THE TALK OF THE TOWN

/

What Do We Have For You This Month?

Welcome to The Talk of The Town for November, 2021. Scroll through the following features (and click on images to enlarge) to find:

  • Our Lead Story: If a tree falls in the West End …

  • West End Moments: Some of our favourite neighbourhood moments and images.

  • West End Events: Next month we plan to bring back our former “Mark Your Calendar” section, as things start to start up again. In the meantime, here are a few notable highlights.

  • West End Street Names: Most West End streets were named by CPR land commissioner and surveyor L.A. Hamilton. Here’s the story behind Alberni Street. Next month, Burnaby Street.

  • West End / Coal Harbour In The News: In case you missed it, here are some of our neighbourhood stories that made the news in October.

Our Lead Story

WHEN A TREE FALLS IN THE WEST END
Falling Tree Hits Vehicle, And Window

Steven Miller stands in front of the catalpa tree that fell on his apartment and car in late September.
(click on any image to enlarge)

by Nate Lewis / Photos by Jacqui Birchall

At 4:10 on the morning of September 30, Steven Miller woke to a big crash in his apartment. 

“[A] tree comes down through my window and there’s glass everywhere. It really startled me,” Miller recalled.

Miller lives at the corner of Nelson and Gilford. That block of Nelson, between Gilford and Denman, had another boulevard tree topple unexpectedly in mid-September. At least four have fallen on this block over the last five years. 

“I’ve lived in this apartment for 22 years, and trees have been falling one after the other… I’m surprised nobody’s gotten killed.” 

The trees that fell were Common Catalpa, a relatively small species of the tree, with broad heart-shaped leaves that form a cooling shade canopy in the summer, and remarkable flowers that bloom in late spring.  Andrew Almas, an assistant professor in UBC’s urban forestry program, says catalpa do very well in urban environments, in part because they grow quickly. However they only have a lifespan of about eighty years. 

Workers clear the tree that broke Miller’s window.

Almas says that the cause of these catalpa’s falling “is not species specific… It’s the same species of tree planted at the same time and that’s why we’re seeing them reach their end.” 

Getting home from his job in the movie industry in the evening before the tree fell, Miller was very pleased to get a parking spot right outside his house. Quick and easy to leave in the morning, he thought. 

“It was an 85 foot tree that fell from across the street… And, of course, that fell on my vehicle as well. Double whammy.”

“The tree was on it from 4 a.m. till two in the afternoon… it had crushed the back of the pickup. Surprisingly, it bounced back up when they finally took the tree off. I can’t imagine it not being a write-off.” 

Miller says he wants the City of Vancouver to reimburse him for his insurance deductible and his day of lost wages. Miller was still out a vehicle when TWEJ caught up with him two weeks after the wooden wallop.

“I’ve been taking Ubers and relying on co-workers to have rides to work, so it’s been costing me a lot of money.”

The tree fell across the back of Miller’s parked vehicle.

In September a BC Hydro report outlined how tree roots, wood, and soil were weakened by this summer’s severe drought. Coupled with September rainfall that was triple the monthly average, and a stormy autumn in the forecast, falling trees and branches pose an increased risk to power lines, property, and people.

Almas says that a number of push-pull factors, like trees losing bio mass in the form of fine roots in a drought, the large leaves characteristic of catalpa, and wind storms, conspire to pull trees down at this time of year.

Winds of up to 50 kilometers an hour were recorded at YVR on the day in question. Over 25mm of rain fell between 7 p.m. on September 29 and 7 a.m. on September 30, according to data from Environment Canada’s climate station on Deadman Island. 

Miller said the city has been proactively pruning branches from listing trees on the block, but he’s heard rumours that they’ll all be removed since trees keep falling. 

Joe McLeod, supervisor of urban forestry for the city, said they are planning to remove and replace several catalpa trees on Nelson between Gilford and Denman, ideally in the next few months, according to a report by CBC News. 

Map showing the distribution of Common Catalpas on Nelson Street, including the two that fell in September. (City of Vancouver Open Data)

When reached for comment by TWEJ, the Vancouver Park Board was unable to confirm if any or all of the remaining catalpa would be removed. Their urban forestry team is in the process of evaluating the situation to determine the best course of action, according to a Park Board spokesperson. 

There are 53 catalpa trees in the West End, including nine Common Catalpa lining the north side of Nelson, just across Denman from where two catalpa fell in September. 

Miller has mixed feelings about the trees on his block being removed. He feels safer he says with all the big trees on his corner gone, but he does miss the privacy and the shade. 

“Now my neighbours can see right in, whereas before [the sightlines were] filtered through the branches and leaves. I’ll be cooking next summer I think, because the shade helped a lot.” 

West End News & Notes

St. Paul’s Hospital has been purchased by Concord Pacific.

ST. PAUL’S SOLD FOR $850 MILLION

Concord Pacific, a prolific development company that became a household name when Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing purchased the Expo ‘86 lands, has bought St. Paul’s Hospital for $850 million.

According to a news release from current owner Providence Health Care, all of the proceeds from the sale will be invested back into health care and the new St. Paul’s Hospital at the Jim Pattison Medical Centre. The announcement states that this will “significantly reduce the cost to taxpayers” and represents the largest non-governmental contribution to a capital health care project in BC, and likely, Canada.

“We’re extremely pleased with this sale,” said Fiona Dalton, president and CEO of Providence Health Care. “It is a unique achievement in Canada that enables us to invest in BC’s health care system while minimizing the cost to taxpayers, and continues to build on our 126-year legacy of compassionate and innovative care, research and teaching.”

CONNECT WITH W.E. CONNECT
Plan Now For A New “Community Hub”

There are big changes afoot for the east side of the 800 block Denman, where the City of Vancouver, Vancouver School Board, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, Vancouver Public Library, and the West End Community Centre Association are working on the creation of a new “West End Community Hub” to replace the current community centre, high school, and library.

A public consultation process is now underway, with several ways for West Enders to participate. This consultation process will produce a renewal plan - a document that is intended to guide and direct the future of the site’s buildings, programming, and outdoor spaces. Among the current plans are:

  • The West End Community Centre will be replaced to meet the needs of the growing West End neighbourhood, including the renewal of an ice rink.

  • King George Secondary School will be redeveloped to provide more spaces for students and meet seismic upgrade requirements.

  • Joe Fortes Public Library will be expanded to provide a larger library space.

  • The renewed community hub will likely have combined and shared programming spaces. Other potential uses that could serve the West End will be considered for addition or expansion in the renewal plan, including relocation of Firehall No. 6, childcare, seniors’ spaces, and arts and culture facilities.

To learn more about opportunities to participate in W.E. Connect, take part in a survey, and register for workshops and presentations, visit here.

Would you care for a Purdy’s (insanely popular) Hedgehog?

HOLIDAY CHOCOLATES FOR LORD ROBERTS
Support The School PAC by Nov. 15

Purdy’s Chocolates, for generations a Vancouver staple, partners with non-profits at this time of year to help them raise funds by taking and placing group orders for holiday chocolates.

The Lord Roberts Elementary School Parent Advisory Council (PAC) takes advantage of this fundraising opportunity every year, and your deadline to order for this holiday season is midnight, November 15. Order pick-up will be November 30 at the school.

You were going to buy chocolates anyway (don’t lie!) so why not share the holiday cheer with the youngsters at Lord Roberts by supporting their PAC while delighting your own taste buds?

Information and ordering directions, along with more information about the Lord Roberts PAC here.

St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church on Burrard.

ST. ANDREW’S-WESLEY RE-OPENS

A two-and-a-half-year “extended pilgrimage” ends this month for the congregation of St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church on Burrard and for the many West Enders who participate in and benefit from their many programs and activities.

In early February 2019, the congregation left the church for a seismic upgrade, which was then prolonged by the pandemic.

Everyone is invited to join in celebrating the reopening of this neighbourhood landmark at a special event on Sunday, November 14 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in the church sanctuary.

The evening will give thanks for the completion of the now safe and restored sanctuary, and will also provide an opportunity to gather together neighbourhood partners and friends “to recognize the importance of communities of compassion sharing in work for the greater good.”

The event will be a “coming out party” of sorts, as the congregation and ministry “step into our vision to be a Centre for Art, Spirit and Social Justice for the city and beyond.”

There will be music, and lots of it, including: The church’s choir-in-residence Chor Leoni; the Orchid Ensemble; jazz singer Candus Churchill; and Dave Say on sax. Tim Woodford will make the organ sing and everyone can sing along, albeit with masks.

Special guests will include Mayor Kennedy Stewart, Councillor Christine Boyle and an opening procession of guest clergy.

Congratulations to everyone involved!

Florence and Laura tending their little village on Gilford. (Jacqui Birchall Photo)

TENDING A TINY VILLAGE

Many West Enders have delighted in the miniature village under the tree at the corner of Gilford and Pendrell.

Meet Florence and Laura. When they returned from the UK earlier this year they had to isolate for two weeks. Friends felt badly for them and so built this little village complete with British touches, including a red phone box. Florence and Laura could see the village from their apartment windows. It brought them great joy.

Florence and Laura have continued to care for the village all year, adding more items (such as a clothesline with tiny orange t-shirts to mark our national work of truth and reconciliation) and cleaning the little village with a toothbrush.

It’s worth going a few blocks out of your way to enjoy!

Terri Smith, the new executive director at the West End Business Improvement Association.

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗜𝗔

The West End Business Improvement Association has announced the appointment of Teri Smith as the association's new executive director.

Smith previously served nearly nine years as executive director of the Robson Street Business Association and replaces Stephen Regan, who left the WEBIA on October 1 after nine years with the organization, to take a new position with the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association.

After her years of service to the Robson Street neighbourhood, Teri knows the West End community, it’s concerns, its issues, and its strengths.

West End Events

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Coming Back Slowly - And Carefully!

West End and Coal Harbour venues and organizations are slowly and carefully, following all the appropriate guidelines, returning to regular programming, or something that looks very much like it.

Here are some of the events you’ll want to know about. And next month watch for the return of our monthly “Mark Your Calendar” feature and our weekly “The Week Ahead In Your West End” post on Facebook every Friday.

Send notice of your events to editor@thewestendjournal.ca.

Jay Brazeau.

THE BALLAD OF GEORGES BOIVIN
Western Gold Theatre Returns To The Stage

Western Gold Theatre, the company-in-residence at PAL Studio Theatre on Cardero, returns to live-audience shows this month with The Ballad of Georges Boivin, At 77, Georges decides to “give the dice a roll”. He has just lost his wife, the centre of his universe, and is terrified that “he no longer exists for anyone”. But there is life after 70 and it must continue even after a great loss. With his three friends, he sets out on a road trip from Quebec to Vancouver in search of his first love, who he has not seen in 50 years.

Well-known Vancouver actors Jay Brazeau and John Innes alternate in repertory as Georges Boivin.

When / Where / Etc. At PAL Studio Theatre (581 Cardero). November 10 to 28. Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 p.m. starting November 14. Tickets and info at 604.363.5735 or here.

THE VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET
Back With An Expanded Season

After a one-year hiatus, the Vancouver Christmas Market will return to its Coal Harbour home at Jack Poole Plaza. This eleventh year of the outdoor, traditional German-inspired market will introduce new vendors and activities. Traditional mulled wine, savory treats, and baked goods, carousel rides, festive music, and magical lighting displays are all among this year’s attractions.

As with all revived public events, the Christmas Market will observe the current health guidelines and regulations and has introduced a new online reservation system to ensure that the Market is not crowded and social distancing is possible.

The dates are November 13 to December 24 for this German-style market and presales are now open here.

The Hot Mamas are back at the Sylvia November 4.

MUSIC IS BACK AT THE SYLVIA
Live - Three Nights A Week

Sylvia’s Restaurant & Lounge at the Sylvia Hotel has announced the return of live music in their cozy lounge overlooking English Bay.

Back with their three nights a week format, with entertainment from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, things kick off Wednesday, November 3 with Bobby Bacchus, Thursday, November 4 with The Hot Mamas, Sunday, November 7 with Angela Verbrugge, Wednesday, November 10 with Rob Viewer, and Thursday, November 11 with Bob Richardson.

Check for the latest booking updates at their website here and learn more about The Sylvia in this month’s Restaurant Spotlight.

West End Moments

Out and about in the West End, you never know who or what you’ll see. Here are a few special moments you may have missed … click on any image to read the story. (Our apologies to everyone who gave permission to use these photos. A computer problem at the last moment caused us to lose the photo credit notes. Really sorry about that, and thank you for your generosity.)

West End Street Names

ALBERNI STREET

Named for Lieutenant Colonel Pedro de Alberni, the commander of the troops on Francisco Eliza’s expedition aboard the Concepcion to Nootka Sound in 1790, Alberni Street runs from Burrard to Lagoon Drive one block north of, and parallel to, Robson Street.

Colonel de Alberni was a noted gardener and was the first European to cultivate a garden on Vancouver Island. He also introduced the first cows to the island. The Alberni Inlet (previously known as the Alberni Canal) and Port Alberni were named after him, which gave L.A. Hamilton, the CPR Land Commissioner who surveyed much of Vancouver, inspiration when, in 1885, he chose street names for much of the West End from a map of the coast. Alberni’s story as told here and here is a pretty interesting one.

West End / Coal Harbour In The News