A bright red fire and rescue command unit is traveling across the East Side packed with recycling boxes, bike maps and computers.
The colourful, civic-minded caravan is part of a two-month pilot project called Pop-Up City Hall initiated by the mayor’s Engaged City Task Force. The group believes the East Side is disconnected from City Hall and created the project to bring information and services to those communities in person with a series of half-day pop-up events.
Organizers cite distance, inconvenience and language as some of the reasons for this disconnect.
Jennifer Gray-Grant grew up on the West Side and remembers sitting in at city council meetings.
“That was just something we did,” said Gray-Grant. Today, she works on the East Side as the executive director of the Collingwood Neighbourhood House. She is also an Engaged City Task Force member.
Gray-Grant feels City Hall is too far away for some East Side residents to access, but points to language as the main barrier.
“Speaking with people in their own area and delivering services in those first languages makes them feel more comfortable,” she said.
Pop-Up City Hall attendants are representatives from Vancouver’s 311 Contact Centre, who have experience handling requests for service needs and civic concerns in 175 languages.
Darcy Wilson, a 311 manager, said the decision to bring the project to the East Side was based on data that showed the area as underrepresented in terms of civic engagement.
“The city may offer phone services in a multitude of languages, but the project is important as residents have to be told that the translation is even available,” said Wilson.
Pop-Up City Hall is currently in the middle of its run touring community locations.
Some locations it has visited include the PNE grounds, Sunset Community Centre, Sir Charles Tupper secondary school and the Collingwood BIA Festival.
East Side resident Aaron Leung showed up at an event at Killarney community centre and grabbed a bike map before heading out for the day. “It’s nice to see City Hall come to us to promote services,” said Leung.
However, he is unsure whether specific neighbourhoods need the project.
“The whole city probably, pure speculation, has some form of a disconnect with City Hall.”
SFU Urban Studies student Mark Friesen lives on the West Side but believes it is a smart decision to visit the East Side due to a wider range of demographics than on the West Side. “Governments on a municipal scale should connect to their people so the project makes a lot of sense,” said Friesen.
Some locations it has visited include the PNE grounds, Sunset Community Centre, Sir Charles Tupper secondary school and the Collingwood BIA Festival.
East Side resident Aaron Leung showed up at an event at Killarney community centre and grabbed a bike map before heading out for the day.
“It’s nice to see City Hall come to us to promote services,” said Leung.
However, he is unsure whether specific neighbourhoods need the project.
“The whole city probably, pure speculation, has some form of a disconnect with City Hall.”
SFU Urban Studies student Mark Friesen lives on the West Side but believes it is a smart decision to visit the East Side due to a wider range of demographics.
“Governments on a municipal scale should connect to their people so the project makes a lot of sense,” said Friesen.
Wilson believes services offered will continue to shift towards digital platforms as they are convenient.
“It’s how the younger folks coming up like to talk to us,” said Wilson.
But not everyone is familiar with computers. Gray-Grant mentioned that a man came into the Collingwood Neighbourhood House around 7 a.m. the day after a Pop-Up City Hall event wanting a physical copy of the garbage and recycling collection schedule.
“That’s common information that can be found online,” said Gray-Grant.
Pop-Up City Hall will conclude June 28 at Hillcrest community centre.
A full list of where Pop-Up City Hall will turn up can be found on the city’s website or keep an eye out for the red truck.
