A calendar launched Thursday aims to challenge stereotypes of life in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
The 2025 Hope In Shadows Calendar features the photography of residents of the area, showcasing their resilience and creativity.
“The reason the project was created was to help build understanding and compassion for folks living on the margin,” said Lisa Curry, executive director of Megaphone Magazine.
“We’re hoping to basically change the narrative, change the story around poverty and homelessness.”
Striking visual images taken by community members are featured throughout the calendar.
“Every year we hand out between 100 to 150 disposable cameras, and all of the participants are given five days and a theme, and they go out and photograph their lives,” Curry said.
Over 2,000 submissions were received this year, and the top 13 images were selected by public votes. Each image captures a moment that helps tell the story about life in the Downtown Eastside.
The cover of the calendar features a photo titled ‘A Moment Caught in Time.’ Photographer Naomi Gabriel says the image captures the long-established Indigenous culture that is central to the neighbourhood.
“The picture was the very last picture on my roll,” Gabriel said.
“I was just walking around the city, wondering what to take a picture of next, and the drum group was sitting outside the Aboriginal Front Door.”
The calendar is now being sold on the streets throughout Vancouver by vendors experiencing poverty, homelessness, or social exclusion.