Through our Vancouver JUNO Host Committee Community Safety Team we’re honoured to be working with various partners in the downtown eastside, both by contributing funds to an existing music therapy program and sharing the spirit of the JUNOS with the local community through live performances.

The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods, and the historic heart of the city which included the city’s original civic centre. 

While in the last half century, the DTES has become the site of a complex set of social issues, with much of the community being impacted by the toxic drug supply, the DTES is also a site of resistance. The DTES has many assets, especially for its low-income residents, who appreciate feeling accepted and at home, and benefit from living near health and social services. 

PARTNERSHIP WITH WISH DROP-IN CENTRE

During JUNO Week we will partner with WISH, a long standing local organization who works to improve the health, safety and well-being of women who are involved in Vancouver’s street-based sex trade. Through both a financial contribution to their organisation for their music therapy workshops and a live session where a Canadian artist joins the group to connect with residents, we will support members of the community who face particular barriers when accessing support or services and the staff at the helm of their programs. We invite all members of the music community and beyond to  join us in supporting this vital organization through a financial contribution or amplifying their work.   

LET’S HEAR IT @ THE CARNEGIE CENTRE

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE HEART OF THE CITY FESTIVAL

We are also again partnering with Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival for a lunchtime concert series, bringing local talent to the community’s beloved Carnegie Centre. 

Learn more about the lunchtime concert series here. 

PARTNERSHIP WITH GOOD NIGHT OUT

The Community Safety, in partnership with Good Night Out, is also providing all our Let's Hear It venues with guidance around how to produce safer events and prioritize harm reduction for all participants and attendees.