Back to Newsroom

Making diamonds from coal

With few resources but an abundance of ingenuity, people in the Downtown Eastside — many living with disabilities — modify everyday objects to help make daily living easier

September 4, 2025

Designers often say: function comes before form. In the Downtown Eastside, this principle isn’t just theory, it’s a matter of survival. 

By necessity, residents constantly adapt and invent, reshaping the everyday objects around them to meet their needs and make daily tasks a little easier. 

On the following pages, this photo series captures some of the ingenious, resourceful solutions I’ve encountered while recently wandering the neighbourhood.  

About the photographer: 
 
Mike McNeeley was born in Kincardine, Ontario, and has called Vancouver home for more than 46 years. Today, he is a well-known presence in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), where he has built community through his street photography. 

Mike’s work has been published widely, including in Megaphone magazine, the Voices of the Street literary anthology and the Hope in Shadows calendar. A longtime Megaphone vendor, writer and lead photographer for The Shift peer newsroom, he has won awards in the Hope in Shadows photography competition numerous times over multiple years. Now, he’s a photography mentor for fellow Megaphone vendors, helping others find their creative eye behind the lens. 

Mike takes inspiration from everyday life, capturing the resilience and spirit of the DTES through honest interactions too often overlooked by mainstream media. 

With a deep interest in the ethics of photography, he resists the exploitative lens that marginalized populations are often subjected to, focusing instead on authenticity and obtaining informed consent. 

Beyond photography, Mike has won numerous local tennis tournaments, and has played alongside professional tennis players. He’s passionate about visual and performing arts.  

LOW RIDER: “I’ve got to be different and feel good about whatever I am riding,” Tyler told Megaphone. So when he rented this scooter, he turned it into a chopper and personalized it. Tyler took care not to damage the scooter in its transformation. He used a milk carton as a seat and secured it with a paracord. A scrap piece of wood is used as a foot rest, secured with USB cables. “I used to build motorized choppers back in Toronto, where I lived,” Tyler explained. “Under the banana seat I had a chainsaw engine. 
It was like a ’77 Road King.” 

GIMME SHELTER: During the intense heat wave we had in July, Chris took this standard garden umbrella with four legs and modified it so that he could use it without taking up space on the sidewalk outside The Aboriginal Front Door. Tents and other structures on the sidewalk are routinely removed by city crews and police. Chris is a part of the Crazy Indians Brotherhood. The organization cooks and distributes food to people outside the old Royal Bank at Main and East Hastings. 

WHEELS UP: Kelly’s innovation involves a Styrofoam cooler and skateboard wheels. “Rather than carrying a heavy bag around, I made this,” he said. “It allows me to get on the bus with my empty refundables and not worry about the contents leaking. Some people are sensitive about that.” 

WALKABOUT: Stan needed a walker with four wheels on it. “Originally, after getting this walker from the hospital, it only had two wheels on it. When I saw this broken scooter in an alley, I added it to the front.” Stan’s ingenious modification allows him to get around easier, making sharp turns — something he could not do before. 

LAYING LOW: Emma Joe has a bad knee and sciatica pain in her back. She is forced to use a large foldable cot to display the items she has for sale as a street vendor. “I cannot bend down anymore to pick things up. It takes a long time for me to get anything done, so this cot is really helping me. I can only walk two or three steps at a time.” Emma says the person who sold in the spot before her slept on the cot and left it for her. She says police sometimes tell her to take things down, threatening her with a fine. “But for many people, this is an alternative to doing crime,” she said. “I prefer to do this than crime.” 

ROOM FOR A VIEW: Preston fashioned a rearview mirror onto a gardening pole to protect himself while binning. With it, he can scan the inside of bags without risking cuts from broken glass or sharp objects. The mirror also lets him peer around corners when needed. “What motivated me was seeing a pair of glasses that allowed the wearer to see behind themselves,” he explained. A small switch adjusts the angle, giving him a clear view from different positions. 

FROM THE FRONT PAGE: Aaron was inspired to start drawing when his grandfather passed away. ”I always liked to doodle a little, but wasn’t inspired until 1995 after inheriting my grandfather’s box of comics,” Aaron told Megaphone. “I haven’t put the pencil down since.”  Arron has turned his talent into a way to earn much-needed extra money. He sells his work outside The Vancouver Art Gallery and in the Downtown Eastside.  

Published in Megaphone magazine on September 5, 2025