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A Poverty Olympic Athlete eats in Guru Nanak’s free kitchen in the DTES
World Class Poverty
Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. And the province of British Columbia (BC) is among its most prosperous regions. But some people are being left behind.
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside — the city’s poorest neighbourhood — was singled out in 2007 by the United Nations Population Fund as a sign of “trouble in paradise.” The HIV rate here is 30% — the same as Botswana’s. Other diseases like Hepatitis C are rampant. Visitors who think of Canada as a caring, wealthy place are shocked to see the malnutrition, addiction, homelessness, and other harsh signs of grinding poverty all around.
It’s not just one “problem” neighbourhood either. British Columbia has the highest poverty rate in the country. One in five BC children live in poverty.
There are about 10,000 homeless people in communities all around our province, even in small towns. More than 2,000 of them live on the streets of Greater Vancouver. Pivot Legal Society estimates that homelessness in Vancouver is likely to triple by 2010.
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The Second Annual Poverty Olympics will be held on February 8, 2009
1:00-3:00pm at the Japanese Language School, 487 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC.
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A photo of the Provincial Homelessness Initiative – Carl Rooms
Here is a photo of Hendrik standing with his BC Lotteries Bingo ticket while dreaming about finally being able to win the jackpot and acquire a real home to live in.
We wish there were enough affordable housing for everyone to live in.
Poverty Olympics Athletes’ Accomodation in Vancouver Downtown Eastside ( DTES)
AHA MEDIA shows the types of room that a Poverty Olympic athlete has to live in the Vancouver Downtown (DTES)
The following video is a satirical view of the REAL 2010 OLYMPICS – We’re showing how an homeless athlete in training lives in comparision to the plush accomodations being built now for the regular athletes.
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Making things worse, not building an Olympic legacy
Poverty isn’t new, but things weren’t always this bad. Until 2001, poverty in British Columbia was dropping faster and farther than the national (across-Canada) rate.
So what changed?
Between 2002 and 2005, the BC government cut spending on social programs by nearly one third. That included an end to annual funding for new social housing.
The BC government also made social assistance (welfare) much, much harder to get. It forced people to jump through a maze of bureaucratic hoops, such as making anybody seeking help go through a complicated computer-based application (even advocates had a heck of a time figuring it out). It forced people who could no longer pay rent or buy food to wait three weeks before even letting them apply for help.
During those years, the number of people getting welfare dropped steeply — and the number of homeless people in Greater Vancouver doubled.
The BC Government also cut welfare benefits for single parents and their children, and for older folks. Poverty rates among single parents jumped as a result.
All this happened at the very time when big promises were being made to win the 2010 Olympics bid — promises to build more social housing, reduce homelessness, and make sure poor people weren’t displaced by Olympics-driven development.
Bad decisions have made poverty and homelessness worse. Some small steps have been taken recently to change course, but more must be done.
The Vancouver Poverty Olympics are brought to you by a group of concerned citizens and community groups who want the 2010 Winter Games’ legacy to be one of reducing, not increasing, poverty and homelessness.
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The Second Annual Poverty Olympics will be held on February 8, 2009
1:00-3:00pm at the Japanese Language School, 487 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC.
Mike Richter playing his song Joy at Carnegie Centre
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Grand Re-opening of Vancouver’s Historic Hotel Pennslyvania
A rainy Wednesday morning January 7th, 2009 found many DTES citizens celebrating the grand re-opening of the Historic Pennsylvania Hotel!
Below is a photo of a sign on a post announcing the opening celebration of the Pennslyvania Hotel in the background.
There was a pancake breakfast outside the hotel on Carrall Street, from 10 am on. At 11am, in the hotel basement, there was formal ceremony, also with food and refreshments.
( AHA MEDIA is sorry to have missed Mayor Gregor Robertson who attended the celebration! We would have loved to take his picture and ask him how he feels about the hotel re-opening)
Much thanks to the Staff, Board and Volunteers of the PHS Community Services Society for putting on a great event that truly shows the partnerships and community initiatives of many societies such as CCAP, VANDU, WAHRS, with the City of Vancouver working towards new affordable housing in the DTES.
AHA MEDIA was on hand to help capture some the moments of the event. We agree that everyone in our community should have access to affordable housing with their own kitchen and bathroom. We are glad that the Pennslyvania Hotel didn’t become another Backpacker or Tourist Hotel. It has remained in our area for us, DTES citizens!!
Below is a photo of the NEW Pennslyvania Hotel.
Below happy people celebrate and hug as they wait patiently in the lineups for a Free pancake breakfast made by volunteer and staff from PHS.
Below is a long line up of hungry DTES citizens.
Pancakes and sausages on the grill getting cooked!
A smiling man with PHS hands out a pancake breakfast
April gratefully accepts a hot breakfast! It’s very appreciated on a cold rainy day.
A well behaved and polite lineup grows longer in anticipation of the pancakes!
Even a little doggy gets a sweet pancake treat!
The following photo showcases beautiful and talented performers dressed up in white.
A model displays her beauty and grace in a Victorian white dress
The vibrant and soulful beats of an amazing show choir! Check out the conductor’s uniform!
A happy couple sways to the beats from the choir
Vancouver councillor Ellen Woodsworth and Vancouver housing activist Am Johal
Lani Russwurm chats with April Smith and reminds them of a meeting they are all due at!
It was a grand re-opening of Hotel Pennslyvania ! We hope there will be more housing like this in the future for the citizens of Vancouver’s DTES
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