TERMINAL CITY HOOLIGANS
ACTIVATE VANCOUVER
Here are resources for people who want to make Vancouver a better place. Learn to register to vote, where to volunteer, and where to operate in order to drain resources from billionaires and give energy to the community enjoyed by the many.
VOTING IN MUNICIPAL ELECTION
Municipal elections happen every 4 years. We vote for the Mayor, city councillors, parks board and school board.
This isn't the 'stick an orange poster in my yard' election. This is where we decide who manages tax money and decides where we build roads and what we destroy and what we keep.
The decisions made at City Hall hit your daily life faster and harder than almost anything decided in Federal (NDP vs Conservatives vs Liberal elections)
Different parties have different values. Parties like COPE, OneCity have policies that are helpful to working class people, while the ABC party aims to serve property owners in the city. The buttons below will take you to the respective pages and you can decide where your values align.
VOLUNTEERING IN VANCOUVER
There are virtually endless ways to volunteer in Vancouver. There are ways to help with cultural events, the elderly, mentorship, youth and adult sports, food waste, music events, design, photography and more.
There are resources to plug you in to volunteer opportunities like Volunteer Vancouver and Volunteer Connector, which are linked below.
There are great opportunities if you ask around as well; here are some from a reddit thread:
If interested in animals, BC SPCA, RAPS, VOKRA are amazing and fulfilling
I recommend the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It’s a quick walk from Rupert Station if you take the shortcut under the Skytrain tracks. The working environment there is lively and fun.
Canadian blood services! I volunteered at the snack table people go to after they donate and I gave them free snacks and juice and made sure they didn’t look like they were about to pass out.
OTHER GREAT WAYS TO HELP
Community Land Trust (CLT): Focuses on acquiring land to build and protect permanently affordable co-ops and non-profit housing.
Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC): Represents and advocates for housing co-ops across the province, providing resources for expanding non-market housing models.
Civic Advisory Committees: Appointed positions for citizens to advise City Council on specific policies like arts, housing, and active transportation.
Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver - The Community Program (Highest Need): This is the classic one-on-one match. You are paired with a "Little" based on shared interests and personality. You commit to meeting 2 to 4 hours once a week for at least one year. You hang out in the community doing low-cost or free activities—shooting hoops, grabbing food, checking out a beach, or just talking.
Ask a friend: Your pals may have experience with a fulfilling volunteer experience. Coaching soccer is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I bet if you seek good volunteer opportunities you'll find em!