Heritage updates & events
Problems viewing this e-mail?
Read this bulletin from our website:
www.heritagevancouver.org/bulletin/bulletin_20110510.html
+ Event: Joy Kogawa Remembers
+ Walking Tours
+ Gordon T. Legg Residence: Proposed By-law
+ Historic Theatres: Pantages; Hollywood; Ridge
+ Jericho Marginal Wharf
+ Other events
+ Event: Joy Kogawa Remembers -
A Vancouver Heritage Success Story
Thursday, May 26th, 7pm to 9pm
Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Ave, Vancouver
Tickets: $75 TLC and Heritage Vancouver members; $100 non-members
Includes wine and hors d'oeuvres reception (Tax receipts will be issued)
Join Canadian author Joy Kogawa and heritage consultant Donald Luxton for an evening of story telling, and celebration of a significant Vancouver Heritage Success Story. This is a unique opportunity to experience Joy in conversation with Donald as she reminisces about her childhood memories of living at 1450 West 64th Avenue. Joy and Donald will also take you on guided tours of the house and garden and you will have the opportunity to discover The Land Conservancy’s restoration plans for the site.
The Historic Joy Kogawa House was featured on Heritage Vancouver’s 2005 Top Ten Endangered Sites at a time when demolition of the building seemed inevitable. Thanks to the efforts of The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) and a grassroots organization of community activists, donations were received from more than 500 people across Canada and the house was purchased in 2006. The Kogawa House has special literary significance as the childhood home of acclaimed Canadian author Joy Kogawa, and now operates as a writer’s centre that regularly hosts literary events and an annual writer-in-residence program. The Land Conservancy is about to embark on restoration of this important Vancouver landmark house. It has been identified as one of Heritage Vancouver’s Success Stories.
This unique event, co-presented by Heritage Vancouver Society and The Land Conservancy of BC, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the intimacy of the Joy Kogawa House. The event is a fundraiser in support of the restoration of the house and of Heritage Vancouver’s heritage conservation initiatives.
2.0 PIBC CPD Learning Units
Find out more at:
kogawahouse@yahoo.ca,
Heritage Vancouver at www.heritagevancouver.org or
The Land Conservancy at www.conservancy.bc.ca
Tickets (Tax receipts will be issued):
On-line: > via Paypal at heritagevancouver.org/payments.html
(Paypal account not required). Print your receipt and bring to the event.
Cheque: made out to Heritage Vancouver Society and mailed to: Heritage Vancouver, PO Box 3336, Main Post Office, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3Y3. Please let us know if you've mailed a cheque at info@heritagevancouver.org.
+ Walking Tours
Historical and Architectural Walking Tour of Commercial Drive
Saturday May 28th 10:00am to 12:00pm
Tour guide, Maurice Guibord
HVS members $10; non-members $15 | Details & online payment
Historic Walking Tour of Jewish Strathcona & Gastown
Presented by Heritage Vancouver and the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC
Sunday, June 26 10am - 12pm noon
Tour guide, Molly Winston
HVS members $10; non-members $15 | Details & online payment
Delamont: Kitsilano's Oldest City Block of Houses
Sunday July 17 10am-12pm noon
Tour guide, Bruce MacDonald
HVS members $10; non-members $15 | Details & online payment
My Grandview: A Walking Tour
Saturday, August 27 10am-12pm noon
Tour guide, Michael Kluckner
HVS members $10; non-members $15 | Details & online payment
A Planning Tour of Vancouver’s West End
Saturday, September 17th, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Tour guide, Gordon Price
HVS members $10; non-members $15 | Details & online payment
View all of our tour guides' biographies:
heritagevancouver.org/tourguides.html
+ Gordon T. Legg Residence (1899)
1241 Harwood St.; Proposed Designation
On May 17th, 7:30 pm, in the Council Chamber, 3rd floor Vancouver City Hall, City Council will hold a Public Hearing to consider the following:
• Designate the existing building at 1241 Harwood Street which is listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register as protected heritage property and which will ensure the protection of the building from inappropriate alterations and demolition in the future.
• This protection will be in exchange for approval of bonus floor area for use in the proposed 18-storey residential tower on this site.
Heritage Vancouver fully supports this application. This very significant late Victorian-era estate house will be demolished unless the City of Vancouver approves an onsite density bonus of 26,000 square feet. The density cannot be transferred offsite as the Heritage Density Bank has been frozen since August 2007. If the Legg Residence is demolished the owner will have the right to build an 11-storey condo tower on this site instead of the proposed 18-storey tower.
Heritage Vancouver included the Legg Residence on our 2011 Top Ten Endangered List because of the threat to the future of this building.
This application received the support of the City’s Design Panel and Heritage Commission.
> Minutes of the Urban Design Panel (PDF, 137k)
> Minutes of the Vancouver Heritage Commission (PDF, 37k)
The Legg Residence, one of the few surviving grand estate homes built in the West End at the end of the 19th century, is extremely important to the history of the West End. This house was under construction in July 1899, just 12 years after the arrival of the CPR railway. The Klondike Gold Rush had ushered in a brief wave of prosperity, and the city’s wealthier citizens were developing a number of grand residences, such as Gabriola on Davie Street, in the desirable West End.
We encourage you to write Mayor and council to let them know you support the retention of the Legg Residence, at mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca.
We also encourage you to contact the city and let them know you would like to speak on behalf of retaining the Legg Residence. Call Terri Burke in the City Clerk’s Department 604-871-6399
Please copy Heritage Vancouver on your e-mails or contact us if you are interested in speaking to Council. info@heritagevancouver.org
+ Historic Theatres: Good Bye to the Pantages
Hollywood Theatre sold; The Ridge Theatre for sale
It is with a great deal of sadness that we witness the demolition of Vancouver’s historic Pantages Theatre (1907). There was long-standing support by Heritage Vancouver for the conservation of the Pantages. We worked with different owners over the years, and it was on our Top Ten Endangered List several times. We were hopeful that the last application would conserve the theatre. Unfortunately a deal could not be negotiated with the City.
For the last several years, the roof of the Pantages has been breached. As water infiltrated the interior structure deteriorated to the point where it was beginning to collapse in several locations. Over time it reached the point where interior structural collapse was imminent. As the plaster soaked up water, it began to fail, and was falling in pieces to the floor. Emergency documentation was undertaken by the City in 2010, and salvage work on representative plaster sections was undertaken at the same time. Comprehensive photographic documentation provided a detailed record of the theatre's appearance.
We did not win this battle. Although this is a very sad ending, and a huge loss to Vancouver's heritage, the building was doomed by a number of political, social and economic forces that prevented a better outcome.
> View our Flickr Pantages set
> View our Pantages Theatre info page
Pantages Theatre
152 East Hastings Street
Edward Evans Blackmore, Architect
Constructed: 1907
Opened: January 6, 1908
Heritage Registry Status: B
The Future of the Hollywood and the Ridge
It is important to ensure that two other Vancouver historic theatres, the Hollywood and the Ridge, do not suffer the same fate as the Pantages. The Hollywood (1936), which is on the City of Vancouver’s Heritage Register, was recently sold. As of publication of this bulletin we do not know who purchased the Hollywood nor what the new owner intends to do with it. The Ridge (1949), which is on the City’ s heritage interiors and recent Landmarks lists, is currently up for sale. Both of these theatres have played an important role in their communities over their long history. There is a growing great need in Vancouver for multi-purpose community performance and rehearsal space. With current property values, these spaces are unlikely to be built. If the Hollywood and Ridge are no longer viable as movie theatres they could have a new life as community spaces.
We encourage you to let Mayor and council know that you would like to see these theatres preserved and also suggest potential uses for these spaces, at mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca. Please copy Heritage Vancouver on your e-mails info@heritagevancouver.org
The Hollywood Theatre
3123-3129 West Broadway
Harold Cullerne, Architect
Constructed: 1936
Heritage Registry Status: B
The Ridge Theatre
3131 Arbutus Street
Kaplan & Sprachman, Toronto, Architects
Constructed: 1949
Recent Landmark: B
+ Jericho Marginal Wharf
On November 15th, 2010 the Vancouver Park Board approved the demolition of the Jericho Marginal Wharf for reasons of public safety and ecological restoration. The Wharf was on Heritage Vancouver's Top Ten Endangered list in 2003. Heritage Vancouver worked with community members interested in preserving the Wharf and wrote letters to the Park Board requesting that they prepare a comprehensive Statement of Significance to determine the Wharf's heritage value. The Wharf was allowed to deteriorate over the years to the point where it became a threat to public safety and the Park Board decided that demolition was the best alternative. The decision to demolish the Wharf was made without an objective assessment of heritage value or historical significance.
The Park Board held an Open House on April 12th, 2011 at the Sailing Center for the community to review the proposed changes to the affected area of Jericho beach once the Wharf has been demolished. Nine boards were posted for public scrutiny, describing the proposed solutions to the problems with the existing wharf.
> Jericho Open House panels web link (PDF, 37Mb)
The history of the site was included in the presentation with an emphasis on the site's early history and the natural setting of Vancouver's first airport.
Two landscaping plans were presented for comments; the schemes proposed one or two access paths to the beach, more or less indigenous planting, a substantial or light buffer of the park from the sailing center, and an active or passive area next to the beach. Both schemes included the reuse of the existing wharf railings, but there was no mention of their origins on the Lion's Gate Bridge. There is provision in both schemes for a permanent orientation display.
The Park Board is hosting a second Open House on May 18 at Jericho Sailing Centre, 1300 Discovery St. from 5 pm to 8 pm.
Project information:
vancouver.ca/parks/info/planning/jerichomarginalwharf/index.htm
Our Top Ten Endangered Sites for 2003 link:
heritagevancouver.org/topten/2003/topten2003_10.html
+ Other events
Heritage Vancouver’s 7th Annual Garden Party
A Special Fundraising Event on Behalf of Heritage Vancouver Society
Thursday, June 23, 2011; 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Hosted by Suzanne Anton, City Councillor; special guest Mayor Gregor Robertson
$100 donation to Heritage Vancouver Society | Details & online payment
Thank you for your support!
• Bulletins: Sign-up to receive, or view all previous bulletins at: www.heritagevancouver.org/bulletins.html
• All upcoming events at www.heritagevancouver.org
• Not a member of Heritage Vancouver? Join!
|
