Industrial buildings around False Creek have either met their doom in recent years or have received face-lifts (like the Salt Building). However, the twin-roofed 1918 Opsal Steel Building on the corner of West 2nd and Quebec has met a bit of a mixed fate.
The Opsal Steel building was used for making logging equipment back in its heyday and was part of the massive rail yard network that lay across most of False Creek. Its heritage status was revoked in 1997 and has since been vacant although it has appeared frequently on Heritage Vancouver’s ‘Top Ten Endangered Sites‘ list:
“2002: After seven years of city planning wrangling and a whole area’s density rezoning. Opsal Steel still stands, it’s ninety year old structural timbers still sound, but gaping holes in the roof threaten its structural integrity. This is not so much demolition by neglect as planning by exhaustion. Heritage Vancouver’s perspective is that it would behoove council and city planning to act expeditiously for the sake of conservation and support a proposal to move this plan forward before the structure deteriorates beyond the point of no return.”
After being shrouded in scaffolding, the building is finally being stripped and prepared for their new incarnation as a part of a Bastion Development that will raise two condo towers at the site.
Last May Vancouver is Awesome reported on this and the Vancouver Courier confirmed the development in the fall:
“A two-tower residential development at the historic Opsal Steel site on Second Avenue is poised to go ahead after years of planning. Bastion Development Corporation is behind the project, which will feature two residential highrises with commercial and retail amenities, and a restored Opsal Steel building. One tower will reach 26 storeys at the corner of Second and Quebec. The shorter tower will be at Ontario and Second. The land where the car wash sits is not included in the development.”
The ‘shell’ of the building will remain intact with the two towers positioned above. Per Bastion: “Original cladding will be reused in the interior courtyard, and the iconic exterior signage will be remounted to the face of the building. The interior will feature a pair of long gable-roofed ranges with high exposed ceilings, displaying the heavy-timber frames from the original structure. A number of artifacts from the steel company’s days-gone-by will also appear, including a gantry crane and wooden casting moulds.”
While development of the site has been painfully slow up until this point, another piece of Vancouver history will live on somehow albeit through weathered wooden trusses, encased in shiny new glass.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet (“RWB”) is bringing a modern version of Alice’s Wonderland across the country this month, stopping in Vancouver for shows March 24th until the 27th.
“This is not your grandmother’s Wonderland,” said Principal dancer Tara Birtwhistle during our telephone interview. She’s currently rehearsing in-studio with the company before the tour.
Photo credit: David Cooper
“Our Wonderland is very unique, I don’t think the ballet world has seen anything like it.” Birtwhistle added that the RWB’s production is contemporary and is set in modern times, including references to the internet and television. “It sort of parallels what happens in our lives today – everyone has a different Wonderland to accept.”
The contemporary performance will also have the dancers vocalize, something that is very rare in ballet.
In fact, the RWB has been doing many things differently to help evolve the medium; they have been posting videos on Vimeo and YouTube throughout the rehearsal process, they are on Twitter, Facebook, and are reaching out to bloggers (such as yours truly) to help promote the show.
Born in Vancouver, Birtwhistle still has family here and has been with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for 20 years and will have her farewell performance starring in the company’s The Ecstasy of Rita Joe later this year. She will go on to teach at the RWB, passing on the experience she’s gained throughout her remarkable career that has included traveling the globe and even performing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“I feel very fulfilled and at peace with leaving the stage but at the same time, I feel sad because it’s who we are. A dancer is what I’ve been my entire life, and I’ll always be a dancer.” You can catch her playing the role of the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland at the Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver later this month.
BC Parks is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year while it is also the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada in 2011. Although Banff National Park is 125 years old, Parks Canada was officially established in 1911 and was the first national park service in the world. In BC, we have 7 National Parks.
Glacier National Park
Yoho National Park of Canada
Emerald Lake. Photo credit:
Jasmic on Flickr
Kootenay National Park of Canada
Kootenay River. Photo credit:
aa440 on Flickr
Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada
Thrashers Cove. Photo credit:
BigA888 on Flickr
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Kat island. Photo credit:
ah zut on Flickr
You can find out more about Canada’s National Parks this weekend (until March 6, 2011) at the BC Home and Garden Show. There you can visit the Canada Pavilion at the Convention Centre to learn more, and even do some trip planning for the warmer months.
Follow @ParksCanada on Twitter for national parks and heritage site news.
With rising food prices, the donation levels at local food banks are falling. The “Fill a Bin for the Kids” event will try to raise awareness for the Surrey Food Bank‘s efforts and to give their supplies a boost throughout the year.
The event takes place Saturday March 19th and Sunday March 20th at the Safeway on 88th and 152nd from 10:30am until 3:00pm. Disposal King Ltd is bringing out an 8 yard bin that they hope to fill with donations that weekend. If filled, the bin will contain 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food item donations.
The Surrey Food Bank alone distributes 2,000 food hampers each week and on a monthly basis they support 15,000 clients, 42% of which are children under the age of 18. The Surrey Food Bank relies solely on community support and donations, serving Surrey (Whalley, Guildford, Cloverdale etc.) as well as North Delta.
Other upcoming events in support of the Food Bank include Breakfast With The Bank, and the 1st annual Kids Can Rodeo in May. Follow @SurreyFoodBank on Twitter for updates.
You can also stop by Canstruction in Vancouver at Canada Place to drop off donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (separate from the Surrey Food Bank) by March 6th.
It was March 3rd 1892 when Charles Woodward opened his first store on the corner of Harris Street (now Georgia) and Westminster Avenue (now Main) in Vancouver. He had just arrived in town from Ontario and the small setup sold dried foods. It wasn’t until 1895 that he added a drug department, incorporated (Woodward Stores Limited), and bought a lot on Hastings and Abbott. In 1903 Woodward’s Department Store opened its doors. Over the last century, Charles’ innovations have given us not only the department store concept (with grocery floor), but a local legacy.
1891 – Residence at 209 Harris Street (Georgia Street), the building to the left was
the first Woodward’s store. Archives Item# SGN 342. Photographer: Charles S. Bailey
1910s – Woodward’s from Hastings and Abbott. Archives Item# M-11-51.
Photographer: Richard Broadbridge
1946 – Woodward’s window bathing suit display. Archives Item# CVA 1184-3603.
Photographer: Jack Lindsay
1948 – Woodward’s grocery delivery department interior and clerks. VPL Accession# 27803.
Photographer: Dominion Photo Co.
1938 – Woodward’s department store beacon. Archives Item# Van Sc P114.
Photographer: Charles S. Bailey
The Woodward’s development is currently has tenants such as Nester’s Market (the new Woodward’s food floor), London Drugs, TD Bank, JJ Bean Coffee, The Charles Bar, Woodward’s Community Housing Coalition, W2 Community Arts, and SFU Woodward’s, along with offices and condos.
Read more posts under my ‘Woodwards‘ tag.
