That’s what members of the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (BIA) are hoping as they put forth an application for funding for a number of micro-gardens throughout the Strathcona neighbourhood. Aviva Insurance is holding a competition for the best ideas that support positive change within communities, and the BIA needs your votes to keep it in the running.

The proposed 20-30 gardens would be situated adjacent to public spaces in the area. This would contribute to the beauty of the neighbourhood, allow for the local growth of edible plants, and engage the community in the gardens’ collective upkeep. Barbed wire fences and other deterrents currently found in Strathcona can create an exclusion of people from their neighbourhood.

Building nice green spaces in urban areas is in line with the principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design.  The principles suggest that the use of openly visible space in a positive manner can strengthen a person’s bond with their physical environment. The more connected individuals feel with the space in which they live, the less likely they are to do harm to that space and to others. This interplay can create the ideal mutually beneficial relationship between a city and its residents, where each is influenced by the other.

The gardens would be constructed by landscapers from Mission Possible Enterprises, a non-profit organization in the Downtown Eastside which helps people with job readiness barriers find employment opportunities. Mission Possible hopes working with local youth in this endeavour will engage the youth with the neighbourhood and allow them to make a meaningful contribution to a large project.

Strathcona has always housed a progressive group of citizens with very strong views on what happens to their neighbourhood.  In the 1960s when urban activism was just beginning to take form, protests were held in Strathcona to fight the plan to build a highway through the neighbourhood. This helped spur a number of similar campaigns in later years in Canada and the US.  The pride and passion residents have with regards to their area is inspiring. It is very appropriate that Strathcona may once again have the chance to be a trailblazer in terms of community building.

You can read more about the project and vote for it here: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf5454

Every vote counts!

Some colleagues of BOB’s over at UGM recommended we pay a visit to the Velvet Matador at 508 Powell Street. It is a little off the beaten track, but not too far from Railtown or the residential areas of Strathcona. The Velvet Matador is a small cafe run by Hannah Walker. They serve specialty teas and coffees as well as sandwiches and other goodies. BOB staff was pretty pleased with the various drinks we’ve ordered there, so if you’re in Railtown or Eastvan, perhaps you should swing by.

They plan to have live music on some nights, their website is under construction, but they’re already in Google.

One thing I’ve previously mentioned in blog postings, that is a popular thing to do in the neighbourhood is go on guided walking tours of Vancouver’s historic inner-city. Monday evening I bumped into John Atkin who is both a resident and authority on local history. He is working with the folks at Bright Light and leading tours of the neighbourhood on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from their exhibit on 39 East Pender. The cost of these tours is ten dollars.

John isn’t the only one who regularly does walking tours of the neighbourhood. Chris Mathieson and the folks over at the Vancouver Police Museum are running their “Sins of the City” walking tour twice daily during the games.

You don’t need a guide to explore the streets of Vancouver, but you do get additional insights and historical perspective. I created a bit of a Do-It-Yourself Art Walk to some of the installations in the neighbourhood.

Kris Krug and others at True North Media House or W2 has been taking people around the neighbourhood, even the Lonely Planet was here and enjoyed their visit.

Here are some more opinions on things to see and do in the DTES from art installations to community gardens.

Eos Lightmedia recently lit up several building surfaces in Yaletown

Lighting has always been an integral part of architectural and urban design but over the past decade the progression from light as utility to light as creativity utility in urban space has been dramatic. During the Olympic Games Vancouver will be lit up with some of the most creative and environmentally sustainable lighting designs ever seen. Eos Lightmedia, whose offices are in Strathcona, will be one of the companies whose work the world will be seeing up close. Eos are a relatively new company, but they’ve already been lighting up some of Canada’s most recognizable buildings, including our Federal Parliament. Their work can be seen in several high profile locations during the Olympics. I took some time to interview Steve Bedard, Design and Coordination specialist at Eos about their work during the Olympics.

BOB-Wes: “Have you as a Downtown Eastside business benefited from the Olympics?”

Eos-Bedard: “In a word, yes. The Olympics have been a major opportunity for the design side of our business. We have completed Olympic related design/installations for several local municipalities, government projects and corporate clients. The scope of every project has been unique, with a unique set of challenges. Beside the finished examples we have also seen many projects around town that have come out of design reports and consultations we have prepared over the past couple years.

Eos lights up Whistler Olympic Village

Secondly, the environment the Olympics have created within the local community has given us all a positive growing experience. For every project we landed there were ten that we missed. So along the way, there were countless brainstorm sessions, partnerships, successes and disappointments. I can say without hesitation that everyone in our office has grown and developed into a sharper, more creative, and confident professional due to our experience.”

BOB-Wes: “The Hastings Renaissance Program has recently helped to light

The Smiling Buddha Cabaret, one of Vancouver's most legendary neon signs. Will it go up again one day?

up the downtown eastside with neon signs, reminiscent of Vancouver’s heyday as one of the neon capitals of North America. The Rickshaw Theatre, Bao Bei, and several other businesses have had facade improvements and more are on the way. Is there a building or park or part of the DTES that you’d particularly enjoy lighting?”

The lovely neon sign for Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie. Photo by Lani Johnson.

Eos-Bedard: “there are always great opportunities for lighting urban environments. I live and work in this area. I think the Powell St / Cordova St corridors are a prime example of an area that could really come alive. I walk past the Sugar Refinery on Powell every day. What an awesome opportunity. Check out this show they did in Quebec. [seriously check it out it's insane]

BOB-Wes: “What’s the most impressive urban lighting you’ve ever seen? Mine was in Paris, that place is lit up something crazy.”

Eos-Bedard: “I’ve never actually seen this one, but the Worlds Largest Timepiece (still holding out for a business development trip to Zurich)”

BOB-Wes: “What’s your favorite pub in the Eastside?”

Eos-Bedard: “6 Acres, or the Princeton”

BOB-Wes: “I’ve been in love with 6 Acres since the day it opened (as Moonshine nontheless, still have the business card) and I once saw a guy eat a slightly moist, old drink coaster for a jug of beer at the Princeton. (he’s gone on to be an award winning filmaker now) What’s your favorite place for quick lunch? ”

Eos-Bedard: “Lolo’s or JJ Bean”

BOB-Wes “Have you heard about that crazy mind control lighting show here during the Olympics where you can control lights on the CN Tower, Parliament and Niagra Falls by wearing a special thought reading crown with nodes on it. What’s up with that?

Eos-Bedard: (no comment…maybe it blew his mind)

BOB congratulates Eos on 25 years of success and for accomplishments and professional development they’ve experienced in the buildup to the Games. We’re looking forward to your talents continuing to light up the DTES and rest of Vancouver, and maybe the Roger’s building sometime soon too!

To see some of the projects Eos has worked on in vancouver and elsewhere go here

For more information on BOB go here