Going and Going Strong: Victoria Street Papers Then and Now

Street newspapers keep growing in B.C. - Victoria Street Newz founder looks back at 10 years of work

by Janine Bandcroft - Victoria Street Newz

I was raised in a middle-income family with no direct experience of poverty, its causes or consequences. My parents instilled in me a steadfast work ethic: if I worked hard and did my best at whatever job I took, regardless of whether I was washing floors or answering phones or waitressing, I'd survive. This philosophy worked for me. Then I got to university and began to comprehend what poverty is all about.

My social justice sensibilities expanded exponentially. I began connecting the dots between corporate capitalism's perpetual growth and profit-at-any-cost ideology, poverty, and environmental devastation. Armed with my bachelor’s degrees in English and education, and realizing that my profoundly radical awareness wasn't going to mesh well with the formalized system of education, I searched for a way to teach in creative and cooperative ways.

At a workshop organized by Victoria's Inter-Cultural Association (ICA), the topic turned to the need for more alternative and independent media; access to diverse internet media news wasn’t yet available. Paul Martin's 2001 federal budget, combined with the 2001 provincial election —which saw Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals take 77 of 79 seats in the legislature—resulted in dramatic austerity measures that we still feel today. Canada remains the only industrialized nation without a national housing plan. Victoria's street population began to increase visibly throughout the early 2000s, and we didn't have a voice.

From Red Zone to Street Newz

During the 1990s, Victoria had known the Victoria Street Press (produced by street youth through the Victoria Street Community Association) and the Red Zone (published periodically by a small group of volunteers), which had supported a few vendors for a couple of years. Someone at the ICA workshop suggested it was time for another street newspaper. It was an exciting opportunity to provide a voice for marginalized individuals, combined with a distribution method that employed them. I picked up that ball and ran with it.

The first issue of Victoria Street Newz, six pages on 8.5 x 11 paper, stapled at the corner, was released April 1, 2004. I took a small stack to a peace rally and sold enough, among my friends and allies, to cover the costs.

From there, I created a non-profit society called the Bread and Roses Collective and started writing grants. I embraced an "if you build it they will come" mentality. I worked month-to-month, as funding permitted.

My workload was made significantly easier when John Chomyn showed up and, after a few months selling the paper, offered to manage the distribution and vendor coordination. I'm not sure we would have made it these ten years without John's diligent assistance!

Through the decade, Street Newz received and published submissions of poetry, photography, and personal stories from people living in poverty and their allies.

Some of our regular contributors were cyann ray, a disabled woman who shared some of her life's challenges; kym hothead, a transgendered anti-poverty advocate; and Mark Idczak, prolific street poet. Our writing and publishing consistency ensured vendors a quality newspaper they could proudly sell to a dedicated customer base, thereby supplementing their meager disability or seniors' pensions.

Speaking truth to power

With many fond memories, Street Newz is now retired. I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about the root causes and devastating consequences of poverty. I've made many friends, and a few philosophical enemies. When we received a shredded Street Newz in the mail along with a nasty note, I knew we were on the right track! If there's one thing my university studies taught me, it's that the historical characters who have dared to speak truth to power were lied about, ridiculed, sometimes completely destroyed. I won't say I'm a great historical character, but I know that all of us who have written for and sold the Street Newz this past decade are in very good company!

Street newspapers exist all over this world in nearly every major city on every continent. They offer dignified employment to people living vulnerable lives. Ideally, they provide a place to honestly analyze and critique the dominant culture, to glimpse into the world of people who live on the margins, to ask the big questions.

Like Megaphone magazine, Victoria's Street Newz was a proud member of a global family of street newspapers though we were unique in a couple of ways. We really tried to embrace the tenet of "Nothing About Us Without Us" and consistently sought content from people directly experiencing poverty or homelessness. We also tried to encourage the broader community to embrace a "pay what you can" attitude by offering the newspaper by donation rather than for a fixed price.

It was a difficult decision to retire the Street Newz completely, but I want it to live in peoples' memories for the gritty, grassroots project it was. I've enjoyed a congenial relationship with Sean Condon and Megaphone for many years, as Vancouver's street paper has grown and evolved into a quality news journal that combines professional journalism with writing produced in their own workshops. When I received Sean's email affirming that they'd be happy to move into our neighbourhood, I knew I could step away gracefully, leaving our vendors and readers in good hands.

Through these years I've developed a real understanding of the kind of camaraderie that happens within communities of people who struggle to survive.

We have brilliant ideas about how to rearrange society so everyone can live healthier and happier with more equity and security. We work to help each other heal from the traumas we've experienced. We all have stories to tell, and creativity to explore.

So welcome to Victoria, Megaphone. And thank you, all, for your support.

Janine Bandcroft worked as founding editor of Victoria Street Newz from April 2004 to June 2014. She remains as host of the Winds of Change radio program airing at CFUV alternate Thursdays, and plans to stay connected with Victoria’s street community. janinebandcroft.wordpress.com.