2024 EVENT Accessibility 

March Accessibility

Masking Section

All march attendees are encouraged to mask at our event. We will have a dedicated masks-required section at the front of our march that is kept a safer distance away from non-masked marchers. Folks in this section are strongly encouraged to wear respirators such as a KN95 or N95. Our mask marshals will have KN95 masks to hand out to those who would like one. 

ASL

One of our festival ASL interpreters will join the march at McSpadden to gather folks and walk at the head of the march.  

Volunteers

Volunteers will be present at McSpadden park before the march, will be scattered along the march route, and will be present at the Festival as well. Attendees can approach volunteers in high-visibility vests for help with accessibility, safety concerns, and event questions. 

Festival Accessibility

Festival Map for Access

Transit

Here are some transit routes to Grandview Park: 

• Commercial-Broadway Station - 18 mins walk up Commercial Drive or bus 8 mins (020 Downtown Bus NB) 

• 20 Downtown Bus (NB) - Get off @Charles St

• 20 Victoria Bus (SB)- Get off @ Williams St

Accessible Parking

We will have accessible parking spots on Charles Street next to Grandview Park. Please e-mail us at accessibility@VancouverDykeMarch.com if you would like to request an accessible parking pass. 

Mobility

Grandview Park’s terrain is a combination of concrete and grassy areas with slight inclines. There are concrete paths connecting all booths. The ramp entrance to the vendor area in the outdoor rink has a gated entryway that is 45 inches wide. 

The Britannia 55+ Centre is 150 meters from Grandview Park and is connected by concrete paths and a ramped entrance. Doors to the centre have access switches.

Washrooms

Public washrooms in the northeast corner of Grandview park (one with stalls, and one with stalls and urinals) are all-gender on the day of our festival. There is also a universal, single-user accessible washroom on the back side of that building. This year we will also have 1 accessible and 4 standard portable washroom units near the public washrooms for our event. 

Additional single-user washrooms can be found in the Vancouver Public Library in Britannia at 1661 Napier St, Vancouver. And washrooms in our cooling space across from the library in the Britannia 55+ Centre will also be universal.

ASL

All our festival performances will have ASL interpretation. This includes the main stage show running from 12:30-5:00PM in Grandview Park and the special QUIRK-E reading from 2:30-3:30PM at the Britannia 55+ Centre. 

Low Stimulation Tent

VDM Volunteers will be running a low-stimulation tent with the support of Live Educate Transform Society (LET’S). This tent is located across from the washrooms at Grandview Park and will include fidget toys, plushies, coloring activities, ground-seating in a quieter, shaded environment. 

Masks & COVID-19

All festival attendees are encouraged to mask at our event. The Accessible Viewing Area and the Britannia 55+ Centre (cooling space) are mask-mandatory spaces at our festival. Free masks will be available in these spaces and at the VDM tent. 

Accessible Viewing Area

We will have an accessible viewing tent with folding chairs and open space available for watching the stage show at the top of the grassy field at Grandview Park. This tent is a mask-required space to ensure safety from airborne diseases while sharing this space. A volunteer will supply free masks for this space. 

This seating area can be accessed from the sidewalk on Charles Street, but will require traveling on the grass for a short distance. Note that the grass is very dead and the ground is pretty level in this area.

Shaded Viewing Area

We will have additional shaded viewing tents with folding chairs at the top of the grassy field at Grandview Park beside the sport court. 

Activities for Youth

This year, Vancouver Public Library staff are helping to set up kids activities in the sports court near the stage on the west end of the park. This tent will offer colouring activities, books and more. Please note that this service is not equivalent to childcare, you may not leave your children unattended at this tent. Grandview Park also has a children’s playground area and a small water park feature. 

Water, Heat Prevention, and Cooling

WATER STATION

This year, the Metro Vancouver water wagon team will be at our festival to supply water for bottle refills. Staff members also bring displays and games to provide public education about our water systems.  

WATER FEATURE

Grandview Park has a small water feature/park area next to the playground. Running through the sprayed water is a great way to cool off during a hot event day.

FANS

We will have handheld paper fans to hand out to attendees at our march and festival. They will be handed out at McSpadden Park before the march, and at the Vancouver Dyke March booth at Grandview Park during the festival. 

BRITANNIA 55+ CENTRE

We will have an air-conditioned cooling space in the Britannia 55+ Centre. There will be chairs, tables, fans, universal washrooms, and colouring and craft activities. This space is wheelchair accessible and will be mask-mandatory throughout the day. QUIRK-E will be doing a special reading here from 2:30-3:30PM that will be ASL interpreted. 

Vendors

Vendors will have access to a temporary drop-off and loading zone on Charles Street. Volunteers are available to assist vendors who need help with setup and take-down. Volunteers will also do rounds to check-in on vendors and offer breaks throughout the day.