In 1912, Vancouver welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Connaught with a series of ceremonial arches across streets on the processional route the couple would take on their tour of the city. Chinatown welcomed the visitors with this arch over Pender Street at Carrall. What’s of interest is not the arch itself but what can… Continue reading In the Background, Under the Arch
In our travels the one souvenir I look for is a door knocker, not any old knocker but one in the shape of a hand. The hand is thought to be a representation of the Hamsa, a symbol of God’s hand in the earth. For Muslims, Hamsa is the hand of Fatima and for Jews it is… Continue reading Knocking on Doors
Inserting new structures into older urban environments can be tricky. The rhythm of the street and its storefronts, sidewalk width, building height etc. all play a role in the success of any new building. But then, despite the best of intentions from the planners it fails at a certain level. The Keefer Block at the corner… Continue reading Good Intent & Design Fail in Chinatown
The Holborn Group’s refusal to excise the Trump name from their Georgia Street project is an insult to all residents of Vancouver. Regardless of whether it is private property, that there are contracts or operating agreements in place, Holborn is morally and ethically wrong to continue to promote the name of someone who is openly… Continue reading It’s Quite Simple: Dump Trump
Tom Carter and I are at the Vancouver Historical Society in October
A previous owner of our 1890s house decided to build all sorts of brick walls in the basement, none of them hold anything up, or actually have a purpose. They just exist. So, when the drain pipe for the kitchen sink needed repairs I had to first dismantle a six foot by three feet by… Continue reading Three Fingers and a Thumb
