The City of Vancouver has approved a plan to reduce the speed limit on Hastings between Abbot and Jackson Streets on a trial basis. However, there continues to be some opposition to this plan, and some of us at BOB have had face to face conversations with folks who don’t support it. I find this opposition curious for the following reason: traffic calming and measures to reduce speed are commonplace in other community-oriented residential neighborhoods in Vancouver, so why wouldn’t it be acceptable to implement speed reduction measures in the Downtown Eastside?

In a recent discussion with my colleagues, we came up with a few ideas on the subject.

This neighborhood is used by many as a travel corridor to get downtown. These commuters’ objective is often to travel through the area as quickly as possible, in part because of the way the neighborhood has been stigmatized as neglected ghetto of crime and poverty. While some of that may be true, it doesn’t account for the fact that there is an underrepresented and diverse community of wonderful people here who call the DTES home and deserve to have it recognized and celebrated as such. Traveling through the neighborhood at 60+kph is certainly way too fast to get acquainted with the many unique community services, architectural features, libraries, urban farms, art galleries, eateries, and shops that exist here in the heart of the city.

Furthermore, many of the opponents of the speed reduction plan protest on the grounds that it is the pedestrian’s responsibility to see if it is safe before they cross. Sure, common sense dictates that this would be the best-case scenario. But life on any busy street is unpredictable. To those who hold this view I ask: Are you a driver? How would you feel if you struck and injured or killed a pedestrian, even if it was “their fault”? It doesn’t matter who the person is, where they live, or whether they made the mistake. No one wants to be involved in a pedestrian-vehicle accident. Therefore, slowing down to increase driver awareness and reaction time, thereby reducing pedestrian fatalities, benefits everyone.

And as many pedestrians know, crossing a busy street is not an easy task at the best of times for the most able-bodied person. There are a variety of challenges that can make it even harder. In BOB’s Supported Employment Program we work with folks who have a variety of barriers to help them get on the job; many of the barriers we see actually would make crossing the street a challenge too! Have you been low income for a prolonged period of time, with a degenerative eye condition for which you cannot afford glasses? You literally cannot see well enough to cross the street in safety. Are you experiencing psychosis due to a mental health condition or drug use? If so, the reality of cars speeding down the street or the relative safety of a crosswalk may not be as it seems to you. Are you elderly or physically disabled? You may need more time to cross the street than the crosswalk allocates. And the list goes on. Are any of these cases any less worth slowing down for than, say, a kid in a school zone chasing a ball into the street? I think not.

The DTES is home to a high population of individuals with a variety of challenges in part because there is a concentration of services here, as well as a much higher degree of access to affordable housing options than the rest of the city. Every neighborhood has its own characteristic demography, and municipal policy, programming and infrastructure is targeted to reflect those special community traits. Think about your own neighborhood or your child’s school zone and how traffic is managed there. Let’s applaud the City of Vancouver for taking action on this important issue while we slow down to stop and smell the roses (or gaze at the swiss chard at SOLEFood Urban Farm, or get to know some of the local characters who make this community great).

Other news on this topic:

Vancouver Sun

BC Cycling Coalition

DTES Pedestrian Safety Project

All photos in this post courtesy of BURST! Creative Group

That’s right, the much anticipated W2 Media Cafe is open for business! They’re serving yummy Saltspring coffee and a variety of other delicious offerings. Come for the food & drink, stay for the community, politics, media and art!

The media cafe is collectively run social enterprise with a mandate to provide accessible technology for media and communications to all those to all those who need it. And that need is a pressing one: according to W2′s statistics, at least 6,000 DTES residents are without telephone, internet, or computer access. We see this in BOB’s Supported Employment Program, where many of our clients describe having no phone or computer at home, and get only limited access to communications technology through inner-city community resources that are often very busy and only open during standard business hours; many see this lack of access to technology as an obstacle to achieving their goals in life and on the job. It can also make it hard to find a job, secure permanent housing, and assert one’s voice to advocate for political change.

Fojan, an acting student, is making delicious coffee and helping with W2 programming

In terms of community, W2 hired all local DTES and East Van residents to staff the cafe. BOB’s BusinessLinks program assisted the W2 team with with hiring outreach and candidate selection, and sponsored barista training for 12 folks to get FoodSafe certification, customer service training, a programming overview of the media cafe, and more. Cafe staff are getting great opportunities to build skills and pursue activities beyond the cafe counter; several of our BusinessLinks graduates enthusiastically report getting involved with event coordination and program development for projects like the W2 Letterpress Studio and kids & youth media camp.

Debbie is a mother of 3 made temporarily homeless by unwanted apartment renovations in East Vancouver. She plays goalie for the DTES Women’s Street Soccer team and is going to Paris to play in the 2011 Homeless World Cup. She and her family are now well housed. She cites her employment at the cafe, as well as the community she connected with there, as a key part of her return to housing stability. Congratulations Debbie!

Tech geeks, artists, and anyone interested in DIY electronics will appreciate the interactive light display largely DIY’d by W2′s Tech Director WillStacey. You control the interface from within the cafe. Adjust the display pattern and the RGB scale, and look up to see the results! More exciting interactive art and technology installations to come through their Media Artist in Residence Program. Sensitive to the needs of the neighborhood, the cafe also provides free community meeting space, publicly accessible washrooms and lounge, a community media lab, and much more.

BOB is pleased to be part of supporting the start-up of W2 Media Cafe through our Loans Program. We congratulate all the founders and staff on the cafe opening, and look forward to seeing more great things come out of this ambitious project founded on grassroots principles of social inclusion. Well done!

“Your Life is Your Message. Make it Inspiring”: Harbour Light Detox

Kathryn George is an Addictions Counsellor with the Salvation Army’s Harbour Light Detox Centre. Their 90 day abstinence-based treatment program is composed of 3 phases. Phases 2 and 3 provide a variety of life skills support to help clients succeed in the areas of career, education, housing, leadership, and mentorship. As Kathryn says, the program is “about the whole person” and encourages “a balanced recovery” to support a person’s transition out of addiction and into community life.

Part of that balanced recovery is often about becoming job ready and returning to work. BOB Employment Support Coordinator Ada Mo-Williams gives presentations about job readiness and community resources to clients in Phase 2 of the Harbour Light program. Her presence becomes a vital connection in the chain of support that many of Harbour Light’s clients access when returning to life on the job. Katharyn notes that Harbour Light graduates discuss how much they appreciate working with Ada in their group reflections, whether she has connected them to other employment resources like Working Gear and the Job Shop, or enrolled them in BOB’s Supported Employment Program.

Emily Smith, BOB’s Office Coordinator, loves receiving clients from Harbour Light. “They always have such a positive attitude, because they have put so much work into their success. Their enthusiasm really shines through, and they tend to be really excited about the counselling component we offer in the Supported Employment Program. And they always remember Ada and ask for her personally!”

Harbour Light graduate Nichlos Tilley has just enthusiastically re-entered the workforce and is employed as a warehouse receiver. Nichlos found out about the Supported  Employment Program through one of Ada’s presentations. He continues to be an active volunteer at Harbour Light and brings his contagiously positive attitude to everything he does. BOB’s SEP program helped him get the boots and  support he needed to succeed on the job. Nichlos is a recent addition to BOB’s Wall of Achievement, where we celebrate client success.

Kathryn is passionate about her work at Harbour Light, and says “it’s a real privilege to be able to walk alongside these men in their journey of personal growth and self discovery…and watch them become the person they were meant to be.” BOB staff are honoured to be a part of that journey as well. We congratulate Nichlos and all Harbour Light graduates on their success!

New Job Postings
Visit www.bobics.org and look under ‘HR Services’ to apply.

Fresh and Desired
Sales & Marketing

Impark
Part-time Customer Service Representative

Intakes for the Cycleback Bicycle Repair Program are on-going. Email lani.johnson@bobics.org to book an appointment.

Events
SHINE Supper, August 22nd. All SEP clients, past and present, are welcome to join us for dinner at the BOB office from 4-6pm! RSVP to Emily at 778-328-7660  or emily.smith@bobics.org

Sneak Peek
Next month’s newsletter will feature great local businesses like W2 Media Café, Save-On Meats, and Scent of a Sandwich, and tales of their success partnering with BOB!

Draigh, a Cycleback Graduate

Draigh graduated from Cycleback Bicycle Mechanic Training Program April, 2011.  He has always had an interest in mechanics and enjoyed people, so he was a great fit the bike mechanic program.  Draigh wanted to go through it with the hopes of starting up his own company.  Here is his story in his own words:

“I have always done a lot of biking, but I didn’t know anything about bike mechanics.  I had come across situations where I can’t afford to have my bike fixed, and I would try on my own…but it didn’t work out so well!  So when I first went to an employment counselor and was asked what I would like to do, the first thing that came to my mind was bike mechanics.  My counselor looked into it, and found information about Cycleback.”

Draigh met with Lani at BOB to find out if the program was a good fit for him.  He was so keen and obviously passionate about the bike industry and it really seemed like the right time in his life to start something like this.

“The instructor for the course is really great, a lot of knowledge, willing to help, a lot of stories!  I really learned a lot.  It was just the surface really, but it was enough for me to really know what was going on in the bike industry and what I need to know as an entry level mechanic.”

Draigh completed his 2 week work placement at the Pedal Depot, a community bike shop where volunteers help people to work on their own bikes.   “I did the practicum, volunteering at the Pedal Depot.  I like it so much that I’m going to keep volunteering as long as I can.  I’ve always felt bad about being on the receiving end of society for the last few years, and now it’s my turn to give back and show that I really appreciate all the support I’ve received over the years.

This whole thing is so new to me, because I’ve been in drugs for so long that this is a whole world.  I’m finally maturing at the age of 59!  I am being a contributing member of society, when for so long I’ve been on the take.  Taking and never giving back.  But now is my chance and I feel like I’m living a dream.

Congratulations Draigh!

I have big dreams!  Dreams of becoming a great bike mechanic, and eventually starting my own business, a bike delivery business.  Through Cycleback, a whole new avenue has opened up to me.  I’ve gained a lot of confidence as a person.  I believe in myself.  I’ve learned I’m quite capable of being a part of society, having a job.  Not being a drain on it.

I’m overwhelmed with gratefulness at where my life is these days.  I wake up in the morning and thank my higher power because these days are great.”

Congratulations Draigh, on your graduation from Cycleback and all your great work at the Pedal Depot!

Cycleback is put on the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, and the training is at Mighty Riders.  If you are interested in this program, a class starts up every 6-8 weeks, so intakes are ongoing and are done through BOB.  You are a good fit if you:

• Mechanically inclined
• Enjoy customer service
• Passionate about bicycles
• From Vancouver’s inner city or mount pleasant
• Face barriers to employment

Contact BOB for more information at jobpostings@bobics.org

Are you a DTES resident with an interest in the arts and community media? Do you have a customer service background, or an interest in developing one? W2 Media Cafe is hiring baristas, and they are committed to hiring from the inner city!

BOB is working with W2 Media Cafe to recruit and train potential candidates. If you are interested in this opportunity, come to our barista training information night on Wednesday April 27th from 4-6pm. The session will be held at the W2 Media Cafe, #250-111 West Hastings.

If you have any questions, please contact Lani Johnson at 778-328-7674 or lani.johnson@bobics.org.

The session will include a presentation about the community work W2 Media Cafe does, as well as information about the barista positions. Please bring your resume and be prepared for a short screening interview.

Successful candidates will be selected for a week-long training session put on by BOB that will include the opportunity to get certified in Foodsafe and Serving it Right.

BOB is excited to partner with W2 Media Cafe to provide the barista information and training sessions through our BusinessLinks program. By hiring inner-city residents to staff their inner-city business, W2 Media Cafe is contributing to inclusive revitalization through building community capacity. Well done!