Downtown Eastside

Art

Huge graffiti event honours memory of DTES community pillar

Aug 10, 2026

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3 min read

Huge graffiti event honours memory of DTES community pillar

Artists from around the world flocked to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside last week for the fourth annual Never Grow Up Graffiti Jam

Maddi Dellplain, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Vancity Lookout

SRO

Holborn’s supertall towers aren’t happening anytime soon, but did the city maximize the public benefits?

Aug 5, 2026

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6 min read

Holborn’s supertall towers aren’t happening anytime soon, but did the city maximize the public benefits?

Vancity Lookout gets an update on the timeline for the newly approved Holborn towers, and we take a deep dive into the development's public benefits.

Nate Lewis

Arts

The end of an era: Saying goodbye to Chinatown's Imperial Theatre

Jul 12, 2026

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6 min read

The end of an era: Saying goodbye to Chinatown's Imperial Theatre

As demolition on the Imperial Theatre at 319 Main Street officially begins and a new project prepares to take its place, Vancity Lookout takes a look back on the rich neighbourhood history the theatre embodied.

Maddi Dellplain, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Vancity Lookout

Small Business

Jun 8, 2026

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4 min read

FIFA World Cup: Is it worth it?

Many residents, tourists and business owners are looking forward to the opportunities that come with FIFA. But critics say hosting such a high profile sporting event comes at too high a cost.

Hannah Mondiwa and Mike McNeeley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporters

City Hall

How is Vancouver's FIFA human rights plan helping vulnerable people in the Downtown Eastside?

May 27, 2026

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4 min read

How is Vancouver's FIFA human rights plan helping vulnerable people in the Downtown Eastside?

The city has signed 10 contracts with local organizations to provide extra services, mostly during the seven match days.

Nate Lewis

False Creek

The affordable housing model gaining momentum in Vancouver

May 6, 2026

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5 min read

The affordable housing model gaining momentum in Vancouver

Community land trusts are a secure, affordable housing model gaining momentum in several neighbourhoods across Vancouver with help from national organizers and groups in other cities.

Nate Lewis

Grocery Store

"This keeps them alive": Locals fight to preserve Sunrise Market

Mar 25, 2026

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6 min read

"This keeps them alive": Locals fight to preserve Sunrise Market

Community members and customers from Sunrise Market joined a community meeting to speak out about the need for the local community grocer in the neighbourhood

Food Security

Ovaltine Cafe partners with non-profits to feed community members

Feb 27, 2026

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7 min read

Ovaltine Cafe partners with non-profits to feed community members

The restaurant, which also serves as a community hub, provided free meals for nearly 100 neighbours at an inaugural dinner event.

Maddi Dellplain, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Vancity Lookout

City Hall

Behind the scenes of the city’s new permitting pilot

Feb 13, 2026

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7 min read

Behind the scenes of the city’s new permitting pilot

The new temporary occupancy program could be a boon for artists and new businesses who are often saddled with major building upgrades when moving into a new building.

Nate Lewis

East Vancouver

The fight over the fate of a shuttered Canada Post office in Chinatown isn’t over just yet

Dec 14, 2025

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6 min read

The fight over the fate of a shuttered Canada Post office in Chinatown isn’t over just yet

The community no longer has access to a post office in the area, but city council and Chinatown residents are hoping it's not too late to bring the service back.

Julie Chadwick

Housing

Dec 12, 2025

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8 min read

Exclusive: Powell Rooms SRO set to become a unique model of community-owned housing

The Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust is buying the building to preserve it as deeply affordable housing and childcare space.

Nate Lewis

2026 Municipal Election

Meet the non-profit leaders vying for mayor

Dec 3, 2025

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7 min read

Meet the non-profit leaders vying for mayor

Amanda Burrows and William Azaroff are local non-profit leaders without political experience who both hope to represent OneCity as the party's mayoral candidate in the 2026 election.

Nate Lewis

Community Centres

Difficult decisions ahead as Vancouver grapples with how to replace aging, underfunded recreation facilities

Sep 19, 2025

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11 min read

Difficult decisions ahead as Vancouver grapples with how to replace aging, underfunded recreation facilities

The city's Auditor General report paints a stark picture for some of Vancouver's most important facilities, and will be hard-pressed to fund their maintenance, let alone build new ones

Nate Lewis

Province

Two social service programs in the Downtown Eastside get six-month funding extension

Sep 12, 2025

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3 min read

Two social service programs in the Downtown Eastside get six-month funding extension

The organizations serve a critical role in the community

Nate Lewis

Housing

Jul 21, 2025

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5 min read

How Vancouver fits in BC’s new cabinet

Former OneCity councillor Christine Boyle will take over housing. Plus, a new DTES and Chinatown parliamentary secretary

Housing

Jun 27, 2025

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3 min read

The Downtown Eastside needs more housing, but where’s the money coming from?

Senior governments haven't provided enough funding, so the city is shifting towards the private market to build more housing in the neighbourhood — but the city councillor who launched the change says it's going too far.

Geoff Sharpe, Nate Lewis

Public Safety

Why are there still questions about a $5 million increase to the Vancouver police’s budget

Jun 23, 2025

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4 min read

Why are there still questions about a $5 million increase to the Vancouver police’s budget

One councillor has submitted a freedom of information request to uncover what happened

Geoff Sharpe

City Hall

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

May 16, 2025

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7 min read

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

The city says they tried to get the province to keep funding these critical programs, without success.

Nate Lewis

Housing

May 2, 2025

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13 min read

The city wants to radically change housing policy in the Downtown Eastside. Advocates and residents are concerned

About 100 people showed up to a community forum on Thursday after the city unveiled the proposed changes last week

Nate Lewis

Food Security

“Love all, feed all”: After nearly 20 years serving meals on the Downtown Eastside, Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen is opening a permanent location

Feb 13, 2025

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3 min read

“Love all, feed all”: After nearly 20 years serving meals on the Downtown Eastside, Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen is opening a permanent location

Grounded in Sikh principles of service and equality, GNFK is expanding their operations on the DTES with the help of substantial volunteer and financial donations

Nate Lewis

Insider

How Vancouver small businesses are navigating redevelopment

Jan 9, 2025

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8 min read

How Vancouver small businesses are navigating redevelopment

Small businesses are having to navigate expensive leases, quickly changing zoning and redevelopment that favours certain types of commercial businesses

Nate Lewis

Downtown Eastside

Huge graffiti event honours memory of DTES community pillar

Holborn’s supertall towers aren’t happening anytime soon, but did the city maximize the public benefits?

The end of an era: Saying goodbye to Chinatown's Imperial Theatre

FIFA World Cup: Is it worth it?

How is Vancouver's FIFA human rights plan helping vulnerable people in the Downtown Eastside?

The affordable housing model gaining momentum in Vancouver

"This keeps them alive": Locals fight to preserve Sunrise Market

Ovaltine Cafe partners with non-profits to feed community members

Behind the scenes of the city’s new permitting pilot

The fight over the fate of a shuttered Canada Post office in Chinatown isn’t over just yet

Exclusive: Powell Rooms SRO set to become a unique model of community-owned housing

Meet the non-profit leaders vying for mayor

Difficult decisions ahead as Vancouver grapples with how to replace aging, underfunded recreation facilities

Two social service programs in the Downtown Eastside get six-month funding extension

How Vancouver fits in BC’s new cabinet

The Downtown Eastside needs more housing, but where’s the money coming from?

Why are there still questions about a $5 million increase to the Vancouver police’s budget

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

The city wants to radically change housing policy in the Downtown Eastside. Advocates and residents are concerned

“Love all, feed all”: After nearly 20 years serving meals on the Downtown Eastside, Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen is opening a permanent location

How Vancouver small businesses are navigating redevelopment

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