94-538: The Downtown Eastside ( DTES ) is a neighbourhood in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues, including disproportionately high levels of drug use , homelessness , poverty , crime , mental illness and sex work . It is also known for its strong community resilience , history of social activism, and artistic contributions. Around
188-754: A US-based planning firm, helped to prepare a Chinatown Revitalization Action Plan for Vancouver's planning department in November 2011. Vancouver planners surveyed 77 businesses and found that 64% reported a decrease in revenue between 2008 and 2011. The majority of consumers, 58%, were local residents, with 21% coming from elsewhere in the Lower Mainland. Tourist spending accounted for only 12% of Chinatown customers. Vancouver city councillors voted in 2011 to raise building height restrictions in Chinatown in order to boost its population density. A limit of 9 stories for most of
282-549: A crisis in housing and homelessness was emerging. Between 1970 and the late 1990s, the supply of low-income housing shrank in both the DTES and in other parts of the city, partly because of the conversion of buildings into more expensive condominiums or hotels. In 1993, the federal government stopped funding social housing , and the rate of building social housing in B.C. dropped by two-thirds despite rising demand for it. By 1995, reports had begun to emerge of homeless people sleeping in parks, alleyways, and abandoned buildings. Cuts to
376-479: A healthy community." Former NDP premier Mike Harcourt described the current reality of the neighbourhood as "100-per-cent failure." Also in 2014, B.C. housing minister Rich Coleman claimed "I'll go down for a walk in the Downtown Eastside, night time or day time, and it's dramatically different than it was. It's incredibly better than it was five, six years ago." There are no official population figures for
470-451: A longboard store and German sausage shop—as ways of restoring storefronts and bringing in a younger crowd, and to make higher-income people more comfortable in the area. Attracted to the lower rent and the building's heritage status, younger businesses have moved in, often with white owners who also live in apartments above the shops. The general consensus is that Chinatown's priority is to attract people of all backgrounds to Chinatown, and it
564-680: A lot of troubles, there's a community. Some very intelligent people say this is the city's cultural heart." The DTES population suffers very high rates of mental illness and addiction. In 2007, Vancouver Coastal Health estimated that 2,100 DTES residents "exhibit behaviour that is outside the norm" and require more support in the areas of health and addiction services. According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) in 2008, up to 500 of these individuals were "chronically mentally ill with disabling addictions, extreme behaviours, no permanent housing and regular police contact." As of 2009,
658-405: A marked shift before Expo 86 , when an estimated 800 to 1,000 tenants were evicted from DTES residential hotels to make room for tourists. With the increased tourist traffic of Expo 86, dealers introduced an influx of high-purity cocaine and heroin . In efforts to clean up other areas of the city, police cracked down on the cocaine market and street prostitution, but these activities resurfaced in
752-446: A mental illness, including 47.4% with psychosis. Only one-third of individuals with psychosis received treatment, and among those with concurrent addiction, the proportion receiving treatment was even lower. A 2016 study of the 323 most chronic offenders in the DTES found that 99% had at least one mental disorder, and more than 80% also had substance abuse issues. Between 60% and 70% of mentally ill patients treated at St. Paul's Hospital ,
846-569: A mural on East Pender Street with the aim of bringing colour and vitality to the neighbourhood. The growth of Chinatown during much of the 20th century created a healthy, robust community that gradually became an aging one as many Chinese immigrants no longer lived nearby. Noticing local businesses suffering, the Chinatown Merchants Association cited the lack of parking and restrictive heritage district rules as impediments to new uses and renovations. Their concerns subsequently led to
940-474: A relaxation of zoning laws to allow for a wider range of uses, including necessary demolition. Additions in the mid-1990s included a large parkade, a shopping mall, and the largest Chinese restaurant in Canada. More residential projects around the community and a lowering of property taxes helped to maintain a more rounded community. Reinvigoration was a discussed topic along government members, symbolically embedded in
1034-464: A six-story building that hid the mural from sight. The building, marketed as Brixton Flats was designed by architect Gair Williamson and developed by GMC Projects Inc., whose website features an image of the Laozi mural. Vancouver City Council added a condition to the rezoning: "Design development to create a new mural to reflect the character and history of Chinatown; Note to Applicant: The intent
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#17328377456371128-511: Is 77% male, with a median age of 44. Indigenous people make up 28% of the population, and Europeans 59%. The DTES has a history of attracting migrants with mental health and addiction issues across B.C. and Canada, with many drawn by its drug market, affordable housing, and services. Between 1991 and 2007, the DTES population increased by 140%. A 2016 study found that 52% of those DTES residents who experience chronic homelessness and serious mental health issues had migrated from outside Vancouver in
1222-656: Is a neighbourhood in Vancouver , British Columbia , and is Canada 's largest Chinatown . Centred around Pender Street, it is surrounded by Gastown to the north, the Downtown financial and central business districts to the west, the Georgia Viaduct and the False Creek inlet to the south, the Downtown Eastside and the remnant of old Japantown to the northeast, and the residential neighbourhood of Strathcona to
1316-466: Is a significant source of harm to residents of the DTES. In 2016, a board member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users said that in the previous year, Vancouver's supply of heroin had virtually disappeared and been replaced by fentanyl, which is cheaper and more potent. At the end of 2014, the DTES saw a dramatic rise in fentanyl overdoses. In 2016 the surge in drug overdose deaths led to
1410-424: Is believed that the opening of non-traditional stores will bring a new flow of energy and income to the streets. As a result, the commercial activity is becoming more diversified, dotted with Western chain stores. Other additions include vintage stores, two art galleries, bars, and a nightclub, built on the site of the former Ming's restaurant, in an attempt to bring something of a nightlife atmosphere, reminiscent of
1504-583: Is centred around the intersection of Main Street and Hastings Street , where residents have gathered for over a hundred years to connect. This intersection is also the home of the Carnegie Community Centre . The area around Hastings and Main is where the neighbourhood's social issues are most visible, described in the Vancouver Sun in 2006 as "four blocks of hell." Some indications of the borders of
1598-509: Is featured in multiple lists of notable Vancouver murals. It was designed by Kenson Seto and painted by Alex Li & Falk. The mural is 223 square metres, and cost $ 18,000 which was split between the City of Vancouver and Lee's Association of Vancouver. It was defaced multiple times by graffiti, causing outrage in the community. On April 5, 2016, the City of Vancouver rezoned the lot at 303 E Pender St/450 Gore Avenue, allowing construction of
1692-447: Is mutual mistrust between police and many homeless residents. Since Vancouver's real-estate boom began in the early 21st century, the area has been increasingly experiencing gentrification . Some see gentrification as a force for revitalization , while others believe it has led to higher displacement and homelessness. Numerous efforts have been made to improve the DTES at an estimated cost of over $ 1.4 billion as of 2009. Services in
1786-635: Is on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the distinctive association buildings. The China Gate (next to the Chinese Cultural Centre, near the intersection with Carrall) facing Pender Street was donated to the City of Vancouver by the Government of the People's Republic of China following the Expo 86 world's fair, where it was on display. After being displayed for almost 20 years at its current location,
1880-455: Is one of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America , but it experienced recent decline as newer members of Vancouver's Chinese community dispersed to other parts of the metropolitan area. The approximate borders of Chinatown as designated by the City of Vancouver are the alley between Pender and Hastings Streets, Georgia Street , Gore Avenue, and Taylor Street, although unofficially
1974-486: Is roused into activity." This perception only worsened with the turn of the district. Residents of the area where said to face continuous "white hostility and discrimination" due to three main vices, drug problems, gambling and sex work. As these perceptions grew, the discrimination turned to violence, resulting in a destructive raid in 1907 that caused irreversible damage to the area. As more people of Chinese heritage came to Vancouver, clan associations were formed to help
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#17328377456372068-479: The Asiatic Exclusion League , resulting in significant damage to Chinatown businesses. 2,000 Chinese immigrants were displaced from their homes, and total property damage resulting from the actions of the mob of 10,000 was estimated at $ 15,000. One news report speculated the riot was held to intimidate a visiting Japanese delegate. Another blamed the presence of American agitators. Mackenzie King , then
2162-781: The Dancing on the Edge Festival , and other artists regularly perform in DTES venues such as the Carnegie Centre, the Firehall Arts Centre , and the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at the Woodward's site. The musical composition "100 Block Rock," featuring 11 tracks, was released in 2020. In 2010, Sam Sullivan , former mayor of Vancouver, said that in the DTES, "Behind the visible people who have
2256-673: The Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival , which showcases the art, culture, and history of the neighbourhood, and the Powell Street Festival in Oppenheimer Park , which celebrates Japanese-Canadian arts and culture. The Smilin' Buddha Cabaret operated at 109 East Hastings Street from 1952 to the late 1980s as a symbol of "cultural vitality," reflecting shifts in the neighbourhood itself. City Opera of Vancouver ,
2350-465: The greater DTES area , is bordered by Richards Street to the west, Clark Drive to the east, Waterfront Road and Water Street to the north and various streets to the south including Malkin Avenue and Prior Street. The greater DTES area includes some popular tourist areas and nearly 20% of Vancouver's heritage buildings . Strathcona in the 1890s included the entire DTES. By 1994 Strathcona's northern boundary
2444-427: The 1950s and 1960s, back to the neighbourhood. The diversity of new shops and businesses is believed to be necessary in creating a new image for Chinatown in order to bring vibrancy back to the area and encourage commercial activities in general, and as a way to compete with suburban districts as well as nearby Gastown and Downtown Vancouver . The Chinatown Historic Area planning committee, along with AECOM Economics,
2538-402: The 1950s, the city centre continued its shift westward after the interurban rail line closed; its main depot was at Carrall and Hastings. Theatres and shops moved towards Granville and Robson streets. As tourist traffic declined, the neighbourhood's hotels became run-down and were gradually converted to single room occupancy (SRO) housing, a use which persists to this day. By 1965, the area
2632-579: The Asia-Pacific region in the last two decades of the twentieth century, most notably from China, whose population in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area was estimated at 300,000 in the mid-1990s. Chinatown is becoming more prosperous as new investment and old traditional businesses flourish . Today the neighbourhood features many traditional restaurants, banks, markets, clinics, tea shops, clothing stores, and other shops catering to
2726-442: The DTES are long-term residents and that there is a population turnover of 15 to 20% each year. Although many outsiders fear the DTES, its residents take pride in their neighbourhood and describe it as having multiple positive assets. DTES residents say the area has a strong sense of community and cultural heritage. They describe their neighbours as accepting and empathizing with people with addictions and health issues. According to
2820-524: The DTES is estimated to be around 7,000 people. Compared to the city, the DTES has a higher proportion of males and adults who live alone. It also has significantly more Indigenous Canadians , disproportionately affected by the neighbourhood's social problems. The neighbourhood has a history of attracting individuals with mental health and addiction issues, many of whom are drawn to its drug market and low-barrier services. Residents experience Canada's highest rate of death from encounters with police , and there
2914-466: The DTES was home to an estimated 1,800 to 3,600 individuals who were considered to be at "extremely high health risk" due to severe addiction or mental illness, equivalent to 60% of the population in this category for the 1 million people in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. A 2013 study of SRO tenants in the greater DTES found that 95.2% had some form of substance dependence, and 74.4% had
Downtown Eastside - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-572: The DTES, and in nearby Chinatown , respectively. During the Depression , hundreds of men arrived in Vancouver searching for work. Most of them later returned to their hometowns, except workers who had been injured or those who were sick or elderly. These men remained in the DTES area – at the time known as Skid Road – which became a non-judgemental, affordable place to live as the main downtown area of Vancouver began to shift westward. Among them, drinking
3102-500: The DTES, most of them sex workers. A large number are missing and murdered Indigenous women . Robert Pickton , who had a farm east of the city where he held "raves", was charged with the murders of 26 of these women and convicted on six counts in 2007. He claimed to have murdered 49 women. As of 2009, an estimated 39 women were still missing from the Downtown Eastside. On its core blocks, dozens of people are shuffling or staggering, flinching with cocaine tics, scratching scabs. Except for
3196-470: The DTES, which shift and are poorly defined, are as follows: For some community planning and statistical purposes, the City of Vancouver uses the term "Downtown Eastside" to refer to a much larger area with considerable social and economic diversity, including Chinatown , Gastown , Strathcona , the Victory Square area, and the light industrial area to the north. This area, referred to in this article as
3290-607: The DTES. Estimates have ranged from 6,000 to 8,000; the geographic boundaries associated with these figures were not provided. Official figures are available for the greater DTES area, which was home to an estimated 18,477 people in 2011. In comparison to the city of Vancouver overall, the greater DTES had a higher proportion of males (60% vs. 50%), more seniors (22% vs 13%), fewer children and youth (10% vs 18%), slightly fewer immigrants, and more Indigenous Canadians (10% vs. 2%). A 2009 demographic profile by The Globe and Mail focused on an area of just over 30 city blocks in and around
3384-421: The DTES. Within the DTES, police officers gave up on arresting the huge numbers of individual drug users, and chose to focus their efforts on dealers instead. Meanwhile, the provincial government adopted a policy of de-institutionalization of the mentally ill, leading to the mass discharge of Riverview Hospital 's patients, with the promise that they would be integrated into the community. Between 1985 and 1999,
3478-453: The DTES: It indicated that 14% of the residents were of Indigenous descent. The average household size was 1.3 residents; 82% of the population lived alone. Children and teenagers made up 7% of the people, compared to 25% of Canada overall. A population that is frequently studied is tenants of single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels in the greater DTES area. According to a 2013 survey, this population
3572-654: The Deputy Minister of Labour , was dispatched to investigate the riot and recommended the disbursement of $ 36,000 in compensation. The head tax was repealed via the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 , which instead abolished Chinese immigration to Canada entirely, except in limited circumstances. In 1979, the Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee sponsored a streetscape improvement program to add various Chinese-style elements to
3666-562: The Downtown Eastside. Regardless, Vancouver continues to be the city most impacted by the overdose crisis in Canada. From January to June 2018, BC had 754 opioid-related deaths – the country's highest. Vancouver also has more overdose deaths per capita than all of BC, with 30 deaths per 100,000 people between January and June 2018. Statistics indicate that illicit drug toxicity deaths have increased in BC, with 1,547 and 981 deaths in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Between January and September 2020, BC has seen
3760-568: The Millennium Gate project, which opened in 2002. In addition to Han Chinese from Taiwan , Hong Kong , and Mainland China , Chinese Latin Americans have also settled in the Chinatown area. Most of them were from Peru and arrived shortly after Juan Velasco Alvarado took over that country in a military coup in 1968. Others have come from Argentina , Brazil , Mexico , and Nicaragua . Vancouver experienced large numbers of immigrants from
3854-651: The V6A postal area, which includes most of the DTES, had the second-highest concentration of artists in the city. Artists made up 4.4% of the labour force, compared to 2.3% in the city as a whole. The Downtown Eastside Artists' Collective was formed by Trey Helten, manager of the Overdose Prevention Society. The greater DTES area is the location of several art galleries, artist-run centres and studios. Prominent local artists include poet Henry Doyle, artist Marcel Mousseau, and poet Bud Osborn . Notable annual events include
Downtown Eastside - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-505: The [Chinatown] quarter without holding one's nose." Another health officer noted "The Chinese merchants and employers of labour endeavour to assist the health officials, and are, as a rule, willing to co-operate and help in this matter, but the lower classes of Chinese emigrants give a great deal of trouble unless constantly watched," concluding that continued immigration would lead to "circumstances and conditions which predispose to infectious disease, and serve to spread it rapidly when once it
4042-540: The area extends well into the rest of the Downtown Eastside. Main , Pender, and Keefer Streets are the principal areas of commercial activity. Chinese immigrants, primarily men, first came to Vancouver in large numbers during the late 19th century, attracted in part by the British Columbia gold rush of 1858 and then the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. In the census of 1880–81,
4136-426: The area has also required workers to develop good relations to prevent frequent police calls. These conditions have also forced workers to rush or forgo screening and negotiation processes that increase the risk of bad dates and STI contractions. This disproportionately impacted the safety of oppressed communities such as indigenous, substance-dependent and transgender workers who are often restricted to this area. Over
4230-403: The area, such as specially paved sidewalks and red dragon streetlamps that demarcated the area's borders while emphasizing it as a destination for heritage tourism. Starting with its designation by the province as a historic area in 1971 and subsequent economic shifts, Chinatown shifted from a central business district to playing a largely cultural role. Murality , a local non-profit, is installing
4324-550: The area. By 1906, the Dupont brothels were forced to close. As a result, several brothels and businesses moved to two parallel dirt paved, dead-end lanes off of Dupont, West of Carrall: Shanghai Alley and Canton Alley. While these immigrants were dispersed throughout Chinatown, they strongly concentrated these areas. In 1896, the health officer for the City of Vancouver reported the city had to destroy houses in Chinatown "owing to their filthy condition" and that "one could hardly pass through
4418-422: The beginning of the 20th century, the DTES was Vancouver's political, cultural and retail centre. Over several decades, the city centre gradually shifted westwards, and the DTES became a poor neighbourhood, although relatively stable. In the 1980s, the area began a rapid decline due to several factors, including an influx of hard drugs , policies that pushed sex work and drug-related activity out of nearby areas, and
4512-437: The cessation of federal funding for social housing . By 1997, an epidemic of HIV infection and drug overdoses in the DTES led to the declaration of a public health emergency. As of 2018, critical issues include opioid overdoses , especially those involving the drug fentanyl ; decrepit and squalid housing; a shortage of low-cost rental housing ; and mental illness, which often co-occurs with addiction . The population of
4606-489: The city and police department reported that in the previous three years, there had been a 43% increase in people with severe mental illness or addiction in the emergency department of St. Paul's Hospital. In Vancouver, apprehensions under the Mental Health Act rose by 16% between 2010 and 2012, and there was also an increase in the number of violent incidents involving mentally ill people. Mayor Gregor Robertson described
4700-412: The city and region instead of concentrated in the DTES, and improving coordination of services. However, little agreement exists between the municipal, provincial and federal governments regarding long-term plans for the area. The term "Downtown Eastside" is most often used to refer to an area 10 to 50 blocks in size, a few blocks east of the city's Downtown central business district . The neighbourhood
4794-497: The city government, Hastings Street is valued by SRO residents as "a place to meet friends, get support, access services and feel like they belong." The area has had a robust tradition of advocacy for its marginalized residents since at least the 1970s when the Downtown Eastside Residents Association (DERA) was formed. Over the years, the DTES community has consistently resisted many attempts to "clean up"
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#17328377456374888-514: The closing of some restaurants and shops, sometimes in instances where the family did not have successors or where the business could not sustain itself any longer. Although there is a considerable business vacancy, Chinatown lease rates are considered the cheapest in the city, at $ 15–$ 30 per square foot—about one-tenth of the asking price on Vancouver's Downtown Robson Street , the city's upscale shopping district. The new Chinatown business plan encourages new entrepreneurs to move in—and has attracted
4982-569: The cost of their habits at $ 30 per day, on average. Some spend hundreds of dollars per day on drugs. Police attribute much of the property crime in Vancouver to chronic repeat offenders who steal to support their drug habits. The VPD reported in 2008 that in its district, which includes the Downtown Eastside, mental health was a factor in 42% of all incidents in which police were involved. The police department says its officers are often forced to act as front-line mental health workers due to lacking more appropriate support for this population. In 2013,
5076-431: The deaths from illegal drug overdoses in the entire province. Between 1996 and 2011, there have been large fluctuations in drug usage, with the most recent trend being an overall decline in illicit drug use between 2007 and 2011. However, between 2010 and 2014, hospitalizations related to addictions increased by 89% at St. Paul's Hospital. According to a 2008 survey of greater DTES area SROs, tenants who used drugs estimated
5170-459: The declaration of a public health emergency across the province. In a 2008 survey of SRO residents in the greater DTES, 32% self-reported as being addicted to drugs, 20% were addicted to alcohol, 52% smoked cigarettes regularly, and 51% smoked marijuana . In 2003, the DTES was home to an estimated 4,700 injection drug users. Most live in unstable housing or are homeless, and approximately 20% are sex workers. In 2006, DTES residents incurred half of
5264-647: The edge of Burrard Inlet , between Cambie and Carrall streets, a townsite that now forms Gastown and part of the DTES. At the turn of the century, the DTES was the heart of the city, containing city hall , the courthouse, banks, the main shopping district, and the Carnegie Library . Travellers connecting between Pacific steamships and the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway used its hundreds of hotels and rooming houses. Large Japanese and Chinese immigrant communities settled in Japantown , which lies within
5358-529: The estimated 16,000 Chinese immigrants in British Columbia in 1901, 2,715 lived in Victoria and another 2,011 lived in Vancouver. After the completion of the railroad, under the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 , a head tax of CA$ 50 per person was levied solely on Chinese immigrants to discourage further settlement; the head tax was raised to $ 100 in 1900 and then $ 500 in 1903. By 1900, Chinatown covered
5452-399: The four square blocks bounded by Canton Alley (on the west), Hastings Street (on the north), Keefer Street (on the south), and Main Street (on the east, named Westminster Avenue at the time), with Pender Street (then called Dupont) as the main commercial district. During this time, Vancouver's Red Light district was present in the area, undergoing routine police checks and attempts to clean up
5546-498: The gate was rebuilt and received a major renovation of its façade employing stone and steel. Funding for the renovation came from government and private sources; the renovated gate was unveiled during the October 2005 visit of Guangdong governor Huang Huahua . This is not to be confused with the larger Millennium Gate, which straddles Pender Street at the west end of Chinatown, near the intersection with Taylor Street. The Millennium Gate
5640-490: The greater DTES area are estimated to cost $ 360 million per year. Commentators from across the political spectrum have said that little progress has been made in resolving the issues of the neighbourhood as a whole, although there are individual success stories. Proposals for addressing the issues of the area include increasing investment in social housing , increasing capacity for treating people with addictions and mental illness, making services more evenly distributed across
5734-409: The highest death rates per capita in BC, with 58 deaths per 100,000 people this year. Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services are responding to 103 overdose-related emergency calls per week, slightly down from the 2017 average of 119 calls per week. The decreased rate in overdose deaths and calls could be attributed to the increase in overdose prevention and response interventions across Vancouver, emphasizing
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#17328377456375828-533: The highest rate of illicit drug toxicity deaths (27 deaths per 100,000 individuals). In a report presented to the City Council of Vancouver by Mayor Kennedy Stewart on 20 December 2018 regarding the opioid crisis, he stated: As of December 16, 2018, an estimated 353 overdose deaths have occurred in Vancouver in 2018, which is almost on par with the 369 overdose deaths in 2017, despite the extensive harm reduction investments in Vancouver. Vancouver continues to have
5922-399: The hospital closest to the DTES, are estimated to have multiple addictions. Possible explanations for the high level of co-occurrence between addiction and mental illness in the DTES include the vulnerability of the mentally ill to drug dealers and a recent rise in crystal methamphetamine use, which can cause permanent psychosis . A 2010 BBC article described the DTES as "home to one of
6016-481: The industry because of criminal records or addictions that make it harder to find jobs. Although Indigenous Canadians makeup only 2% of Vancouver's population, approximately 40% of Vancouver's street-based sex workers are Indigenous. In one 2005 study, 52% of the sex workers surveyed in Vancouver were Indigenous, 96% reported having been sexually abused in childhood, and 81% reported childhood physical abuse. Some researchers and Indigenous advocacy groups have attributed
6110-651: The local community and tourists alike. The Vancouver office of Sing Tao Daily , one of the city's four Chinese-language dailies, remains in Chinatown. OMNI British Columbia (formerly Channel M) had its television studio in Chinatown from 2003 to 2010. Vancouver Film School also has a satellite location in Chinatown. A bar & nightclub known as ‘ Fortune Sound Club ’ is situated within the heart of Chinatown. Chinatown's businesses today predominantly consist of those selling lower-order, working-class goods, such as groceries, tea shops, and souvenir stores. While some businesses, such as restaurants, stand out, they are no longer
6204-630: The local health authority declared a public health emergency in the DTES: Rates of HIV infection, spread by needle-sharing amongst drug users, were worse than anywhere in the world outside Sub-Saharan Africa, and more than 1000 people had died of drug overdoses. Efforts to reduce drug-related deaths in the DTES included the opening of a needle exchange in 1989, the opening of North America's first legal safe injection site in 2003, and treatment with anti-retroviral drugs for HIV. A shift among users from injected cocaine to crack cocaine use may have also slowed
6298-606: The mental health crisis as "on par with, if not more serious than" the DTES HIV / AIDS epidemic that had led to a declaration of a public health emergency in 1997. The overdose deaths in BC between 2003 and 2018 are up over 725%, and overdose deaths of minors 10–18 years old are up 260% in 10 years. Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority have had the highest number of illicit drug toxicity deaths (188 and 164 deaths, respectively) in 2019, making up 65% of all such deaths during this period. 2019: Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has
6392-580: The names and boundaries of these areas, the City of Vancouver officially divides the city into 22 neighbourhoods for administrative purposes. The City of Vancouver uses neighbourhood boundaries to break up the city's geographic area for delivering services and resources. The 22 official neighbourhoods are as follows: There are other distinct areas of the city which don't have official neighbourhood status. These communities typically have distinct cultures and character, which differentiate them from their surrounding areas. Chinatown, Vancouver Chinatown
6486-404: The neighbourhood by dispersing its close-knit residents. Successful resident-led initiatives to improve conditions in the DTES include the transformation of the then-closed Carnegie Library into a community centre in 1980, the opening of an unlicensed supervised injection site in 2003, which led to the founding of Insite ; improvements to Oppenheimer Park , and the creation of CRAB Park. In 2010,
6580-447: The neighbourhood was set, with a maximum of 15 stories on the busiest streets. The neighbourhood was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2011. Ongoing efforts at revitalization include efforts by the business community to improve safety by hiring private security, considering new marketing promotions, and introducing residential units into the neighbourhood by restoring and renovating heritage buildings. The current focus
6674-440: The newcomers assimilate in their adopted homeland and to provide friendship and support. Clan societies were often formed around a shared surname lineage, county (e.g., Kaiping, Zhongshan), or other feature of identity. Despite these efforts, discrimination against residents of the area continued to grow and eventually turned to violence. The Vancouver riots of September 1907 grew out of an anti-immigration rally being held by
6768-519: The number of overdose deaths jump to 1,202, with a record high of 183 illicit drug-related deaths reported in June of this year. The Vancouver Coastal Health jurisdiction has seen 37 deaths per 100,000 people between January and October 2020. In my 12 years as a physician in the DTES, I never met a female patient who had not been sexually abused as a child or adolescent, nor a male who had not suffered some form of severe trauma... Addictions are attempts to escape
6862-413: The number of patient-days of care provided by B.C. psychiatric hospitals declined by nearly 65%. Many of the de-institutionalized mentally ill moved to the DTES, attracted by the accepting culture and low-cost housing, but they floundered without adequate treatment and support and soon became addicted to the neighbourhood's readily available drugs. Between 1980 and 2002, more than 60 women went missing from
6956-419: The only Chinese food establishments in the city, a shift that contributed to a visible decline in foot traffic and nighttime activity in Chinatown. As the vacancy rate in Chinatown currently stands at 10%, it has been acknowledged that Chinatown needs a new approach to development, since some businesses have relocated to suburban shopping centres while others simply retired or went out of business. Examples include
7050-427: The over-representation of Indigenous people in Vancouver's sex trade to transgenerational trauma , linking it to Canada's colonial history and in particular, to the cultural and individual damage caused by the residential schools , which previous generations of indigenous Canadians were forced to attend. After the displacements that occurred on Dupont and Davie Street , Vancouver's outdoor sex workers were pushed to
7144-676: The pain. Vancouver has an estimated 1,000 street-based sex workers. According to the police, most of them work in the DTES. They call the neighbourhood and contiguous industrial areas near Vancouver's port these "outdoor workers" (previously referred to using the more stigmatizing language including "low track" workers), where they typically earn $ 5 to $ 20 for a "date". Most are survival sex workers who use sex work to support their substance use; up to two-thirds say they have been physically or sexually assaulted while working. Sex workers, particularly women with children, find it difficult to find housing that they can afford, and often have difficulty leaving
7238-406: The previous 10 years. This proportion of the population has tripled in the last decade. The same study found that once migrants had settled in the DTES, their conditions worsened. A 2013 study of tenants of DTES SROs found that while 93% of those surveyed were born in Canada, only 13% were born in Vancouver. Vancouver Coastal Health estimates that half of the population that uses its health services in
7332-463: The private sector had spent more than $ 1.4 billion since 2000 on projects aimed at resolving the area's many problems. Opinions vary on whether the area has improved: A 2014 article in the National Post said, "For all the money and attention here, there is little success at either getting the area's shattered populace back on their feet or cleaning up the neighbourhood into something resembling
7426-418: The provincial welfare program in 2002 caused further hardship for the poor and homeless. Citywide, homeless people climbed from 630 in 2002 to 1,300 in 2005. Without a viable retail economy, a drug economy proliferated, with an accompanying increase in crime, while police presence decreased. Crack cocaine arrived in Vancouver in 1995, and crystal methamphetamine started to appear in the DTES in 2003. In 1997
7520-480: The southeast. Due to the large ethnic Chinese presence in Vancouver—especially represented by mostly Cantonese -speaking multi-generation Chinese Canadians and first-generation immigrants from Hong Kong —the city has been referred to as "Hongcouver". However, most immigration in recent years has been Mandarin -speaking residents from Mainland China . Chinatown remains a popular tourist attraction and
7614-497: The spread of disease. Rates of HIV infection dropped from 8.1 cases per 100 person-years in 1997 to 0.37 cases per 100 person-years by 2011. In the 21st century, considerable investment was made in DTES services and infrastructure, including the Woodward's Building redevelopment and the acquisition of 23 SRO hotels by the provincial government for conversion to social housing. In 2009, The Globe and Mail estimated that governments and
7708-686: The streets of the Downtown Eastside. Here they are facing more violence than ever before. Neighbourhood harassment, policing, and developmental changes contribute to these conditions. Throughout all of the areas where sex work has been present, the city has been critiqued for backing up property owners to harass workers collectively. In the Downtown Eastside, these behaviours have continued to persist. A study published in 2017 containing interviews with thirty-three sex workers addressed concerns with changes in construction, surveillance, and security measures that have pushed workers into isolated areas where they are at greater risk of harm. The growth of new businesses in
7802-585: The tall Ho Ho sign in 2018 or 2019. Vancouver's Laozi (also referred to "Lao Tzu" and "Lao Tsu", 老子) mural is located on the Western wall of the Lee's Association building, at the corner of Gore Avenue and Pender Street, on the boundary of Chinatown. The mural was unveiled on October 2, 2010, by the Mayor of the City of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson . as part of the celebration of the 125 years of Vancouver's Chinatown. The mural
7896-479: The total Chinese population in Canada was 4,383, of which the overwhelming majority (4,350) resided in British Columbia. By 1884, 17,000 Chinese immigrants had arrived in Canada to work on the railroad alone. The 1891 census counted 9,129 Chinese in Canada (8,910 in British Columbia), and the population at the 1901 census had increased to 16,792 in Canada (14,376 in British Columbia as an incomplete count). Of
7990-463: The worst drug problems in North America." In 2011, crack cocaine was the most commonly used illicit hard drug in Vancouver, followed by injected prescription opioids (such as fentanyl and OxyContin ), heroin, crystal methamphetamine (usually injected rather than smoked), and cocaine (also usually injected). Alcoholism , especially when it involves the use of highly toxic isopropyl alcohol ,
8084-400: The years, this has also contributed to the many missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) cases, including those involved in the mass killings by serial killer Robert Pickton . Reported crime rates in the DTES are higher than in the rest of the city, with most crimes being assaults, robberies, or public intoxication. Although it is home to 3% of Vancouver's population, the DTES
8178-431: The young women dressed to lure customers for sex, many are in dirt-streaked clothing that hangs from their emaciated frames. Drugs and cash are openly exchanged. The alleys are worse. In the 1990s, the situation in the DTES deteriorated further on several fronts. Woodward's , an anchor store in the 100-block of West Hastings street, closed in 1993 with devastating effect on the formerly bustling retail district. Meanwhile,
8272-459: Was a common pastime. In addition to being a central cultural and entertainment district, Hastings Street was also a centre for beer parlours and brothels . In 1942, the neighbourhood lost its entire ethnic Japanese population, estimated at 8,000 to 10,000, due to the Canadian government's internment of these people . After the war, most did not return to the once-thriving Japantown community. In
8366-446: Was approved on September 20, 2001, and erected in 2002 at the same site as a temporary wooden arch built to celebrate the 1901 royal tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York . Joe Y. Wai designed the Millennium Gate. Chinatown was once known for its neon signs, but like the rest of the city, lost many signs to changing times and a sign bylaw passed in 1974. The last of these
8460-569: Was generally considered to be the alley between East Pender and East Hastings streets, though some place it at Railway Street, including DTES east of Gore Avenue. The DTES forms part of the traditional territories of the Squamish , Tsleil-Waututh , and Musqueam First Nations. European settlement of the area began in the mid-19th century, and most early buildings were destroyed in the Great Vancouver Fire of 1886. Residents rebuilt their town at
8554-453: Was installed on Pender Street. The new owner of the Sai Woo was made aware of the original sign that hung outside the earlier incarnation of the restaurant (1925–59) from a one-second clip from a movie of a 1958 parade in Chinatown, and launched a search for the original sign which was unsuccessful. The sign was recreated from the archived footage. At the same time, plans were announced to relight
8648-462: Was known for prostitution and for having a relatively high proportion of poor, single men, many of whom were alcoholics, disabled, or pensioners. When we deinstitutionalized, we promised [mentally ill] people that we would put them into the community and give them the support they needed. But we lied. I think it's one of the worst things we ever did. In the early 1980s, the DTES was an edgy but still relatively calm place to live. The neighbourhood began
8742-619: Was the Ho Ho sign (which showed a rice bowl and chop sticks), which was removed in 1997. A large 45 ft (14 m) tall neon sign was approved for the Chinatown Plaza parkade project in 2008 under the City of Vancouver's Great Beginnings initiative. The new sign was installed in March 2010. In 2017, a neon sign featuring a large green and yellow-coloured rooster for the Sai Woo Restaurant
8836-463: Was the location of 16% of the city's reported sexual assaults in 2012. In 2008, it was the location of 34.5% of all reported serious assaults and 22.6% of all robberies in the city. List of neighbourhoods in Vancouver Vancouver is made up of a number of smaller neighbourhoods and communities with their own distinct cultures and histories. While there is some disagreement on all of
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