landmark
Stanley Park Totem Poles
Collection of First Nations totem poles in Vancouver's Stanley Park, one of the most visited attractions in British Columbia.
3 km · about 5 min drive
North AmericaCanadaBritish Columbia
Downtown Eastside
British Columbia, Canada · North America
About Downtown Eastside
Downtown Eastside works well as a base: 45km from Sea-to-Sky Highway (BC-99).
Downtown Eastside is in British Columbia, Canada, with about 18,000 people. You drive on the right here.
The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues, including disproportionately high levels of drug use, homelessness, poverty, crime, mental illness and sex work.
Around the beginningRead more
of the 20th century, the DTES was Vancouver's political, cultural and retail centre. Over several decades, the city centre gradually shifted westwards, and the DTES became a poor, albeit relatively stable, neighbourhood. In the 1980s, the area began a rapid decline due to several factors, including an influx of hard drugs, policies that pushed sex work and drug-related activity out of nearby areas, and the cessation of federal funding for social housing. By 1997, an epidemic of HIV infection and drug overdoses in the DTES led to the declaration of a public health emergency. As of 2018, critical issues include opioid overdoses, especially those involving the drug fentanyl; decrepit and squalid housing; a shortage of low-cost rental housing; and mental illness, which often co-occurs with addiction.
The population of the DTES is estimated to be around 7,000 people. Compared to the city, the neighbourhood is home to a significant Indigenous population, which reflects the ongoing impacts of colonial displacement and systemic inequities that have shaped the area’s demographics. Additionally, historical factors such as de-institutionalization, housing shortages, and limited access to mental health care have contributed to the concentration of poverty and substance use in the community. Residents experience Canada's highest rate of death from encounters with police, and there is mutual mistrust between police and many residents experiencing homelessness.
Since Vancouver's real-estate boom began in the early 21st century, the area has been increasingly experiencing gentrification. Some see gentrification as a force for revitalization, while others believe it has led to higher displacement and homelessness. Numerous efforts have been made to improve the DTES at an estimated cost of over $1.4 billion as of 2009. Services in the greater DTES area are estimated to cost $360 million per year. Commentators from across the political spectrum have said that little progress has been made in resolving the issues of the neighbourhood as a whole, although there are individual success stories. Proposals for addressing the issues of the area include increasing investment in social housing, increasing capacity for treating people with addictions and mental illness, making services more evenly distributed across the city and region instead of concentrated in the DTES, and improving coordination of services. However, little agreement exists between the municipal, provincial and federal governments regarding long-term plans for the area.
Where to Stay in Downtown Eastside
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Downtown Eastside?
Within an hour or so of Downtown Eastside: Stanley Park Totem Poles (3 km), Vancouver Aquarium (3 km), Lions Gate Bridge (5 km), Capilano Suspension Bridge (7 km).
Are there any good drives near Downtown Eastside?
The nearest famous roads are Sea-to-Sky Highway (BC-99), Chuckanut Drive (WA-11) and Whistler.
Where is Downtown Eastside?
Downtown Eastside is in British Columbia, Canada.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 18,477
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- Canada
- Region
- British Columbia
- Timezone
- America/Vancouver
- Coordinates
- 49.2818, -123.0935
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Canada
CAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Winter tyres mandatory in Quebec December–March.
Full driving guide for CanadaTags
Worth the detour from Downtown Eastside
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Vancouver Aquarium
Canada's largest aquarium in Stanley Park dedicated to the conservation of aquatic life in the Pacific Northwest.
3 km · about 5 min drive
bridge
Lions Gate Bridge
Vancouver's iconic 1938 suspension bridge spanning the First Narrows from Stanley Park to the North Shore, gateway to the Sea-to-Sky Highway with mountain and harbour views from its green towers.
5 km · about 10 min drive
bridge
Capilano Suspension Bridge
A 137 m footbridge swaying 70 m above the Capilano River in North Vancouver, with treetop walkways and a granite cliffwalk: one of BC's most visited attractions since 1889.
7 km · about 15 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Sea-to-Sky Highway
Stunning coastal and mountain highway from Vancouver to Whistler
36 km · about 40 min drive
waterfall
Shannon Falls
British Columbia's third-highest waterfall, immediately beside the Sea to Sky Highway near Squamish with a roadside car park.
43 km · about 50 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Sea to Sky Gondola
Gondola beside the Sea-to-Sky Highway near Squamish, rising 885 m above Howe Sound to a summit lodge, suspension bridge and sweeping viewpoints over fjord, forest and the Stawamus Chief.
44 km · about 50 min drive
famous road
Sea-to-Sky Highway (BC-99)
From Vancouver's Howe Sound to Whistler, rebuilt for the 2010 Olympics, with fjord views the whole way.
45 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Downtown Eastside
- Right hereLions Gate BridgeVancouver's iconic 1938 suspension bridge spanning the First Narrows from Stanley Park to the North Shore, gateway to the Sea-to-Sky Highway with mountain and harbour views from its green towers.
- Right hereCapilano Suspension BridgeA 137 m footbridge swaying 70 m above the Capilano River in North Vancouver, with treetop walkways and a granite cliffwalk: one of BC's most visited attractions since 1889.
- 36 kmSea-to-Sky HighwayStunning coastal and mountain highway from Vancouver to Whistler
- 44 kmSea to Sky GondolaGondola beside the Sea-to-Sky Highway near Squamish, rising 885 m above Howe Sound to a summit lodge, suspension bridge and sweeping viewpoints over fjord, forest and the Stawamus Chief.
- 45 kmSea-to-Sky Highway (BC-99)From Vancouver's Howe Sound to Whistler, rebuilt for the 2010 Olympics, with fjord views the whole way.
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