Neighbourhood Watch - The Drive

To some, Commercial Drive starts at Venables. And that is where you start to see the shops and restaurants. 

Commercial Drive was a different place before the 1950s. The area consisted of market gardens, sash and door factories, light industrial, rooming houses, dairies, orchards and open fields. Due to the urban sprawl, that was all filled in during the fifties.

This area is also known as Little Italy, due to the large influx of Italians after World War II. A sizeable Portuguese population came here as well. The European influence was diluted somewhat by the arrival of Asians in the 1960s and in the eighties, Latinos started to make their home in the Drive area. Today, every nationality and heritage is reflected in the faces of the Drive denizens.

 This is a neat store. Full of furniture and items from decades past. Makes me feel old sometimes when I remember using some of the items!

The Drive attracted a large anti-culture population during the 1980s. Political activists, lesbians, gays, hippies, punks and artists are all drawn to this district. (Notice I say are because some things don't change.) This is still a gathering place for those interested in fighting the system.

In December of 1985, the Skytrain opened the Broadway Station. This brought more people to the area and not always for the better. Pan-handling increased as did the use of drugs, drunks, prostitution and the other 'benefits' of living in a city.

There has also been a cosmetic change to The Drive and neighbouring streets. Gentrification means Grandview Park got a facelift, new condominiums and townhouses are popping up in the area and new storefronts are replacing the old woodframe stores. The downside of that is that Vancouver is also losing its history with the demolishing of old buildings.

I don't usually do this but my friends at MasterKoda are having a big sale from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. This group of people have been a really big help to me with my writing career and it is an honour to tell you about their sale.

Join more than 35 great authors in this holiday celebration. The biggest book event on Facebook. Games, prizes, fun. Enter drawing for $100 gift card, $25 gift card, huge ebook bundle, swag, more. So if you are on Facebook, join the event here.

I would like to thank Wikipedia for the information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Chocolate Italians

Laura Secord is a famous Canadian and not just for being a premier chocolatier since 1913. In the war of 1812 Secord became aware the American Army was planning a surprise attack on British troops. She walked over thirty kilometres to warn  British Lieutenant James Fitzgibbon. With the help of Native warriors she was able to get to Fitzgibbon in time.



With courage like that it is no wonder that she has had not only a chocolate company named after her but also schools. This one is on East Broadway.

It was designed by David Hormer and built by the Vancouver School Board in 1913. The VSB like the design so much that the board had three more schools made in the same manner.

The school has gone through many upgrades and additions over the years to keep up with the increased student flow and the times. Presently the main buildings are having a seismic upgrade done.

The purpose of my walk today though was to go to the Italian Cultural Centre. I have a scene in my next novel in which a few of the characters are going to go there and I need some visual aids in describing it. Then I decided that it would be a great addition to this blog.

Italians who came to Vancouver first settled in the Strathcona area and there are still remnants of their culture and their influence there. But in the 1930s the Italians moved a little East to the Grandview-Woodland area. When I first lived in the area in 1984 there seemed to be a larger Italian population then there is now. Today I see a mixture of nationalities and hear an array of languages being spoken in this area.

But back to the centre. In 1974 the Consul of Italy, Giovanni Germano a[pproached Dave Barret - the premier of British Columbia as well as the representative for this area. Barret in turn told the Consul to find the support he needed to make the Italian community's wish come true. Barret assured Germano that if he got the support then there would be a grant from the provincial government. The Mayor of Vancouver, Art Phillips, also lent a hand with helping the community obtain city land at a special price. With the help of a lot of people the dream of the centre came true.

The Italian Cultural Centre opened on September 25, 1977. And as you look around the beauty and elegance of the centre it is hard to believe that this land was originally a dump. Now it is a beautiful, regal oasis.

While walking along Lakewood today I felt at one point like I was walking through a garden.

For a brief moment it was almost as if I had the sun leaning over, protecting me from the world around us.

Since I started this blog and began speaking with people I have heard many opinons on the history of Vancouver. Some are very well informed, some don't really care and others are fiercely protective of those landmarks that still exist. Granted we have lost a lot of buildings that speak of our past but I see more homes and such being redone in an effort to preserve the past.

This house I saw on 10th the other day while I was walking. The man working outside told me that it was an Edwarian style home about one hundred years old he thinks. It was his first day there working on revitalizing the home. Hopefully he will be able to restore it to its former glory.

This is an interesting home. It was built in 1905 and is currently being renovated. One of the men working on it came down to talk with me and told me that besides trying to stay true to the past, as much as possible  the remodelling of this house is environmentally friendly. From the insulation they are using to the paint - it is all being done with as little harm to nature as present day technology allows. He was really kind and informative. Unfortunately I don't remember all the terms he used. It is uplifting to see that someone is combining the precious elements of the past with the benefits of now and the future.

This house has seen better days but look at those windows, the detail. And someone came out while I was taking photos and told me that there were renovating.

So our history won't totally disappear. We should still have numerous structures around to remind us.

Before I sign off I would like to wish all those participating in the Terry Fox runs around the country on Sunday all the best. You are running for a great cause and in the name of a great Canadian.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Italian Cultural Centre, Edwardian,Laura Secord,house,walk,history,