Meet Today’s Sunrise Safety Team!  –

Local residents and business owners have likely interacted with our staff members in blue.

While their uniform and mandate has stayed the same, you may have noticed several new faces on the Sunrise Safety Team (SST). Initiated in 2008, SST is a joint program between the Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre (HSCPC) and Hastings North Business Improvement Association (HNBIA). It was established to address crime and safety concerns in the East Village Business District.

“Our businesses really value SST and their ability to provide resources to our community,” says Patricia Barnes, executive director at the HNBIA. The program is also supported by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and City of Vancouver.

Abby, Jenny, Kajol, Kimberley, Vanika and Cole currently make up the team. They contribute to the overall safety of the business district through proactive initiatives, including building strong relationships with merchants, property owners, customers, visitors and local residents.

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Former Board President Remembers Challenges of Centre’s Early Years  –

By Michael McKinley (Former board member and HSCPC President 2002 – 2005)

I became involved with the Hastings Sunrise CPC for the noblest of reasons: property. My wife Nancy and I had just bought a house in Hastings Sunrise, and we wanted to make sure that our house prospered.

We had moved here from the West End, and before that, Toronto, and before that all over the place, but I had grown up in Marpole Oakridge and did not know Hastings Sunrise very well, except that I had passed through it to go the PNE as a kid, and to Hastings Park to learn how to lose money on the horses with my dad, but we loved the poetry of the name. It was where the sun came up. The start of a new day, and so, the start of our new life in this interesting and dynamic neighborhood as a new millennium ticked over.

I have not lived in Hastings Sunrise since 2009, but I can imagine how much it has changed given how change happens in cities, and especially in ones like Vancouver. In the year 2000, it was a community of people who had lived there a long time, and were fully invested in its success, and people who were passing through. And people like us, who had just planted our flag and wanted it to fly in the right direction. Former Board President Remembers Challenges of Centre’s Early Years

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Meet The Bulletin Team  –

Did you know that this newsletter has been published for 20 years now? All the stories about the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood, the HSCPC and its partners would not have been told without our beloved team members Chester Grant and Harry Mah!

When Chester retired as a journalist in 2004, he joined the HSCPC and soon became its board president. He then encouraged neighbour Harry, who helps to operate the iconic family-run McGill Grocery, to volunteer as a board member too. Eventually, both joined the newsletter team.

“It was a no-brainer for me,” says Clair MacGougan, who became executive director in 2002. “Chester brought 50 years of experience in writing and broadcasting while Harry was the editor of the Burrardview News at the time.”

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ICBC Speed Campaign May 2024  –

E-scooters Get a Boost  –

You may have noticed electric kick scooters rolling along city streets over the last few years. In July 2021 the City of Vancouver began to test the use of e-scooters on roads and bike lanes. The pilot project is being extended for another four years.

And soon e-scooters will be available in Vancouver on a shared basis, much like the Mobi bike-sharing system that has been a huge hit since its launch in 2016. Shared e-scooter systems are already in many Alberta communities and in cities across the U.S.

“They offer residents a sustainable and accessible option to move around and explore our city,” said Mayor Ken Sim in supporting the proposal. A shared e-scooter system can provide mobility benefits to residents and visitors including people with limited mobility, low income, or without a driver’s licence.

 Both the pilot project and the new shared system allow only e-scooters that meet provincial standards. They do not include many other electro-mobility devices such as hoverboards, Segway PTs, one-wheels, or monowheels. E-scooter bylaws are enforced by the Vancouver Police Department.

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Spring Distracted Driving Campaign –

ICBC’s Spring Distracted Driving campaign kicked off on Friday March 1, with community initiatives and social media efforts all month long. Police across B.C. will be ramping up enforcement this month, and community policing volunteers will be setting up Cell Watch deployments to remind drivers to leave their phones alone.

One of the most pressing concerns on the roads is distracted driving, which continues to be a leading cause of crashes and injuries. If everyone avoided distractions while driving in B.C., the number of crash fatalities could be reduced by up to 27%. That’s 78 lives that could be saved every year. Research shows that drivers are 3.6 times more likely to crash if they’re using a hand-held electronic device while driving.

Find out more on ICBC’s website, including tips for drivers: https://bit.ly/3Skk0it

#EyesFwdBC

Alzheimer’s Resources  –

Friends and family of people affected by a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease often encounter hardship, difficulty with the affected person’s behaviours, being overwhelmed or just having difficulty with personal interactions. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.

A good starting point is the Alzheimer Society of BC. With an internet connected device, anyone can find information and resources related to Alzheimer’s disease.

The link to Alzheimer’s BC website is: https://alzheimer.ca/bc/en

Here, you can find accurate, informative online and in-person resources. Topics include:

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Vibrant Mural Graces Kamloops

In April 2021, a temporary pop-up plaza was placed at Hastings and Kamloops. This was the City of Vancouver’s response to COVID-19 to provide residents an outdoor gathering space and to support local business recovery.

More than two years later, it has undergone upgrades to become a more permanent fixture and the name “pop-up plaza” has been replaced with “Neighbourhood Plaza”. Here to stay for at least the next five years, it will help provide our community with a space to eat, rest, socialize and participate in neighbourhood activities.

What is great about this plaza is that it has been catered to our neighbourhood.  None of the other plazas look identical, allowing community members to make it their own. There is even a  message board for neighbours sharing information on events.  The City and the BIA have partnered with Mission Possible who provide employment for people who are vulnerable and/or experiencing poverty. Members from Mission Possible not only keep the plaza beautiful and clean, but also the HastingsSunrise neighbourhood.

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Restorative Justice Initiative Grows

New ways of addressing conflict in Vancouver are being created and nurtured – and Hastings Sunrise is in the forefront!

Since we first told Bulletin readers about Vancouver becoming a Restorative City in our Spring 2022 issue, large steps have been taken toward determining just what it would look like, starting in our community.

The vision is to have other processes beside police and courts involved in dealing with community conflict, harm and crime. To that end, an initiative has just launched and a cohort of local people are receiving training over the next few months to become “peacemakers”.

Three organizations are collaboratively leading this project: Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre (HSCPC), and Peace of the Circle, which is the coordinating host organization of Vancouver becoming the first Restorative City in Canada. 

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Baby Powder Reveals Career Choice  –

When Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre (HSCPC) volunteer Kajol Gounder was five years old, she put the accessories for her doll to good use. She got out baby powder and a small brush, not to pamper her baby doll, but to comb through her family house to collect fingerprints.

Fast forward two decades and Kajol is a lot closer to achieving her lifelong dream of becoming a forensic identification specialist. She graduated from BCIT with a degree in Forensic Science before being hired by the Vancouver Police Department as a Special Municipal Constable (SMC) earlier this year.

As a graduated SMC, she is currently employed in three different sectors: as a jail guard, in traffic authority and as community safety personnel.

“I enjoy working in community safety because I get to create a professional network that will further my career. Recently, I applied as a full-time jail guard because I’m planning to pursue a policing career and apply as a full member. This position will help me obtain the needed experience,” says Kajol.

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ICBC Provincial Impaired Driving Campaign  –

ICBC has teamed up with police, urging drivers to be responsible and plan ahead for a safe ride home this holiday season.

At this time of year, impaired driving is a serious concern in our province. It remains one of the top three contributing factors for fatal crashes in B.C. – claiming the lives of 61 people every year.

However, impaired driving crashes are completely preventable. By choosing a safe ride home, you’re helping to keep our roads safer for everyone, including yourself and your passengers.

If your holiday plans involve alcohol or other drugs, plan ahead to get home safe. Use a designated driver, call a taxi or rideshare, or take transit.

#GetHomeSafeBC 

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#DYK? Nearly half (43%) of crashes involving pedestrians happen between October and January as weather and visibility worsen in B.C. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re watching for pedestrians while driving:

🚶 Be realistic about your travel time. Leave earlier so you can take your time looking for pedestrians.

🚶 Watch out for pedestrians, especially when turning at intersections, crosswalks and near transit stops.

🚶 Reduce your speed in areas in school zones and playgrounds

🚶 Focus on the road. Always leave your phone alone while driving.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3LRhlcd

ICBC Fall Distracted Driving Campaign  –

ICBC has launched their Fall Distracted Driving Campaign!

One of the most pressing concerns on the roads is distracted driving, which continues to be a leading cause of accidents and injuries. Distracted driving is a factor in nearly 40% of police-reported car crash injuries and contributes to over 6,500 police-reported injuries and 77 deaths in B.C. each year. Research shows that drivers are 3.6 times more likely to crash if they’re using a hand-held electronic device while driving.

Police across B.C. will be ramping up enforcement throughout September, and community police volunteers will be setting up Cell Watch deployments to remind drivers to leave their phones alone.

Find more information here: https://bit.ly/3OXQX0S

Plaza Gets Bigger, Greener!  –

Over 20 pop-up plazas were installed throughout the city during the Covid-19 pandemic and have proven to be popular additions to the public sphere. They provide a place to eat, rest, socialize and participate in neighbourhood activities.

Given the popularity of the plazas, the city has decided to make them permanent. Many of them, including the plaza at Hastings and Kamloops Street, will be getting upgrades in the near future.

Once construction has been finalized, the plaza will be bigger and greener. It will offer more seating, a bike rack and street planters to make the plaza more inviting. The area will also hold storage containers and a utility box on which it is planned to install art wraps. The Hastings North Business Improvement Association (HNBIA) is also hoping to complete a mural this summer.

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Stay Alert to Opportunistic Crime  –

Summer weather not only brings flowers and long days, it can also bring opportunistic crime. Thieves are looking for homeowners who leave their doors or windows unsecured.  Protect your property and prevent crime:

• Safely secure doors and windows on all levels, even the small ones you think a person can’t fit through.
• Don’t be afraid to question people you find in your yard or loitering with no purpose.
• Get to know your neighbours; they could be an additional set of eyes and ears.
• Call 911 immediately if you see someone suspicious who appears to have intent to commit a crime.

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