Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE
The Downtown Eastside is defi ned by Burrard Inlet to the north, East
Hastings Street to the south, Clark Drive to the east and Main Street
to the west. Formerly a dynamic commercial and cultural area in the
centre of Vancouver's business district, it experienced a downturn to-
ward the end of the 1990s, after the 1993 closure of the Woodward's
store led to the failure of a number of other nearby stores and busi-
nesses. It became Canada's poorest neighbourhood, and public dis-
order reigned: drug traffi cking, prostitution, crime, drug addition and
homelessness, not to mention AIDS and other calamities. In 1996,
over 80% of its families were classifi ed as “low income” by Statistics
Canada, compared with 31% of families in Vancouver in general.
However, its handsome Victorian buildings testify to a once-vibrant
neighbourhood. Vancouver's fi rst downtown developed here in the
early 20th century, near the nucleus of the growing city. It was home
to the municipal courthouse, the city hall, the Carnegie Public Library,
several theatres and Woodward's department store. It was also the
transportation hub of the city, with the streetcar station located at
Hastings and Carrall Streets, and the ferry and pier just north on
Burrard Inlet.
Today, a number of community organizations work tirelessly to im-
prove the lot of the area's residents. The 2002 election of mayor
Larry Campbell, for whom the clean-up of the Downtown Eastside
was a priority, was a clear sign that change was on the horizon. The
Vancouver Agreement, a plan signed by all three levels of government
in 2000, has for main objective to promote and support economic
and social investments in the community. The plan, which runs to
2010, is a key factor in the city's Downtown Eastside Revitalization
Program, a multi-faceted approach to restoring the area to a healthy,
safe and liveable neighbourhood for all.
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