Ep. 10 - IV Portraits - Vanessa Richards - The Organizer

Interesting Vancouver Portraits

Hogans Alley was once the heart of Vancouver's black community - home to Nora Hendrix, Vies' steakhouse and the African Methodist Episcopal Fountain Church. But in 1970 the city tore down the neighbourhood in order to build the Georgia viaduct. Black Vancouverites have been fighting for Hogans Alley ever since. Artist and community organiser Vanessa Richards is part of the effort to bring back Vancouver's black neighbourhood. She's an organiser with the Hogans Alley Trust, a group that's hoping to revive the neighbourhood as a land trust, with community infrastructure and affordable housing for all. After it was announced in 2015 that the Georgia viaduct is set to be bulldozed, a revived Hogans Alley is in reach. The team behind the Hogans Alley Trust has been meeting with residents, community leaders and world-class architects. You can learn more about the Hogans Alley Trust here (hogansalleytrust.ca). More info about Vanessa and her work can be found here (https://vanessarichards.wordpress.com/about/) www.interestingvancouver.com