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| Vancouver BC viewed from ferry |
Vancouver, British Columbia is a breathtakingly beautiful place. Set among mountains and surrounded by bays and it is hard to find a place that has a bad view. But there is one place that does not conform to any travel guide's expectations of Vancouver, its Downtown Eastside, or DTE as it is known locally.
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I made my acquaintance with DTE walking from my hotel by the harbor to Chinatown. Before I reached Chinatown, neighborhood suddenly changed and I encountered groups of people just standing around on the sidewalk. Then I ran into these.
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| Used Hypodermic Syringes, DTE, Vancouver, BC |
Finally, I passed a thirty-something couple, not badly dressed, passed out cold on the pavement sleeping off their heroin.
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| DTE, Vancouver BC |
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| DTE, Vancouver BC |
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| DTE, Vancouver BC |
Vancouver's DTE is a neighborhood known both for its drug use, poverty, mental illness, prostitution and homelessness, and for its history of social activism. There are supervised injection sites for heroin addicts to shoot up, places where overdoses can be rapidly handled. People coming to these sites must bring their own heroin (which is not legal), but syringes and injection supplies are provided and in 14 years of operation there has never been an overdose death at an injection.
DTE is a cohesive community and the Sunday Flea Market is an outgrowth of this community cohesiveness and social support. I found out that photography is not permitted in the market, but by that time I already had a few photos. There was a pervasive smell of marijuana in the market and the surrounding area, which was evident at some distance.
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| DTE Sunday Market, Vancouver, BC |
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| DTE Sunday Market, Vancouver, BC |
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| DTE Sunday Market |
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| DTE Sunday Market, Vancouver, BC |
The DTE market is run by residents of the area;. To be a vendor a person needs only to live in DTE. The goods sold are all finds from the garbage or in some cases, stolen merchandise. There are some legitimate vendors in the market and I noticed a few older Asian people selling legitimate goods. It is a place where DTE residents can find necessities at low prices they might be able to afford.
Vendors also sell outside of the market per se and these vendors can be found everyday on the streets. This woman was not pleased about my picture-taking.
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| Vendors outside DTE Sunday Market |
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| Sidewalk Vendors, DTE, Vancouver BC |
Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet and I spent my time there soaking up its natural beauty. Yet, there was something about Vancouver's DTE that drew me back for a second look. It is a place where people who are largely homeless, many of them drug addicts, live life in a community that recognizes, accepts and serves them. Everyone knows the safe place to shoot up their heroin and clinics to go for help when they are sick. It is a very different world than the beautiful water-side city that surrounds it, but it offers a unique look into a world you would otherwise never see. It might not be the type of travel experience you were expecting, but it is one of a kind.
