Mid-summer in Strathcona Community Garden
More placemaking with plants
This time in Mount Pleasant.
Both of these are near East Broadway and Fraser, just up from a bus stop on the north side of the street. A somewhat bleak streetscape around there, to which these two installations add some welcome texture and colour. But, gentrification?
East Van winter sunsets
Favourite things on my way downtown (Part 1)
I often walk (and cycle) the Adanac bikeway on my way to my garden plots or downtown. These are some of the things that delight me along the way.
I’ve recently discovered that whoever lives in one of the houses on Adanac (at least I assume that’s who’s responsible) has been creating little tableaus in sidewalk planters. Fun.
They change from time to time. I love this one with the deer.
Raawr! Grizzly, maybe? Reminds me of Rewilding Vancouver, which you should go see before it ends in September 2014.
I’ll be making a point of checking in at this house from now on to see what the latest is. I hope passersby continue to leave these scenes intact.
And then there’s my favourite East Van graffiti. I did an honours B.A. in history, so that’s part of the reason it appeals. I also like to think that whoever made these meant to prompt thinking about the many layers and aspects of history and herstory that created the landscape we traverse when we pass through this rapidly changing part of East Van. Geological, First Nations, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, labour, land use, and more…lots to ponder.
The bikeway has amenities, too. This recent addition provided by a newly opened craft brewery (speaking of neighbourhood change).
More to come in Part 2.
Karen Sawatzky 