Murals Tag

A Year In Review

A huge part of what we do at the Strathcona BIA is deliver on programs that improve maintenance, cleanliness, sanitation and safety across the district. Our programs have been developed to support the wellbeing of the businesses and people in the district, based on the needs and feedback we hear from members. Helping to keep our streets clean and safe, and buildings graffiti-free are part of our core services to Strathcona BIA members. We contribute to mural restoration and maintenance, and bring vibrancy to the community through funding new mural projects in Strathcona. This past year, we also supported members to make their own exterior property enhancements through our Safe and Welcome grant program to encourage a safer and more welcoming community for all. We continue to advocate for more resources and external sources of funding so that SBIA members alone aren’t being asked to address the cleanliness, sanitation, and graffiti challenges in the area. Some examples include graffiti abatement grants from the City of Vancouver and continued investment and accountability from the City for street cleaning resources.

Here’s the high-level breakdown of impacts we’ve achieved.

4600+ graffiti tags removed

2738 street cleaning hours

7000+ square feet of high-level graffiti removals

1640+ bags of garbage removed

12+ murals maintained

2220+ needles removed

$35,000 in graffiti abatement funding secured

5899 hours dedicated to community safety

46 private property debris pick-ups

40+ safety reports logged each day

Graffiti Removal & Graffiti Removal Pilot Program

Graffiti continues to be a challenge in Strathcona and across the city. Over the last year we saw the volume and size of graffiti increase and upper elevations of buildings and murals being targeted more often. This year we successfully advocated for and received another $35,000 in funding from the City of Vancouver to put towards graffiti abatement for a total of $70,000 over the last two years. With the help of the abatement grant we were able to add additional capacity to our graffiti removal program in May 2022. Working with our graffiti removal program service provider, Goodbye Graffiti, we added more capacity for removals through the summer months, with additional hours dedicated to a Strathcona-specific graffiti removal vehicle. 

Over the last year we removed over 4600 tags and 7000 square feet of high-level tags. In the first month of our pilot program we almost doubled our capacity, removing over 27,000 square feet of graffiti tags, compared to an average of 14,000 square feet of removals the months prior to the pilot. Reported tags are being removed faster which over time can help to deter prolific taggers from targeting our district as frequently. Strathcona BIA members continue to receive unlimited removals of tags 12 feet and under, and all labour, supply and removal costs are covered within the scope of the program, saving time and money for our members! 

Street Cleaning & Private Property Debris Pick-Up

We partner with Coast Mental Health, United We Can, and Mission Possible Maintenance to provide street cleaning services in the Strathcona BIA district. These impactful partnerships create inclusive job opportunities for local people in our community. Between all program partners, team members have picked up over 1640 bags of litter, and 2220 needles across the entire district over the last year, working over 2738 hours or an average of 52 hours per week. Our teams are here to keep the area clean and support members each day. 

Additional street cleaning funding is provided by the City through the 2022 Street Cleaning Grant Program. For the Downtown Eastside and Strathcona neighbourhoods, this results in additional micro-cleaning shifts each week across the district. This allows the Strathcona BIA to provide more resources to other sanitation programs like our Private Property Debris Pick-up program. We helped complete 46 private property debris pick-ups this last year and make daily reports to VanConnect for debris in lanes and on public property, saving members money in removal fees, plus their valuable time.

Community Safety

Members can call 604-789-4143, seven days a week from 8am to 6pm to reach our community safety team, who dedicated 5899 hours to enhancing safety for SBIA members, customers and community members over the past year. Everyday our compassionate patrol team is on the ground in the district, responding quickly to member needs and connecting with community members. The team currently divides their time between both vehicle patrols and foot patrols, and play a huge role in reporting debris and other maintenance-related issues throughout the district. The team works to keep the area clean and safe and spend their time responding to member calls for service, conducting hotspot checks through the district, assisting with emergency services and reporting debris and graffiti. The data and reports gathered by the team helps us to keep institutional partners accountable, and advocate for additional safety and sanitation resources where needed across the district. We are consistently working toward ensuring our approach to community safety is responsible, valued, and holistic.

Murals: Restoration, Maintenance, and New Projects

We’ve continued to invest in mural restoration and upkeep. We repaired and refreshed over 12 murals this year, and remain invested in ensuring murals in Strathcona are well maintained. We’re also excited to have brought new murals to the community in partnership with Vancouver Mural Festival and local property owners. At 1295 Frances Street, artist Caleb Ellison-Dysart created a mural piece called miskinâhk, an ode to Turtle Island, the name various Indigenous nations have always called “North America” since time immemorial. The artist hopes the mural will serve as inspiration to take care of Turtle Island and all its inhabitants, and to not forget our responsibility to the life around us. In total, four new murals came to Clark Drive this year as part of Vancouver Mural Festival, adding a whole new level of vibrancy to this corridor. In addition, our twelve tree planters in and around East Hastings were officially refreshed with a new mural design titled Sacred Mountains by artist Zac George. We are proud to be a part of supporting more vibrant murals throughout Strathcona, and in particular focusing on uplifting Indigenous artists and dedicating more visual space in Strathcona to their impactful work.

Safe and Welcoming Grant

In July of 2021 we launched the Safe and Welcoming grant, after hearing from members that more investment in environmental safety is a priority. The goal of the program was to help our members make safety and beautification investments that will attract people to the area and create a more safe and welcoming community for all. We approved close to $8000 in matching grants for eight separate projects, which resulted in a total community investment of over $19,000. From facade improvements, to new outdoor patio builds, to new awnings and signage, it was fantastic to see business and property owners take initiative to invest in these improvements with the help of the Safe and Welcoming Grant.

Vancouver Mural Festival 2022

It’s been another successful year of Vancouver Mural Festival and we’re thrilled to welcome some brand new murals to the Strathcona neighbourhood for 2022, including one sponsored by the Strathcona BIA. In total, four new murals came to the Clark Drive area this year as part of Vancouver Mural Festival in partnership with local property owners and businesses, adding a whole new level of vibrancy to this corridor. Along with traditional wall murals, 12 Strathcona BIA tree-planter murals in and around East Hastings were refreshed with a new mural design by Zac George.

Public art has the power to help strengthen the connections between all who share space here. We are proud to be a part of supporting more vibrant public murals for all to enjoy, in particular focusing on uplifting Indigenous artists and dedicating more visual space in Strathcona to their impactful work. 

To learn more about Strathona’s murals you can book a walking tour via Vancouver DeTours or visit vanmuralfest.ca for city-wide updates and info. Be sure to download their app for an up-to-date map of murals throughout the city. 

Here’s where you can find new Strathcona Murals.

VMF Map 

620 Clark Drive (at Frances St.)

Artist: Jennifer Clark

Title: Imaginal Discs

Jennifer Clark’s paintings explore themes around the natural world, psychology and the polarities of what it means to be human in our contemporary culture.  

Artist Statement:

This mural is located on a building that is home to Canada’s first Recovery Cafe operated by the Kettle Society. This space is a refuge for individuals seeking recovery from homelessness, poverty, isolation, substance use and other mental health challenges.

Butterflies and moths are the primary imagery representing symbols of transformation. Through the process of metamorphosis, they are changing, shifting, and forming. The same can be said for the community at Kettle, their lives are shifting in new directions. The flight of the butterfly is symbolic of hope, the yellow and blue squares reference light, matter, pixels, stars and individuals in a community, together. The white shapes in the background bring light, something necessary to illuminate a path forward. Nature carries within its design a kind of poetry that we can learn from.

Perhaps if we study and appreciate the complexity of nature we will take good care of it, as well as ourselves because the two are connected and are part of a bigger whole.

620 Clark Drive (at Frances St.)

Artist: Corey Bulpitt

Title: This is an Invitation to Leave Your Armour at the Door

Corey Bulpitt also known as Ta’kiid Aayaa or “Gifted Carver” by the Haida of the Naikun Raven clan, is from the Naikun Raven Clan. He completed his studies at Langley Fine Art School, apprenticed for Haida artist Christian White, and worked for Haida master carver Jim Hart at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC. Corey is a multimedia artist with a background as a graffiti artist and practice in totem pole and mask carving. 

Artist Statement:

This mural depicts a scene of sea, land and sky, with mountains and the moon in the background, with a killer whale fin, paddlers in a canoe and a cedar branch in the foreground.

The mountains represent what the Dudes have overcome, the paddlers represent the Dudes on their journey, the killer whale fin represents those that have gone on before them.

The moon represents the female energy which is important to them all even in this male-based group. The cedar branch represents medicine.

1295 Frances Street (Meridian Landscaping)

Artist: Caleb Ellison-Dysart

Title: miskinâhk

Caleb Ellison-Dysart is a nîhithaw (Cree) artist living on Coast Salish territories. His family comes from O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation & Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba, and the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Caleb specializes in 3D Animation, Murals, Design & Illustration. His process-driven work is finely crafted to celebrate Cree culture and incorporate stories that centre around physical and spiritual connections to land.

Artist Statement:

Turtle Island is the name that various Indigenous nations have always called “North America” since time immemorial. The name comes from oral histories and creation stories that tell of a turtle who holds the world on its back. It is important, now more than ever, that we take care of Turtle Island and all its inhabitants. Let’s not forget our responsibility to the life around us.

912 Clark Drive (Fujiya Japanese Foods)

Artist: Mia Okhi

Title: Protect Our Trees

Mia Ohki is a Métis-Japanese-Canadian Artist specializing in illustration.

Artist Statement:

“Protect Our Trees” features three bonsai trees: the first is a cherry blossom tree, the middle pot has a person in a kimono tending a fir tree sapling, and the last features a Japanese maple tree. The kimono is adorned with traditional Métis beadwork designs that connect to the roots of the sapling. The cherry blossom with the image of Japan’s Mount Fuji on the pot is protected by a shimenawa warding off evil spirits. The Japanese maple tree’s pot has Vancouver’s “The Lions” mountain range carved on its surface.

“千樹の森を守ろう” on the center pot roughly translates to “Protect Ancient Trees”, with emphasizes the importance of protecting sacred trees. Considering the long history of Fujiya in Vancouver, the title of the design has two meanings: we must protect the trees in British Columbia, pillars of the coastal forest, and we must support the pillar businesses of the Vancouver community.

Various locations

Artist: Zac George

Zac George is a member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. He was born and raised in North Vancouver and now lives in Chehalis, BC. His work is inspired by his late grandparents, Chief Dan and Amy George, and Robert and Betty Edge. Zac studied carving with Don Joe of Chehalis and is proud to use the Coast Salish artistic style. He lives the rich cultural lifestyle of the Salish People: he is a hunter and a fisherman and follows the traditional spirituality practiced by his people for centuries.

Artist Statement: The sacred mountain sees everything and has the ability to pray for and watch over the people of Vancouver. Our mountains hold a lot of history and strength and if you look over to the North Shore, you’ll understand.

In the lead up to this year’s AGM we are sharing a series of reports with our business community on all that we’ve been up to in service to you, our members. Next up, COVID-19 Recovery and Placemaking.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to challenge our members and the community in diverse and extensive ways. Supporting our members through these challenging times has been the top priority for the Strathcona BIA. The Board has been working to apply a COVID-19 recovery lens to all board decisions and ensure that our programming and services support members through COVID-19 and facilitate recovery efforts. We have also continued to invest in placemaking initiatives in Strathcona to attract people to the area and bring new vibrant spaces that inspire and connect people.

COVID-19 Task Force

At the beginning of the pandemic we were the first BIA to join the COVID-19 Community-Coordinated Response Network, over 40 organizations operating in the Downtown Eastside working together to address the impacts of COVID-19. This group continues to meet and collaborate on ways to support the well-being of the community, expanding their scope of work to address other challenges such as heat wave weather events and the opioid crisis. Showing up as a community partner and building relationships with groups in the community who are working to create a thriving neighbourhood is integral to our success as an organization.

COVID-19 Communications

We’ve increased our direct member communications through COVID-19. We continue providing resources and information on available COVID-19 resources and business supports through our e-newsletter channel and social media channels. When new targeted grants came online to help hard-hit businesses or when new health order regulations were announced, we were quick to share about them with our members immediately, and we’ll continue to do so as long as the pandemic is impacting you and your operations.

COVID-19 Recovery Grant

We launched a COVID-19 Recovery Grant pilot program in September 2020 to support our business and property owners affected by the pandemic. Matching grants up to $1000 were used to help members manage unexpected expenses from COVID-19, attract customers, improve security, and invest in placemaking improvements. We were excited to award $15,620 to 22 Strathcona BIA members across multiple sectors and different sub-districts, for projects ranging from patio installations, to security fence upgrades, to bulk PPE supplies. The matching grants were put towards projects that resulted in a total investment of almost $50,000 in area improvements and recovery supplies.

Safe and Welcoming Grant

Building on the success of the Recovery Grant, in July of this year we launched the Safe and Welcoming Grant. We heard from members in our Safety Survey earlier in the year that more investment in environmental safety is a priority. Specifically, many members felt that improvements in things like lighting, street and crosswalk infrastructure, and more green space will have a large impact on the overall safety of the area. We took the learnings from the COVID-19 Recovery Grant pilot program and created this new grant program to provide members with the funding and flexibility to address their specific needs while also keeping a district-wide perspective. The goal of this program is to help our members make safety and beautification investments that will attract people to the area and create a more safe and welcoming community for all – small changes add up to big impact! Since the launch of the program, seven businesses have applied and are in the process of starting on safety and beautification projects. Applications continue to be accepted here. 

New Murals

We’re excited to have brought several new murals to the Strathcona neighbourhood this year in partnership with Vancouver Mural Festival and local property owners. Artist Sitji Chou created a mural piece called Ripple at Noble on 1001 Venables Street. The artist hopes the waves, lilies, and koi mingling in between will instill a sense of tranquility and whimsy to all who see the mural. Another piece includes Benjamin Stone’s bold new work at Container Brewing, titled No Arrival. A third mural at 603 Powell Street is part of the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project (BSRP). The BSRP is a project to reclaim Black visibility in Strathcona, an area historically populated by Vancouver’s Black community. The BSRP mural titled Watch Over this Child by artist Sasha Mbabazi, is a call to action to take responsibility for the wellbeing of each other. And the Thomas Cannell mural Give It Time, that we sponsored in 2020, has become a standout mural in the district and an East Hastings landmark. Public art has the power to help strengthen the connections between all who share space here, and we are so proud to be a part of supporting more murals for all to enjoy. 

We have also invested in mural restoration and upkeep. Last year, we repaired and refreshed the mural at 812 East Cordova, an amazing colourful mural depicting the Squamish Valley and Stawamus Chief Mountain, among others, and we remain invested in ensuring murals in Strathcona are well maintained.

Adding and Refreshing Tree Planters

The Hastings Urban Tree Planters are an urban greening initiative going since 2014 that responds to the lack of trees along some of the streets in Strathcona. The tree planters bring life to our streetscapes by adding greenery through resilient tree varieties and colour through vibrant murals on the planter exteriors. Over the years, the planters have provided a platform for many emerging artists, and this year we are honoured to dedicate this visual space for an Indigenous artist to create a statement-making impact along East Hastings. Following a selection process with Vancouver Mural Fest, we’re excited that the planter murals are in the process of being refreshed by artist Zac George. The design, selected in part through consultation with participants in the planter program, is called Sacred Mountains and we can’t wait to see it completed soon. We’ll also be adding four new planters to the 800 Block of East Hastings, expanding the total number of tree planters in the community to 16.