonathan Syme

Jonathan Syme received his BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design. His art practice includes painting, sculpture and installation works. Syme currently lives and works in Vancouver, BC.

Wil Aballe Art Projects

1129 E Hastings St

Wil Aballe Art Projects (WAAP) exhibits local and international artists, notably the innovative younger generation of artists in Vancouver. The program focuses on interdisciplinary, concept-oriented and space-based exhibitions in a variety of media including sculpture, video, sound, painting, printmaking, photography, and performance. 

Featured Artist: Nico Williams

Nico Williams is an Anishinaabe multidisciplinary artist from Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Nico uses beadwork to create experimental forms and create a dialogue with his own experiences of being NDN. His studio practice is based in Tiohtiá:ke| Mooniyang| Montréal.

Participating galleries have implemented extensive safety measures to keep their visitors safe. In some cases you are required to book a time slot in advance to help maintain social distancing measures. For a map of our district galleries and to learn more about their opening hours and current exhibitions visit artwalkstrathcona.ca.

ABOUT THE STRATHCONA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION (SBIA)

The Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA) operates on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. It extends from Clark Drive in the east, Gore Avenue in the west, Venables Street in the south and Railway Street in the north. The SBIA employs staff and is governed by an elected Board of Directors made up of business members from across the community. Our vision is for Strathcona members to thrive in a mixed-use, inclusive, resilient and prosperous local economy. 1220 East Hastings Street, Vancouver BC  V6A 1S6 | 604-258-2727

Become a fan of /StrathconaBIA on Facebook and follow @StrathconaBIA on Twitter and @madeinstrathcona on Instagram for more Art Walk Strathcona stories and features.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Strathcona Business Improvement Association

Johanna Lauyanto | 604-258-2727 | johanna@strathconabia.com

We all have a role to play.

We all understand the importance of having a clean and safe community with proper resources and programming to help keep our neighborhoods accessible, beautiful, and thriving. Taking action to tackle our climate emergency and lower our carbon footprint is an essential part of keeping our communities thriving. From an organizational level to an individual level, we all have a role to play in creating a sustainable and flourishing planet. 

At the Strathcona BIA, Environmental Sustainability is one of our six core values. It’s a lens that informs our programming and placemaking work, including things like community waste management, transportation advocacy, or implementing granting programs for our members that promote sustainable choices. As individuals, adapting small things in our daily routines like composting or opting to ride our bikes to work instead of driving are the little things that add up to a whole lot if everyone gets involved.

Doing our part to change some of our less eco-friendly habits not only contributes to a more sustainable planet but can actually help to restore our Mother Earth. Yes, we said restore the earth! 

It seems like a huge job, we know, but with 7.5 billion people sharing this planet and all making the extra effort, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched when you really think about it. Combining actions of individuals and bigger systems changes, together we can #RestoreOurEarth to build a better future.

For Earth Week we want to highlight some of the ways Strathcona contributes to a sustainable community. We also want to offer resources on what more you can do to help restore the earth.

For more information on how you can help be apart of the change visit earthday.org

Five Ways Strathcona Contributes to a More Sustainable Community

Reducing your carbon footprint can be as simple as discarding your old items the right way. Strathcona is home to North Star Metal Recycling, a company that will buy, sell and recycle scrap metal and other materials like batteries, wire, and cables. Located just off Powell Street near Clark Drive, North Star Recycling will take unwanted items ranging from appliances and household scraps to vehicle rims, motors and industrial metal. They will then repurpose the materials saving them from a potential lifetime in a landfill. 

Did you know that producing steel from recycled materials compared with virgin material saves 75% of the energy needed? We also learned from North Star that the 36 billion aluminum cans landfilled last year had a scrap value of more than $600 million. Someday, we’ll be mining our landfills for the resources we’ve buried. 

For more information (and cool facts about metal recycling!) visit: northstarmetalrecycling.com

What does a custom awards producer have to do with sustainable energy? In our neighbourhood, a lot. 

Eclipse Awards is a business located in the heart of Strathcona that makes eco-friendly awards, plaques and trophies that help people feel recognized, appreciated, and celebrated. They have also dedicated their East Vancouver rooftop to solar panels that power their business. If that’s not incredible enough, all of the excess energy the business doesn’t use goes into the city’s power grid. 

For more information visit: eclipseawards.com

Owner, Toby Barazzuol, has not only established sustainability initiatives at his business, but helped pioneer sustainability programs within the Strathcona community as well. During his time as Strathcona BIA Board Chair, Toby helped establish a sustainability committee that looked at ways we could help businesses reduce their energy consumption, divert waste from landfill, and implement greening initiatives in the community. One of our long-standing programs that came from this work is Recycle in Strathcona, a community waste management program. 

Recycle In Strathcona is a comprehensive and cost-effective recycling service provided to SBIA members by Recycling Alternative and Shift Delivery. The program offers waste management services at exclusive rates for Strathcona BIA members. If your workplace only produces a small amount of waste, a zero-emissions trike pick-up option through Shift Delivery is available.

Other benefits include education and support for your staff, no long-term contracts, and flexible bin sizes and collection frequency to fit your needs. The more members that join this community recycling program, the more optimized the pick-up routes can be, lowering carbon emissions and the amount of truck traffic we see in our lanes and streets.

For more information visit: strathconabia.com/member-programs/recycle-in-strathcona/

The Strathcona Community Garden is located near Hawks and Prior Street and is a volunteer-managed space. The garden sits on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and is a space that is operated by the Strathcona Community Gardeners Society, a non-profit and leader in community-run ecological stewardship. The garden provides the neighbourhood’s residents an opportunity to grow their own plots of food, herbs, and flowers locally. The space provides rare inner-city habitat for wildlife. With over 200 individual plots, a greenhouse, a bee shed for bee-keeping, orchard, and wildlife habitat area, the space is a green oasis in the city.

For more information visit: strathconagardens.ca 

We know that a big part of tackling the climate crisis is changing how we move around the city and our communities. Strathcona is an eclectic mix of industrial spaces, hidden retail gems, and community spaces in the heart of East Vancouver, so it’s no wonder that a focus on accessibility is kind of our thing.

Walking, biking, or taking transit, are all great modes of choice for getting around in our well-connected community. Nine bus routes run through Strathcona, and it is considered a “walker’s paradise” with a walking score of 95. Strathcona also has some incredible bike paths throughout the district that will smoothly lead you to the rest of the city.

Resources and Opportunities

Check out some of these links to learn more about how you can make an impact and contribute to a sustainable community.

For Citizens

• Get inspired around all the ways you can take action this week and beyond at earthday.org. There will be plenty of live-streamed virtual events with a focus on this year’s Earth Day theme: Restore the Earth.
• On a local level, check out the City of Vancouver’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, and learn how to get involved.

For Small Businesses

• Do you strive to create a positive impact in the world through business? Learn about how to measure your impact using impact assessment tools at an upcoming free B Corp 101 workshop by the BDC and Vancouver Economic Commission. Workshops dates are May 13 or June 10.

For Innovators

• Vancouver Economic Commission recently launched Project Greenlight, a program that connects enterprises with big challenges to innovators ready to build and pilot sustainable solutions. Learn more here.

For Industry Associations

• The Climate Change How-to Guide for Industry and Professional Associations is a great in-depth resource by the BC Council for International Cooperation with best practices for addressing climate change at the industry level.

Here’s Why.

In Strathcona, people work with their hands and technology to create, build, and fix the things we need to survive and thrive – and sometimes that includes getting your brake pads and rotors replaced. 

For current and aspiring vehicle owners, Strathcona is one of the best areas in Vancouver for auto services. There are over 25 businesses in our community that can assist with all types of motor vehicle needs.

If you’re looking for vehicle repair and maintenance you’ll find a Strathcona-based Auto Repair Shop dedicated to providing help. We also have several Auto Body Shops that specialize in bodywork repair after an accident. If motorcycles or electric scooters are your thing, you can find businesses here that sell, repair and offer maintenance for scooters and motorcycles. Don’t drive? Vancouver Taxi, based in Strathcona, is a great option when you need to call for a ride.

Win Products and Services from Strathcona Auto Businesses April 12 to 30

In order to give back to our community while supporting our automotive sector, we’ll be running in-store contests for some awesome prizes up to $250 in value, between April 12 to 30. You don’t need to be an existing customer to enter. Remember to wear a mask and follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols when in the community. The grand prize will be a $500 gift card giveaway to Lordco Auto Parts on our Instagram channel, for those who would rather take part from home.

Get to know a few of our auto businesses below and how they can help. Find out where you can fill out ballots and enter to win. 

Icy Cool Auto is a full-service automotive repair center with over 20 years of hands-on experience. They are always ready to service your car or truck and offer services in heating/cooling, brake repair, radiators and more.

What do you like about being in Strathcona? 

It’s growing, changing. It’s nice to see people out walking with the family every weekend. I’ve been here almost 17 years and things are getting better. I think there is a good future for Strathcona.

– Reza, Owner Icy Cool Automotive 

Fill out an in-store ballot to win full Air Conditioning service plus an oil change up to $100 from Icy Cool Auto at 530 Clark Drive.

Vespa Metro is the only authorized Vespa/Piaggio scooter dealership in Vancouver. The boutique scooter shop is dedicated to everything scooter-related and offers accessories, helmets, and other riding gear. The Vespa line is the top of the line scooter brand in the world with a 75 year history.

All of their team members are passionate scooterists with a combined scootering experience of over 150 years. The work they do on scooters and the products they offer are performed with true enjoyment and of the highest quality. Their team members live and breathe scooters. 

What do you like about being in Strathcona? 

What we like about being in Strathcona is the fact that it is home to some of our team members. Strathcona provides a community feel and the fact that we have been in the neighbourhood for over 10 years makes it feel like the backyard of our home.

– Kent, Owner Vespa Metro 

Fill out an in-store ballot to win a Vespa Metro riding helmet at 590 Clark Drive.

Daytona Motorsports is a Powersports dealership authorized to sell and service Suzuki, Yamaha & Zero Motorcycles, ATV, Side x Side or Scooters. They are a world leader in electric motorcycles. They also carry helmets, gloves, riding gear and other accessories. 

They have over 40 years of knowledge amongst their employees, who are all avid, skilled motorcyclists, passionate about the sport. They are proud to serve the community in all aspects of the Powersports industry. Daytona is an inclusive space, and their staff takes pride in being an LGBTQ+ and women-friendly business that is co-owned and operated by wife and husband team Janine and Fenton.

What do you like about being in Strathcona? 

The community. We get some pretty awesome walk-in customers, and the vibe in the community is amazing. 

– Marie, Sales Daytona Motorsports 

Fill out an in-store ballot to win a motorcycle helmet from Daytona Motorsports at 837 E. Cordova St.

Avenue Auto Glass is an ICBC-approved shop that specializes in auto glass replacement and repair. Their professional team will help ensure your auto glass is installed safely and in a timely manner. They also offer fast and affordable windshield repair services. 

When asked about what service they wanted to offer as a prize, store Manager Salim shared that “once you’ve come in for auto glass repair service, the hope is you don’t have to come back anytime soon.” With that in mind, he suggested that they help support local eateries with gift card giveaways to their existing and new customers during the contest.

Fill out an in-store ballot to win $50 gift cards to local eateries at 636 Clark Dr. Gift card prizes will include nearby establishments Axum Restaurant, Container Brewing, Pink Pearl Restaurant, Luppolo Brewing, and La Casa Gelato.

Lordco Auto Parts is your one-stop-shop for car, truck, and RV parts or accessories, as well as outdoor gear. You can depend on Lordco’s knowledgeable store representatives to get you the aftermarket parts and accessories you need to repair, maintain or upgrade whatever keeps you moving. 

In-store services at the Lordco Strathcona Store, located at 882 E. Cordova, include paint mixing and matching, and battery recycling. When you purchase a new battery, Lordco will help ensure your old one is safely recycled and its non-renewable components are given a second life. 

Since starting with one humble store in 1974, this family-owned and operated business has grown to become the largest privately-held distributor of automotive parts in the country with over 90 locations across Western Canada. Lordco believes in being a part of all the local communities that they operate in. 

What do you like about being in Strathcona? 

As a new store to the area, we love that we already feel like part of the community. The relationships that we’ve built with Strathcona residents, customers and other businesses have made us feel very welcome. Our staff that live locally like the fact that they can bike or walk to work and when they’re here, they love the view of the mountains from our store. 

– Daniel, Staff Member Lordco Auto Parts

We’ll be partnering up with Lordco to give away a $500 gift card to their Strathcona Store on our Instagram channel on April 24. Make sure you are following along to get all the giveaway details!

For a full list of auto services available in Strathcona visit our business directory page, and select the Automotive category.

Your Go-To List For Take Out and Delivery

Show support for Strathcona’s restaurants, cafes, and breweries during these latest COVID-19 restrictions.

The new restrictions on dining indoors announced March 29 are going to be tough on our beloved food and beverage industry. It’s a step back from where we want to be, but we are ready to show our support for our local restaurants, cafes, and breweries as they pivot to a focus on take out and delivery. Here is your go-to list of options on where to get take out and delivery in Strathcona. Let’s show our support to small businesses over the next few weeks as we all do our part to bring COVID-19 case numbers down. 

Some of these businesses are still able to offer outdoor patio service. You can hit them up on sunny days with your household or core bubble of one to two people. Outdoor patios options are bolded in the list.

Where will you get take out or delivery from?

305 Alexander St

Take out and delivery available daily 4pm – 9pm │ Brunch available 11am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday

Order for pickup through their website. Delivery available through fromto.ca. 

1279 E Hastings St

Take out and delivery available daily 12pm – 10pm 

Order for pickup through their website. Delivery available through DoorDash.

55 Dunlevy Ave

Take Out and Meal Kits available Mon – Fri 11:30am – 10pm │ Sat-Sun 10am – 10pm

Order for pickup through their website. Delivery available through DoorDash.

643 E Hastings St

Take out and delivery available Tues – Sat 8am – 4:30pm

Take out service available at the cafe, or order delivery through UberEats.

1216 Franklin St

Outdoor Patio Service available Mon-Wed 2pm – 8pm │ Thurs – Sun until 9pm │ Open from 12pm Sat – Sun

Pick-up beer to go, or get it delivered Wednesday and Friday. Order beer online.

566 Powell St

Take out and delivery available Tues – Sat 11:30am – 7:30pm

Order for pickup by phone or through their website. Delivery available through UberEats.

338 Powell St

Take out and delivery available Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm │ Sat – Sun 10am – 5pm 

Take out service available for wholebean, coffee, tea, and baked goods at the cafe, or order delivery through DoorDash.

403 E Hastings St

Take out available daily 11am – 10pm. Outdoor patio hours coming soon.

View their menu here and order takeout by calling 604-255-4301.

383 Raymur Ave

HoliDrink specialty beverages can be ordered online through their website.

Delivery available.

362 Powell St

Take Out options through new take-out window coming soon.

Order for pickup at 604-563-5055. Delivery available through DoorDash.

901 E Hastings St

Take Out service available Mon-Fri 8:30am – 6pm │ Sat 10am – 4pm

Outdoor patio seating available.

View the daily menu online on their website. Delivery available through UberEats.

1123 Venables St

Outdoor patio service and take out available Tues – Thu 2pm – 9pm (pizza at 5pm) │ Fri & Sat 12pm – 10pm│ Sun 12pm – 9pm

Lockdown Special: Two pizzas plus a 4-pack of beer for pick-up for $48.

Order for pickup through their website. Beer delivery available through Beer Van.

395 Alexander St

Take out available Mon-Fri 8am – 3pm

Take out service available from the till at the cafe. Coffee beans available to order online for pickup or delivery.

1132 E Hastings St

Take out and delivery available daily 10am – 9:30pm

Order for pick-up through their website. Delivery available through DoorDash or UberEats.

883 E Hastings St

Take out available daily 9am – 4pm

Take out service available including pour overs, espresso drinks, wholebeans, and waffle donuts at the cafe. Coffee beans available to order online for pickup or delivery.

397 Railway St

Take out and delivery available Mon-Fri 8am – 6pm │ Sat & Sun 11am – 4pm

Order for pickup online through their website. Delivery available through DoorDash.

874 E Hastings St

Take out available Mon-Sat 8am – 5pm

Take out service available from the till at the cafe. Call ahead at 604-255-8488. View their menu online here.

895 E Hastings St

Take Out Available Sun-Thu 12pm – 9pm │ Fri & Sat 12pm – 10pm

Outdoor patio service hours coming soon.

Order for pickup at 778-379-9050. Beer delivery available through SkiptheDishes.

505 Clark Dr

Retail store for beer to-go is open Sun-Tue 12 – 8pm │ Wed-Sat 12pm – 10pm

Beer can be ordered online for delivery through their website.

868 E Hastings St

Take Out and Delivery available Mon-Sun 9am – 4pm

Take out service available at the till at the cafe. Delivery available through DoorDash.

696 E Hastings St

Take out available through side door Wed-Sat 4pm – 9pm.

Order for pickup at 604-336-3958.

View their menu online.

415 Powell St

Take Out available Wed – Sun 5:30pm – 10pm through sister restaurant Say Mercy.

Outdoor patio service available at Say Mercy (including select menu items from The Mackenzie Room)

View menu and order for pick-up online.

477 Powell St

Take out and delivery available Mon-Tues 8am – 3pm │ Wed-Fri 8am – 7pm │ Sat 10am – 5pm

Order for pickup through their website. Delivery available through DoorDash.

957 E Hastings St

Take out and delivery available Tue-Sat 4pm – 10pm

Outdoor patio service available, book a reservation by calling 604-336-9244

Order for pickup through their website. Delivery available through DoorDash.

A spotlight on our advocacy and partnership work.

Partnership is critical to successful advocacy on behalf of our business members. Some of these partnerships have recently been in the media spotlight. In this post you’ll find:

• Details on what we’re doing to address street disorder on the 700 & 800 blocks of East Hastings and what a new parklet on Princess Avenue has to do with it.

• How activating empty storefronts in Chinatown leads to big wins for Strathcona businesses.

• The lowdown on Oppenheimer Park and everything we know about its path to re-opening.

East Hastings Street Disorder

In Strathcona, the path to how we arrive at a healthy and safe commercial district is complex. In partnership with the City of Vancouver, Portland Hotel Society, VANDU, Vancouver Police and other stakeholders, we’ve been working towards a solution to help address public drinking in front of the Astoria Hotel on East Hastings and at adjacent bus stops. After almost nine months of conflict, difficult conversations, trial and error, meetings with city engineers, and hard advocacy work, a pilot project has emerged. 

The full scope of the pilot project was captured by Dan Fumano, in his article last week and includes quotes from his interview with Strathcona BIA Executive Director Theodora Lamb. The article also dives into more detail about the harm-reduction model behind the parklet.

About the Pilot Project

The pilot project involves a city-sanctioned parklet on Princess Ave where folks who have been occupying the bus stops in front of the Astoria Hotel can go to drink safely and legally. A city-sanctioned parklet means there are social service supports on-hand, medical attention on site, and more attention from the City, the VPD, and the SBIA in ensuring that drinking activity is monitored, people are supported, and business concerns are addressed. What comes next will be efforts to move activity from the Hastings bus stops to the parklet (where the PHS-run Drinker’s Lounge has been operating for 10 years) and ensure businesses and property owners around the parklet are fully heard and supported. If that’s you, stay tuned for more from the SBIA and the City of Vancouver.

We’ve heard loud and clear that more consultation is required and that our members, time and again, end up having to support the solutions to Strathcona’s complex social challenges on their own.

While we believe that Strathcona businesses will play a big role in solutions, the SBIA is doing everything in its power to ensure the advocacy work and heavy lifting does not rest on your shoulders, but on ours.

Additional Safety Measures

Meanwhile, our safety patrol team will be increasing their checks of the parklet starting this week and up to four times a day, seven days a week. Regular meetings will be scheduled with the VPD regarding parklet activity. Additional street cleaning resources will be directed to the area and, for those members in and around the parklet and who desire it,  regular communication will be set up. 

The Parklet is an imperfect solution. But we believe this group of unlikely allies, who first came together to address the concerns of businesses, have the attention of the right decision makers and a vision for a safer community.

If you’re a business or property owner operating in and around 111 Princess Ave and you want to ensure we don’t miss you in our outreach, please email us at info@strathconabia.com to be added to the parklet impact listserv.

Activating Vacant Storefront Spaces

You may have heard about Kam Wai Dim Sum opening up in Chinatown a couple weeks ago. Their reopening is part of a pilot project that the Strathcona BIA sponsors called the Community-Serving Retail Project. This project was launched to address vacant space in Chinese Benevolent Society Buildings, of which about 50 or so remain spread out evenly across both Strathcona and Chinatown BIAs. The first successful pilot landed in Chinatown, and there are several future locations underway, including in Strathcona. 

How This Initiative Works

This initiative is a partnership between the Strathcona BIA, Dunefield, and Youth Collaborative for Chinatown where the aim is to partner with Chinese Society Buildings and other non-profit buildings in Strathcona and Chinatown that have underused commercial space.  The project team supports the non-profit building owners with property management challenges, building and space improvements, and assists them with finding reliable tenants including restaurants, eateries, retail, and production businesses. It’s a remarkable story of storefront activation that is helping create affordable space opportunities for community-serving retail businesses in both Strathcona and Chinatown.

The funding for this project comes from the City of Vancouver, specifically, the DTES Capital Grants program which awards funds annually to community projects just like this. As an organization, we’ve had tremendous success in applying for these funds. As project sponsor, the funds flow through, not from, the Strathcona BIA – a registered non-profit society – to the project team for the pilot locations.

Do you want to start or expand a community-serving business in Chinatown or Strathcona, and are in need of affordable space and other support? Does your society or not-for-profit have underused commercial space that could accommodate community-serving business? Get in touch with us at info@strathconabia.com to learn more about the program.

Oppenheimer Park Reopening

Both Oppenheimer and Strathcona Parks have had their fair share of newsworthy headlines over the last few years. The work to de-camp Strathcona Park and house the residents currently living in its homeless camp is happening right now. 

If you’re wondering about Oppenheimer Park, when it will reopen, and what the plan is to ensure it remains the public green space it was always meant to be, you’re not alone. The Strathcona BIA reached out to Parks Board staff to get the low-down on what businesses in and around the park can expect in the coming weeks and months. According to Ian Stewart, Manager of Park Development with the Vancouver Parks Board, there is no firm reopening date set yet.

Stewart’s team is responsible for park development. They’ve been busy implementing a number of restoration improvements since the Park’s decampment last May. “We have embarked on a series of conversations with park users to determine how to ensure that a park reopening can be conducted safely, and best serve local residents who desire access to the park’s amenities” says Stewart. 

The Strathcona BIA has requested a meeting with Stewart and his team to discuss how local business members will be consulted about the Park’s re-opening. As soon as we know more, we’ll be reaching out to members regarding that engagement. 

If you’re a business or property owner operating in and around Oppenheimer Park and you want to be directly looped into the Park reopening news, please reach out to us at info@strathconabia.com to be added to an outreach list.

It’s been a minute, and it’s time we connected with our favourite hoods.

Love Your City

This February let’s rediscover all there is to love right in our own backyards. 16 neighbourhoods across Vancouver are bringing you the Love Your City Contest – a call to get out, explore our city, and find LOVE in our neighbourhoods. 

How it works.

1. Visit any (or all!) of the participating hoods of the Love Your City contest during the month of February.
2. Look out for giant sweetheart candies, wooden hearts, murals, love banners, umbrella installations and more. Take a photo of the special spots, share to your instagram account feed.
3. Tag @loveyourcitycontest and the neighbourhood you are visiting (ex. #FindLoveStrathcona).
4. You’ll be entered to win incredible prizes. The participating districts have come together to create an epic grand prize valued at $5000.

Plus, in the week leading up to Valentine’s day, here in Strathcona we’ll be doing an additional daily prize giveaway over on our instagram page @MadeInStrathcona. 

Together, let’s show some love to our City.  

We invite you to find this mural in Strathcona at 875 E Hastings by artist iHeart, part of Vancouver Mural Festival in 2019. 

In these pandemic days, this mural really tugs on the heart strings. It will be coming up on a year that we haven’t been able to hug and embrace so many of the people that are near and dear to us – but the moment we can, you know we won’t be taking it for granted any time soon. So find this mural and tag a friend that you can’t wait to hug when the pandemic is over. Remember to tag @loveyourcitycontest and #FindLoveStrathcona to be entered to win.

The best part of the mural? You have to stumble upon love to get the best vantage point. Vist Strathcona to see what we mean!

Awesome Strathcona Prizes

During February 8 to 14 make sure to follow along @MadeInStrathcona to enter to win daily giveaways. There will be bonus entries for in-person visits to the business of the giveaway. Of course, we ask that you follow all COVID-19 health and safety precautions when visiting in person. Plus don’t forget to enter the city-wide @loveyourcitycontest while you’re here. 

We’re pretty pumped on the prizes from Strathcona for this celebration of love. And we think you’ll be too.

Win a ‘Just the Two of Us’ meal from The Mackenzie Room.

Our daily prizes are inspired by the love of…many things!

Experiences in Strathcona

Beyond the prizes, if you are looking for fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year look no further than these unique ideas.

The Strathcona Business Improvement Association is looking for a Social Media Specialist to join our team.

Our ideal candidate is an expert copywriter, content creator, and social strategist who is excited to bring to life all that makes Strathcona vibrant and different from anywhere else in Vancouver. 

The Strathcona BIA values diversity, and encourages applicants of all gender identities or expressions, sexual orientation, colour, race, age, ability, religion, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, or family/marital status. 

This is a 15 hour per week remote work position for an ongoing long-term contract. Compensation details are included in the full job description. The deadline to apply is February 11, 2021. 

We’re about to launch an engagement with our members about safety.

Here’s the background.

At our 2019 AGM, we set out to re-envision our safety model with the goal of co-creating a program that is adaptive to member needs and more responsive to the rising social, economic, and health issues in East Vancouver. The Strathcona BIA Board and Staff have been working towards this goal ever since, while also maintaining and improving our current safety program. 

Advocacy to all levels of government, raising the business voice in the media, and building community partnerships are some of the avenues the Strathcona BIA actively pursues to help improve safety in our neighbourhood. In addition, the Strathcona Community Safety Program, our largest program, currently operates as an on-call patrol working 7 days a week from 8am-10pm. A day in the life of the team includes foot and vehicle patrols, working with the Strathcona Community Policing Centre, responding to member calls, data reporting, needle disposal, graffiti and debris reporting, connecting vulnerable community members to resources, meet and greets and more.

How did we get here?

The Strathcona BIA was founded on safety and security principles in service to the businesses, employees, and customers who come through the community every day. Safety and the perception of safety is still cited as a primary concern for SBIA members. To help address these concerns the Strathcona BIA created an ongoing security program. The program has evolved over the years from a traditional security program to a community-serving model. This evolution, in part, has been driven by changes in the legal landscape around what a private security company can and can’t do and the rights of citizens on private property adjacent to public property. Strathcona as a whole has a long history of political activism and a high concentration of social services addressing everything from drug use and addictions to mental health. Many of the social service organizations are members of the Strathcona BIA. Fostering relationships with local service providers, social enterprises, and institutional partners is one way to help build and develop long term solutions to many challenges that SBIA members and community members face.

How we plan to evolve our safety model

We’re ready to continue the evolution of our safety programming to have an even bigger impact on the safety and well-being of our community. Changing our safety model requires a hard look at the data. It requires research and a review of best practices. It requires partnership. And, most importantly, it requires that we speak to our 800+ members about safety and security across the district. We are committed to listening deeply to our members which is why we are launching: Let’s Talk About Safety, our new annual community safety survey for Strathcona BIA members. 

We’ve chosen a platform called Ethelo. Ethelo is more than your typical survey tool. It’s a platform where you can engage in dialogue, vote on priorities, and see the district-wide results in real time. Once you sign-up to participate you can return back to the conversation, re-visit answers, and continue to contribute your perspectives. 

We’ll be asking members to weigh in on:

• What safety means to you
• Your experiences with the current safety program and model
• How should the Strathcona BIA approach safety across the district

The survey will be open for four weeks starting next week. It takes anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes to complete, depending on how much you want to share on the platform. All Strathcona BIA members will receive a link to the survey next week. If you missed it, and are an SBIA member who would like the link, please reach out to us at info@strathconabia.com.

While we gather the results from the survey engagement, staff will undertake a robust analysis of our current program data from over the last two years. In addition, we will conduct research on other community safety models and review best practices both close to home and from around the world. All this information taken together will inform our safety programming framework moving forward.

Community Engagement

Any future safety model of the Strathcona BIA will be brought to the wider community for consultation. We intend to engage community experts from diverse backgrounds including people representing marginalized groups, social service providers, local community centres, Indigenous groups, social enterprises, and community members at large in future phases of our safety program development. We know that partnerships and strong working relationships are integral to our success as an organization and as a district. As bridge-builders, we’re always looking for opportunities for connection within our diverse community. 

If you have any questions or concerns about our upcoming engagement around safety programming please reach out to us as info@strathconabia.com.

Let’s bring back some community connection into our lives.

We’re just past 10 days into 2021. We’re still in a pandemic, still missing our regular connections with friends and family, and news both across the border and close to home has still been…surreal at times. But we’re also ready to (safely) bring back some community connection into our lives. Engage with arts and culture. Get things done on the to-do list. Find ways to spread joy. So in the spirit of all those things, here are 5 things to do in Strathcona this week. 

Strathcona Galleries are kicking off the new year with some exciting exhibitions.

Tiko Kerr: PLEXUS is on view through February 13 at Mónica Reyes Gallery. Tiko Kerr is a Vancouver-based visual artist whose 30 year long exhibition history includes explorations into performance, set and mural design, and social activism. This latest exhibition is the result of Kerr’s exploration with a new medium to him made widely popular by COVID-19: plexiglass. Kerr’s plexiglass works provide an opportunity to look closer and deeper and to challenge the authenticity of what we see. Learn more about the exhibition here, and book a time for your visit in advance to ensure a COVID-19 safe visit.

When: Open Mon, Tues, and Sat 11-2pm and by appointment.

Where: 602 East Hastings Street

More info: monicareyesgallery.com

Liz Magor: Downer is on view through January 30 at Catriona Jeffries. This exhibition explores the question of how do we care or not care for the things that surround us in our lives? Liz Magor is a Canadian visual artist whose practice has centred primarily on sculpture for over four decades. Using traditional mould-making techniques, Magor often replicates everyday objects in unexpected forms, or splices them together and presents them in new contexts. Learn more about the exhibition here. 

When: Open Saturdays 12-5pm. 

Where: 950 East Cordova Street

More info: catrionajeffries.com

Are you looking for books to add to your 2021 reading list? Vancouver Public Library has a superb collection of curated booklists. Find books organized by a variety of genres and categories, including Women’s Fiction, Indigenous Fiction, Award-Winning Canadian Non-Fiction, and many more. The nə́c̓aʔmat ct Library is open for accessing computers, borrowing and returning materials, and picking up holds. 

When: Library is open 11am – 6pm on Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat and 1pm – 8pm on Thurs

Where: 730 East Hastings Street

More Info: vpl.ca/readnext/booklists

Itching to get your hands busy? Check out this beginner sewing class at MakerLabs where you’ll learn to make a fabric basket. No prior sewing experience necessary. Class size is limited to ensure everyone benefits from the experience (and to ensure safe physical distancing). Masks are to be worn throughout the workshop. Take-home your completed fabric basket, plus a copy of the pattern and instruction booklet, so you can continue making more at home! Class includes all equipment and materials. 

When: January 12, 6pm-9pm

Where: MakerLabs, 780 East Cordova Street

More info:  eventbrite.ca/e/fabric-basket-workshop-tickets-132478772575

Vancouver Best Cookies is the latest bakery to call Strathcona home. From classics like Chocolate Chip, to creative flavours like White Rabbit Candy, and Milk Tea and Brigadeiro Truffled Chocolate, their delicious cookies are bound to bring some joy to a loved one. They bake their cookies everyday in small batches, so when they go out for delivery, you know they are always fresh and yummy. The dough is also made in-house with all natural ingredients. When you order online you can request to include a special message that will be handwritten to your gift recipient. And if you want to gift these cookies to yourself, there is no judgement here. 

When: Anytime – but dreary winter days are a great choice

Where: Operate out of 383 Raymur Ave, deliver to Vancouver and across the Lower Mainland

More Info: vancouverbestcookies.com

For the drivers out there, January is a good time to make sure your car is in tip-top shape to keep you safe on the road this winter. Paying a visit to one of our neighbourhood’s Auto Repair Shops for some maintenance is a good life call this week. Get your brakes inspected, coolant levels looked at, and tires checked. While Vancouver does not mandate winter tires, you should be checking to see if you have enough tread and tire pressure. Pro-tip, our local mountains and some highways outside of Vancouver do require Winter tires or Mud+Snow (M+S) tires. To find Auto Repair Shops in our area, visit our Business Directory, and search Auto Repairs in the categories tab. 

When: Anytime this winter

Where: Multiple options in Strathcona

More Info: strathconabia.com/listings-with-map