Strong Opposition: Joyce Residents Take City Hall June 15

The Joyce Station Precinct Plan will go before City Council in just a few days (June 14 and June 15 9:30am at City Hall). At least 5 towers are proposed to go up right at the skytrain station. Around 179 Single Family Homes are also being targeted for zoning changes to allow for apartments and townhomes. These houses are multi-generational, multi-family and often immigrant and low income. 46% of our neighbours are renters. 73% of our neighbourhood is ESL.  Rapid development and gentrification has the ability to displace many of these families, renters and small businesses.

Residents are spending every hour until then to reach all of their fellow neighbours who still have concerns about the plans.

Over the next few days, we will be tabling around Joyce Skytrain Station. (You can come find us today, June 12 in the afternoon-evening.)

We still have many remaining concerns:

• We want the Single Family Homes to be protected. Many of these families want to stay in the neighbourhood but will face increased pressure from real estate agents and neighbours to sell.
• We want safeguards to resist displacement. City of Vancouver has found 46% of our greater Joyce Station area to be made up of renters.
• City of Vancouver has found that our neighbourhood has higher averages of immigrants and low-income people than the citywide average. Our neighbours are working-class and many could not engage with City planning processes fully because of this.
• We want EQUITABLE Transit oriented development. My Health My Community survey found that the highest rate of transit users are low-income and immigrant. Those frequent commuters need truly affordable housing available housing, not condos.
• Planners also want to add more density to our already congested area without giving us a reasonable traffic plan.

How can you support?

Come to sign our collective letter (Joyce Station on June 12, we’re still out here! or our June 14 Meeting 6:30pm at Collingwood Neighbourhood House). Read the long version of the letter here.

Email: 

Send an email to the mayor and city council to say that you oppose the plans. Each email will be counted by the City.

mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca

“I oppose the Joyce Collingwood Station Precinct Draft Plan being presented to City Council on June 14 and 15.”

Show up and/or Sign up to Speak!

City Council needs to see how loud the opposition is. Please consider signing up to speak. We will support you rehearse at a JARA meeting on June 14, 2016 at 6:30pm at Collingwood Neighbourhood House.

nicole.ludwig@vancouver.ca, laura.kazakoff@vancouver.ca, speaker.request@vancouver.ca or call 604 873 7268

Ask for your number in line so that we can keep track of how many speakers have signed up.

Get a Lawn Sign (by donation)

Email us to get your own lawn sign to show your opposition to the plan.

Help us get the word out by sharing this post, tweeting out @joyceareaRA #JoyceIsOurHome and showing up at City Hall https://www.facebook.com/events/1704172079845839/.