The Good Night Out Vancouver (“GNO”) Granville Street Team is returning to the entertainment district on July 23rd after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mandate of this outreach team is to support nightlife, hospitality, music, and arts spaces to build their capacity to prevent and respond to sexualized violence.
Where: Granville Street (from Robson to Drake) on Friday & Saturdays, midnight to 4:00am year-round.
Granville Street Team
The outreach team was started in 2017 in response to a City of Vancouver Motion that called for stakeholders in the Granville Entertainment District (“GED”) to work together to address concerns about disorder in the area on the weekends.
GNO deploys 4 members, who are dressed in peach to support the safety of vulnerable people in the area on the weekends. They carry backpacks with water, juice, snacks, harm reduction materials, sexual assault information and resources, naloxone, and portable phone chargers.
The establishments in the area are all provided with posters to advertise the program, and the security staff are given the teams cell phone number to call them directly. The team is currently funded by Destination Vancouver and the City of Vancouver.
Stacey Forrester, Education Director and GNO Co-Founder has supplied additional information about the important work the organisation is doing in the community, and why:
Granville Street Team Objectives:
Liaising with licensed establishments within the Granville Entertainment district to help ensure the safety of vulnerable patrons during closing egress;
Acting as eyes and ears on the street.
Offering a proactive and often preventative solution to street disorder.
Acting as skilled bystanders when gendered or homophobic or other harassment is witnessed.
Distributing harm reduction supplies and information, including consent information.
Acting as first responders to overdoses as needed.
Linking people who have been victims of assault to the VPD or to other organisations if they request.
Assisting vulnerable patrons to access public transit, taxis or ride share services
Helping patrons charge phones for safety reasons.
Supporting the safety of low-income and street entrenched community as well as sex workers on the street at the time the team is out.
Providing employment and training for people who may have had their income impacted by COVID-19.
Good Night Out Vancouver – Granville Street Team. Photo by JustJash.com
According to the Vancouver Police Department, the largest number of sexual assault reports came from the Downtown Central Business District, which encompasses the GED [Source]. Of the 1,431 sexual assaults reported between 2016-2019, groping accounted for approximately 80 percent.
Every Fall, GNO hosts its own survey on perceptions of Safety in the GED. While there was not one in the Fall of 2020 due to COVID, the 2019 Survey found:
87% of respondents reporting feeling unsafe while out on Granville Street with the most common reason being actions related to disorderly / intoxicated patrons;
In the Granville Entertainment District (GED), the most commonly witnessed types of street harassment were gendered, racialized, and homophobic harassment (Good Night Out Vancouver, 2019).
Good Night Out Vancouver – Granville Street Team. Photo by JustJash.com
About Good Night Out Vancouver
Along with the street team, GNO also offer education services that include free training, funded by the Provincial Government, to restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, and other social spaces. While the team is expected to fund raise at least a third of the annual budget, you can also support their efforts through online donations, and by spreading the word on social media: Twitter,Facebook, and Instagram. Let folks know to look for the Granville Street Team again starting July 23rd.
Infectious Gratitude is a series of free, feel-good, arts-based events popping up at local parks and public spaces this summer. Vancouver non-profit Instruments of Change invites Vancouverites to “pop up shout outs” of Infectious Gratitude, showing support and gratitude to local businesses and spaces as a thank you for services provided to our communities.
Infectious Gratitude, Pop Up Shout Outs
When: July 10th to August 5th 2021
Where: Various parks and spaces
July 10 at Trout Lake
July 17 at Riley Park
July 19 at Kits Beach
July 26 at Second Beach
August 3 at Locarno Beach
August 5 at David Lam Park
This initiative is intended to spread gratitude instead of fear, as we emerge from this collectively challenging time, more hopeful and connected.
Infectious Gratitudeartists Laura Barron and Wen Wen Lu invite the community to appreciate and advocate for their local assets (businesses, services, green spaces) in creative ways (story, drawing, poetry) at safe, (socially distanced) weekly, pop-up booths in various well-trafficked Vancouver parks.
Asking participants: “What would you like to see “thrive” in your community?” they will facilitate a creative process in which community members can express their gratitude through “urban love letters”, haiku poetry and/or visual art.
All creative work will be documented on a digital map, as well as distributed throughout the city in surprise installations that are intended to “virally” spread gratitude throughout the city that we all love.
Through our arts-based community development projects, which serve youth and adults in school, community centre, and prison settings, Instruments of Change creates meaningful experiences that employ a variety of artistic modes to give both their facilitating artists and their participants opportunities to build confidence, and enhance collaboration and communication skills, while fostering cross-cultural understanding.
Afro Van Connect has announced the Black Spaces Symposium Virtual will take place July 22-24th. The Black Spaces Symposium unites artists, activists, professionals, and educators within the African Descent community to honour heritage, inspire the future, and build strong community connections.
Black Spaces Symposium Virtual
When: July 22-24, 2021
Where: Online
Tickets:Available online now. Subsidized tickets are available to any community member who is interested in attending.
The Black Space symposium consists of a series of speakers, panels, interviews, live performances, workshops, exhibitions, and community honours. Participants are invited to explore new approaches and modalities that will inspire everyone to activate, mobilize, and create change. View the full agenda here.
Black Space Jam 2021
The Black Space Jam gives African Descent youth a safe space to discover their authentic voices through telling their stories through poetry, music, dance, and more. Featured performers:
Buni Kor aka Kor Kase
Grizzy Wynter
Janelle Reid
Shoyan Wright
Jason Bempong
ebonEmpress
DJ Clichy
From the organizers: “We established the symposium to create opportunities for youth of African Descent to access equipment, education, training, networks and opportunities. Empowering our community to creatively and economically flourish, building on our unique gifts and perspective from our heritage and cultural experiences.”
For more information, follow Afro Van Connect on Facebook and Instagram.
Brewery & the Beast is back! After a one-year pause during the pandemic, one of Western Canada’s most popular and perennially sold-out food, drink and entertainment festivals will make its triumphant return with intimate and elevated events in Victoria and Vancouver.
Brewery and the Beast 2021
Where: Victoria – Starlight Stadium (1089 Langford Pkwy)
When: Sunday, September 12, 2021 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Tickets: $145.95 plus tax/fees, available through the website starting July 7, 2021 at 9:00am
Where: Vancouver – Concord Pacific Lot (180 Pacific Boulevard)
When: Sunday, September 26, 2021 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Tickets: $165.95 plus tax/fees, available through the website starting July 14, 2021 at 9:00am
With a focus on ethical, sustainable and natural farming practices and showcasing talented chefs, renowned restaurants and the very best of BC’s food and beverage scene, Brewery & The Beast provides guests with an all-you-can-enjoy, food-and-drink feast for the senses featuring a variety of dishes and preparations, from barbecue and smoked to grilled and slow-cooked, along with beer, wine, cider and spirits.
Partial proceeds from ticket sales for both of this year’s events will be donated to the Chefs’ Table Society of BC, which — in keeping with the core goal of Brewery & The Beast itself — aims to inspire, nurture and showcase chefs, producers and the local food industry in BC.
Austin Heights is a walkable Coquitlam neighbourhood filled with everything from great places to eat and parks to play, to community festivities like the annual Daisy Day. This spring Beedie Living launched West, 194 new homes (a selection of studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom options) including the new Beedie-built Safeway grocery store in Austin Heights.
West in Austin Heights
Starting in the mid-$300,000’s, Westhomes are perched atop a hill, providing mountain or water views from every floor, maximized by floor to ceiling windows.
More features of this build:
Called Beedie by Design, thoughtful and unexpected details are in place throughout the homes, maximizing the living experience. An example of this is the expansive private balconies that feature over-height railings to enhance views when seated.
Interiors designed by award-wining Bob’s Your Uncle Design, homeowners choose from three refined colour palettes.
Durable laminate flooring flows throughout the living, dining and bedroom spaces, with roller shades to maintain privacy and energy efficient air conditioning ensures optimal climate control.
High-performance kitchen with Fisher & Paykel integrated appliances for gourmet cooking, along with modern, flat-panel, soft-close cabinetry.
Functional and relaxing bathroom designs feature large-format matte porcelain tile, deep drawers and recessed sconce lighting and a frameless glass shower with adjustable shower wand.
With modern, west-coast inspired architecture by Chris Dikeakos Architecture.
Indoor multi-sport court and fitness centre, a social and co-working lounge and a cozy fireside outdoor lounge with kitchen, built-in BBQ, wet bar, harvest dining table, and a fully furnished guest suite for friends and family to stay the night.
State -of-the-art parcel lockers and a building entry system with video enterphone and digital security cameras ensure safety and comfort.
This new condo development by Beedie Living is currently in pre-construction at 505 Nelson Street, Coquitlam. It is scheduled for completion in 2024. West will join its sister tower The Heights as a part of Austin Heights’ truly unique tight-knit neighbourhood that features an abundance of locally owned small businesses, along with the walkable conveniences needed for everyday life.
Austin Heights Community Giveaway
To celebrate West coming to the neighbourhood, I have an Austin Heights prize package to give away that includes gift cards for local shops and restaurants:
$150 Safeway (located at the base of West so residents will have a grocery store an elevator away)
Click below to RT to enter to win on Twitter (1 entry)
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win an Austin Heights prize package (value $350) featuring gift cards to local shops and more courtesy of West by @BeedieBuilt http://ow.ly/xaGQ50Fpatx” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm Monday, July 12, 2021. Update: The winner is Harjit C!
