Remembering Michael Leland

We are sad to share that our dear friend and colleague, Michael Leland, passed away on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026, at the age of 67. 

​Michael was the first binner to join the Project back in 2015 and was affectionately known as ‘binner number 1.’ Michael was an invaluable member of our team and community, quickly becoming one of the first binner-staff where he held his long-standing position as chair of our weekly Binners’ Meetings. He was a leader, a storyteller, and above all – a fighter. 

2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup

​Many of you will recognize him as our ‘poster boy’: always willing to take a photo, appear on video, speak at city council, or be ready in his binner-greens for a last-minute media appearance.

Media Day

2025 Alley Oop Street Party

​In his early life, Michael was a commercial fisherman until health issues prevented him from keeping his job. He later became homeless, living in the lane behind the Keg on Thurlow Street. As Michael would often tell the story: after roughly six months in that spot, he saw a man putting about 18 dozen beer cans into the lane’s blue bin. He asked if he could take them, to which the man replied, “help yourself!” Michael earned about $20 that day, and in his words, ‘I haven’t looked back since.’

Michael was a regular binner at the Vancouver Yacht Club, going there 2-3 times per week to sort through the waste coming off the boats (Mondays, as you can imagine, were his favourite). After biking to the depot with his modified baby-carrier trailer full of bottles strapped precariously down behind him, he’d often walk away with about $80–$100+ in bottles in one day. More notably for Michael, though, was the food from the boats that found its way into the trash (much of it still frozen and unopened!), which kept Michael’s fridge full for most of the summer.

Michael and his baby-carrier trailer

​In addition to being a Coordinator on our staff team between 2016–2018, and co-chairing our weekly Binners’ Meetings, Michael was also a long-standing board member of Vancouver Urban Core Community Workers Association until its closure last year. 

Michael chairing the 2017 Binners’ Meeting at SFU Woodwards

​Michael’s health problems continued over the past couple of years, forcing him to slow down. Eventually, he had to leave his work at the Yacht Club, and limit his role at Binners’ Project to co-chairing the Binners’ Meeting, working small events, and of course fulfilling his ‘poster boy’ duties.

As the first of our community to have the bravery and courage to believe in this work and in our ability to succeed, Michael will always remain the foundation for what Binners’ Project has become today: resilience personified in the commitment to keep showing back up, no matter what.

Rest well, dear friend.

Michael at the 2018 Universal Cart Initiative press conference

We will be gathering to celebrate Michael’s remarkable life and the lasting impact he made upon the community on Friday, March 27, at 10:30 AM at 312 Main. All who knew Michael are warmly invited to attend.

​P.S. We love this video of Michael and hope you will too.

I BELONG HERE | Binners' Project by Amar Chebib