The evening’s proceedings will also include the Vancouver Public Space Network’s Annual General Meeting – a chance to recap our activities for 2025, share our aspirations for 2026, and hold elections for our Board of Directors. (But don’t worry – we’ll keep the official business to a minimum, so that there’s lots of time for mixing, mingling, and other fun activities!)

Join us on Granville Island! We’ll be starting the evening at 6:30 with our Annual General Meeting, taking place at the False Creek Community Centre. After that, we’ll be making our way to one of the local bars for a celebratory toast to the year ahead!

Both activities are FREE, but please register via our Eventbrite page to help us with planning!

In the meantime, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at info [at] vancouverpublicspace [dot] ca.

As we transition calendar years, we want to take this opportunity to wish each of you the very best for the holiday season and the upcoming year. We’re looking forward to more public space fun and collaborations in 2022.

In the meantime, for those of you searching for some holiday-themed fun, be sure to check out the festive light displays found at Granville Island, St. Paul’s Hospital, and šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square (Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza). There’s also magic to be had in discovering the many individual examples of seasonal placemaking that adorn homes, businesses and streets throughout Vancouver.

Fancy a little more adventure? The outdoor skating rink at Robson Square is now open!

There are also a number of ticketed activities taking place, including:

• The Vancouver Christmas Market (through December 24)
• VanDusen Festival of Lights – (through January 3) – More than one million lights decorate the 15 acre VanDusen Botanical Garden.
• Stanley Park Bright Nights – through January 2, 2022 – The Bright Nights train chugs through the sparkling magically-lit forest of Stanley Park. (Note: The City’s webpage says this is sold out, but tickets are still available through 3rd party ticket agents.
• PNE WinterLights (in partnership with TransLink) – Ride the reindeer shuttle through nine enchanted lands filled with glowing lights, special characters and festive performers along the way.

Lastly, a chance to usher in New Year’s Day with a modified take on the annual Polar Bear Swim (January 1, 2022). As with last year’s event, the 2022 polar bear swim is online. You can find out details on this year’s “digital dip” by checking out the Park Board webpage.

Whatever it is that you get up to this holiday season, please stay safe, take good care, and look out for one another,

- Your friends at the VPSN

Photo: Holiday lights wind across the sidewalk of West 11th Avenue, between Yukon St. and Alberta St.

We have 2 new stories currently installed, including a brand new one at Granville Island — just in time for Vancouver Writers Festival.

Going for a stroll this week(end)? Check out one or both of these literary treats… and walk your way into a story!

“Giveaway” by Kari-Lund Teigen – starts at Main & 20th, near bike racks at Bean Around the World cafe. Will be up til Nov 1st.

“The Birds” by Dina Del Bucchia and Daniel Zomparelli – starts in front of Off the Tracks cafe in Railspur Alley, on Granville Island.

Vancouver resident and recycling enthusiast, Allison Boulton, is looking at fun ways to become more knowledgable about recycling and reusing household items. “Before you throw it in the garbage, try and reuse it for something,” Allison says.

On Saturday June 6th, to get you thinking in this direction, Allison has organized an interactive challenge event outdoors from 10am-2pm at George Wainborn Park downtown. There will be a racecourse set up in the park with a challenge to recycle properly and also a What-To-Do-With-This brainstorming table that focuses on reusability. Visitors will have the opportunity to ask questions about recycling as well as try out the recycling racecourse. There is no cost or registration required to attend. Allison has been working with Encorp, Electronic Recycling Association, and the City of Vancouver to get impactful information into the hands of her fellow community members.

George Wainborn Park, Location of Allison Boulton’s June 6th Intervention. Photo by Allison Boulton

Looking at choosing a location to host this event, Allison went for a stroll into George Wainborn Park and realized it had everything she needed: a picnic bench for headquarters, proper garbage can facilities, and large rocks where she can run the recycling race. “I live next door to that park,” Allison explains. “I wanted it to be my community that I can make an impact on.” George Wainborn Park also offers views of the Brazilian artists OSGEMEOS’ mural on Granville Island — a fantastic inspiration of repurposing urban spaces.

Allison Boulton Begins Her Intervention Plans at a 100 in 1 Day Vancouver Workshop. Photo by Lea Chambers.

Ready! Set! Recycle! is an intervention for 100 in 1 Day Vancouver, a citywide movement that focuses on low-cost ways to showcase ideas for stronger communities. After deciding to be an urban intervention leader, Allison says “I love it.” She has been busy planning and organizing, on top of tending to other ongoing activities/travels. Support and encouragement from friends to follow through and “Do It!” regardless of time pressures has motivated her to do this as best she can.

When asked what her ideal community would look, act, and feel like, Allison responded that it would be interactive. “One step at a time, moving forward, take action toward the world you want to see,” she encourages. A smile you give to a stranger might be returned by an even bigger smile that ends up lifting you, she says.

You are invited to tweet about Allison Boulton’s intervention Ready! Set! Recycle! using #enviroalley. And find out more details at the 100 in 1 Day Vancouver website.

Visit 100 in 1 Day for more information on public interventions happening on June 6th with 100 in 1 Day Vancouver.

Care to leave the studio, classroom, or apartment with your art supplies?

On May 10th, Opus Art Supplies is having an Outdoor Drawing Challenge on Granville Island. There are 9” x 12” surfaces available to work on if you register, and a chance of prizes at the end of the day. It’s going to be an exciting day to be in the public space for all levels of art enthusiasts. Invite your friends and family members, and see what the day brings.

Granville Island is a unique space within Vancouver: it’s an island in the middle of the city! Visitors arrive for many reasons. The boats, kids programs, shops, and public market experience each have their charm. And the wandering that happens between these places is also what’s so joyful about being there. Getting lost along your way, you might find an amazing broom store, a beautiful green park, or a waterfront tennis court. Your feet will walk under the beautiful Granville Street Bridge, your tastes will bring you into Bridges for pistachio gelato, your eyes will draw you out to the open water views, and your curiosity will pull you back into the little alleys where you can find sake and tea seated as neighbours to a number of galleries.

What I love so much about cities is exactly what I find time and time again on Granville Island. There is so much happening on a regular basis within a short radius. On many days there is live music played in several public locations. You can walk from one end of the island to the other in about 5 minutes but why would you when there’s so much to see – and draw, sketch, and paint! Look ahead, mark the date –May 10th– and check it out for yourself.

I feel a bit ignorant for being oblivious of the changes that have been happening on Granville Island over the past year. I didn’t realize it they would be happening to one of my favourite public spaces in Vancouver so soon and so quickly . As many frequenters know, Granville Island has been a public space for over 35 years, and carries remnants of Vancouver’s industrial history, to this day.

Through the establishment of the great places such as the Public Market, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, the Waterfront Theatre, Arts Umbrella and the Granville Island Breweries, Granville Island is separate – but integrated – with the rest of city life: allowing people to take advantage of all the great things that this public space has to offer. However, the word ‘public’ may no longer continue to be a part of its description.

In July 2014, there were talks of switching the ownership of Granville Island. Currently operated by the CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation) – a public entity of the federal government – Granville Island may be changing ownership to Port Metro Vancouver. No final decisions have yet been made, but much could change from this seemingly simple decision.

The Mayor of Vancouver and other public figures have expressed their opposition towards the privatization of Granville Island, but what does this mean for those who enjoy the space as it currently stands?

As a recent graduate, I recall spending my days at Granville Island enjoying much of what it has to offer – from its range of arts and crafts, to food and great cuisines. I would travel there from where I lived in Burnaby, to seek artistic inspirations and purchase art supplies from Opus. I recall sitting at the docks and enjoying the waterfront view of Stanley Park and the Granville Street Bridge, while eating some freshly baked Public Market donuts from Lee’s.

I would walk around the Public Market and come across fresh local produce, seafood, meats, breads, baked goods, chocolate, teas and spices, all under one roof. Weather permiting, I would sit outside in the one of the many courtyards on the Island, and listen to local artists’ musical performances or watch other buskers display their many other talents.

Above all, I would never come across anyone looking down at a screen and walking blindly as if they have more important matters to attend to. Granville Island was – and is – a place where conversations started, eyes wandered, and curiosity ventured.

The thought of Granville Island switching ownership only dawned on me after a recent visit. Changing the ownership of the Island, and disrupting its current means of operations can deeply impact the space and its identity. If Port Metro Vancouver takes ownership of the area, I would like to hope that they will strongly consider Granville Island’s local significance and continue to allow the public to enjoy this space as it currently stands.

Many vendors fear that privatization will disrupt the current relationship between tenants and landlords. A rise in rental costs caused by switching to larger corporate vendors would drastically change the atmosphere of this great public space and the ability for local vendors to thrive.

With the Emily Carr Institute relocating to Great Northern Way and its buildings soon to be vacant in the near future, many are wondering what will happen to its space, as well. We can hope that the space will consider changes that would keep the current lively, artistic and unique vibe of Granville Island and make a positive addition to the local culture. The future of this space is an important local issue that extends far beyond my personal connection to this unique urban treasure and ultimately includes all the citizens of Metro Vancouver.

This post originally appeared on Spacing.

(You can read Brahman’s initial articles here and here, and a response by the Vancouver Courier’s Geoff Olsen here. The VPSN also weighed in with a blog article of ‘big ideas’ we published, many of which were then included an interview we did with Georgia Straight journalist Stephen Hui.)

Our position at the time (and now) is that this internationally recognized public space does need to think proactively about its future. Markets and public spaces evolve, and it’s important that Granville Island continue to remain the vibrant space that it is today. That doesn’t mean a wholesale reinvention of the space; rather, it implies an important conversation about how the market, its streets, plazas, and its intense mixture of different uses, should function over the next few decades.

As fate would have it, the same day that our team was interviewed by Mr. Hui, the news broke that the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) (a federal entitiy) was in negotiations to transfer control of Granville Island to Port Metro Vancouver (another federal entity). CMHC has been the governing agency of Granville Island (along with a locally appointed Board), for the 35 years of the Island’s existence as a public market.

This spurred a quick response from some corners (including Ms. Brahman’s column, as well as the Mayor’s office). In particular, concerns were expressed that the Port lacks the ability to manage such an intricate and eclectic market space. Other comments noted that the market ought to be under local control. Still other concerns surrounded the Port’s relative lack of local accountability. In sum, the debate shifted quickly from one of ideas, to a question of who gets to be in charge.

Fast forward to late July. On the 22nd of the month, Vancouver City Council debated and passed a motion that will:

• Ask the Mayor, on behalf of the City, “state Vancouver’s opposition to the Federal Government of Port Metro Vancouver taking control of Granville Island” and noting that “that the City’s position is that it should remain under local control.”
• Direct City staff report back on options for the City buying or leasing it to retain local control.

The VPSN wrote a letter to Council with regard to this motion. Our position is that there are important “what” questions that need to be answered first, before the question of “who” is tackled… and before any funding is allocated for the purchase or leasing of the site. The advocacy that the City should be doing, first and foremost, is to encourage all of the public entities involved (federal or otherwise) to take the time to get it right.

After all, what’s the rush? Let’s sit down and figure out what is needed for the future of the space. Start with some key principles. Then let’s figure out who can best deliver on these principles.

Here’s an excerpt from our letter:

We are supportive of the City working to identify options around the future operation of the Granville Island site – particularly in light of the unanticipated nature of discussions around the potential transfer of the facility from CMHC to Port Metro Vancouver.

That being said, we feel that good management can come from a variety of avenues, and that the best interests of this important public space are served by first understanding the type of characteristics that ought to be associated with the management of the site. To this end, we feel that the City, through its discussions with the Federal Government and CMHC, should advance the idea of a collective discussion to identify the type of first principles that should define the work of whatever entity manages the Granville Island site (locally-based or otherwise).

There are various ways of looking at how Granville Island can be managed, and a set of guiding principles will provide a clear framework for evaluating all possibilities in this regard (federal agencies, local government, non-profit, etc.).

What sort of key principles could be included? Without preempting a proper discussion, we offer these as examples: having a custodian that is accountable and transparent, strong connection to local community, attentive to the diverse array of uses present on the site (including cultural, artisan, industrial, food-related, educational, etc), experience in public space programming, and financially responsible. Significantly, the entity endowed with management of the island should, we feel, be capable of upholding the original mandate, which is to provide a self-sustaining environment that fosters diverse cultural, educational and commercial enterprises while maintaining the Island’s historic and industrial character.

There are likely other values and principles that need to be identified as well, and a collective discussion of these features, with ample room for community input, is critical in this regard. We should not be precluding options – or naming solutions – until it is clear what the proper criteria for making decisions are. Similarly, this is not the sort of thing that ought to be rushed, so we encourage the City to work with these other levels of government and advance the idea that it is important to take the time to get it right.

Now that the motion has been passed, we will continue to advance the idea of a ‘go slow/principles first’ approach, and will be advocating for this with City staff and the federal government. We believe this is the best path forward for one of Vancouver’s most important public spaces.

What sorts of values and principles do you think are key to the future of Granville Island? Add your comments here, or drop us a line and let us know at info [at] vancouverpublicspace <dot> ca

Main image courtesy of Rebecca Bolwitt (Miss604). Licensed through Creative Commons.

Since its redevelopment, Granville Island has been heralded as a major success throughout North America. Its active public realm, preservation of industrial history, as well as its continuing popularity and economic success, have made it a valuable case study for many cities trying to revitalize their own declining industrial districts. Due to the Island’s success and its positive reputation there have been little to no major alterations to the site’s original design. This, however, will change in 2016, when two prominent buildings, totalling approximately 200,000 square feet, will become vacant.

In 2013, it was announced that the Emily Carr University of Art + Design – one of the mainstays of Granville Island – will be leaving it’s current site and relocating to a new campus on Great Northern Way. Accordingly, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) – Granville Island’s federal caretaker – has hired Vancouver based planning firm, CitySpaces, to develop a preliminary plan addressing the future programming of these spaces and to recommend prospective tenancy.

Image Credit: Emily Carr University

The forthcoming departure of Emily Carr University will undoubtedly leave a considerable void, altering the landscape of Granville Island, while having uncertain repercussions on the utilisation of the surrounding spaces. Consequently, the VPSN believes that this impending vacancy provides an unprecedented, and unique opportunity, to not only re-imagine the Emily Carr site, but the Island as a whole. Future programming of these significant buildings has the potential to act as a catalyst for an important destination in our city. Therefore, careful consideration and meaningful dialogue between a variety of stakeholders needs to occur, in order to ascertain what type of activities will be beneficial to the future of Granville Island.

The VPSN asks that the CMHC maintains the original vision of the island and uses the new space to uphold an active public realm. Although it is too early to say what will eventually fill the Emily Carr site, we at the VPSN have a few suggestions of what the space could transform into:

• An expansion of False Creek Community Centre;
• A public space centre;
• A space for public engagement;
• Another educational institution that maintains an emphasis on arts and culture;
• An expansion of the public market;
• An incubator space for small startup businesses.

For further reading:

ECUAD relocating to a new campus on Great Northern Way

A project to maintain the original vision of the island

Commentary on reimagining Granville Island

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

December 20, 2013 snowfall. Photo by Brent Granby.

Happy snowy solstice Vancouver! Don’t the city’s public spaces look extra cozy under that dusty white blanket? Aren’t you feeling all snuggly-wuggly? For those of you who may be looking at the snow and feeling yet another layer of a holiday-related pressure… stop right now. Grab a cup of cocoa. Sit down. We’re here to help.

We first ran a version of our “Gift Ideas” post last year and it proved to be one of our most popular articles ever. We’ve shared it a few times since them, but we’re now reissuing it with a slew of additional updates for the 2013-14 winter season. Good news for the snow-adverse: some of these options don’t even require you to go outside!

As we noted last time, our gift-giving rituals don’t all have to be about crass cable-knit sweaters (though for some reason those are actually popular this year). For the public space loving urbanists out there, there are a host of things that you can give to your friends and family that will not only make them happy, but do a nice turn for the city as well.

Hang tight – there’s a whopping 18 last-minute holiday gift ideas in this post. All of them are awesome. Enjoy!

(1) Support a local parklet project and contribute to the creation of neighbourhood public space. There are two AWESOME parklet projects currently under development in Vancouver. Design work on both sites are complete, and each project is now using crowd-funding as a means to finance the building and programming of the spaces.

• French Quarter Parklet – will transform two parking spaces (located in front of Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France at Main Street and East 21st) into a vibrant outdoor seating area. The clever design and landscaping (featuring snappy triangle benches) also features a bike car for folks that want to stay on their bikes while having their coffee. The project is a collaboration between Choclaterie, and our good friends at PWL Partnership Landscape Architects and Cycle Chic. Donate to the French Quarter kickstarter campaign here.

• Commercial Drive Parklet - will convert two parking spaces (located in front of Prado Cafe at Commercial Drive and East 4th) into a permanent seating and gathering area for the whole community to enjoy. The Drive desperately needs more outdoor seating areas, and we’re pleased as punch that VPSN friend Julian Thomas and Board member Stewart Burgess are among the collaborators on this fine venture. Donate to the Commercial Drive Parklet Kickstarter here. (Note: this project lost some anticipated grant funding and are now looking to go beyond the initial $3,500 target. In addition to its great placemaking value, the Commercial Drive Parklet will be a vehicle to provide skills training for community youth).

(2) A copy of one (or more) of the excellent books to come out this year by local urbanists. There were a lot of fine books on public space and urban issues to come out this year. We’re happy to recommend two that are near and dear to our heart. (We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with both these authors in the past and love the work that they do!). Both are available at better bookstores around town.

• Happy City – written by local journalist and city-thinker Charles Montgomery – promises to “change the way you think about urban life,” doing so by exploring the multifaceted connection between urban design and the science of happiness.

• Focusing closer to home is Lani Russwurm’s Vancouver Was Awesome – a visually rich exploration of collects stories of “the people, places, events, and phenomena that collectively have infused Vancouver with a distinct flavor and flair.”

(3) Invest in your community with some Seedstock. Sure Bitcoin gets all the press, but while it may circumvent some of the problems of a global banking system, does it really do anything for local business? Did you know there’s actually an alternative currency that specifically supports local Vancouver business and non-profits? Seedstock Community Currency lets you do double with your money: exchange cash for Seedstock with a local cause to support their work, and get the equivalent amount of Seedstock back to spend at over 80 local businesses! (Find out where here). You can get ahold of money that feels good to spend – or give! – at the local xChange Station.

(4) Go weekly or seasonally with some urbanist subscription action. Like reading about urban issues? Forefront is a weekly long-form essay that covers city-building activities from around the globe. It’s the product of Next City, a superb blog . You can obtain a subscription here. And of course, there’s also our good friends at Spacing, who produce a magazine (and several blogs) that “uncover the joys, obstacles and politics of Canada’s big cities by cutting through the cynicism that often pervades any discussion about urban issues.” Pretty good, eh? Their national issues come out twice a year and are a superb read. Order them here.

(5) Give the gift of edumacation. Vancouver’s Community Centres and public schools offer a dizzying array of classes – everything from sports to singing, music lessons to language studies, fine arts to business, crafts to computers. Classes vary in length, location, and cost, but it won’t take more than a bit of research to see what’s available in your neighbourhood. Information on the city’s 24 community centres can be found here or you can zip over to the Vancouver School Board website to see what’s on offer there. Why not double-up the fun? Don’t just sign your loved one up for lessons… join them for the learning as well!

(6) Get sticky with your neighbourhood. Have you seen the Neighborland app and online platform? It’s a great way to share ideas on neighbourhood placemaking and community building ideas. Not content to stop at online connections, the creators have produced some handy “I want ____ in my neighbourhood” stickers. You can make your own via their open source files or order a set via the Neighborland website. (Of course it goes without saying that you’ll want to place these around your neighbourhood in a responsible, community-friendly fashion.)

(7) Take your loved ones out for a bedazzling or ghostly experience. Two of Vancouver’s biggest public spaces – Van Dusen Gardens and Stanley Park – get a special holiday make-over. How about a trip to one or both of these seasonal gems:

• Van Dusen Gardens – Festival of Lights
• Stanley Park – Christmas Train

(8) Support your local street performer. (Go retro, buy a CD!). There’s tons of local musical and artistic talent to be found around the city – on the streets and in transit stations. Like something you see or hear? Lots of street artists offer CDs, sketches and painting for sale – a perfect opportunity to support the local scene and share some of the magic with a friend.

(9) Stay informed and stay up to date – While on the subject of street vending, keep your eyes peeled for two other items that make for great gifts. The Hope in Shadows calendar features top-notch work by DTES photographers and Megaphone Magazine. Revenue from both of these projects is used to provide education, training and support to low-income people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

(10) Historical pictures. Who doesn’t like to see the way we used to live in years past? The Vancouver Public Library has a great selection of old photographs of Vancouver – which can be purchased for reasonable cost on Floor 7 of VPL Central. Or, you can go the DIY route and visit the Vancouver Archives on-line catalogue – where they have an amazing assortment of high-resolution photographs that you can download for free. Having the VPL and Archives print your pictures for you may mean a bit of a delay — but not to worry, many of their collections are available on-line and in high-resolution. You can print ‘em yourself via your local photo shop.

(A word to the wise – the VPL and Archives collections are different. So if you’re looking for that perfect photograph of, say, Robson Square during the 1960s paint-in, you may have to visit both facilities).

(11) Friends-of Gift Memberships. Both of the aforementioned organizations (the Vancouver Public Library and Vancouver Archives) have volunteer “Friends-of” groups that support their work. The Friends of the VPL and Friends of the Archives both engage in special projects, raise funds for new acquisitions, and champion the work of their respective organizations. Know someone who likes libraries or gets jazzed about archival fonds? Set them up as a patron of one of these groups by buying a gift membership.

(12) Go green with local nature. For over two decades the Stanley Park Ecology Society has played a leadership role in the stewardship of Stanley Park. They do this through a range of education, research and conservation programs. You can support the good work they do by taking out a membership with their organization, “adopting” a bird’s nest, paying to plant saplings or several other things.

(13) More brightening, less frightening – Bike & Ped lights. There are too many people out there still walking and biking around without decent lights or reflective gear (Velcro bracelets, vests, etc.). Why not keep your loved ones safe by upping their visibility. MEC is an obvious go-to (and their new USB plug-in lights are awesome!) but there are lots of other places to get this sort of gear.

Know someone who’s not a cyclist but ought to be? If they have a bike that’s kicking around and gathering dust – why not surprise them with a tune-up (at Our Community Bikes, Kickstand or your neighbourhood bike shop). Another idea, especially for newer bike users: give the gift of cycling confidence and sign them up for a streetwise biking course with HUB.

(14) Make a gift box on behalf of a friend or family member. The holiday season is festive and fun for many of us. For those less fortunate, the seasonal festivities can also be a time of loneliness and challenge – a time that is further compromised by the city’s cold, wet and rainy weather.

There are lots of organizations around town – Lookout, the Aboriginal Front Door, Covenant House, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, Carnegie, the Union Gospel Mission, the Kettle Friendship Society (to name just a few) – who will take donations of money, food, warm clothing (socks, sweaters, long johns, rainwear), toiletries, and other un-wrapped gifts.

(15) Make your own walking tour. Why wait until May for Jane’s Walk? Plot out a stroll and show your friends and family some of your favourite spots – the architecture you like, your favourite pieces of public art, a hidden park, other good places to meander. Show them why you like the city. Want to amp it up a bit? Put a few more treats into the itinerary – like a stop at your favourite café or restaurant for hot chocolate, or an end-of-walk admission ticket to the VAG or Science World.

(16) Surprise them with some random market magic. Still searching for some stocking-stuffers? You’ve just scored yourself a great opportunity to support Vancouver’s market scene. The annual Christmas Market occupies Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza between now and December 24. For the foodie on your list, there’s the weekly Winter Farmers Market at Nat Bailey Stadium – every Saturday from 10am-2pm). And if you want to go all-in, wander over to Granville Island for any number of specialty gifts.

(17) A membership with Modo – A casual membership to Modo (formerly the Car Co-op) costs $50 and gives you access to a range of vehicles for those times when you actually do need a car (which, for lots of folks, isn’t as as often as they think). It turns out that the self-same membership also gives you a bunch of other perks as well.

And this presents us with another great avenue of gift giving to share…

(18) A membership in another co-operative! You’ve probably heard about co-op housing before, but there are also a good number of co-ops that sell goods and services around town. These include the aforementioned Modo and ever-popular MEC, as well as smaller ones like the Vancouver Tool Library or East End Food Co-op. Co-ops are a good place to shop for those who want to support locally owned, member-driven organizations that operate with a concern for community. Buying a membership in a co-op is a great investment and a smart gift – and will turn your holiday gift exchange into a gala event!

If you’ve got other public space gift ideas, please send them our way – via info [at] vancouverpublicspace [dot] ca.

Thanks to  Mike, Kevin, Paola, Julian and Kathleen for their contributions to this post.