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ARCHIVED NEWS RELEASE

June 6, 2020

Black lives matter. The past week has again underscored that the struggle for justice and equity in our communities must continue.

As an organization founded to combat racism via intercultural dialogue rooted in sport and culture, Dragon Boat BC recognizes that our current work builds off of a foundation created by Black and POC ancestors. While most of the focus has been on US events, we also recognize local systemic problems. We have developed plans to help in our community within our capacity and scope. Some actions will need to wait for when we are able to safely stage events again, but others aim to immediately address the disproportionate impact COVID continues to have on vulnerable communities.

• We commit to these points to help build a just community where everyone can belong:
• Continue working with our partners to convert the textiles we have to make face masks to support SRO residents and other vulnerable individuals in the Downtown Eastside. This also helps us be as minimally impactful to the environment as possible.
• Partial proceeds from the sale of our reusable face masks at https://www.paddlevancouver.ca/collections/dragon-zone-paddling-club will go to groups supporting BIPOC communities and other essential front-line community services in the Downtown Eastside. We had planned for proceeds from these masks to help us mitigate COVID’s financial repercussions, but we recognize the immediate need for support to be diverted to critical community organizations and initiatives.
• Direct dialogue is critical in helping others understand the impacts of exclusionary and oppressive policies. We will provide platforms for Black, Indigenous, POC, LGBTQ2+, and other marginalized communities to tell their narratives and stories. This work will occur through our event cultural programming and provide space for communities to be present, once it is safe for events to be held.
• Recreation and sport helps build healthy communities, but marginalized communities historically have been excluded from these programs. We will look to expand our accessible team recreation programs for individuals of different physical abilities and competitive levels for members of these communities to help them enjoy the region’s waterscape. These programs will be introduced when we are able to return to our full operations.
• We commit to an ongoing process of working with marginalized communities including Indigenous communities who historically and continue to have a presence on the lands and waters we operate from, the Black community and the historic Hogan’s Alley, and Chinese communities who have and continue to be based in Chinatown.
• We will encourage our paddlers, staff, volunteers, and partners to help in promoting equity and justice within their capacity.
• These ideas will guide our work in the weeks, months, and years ahead. We recognize that we are limited in what we can do, but we commit to helping build a community where everyone can belong.