Meet the man who's lived in Stanley Park in Vancouver for 30 years

good morning hello hello how are you meet Stanley Park's longest resident thanks for having hi my name is Christenson Bailey Chris is good I've been living here for 34 years now since 1990 Chris Bailey has lived in the forest in the middle of Vancouver when I first went in there um I was bagging geese and cooking them the first 17 years in here uh were candle light but at age 74 and with trees around his campsite being cut down leaving him exposed Chris's time in the park is coming to an end do you think you have achieved what you came here to do oh beyond what I ever expected this is his story it's 2° right now how much it's 2° right now 2° no problem these are a good joke everything about Chris's campsite is simple but functional the rain factor that comes down just like water off a duck's back accounting for the rain and the cold all right you got a blanket one sleeping bag two three and a fourth so that's good for like 20 blue the roof is made of clear tar poolen and old fishing nets so natural light beams through flowers add color and one side of the tent is always open so birds can fly in the chickies are a godsent really it's a whole relationship that say over seven or eight years has kind of been really total support Chris was born in the US but his family moved to Canada when he was a teenager so his father could work in Ottawa he had a couple of degrees was a lecturer at MIT he studied maths and Engineering at University and was briefly married but Chris found his true self in art and the way that I was perceiving life the people that I was associating with or viewing nightly you know uh I was not happy with and when I saw the opportunity to uh go to another situation in the art world you know I jumped on it Chris visited Vancouver in 1981 on a hitchhiking trip from Toronto that was his first experience camping in Stanley Park the combination of the forest and the ocean in the middle of a city Drew him back less than a decade later when Chris turned 40 and he never left the quest is for mind you know to look at influences of the peace and quiet of the force on creativity and that's Square One 30 years ago each morning he meditates for an hour before Dawn and art I've got several other bags like that is his true passion how long do you think you would spend doing this in a day in a day the whole day abstract paintings and sketches created in the forest did you make this music yeah he even makes his own music playing flute and Horn over Jazz backing tracks how do you record it how do I record it I have some um very good recording gear and mix it on you know a phone living outside Chris is exposed to the elements he bunkered down during Vancouver's 9 1996 Storm of the Century the 2021 heat Dome he hardly noticed but the wind storm is a scarring memory that's an experience which uh you know I wouldn't wish on anybody this tree that came down between the maples this tree that I'm standing on this portion here came down in 2006 hurricane force winds ripped through Vancouver Chris took shelter under a log 15 feet over another tree came down and then 10 feet beyond that is where I would be Sheltering when the wind came in what did that sound like what do it sound like the wind sounds like freight trains coming in around him more than 10,000 trees were uprooted to see that or witness that is you know devastating really you hardly ever get over it despite his Camp being fairly hidden Chris's presence wasn't a secret cuz if he didn't come by we would go out and check on him now retired Vancouver Police Constable Mike Keller first met Chris Bailey in 2003 he seemed to be very very well equipped for himself like he was very self-sufficient Keller spent 20 years with the vpd's mounted unit in Stanley Park it's their job to know who's in the forest we were really focused on the people that were um drug addicted alcohol addicted involved in crime maybe using the park as a place to hide or even do crime Chris was not one of those people there have been a lot of people living in the park and I think a lot of people will be surprised by that Sergeant Susan sharp has known Chris since 2010 she says during her time with the VPD there have been around 10 long-term residents in Stanley Park old men over 50 Chris's stay is the longest my relationship with him was special and unique he was very special and unique he wasn't like other people that were living in the park every Christmas I get a I get a note from him via email or a text message just saying Merry Christmas at Christmas time one year he brought me some some art it's this connection to Art and nature that's kept him here so long when you first went into the park did you know at that point that you were going to be there for 30 years no not at all you know if I checked out of here tomorrow into the great beyond you know you'll fine I'll go go with it

Channel: Global News

Views: 731,177

Keywords: global news, global bc, stanley park, stanley park last resident, Vancovuer, people living in stanley park, who lives in stanley park, Chris Bailey Stanley Park, Christenson Bailey, living in stanley park, stanley park vancouver, living wild, living rough, BC, News, Stanley Park, Stanley Park Resident, Christenson Bailey Stanley Park, Living Wild, Vancouver, Global News Hour at 6 BC, environment, social issues, homeless living in stanley park

Id: RYXxteBnayg

Length: 6min 1sec (361 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 18 2024