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Frog Cupcakes for Anything but XMAS Community Dinner 2013 in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)
DTES Street Market at Pigeon Park in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) on Sun Dec 22, 2013
DTES Street Market Sunday before Christmas 2013
Roland Clarke, Coordinator of the DTES Street Market says:
The 185th Street Market at Pigeon Park on Sunday
Our 200th market day at Pigeon Park on Sunday will take place on April 6th – This will be a day of celebration for the Downtown Eastside. We plan to invite City Councillors, dignitaries, and anyone that wants to celebrate with the people of the DTES.
The day was only slightly drizzly, and quite mild considering that it was the first day of winter…
This was the last Sunday market at Pigeon Park before Christmas, and the penultimate market of the year.
Lots of creatures were stirring, all over the park, making their last few sales on this drizzly Sunday.
Not one negative event that I can recall over the course of the day, and lots of positive ones…
Mark Bradshaw of the VPD did a walk through of the market. We made sure that he knew that we appreciated his presence, and that we welcomed him back. He made a few jokes, and nabbed someone selling some contraband. Luckily for us, the person was outside the market at the time…
We had at least one group giving away blankets, clothing, toiletries, lots of food. It definitely was a friendly Christmas atmosphere all over the market.
The clean up went great. The park was clear by 5:30pm, and the garbage truck came early, shortly after.
The final shift went home before 6pm, which I believe is a record.
Sales of coffee and tents was quite good given that there were only 95 vendors in the park this Sunday.
As a final note before Christmas, I want to give a warm thanks to all the volunteers that work the Street Market week in and week out. They do real work for a small stipend, usually about $3 per hour. They pile about 1/2 tonne of garbage in one spot from all over the park, and maintain peace and order during the day. They watch out for their fellow vendors, and really take pride in this unique downtown eastside creation we call the Pigeon Park Street Market.
God bless all the volunteers and vendors, and God protect them from the greedy and the ignorant.
In this time of giving. In this time of the year where we should all count our blessings, I am sincerely begging those with power, wealth, secure warm homes, and loving families to take a moment to reflect on what we have built in our neighbourhood with so little.
25th Annual Oppeheimer Park Christmas Dinner in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) on Saturday Dec 21, 2013
Twenty Five Years Ago the Oppenheimer Park Christmas Dinner began by helping Sister Hilda and the New Hope Centre feed the homeless, and in 1992 the Oppenheimer Park Christmas fund was created. Over our two-decade history we’ve served an average of 3,000 meals each year, and we estimate that in 2010 we crossed the 50,000 mark in total dinners served! This has been accomplished with the support of hundreds of volunteers, the film industry community and local businesses.
Snowfall in Vancouver – Thurs Dec 19, 2013
Snow day in Vancouver! Rare blanket of snowfall touches our neighbourhood on Thursday Dec 19, 2013
25 Hours at the Homeless Camp in Abbotsford
“When we first got there, the homeless people were quite amazing, very respectful, they’re wanting to know what’s happening with their lives, it was a situation where they all pitched in, got the wall in the parking lot”
In Abbotsford, you can only stay 5 days out of the month in a shelter. If you smell like alcohol or use drugs you are kicked out for 30 days minimum – very strict policy. Where are the homeless people to go? They are forced to build their own camps.
The City of Abbotsford chased them out of location after location. Chicken manure was spread on one spot, and then another camp was invaded and torn to shreds. Pepper spray was used on defenceless citizens who only wanted a safe place to sleep without harassment and intimidation.
These following videos and pictures chronicle our 25 hours at Jubilee Park. The City of Abbotsford has served them an eviction notice, but they are staying. They were camped in the park for almost 60 days. Now this parking lot next to the park is their last refuge.
What are their demands? A low barrier shelter that won’t kick them out or judge them or intimidate them.
“During the evening, when they were putting up the 8 ft wall barricade to protect them against the wind, the Cops came to investigate but didn’t do anything. But the next morning, the big bosses got on the high agenda to get a court injunction and they didn’t want the homeless people to be there. The cops arrived at 1pm, stapled a bunch of Court notices saying that they had to be out of the new structure that was built last night by 6pm. It was heart wrenching to see all the bullying police officers, 5 By-Law officers, 4 Cops, to staple up the Court notices.”“20 minutes later, Abbotsford Police brought along City of Abbotsford Maintenance Dept, blockaded the parking lot, towed a bunch of vehicles away, which is heart wrenching to see. Spending all that money just to put up a Court injunction for the homeless people ..very sad. They got surveillance cameras – drones, They Bullied them to show the Homeless People.. “We are the City of Abbotsford”, You don’t dare disrupt what we do, and you have to do what we say”
“It’s so heart wrenching, the homeless people are just people looking for some help, to live their lives in a peaceful manner. A lot of these people don’t want to go into a shelter, because they feel they are institutionalized, they feel abused, it’s hard to imagine what they are going through.”
Barry Shantz was our guide through the camp. He is the head of the Abbotsford chapter of the BC Yukon Drug War Survivors, and is the recognized leader of the group.
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