VANCOUVER Mayor Ken Sim on Thursday announced a $5.2 million investment in Hastings-Sunrise, including targeted public space improvements through the City’s Uplifting Communities Fund and permanent upgrades to the Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza.
“We’re listening to residents and making real, tangible improvements that people will see and feel in their daily lives,” said Sim. “Clean streets, well-maintained public spaces, and neighbourhoods that feel cared for—these are the basics that make a city feel safe, vibrant, and welcoming. Getting them right is key to supporting businesses, enhancing safety, and building pride in our communities.”
The City is investing $2 million from the Uplifting Communities Fund to improve public spaces throughout the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood, including new and larger litter bins, fresh paint on light poles, neighbourhood sidewalk repairs, bike racks, and well-maintained, cleaner streets.
Beyond the increased focus on delivering key core services, the City is allocating an additional $3.2 million to transform the Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza into a permanent space featuring a new concrete surface, expanded seating, new trees, and green infrastructure, including a rain garden and an enhanced Indigenous Food Forest. Electrical upgrades on-site at the plaza will provide essential infrastructure to allow for decorative lighting, small events, and future uses for amenities like bike share programs, food trucks and more.
“This neighbourhood has deep roots, and we’re making sure it gets the investment it deserves,” Sim said. “When this plaza first opened as a temporary pop-up, it quickly became a key gathering place. We heard loud and clear that people wanted it to stay, so now we’re making it permanent.”
Hastings-Sunrise is the first neighbourhood to benefit from these investments, with more upgrades planned across Vancouver over the next two years through the $6 million Uplifting Communities Fund, approved by City Council in July 2024.
Sim also recognized the community partnerships that have helped make this investment possible, including the East Village BIA, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, Ward Memorial Baptist Church, and the Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation.
“We’re working alongside incredible community partners who know this neighbourhood best,” he said. “Together, we’re making Hastings-Sunrise an even better place to live, work and visit.”
Construction on the Kamloops-Hastings Neighbourhood Plaza will begin this spring, with completion expected in early 2026. Additional public space upgrades will be rolled out over the next two years.
