'We stand to wipe out a whole era': how the 1970s could vanish from Vancouver

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ to be fair though, that's not really a Vancouver specific phenomena. It's more of a young city/ western thing. Edmonton has destroyed almost anything historical that existed and replaced it with either gravel parking lots of ticky tacky garbage. People in this city are not only indifferent to the city's history they in a wierd way seem repulsed by it, and that's let to really awful redevelopments and a desire to wipe the city's history away.

Vancouver has changed a lot. I have some pictures on my phone of an old boarded up building over near gastown that has "Unlimited Growth increases the divide" written on the facia above the main level and something of a cryptic mural in the side that states:

"The morning of the sale, everyone was out there

Waiting for the doors to open

They all wanted what they'd

Seen in those pictures"


The photos I took several years ago have always bothered me a little, the juxtaposition of this building framed by modern highrises means something more than I think people realize

https://flic.kr/p/YWMHb6

https://flic.kr/p/BQKE63

Ah yes, the old Del Mar Inn. I took this pic just yesterday. I often walk by it and it always reminds me of how we tend to just have remnants of our stock of old buildings. Most of that block is taken up by the new BC Hydro building. I heard that one of the reasons the owner of the Del Mar Inn refused to sell out to BC Hydro was because he had elderly tenants who had been living there for decades and one thing that tends to happen with very elderly people that get moved out of long time homes is that they die soon after getting relocated. I guess the owner's attitude was "leave them be".

The writings on this old building (and just the presence of the building itself and the people and ghosts in it) are more meaningful than ever.



Sept.27 '17, my pic

[rofina]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ to be fair though, that's not really a Vancouver specific phenomena. It's more of a young city/ western thing. Edmonton has destroyed almost anything historical that existed and replaced it with either gravel parking lots of ticky tacky garbage. People in this city are not only indifferent to the city's history they in a wierd way seem repulsed by it, and that's let to really awful redevelopments and a desire to wipe the city's history away.

Vancouver has changed a lot. I have some pictures on my phone of an old boarded up building over near gastown that has "Unlimited Growth increases the divide" written on the facia above the main level and something of a cryptic mural in the side that states:

"The morning of the sale, everyone was out there

Waiting for the doors to open

They all wanted what they'd

Seen in those pictures"


The photos I took several years ago have always bothered me a little, the juxtaposition of this building framed by modern highrises means something more than I think people realize
https://flic.kr/p/YWMHb6

https://flic.kr/p/BQKE63

I agree.

As much as we all enjoy drooling over the new tall glass proposals, they represent a different city than what most remember Vancouver as.

There is nothing accessible about this Vancouver. Nothing approachable. Were just another corporate town. Albeit, one that's more crooked than most, and if possible, more segregated than most.

Does there exist a greater juxtaposition than the difference of a few blocs between East Hastings, and West Hastings?

Its almost absurd in how surreal it really is.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by rofina

Does there exist a greater juxtaposition than the difference of a few blocs between East Hastings, and West Hastings?

That has a very San Francisco vibe to it, wealth and poverty separated by only a block or two.

[casper]

Originally Posted by rofina

I agree.

As much as we all enjoy drooling over the new tall glass proposals, they represent a different city than what most remember Vancouver as.

There is nothing accessible about this Vancouver. Nothing approachable. Were just another corporate town. Albeit, one that's more crooked than most, and if possible, more segregated than most.

Does there exist a greater juxtaposition than the difference of a few blocs between East Hastings, and West Hastings?

Its almost absurd in how surreal it really is.

At this point there is no purpose to knocking down the Del Mar Inn. It is such as small plot of land, it might as well be preserved and stay there as it is.