The Mainlander
@themainlander.bsky.social
The Mainlander is dedicated to local politics and social struggles on unceded Indigenous lands cka Vancouver, BC Read @ TheMainlander.com
Immense support for BC nurses in Vancouver today — they’ve given a 72-hr strike notice, set for Thurs if an improved offer is not made. If anyone tries to tell you BC’s coffers are empty, remind them that Eby & BC NDP have still haven’t reversed Gordon Campbell’s corporate + income tax cuts. ✊🏼🌱
The World Cup has brought glitz and glamour to Vancouver, but as the city seeks to show its best side to the world it has also led to early-morning raids and more aggressive policing of people experiencing homelessness and drug problems in the city's Downtown Eastside, locals have told Reuters.
Anti-ABC parties must do more to support tenants in the struggle against mass displacement New editorial from three members of @vancouvertenants.bsky.social themainlander.com/2026/06/18/a... #vanpoli
Anti-ABC parties must do more to support tenants in the struggle against mass displacement
With October’s municipal election approaching, organizers with the Vancouver Tenants Union advocate for firmer opposition to displacement from progressive city councillors.
themainlander.com
Great article in the Mainlander about the full damage wrought by the Broadway Plan and the progressive councilors failure to step up, written by Vancouver Tenant Union organizers. themainlander.com/2026/06/18/a...
Anti-ABC parties must do more to support tenants in the struggle against mass displacement
With October’s municipal election approaching, organizers with the Vancouver Tenants Union advocate for firmer opposition to displacement from progressive city councillors.
themainlander.com
A must-read Mainlander Mag article on the failure of the 3 "progressive" Vancouver parties (COPE, Greens & OneCity) to protect tenants. Like me, it's also scathing about their attempt to negotiate an anti-Ken Sim coalition. Why all these mistakes? 🧵 themainlander.com/2026/06/18/a... #vanpoli
"City is creating a triple-layered police presence." "We do not need a police super-complex in the heart of our neighbourhood." "The Province, City of Vancouver, and the VPD must stop prioritizing the expansion of policing over our survival." #BritishColumbia #Canada #Policing #Drugs #Surveillance
Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group
"This concentration of force is a direct attack on the neighbourhood, turning our streets into training grounds for police tactics."
themainlander.com
Anti-ABC parties must do more to support tenants in the struggle against mass displacement New editorial from three members of @vancouvertenants.bsky.social themainlander.com/2026/06/18/a... #vanpoli
Anti-ABC parties must do more to support tenants in the struggle against mass displacement
With October’s municipal election approaching, organizers with the Vancouver Tenants Union advocate for firmer opposition to displacement from progressive city councillors.
themainlander.com
"PACE was one of three sex worker-focused services to close down temporarily or permanently in Vancouver last year." "When there's an overall loss of services, we're exposed to more violence, stigma spreads and is uninterrupted, we are disheartened and scared." #BritishColumbia #Canada #SexWork
New report looks at impacts of PACE Society's closure
After 30 years of operating as a community organization by and for sex workers, PACE closed its services in 2025.
themainlander.com
New piece in @themainlander.bsky.social from members of the VTU - councillors and candidates in the so-called progressive parties are on notice: stop voting for the displacement, renoviction, and demoviction of tenants in this city and actually listen to our needs and demands! Fight for us!
Anti-ABC parties must do more to support tenants in the struggle against mass displacement
With October’s municipal election approaching, organizers with the Vancouver Tenants Union advocate for firmer opposition to displacement from progressive city councillors.
themainlander.com
"I see floating traces of friends and family." "I see ghosts stumbling on the shoreline." "The state just shrugs its shoulders or worse, cannot even be bothered to acknowledge the mass death and disabling crisis it has created and enables." #BritishColumbia #Canada #Drugs #Healthcare
Emergency decade
One worker's reflections between the city and the toxic drug supply crisis.
themainlander.com
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c... "The Health Minister has capitulated to the ideology of criminalization and containment"
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: Healthcare workers, legal advocates
Care Not Cops, Pivot Legal, BCCLA & BCNUSJ call for action on the 10-year long toxic drug supply emergency
themainlander.com
"By accepting the same logic now advanced by Vancouver city hall and business interests to block urgently needed health services, the Health Minister has capitulated to the ideology of criminalization and containment:" themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c...
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: Healthcare workers, legal advocates
Care Not Cops, Pivot Legal, BCCLA & BCNUSJ call for action on the 10-year long toxic drug supply emergency
themainlander.com
Business concerns were reportedly relayed to Terry Yung, a former VPD officer turned BC NDPer. Yung is married to Vancouver city councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung, who is part of Ken Sim’s governing ABC party. Kirby-Yung and ABC voted to block the OPS from opening: themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c...
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: Healthcare workers, legal advocates
Care Not Cops, Pivot Legal, BCCLA & BCNUSJ call for action on the 10-year long toxic drug supply emergency
themainlander.com
“The Province is yet again capitulating to unfounded moral panic, this time citing a fabricated barrier of needing to strike community consultations prior to the implementation of a life-saving health service.” - Caitlin Shane, lawyer with pivot legal society
The Mainlander@themainlander.bsky.social · 2mo agoFailure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c... "The Health Minister has capitulated to the ideology of criminalization and containment"
whether this is a 'pause' or reversal is not the point. we are not just one OPS short of stopping the deaths and ending the crisis. access delayed is access denied–it has been denied already for thousands of people who deserved urgency: themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c... bsky.app/profile/them...
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: Healthcare workers, legal advocates
Care Not Cops, Pivot Legal, BCCLA & BCNUSJ call for action on the 10-year long toxic drug supply emergency
themainlander.com
The Mainlander@themainlander.bsky.social · 2mo agoFailure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c... "The Health Minister has capitulated to the ideology of criminalization and containment"
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: themainlander.com/2026/05/29/c... "The Health Minister has capitulated to the ideology of criminalization and containment"
Failure to ensure city centre overdose prevention site reflects BC NDP deadly abandonment of people who use drugs: Healthcare workers, legal advocates
Care Not Cops, Pivot Legal, BCCLA & BCNUSJ call for action on the 10-year long toxic drug supply emergency
themainlander.com
themainlander.com/2025/01/27/k... bsky.app/profile/andr...
Ken Sim Ran on Manufactured Panic. He Runs the City on Social Murder.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is obsessed with keeping the city’s Downtown Eastside on his tongue. The residents, the neighbourhood, the backdrop – the DTES is Mayor Sim’s electoral weapon of choice, even i...
themainlander.com
Andrea Woo@andreawoo.bsky.social · 3mo agoVancouver Coastal Health secures new location for Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site at 900 Helmcken. Previous location at 1060 Howe responded to 480 ODs, closed Jan 31. Lease begins June 1. Mayor Ken Sim moving urgent motion today directing city staff to use all tools to prevent its opening.
"This concentration of force is a direct attack on the neighbourhood, turning our streets into training grounds for police tactics" themainlander.com/2026/04/20/v...
Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group
themainlander.com
"Vancouver never saw police budgets decrease after the increases associated with the 2010 Winter Olympics:" themainlander.com/2026/02/24/a...
FIFA 2026 is coming to Vancouver at a social and economic cost to our communities
The $600 million soccer games are already linked to increased policing and criminalization – and they haven't even started.
themainlander.com
"This concentration of force is a direct attack on the neighbourhood, turning our streets into training grounds for police tactics" themainlander.com/2026/04/20/v...
Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group
themainlander.com
Teach landlords a lesson: @vancouvertenants.bsky.social aims to defend the union from intensifying landlord threats and harassment: themainlander.com/2026/03/24/t...
The Vancouver Tenants Union Wants To Teach Landlords a Lesson
Local landlord Andrzej Kowalski is attempting to sue the Vancouver Tenants Union in Small Claims Court claim for $35,000.
themainlander.com
(10/16) "PACE was one of three sex worker-focused services to close down...in Vancouver last year – in a city where the number of...sites for respite from gendered violence, which includes sex worker criminalization, was already... inadequate." themainlander.com/2026/04/17/p...
New report looks at impacts of PACE Society’s closure
After 30 years of operating as a community organization by and for sex workers, PACE closed its services in 2025.
themainlander.com
Teach landlords a lesson: @vancouvertenants.bsky.social aims to defend the union from intensifying landlord threats and harassment: themainlander.com/2026/03/24/t...
The Vancouver Tenants Union Wants To Teach Landlords a Lesson
Local landlord Andrzej Kowalski is attempting to sue the Vancouver Tenants Union in Small Claims Court claim for $35,000.
themainlander.com
'This concentration of force is a direct attack on the neighbourhood, turning our streets into training grounds for #police tactics.' themainlander.com/2026/04/20/v...
Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group
themainlander.com
New on The Mainlander Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group "We do not need a police super-complex in the heart of our neighbourhood." themainlander.com/2026/04/20/v... #vanpoli
Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group
themainlander.com
"These days when I walk across the overpass and sit at a park bench, I see floating traces of friends and family, clients and acquaintances met in brief. I see ghosts stumbling on the shoreline" themainlander.com/2026/04/14/e... #drugsky
Emergency decade
One worker's reflections between the city and the toxic drug supply crisis.
themainlander.com
"In the eyes of the haves, we’re not seen as people, we’re not seen as human. They’re sitting up in their ivory towers making decisions without even asking tenants for solutions" themainlander.com/2026/04/13/i... #bill11
INTERVIEW | Inside the BC NDP’s alarming proposal to weaken tenant rights in supportive housing
The Mainlander sits down with Matt Tarasoff and Paul Henry to talk about the BC NDP’s Bill 11 – the Residential Tenancy Amendment Act (2026).
themainlander.com
“I’m not giving up – like a dandelion that can grow anywhere, even in the concrete. We still have a chance to fight to keep this open,” reflects long-time PACE member Mama Rosa in a new report on the 2025 closure of the organization’s drop-in space. themainlander.com/2026/04/17/p...
New report looks at impacts of PACE Society’s closure
After 30 years of operating as a community organization by and for sex workers, PACE closed its services in 2025.
themainlander.com
No cop city anywhere - from atlanta to vancouver, cities are being militarized against their inhabitants. themainlander.com/2026/04/20/v...
Academy at Woodward's marks "tactical escalation" by Vancouver police, writes drug user education group
themainlander.com