Councillor pushes to name Downtown Eastside alley in honour of Trey Helten

A Vancouver city councillor is hoping to rename an alley in the Downtown Eastside in honour of a well-known community member.

A Vancouver city councillor is hoping to rename an alley in the Downtown Eastside in honour of a beloved community member.

Trey Helten was a harm reduction advocate and general manager of the Overdose Prevention Society, where he was well-known for helping those struggling with addiction and homelessness after turning his own life around.

He died at age 42 in April; the cause has not been publicly shared.

Helten was also an artist and in 2022 created the first legal graffiti wall in Vancouver in the alley between East Hastings and Pender streets, connecting Cambie and Abbott streets.

Friends are already calling the calling the lane “Ashtrey Alley,” after Helten’s nickname. On Wednesday, Coun. Sean Orr will table a motion calling to make the name change official.

“It’s really just a small act to commemorate the life of somebody who was so big and generous and selfless, and saved so many lives and just made an impact on so many different people in this city,” Orr told CTV News.

If the motion passes, council will ask staff to report back on the fastest way to name the alley after Helten.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Isabella Zavarise