Hope in Shadows

Authors: Brad Cran and Gillian Jerome (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2008)

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is getting a lot of attention lately, and definitely not all of it is helpful or beneficial to the people who live there. There is increased coverage in the Province and the Globe and Mail lately and an increase in ticketing from the police. It all seems to be a part of the buildup to 2010 that the Downtown Eastside is now in the spotlight more than it has probably ever been. This doesn’t seem to be so much for the good of the people who live there, but so that Vancouver doesn’t get embarassed of a neighbourhood that doesn’t seem to reflect the beautiful city that we want the world to see.

Although coverage of the DTES may be increasing, I don’t think anything that has been written about the area has really captured its essence as well as the book Hope in Shadows has. What started as a photography contest for  people in the DTES has now produced a captivating book that tells the stories of 33 residents. Photographs from the contest are scattered throughout the book and are in many cases used as a springboard by the storyteller to give a glimpse into his or her life.

The stories were collected carefully by Brad Cran and Gillian Jerome who researched oral history techniques to properly conduct their interviews, and have achieved a writing style that feels very personal and casual. The end result is a thought-provoking look at the Downtown Eastside residents told in a brutally honest narrative.

The voice and personality of each of the storytellers seems to come through very clearly and you end up feeling that you are there with them in the room, listening to their tale. What’s interesting is the range of topics that are discussed and how some stories are more personal, some focus more on others in the community and others get more political.

Many readers may be surprised at what they find inside these pages. There are stories of drugs and the damage that they do, there are stories of substandard housing conditions, but more interestingly are how all of the tales give a snapshot of the community feeling that thrives more in this part of Vancouver than probably anywhere else in the city. The theme of hope is quite often present, making the title that had been the name of the photo contest still very appropriate here. What is also uplifting is the resilience of many of the storytellers to get past difficult times and work together with others in their community. For many of these people who have so little material wealth, there is an incredible amount of giving and time spent helping others.

This book was very worthy of the Vancouver Book Award it won last year and should be essential reading for every Vancouverite. There are so many misconceptions about what life is like in the Downtown Eastside and, more importantly, about what the people are like. They have fascinating, if often heartbreaking, stories and it is commendable that the Pivot Legal Society, among all of its other great work, put this book together. It gives a voice to many people who are only occassionally used for soundbites for news stories, but other than that are mostly ignored.

Having safe and affordable housing in the DTES is essential for many people and it is the least that they deserve. Vancouver, for all of its natural beauty, has a lot to be ashamed about. It is not the people in the DTES that we should be ashamed about, but how they have been and are still being treated. What would be the biggest tragedy from all of this attention and police enforcement is if this community, instead of being helped, were simply dispersed. That would be truly shameful. This book, and groups such as Pivot Legal Society, are essential to our understanding of this often neglected corner of our city.

For more information about Hope in Shadows, please visit the website.

By Leszek Apouchtine

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Leszek Apouchtine is one of the founding editors at re:place. His day job is in the print industry and he also works as a freelance writer.