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AHA MEDIA’s designed 3 new sites for Kashube Art, Sun Eagles and Up Words in Vancouver Downtown Eastside

July 9, 2009 Leave a comment

 AHA MEDIA has designed and developed 3 new sites as part of our skills  portfolio.

http://www.kashubeart.wordpress.com <– Paintings by Ken F. Glofcheskie

Kashube Art

http://www.suneagles.wordpress.com <– Vancouver Downtown Eastside Homeless Street Soccer

Sun Eagles

http://www.UpWordsMagazine.wordpress.com <– UpWords Magazine by Stimulant Discussion Group at LifeSkills Centre in Vancouver Downtown Eastside

Up Words

AHA MEDIA attended The Miss Guide’s “Walking the Ruins: Fragments of Vancouver

July 7, 2009 1 comment

April Smith and Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA on behalf of W2 Community Media Arts http://www.creativetechnology.org  attended the “Walking the Ruins: Fragments of Vancouver with commentary by The Miss Guides made up of a art collective of Natalie Doonan, Katharine Somody and Sean George .

Miss Guides 2

AHA MEDIA found the walk a delightful  blend of a historical tour and a theatrical performance.  It was like taking part of a National Film Board of Canada documentary but in real time and experience 🙂

Miss Guides 1C

A unique blend of historical tour and street theatre, this one hour walk will make you experience Vancouver as though for the first time.  Using the city as their stage, The Miss Guides will lead you through the gritty underbelly of a city teeming with secrets.

Miss Guides 1B

 From glamour to grime, Walking the Ruins explores four surprising urban sites, drawing unexpected connections between the forgotten past and overlooked present.

Miss Guides 1D

Audiences are limited to 12 adults, and groups meet on the Northwest corner of Granville and Hastings Streets, in front of Sinclair Centre, rain or shine ( bring an umbrella )

Miss Guides 2A

Walking the Ruins runs July 9 – August 1: Thursdays + Fridays at 7pm; Saturdays at 2pm.
 Miss Guides 2B

Tickets $20 ( includes entry to Harbour Center’s The Lookout, valued at $13) available through: http://www.themissguides.com

Miss Guides 1A

or http://www.tickettonight.ca or 604.684.2787

http://www.themissguides.com/

Miss Guides 3

Intro to the Miss Guides Walk in Vancouver

In this video, April films http://www.themissguides.com give intro commentary during their performative and historical walk in Vancouver

Going up in elevator at Harbour Centre as part of Miss Guides Walk

In this video, April films http://www.themissguides.com give commentary during their Performative and historical walk while going up in the elevator in Harbour Centre.

Going Down in Elevator in Harbour Centre as part of Miss Guides Walk

In this video, April films http://www.themissguides.com give commentary during their Performative and historical walk while going down in the elevator in Harbour Centre.


These videos were filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of these videos, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter.

Ken of AHA MEDIA reports on electrocution of a tenant at Arco Hotel in Vancouver Downtown Eastside ( DTES )

July 3, 2009 2 comments

Ken reports from an alley

In this video, Ken Glofcheskie of AHA MEDIA reports on how a tenant got electrocuted while climbing the fire escape at the rear of the Arco Hotel.

There was an unfortunate incident at the Arco Hotel on Pender St. recently that saw a tenant electrocuted while climbing the fire escape at the rear of the building. According to reliable sources the tenant lives on the fourth floor of the Arco and was attempting to scale the fire escape when he grabbed a live wire and was electrocuted.

The tenant received serious injuries and is currently in hospital in a coma. The hand that came into contact with the wire had two fingers completely burned off and the rest of his hand was blackened to the bone according to witnesses at the scene. In all probability this person will lose his hand. As well, the tenant received life threatening injuries to the groin area as the current arced through his body to the waist high metal railing on the fire escape.

Witnesses also say that he was in contact with the wire for almost twenty seconds as his hand froze shut on the wire once he came into contact with the electrical current which also caused his stomach to blow wide open as his whole body erupted into flames!!

While BC Hydro appears to insulated the wire of cause of problems with a protective barrier, there is still a live wire that runs close to the fire escape that remains unprotected.

Electrocution at Arco Hotel on fire escape in Vancouver DTES

The Arco, which is managed by ATIRA Property Management, have in the past received recommendations from both the previous and current managers to provide security camera coverage for the fire escape area as there has been an ongoing problem with misuse of the fire escape by tenants either sneaking in guests after hours or avoiding use of the front door for whatever reasons.

 Although it can not be said with certainty that a camera would have prevented this tragedy, with a desk staff monitoring the cameras there would have been at least the opportunity to have seen this person scaling the fire escape and immediate preventive measures could have been taken.

Hopefully this will motivate ATIRA to provide such coverage in an attempt to prevent such further senseless and serious injury. The Arco is a BC Housing building recently purchased in the well publicized buying spree in the run up to the recent provincial election.

Roy speaks about horrible living conditions in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) SRO Hotel

June 29, 2009 Leave a comment

In this video, Roy ( who declined to be filmed ) speaks about the horrible living conditions which include bed bugs, rats and cockroaches that he and his partner face.

What is even more surprising is how his rent jumped $65 dollars extra  and how he lives on just $100 a month for support!!

Roy’s personal story is just one of the indications that gentrification and homelessness are becoming more apparent in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside

This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter.

Hendrik and J Hock’s thoughts on homelessness in Gastown and inviting J-Hock to be part of AHA MEDIA!!

June 27, 2009 Leave a comment

In this video, Hendrik Beune, Director of AHA MEDIA with J-Hock speak about a fancy furniture store in Gastown where Storeyeum used to be. They recall that Audrey Laferriere, a well known DTES campaigner advocated for 2 years to convert Storeyeum, which was a vacant city-owned building to be turned into a homeless shelter which didn’t happen.

Impressed with J-Hock’s thoughts, April Smith and Hendrik Beune then invite J-Hock to join AHA MEDIA and help in community reporting 🙂

This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter.

Hendrik and J-Hock peer into furniture store on Gastown