“Kole The Vancouwer Sun PAGE SIX} ‘ By Nefta Sterne Cold. damp and. empty, the ott! house fs waiting, Tomorrow the bulldozers will come. Gone are all the strangers now, and gone are the treasures they found there weefine Sittings. omamental carvings, diamond - paned windows, the stained-glass picture panels from the on- trance. A scarred wall, some broken tile and a gaping hole are all that remain of fireplace and muntel. From a window in the devas- taled knehen we ca see rooftops, frees ard distant mountains , . and in the sarden, craters where someone has dug up the border shrubs, shattered window glass and chimney bricks on an over- grown fuwen. ‘There, where truck ures have churned the grass 10 mud, a sac tree lies broken, and daffod:is stand weeping in the the tandreps, all is quiet. the huuse scent peopled stall, do te Bae SU passers? Vor @ years this was (heir hame — these spacicns. tugh-cellinged rooms, the anit curved stasruay, the fd nonks and CFURRUAN GSE TESTE IECEON UNOS. Heee are becrwaes > whore wait loliow the B... Semrants ef lovely bathroom... an ng ubtutad lantase alle tureea, feta: us The 15 splendid from up here, ang how igs we seem from the rain- ammmesed street! Debris eversuhere, onderfoot. No matter, Tomorrew thse who puss {hs Was 4.02 ace onty dust and rubble, One mm old Vaneuner house, one more piece of a city's history, will be When the old lady died and the house was sold. tre furnsture brought very + dows, fireplaces and Fit~ are salvaged before (he wrekers ome. “Bicfure tte wrechers cone” Strange, that they save and cherish v sole te part, and destroy the hale’ “paid such houses any tus, Ehe ulddash.oned St 10 our devpest desire uod, story-book image of Rat cites crow, populations increase, ond as lard occumes esth more carve and vatzu3:- the ulder buldiny use ef preseerte Few oxters wilt retarn thet od bh mgs an the face of renier~ esoculaton and developers. Es oltiees. shopping cen tres ard. row. condornimums Vanoueer raday $4 an exciting, grows ing Civ = Tut fae muasy of ta poeple tein poignant sence of loss. of much thal wad serene ce same pleasant old rea fdential te grdarbonds mt Vancouver beccst ig increaungh run-down and neglected as am consequence of anti~ pment. Fer nany peo 28 Dhat compre these represent the Vanmuver at love — a more personal- yam; factor in thar environ: meal that “ue more canty fezvgniesd gots ab pastey Park, a s Pad ‘of these merghbor hwods: are Wi 2 with 2 great sense of insecure Hy at ther world changes around hem, ‘uliie in other areas, not yet luvched by the developer, peopie may Le unaware of chatees perhaps soon to come, The old West End wos the first to go. Now Mount Measant is pleauat ao more, Farview as nearing Ihe point of no telurn, and Grandview propery is being purchased by spreviatert, Resi- dens of Kitalana hase been mullet ia preserve iesr neighborhood but there, Sa, the demolitions continue, And a* Vancouver's alder buildings be- $i lo acute the value of scarcity, city officals as weil ax many privale citi- rens ate facing the firct thai Vancouver, tow at lar heginuang of ily growth as a mayor city, 1s in danger af destroying, pt the siart, almost every pleasant remund> cro itv ongins . . . the ouidings and tiv weapklornuads that make any ely ‘umgue amang others, and afford iis citle tens a sense of Identity and continuity. European cates derive much of their charm and cheracter from (ho catelut preservation of ancient buildings — frum the great cathedrals and stately homes to the humble historic pub. America every one ef the Cnited SI has adopied some fort of preservslion Jaw, while each of 30 or more US. cities ks oun municipal preservation pro- gram, In Vanrowver we are beginning io rea- lize that. Backing nny such policy of Prevrsation, destruction will continue , to be brutality indiscriminate, sparing neither the finest and snost represents live of «ar eld busidings ner the most charming and typscal areas among out old weighborhoods, Vancouver is young cily, orty beginning to have anv sone of ils ona past — tut what we have Ihe foresight to sare now will become increasingly inportart bistericaliy, in years lo come. In the eily the people watch the “any- city, teety-caly” tnaers replacing the famibar diverse buildings that were uniquely Vancouver's — uniquely thelr ‘own. Many feel threatened and repelled, Bul many articulate protests testify that fo longer are Vancouver cititens apa+ thetic. The Christ Church Cathedral con teoversy, the repeated efforts to save the ‘old Birks Buslding. the campaign to save Ihe Orpheurn Theatre, are anwng many indications of increasing public aware ness and invols erent. And todav’s city’ hali, in sympathy ‘wilh this sentient. ts refusing. of send- ing back to the drawing boards, many developrenl appheations hat in tarher fears might well have passed unques- tioned. Increasing!s, developers are be- Ing required to justity their projects, not merely interms of growth and profit, but in terms of the public inter In his “Shsping the Pature™ statement * of planning devartmv: \pretives, plane tung director Hay Spaniman says, “There Js animpheil policy ihat the city Is now concerned over the preservation of tage tens of various sorts, ideas are being developed os to how this implicit policy can be given specie form and lo develop means of adminislering the sys ten, A luriber indication of this policy “as the appartment recently of a Vancouser Heritage Advisory: Wits beginsing. On Sunday. June ¥, ihe off Hodson + Manor in Feieview became Vancouver's first bistgtirat house to be moved from the path of Ihe bulidozer and saved. Con demtwd to femotinion with the ather old. Diowh at Erghih and Ment Tock, it was instead moved, 91 tity rae pense, We a wty-owned lot at 1d West Seveh. Mere. apprupriately located among oher historic houses, it will be Testored (ap useful service io the com> monly, . It was about 2896 that Wilham flodson, who alo built the old Hoiel Metrosole in Gastown, burtt this manor in which bus 11 children were to grow up. A fine exaniple of the old “carpenter pathic syle. tis described an a Building Here lage report as “the finest building archi- tecturally nthe Fairview Stopes.” ‘The huate was featured in ihe Conten> mal Muruin's recent populsr eubitiben: of photegranhs and memorabilia of Vanewsera fustorse dunldings, He res {oration naw, at a lune when the off Palevew Stopes ss spothehied for de Neloprenl, may strengthen the inilue ences already existing in favor of some = sad i “ BER e eR Preservation in this historic area, where niready an increasing number of old houses are belng renovated by resident ‘owners. Projects In many cities have proved that preservation and restoration can gmake very good ceonomie senoe. Pare ticularly today this is true because of the soaring costs of new construction, Restoration af Vancouver's old Or- pheum Theaire, for instance, is to accomplished af only a third of what a Rew theatre iuih noite of the Orpheun's Nostalge churn aid cubress of deraits would cust. In Gastown and Chinatown, both of which have been named historic ared:, restoration has been notably suce evssful. Across ihe United States, in eales trom New York to Sun Francisco, it bas bees fours thal the chatm and livability of a eely he greatly in whal tt chooses lo pre- Serve of ifs past, and that such prewre Nation, as a) enhances the lite of the people. can go hand an hand with greal econainic beneis. Mestoration pot onty cures urban blight and ¢nbaticns the quality of cily Ute, bat mevilably it abo has farseaching eifects on realestate values in the im: rrediule and surrounding areas, and basinene propers within the ambience of auch projects. 1 is a truisin (hat what people like is the entire area bas come to hfe wilh new stops, restaurants, galeries and offices. In Ive Sears Ue asec seed salvation of Tronece Square incres+ed approwmnately: G0 per cenl, And Uus ail slanted with the purchase and restoration of one Ddurtdicg by one private citiceat Presersation has beeome the “in thing” in Seatile. As one city councd member sud, “Runtessmen are moving from mee skyscrapers into Pancer Square, Trey are tindicg cut that old 1. Bose 7 other cities indtcate that presen and restora lion of older butd:nge con provide sub> stantial social and ceonesnic braehts — fact often overlocked by those bp bed destroy them in the name of ¢ mn ‘canada, interest in preservatinny policies is onty row becoming sides. Spread. ‘The federal gesernment recenthe pared an inventory of intone bude ings in citses across Canada, and ia WS funded our own netionel trust — Heras Canada — with headquarters in Milas. ‘This new organization is in the prebite Inary stages of setting up goals and cn teria and establishing contacts with prov dnees and municipallies. ifs eteeutine di- vector, R.A. J 1Bobs Phill'ps, has made it clear that it 18 loval grouys which mast initiate the action ef saving heritage Properly, and that such groups wil be een every porsible assistance, So here, again, the best hope would serm 10 Bs in the im iavise of the none apathetic private cillzen. Jt as up 19 as. aS coneeened incividcals and actne groups, lo paint directions. te hentity and declare the thingy that we hove and ihat mus! not be sesiroyed carelessiy. Inevitably there are preblems te he’ fared in the implementation ‘of preser- vation policies, Always, of course. where historic designation is not to the ouner’s advan tage, the rights and intereste of the Properly owner must te safeguarded. To. this problem many folstions can be ap plied, sveh as various forms of com ‘pensation, exchange, tax concessicas, of outright purchase. interests oftes are bnstile fe preservation policies, but the poles 1p se nol always been tf good for business — and people unques- lionably are fascinated and altracted by Ubeir own hastory, Bt is an odd fact, howeser, thal, often as such prozerts are found to benefit the business commumty, it is usually the private citizen, with no profit motive. who has the vision and Whe concern to inisate them. It is thanks to the Inits dave of private cilizens, ariginaily, thal New York has ifs South Steret Seapart A niaritime centre and major tours: at: Wwaction (hut was Goce a blighted 28 acres of rindona walertront. Te was the Interest of private citicens that resulted in New York's many sreas of restared “brownstone” houses, which provide such agseceble vonteast to news ce slovelopmenty, and whish prove the value of gider neinhbortwods as a cul tural and reetcatonal resource as welt a3 © source of moderately priced house ing. In San Francia sh was 8 privals cits Fen, cuncerned aboul Ihe destruction of the city's tandmarhs, who purchased (he old Gturardeth dink on [he wateriront near Fisherman's Wart, With the help of an adiitory board uf commumty> muted people, and adie planner and occhiects, Ghiraciely Sq haw be come une of Sun Framisca’s mayor ate Iractions. Its fancial success offers procf, onve agian, that preseevateos projects are cood business. In Savannah, Georgia, citizens con cerned about destruction of ther archi= fectural herstage formed an organ‘zation tu save the rotting dusntown section of there city. Tudey, as a tesull uf theie ef> forts, thas area has been declared a Nae fienal Historie Unstrict, and Savannah it 8 world-Taruus attraction, it revitalized downtown area a mei! for other com- tunities fa Seattle, a precervahion-minded mayor and enly cuuncil have evtabliated & pablo curporation to buy, restore and then sell histersg butdings Seattic is oho curmmitted to haan rehabilitation, ‘The results of these policies are soany and sated. Old buildings shire stations, fur Ine stance, and 9 synazacuel are not torn down, but are recscled te Lecome neigh borhoad centres. the atte workihops, cay- care centres, ete, The city has ato es fabliohed » public corps retian t To "i taba ge: arts and cralts vendors oovury af. " an old structure overkating ihe harbor, In Neattte’s Pronrer Squate, the auto motile 19 bring displaced on streets bined with newly planted irces: Mudren street lighsng has been replaced with repre duction af ofd-tine famps barly 1a cvmury Mecct fernmmure and draking fountains have been Invlulicd on @ Brick paved inslf, As in Vancouver's Gastonn, tage of the cummen.ty, 1s always farughted ap to thetr oan longterra eli A ciy must be tut and charging. No growing sd want ta ew devecoprsere, — gid cevelopincat — i neezed 41 deuradle, and many od buidings have indeed cuttived ther uaclulress. Bul a city has an vbiigation tolts eh Rens, anc to their deszes 2a clensh thete tb which ate irepiace Ah nace quality, for ther cucturel aicaticas, and for their educational vaise. For what can better teach our ch:idren alwut ther o«n Salary. and what eas better set a stancard of exceiesce in mes when =rom)” 60 oe super- sedes "quality Peevervatinn stera'é mut be Levted oy alructures of great Jotercal cy cance * arcatectora drunely gota d, typical af we tay Te Can tend perienalay, contrast Ca sense of cuninaty to & neighatiacd, We need to recuse ished cidve ba. whick dnerve 2¢ that our ches pledvgrap hing ine fi hourey on ne Faves pawerhy sad cheerly on Duther with tne, | ts be ttn dyen you knoe” them were é ‘The uther ¢ay a youl Bi drives, takee ing us past tne sarr, io Camps.” Pee pried “Some wolciy Gd basset around: He ‘must cherish our “older buildings - demolition is pernuanent