Homelessness Action Week 2012: Eastside Stride
It’s Homelessness Action Week in Vancouver and the Union Gospel Mission is inviting everyone to explore their neighbourhood in the Downtown Eastside to learn more about the community, its history, and the people who live there.
The Eastside Stride walking tour series is led by a community member who will take you from the UGM (at 601 East Hastings) to Oppenheimer Park, Gastown, Chinatown, Strathcona and the Hastings Corridor. The two-hour tour is free of charge but provides employment to community members. It’s safe, respectful, and a unique way to learn about this important part of Vancouver.
Tours are offered every day from Tuesday, October 9, 2012 to Saturday, October 13, 2012 at various times between 10:00am and 4:30pm. You can sign up online for a guided tour or check out the online audio tour to do a self-guided version.
From historically significant buildings (like the Carnegie Centre) to significant neighbourhoods that shaped Vancouver, participants on this free tour will have a chance to experience this pocket of Vancouver thanks to those who live in the heart of it.
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I wish everyone could have an opportunity to tour the “poorest postal code in Canada”. It is an education never to be forgotten. There are many paradoxes, extreme poverty, excrutiating pain, surprising beauty, and an increduble sense of community. Our tour was conducted with respect and empathy by people with huge hearts.