We started writing for Vancouver Is Awesome because we had just moved here after many years outside Canada. After deciding to make Vancouver home, we quickly fell in love with the place. It’s beautiful, and with the ocean and the mountains that surround the city, we never seem to run out of breathtaking trails to follow. Within the city, there is an endless number of places to eat and drink plus neighbourhoods to check out. In the end, we usually end up writing about something that tastes good sandwiched between some fun things to do.
This week, our Urban Explorations went in a slightly different direction - to the phenomenal Carnegie Community Centre.
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Carnegie Centre’s roots go back to 1901 after Andrew Carnegie, famed American steel magnate, had started giving away vast portions of his fortune, pursuing his belief that wealthy people have “a moral obligation to distribute [their money] in ways that promote the welfare and happiness of the common man.” George Maxwell, a Vancouver MP at the time, wrote to Carnegie requesting funding for a public library. At the time, there was significant competition over whether the library would be built on the West or East sides of Vancouver. After a plebiscite, construction began at Hastings and Main, then the heart of young Vancouver.
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From the day it opened in 1903, the building was, and still is, one of the city’s great architectural accomplishments. Stained glass windows from Toronto depicting great writers (Shakespeare, Burns, etc.), stone from Gabriola Island, a marble and iron staircase from Victoria, wood panelled walls, and oak floors are small signs of just how much Vancouver wanted (and needed) the library. Two years later, the city museum opened on the top floor.
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But the building was always more than a library. It quickly became a focal point for those advocating on behalf of others. At the height of the Depression, workers protesting the conditions in forced labour camps for the unemployed occupied the museum. Supportive citizens supplied them with food until their demands for fair treatment were heard.
By 1976, both the library and the museum had relocated and Carnegie was abandoned. The city considered selling the building, but neighbourhood protests to protect a beloved icon saved the building and culminated in a three year renovation. In 1980 the Carnegie reopened as the Carnegie Community Centre, and it embarked upon its mission “to nurture mind, body and spirit in a safe and welcoming environment. Through the leadership and participation of our volunteers we provide social, educational, cultural and recreational activities for the benefit of the people of the Downtown Eastside."
Today it’s hard to imagine the Downtown Eastside without Carnegie. It is still one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, but it is also one of the most vibrant corners of Vancouver. Walk into the Centre and you’ll see hardcore games of chess and hear serious discussions of current events over newspapers in multiple languages. The library is still there and DTES residents who don't have ID are invited to make use of it and the reading room.
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Carnegie also runs fitness classes and cultural programs for seniors and community members. An onsite Learning Centre helps Downtown Eastside residents with reading and writing. We first heard about the cafeteria at the centre from a friend who has lived near Carnegie for a long time and she told us that the food is really good. She was right. The kitchen’s mission is to provide healthy, delicious meals at the lowest possible prices, and it’s open to anyone.
Every election, Carnegie opens its doors to help get people registered and to vote on polling days. In fact, that’s what took us there the first time, voter registration. We were able to see the centre in action and watch the constant flow of people coming in to use the programs. The people who volunteer at Carnegie are humble about the contributions the Centre makes, reminding anyone who asks about all the other agencies working to make Vancouver a better place.
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So this week Vancouver Is Awesome in a different way. It’s awesome because for over 100 years this marvel of a building has been at the heart of educating and caring for the people of Vancouver. Go in, read a book, check out the original stained glass windows and head upstairs for a meal. Andrew Carnegie’s original $50,000 contribution created something that thousands of people have nurtured to make a true pillar of the community.
How to become a volunteer
Volunteers are needed in the kitchen, in the learning centre, and to help with fitness, cultural and recreational programs. Most of Carnegie’s volunteers are residents of the Downtown Eastside. Volunteer orientations are scheduled for Mondays and Saturdays at 2:30pm. If you are planning to attend, call 604-665-2220 in the morning to make sure the meeting has not been cancelled.
