Photovoice Exhibition and Open House, Creekview Housing Co-operative

Vancouver, BC: Join project participants and members of Creekview Housing Co-operative Saturday, August 17th from 1-4 pm at 1483 Lamey’s Mill Road, Vancouver, for a Photovoice exhibition and open house for the project, “Visual Expressions of Community, Connections, and Home.” At 2:00 pm official recognition will be given to the project and its participants. This project highlights the critical function of non-profit housing co-operatives in providing truly affordable housing within Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada more broadly. People are invited to view the project photographs and storytelling, and to meet and chat with project participants in this open-house event. “Visual Expressions of Community, Connections, and Home” is the result of a community-university partnership between faculty professor, Debra Pentecost, based in the Department of Media Studies at Vancouver Island University, and Creekview Housing Co-operative. “As a long-time member of Creekview Housing Co-operative, I am fully aware of the special political visioning that went into creating this unique, mixed-income neighbourhood in South False Creek, comprised of non-profit housing co-operatives and strata developments. As building leases now come up for renewal, I witness the political strains experienced by many living in this neighbourhood. The ongoing uncertainty regarding the future of one’s home has created stress, fear, and grief for many. In thinking about what my contributions could be, I embraced the idea of a Photovoice project where fellow co-op members could come together in a truly collaborative, participatory, and creative fashion. Using photographs and storytelling, co-op members explain their experiences of community and their connections with the people, the neighbourhood, and the place they call home. Our home is truly precious to us and needs to be viewed as more than expensive real-estate. My hope is that this project speaks to viewers’ hearts, foregrounding that housing is a human right,” says Debra Pentecost. Creekview Housing Co-operative is located on land leased from the City of Vancouver. Most non-profit housing co-operatives and strata developments located between the Burrard and Cambie Street bridges are on leased land and are involved in lengthy lease renegotiation processes with the City, spanning a period of several years. Re-Plan, an organization comprised of members from the co-operatives and strata, has been actively lobbying Vancouver City Hall to engage in affordable lease renewal in good faith, aiming to protect the leasehold housing tenures already existing. In the fall of 2021, the City released a proposed envisioning of False South Creek that included the demolition of Creekview Housing Co-operative, replacing the building with a 50-story high-rise. Following public outcry, this proposal was withdrawn, however, uncertainty remains regarding the future of False Creek South. “Housing co-operatives provide a logical solution to the affordable housing crisis, for both immediate and long-term housing needs within British Columbia, by providing realistic rents that cater to middle and low-income people,” says project participant, Janice Clements. “Members manage the building’s maintenance, membership, and financial needs, making co-operatives both economical and sustainable in the long term. Co-ops can be self-supporting and offer an invaluable service to the community by providing affordable rents based on income.” During a period of four weeks, project participants explored their neighbourhood, and used photography to focus on specific themes. These themes included: community; neighbourhood livability and sense of place; social connections; and co-operation. Each participant showcased their photographs to the group and used storytelling to explain their connections to the week’s theme. These discussions led to the storyboards that will be on display during the open house. “When my husband and I got pregnant we applied for housing co-op living as it was the only way we could afford to stay in Vancouver. We were very fortunate to get into Creekview and were overwhelmed with the generosity and support of our neighbours after I was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago. We are fortunate to have been able to stay in Vancouver and receive the necessary medical care. The Photovoice Exhibition is a way for me to “Pay it Forward” to a community life that is much needed in Vancouver,” says project participant, Danielle Dagenais. Refreshments will be served. For more information and to RSVP please contact Debra Pentecost, Principal Investigator of the research project, at Debra.Pentecost@viu.ca -30- Media Contact Debra Pentecost, Professor, Department of Media Studies, Vancouver Island University Cell: 604-505-3156 Email: Debra.Pentecost@viu.ca Creekview Housing Co-operative acknowledges and thanks the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories, on whose lands we reside.