Heritage Vancouver Top Ten Endangered Sites 2014

#3/ Kerrisdale Baptist Church
Our heritage churches
With declining attendance at many Vancouver churches, potential church closures are rampant, and threaten the loss of many significant heritage buildings. When these buildings close, Vancouver communities lose more than Sunday worship space; they lose space for the countless social and cultural activities that churches accommodate seven days a week.

#5/ South Vancouver High School
A memory in the community
The history of South Vancouver High School is associated with four generations of school buildings. John Oliver High School is slated for demolition, the ‘Barn’, already vacant, could be demolished, as could Sandford Fleming. Once the Vancouver School Board is finished with its current demolition program, these three South Vancouver High School buildings may be nothing but a fading memory.

#4/ Morrisette Farm House
Historic Vancouver farms
There is an immediate threat to two identified historic farmhouses, the Morrisette Farm house (1912) in Dunbar, a designated heritage building, and the Avalon Dairy in Killarney. The threat to these two early farm buildings, and the continuing demolition of others, demonstrates the necessity of identifying historic farmhouses that still survive.

#6/ Firehall No. 5
Modernist firehalls
The City’s current plan is to replace Firehall No. 5 (1952) at 3090 East 54th & Kerr with a new facility incorporating social housing. This is symptomatic of a general lack of consideration for the heritage value of postwar modernist architecture. It is important to give consideration to adapting No. 5 and other modernist fireballs to modern use or repurposing for another use rather than demolishing them.

#9/ East Hastings Street
Heatley to Campbell
In 1996, Vancouver City Council approved a policy to “let go” of the industrial frontages along East Hastings from Heatley Ave to Victoria Drive. The draft Local Area Plan proposes the creation of a ‘high-street’ along East Hastings from Heatley to Clark as a part of the renewal of the area. Ill-considered development along this corridor could impact critical heritage and cultural landmarks at an accelerating rate. Unrecognized but important heritage assets remain unprotected and could be lost.

#8/ Arthur Erickson House & Garden
Arthur Erickson is considered Canada’s greatest architect of all time. His house and garden was his inspiration, his haven, and one of his most delicate design accomplishments. It is a work of art, it is unique, and it is intact. Without being designated a heritage site and receiving appropriate funds and City-controlled entitlements for retiring outstanding debts, preserving and restoring the house and garden, the Arthur Erickson Foundation’s broad missions and objectives of fostering Arthur Erickson’s legacy, will be severely compromised by the loss of this unique iconic and historical site.

#10/ Commercial Drive
Grandview’s main street
Commercial Drive has evolved over the years into a street that is an interesting mixture of textures, tastes, cultures and activities. It is outstanding not only for its significant heritage buildings but also for its sense of place, experience and uniqueness. As Vancouver continues to grow eastward, the pressures to develop this site to its allowable four-storey height limit could create a dreary blandness that would destroy what is important about ‘The Drive.’