safety
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.
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.
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:
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
Kinder Morgan is holding public consultations across the Lower Mainland over the next several weeks, bringing its proposed TransMountain pipeline expansion under public scrutiny.
15 November 2012 - Downtown Vancouver Info Session – Harbour Centre, Segal Hall (515 West Hastings Street) – 5pm-8pm
Read the Tyee article here.
The Leadnow.ca campaign is hosting a local action at noon on Wednesday, October 24th at Spencer Chandra Herbert‘s office at 923 Denman St.
People will link arms and hold a banner that says “Defend Our Coast” to show the unbroken wall of opposition to pipelines and tankers across the province.
This will be a peaceful gathering of citizens and community leaders and will not involve civil disobedience. Leadnow’s goal is to achieve cross-partisan agreement for no new tanker expansion on BC’s coast.
Details:
Date: Wednesday October 24th
Time: 12pm
Location: NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert at 923 Denman St
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/286804944752724/
Link to RSVP: http://defendourcoast.ca/events/spencer-chandra-herbert-vancouver-west-end/
Twitter hashtag: #DefendOurCoast
The City has extended the deadline for the community circle workbook submissions to July 6th. A circle is a group of West Enders who, together, answer a bunch of questions about Transportation, Homes, Public Spaces, Local Business, and Neighbourhood Character. Your group answers are submittted to the city online.
If you don’t have time to attend or create a community circle gathering, you can still submit your ideas online.
WERA has found the City’s community circle workbooks to be a very guided process. So WERA will be submitting additional thoughts to City staff that we feel are important contributions to the community plan but that weren’t covered in the workbooks. We encourage you to do the same. Send an email to the city staff in charge of the West End Plan: Holly Sovdi and John Grottenberg.
WERA will host a community circle gathering on July 3rd. If you are interested in attending, please email christine@wera.bc.ca
WERA president Christine Ackerman was quoted on News 1130 radio discussing the Cactus Club exit/bike lane issue (see WERA story here).
According to News 1130, “As the weather heats up, things could get ugly, according to Christine Ackerman with the West End Residents Association. She thinks Cactus Club patrons spilling out in front is dangerous to cyclists and rollerbladers.”.
This warning was issued to the public almost 2 weeks ago, it is still in effect. Please share this information widely, remembering that most people who use heroin do not live in the DTES. Most hold jobs, pay mortgages, and no one knows… .
Judy Graves, Homeless Advocate for the City of Vancouver
January 17, 2011
The Vancouver Police Department is issuing a public warning to local drug users.
Two people have already died from what police fear is potentially fatal heroin in circulation. Two women, one 19 years old and one 26 years old, both died of possible heroin overdoses. In a third case, a man had injected heroin, but it was cut with an unknown substance and caused very serious side-effects.
The Vancouver Police are warning drug users to be extremely cautious and utilize the services of INSITE. INSITE has medical personnel on hand that can help if there are problems.
In response to these recent incidents, the VPD has advised a number of local agencies, including INSITE, Vancouver Coastal Health, local police agencies, the B.C. Ambulance Service, and other community partners.
Anyone seeing someone appearing to be in medical distress is urged to immediately call 9-1-1 and if you are a drug user who has used and don’t feel well, seek medical attention or help immediately.
Maybe you’ve resolved to get more involved in civic life?
If so, consider applying to volunteer on a city committee. The City opened the application process today.
A new committee this year is the Active Transportation Advisory Committee. This committee used to be called the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and will now have a greater focus on all active modes: walking, cycling, etc. Council asked staff to report back in 2012 on pedestrian safety & accessibility, so that makes this a great time to volunteer on this committee (if that’s your interest).
The deadline for applications is January 22nd.