Photos: 2010 Poverty Olympics showcase homelessness in Vancouver

by Stephen Hui on Feb 7, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Poverty Olympics torch parade.
Stephen Hui

Hundreds of people gathered in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on Sunday (February 7) to celebrate the 2010 Poverty Olympics.

With five days until the opening of the Winter Olympic Games, the third edition of the annual street-theatre event, held at the Japanese Hall, aimed to internationally embarrass the Canadian, B.C., and city governments into addressing poverty.

The message of the speakers and skits is perhaps best summed up by the "Poverty Olympics Anthem", which was sung to the tune of "O Canada" at the opening and closing of the event:

Oh Canada
Our home on Native land.
A billion for security,
Instead of building homes.
Olympic spending has gone sky high
While thousands sleep outside.

From far and wide
Oh Canada
Invite the world to see
A quarter million souls,
Poor and freezing cold.
Oh Canada, where is e-qual-i-ty?
Oh Canada, we are ashamed of thee.

Organizers want the provincial government to increase welfare rates by 50 percent and index them to inflation, the federal government to create and fund a national housing strategy, and the City of Vancouver to establish a moratorium on the conversion and closure of residential hotels which house low-income tenants.

See also: Video: 2010 Poverty Olympics poke fun at serious issues facing Vancouver

Photos by Stephen Hui


Poverty Olympics torch parade.


Torch parade.


Torch parade.


Poverty Olympics torch.


Poverty Olympics Anthem.


DTES Power of Women Group performs Housing Hurdles.


Poverty Olympics banner.


Gordon Campbell and Stephen Harper in the Broken Promise Slalom.


Mr. Bid and Mr. Con Dough stomp on the community.


Cockroach cake.


Jean Swanson's community efforts recognized at Poverty Olympics.


Stuffed bedbug.

You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

See also: Calendar: Protests during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Comments (16) Add New Comment
Isn't it ironic?
Feb 7, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Many of the policies that these people are arguing for put people out of work and increase the problem, not decrease it. Homelessness will never end until we understand how government regulation of labour prevents people from finding employment.
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Transitrider
Feb 8, 2010 at 5:34 am
Hundreds? I was there...there was no more than a few dozen.
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Big3iam
Feb 8, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Now this is my neighborhood in action!!!! Bravo fellow DTES residence!!!! Proud to be a Vancouverite with our conviction!! RK CUBED
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sean
Feb 8, 2010 at 6:21 pm
all anti-poverty activists should occupy, legally or otherwise, the leaky condo atheletes (foot) village as soon as the olymthicks are over. as atheletes leave, move in. die for what you belive, be martyrs. now thats power!
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freemarketsystem
Feb 8, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Get a job, contribute to society, pay taxes...then start asking. Expect a handout from life? If you want out of poverty...get yourself out of poverty. Use your energy to wash dishes, cut grass or clean windows; instead of painting protest signs and furthering the cause of societal parasites.
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Martin Dunphy
Feb 8, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Freemarketsystem:

If you had paid a little bit more attention to the write-up and the photos, you would have seen that there was a wide cross-section of people at that event, young people and seniors. You would also have noticed that it took place on a Sunday.
Why is it that those who want to place limits on free speech always accuse those who speak up on issues of human justice as being unemployed?
They are called people who care enough about an issue to get off their butts and do something. And like any cross-section of society, there will be some employed, some unemployed, some unemployable, and some retired.
People who care.
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Sid Tan
Feb 8, 2010 at 10:05 pm
In the Downtown Eastside there were hundreds in the Poverty Olympics torch parade at least 700 or more at the Japanese Language School...Have it on tape. Was entertaining and informative and good on
all who participated in body and spirit...
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J Mahaney
Feb 8, 2010 at 10:43 pm
It is really interesting how the wealthy of the world can still get ordinary people to turn against eachother like in the statement from the moron who calls the poor"PARASITES"Most people are in fact only one or two paychecks from the same place.We all should have learned from the depression of the 30's and how our fathers and mothers said "NEVER AGAIN"We need to gather togeather and stop poverty all over the world and not listen to any morons telling us why we can just stand by and watch people starve to death in our streets,There is no excuse for it.period!And the fact that our wages are still at the same level as 1965 and the prices have risen as if the pay has risen with it when in fact only a few people are getting all that money that should be paid to workers:FAIR WAGE FOR FAIR WORK"A lot of greedy folks think they deserve to be trillionares while others die in the streets at 8 dollars an hour
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M_in_Van
Feb 9, 2010 at 1:44 am
Did you know it is costing taxpayers $55,000 per year to keep a homeless person on the street (city services, policing costs, health care, etc) and it would cost $35,000 to house the person and provide them with the supports they need (to be stable, find employment or volunteer work, etc). Think of this as a business if you don't have the heart to think of homeless people as people! Provide the housing, end homelessness and SAVE MONEY!!!
For all of you who have the NIMBY (not in my back yard) attitude, think again, there are a variety of housing situations all over the city (rich and poor areas), you just do not know about them because they are working.
Get educated on this issue!
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carpenter
Feb 9, 2010 at 9:03 am
It is sorta sad that some are so quick to brand these people as unemployed, lay-abouts. When, one of the first people I noticed in the photos was my friend, we are both carpenters. We work our butts off to make a half decent wage, many in our city are not so fortunate to be able to have a job like that. And, as if any-body can afford to be a dish-washer? You'd have to spend more in bus fare just getting to your job than you'd make in a day.
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anonymus
Feb 11, 2010 at 11:50 am
did you know some homeless dont want to move off of the street so stop protesting and help homeless get obs to lead a better life
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Thatgirl 35
Feb 14, 2010 at 6:22 pm
I work and live in Winnipeg. I am doing something about the homeless in my city. I also live in one of the poorest part of our city and even though i work welfar suplements my income cause I dont make enough money in a month to feed, and pay rent for my 3 children and I. Some people may think that holding a sign and standing up for what you believe in is all for not. However it is those who hold those signs that create change.
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kristian
Feb 24, 2010 at 2:45 pm
canada has for the last 15-20 years been nr1 or nr 2 in the human development report , meaning that canada has the standard of the highest living standard in the world or the second highest. once in these years it has been nr 3 .. so can it really be that bad?
isnt it more like this: vancouver is a world metropol city, housing is expensive and to many ppl in one area.. if some of these ppl live outside of vancouver , wouldnt the situation be better for them? Im just asking ..
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Brendin
Jun 12, 2010 at 8:36 am
I will be honest with you, I live in the DTES and on welfare, i pay my rent on time, i have food in my small room, i have a cell phone, internet, landline, sure its not the greatest room to live in but i am comfortable, why do people in the dtes have no money after welfare day, i can make my money last til the next welfare cheque. God is my provider, he sustains me, don't forget even Jesus was homeless in his ministy.....no one can starve in the DTES , im more happier now than when i had a house, car and family life, this is now my family.
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Joe Smith
Sep 28, 2010 at 12:35 pm
@Thatgirl - You don't have enough money to support your three children because of your job, but maybe you should of thought about that, BEFORE HAVING 3 kids! Take some responsiblity about the decisions you make! Don't expect hand outs because YOU decided to get knocked up.

And to the rest of homeless people, go away, no one cares, you're homeless cause you decided to be, cause you couldn't be bothered to go out and get a job, finish school, or you were to proud to work for minimum wage.
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disabled 1
Sep 13, 2011 at 11:38 am
@ joe Smith - how do you not know that that "Thatgirl" just decided to get pregnant and have 3 children. It takes two to have children. Maybe you should ask why the children's father isn't helping or what got her in the situation in the first place? Perhaps she was beaten by her husband and left. Perhaps her husband died. Do you think people who need help don't really want the help and would prefer to do it on thier own.

Oh wait,maybe you are the woman's dead beat husband who doesn't care what happens to his children.


You Joe smith are the only one that wants homeless people to go away because you don't care. Homeless people don't decide to be homeless because they "couldn't be bothered to go out and get a job, finish school or not be proud enough to live on a minmum wage".

Poor people are looking for jobs. I know many who have the education to quailify them for decent paying jobs. They have been out of work for months continuously looking for a job. Day after day they put out new resumes and call places they have summitted resumes to.

I am guessing you were raised in a wealthy home with everything you wanted and then some, Your family paid for tutors and put you though university so you could get a good paying job. You go out to eat your meals and don't know how to cook.

I bet you don't like what I'm saying to you. Learn really what another person's life is about before you bad mouth them.

I live on a Canadian Disability Pension. Why? Am I a person you would tell go away? I use to work 40 to 50 hours a week and save money at a minimum wage job. I was injured so severly by someone else and nearly lost my life. I'd rather be back before I was injured and still be working these hours.

You Joe Smith and people like you are part of the problem. You are not part of the solution. Stop degrading people you don't know and do something to help.

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