Help Preserve My Legacy Through Photography

My name is Barry Johnson, many know me as Basajear, a Northwest Ontario Métis social documentary photographer based in Vancouver. For nearly a decade, I’ve devoted my life to capturing the spirit, resilience, and everyday beauty of the Commercial Drive and Broadway communities.

Today, I face the greatest challenge of my life: advanced terminal brain cancer. My time is short, but my dream remains clear – I’m working on printing (large format), matting and framing my best images for a Spring 2026 Memorial Exhibition with accompanying book.

To make this possible, I need help covering the costs of ink, paper, mounting, and framing. Every contribution - large or small - brings me closer to preserving this work and sharing it with the world while I still have the strength.

This project is not just about photographs. It is about memory, community, and legacy. These images tell the story of people and places that matter, and I want them to live on long after I am gone.

You can explore my photography here: www.basajear.com

Your support means more than words can express. Together, we can ensure these stories are not lost but carried forward.

Thank you for helping me keep this vision alive.

—Barry Johnson