Exclusive: Aboriginal Front Door Society, Watari lose provincial funding for “critical” DTES services

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. With the upcoming long weekend, due to the holiday on Monday, I’m once again banging the drum on one of my favourite labour topics: the four-day work week. 

Did you know the various efforts to make Saturday an off-day took nearly 100 years over the 19th and 20th centuries to be fully embraced? That relatively recent establishment of the weekend as we now know it is a reminder of how, through sustained effort and advocacy, we can mutually benefit from shifting established norms over time. 

Some workplaces are moving toward a standard four-day work week, but for the sake of our current life satisfaction, mental and physical health, productivity, and even profits (according to early research), let’s hope it moves a little faster than 100 years this time around!

To that end, we won’t be hitting your inbox this holiday Monday, as we rest, relax, and look forward to a blessed four-day work week. 

While the weekend ahead is promising, we’ve been working hard this week to chase down an exclusive story on funding for social services in the Downtown Eastside. 

Let’s dive into that and more.

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout 

As always, you can send your tips, leads, and story ideas to Nate at [email protected].

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Friday: 10 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

Saturday: 11 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Sunday: 12 🌡️ 7 | 🌤️

Monday: 9 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

Pizza discovery: There’s a pizza place out in East Van that, in my humble opinion, isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Big pies, good ingredients, well-made New York dough — it has it all. In fact, searching for pizza on Google Maps shows nothing. Frank’s Pizza Bar and Resurrection Spirits isn’t on many people’s lists, but I expect that may change. Full review coming in our food newsletter soon. 

Sip and tan: How can Vancouver be a no-fun city when the Alcohol on Beach program is back? It’s certainly good news, with many options such as Jericho, Spanish, Locarno and more, but for some reason it excludes Third Beach, which, let’s be honest, is a great spot to drink (mocktails and sodas, of course!). 

Sip and tan: I hadn’t spotted this before, but there’s a free mural tour on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sunday at different times. It’s two hours and you get to see the different types of mural artwork. Sounds like a blast. Register here. 

Patio season: Maybe it’s not quite yet the time to eat only outside, though it is getting to 13 this weekend on Saturday. But when you are ready, I stumbled on Open Table’s ranking of the best outdoor dining restaurants. Vancouver’s list includes Catina Norte, Dockside, Oddfish, Lift Bar Grill View. If you want a smaller patio option, then Thank You Pizza and Fiorino are both two cute spots with food I can’t recommend enough. 

One big story: Just as we published our story on former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, lo and behold, he stirred up a bit of storm with a comment about home prices not needing to come down to make homes more affordable, but instead, build more affordable housing. He did acknowledge his plans would take a long time to implement though. [CTV]

— Curated by Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor

EXCLUSIVE

Exclusive: Aboriginal Front Door Society, Watari lose provincial funding for “critical” DTES services

Two service providers in the Downtown Eastside will soon receive less financial support, threatening the viability of some of their programs, and the jobs of their staff and volunteers. The Aboriginal Front Door Society (AFDS) and Watari Counselling and Support Services will be getting less government funding in September, according to AFDS executive director Chris Livingstone. 

Starting in 2023, the province and the city partnered with AFDS and Watari to provide storage for personal belongings, as well as food, laundry, and shower services at two city-owned sites in the Downtown Eastside, after the city moved to clear the encampment on Hastings Street in April 2023 and instituted street sweeps in the area. 

“The province sent us a letter saying they've extended [funding] until September to give us time to logically shut down the service,” Livingstone said. Current funding for both agreements will expire at the end of September 2025, the City of Vancouver said in response to questions from Vancity Lookout.  

“The City made extensive efforts to seek ongoing and/or longer-term funding for [the] service[s] from the Province and BC Housing, however they were unable to identify a funding source,” they explained. 

For AFDS, the operational funding for the storage and food programs from BC Housing amounts to $115,000 per month, while the city has donated building space at 390 Main Street, a former bank that’s “kind of at ground zero,” in the DTES, Livingstone said. 

The city-owned site, which sits kitty-corner from Carnegie Community Centre, is filled with the personal belongings of between 500 and 700 people, Livingstone said.

“If we looked at our clients from our storage side, we would see that a whole bunch of them are homeless, and then a lot of them are staying in the shelters around us,” Livingstone told Vancity Lookout in early 2025.   

“The ongoing partnership with BC Housing has significantly improved access to critical services and support for individuals with complex needs, while also contributing to the City’s public realm management efforts,” the city told Vancity Lookout, adding they recongize that AFDS provides secure and culturally grounded support, which helps people maintain dignity, access services, and reduce the need for people to store personal belongings in public spaces.

“Staff do anticipate that the closure of this service will result in increased personal belongings in the public realm as people without housing will no longer have access to this storage,” the city said. 

Watari will also lose funding for its Wellness Hub at 320 Alexander Street. Similarly to AFDS, the operational funding for Watari’s program was paid through BC Housing, while the city provides the space. 

Watari’s Wellness Hub provides hygiene and wellness services for community members who need it, including food, laundry, and shower programs, as well as activities, events, classes, on-site counsellors, and peer work programs.

The city “continues to identify [the] wellness and hygiene hub [and storage] as critical service[s] in discussions with the Province and hopes that funding will be found to continue the service[s],” they added.

Watari had not responded to Vancity Lookout’s request for comment at the time of publication. 

Now, with the threat of operational funding expiring in September, Livingstone is concerned for his staff and volunteers. 

“I've got almost 50 volunteers that are running the program. They all get like $20 an hour, so they come to rely on it for sure. They treat it as a job, even though it's volunteer,” Livingstone said. 

The Society’s food program, which serves about 400 meals per day from its Common Bowl food truck out front, would probably be the easiest part of their social services to maintain without the government funding, Livingstone said.

Next door in their permanent space at 384 Main Street, AFDS has converted one of their rooms into a kitchen. Continuing to use that space, and getting most of their food through donations from groups like United Way, Costco, and food bank, and partnerships with the Sacred Heart Tattoo Society, means they just need to find a way to keep paying their cooks, according to Livingstone.

The former bank where AFDS operates also serves as an emergency weather shelter, providing 34 beds for unhoused people during extreme weather events. While that program is funded separately by BC Housing, Livingstone is concerned that when the province stops funding the storage and food program in September, the city could stop letting AFDS use the building. 

“It's sort of a cascading effect. If we were to lose our site, then that means that there could be no shelter, or we'd have to find a new shelter spot, which would be impossible,” Livingstone said, adding that the city haven’t made it clear what will happen with AFDS use of the bank after provincial funding expires in September. 

The city said they’ve “not yet determined” how the site will be used in the future once the AFDS storage program ends.

Livingstone said there may be other service providers in the neighbourhood outside of themselves and Watari that will lose provincial funding around the same time, but Vancity Lookout was unable to confirm if that was the case or which organizations it might apply to. 

When reached for comment, BC Housing staff were working to provide a statement but were eventually told that the communications team with the province’s Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs would be responding to Vancity Lookout’s questions instead. 

“Since 2023, BC Housing has provided funding to five drop-in programs and other amenity services,” in the DTES, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs said, adding that the latest provincial budget is “focused on carefully managing our investments and spending.”

“BC Housing works closely with service provider partners to determine funding needs year-over-year based on individual program needs. Program operators will be notified directly once any final decisions have been made about future funding beyond current term dates,” the Ministry said. 

The Ministry would not provide any specific information about the funding status for AFDS social services or any of the four other programs. It also denied Vancity Lookout’s request for a list of Vancouver-based service providers who will be losing some or all of their BC Housing funding in September 2025.  

The city said BC Housing notified them that they couldn’t find further funding to continue the two services before city council’s contentious decision this March, led by ABC Councillor Brian Montague, to have staff work with the province to create a comprehensive list of all non-profits and NGOs working in the DTES and their total funding. 

“The City will continue to raise with the Province the need for hygiene and drop-in spaces for people experiencing homelessness and the importance of storage services for people without housing to help them maintain and protect their belongings,” the city said.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

👨‍👨‍👦‍👦 41: The number of directors at Metro Vancouver. It remains to be seen if the upcoming governance review of the regional government will recommend meaningful changes to make it more efficient. [CBC]

📉 97: The number of people in Vancouver who died from unregulated toxic drugs in the first three months of 2025. It’s a 31% decrease in deaths compared to the same time period in 2024, which roughly matches the downward trend in toxic drug deaths across B.C. [Times Colonist, BC Coroners database]   

🗳️ $1.6 million: The total cost of Vancouver’s April by-election. This by-election cost $400,000 more than the last one in 2017, despite the city cutting polling stations by 50% in an effort to reduce costs. [BIV]

THE AGENDA

🏢 On Thursday night, city council voted to recess the public hearing on the controversial three-tower development proposal at the Safeway site on Broadway and Commercial. The public hearing will reconvene on Tuesday, June 10 at 3pm. [CBC, COV]

👀 On Wednesday, we took a deep dive into former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson’s housing credentials after he was appointed Canada’s new housing minister. Former councillors who served during his time as mayor are criticizing the appointment, with George Affleck saying the country will have “real problems” if Robertson takes the same skills from Vancouver to Ottawa, pointing to his over-reliance on incentivizing private developers as mayor. [CityNews]

💸 Surprisingly, Downtown Vancouver isn’t the most expensive neighbourhood to rent in right now. That dubious distinction goes to Dunbar-Arbutus, with an average monthly single-bedroom rental price of $2,734 in May. Downtown came in second at $2,707. The average price for a one-bedroom units across the city is $2,275, down a whole $3! [Vancouver is Awesome]

🏒 The Canucks have their latest head coach. Former Colorado Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote is replacing Rick Tocchet. Foote is the 22nd coach in franchise history, and the fourth since 2021. Yikes. Foote was previously the assistant coach under Tocchet the past two seasons and was rumoured to be the preferred candidate of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. [TSN]

Outside Vancouver

❌ Heads up — the Pattullo Bridge will be closed over the May long weekend from 9 pm today to 5 am Tuesday. But pedestrians and cyclists can still use it. [Vancouver Sun]

🚨 Ambulance wait times across Metro Vancouver have gotten worse. In Vancouver, there was a rise from a median response time of 459 seconds in 2018 to 641 seconds in 2024. Not a single city saw a decline. The worst was Delta, which rose from 647 to 946. [Vancouver Sun]

EVENT GUIDE

Steveston Spot Prawn & Seafood Celebration | Various venues, Steveston Village, Richmond | Until June 15 | Fresh spot prawn sales, seafood dishes, live music, and cooking demos | Free admission

IGNITE! Youth Festival | The Cultch, 1895 Venables St | Until May 18, various times | Youth-driven arts fest with plays, music & more | Tickets $15–$21, pass $40

Vancouver Canadians vs. Everett AquaSox | Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, 4601 Ontario St., Vancouver | Until May 18, various times | Minor league baseball series with nightly promos | Tickets $22+

Playland at the PNE | Playland, 2901 East Hastings St | May 17–Aug. 15, various times | Opening this weekend, 30+ rides, extreme thrills & classic fair treats

East Meets West – A Musical Fusion of Cultures | Massey Theatre, 735 8th Ave | May 17, 7:30–9:30 pm | Iranian & Western symphonic music collaboration | Tickets $45

Brewhalla Beer and Music Festival | Fort Langley Park, 9089 Nash St., Langley | May 17, noon–6 pm | Craft beer, live music, games, and food trucks | Tickets various prices

Western Canadian Croatian Folklore Festival | Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, 2080 United Blvd, Coquitlam | May 17, 12:30 pm | Traditional Croatian song, dance, and community celebration | Tickets $27

2025 Vancouver All British Car Show | VanDusen Garden | May 17, 10 am to 4:30 pm | A day of classic British cars, featuring models from 1910 to modern day | Tickets $26

2025 Garden Tea Festival: Tea For All | Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden | May 17, 10 am to 5 pm | Bringing together tea vendors, tea professionals and tea lovers from different cultures together to share their joy of tea | Tickets $14

Spring Strings | May 25, noon or 4:30 pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden | A contemporary cello concert in a fecund spring setting | Tickets $32 

Sophia's Forest | May 29 - June 1, 2025 | Studio T at SFU Woodwards | A chamber opera exploring the inner life of an immigrant girl | Tickets $55+

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Most of you were in right area for last week’s Guesser. Two-thirds of you knew that road was near Pacific Spirit Park, but y’all were evenly split between Southwest Marine and Imperial Drive. The correct location was, in fact, at the south end of Imperial, which for me is one of the most enjoyable roads to drive or ride in the whole city. 

For this week, can you tell me what neighbourhood this lovely trail network is located in?

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• In some good news, Oscar – a poodle that was abandoned in a garbage can – is now thriving! [Global] 

• A new spot on South Granville is serving up global cuisine. In most cases “global” might be be bad. But not here. Read our review.

• New York has great street stall coffee shops. Now Vancouver has something similar with Banister Provisions at 3917 Main St. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• “Adult toilet training” is a perfect way to describe a new campaign from Metro Vancouver about what can and cannot be flushed down the toilet. [CTV]

• The Broadway classic West Side Story at Granville Island Stage is getting rave reviews, and there’s still time to see it until May 24. [Stir]

• If you use Pacific Spirit Park, the city is conducting a survey on dogs in the park. You can fill it out here. 

• History? Chairs? Sounds awesome! The Museum of Vancouver has a new exhibit on this classic furniture piece, opening June 20.

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