roger collins calabash bistro
The impact of the overdose crisis stretches well beyond the people who use drugs, their families, and their friends. Businesses are also affected, and many business owners share the same frustrations around inadequate drug policies that are failing to provide care for a community in need. They witness the fallout of this neglect firsthand, often right outside their doors.
Roger Collins is the owner of Calabash Bistro. His establishment is an integral fixture of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside contributing to its rich social fabric, rather than eroding or gentrifying it. Though he faces many challenges as an entrepreneur in the area, he goes to great lengths to be a part of the solution by working with a community struggling with substance use and addiction rather than against it. His is an example of how businesses can be a part of the solution rather than a barrier to progress.
