We are planning to deeply engage with Victoria-Fraserview residents—youth, adults, and seniors—to listen to their stories in order to better understand the lived realities of this neighbourhood. In this way, we hope to collect stories that will help inform us in implementing a mural or street art project, which we hope will contribute to a stronger sense of belonging among residents.

From conversations with the City of Vancouver’s Manager of Democratic Engagement, Wendy Mendes, and the Executive Director at South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, Zahra Esmail, our group of UBC graduate students has come to know and understand the assets and deficits experienced by South Vancouver residents. As a result of our research thus far, we are pursuing a visual and visceral storytelling project that will highlight the assets of the community through mural or street art. Our hope is that by drawing attention to the assets of the neighbourhood, Vancouver citizens within and outside of Victoria-Fraserview will become more engaged with its story, leading to new opportunities to address issues of equity, to build community, and to increase neighbourhood advocacy.

Victoria-Fraserview has a story, history, and community that is unique to Vancouver. By highlighting these factors, our desire is to distinguish its narrative through visual, accessible, and geographically central artwork (ie. mural, painted pathway, mosaic) imagined and painted by artists that live in the neighbourhood. We firmly believe that storytelling is a powerful method because it is rooted in connection and our relationships with each other, and that stories can be used as tools of resistance, painted for all to see.