21. Renfrew Collingwood Food Justice

Organization Information

Organization Name

• Joyce Street Action Network
• Renfrew-Collingwood Food Justice

Mission and Vision of Organization

Renfrew Collingwood Food Justice is based out of the Community Development department at Collingwood Neighbourhood House. RCFJ promotes equitable access, intercultural learning and community leadership around sustainable growing, local food, food security, diverse food traditions, and healthy eating in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood. We believe that food is a human right, and that the “right to food” means much more than meeting basic nutritional requirements. We help bring neighbours together to find solutions to issues like hunger, isolation, and racism in our community.

Guiding Principles + Values

• We stress the importance of healthy and culturally appropriate food for everyone.
• We bring local concerns to the decision-making bodies who determine our food policies.
• We foster strength in our community by sharing knowledge around sustainable growing, urban agriculture, multicultural food traditions, Native plants, and issues of Indigenous food sovereignty.
• We help develop local nutritional resources for greater physical and social health in our community

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Suyu He
• Email: [[1]]
• Phone: 587-434-3969
• Address: 5288 Joyce St Vancouver, BC V5R 6C9
• Website: https://rcfood.wordpress.com/

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email, Phone
• Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
• Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

• Email, Zoom

Project Description

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

5163-5187 Joyce St. Development: Across from Collingwood Neighbourhood House on Joyce Street, there are a number of essential restaurants and small food stores. These small businesses are threatened by a developer proposal to build a 32-storey condominium tower on the site. The proposal includes 293 condominiums, 228 car and 588 bicycle parking spaces, retail on the ground level, and a new library on the second floor. For many folks in our community, particularly those of Filipinx and Chinese descent, the businesses, and especially the restaurants located at 5163-5187 Joyce St, function as vital as community spaces, meeting spaces, and cultural spaces. These businesses provide community members with access to important cultural food items, ranging from produce, herbal medicines, traditional goods and favourite restaurant dishes. They are important points of entry into the labour force for newcomers who face multiple barriers to employment.

These businesses are what make the Collingwood neighbourhood a diverse, cultural hub, and a place that newcomers and BIPOC folks identify with as feeling “like home.” As it stands, the re-development of 5163-5187 Joyce St plans to displace these multiple small businesses and restaurants with one 5,200 sq ft retail space. This is a significant threat to the cultural fabric of our community that will disproportionately impact residents of colour. Businesses that will be lost include; Sari-Sari Filipino Convenience Store, Kumare Express, Pampanga’s Cuisine, Plato Filipino, Joyce Jiaozi, and Kay Market. We know from our conversations with restaurant owners that they would like to return once the building is complete. Supports that would allow this to happen to include granting existing businesses first right of return (first dibs on retail space going into the building) and grandfathering their current rents for the new space. Additionally, the restaurants want to remain a hub serving their community together, as such the owners are open to the possibility of sharing a larger space together.

Main Project Activities and Deliverabls(s)

• Literature reviews/case studies of similar projects
• Project report & relevant media within report

Will the project work for the students be online, in person, or a combination?

• Online primarily with potential for in person work by Joyce-Collingwood station

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• Research skills
• Literature reviews
• Communication & interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Basic graphic design (for producing potential report)

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• None

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• No

Preferred Days of Week and Hours

• Flexible

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

If interested, students can also support with on the ground community organizing such as:

• In person campaigning and surveying
• Biweekly Strategizing Meetings Mondays 6-7:15PM

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:

• Slice of Support Action Toolkit from our previous actions
• Joyce St Development Business Matrix
• Skim the Joyce-Collingwood Station Precinct Plan

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• Research project outline