The Commercial Drive neighbourhood in East Vancouver is mourning a beloved, longstanding community member who devoted his time to keeping the sidewalks clean. Anyone who lives in or frequents the area would recognize Dennis Rouse, who swept the streets with dedication for decades. Now, the community is missing a familiar face and the streets are less cared for after Rouse died of cancer on April 4 at age 68. “It’s amazing the impact he had on this community,” said Marco Cornale, owner of Fratelli Bakery. “There wasn’t a day that went by that you didn’t see Dennis outside in the rain, snow, sleet, anything. There never was a day that you wouldn’t see him outside cleaning.” The two met when Cornale opened his bakery 29 years ago. Rouse came in daily—two or three times—for coffee and treats. Rouse had a sweet tooth, and Cornale surprised him with a cake for his 60th birthday. “He was such a nice, genuine guy that gave so much to the Drive,” Cornale said. The bakery owner says Rouse was a private person, but he would always ask Cornale about his daughters, and later his grandchildren. “He actually had quite the sense of humour, he would always crack jokes,” he told CTV News. “When it rained… he would come in every other day with a different style of hat that he made from a plastic bag or garbage bag.” Rouse had a disability stemming from a car crash that occurred when he was a child, and he created the role of custodian of Commercial Drive for himself and took pride in it. Businesses along the Drive gave Rouse money for his work, but so did neighbours, delivering envelopes with his name on them to Fratelli’s. “It’s amazing how many people would stop into the bakery and drop off envelopes for him,” Cornale said. “They just appreciated what he did for the community.” Rouse will be remembered as kind, gentle, and hardworking, a clinical staff member at Broadway Station Dental Centre told CTV News. Jessie—who asked CTV News to use her first name only—has also worked on the Drive for almost 30 years and said Rouse was a steady presence for all of them. Staff at the dental centre often fought over who would get to hand Rouse his weekly payment. Then weeks passed without him turning up to pick up his envelope. “It was just the anticipation of always looking at the door because you knew he was coming sometime on Monday, and the door just never happened. And that’s what I miss. I miss the door slightly opening and him looking in,” she said. “I miss it. I miss his face.” Every so often, Rouse would ask for a replacement broom, and the dental centre would have one ready for him when he needed it. Now, a new one he never came to claim sits in the office, untouched. “It’s Dennis’ broom,” Jessie said. Staff are reminded of his loss every time they see it. When the news of Rouse’s death spread on social media, tributes from hundreds of current and former residents of the neighbourhood poured in, sharing memories and thanking him for taking care of the Drive for all those years. “You know how the Drive is a staple? Dennis is a staple on the drive,” Jessie said. Jessie, Cornale and other business owners who knew Rouse are hoping to put up a plaque or bench in his memory, on the street that will not be the same without him.
