Last Sunday afternoon, Slocan Park transformed into a vibrant hub of community action where environmental advocacy met artistic expression at the Clean Air Festival. As families sprawled across blankets and children darted between community booths, it became clear this wasn’t just another summer gathering in East Vancouver.
“We’re building power through joy,” explained Maria Lopez, one of the festival organizers and a long-time resident of the Renfrew-Collingwood neighborhood. “People connect differently when there’s music playing and their kids are having fun. Suddenly, conversations about air quality become less abstract.”
The festival, now in its third year, has evolved from a modest neighborhood initiative into a coordinated effort bringing together over 20 community organizations. What makes this approach distinctive is its deliberate fusion of cultural celebration with tactical community organizing—a method reminiscent of legendary activist Saul Alinsky’s playbook but adapted for Vancouver’s diverse eastside communities.
Under a canopy of trees, the Carnival Band’s brassy notes competed with animated conversations at information booths where residents signed petitions addressing industrial emissions from port facilities and nearby manufacturing plants. Meanwhile, young dancers from the Cedar Cottage Community Centre performed choreographed pieces representing clean versus polluted environments.
“The health data doesn’t lie,” said Dr. Amrita Gill, a respirologist who volunteered at the health information booth. “We’re seeing concerning patterns of respiratory issues in neighborhoods near high-traffic corridors and industrial zones. Last year’s provincial health assessment showed a 23% higher rate of asthma-related emergency visits from postal codes in this area compared to the Vancouver average.“
The festival’s organizing committee has built relationships with city councillors and provincial representatives through consistent engagement. Councillor Janet Fry, who attended the festival, noted that “community-led initiatives like this one have directly influenced the expansion of air quality monitoring stations across East Vancouver neighborhoods last year.”
Perhaps most striking was the festival’s intergenerational appeal. Seniors from the Collingwood Neighbourhood House shared stories of environmental changes they’ve witnessed over decades, while teenagers from Windermere Secondary’s environmental club conducted simple air quality demonstrations using homemade testing kits.
“I’ve lived here since 1975,” said 83-year-old Raymond Chen as he helped his granddaughter place a painted handprint on the community mural. “The air was different then. We could see the mountains more days of the year. Now my grandson uses an inhaler, and I wonder if these things are connected.”
Festival coordinator Devin Williams emphasized that their approach moves beyond raising awareness. “We’re creating sustained engagement. Every person who signs up today gets connected to specific actions they can take next week, next month. We’ve learned that one-off events don’t create change—building relationships does.”
This strategy has yielded measurable results. According to organizers, advocacy efforts stemming from previous festivals contributed to the Port of Vancouver’s recent commitment to reduce ship idling times and increase shore power capabilities—changes expected to significantly reduce particulate emissions in adjacent neighborhoods.
The Clean Air Festival represents a sophisticated evolution in community organizing. Rather than positioning environmental advocacy as something separate from daily life, organizers have embedded it within cultural celebration and neighborhood pride.
“Traditional protests can sometimes feel alienating to people just trying to get through their week,” explained Lopez. “But who doesn’t want to bring their kids to a festival? And once they’re here, we can have real conversations about the air those kids are breathing.”
The festival’s artistic elements weren’t merely decorative additions. Dance performances by the Polymer Dance Collective explored themes of environmental justice through movement, while the community mural—expected to find a permanent home at the neighborhood library—visually captured residents’ hopes for a healthier community.
Local businesses contributed too. Laughing Bean Coffee donated proceeds from their festival booth to fund air filters for nearby daycares, while East Van Brewing Company unveiled a special “Clean Air Ale” with partial proceeds supporting advocacy work.
“What we’re really doing is creating a culture where environmental health is seen as a community right, not just a policy debate,” said Williams. “When people experience joy together, they’re more likely to work together when challenges arise.“
As the festival wound down and volunteers began dismantling tents, the organizing committee had collected over 800 signatures for their clean air petition and registered 140 new community members for their monthly action network.
Chen, still admiring the completed community mural before heading home, summed up the festival’s impact: “For the first time in years, I feel hopeful. Not because politicians made promises, but because my neighbors care enough to do something.”
The Clean Air Festival will return next summer, but its effects continue through monthly community meetings, educational workshops in local schools, and ongoing dialogue with elected officials—proving that sometimes the most effective activism happens between the music and the dancing, when neighbors simply talk to neighbors about the air they share.
