January 2012
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Morning View by Nick Olson This was taken from the stairwell of the Brandiz Hotel, where photographer Nick Olson used to live. “I look out a lot of windows downtown, and the roofs are dirty,” Nick says. “I looked out this one and I said, ‘This is a clean one,’ and I took this picture.” The Brandiz was named one of the seven worst Downtown Eastside residential hotels by Pivot Legal Society and five other community organizations in 2009. Residents and advocates have told of pest infestations, failure to repair essential utilities, guest fees and illegal evictions. In 2011, Vancouver City Council voted to seek an injunction forcing the landlord of two other Downtown Eastside hotels to make repairs. Pivot is representing these residents for compensation. Nick Olson is new to photography and the Hope in Shadows contest, but two of his photos placed in the top 40 images this year. He is a longtime Downtown Eastside resident and has been part of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) for about 13 years. He enjoys exercising and, in addition to lifting weights at the Carnegie Community Centre, he started jogging regularly after participating in the 2011 Vancouver Sun Run. A first-time runner, he completed the 10-kilometre run without any previous training in 113 minutes and 15 seconds. Now, he and a friend go on twice-weekly runs from the Downtown Eastside to Stanley Park.
From the Hope in Shadows collection |
