10 Blocks of Passion Arriving in Strathcona
Fresh off the tails of Made In Strathcona’s Most Walkable Street initiative, we’re gearing up for our 2018 Walk Strathcona campaign: 10 Blocks of Passion.
10 Blocks of Passion will highlight 10 unique art pieces inspired by intimate personal stories from Strathcona. Showing a human look at tales from behind the scenes of our diverse array of businesses.
As one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, nestled just east of downtown, Strathcona is home to over 450 businesses, 7,000 employees and 11,000 residents – home to thousands of unique stories and voices. The area also boasts one of the highest concentrations of artists in Canada. Its rich history and unique offerings have attracted a number of different businesses and people.
10 Blocks of Passion Street Gallery
To celebrate our unique business community, the business district will be transformed into a walkable street gallery. Featuring original artworks inspired by the personal stories of Strathcona business members who have contributed to the culture of our neighbourhood.
We hope to inspire more people from across the Lower Mainland to #WalkStrathcona and learn more about what makes us one of Vancouver’s most inspiring neighbourhoods.
We will be selecting 24 business members to highlight, all of which will be featured on our social media channels. Of the 24 selected, 10 stories will be paired with an artist commissioned to create an original work inspired by these stories to be displayed in Strathcona. We’ll be looking to highlight businesses from all areas of the SBIA and across all sectors.
Applications are now open.
Are you an SBIA business member with an intimate personal story to highlight?
Are you an artist who would like to be featured in 10 Blocks of Passion?
All applications are due by December 1, 2017 – final selections will be announced December 15th, 2017.
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Community Benches
As part of the 2016 Hastings Urban Tree Nursery expansion, three beautiful new benches have been added to the Strathcona streetscape. You’ll find them at 649 E Hastings Street, 901 E Hastings Street, and 477 Powell Street. Haeccity Architecture, a small architecture firm located in Strathcona, approached SBIA with a customizable bench design and generously offered to donate the design and their services for the HUTN.
Community Design Workshop
Community members designing benches at the Haeccity workshop
Early design stages of a bench with a communal table
On February 18th, SBIA and Haeccity held a Bench Design Workshop open to all SBIA members and the public. Sixteen people attended and collaboratively customized the Haeccity bench design to suit the desires of the businesses at each location. The finalized bench designs were sent out for multiple quotes for fabrication of the steel and wood portions. SBIA members returned the most favourable quotes and Quest Metal Works and MakerLabs were selected to manufacture the steel chassis and the wood slats, respectively.
Manufacturing and Installation
Staff member at Quest Metal Works welding metal pieces
Team from Maker Labs installing the bench outside of Liquids and Solids
Haeccity donated reclaimed fir beams they had salvaged from the previous MakerLabs location in Mount Pleasant when it was demolished in 2015. The benches were installed in August and September 2016 by MakerLabs. Check out these awesome benches around the neighbourhood and let us know if you have a favourite design!
Completed?Benches
Bench outside of Liquids and Solids, 901 E Hastings Street
Bench outside of Homestead Junction, 649 E Hastings Street
Bench outside of the Uncommon Cafe, 477 Powell Street
Do you think your business is a good candidate for a HUTN tree planter or bench outside your storefront? Contact the SBIA sustainability coordinator, johanna@strathconabia.com, to find out more about participating in the HUTN 2017 expansion.
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