Missing Chrissy — Support Chrissy Brett’s Vision

With the permission of Chrissy’s family, we have created this GoFundMe campaign to support her two teenage sons and their continuation of her work on the Namegans Nation, which means "we are all one".

Christine "Chrissy" Brett came to Vancouver’s downtown east side to search for her niece, who was tragically found deceased, alone in an alley, after she arrived. She came to Oppenheimer Park in her search.

Having been a housing activist and key organizer in Victoria's tent city in 2016, she believed that the homeless of the DTES could be safer together, and after moving in she set about forming community guidelines for the residents of Oppenheimer Park. She quickly became the Park representative and advocate with various stakeholders, including the VPD, BC Housing, the fire department, the City of Vancouver, Strathcona BIA and of course, the Park Board, as well as innumerable DTES organizations.

Chrissy was a tireless advocate and spokesperson for the rights of displaced people, in particular for the Urban Indigenous community. Friend and mentor to many, Beloved strategist, warrior and matriarch, She dreamed of an environment of autonomy, respect and dignity in the DTES, and in all urban centers.

She leaves behind two teenage sons — David and Jake — and a vast extended family, related and chosen. For all those who met Chrissy, none will forget her.

“Chrissy Brett was a mentor to us all, a beloved strategist, warrior, and matriarch. She was both visionary and brilliant, always seeing the big picture and analysis while valuing each individual. She upheld the importance of bringing people and stakeholders together to communicate and could negotiate and build allies across boundaries, but also hold firmly to a level and demand for respect and accountability. She was my friend, mentor, and teacher, who helped me to not have fear and to advocate strongly but also to always have compassion for the most vulnerable and treat each person with dignity and respect” - Fiona York

Read her obituary here: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/obituary-chrissy-brett-homeless-oppenheimer-strathcona-indigenous-vancouver-5602906?fbclid=IwAR3PHN0FsAYHXTrtVoojt2AzxMVUCRESNf41reXylL3tZZI0NYYCs2ZlTn4

Chrissy’s two teenage sons are being supported by close family members during this difficult time. They have been instrumental and closely connected with Chrissy’s recent work supporting unhoused people in Vancouver’s West End, and were part of her vision for creating an empowered unhoused community and truly supportive social housing. The family has requested specific assistance to help facilitate the boys’ independence, their future housing, part-time jobs and ability to continue to support her vision.

Chrissy’s recent plans were around creating real supports in so-called state-run “supportive housing” through peer-to-peer Narcan training and overdose prevention programs, developing cultural activities and other peer-based and tenant-initiated activities. She also wanted to launch a challenge against “program” designated housing that strips tenants of rights, and further develop a vision of housing that is Indigenous led, culturally safe, peer-run and community-supported. She wanted to continue to challenge the right to shelter in public space when there is no adequate housing available, and launch new initiatives based on the right to housing.

Specific costs:

Created on the unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.