Walk, Talk, and Chalk - Champlain Area

*General Walk - No registration required*

Description: Accessibility, the need for parks and greenery (as Champlain has), how nature affects our mental health. I will provide chalk for people to mark what is and highlight what they like most about the neighbourhood. I love how green our neighbourhood is. I love how accessible our area is (mostly). What the city needs to do better is maintain sidewalks, rethink names of parks, have more community connections, and better overall accessibility. I run a disability organization and can bring an accessibility perspective to the walk. I can also talk about the relationship between environmental justice and disability justice. For example, Champlain has a lot of trees on every street. This passive consumption of nature leads to lower rates of Medic*tion for depression.

Walk Leader: Heather McCain - I run a disability organization and can bring an accessibility perspective to the walk. Bio: Heather McCain (they/them) is Executive Director of Live Educate Transform Society (LET'S), a non-profit they founded in 2005. Heather’s own experiences as an asexual, disabled, neurodivergent, queer, trans person led them to become a well-known and respected advocate, educator, and speaker. Heather is proudest to be called a Crip Doula. This is a community given Disability Justice term for someone who helps disabled people navigate our complex systems, providing resources, support, and building community. This title was gifted by community members who have felt the positive effects of Heather’s work.

Starting place: Champlain Library

How to recognize your walk leader(s): Heather will be wearing a bright blue ball cap

Accessibility Info: Family-friendly, Wheelchair user-friendly, Pet-friendly, We will have activities for the kids to do with chalk so they don't get bored. We do have a section on bark mulch in the forest but we will have activities and an alternative route for anyone who is unable to do it. We will also ensure they aren't alone and are accompanied by people. We will have activities to give to people who want to only participate in the first bit of the walk and need to walk at their own pace (for example, slow walking and standing can be very hard on people - for those who need to go faster, we can send them off with information about what to circle with the chalk)

*this is a 90 minute walk - but people can opt out whenever they like (for accessibility reasons such as limited mobility)

Travel Tips: Parking is available for free on the street and in the mall's parking lot. There are transit stops next to the meeting location.

This event is taking place as part of the Jane’s Walk Vancouver Festival (May 2-5 2024). Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs. Check out other Jane’s Walks happening this year in Vancouver here.

We respectfully acknowledge that Jane's Walk takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations

Host or Publisher Jane's Walk Vancouver (May 2-5, 2024)