September 2024 Newsletter
Upcoming Local Events
SRA Residents Meeting, Sept. 16, 7-8:30 PM Strathcona Community Centre. A chance to voice your concerns, ask questions and share ideas on local issues. Everyone is welcome. An agenda will go out to all members beforehand.
Kiwassa Days Block Party Saturday, Sept. 7, 1-6 PM Vernon Drive and E. Georgia. Second Annual “East Strathcona” Block Party. Music, food, games, kid’s activities and more.
Maclean Park Music Sundays, 2-5 PM. Sept. 8 & 22. There are two more dates left in the 2024 season, including Accordion Noir on Sept. 8. For more details, click here.
Hawks x Keefer Community Street Painting 2.0 Sat. & Sun, Sept. 14 & 15. Amy Walker and crew are inviting neighbours to co-create a work of street art to beautify the intersection while hopefully slowing drivers down. “We’re inviting neighbours to paint what home means for them in one of the approximately 200 segments or ‘tiles’ in the design.” To sign up or get more info, click here.
City Pauses Re-zoning Process
Responding to growing push back from the SRA and other local stakeholders, the city has “paused the rezoning process to re-evaluate our location options” for the proposed Fire Hall #2 Annex at Gore and Union, broadening their search criteria to include sites not owned by the city.
Our position is that this site, a rare piece of undeveloped public land in a neighbourhood with the least greenspace, least local-use parks, least tree canopy, highest heat index and the largest population of vulnerable people in the city, is far better suited as a public park, anchored by the city’s new public art commission and reflective of city policies toward environmental equity, Chinatown revitalization and the recognition of Hogan’s Alley. A fire hall at this location will cause considerable traffic, noise and safety problems along Union, Georgia, and Gore, especially once Gore is extended across Prior to become the gateway to the New St. Paul’s Hospital.
The Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service provided some clarity as to why the annex is needed. Fire Hall #2, located at Main and Powell, is too small and too rundown to adequately accommodate the staff and vehicles needed to serve one of the busiest fire districts in Canada. In the short term, it needs more space; in the longer term, it needs an temporary replacement location while Fire Hall #2 is rebuilt, which means the Annex will be operational for at least 8-10 years.
The site is city-owned land that was reserved as an off-ramp for the freeway that was never built. The People’s Park sign that appeared at the site was the work of concerned citizen Dana Deschene and team, not the Park Board. It was removed last week by the city. A petition supporting the site becoming park is still active. Here’s the link. We’ll send out an update when we hear the results of the site re-evalution.
Strathcona Stories
One way to get to know a community is through it's stories. So we’ve started a new section on our website to share tales that reflect what makes Strathcona such a vibrant community. So far, we have two: The Day They Stole the Free Library and The Pirate Ship in the Park. Check it out.
If you have a story you'd like to share, please send it to stories@strathcona-residents.org. If you'd prefer, I even help you get it down in writing. Enjoy!
City of Vancouver Volunteer Civic Agencies - Applications Now Open!
The City of Vancouver is looking for volunteers for a slew of civic agencies and advisory committees, ranging from the Arts and Culture to Food Policy to Development Permits to Heritage.
These are an essential part of the City’s public engagement work, and consist of volunteers who help to convey community perspectives to Council and staff while advising on City priorities, projects, and initiatives. Most meet at least once a month to discuss issues, receive information and presentations, and develop advice and recommendations. Virtual/online attendance options are usually available. Meals are provided at meetings held over lunch or dinner hours, and members of certain committees are eligible to receive reimbursement for dependent care, parking, and travel expenses when attending meetings.
For more info or to apply, click here.
If you have comments/questions or anything to add to our next issue, you can reach us at sra@strathcona-residents.org.
Copyright (C) 2024 Strathcona Residents Association. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Strathcona Residents Association
601 Keefer St
Vancouver, BC V6A 3V8
Canada