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To say that heritage buildings and sites evoke a mixture of emotions is an understatement.  But it’s the hidden emotions that I find most intriguing.

For example, on the surface Eric Pierce’s gift of his home to the City of Vancouver so it could be preserved seems like a wonderful acknowledgement of his late wife’s dedication to heritage conservation.  However, when reporters read more, it was apparently motivated by horrific memories of destruction in WW2, and the unspoken comfort he later found at home . It makes me wonder how many other backstories exist, that are too painful to share except in quiet deed.

Heritage events sometimes leave the impression it’s an old folks game – the people involved are often older adults, who, some may say, are simply clinging to the past rather than embracing the future. So I was thrilled to read about Melody Ma, a Chinese-Canadian Woman, who is the face of #SaveChinatownYVR, spurred by her realization that places she grew up with and loved, were disappearing quickly, so someone, such as herself, needed to speak up.  To me, that’s the real value of heritage buildings and sites: they make us feel connected to, and part of, a continuing community, in a very special, irreplaceable, way.

When working in North Vancouver recently I was drawn to the empty storefront at 177 West First Street.  I researched a bit, and discovered a common tale: a heritage building with a rich history – in this case, the BC Telephone Building erected in 1926, which was later occupied by the charming Bella Doni flower shop, and now, in part due to it’s heritage status, to be preserved and incorporated into a new development. In theory it’s a great idea,  but as often happens, the process has sadly left many people dissatisfied — a popular business has closed, and all that’s left is the memory of angry words plus a neighbourhood whose character has changed, probably for the worse.

For more info, read Donald Luxton and Associates’ 2013 report on the building to the City of North Vancouver,

cnv.org/~/media/A2C733727A2940608E58DFEC71E7DE39.pdf

And, the North Shore News report of the council meeting that approved the development,

http://www.nsnews.com/news/six-more-storeys-for-lower-lonsdale-1.859547