East Van Cross – East Vancouver

The East Van Cross traditionally was the work of graffiti artists, said to express the "marginality and defiance" of East Vancouver, and has been around for decades. The symbol which gained popularity in the 21st century is comprised of the words East written vertically and Van intersecting horizontally at the shared letter A, the pair forming the shape of a cross. The East Van Cross erected in 2010 at the corner of East 6th Avenue and Clark Drive, has been adopted as a city icon, most visibly expressed in the form of a Monument for East Vancouver by artist Ken Lum.

Chances are if you live in Vancouver you’ve driven by the large cross which has become an icon of East Vancouver. The massive letters and shape light up at night which makes it easy to spot from afar. The artist recalls seeing iterations of the symbol frequently around East Vancouver in the 60s, and occasionally in the 70s. “It was always a marker of East Van,” he said. The monument is now a popular subject for photographers and creatives looking to capture the roots of the city.