Frances Street Squats
{{Short description|1990 squatted project in Vancouver, Canada}}
The Frances Street Squats were a set of six squatted houses, including one women-only building, that existed between February and November 1990 in Vancouver, Canada. They were occupied by SAVE (Squatters Alliance of Vancouver East) and took a stand against development which was generally supported by local people. The Vancouver Police Department evicted the buildings.
Occupation
In 1989, property developer Ning Yee purchased six houses on Frances Street in Vancouver, Canada, and evicted the tenants. In February 1990, four of the six houses were squatted after they had been scheduled for demolition. The other two houses were then also occupied, with one being women-only. The squatters set up a communal garden and a free shop.{{cite journal |editor-last1=Vidaver |editor-first1=Aaron |last1=Wulwik |first1=Lisa |title=Squatting as an organizing tool |journal=West Coast Line |date=2004 |volume=37 |issue=2–3 |pages=18–19 |issn=1182-4271}} Two more buildings were occupied on McLean street and quickly evicted.{{cite news |last1=Kines |first1=Lindsay |title=Residents of Didley Squat feel their way of life is 'cool' |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun |date=1 November 1990}}
Thirty six people were housed in the Frances Street squats, which were named the Big House, Didley Squat, the Eco Squat, the Stein House, the Token Squat and Bush Wimmins.{{cite news |last1=Ward |first1=Doug |title=Squatters remain after deadline |work=The Vancouver Sun |date=16 August 1990}} In August, Ning Yee asked the squatters to leave and in response they barricaded two of the houses in expectation of eviction. The neighbours were generally supportive of the six squatted houses in a row and community organizations such as the Downtown Eastside Residents Association and the Grandview-Woodland Area Council supported them.{{Cite web|last=Dayson|first=Paul|date=2 August 1990|title=Squatters Face Homelessness|url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0125855|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-02|website=open.library.ubc.ca|publisher=The Ubyssey|page=3|language=en|archive-date=2020-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211072830/https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0125855}}{{cite news |last1=Kines |first1=Lindsay |title=Few residents opposed to Frances squat plot |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun |date=2 November 1990}}
The squatters formed a group called SAVE (Squatters Alliance of Vancouver East).{{cite book |last1=Baxter |first1=Sheila |title=Under the viaduct: Homeless in beautiful B.C. |date=1991 |publisher=New Star Books |location=Vancouver |isbn=9780921586159}} Spokesperson Penny Singh said "We will not be bullied out by uniforms, black boots and badges".{{cite news |last1=Lamb |first1=Jamie |title=Jamie Lamb |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun |date=14 August 1990}} A SAVE press release stated "Habitable houses should not be left unoccupied". They used the solidarity of their group to address the Vancouver city council about the housing crisis in the city.{{cite news |last1=MacArthur |first1=Jessica |title=Squatters Take Action - The Story of The Frances Street Squats |url=https://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubyssey/SUBYSSEY_1990_08_16.pdf |access-date=6 April 2021 |work=Subyssey |date=August 16, 1990 |archive-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608062213/http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubyssey/SUBYSSEY_1990_08_16.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Eviction
The Frances Street squats were evicted on November 27, 1990, when the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) deployed over 80 officers.{{Cite web|last=Graham|first=Cameron|date=30 November 1990|title=Police Assault Unarmed Squatters|url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0126905|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-01|work=The Ubyssey|page=3|language=en|archive-date=2020-03-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301095124/https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0126905}} 12 were charged with mischief and obstructing a police officer.{{Cite news|last=Chester|first=Martin|date=January 8, 1991|title=Squatting: Public and Publicized|page=7|work=The Ubyssey|url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0127314#p6z-3r0f|url-status=live|access-date=March 1, 2021|archive-date=February 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226055142/https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0127314#p6z-3r0f}} Twenty five officers were from the Emergency Response Team and the city also engaged a helicopter, a bomb squad, police vans, fire engines, dumpster trucks and ambulances. Constable Bob Cooper stated that the VPD had "very reliable information that radical elements have taken control of the issue" and that squatters were in possession of "three shotguns, two handguns, molotov-cocktails, and other homemade weapons". After searching the site for two days, the police found no weapons.
Legacy
No criminal charges were made. Following the eviction, the squatters occupied the offices of the Mayor Gordon Campbell.{{cite news |last1=Ward |first1=Doug |title=Post Squatting Depression |work=The Vancouver Sun |date=15 December 1990}} Representatives of the Committee of Progressive Electors condemned the police for acting in a "inappropriate and vulgar" way at the eviction and requested a public inquiry, comparing the events to the Oka Crisis.{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Jeff |title=Squatter ousting called 'our little Oka' |work=The Vancouver Sun |date=29 November 1990}} Mayor Campbell defended the actions of the police and the Vancouver Sun confirmed no weapons had been found.
By April 1991, the site had been demolished. Ning Yee had sold the properties on and the former squatters were renting.{{cite news |last1=Lamb |first1=Jamie |title=Bulldozers flatten site once occupied by squatters |work=The Vancouver Sun |date=11 April 1991}}
A documentary film, The Beat of Frances Street, was created by Eleven Foot Productions in December 1990.{{cite news |last1=Markiewicz |first1=Jakub |title=Short-lived housing squat in Vancouver: A sign of things to come? |url=https://ricochet.media/en/1178/short-lived-housing-squat-in-vancouver-a-sign-of-more-to-come |access-date=6 April 2021 |work=Ricochet |date=May 24, 2016}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ1qSwo3kmE The Beat of Frances Street: Squatting in East Vancouver] – in five sections on YouTube
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Category:Demolished buildings and structures in British Columbia
Category:Police misconduct in Canada