“I’m not giving up – like a dandelion that can grow anywhere, even in the concrete. We still have a chance to fight to keep this open,” reflects long-time PACE member Mama Rosa in a new report on the 2025 closure of the organization’s drop-in space.
PACE was one of three sex worker-focused services to close down temporarily or permanently in Vancouver last year – in a city where the number of existing sites for respite from gendered violence, which includes sex worker criminalization, was already woefully inadequate.
We count ourselves among the many in Vancouver who are concerned about the likely increase in gendered violence, policing, displacement and deterrence from care as FIFA World Cup 2026 draws nearer.
Our new report provides a retrospective on the value of sex worker-run spaces, and the impacts of their shuttering. The report draws on the experiences of over 15 PACE members, including people involved with the weekly Trans Lunch and Indigenous Sharing Circle groups.
PACE was started in a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver in 1994 by sex workers and allies. Early supporters helped raise money for an outreach and support service for street-based sex workers that would eventually become a registered charity.
As of April 2026, PACE's board of directors is working to rebuild the organization. But community organizations in Vancouver are increasingly facing chronic funding shortages that severely limit the ability to bounce back from hardship. PACE’s closure was not a sign of organizational failure. Rather, it was the consequence of a system that prioritizes investments in policing as a main approach to “community safety” in place of sustained investments in social infrastructure, support and reciprocal care.
In the context of the ongoing drug toxicity crisis, street sweeps and police displacement, communities have warned against the rise in routine violence experienced by women and gender diverse people, including sex workers. These same communities have emphasized that service closures only compound this dire reality.
London, another PACE member says, "When there’s an overall loss of services, we’re exposed to more violence, stigma spreads and is uninterrupted, we are disheartened and scared.”
The report concludes with considerations for future sex worker organizations and recommendations for policymakers.
A group of sex workers and community supporters, including some people involved with this report, are raising funds for an anti-criminalization harm reduction initiative during the time that FIFA 2026 is active in Vancouver. You can support by donating here and following calls on instagram here. Read more about Sex Workers Interrupting FIFA's Atrocities by clicking here.
Read & download the full report on PACE's closure:
