Hilary Angus
VFR: Hilary, tell us about yourself!
Hilary Angus: I’m a writer and bike advocate, currently working in small business communications. I grew up on the North Shore, was in Montreal and abroad for most of my twenties, and then returned to Vancouver four years ago. I'm currently living out my high school fantasy, living just a few blocks away from Commercial Drive, and it's even better than I'd hoped it would be. I live with my partner and our very, very good one-eared dog, Dolly.
VFR: You've been doing food rescues consistently since February 2021, which is incredible. What motivates you to get involved in the community and give back the way that you do?
HA: I've been really fortunate throughout my life, in a variety of ways. I grew up in West Vancouver with no shortage of resources, but was lucky enough to have a number of adults of in my life who encouraged me to look beyond my neighbourhood and see myself as part of a global community – not just one suburban enclave. So, I've been volunteering consistently since high school, motivated largely by a sense of responsibility to the community and the idea that I have been given much, so I should be giving back.
I was laid off at the beginning of the pandemic, so I suddenly had A LOT of time, and I wanted to get involved in the local food security scene – which is something I'd always admired from a distance, but had never been involved with. I first started an internship at a community farm, and then found out about VFR through Instagram. It seemed like a really wonderful and necessary initiative, and also, importantly, one that I could continue doing once I was back to work, since there’s so much flexibility involved with all of the food rescues. I’m back at work now, but on a flexible, work-from-home schedule, so it has been great to be able to maintain my weekly food rescue pickup.
VFR: What is something you’d tell others who are new to volunteering?
HA: I think a big thing to keep in mind is that volunteering is rarely glamorous, and it may not feel as rewarding as you're hoping it will be on the first day, or even the first few times. You're just doing what needs to be done. Often, that's a repetitive, menial task for the entire shift, or you're working alone. I remember volunteering at women's shelter in Montreal years ago, where I would show up and peel potatoes every Monday morning for three hours, by myself in a back room, then leave. There are definitely volunteering opportunities that are social and you'll feel very involved and integrated right away. But there are also many more that are just completing a task that needs to be completed, and the gratification you'll get from it has to come from the knowledge that you're contributing, even if you don't get a trophy, or even a pat on the back for it.
I love seeing Chef TJ, Chef Sean, and the crew at Ono Vancouver for my food rescue pick-up each week, and I really enjoy seeing Leo and the crew at Kilala Lelum for my community drop-off each week, but otherwise it's just driving. And I hate driving! But the food needs to be moved, and that's what we're here for.
VFR: You’ve developed a great relationship with Chef TJ Conwi of Ono Vancouver who works in partnership with VFR to operate a community meal program. Please share about this.
HA: Chef TJ and I actually knew each other before VFR. We worked together as bicycle tour guides at Cycle City Tours, before the pandemic. I learned about VFR through his Instagram, but when I chose a weekly pickup, I chose one based on proximity to my house, and it just happened to be his. Over the two years since, we've been working together to develop a little initiative to make his community meal program more financially sustainable in the long term. But it hasn't launched yet, so you'll just have to wait and see. ;)
VFR: You have a fabulous Instagram account @slow.road that everyone should follow for book and drink recommendations, you're a photographer, and you're aiming to enter back into journalism. You've got a lot going on! Tell us about everything you're up to these days.
HA: Thank you for the kind words! I worked as the managing editor of a bicycle magazine, many, many moons ago, but had been out of that role and media in general for six years ago by the time the pandemic hit. The book and drink reviews began as a way to stay creative and feel connected to the wider world in the long evenings of the early pandemic. Basically, I was reading and drinking a lot, and I thought, why not share this? The reviews have developed a very small but mighty following over two years, so I've tried to keep them coming out whenever I can find the time. More recently, I've realized the process behind the reviews, both the writing and the photography, is consistently one of my favourite parts of my week, so I've set my sights on getting back into media with the hope that I can make creativity a much larger part of my life.
VFR: We have just over one month left of the summer. Do you have any recommendations for places and/or events we should check out in the city? Also, what are your favourite local restaurants and food businesses to visit?
HA: The Yeast Van Summer Patio Party still has tickets left! The Yeast Van brewery district is my regular stomping ground and having all those breweries in the same place is sure to be a great day. Harbour Oyster + Bar on Commercial Drive is my go-to happy hour ($1.50 oysters every day until 5pm!). The staff are all incredibly friendly, the patio is dog-friendly, and the Caesars are great. I eat more oysters than is sane or necessary as a result of that bar being down the street. Also, their fries are, in my opinion, the best in the city.
Jokes Please! Stand-up comedy every Friday night at the Cambrian Hall in Mount Pleasant – it's consistently hilarious. After the show, you can walk up the block to Hero's Welcome for weird blue beers, pool, and arcade games.
VFR: Anything else you would like to add?
HA: Just gratitude to the VFR team for all your hard work! This is such a critical initiative, and you're running it incredibly well; it has been a joy to be a part of.
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