General Vancouver Updates

[osirisboy]

Originally Posted by csbvan

Demolition of the Fairmont building? Yikes.

Yeah I don't agree with that and the reasoning behind it

[SFUVancouver]

Chief Ian Campbell said the following about the intention to demolish and replace the Fairmont Academy RCMP barracks building:

[...]

Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish First Nation says the building should make way for a space that better represents the process of reconciliation.

"The forced imposition of colonialism and the marginalization of Indigenous peoples from our lands largely was inflicted through the Canadian government, through the RCMP," Campbell told Rick Cluff, host of CBC's The Early Edition.

"The Fairmont Building represents some of that old healing that needs to take place."

[...]

http://www.cbc.ca/1.4375207

I think that we're in new territory when it comes to First Nations-led development on former Federal lands of the city (and country), particularly with respect to adhering to civic policy and regulations. The First Nations communities pursuring development throughout the city have so far indicated an intention and willingness to abide by civic policy and participate in consultation, planning, and approval processes, but with the Fairmont Academy building and Heather Street Lands, we're seeing an instance of civic policy (retention of the heritage-listed former RCMP barracks) being at odds with First Nations' political-cultural norms (decolonization, reconciliation, and community empowerment).

I'm not surprised in the least that there is no more appetite to retain the former RCMP building than there would be if it were a former residential school building. I wonder what will be the City of Vancouver's response?

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Chief Ian Campbell said the following about the intention to demolish and replace the Fairmont Academy RCMP barracks building:

(Quote)
[...]

Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish First Nation says the building should make way for a space that better represents the process of reconciliation.

"The forced imposition of colonialism and the marginalization of Indigenous peoples from our lands largely was inflicted through the Canadian government, through the RCMP," Campbell told Rick Cluff, host of CBC's The Early Edition.

"The Fairmont Building represents some of that old healing that needs to take place."

[...](/quote)
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4375207

ugh i guess an ~100 year old building is triggering for people.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

ugh i guess an ~100 year old building is triggering for people.

It clearly is, and whether or not you respect their feelings or only care about your own is irrelevant.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

It clearly is, and whether or not you respect their feelings or only care about your own is irrelevant.

what should be relevant is the fact we have so few historic buildings around here that we shouldn't be tearing down ones built in 1912. it was the first non-Catholic private school for boys in all of BC.

but i guess peoples "hurt feelings" mean more then irreplaceable architecture that wasn't even built for the RCMP in the first place.

[dreambrother808]

Just "hurt feelings"... The sheer ignorance.

Whether or not they choose to keep the building based on its architectural merits is up to them. Your opinion on what matters more is irrelevant. The fact that some struggle to give First Nations people preeminence in decision-making on their OWN, relative scrap of land after all of the years of not giving them an iota of consideration throughout the country boggles my mind. The colonial condescension, the "I know better"... that's what's been the problem all along. Yes, it's a nice building, it's sad to lose nice buildings but sometimes YOUR "hurt feelings" are the ones that don't matter.

[wrenegade]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Whether or not they choose to keep the building based on its architectural merits is up to them.

Is it though? This is not reserve land, so any development is subject to City of Vancouver bylaws. If the City says it should be a protected building due to it's architectural significance then the owners wouldn't (or shouldn't) be allowed to demolish it. I'm not saying that the City would go that way, but I believe they would be in their rights to do it.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

Is it though? This is not reserve land, so any development is subject to City of Vancouver bylaws. If the City says it should be a protected building due to it's architectural significance then the owners wouldn't (or shouldn't) be allowed to demolish it. I'm not saying that the City would go that way, but I believe they would be in their rights to do it.

They would be.

As a side, all of the city's previous community consultations and their policy for the development of the Heather Street Lands discussed keeping the building. They may ultimately roll over on that, but it was not contemplated that the building would be destroyed.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by csbvan

They would be.

As a side, all of the city's previous community consultations and their policy for the development of the Heather Street Lands discussed keeping the building. They may ultimately roll over on that, but it was not contemplated that the building would be destroyed.

Fair enough but given the optics, I don’t think the current administration would do that.

If someone believes it should be saved, appealing sympathetically to the Squamish would be the far more respectful and effective method, as opposed to denigrating their concerns. The time for treating First Nations otherwise is over.

[osirisboy]

I would think squamish nation would want to keep it as a reminder of what had happened. Demolishing it so it's like it was never there seems counter productive.

There's lots of buildings with negative pasts that are kept.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by csbvan

They would be.

As a side, all of the city's previous community consultations and their policy for the development of the Heather Street Lands discussed keeping the building. They may ultimately roll over on that, but it was not contemplated that the building would be destroyed.

Of course they'll roll over. It would be politically incorrect to oppose what the Natives wants.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Fair enough but given the optics, I don’t think the current administration would do that.

If someone believes it should be saved, appealing sympathetically to the Squamish would be the far more respectful and effective method, as opposed to denigrating their concerns. The time for treating First Nations otherwise is over.

So why is it one is supposed to cry tears of outrage when developers "interfere' with Chinatown's history, yet not a problem when an important building of European history is threatened? It's a total double standard.

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

So why is it one is supposed to cry tears of outrage when developers "interfere' with Chinatown's history, yet not a problem when an important building of European history is threatened? It's a total double standard.

Important building of European history!



Ahhh... that's rich.

Regardless, this is federal land so they have no need to consult the city on anything. Look at the armory expansion Changing City posted about:
https://changingcitybook.com/2017/09/15/seaforth-armoury-addition/ They didn't even need a building permit.

[Migrant_Coconut]

"Important building of European history..." Yeah, pull the other one, we don't have any. European architecture is the phrase you're looking for.

It's a shame that "social justice" triumphs once again, but it's really just another Tudor. Plenty of heritage houses that look much the same in case we forget the art style.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

"Important building of European history..." Yeah, pull the other one, we don't have any. European architecture is the phrase you're looking for.

It's a shame that "social justice" triumphs once again, but it's really just another Tudor. Plenty of heritage houses that look much the same in case we forget the art style.

Those heritage houses are disappearing at an alarming rate.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

Important building of European history!



Ahhh... that's rich.

Regardless, this is federal land so they have no need to consult the city on anything. Look at the armory expansion Changing City posted about:
https://changingcitybook.com/2017/09/15/seaforth-armoury-addition/ They didn't even need a building permit.

You don't hold the old RCMP building to be of important history? Of course it is, it tells many stories. The relatively orderly settling of Western Canada because of our national police force; Vancouver architecture symbolizing its status the farthest western reach and newest city of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. The list goes on and on. Yet a pile of old shells is held to be more significant these days.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by whatnext

You don't hold the old RCMP building to be of important history? Of course it is, it tells many stories. The relatively orderly settling of Western Canada because of our national police force; Vancouver architecture symbolizing its status the farthest western reach and newest city of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. The list goes on and on. Yet a pile of old shells is held to be more significant these days.

Are we talking about the same building? The one that was built as a private school in 1912, taken over during the Great War as a hospital, then retaken when the Mounties needed somewhere to crash? It's about as relevant to the settler days as the RMS Titanic was.

And the "greatest empire" was either the Romans, the Mongols, or the Ottomans - the Brits just had the most acreage.

[Vin]

Why would they ever want to demolish the beautiful tudor-style Fairview building?! This City is getting more insane by the day. Can we have less hate?

http://www.vancourier.com/news/photos-historic-fairmont-academy-hangs-in-limbo-1.378258

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by Vin

Why would they ever want to demolish the beautiful tudor-style Fairview building?! This City is getting more insane by the day. Can we have less hate?

http://www.vancourier.com/news/photos-historic-fairmont-academy-hangs-in-limbo-1.378258

I believe that there is an email set up for feedback on the Heather Street Lands proposals...

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Are we talking about the same building? The one that was built as a private school in 1912, taken over during the Great War as a hospital, then retaken when the Mounties needed somewhere to crash? It's about as relevant to the settler days as the RMS Titanic was.

And the "greatest empire" was either the Romans, the Mongols, or the Ottomans - the Brits just had the most acreage.

You don't seem to be understanding the concept of heritage. Every fact you just threw out about the building shows how well it illustrates Vancouver's history and development.

And the Empire that has the most acreage wins, plus it was the only one that was truly global in scale.