Reason for cautious optimism.

From The Heatley Block Preservation Society:

"I am sending you this invitation to come out and show your support for the saving of the Heatley Block and locating the new East End library in the 1921 building of Strathcona School at the Vancouver Public Library board meeting this wednesday August 27th at 5:30 pm.

The meeting will be held in the Alma Van Dusen & Peter Kay rooms on the Lower Level of the Vancouver Public Library's Central Branch at 350 West Georgia Street. Speakers will be Claudine Michaud (HBPS), Rick Archambault (SRA/SRC), Kieren Beattie (HBPS), and Mr. Lee from SPOTA.

Those of you who have ordered t-shirts, they should be available sometime this week. We will be in contact about how to pay and where they can be picked up, etc.

Also, there was a great article on the Heatley Block in last week's Globe & Mail. Here is the link:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080822.revanHeatley0822/REStory/RealEstate/home

Hope to see as many of you as possible on Wednesday. Again, thanks for your ongoing support."

[ Please note: for more information on obtaining a Heatley Block T-shirt, please contact James Johnstone at:
househistorian {at} yahoo.ca ]

Please sign the petition to save the Heatley Block

http://www.petitiononline.com/heatley/petition.html

Thank you so much!

Also, if you haven't read the Vancouver Sun article, please do here.

1889: A very different Vancouver

When the house that makes up the alley facing portion of the threatened Heatley Block was built in 1889, the City of Vancouver was three years old and home to less than 12,000 people. Its site was just a quarter century removed from being a temperate rainforest, gently sloping east to the marshy flats around Raymur Avenue. The first train from Eastern Canada had arrived a mere two years earlier.

The iconic Eiffel Tower and the Moulin Rouge in Paris were opened that year, the Coca Cola company was incorporated. Washington became a State in the USA. Charlie Chaplin was born in 1889.

Stay tuned for more interesting facts from this year in Vancouver and world history.

In the meantime, please also visit www.strathcona-hastings.org

Heatley Block on Flickr

We've created a space for everyone to showcase their photos of the Heatley Block, the 1889-1930s buildings in Strathcona that are currently at risk of being demolished.

The pool is here:

www.flickr.com/groups/heatleyblock

Please join up and add any you might have!

Introduction

Essential background reading material:

http://www.heritagevancouver.org/topten/2008/topten2008_10.html

We endorse the future of this heritage block as a home for locally-based small business and low income renters. We oppose construction of an eight storey tower at this site.

We welcome others of like mind who believe that the community is best served by finding an alternative location for the worthy goal of a new Strathcona/Downtown Eastside library.
We welcome those who wish to fight displacement by civic government and those who believe in upfront and open consultation between the city and all interested neighbours.
We advocate an end to backroom dealmaking and secrecy with respect to this project.

We welcome anyone who is interested in preserving existing rental stock, local small business space and the heritage of Vancouver's first neighbourhood.

Don't let the Heatley Block end up like this: