Blog

Welcome to Canada’s First Mexican Barrio

We are celebrating the launch of the first Mexican Barrio in Canada! A collaborative initiative between Gastown BIA and Hastings Crossing BIA celebrating the Mexican-owned businesses and the people who make them thrive in our neighbourhoods. We’re proud to partner across neighbourhoods to create something vibrant, authentic, and rooted in tradition.   DISCOVER THE MEXICAN BARRIO MAPYour guide to exploring a little piece of Mexico in the heart of Vancouver.Each point on this map represents a unique spot, from vibrant eateries and cultural spaces. Walk through the colorful streets, taste authentic flavors, enjoy live music, and meet the amazing people who keep our traditions alive. Whether you’re here for food, art, or community, this map will lead you to experiences

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2025 Annual General Meeting

Join HxBIA members, staff, and our board of directors for our 2025 AGM! Hear about the progress made over the past year and share your input for our 5-year renewal Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2025Time: 4:30-6:00 PMLocation: Sabina Mexican Restaurant, 51 W Hastings Street Click here for all details and to register to join us for this important event.

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Abbott Lunch Meet

Join us in the heart of the neighbourhood for a fun-filled street lunch party! 🎉 Take a Friday break and join us on Abbott Street for a lively lunch-hour block party — the perfect way to recharge at work or kick off the weekend early!  Friday, September 12 • 11AM–3PM400 Block of Abbott Street ✨ What to Expect: Live Music to keep the vibes high Art & Activities for all ages Community Booths sharing local resources and connections Street Games to bring people together A long table lunch — grab your meal from a nearby restaurant and join your neighbours for lunch! 💡 Plus—don’t miss the special features & promos from your favourite local businesses! Check it out and …..

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Grand Opening – Hastings/Gastown BIA Community Policing Station

Join Us for the Grand Opening! 🎉⁠ ⁠The new Gastown Hastings Crossing Community Policing Centre is officially opening its doors, and you’re invited to the Public Open House!⁠⁠📅 Date: July 16, 2025⁠⏰ Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM⁠📍 Location: Woodwards Building, at Abbott and W Hastings St⁠⁠Tour the space, meet local officers, and learn how you can volunteer to support neighbourhood safety. No RSVP needed—just come by and say hello

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Help Us Fill Empty Storefronts in the DTES

Send a Letter of Support Today The Downtown Eastside is full of potential—but far too many storefronts in our neighbourhood remain empty. In the Hastings Crossing BIA area alone, over 30% of ground-floor commercial spaces sit vacant, contributing to lost economic opportunity, safety challenges, and a sense of neglect. That’s why we’re proud to support a new motion at Vancouver City Council being brought forward on July 9: “From Vacancy to Vitality: Launching a Temporary Use Pilot for Empty Storefronts in the Downtown Eastside.” (View the motion here) This motion follows months of advocacy from HxBIA and proposes a simple but powerful change: allow vacant commercial spaces to be used temporarily (up to 12 months) by local artists, entrepreneurs, nonprofits,

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Membership Survey

We need your help in shaping the next 5 years of Hastings Crossing BIA  by completing this survey if you have not yet. Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association (HxBIA) operates on 5-year cycles within the City of Vancouver’s BIA Initiative. As part of the renewal process, HxBIA seeks to engage its business and property members to understand priorities so that we can develop a budget for the next 5-year period. This budget will include enhanced safety & cleaning, placemaking, marketing & events, and advocacy work. Please complete the following member survey to help us better understand your needs for the next 5-year cycle Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to complete our member survey. If you

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Fair in the Square is coming….

We are proud to once again be one of the sponsors of Central City Foundation 17th Annual Fair in the Square. Happening Sunday June 8, 2025 11 AM to 2 PM at Victory Square (Cambie & Hastings). This event provides a much-needed opportunity for all of us to connect with our community, while celebrating the vibrancy and resilience of our inner city.  Connect with the non-profit agencies that are doing amazing work in the community as well as to enjoy some great live music and entertainment, arts and crafts, an artisan market and free BBQ, cupcakes, watermelon and coffee.   HxBIA looks forward to meeting you come and visit us at our table and say hi.

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HxBIA Wins BIABC Best in the West Award

We proud to share about winning BIABC Best in the West Award for The Crossing Pop-Up we hosted in December 2024. The Best in the West Awards exist to shine a light on, and develop a repository of, Best Practices in key areas of Business Improvement Areas vital work in downtowns, main streets and commercial districts. It means the world to be recognized for our project, The Crossing Pop-Up, which helped create vibrant spaces for artists to thrive in and forge a deeper connection between our members and the community. Thank you to everyone who helped make The Crossing Pop-Up such a well-received success especially the following: BIABC, Lowtide Properties, City of Vancouver, The Gallery George Club Soda Events, Kay

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Love Your City 2025

Celebrate love for Hastings Crossing and the amazing small businesses that make up our beautiful neighbourhood! Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association is thrilled to team up with 15 Business Improvement Associations across the city to host this year’s Love Your City campaign. Look out for colourful street installations in Vancouver retail neighbourhoods and fantastic prize draws on Instagram! How to play for a chance to win a grand prize of goodies from participating neighbourhoods! (Valued at approximately $4,000) : Like the @loveyourcitycontest Instagram contest post and follow @loveyourcitycontest Follow a BIA neighbourhood. (Hint, @hxbia 😉) Write a love note to a BIA neighbourhood (Hint, @hxbia 😉) in the comments of the contest post at @loveyourcitycontest Bonus Entry #1: Submit your

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Experience Hastings Crossing with 2025 BINGO!

Complete a full BINGO card for a chance to win $200 from your favourite local business or social enterprise! Discover Hastings Crossing with BINGO! Hastings Crossing BIA is a vibrant neighborhood filled with unique local businesses and social enterprises that make our community one-of-a-kind. To celebrate the heart of our city, we’re inviting you to play Hastings Crossing BINGO! Explore, support, and discover all the incredible offerings in our area while having a little fun. Here’s how it works: download your BINGO card [click here], complete activities by visiting businesses, and share your progress on social media using #ExperienceHastingsCrossing for a chance to win exciting prizes! To get you started, here are a few highlights from each letter of H

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