The promised walk through my neighbourhood, one day last week as my iPhone counted the steps toward the 10,000 daily steps of my March fitness challenge. We had a series of several days that began cloudy-with-intermittent-showers but cleared just in time for us to bask in the glorious light of late afternoon . . .
Before I take you on this walk and tell you a bit about “my side of the city,” let me acknowledge that, along with all my fellow Vancouverites, I live on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Since colonization, we settlers and descendants of settlers have imposed and developed some rather inconsistent, sometimes confusing, geographic nomenclature on the City of Vancouver, such that we have a West End — a high-density, mostly residential neighbourhood bounded by the Downtown Core, English Bay, Burrard Street, and Stanley Park — not to be mistaken for the West side — bounded by Ontario Street on the east and the Salish Sea on the west, and traditionally with more exclusive and pricier neighbourhoods, lower densities, more generous parks (and less public transit, limited rapid transit).
East of Ontario Street, though, we might sometimes say we live on the East side (taking care to distinguish that from the infamous Downtown Eastside), but are more likely to say “East Vancouver” or, more often and with more attitude, East Van! (West Vancouver, by the way — and this often trips up visitors — is a totally different city, to reach which you have to cross a bridge over an inlet. It’s not the counterpart to East Vancouver).
First indicator of residents’ pride of, and love for, our neighbourhood. . . . a poster randomly wheat-pasted to a metal utility box. . . .
The last decade or two have somewhat softened the differences between Vancouver’s East and West because of the peculiar challenges of our real estate/housing affordability issues (Vancouver has been in the top 2 or 3 least affordable housing cities of the world for the last few years, at least). But “our side” of the city has, for decades, been the home of more ethnic communities, more artists, more blue-collar workers. . . and currently seems to skew younger than the West Side.
That’s probably all the urban geography you need to read for now, unless you’re interested in the surprisingly high proportion of micro-breweries within walking distance of my home 😉
But I thought you might like to see a sculpture that has, since its installation in 2010, become an iconic representation of this community and something of a geographic landmark as well.
Here’s a photo of Ken Lum’s Monument to East Vancouver from the artist’s website
and you can read more about its inception and significance in the City of Vancouver’s official Public Art brochure.
The material used to make the cross and letters is such that the sculpture can almost disappear into certain kinds of sky and be burnished by early morning or light afternoon sunlight in others. . . and then glow against a night sky.
This article features a short video in which artist Ken Lum talks about the conception and fabrication (and shows some of that process) of this monumental work.
Honestly, I had no idea this symbol had been around for so long (we’re recent arrivals to East Van, not even five-year residents yet) until I started doing a bit of research for this post.
I just knew that my footsteps often pull me in its direction, especially as the slanted rays of late afternoon sunshine begin lighting it up.
Ten or fifteen minutes later, walking back home again up the hill kids were tobogganing down just a few weeks ago, I see the monument gleaming — can you spot it?
And from the same spot on that erstwhile toboggan hill, I can turn my head North to see the mountains I was snow-shoeing in last week.
Five years ago this week, we signed an agreement to list for saleour waterfront home on a small island. So many changes since then, and I can’t say I never miss the beach, my old garden, neighbours, community, detached home. . . . But I can say that coming up to five years (this September) I’m happy to say, “East Van, Baby, That’s My Hood. . .
Perhaps our walk today gave you a sense of that contentment . . .
xo,
f
Vancouver nomenclature is hard to explain, isn't it? South Granville is not Marpole, although some folks might think so. I like the concept of small neighbourhoods. They make every city seem like home. The cross has become quite a landmark.
I love your neighbourhood, and I also loved your previous one. East Van has an inner-city, as opposed to suburban vibe, that reminds me a little of Paddington, one of Sydney’s inner-eastern suburbs, where I grew up. While Paddington’s housing stock is dominated by two-storey Victorian-era terrace houses so it doesn’t look much like your ‘hood, back then it had many migrant residents, like my family, a vibrant artistic community and many quirky shops. I like East Van’s sculpture and toboggan hill but most of all I love the views of snow-capped mountains. That’s something my city definitely doesn’t have!
I think you live close to the same neighbourhood where our daughter and SIL rented a little old house near Mountain View cemetery. I always enjoyed our visits to that area of town. I will look up the links to that sculpture of East Van. Iconic pieces like that add so much to a city. I'm a little bit sad that we have no excuse to visit Vancouver anymore, but I'm very happy that our children and grandchildren moved over here.
Mme L-B: So true — they've also tried to call the area near us South Main or even SoMa, and to me we'd have to be much closer to the river for that to work!
Maria: We're also very close to neighbourhoods (also in East Van) that are heavily treed and full of pre-WWII two-storey wooden homes, originally built for single-family residence but now often subdivided to support a mortgage.
I have to admit we're rather proud of our snow-capped mountains (that can be viewed also from the many beaches bordering the city. 😉
Lorrie: I'm about a 25-minute walk from that cemetery — that's a great neighbourhood they were living in (but oh, you're so lucky they're all close to you now!)
I love hearing all the insider tidbits from different cities. Especially now, when we can't travel.
I am stunned by the change in weather. The mountains are gorgeous!
A delightful ramble. This past year has brought me into even deeper appreciation for my 'hood and for the comfort of its neighbourliness— being known in many shops, reccognizing the particular quirky gardens and seeing little ones grow up, month to month. We had a minute of mourning on Thursday, remembering those lost, and so many were on this island. Still, we are here.
I love seeing where other people live and about their day-to-day lives. It sounds magical to be able to walk to restaurants and micro-breweries. We've got an overnight in the big city an hour away from us tonight – this post adds to the excitement!
Lovely! Please,let us see more of Vancouver
Dottoressa
Being able to look up and see mountains. Amazing. We don't have a lot of that here and I find it compelling. Here in Lower Wharfedale, my own hood, we tend towards the rolling and the occasional stark. Mind you, a piece of remarkable art suddenly popped up on a small building locally and that is a rarity. Certainly livens up the field. It's the manager of Leeds United football club, apparently. At present, the theme is mostly sheep and lambs.
I love your photos of your neighborhood, and your reflections on your walks and presence/interactions with the place you live.
Taste of France: Ah, the weather and its changes here — back to freezing last night after a day of wind and rain. . . but supposed to get above 10 C for daytime highs this week and I have hopes that the mason bees will begin emerging the week after. . .
Duchesse: I love your neighbourhood! I hope the vaccination begins to happen so that you may all enjoy it more after your long winter.
Mary Katherine: Oooh, I hope your urban getaway went well!
Dottoressa: Another walk coming up shortly. . .
Annie Green: Yes, we're snuggled up against some substantial mountains right on the shores of a very big ocean (so I guess you could say we do some rolling as well 😉 I love your kind of landscape very much as well. So, mural art in Lower Wharfedale — watch or you'll be on the circuit with looky-loos trekking through for their IG selfies 😉
Mardel: Thank you!