We live in a beautiful city, don’t we?
What I love most about Vancouver: the diversity, the gorgeous landscapes, the water, the fact that I feel at home everywhere and the fact that it’s big enough to get lost in, but small enough so that you run into people you know

I wasn’t born here but I couldn’t love Vancouver more if I were. I had just came back to braIl from the US when I decided to travel again. By chance I ended up here without planning, but once I started learning more from blogs, history books and news, the more I knew that I’d want to stay here forever. Once I arrived here in 2004, I felt I had arrived at home I love that it seems big, yet it’s small enough that you meet ppl you know on the street. I love that it has hidden gems in the lower mainland (deep cove, white pine, white rock, northshore mountains).
I love how it’s laid back and I gave up hills altogether! It’s so multicultural that I blend in instead of stand out.
I don’t think Vancouver is perfect, nothing is, but we live in a blessed place where even the rain doest stop things from happening. We just need ppl to mingle more

Yes, this city is beautiful. Sure you can go skiing, golfing and surfing in a single day if you chose to. We have brilliant art, fantastic food and a diversity of cultures and ideas that should be the envy of any city in the world. But what I love about this city is the character of the people in many of the close-knit neighbours scattered around the city.

Recently, an older man who lived on the street at the corner of Denman and Nelson Streets passed away. His name was Ed Green, and he’d lived on the street in that area for almost 10 years. Many West Enders had tried to help him get off the street but he simply would not. He’d tell us that he’d been living outside for too long and there was no way he would be able to live indoors 24/7 ever again. When weather turned really wet and cold he’d work in the neighbourhood to raise money to stay in a hostel. He hated the shelters and feared them for many reasons so he’d avoid most of them if he could help it.

With that in mind, his neighbours in the community he chose to make his home did what we could to make sure that he had what he needed and was willing to accept. He would not take anything unless he had something to give in return – might be a skipping rope, a wall hanging or good old fashioned hard work by keeping the sidewalks swept and clean. He even ran a car wash behind some of the Denman & Nelson businesses in the summer months.

When he suddenly passed away near Christmas last year many people were devastated. They didn’t know what they could or should do. A memorial sprung up on the wall of one of the businesses he slept outside of – little notes and cards were left along with flowers and plants. But, it did not feel like enough.

In contacting the coroner to find out what had happened we (my better-half and I) found out there was no family to be found. The coroner put us in touch with Social Services who told us that since there was no family if we wanted to arrange a funeral for him we could and Social Services would cover the costs of everything except for a grave marker – our neighbour and friend would be laid in an unmarked grave. That did not seem right to us. It would be as though he’d never existed. Nothing would mark his passing or that he’d been an active part of a community who missed him greatly.

We decided to make the arrangements and let the West End know. People could come if they wanted and if they could, maybe make a contribution to getting a grave marker for this friend of our community. We didn’t know if anyone would show up. We thought maybe 20 people or so, but even if it was just us, it would have been worth it and we’d do whatever we could to pay for the grave marker.

Almost 100 people came to Ed’s memorial service. More than 25 people got up to tell their stories about how Ed had impacted their lives. Others offered songs or poems to honour Ed. The service lasted an hour and a half and there was not a dry eye in the chapel. Most of us had never met before and Ed, in his passing, drew our “West of Denman” neighbours together in a way none of us had ever experienced. It was his last gift to all of us for helping him out when we could.

The staff at the funeral home were touched and amazed by this service. They said they’d never witnessed anything so wonderful and touching before. In addition, more than 65 West End residents and businesses contributed to the fund to purchase a grave marker for Ed Green to make sure that this extraordinary, gentle character that many of us loved would not be forgotten.

This is why I love Vancouver.

Hello Darling,

Coincidentally, late yesterday I wrote a blog post, which is, incidentally, an “ode” to our neighbourhood (Mount Pleasant). I don’t normally post links to blog posts that I’ve written, but this is relevant, in my opinion: http://ow.ly/19FLn (“Off The Beaten Path”)

Mount Pleasant is one of the things I love the most about Vancouver. It’s authentic, it feels real… I feel at home here.

Hi Adele! I was wondering where Ed was, the last time I saw him was in December I tried my best to help him out as well, he is so missed. He always made me feel so lucky to have known such a great soul.
Coincidently today I was at work on a movie set the subject of homeless in our city came up and I mentioned Ed and a gentleman from work told me he attended his memorial service,I was so upset to hear of his passing away.So I just googled to see if I could find out more about what happened I just saw your write up. Let me know if there’s anything I can do!!