April 2012
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Danny and Bill by Debra Leo Honourable Mention Danny Lye and Bill Quinn (Cree) were near Oppenheimer Park when this photo was taken. The two have known one another for eight years. “I’m only chilling around the good guys,” says Danny about their friendship. Bill, a native residential school survivor, does collage work focused on the First Nations experience. “Part of my hope through my artwork is to try to get people to understand and to develop some concern to deal with the people that are suffering,” he says. Bill is also passionate about preserving aboriginal languages. “I speak Cree just the way I’m talking to you in English. And there’s probably not many of us left,” he says. “We say tanisi [pronounced “dansay”]. It means ‘hi’.” Photographer: Debra Leo volunteers at LifeSkills, an education centre near Oppenheimer Park. She recognizes Danny from the neighbourhood. “When I walk by, I give him a hug,” she says. In addition to volunteering at LifeSkills serving breakfast, Debra is an active volunteer at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. While she’s a veteran of the Downtown Eastside community, this is Debra’s first time participating in the Hope in Shadows photography contest, where she produced two winning photos. Her other winning photograph is a shot of her friends in the Hastings Community Folk Garden.
From the Hope in Shadows collection |
