Jessica Lee

[BARRIE, Ontario]: - Jamieson Lamb, 37, in his van home on February 2, 2020. He moved into his van in January 2019 to save on rent costs while attending graduate school for a second career as a massage therapist. He holds two part-time jobs in addition to attending school full-time. His first week living in the van, he didn’t have enough insulation built in the van and woke up with his beard frozen with ice. “Van life can be all about adventure but it can also be a way to reach your goals when finances are tough or when logistics are a barrier,” he says.

[CALEDON, Ontario]: Logan Barbosa, 21, and David Snow, 25, pose for a portrait in their van home on February 11, 2020. Barbosa bought the van in March 2018 and converted it by herself. She says she knew she wouldn’t be able to afford rent in Toronto or to buy a home in Southern Ontario, at current market prices which is why she bought a van to live in.

[TORONTO, Ontario] - Max Schneider, 26, takes a moment to rest while on his courier job on December 17, 2018. Originally from Germany, his dream is to live and travel across Canada. He spends Monday to Friday delivering packages using his van home. He has not been sleeping very well because his diet has been affected by small income. His daily food budget is $2 and prefers to eat rice over pasta because making pasta uses more water. He recently had to buy new winter tires for his van ($400) for the long trip ahead to the west where he plans to go for the winter.

[BARRIE, Ontario]: Crystal Drinkwalter, 25, and Jazmyn Canning, 26, converted a Mercedes Sprinter van and live in it with their two Blue Merle Australian Shepherds full-time while travelling. They were travelling in Guatemala in their van home in March 2020 when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic and drove back to Canada within a week.

[CALEDON, Ontario]: Logan and David pose for a photo in February 2020.

[KITCHENER, Ontario]: Colonel Mustard (right), lives with Alan and Candice, who moved into their van home in 2018.

[TORONTO, Ontario]: Max parks on a private lot downtown for free. He hasn’t had trouble staying there overnight but is ready to move at a moment’s notice at any time. He gets up around 7 am each weekday and has coffee in his van before stopping at the Tim Horton’s nearby to use their bathroom. Then he drives to pick up his first package as a courier.

[BARRIE, Ontario]: Meghan, 29, comforts her daughter Mollie, 10, in their firetruck home on September 14, 2018. Meghan became a mother at 18. She says having her daughter repaired her troubled relationship with her own parents. Mollie is diagnosed with epilepsy and in the past has been on medication so that she behaves in school. Meghan did not like how the medication changed her daughter from a lively girl to someone placated and as a result, dreamt of providing a memorable travel experience for Mollie. In 2018, they moved into a firetruck that Meghan converted into a home. “We would go on trips together [in the past] and [Mollie] would thrive off of travelling and love the experience. She just came out of her shell and was really confident and that’s why I was like ‘how do I give her these fun adventurous things on a regular basis full-time.’” Meghan and Mollie have been busy converting their truck into a liveable home for the past few months including furnishing, mechanical and electrical work.

[CALEDON, Ontario]: David and Logan in their van home on February 1, 2020

[TORONTO, Ontario]: Brian, 47, and Hayley, 31, a pilot and flight attendant, moved into their converted van home right before the pandemic. They planned to travel while living in the van but the pandemic lockdowns have put that on hold. “We’ve seen a lot of parking lots, which is not what we signed up for.”

[BARRIE, Ontario] - Meghan tucks in Mollie and her best friend on a sleepover in the van on September 15, 2018. Travelling for months at a time without other children to play with will be a change for Mollie so they are trying to get as much quality time with friends and family as possible while still in Ontario. When travelling, Mollie occupies the top bunk in the truck and Meghan sleeps on the bottom bunk.