Spanning across three generations, Union Street chronicles the ongoing effects of racism, displacement and the cultural erasure of African Canadians, while examining the systemic mechanisms that destroyed Vancouver’s historic Black community in the 60s. Train porters, speakeasies, juke joints and a thriving community all existed in the Black neighbourhood; and so did musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. The reverberations of this thriving community are still felt, and in the face of adversity a new generation of Black Vancouverites work to rebuild, facilitate Black joy and redefine what it means to be African-Canadian.

After witnessing countless friends and family lose everything to gentrification and displacement, a group of longtime Seattle activists form an organization dedicated to creating community and affordable housing for Queer and Trans People of Color. Four years later, and in the midst of a global pandemic and historic racial reckoning, Queer the Land is finally able to realize their goal with the purchase of a home in the Beacon Hill neighborhood; but soon discover the myriad barriers that lie in their wake. Vanishing Seattle: Queer the Land is the story of a changing neighborhood, a tenacious community, and an unwavering dream.