HACKER MOVEMENT BLOSSOMING IN VANCOUVER

Vancouver Hack Space

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VANCOUVER – DIY is alive and well in Vancouver. On June 1st, the Vancouver Hack Space (VHS) will relocate from the Downtown Eastside to a new home at “The Bunker”, 270 East 1st Ave. Amidst ongoing evictions and closures of community organizations, the Vancouver Hack Space is picking a careful path to sustainable growth.

“We’ve been growing steadily since 2008,” said Jeff Davis, a VHS Director. “We moved to successively bigger spaces in 2009 and 2010, but we’ve been bursting at the seams for a while now. We finally found the right space to keep growing in.”

With rent being so high and condos so small, many people in Vancouver don’t have a space to explore their creativity and build things — lots of roommates, no garages, and no basements. A shared space like VHS is an essential part of keeping Vancouver creatively interesting.

With Vancouver Mini Maker Faire — the brainchild of VHS members and the local Maker Movement’s largest event — coming up in June, VHS is expecting another influx of new members. Last year, VHS saw a 60% increase in membership immediately after Maker Faire. “This is a natural evolution for VHS – we’re doubling every 20 months with no signs of slowing down,” said Dan Royer, VHS member and president of Marginally Clever Software.

“This new ground-level, wheelchair-accessible space on a well-lit street should help VHS become more welcoming and inclusive,” said Colin Keigher, VHS’ Head of Social Engineering.

VHS has become known as Vancouver’s techno-friendly crafters’ paradise, providing a shared workspace, tools and materials, and frequent skill-sharing workshops. The member-funded organisation has amassed an industrial laser cutter, free-range 3D printers, CNC milling machines, and crafting supplies including electronic components, fabric, and thousands of wheels. Member projects are diverse, and include laser-cut sculptures, autonomous robots, nerf guns, puppets, and homemade root beer.

VHS is a member-run non-profit society which has a wide range of tools for anything from crafting to electronics prototyping and robotics. It aims to provide a physical space where almost anything can be created, and like-minded people can gather to share knowledge, skills, and equipment in a collaborative atmosphere. Read more about VHS at: http://vanhack.ca.

For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact VHS Press Relations at http://vanhack.ca/wp/contact-us/

###