Art in the City
The West End Community Centre hosts the 8th annuual visual art show & sale on:
- Friday, May 10 (opening gala) 7-9pm
- Saturday, May 11, 10am-4:30pm
- Sunday, May 12 10am-3pm
Free admission.
Category: Social Issues
Social Issues
West End All Candidates Debate: April 25
A collective of West End community groups, including WERA, are working together to host an All Candidates Debate for the BC election.
Mark your calendars!
April 25, from 7-9pm at Central Presbyterian Church, 1155 Thurlow.
Earth Day Community Potluck: April 22
Gordon Neighbourhood House is hosting, for the first time, a community potluck on Earth Day. Everyone is invited!
April 22 from 5:30-7:30pm at 1019 Broughton St.
Community Plan Open Houses: April 4, 6, 9
The following announcements are messages from the City’s West End Community Planning Team.
Plan directions open houses
Since the planning process launched in April 2012, we’ve received a wide range of feedback from residents, businesses and other stakeholders which has helped shape a set of directions. Drop-in to an open house to learn more about the directions and have your say. Your input will help refine the directions and create a draft plan.
Thursday, April 4, 4-7pm
Best Western Sands Hotel, 1755 Davie Street
Saturday, April 6, 11am-2pm
West End Community Centre, 870 Denman Street
Tuesday, April 9, 4-7pm
Blue Horizon Hotel, 1225 Robson Street
What do you think of the housing issues we have identified in the West End?
Were you unable to attend our housing info session Feb 26th? View our consultation materials under the ‘documents’ tab (vancouver.ca/westendplan), then give us your comments by filling out our questionnaire. Materials provide you with an opportunity to find out more about the housing issues facing the West End, and also what we’ve heard about housing from both the community and the area housing providers. The feedback you provide here will help inform the draft West End Community Plan directions that we will be coming out with April 4, 6, and 9.
The survey is open until March 24, 2013.
Neighbourhood Small Grants workshops at GNH
Once again the Neighbourhood Small Grants are available to residents of the Vancouver West End.
The Vancouver Foundation has funded Gordon Neighbourhood House (GNH) since 2011 to fund community projects and to assist individuals to fulfil their ideas, dreams and goals to make the West End a greater place to live.
Gordon Neighbourhood House is hosting a series of free information workshops to assist residents in formulating their ideas and or creating a working budget for their grant.
Also GNH is here to completely dissolve any fears or intimidation that you may have surrounding grant applications. This is a very simple process and we will personally assist anyone who requires assistance with this process.
These workshops are scheduled as follows:
- Wednesday March 6th 11am – Noon
- Wednesday March 13th 6pm – 7pm
- Saturday March 16th 10am – 11am
- Wednesday March 20th 5pm – 6pm
- Wednesday March 27th 6pm – 7pm
Check out the Vancouver Foundation website where all information can be found regarding these Grants.
Sandra Goodridge - Coordinator, Neighbourhood Small Grants Project 2013
Gordon Neighbourhood House
1019 Broughton Street, Vancouver BC V6G 2A7
Good news for the Renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital, PHC hiring an architect
St. Paul’s Hospital redevelopment project looking for architects
From Providence Health Care:
“VANCOUVER, FEBRUARY 20, 2013 – The redevelopment of St. Paul’s Hospital continues to gain momentum with the posting of a Request for Proposals to provide architectural services for the project.
Announced in June 2012 by Premier Christy Clark, the St. Paul’s Hospital redevelopment project envisions a new state-of-the-art centre of health innovation, care, and research, housing numerous hospital outpatient clinics, diagnostic care and same-day surgical services. The renewal will also include important upgrades to existing buildings, including seismic and operational improvements.
“St. Paul’s Hospital is world-renowned for its research, teaching and care,” said Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid. “We’re making sure it remains a hub of innovation, excellence and compassionate patient care, serving British Columbian families far into the future.”
MacDiarmid added the redevelopment will benefit patients and health professionals alike with upgraded operating rooms and expanded hospital capacity to meet future demand.
The RFP invites Architects to submit proposals to provide managing consultant and architectural services for the conceptual design of an ambulatory care building – a critical initial component of the redevelopment project.
Continue reading
Minister of Health responds to WERA about St. Paul’s
On October 25, 2012 the West End Residents Association wrote to the Minister of Health, the Hon. Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, in regard to the renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital.
You can view WERA’s letter here.
WERA wrote the letter seeking clarification of the renewal process and asking questions about opportunities for stakeholder engagement in the process.
BACKGROUND
The Premier made a spending announcement at St. Paul’s Hospital on May 13, 2013, stating in very strong terms that Provincial Government supported the renewal of the hospital and that $500 million had been allocated for the project. While the Premier’s statement was welcome news to St. Paul’s Hospital, which has been seeking to secure government funding for the renewal of the hospital since 2002, there was confusion around the process of the project.
The Minister’s response to WERA’s letter (published below), outlines a four part process reiterating what the Ministry of Health had posted on their website from June 20, 2012.
St. Paul’s Hospital: What are your thoughts on renewal?
The Premier recently made a spending announcement to fund the renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital. In light of this news, WERA is working to re-energize the dialogue in our community about the redevelopment of our hospital.
What are your thoughts on key topics?
WERA hopes our survey will promote a broader understanding of the project and the hospital among the residents of the downtown peninsula.
St. Paul’s Hospital is an important health care service provider to the downtown peninsula, Vancouver and the province of British Colombia. St. Paul’s Hospital has many service areas of excellence including HIV/AIDS, heart and lung, and Mental Health. In addition, St. Paul’s Hospital is the site of much internationally renowned research and is also a teaching hospital for medical students and trainees.
The ebb and flow of St. Paul’s Hospital has recently felt more like choppy water than it has smooth sailing. Now that the hospital is anchored to its current location many important questions still need to be answered. For example, how can we receive up to date improvements on essential public services for its current site, as well as receive an upgrade to the general structure of building itself?
In these last few months WERA has been seeking the opinions and perceptions of downtown residents on topics such as:
- supporting a complete hospital overhaul/renewal
- safety of infrastructure in case of an emergency
- available health care supports (i.e. preventative care, chronic disease management and outpatient services)
WERA has written a short 10-question survey to gather your opinions on these key issues. Please take a few moments to have your say in this very important issue for you as a resident and as a person deserving of health care services that are at the least “up to code”.
Click here to take our short, 10 question survey.
Thank you!
WERA in the News: St. Paul’s renewal backed by residents association
WERA director Sukhi Kambo was interviewed on CBC news today talking about the Save St. Paul’s Coalition’s survey regarding the renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital.
In the interview, Kambo stresses the need for renewal of the aging hospital, and discusses the WERA campaign to raise awareness of the problem.
“The wait for the elevators is horrendous and it’s a little unfair for people who aren’t able-bodied when the only other option is to take the stairs,” she told the CBC.
Link to CBC News story: St. Paul’s renewal backed by residents association
Link to Save St. Paul’s survey: www.savestpauls.ca
WERA Survey on the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Hospital
In an effort to better understand the importance of St. Paul’s Hospital to the population of the downtown peninsula, the West End Residents Association (WERA) has developed a survey to gauge residents concerns.
WERA invites residents to participate in the survey. Your feedback will help strengthen our advocacy for the renewal of the hospital on its downtown site.
Please click here to finish a short, 10 question survey.
Thank you!