Memorial for Downtown Eastside poet Bud Osborn set to take place May 16

A public memorial will be held Friday (May 16) for Downtown Eastside poet and activist Bud Osborn.

The event will take place in the 100 block of East Hastings Street, outside Insite. Osborn was a founder of the supervised injection site, and of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.

The well-known Downtown Eastside resident, who died last week at the age of 66, wrote five books of poetry.

Vancouver East MP Libby Davies, who was a long-time friend of Osborn’s, has described the activist as “a hero in the Downtown Eastside”.

The memorial will begin at noon. At 2 p.m., community members will then walk to Oppenheimer Park for readings of Osborn’s work.