In the 1930s when the Salt Building was built, only the SW corner of the building was on shore with the rest of the building supported on piles. The original shoreline of Southeast Falsecreek was about where the First Avenue is. That means much of the land that the Olympic Village sits on right now was landfill carried out over the years. Southeast Falsecreek was once a forest that had to be cleared to create land at the turn of the 20th Century.
Olympic Village, 181, 1st Avenue West, Vancouver BC, Canada
The Falsecreek inlet used to be much bigger than what it is today. Landfill reduced the inlet water to create more land at Southeast Falsecreek which became the industrial centre of the city of Vancouver. Sawmill, shipyards, coal yards, steel fabricators, cement factories, foundries, machine shops etc. have all operated here since the 1890s. During World War Two, more than 10,000 workers labored in Southeast Falsecreek to fabricate steel and build warships. This industrial centre became so important that when it came time to sell the Victory Bond in the 1940s, Susan Hayward, Barbara Stanwyck, Jack Benny and other Hollywood entertainment stars came by and performed. With all that heavy industry activities came pollution and much of the natural habitat in this part of the city was destroyed. Wildlife such as seal, deer, sole, sturgeon etc. gradually left when the forest that was once here cleared to make way for the industrial revolution. Landfill also continually disrupted the shoreline, making marine habitat impossible to exist for extended periods of time. With the construction of the Olympic Village, all that have changed. Marine and other habitat are returning. Southeast Falsecreek becomes not only livable but is one of the most desirable locations for condos shoppers.
Olympic Village, 181, 1st Avenue West, Vancouver BC, Canada
EPIC Expo held a consumer green products and lifestyle tradeshow at the Vancouver Convention Centre from May 28-30, 2010. The Vancouver Sun Sustainable Living Expo is Western Canada’s largest sustainable consumer tradeshow and eco-marketplace. Sustainability involves every aspects of our lives, so here is a cross-section of what a green lifestyle means for consumers in the 21st Century. Of particular interest is the work of Fair Trade, an organization which ensures that fair wages are paid to organic product producers such as farmers and factory workers and goods are produced and shipped in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. The non-government organization (NGO) also helps in community development, building schools, setting up irrigation systems that conserve water waste etc., so those who live in the producing countries can live better lives.
Soapnut natural detergent from India keeps your clothes and dishes clean
Green Sapphire Imports Golden Grass eco-friendly jewellry from Brazil
Banrock Station organic wine is very popular with volunteer tasters.
Walmart is doing great work in sustainability at a corporate level with their supply chain eco-friendly practices and the establishment of a universal Sustainable Product Index (SDI) that shoppers can one day rely on to purchase products that are produced and shipped without an adverse effect on the environment.
Eco-friendly dresses, cakes, décor etc. Here, Caroline Calvert with her line of eco-friendly wedding couture.
Beware of this American Bullfrog. He eats everything and is destructive to the eco-system if we don’t keep a watchful eye.
ING Direct says you could win this solar charger backpack if you enter a draw. ING Direct is also involved with a Green Over Grey wall that not only enlivens your living room or office, but the wall with organic plants will keep on growing and growing.
Sierra Club BC concerned about grizzly bear trophy hunting at Flathead River Valley park.
Don’t just paint your house. Paint it with eco-friendly coating, says Broda.
Winds of Change is 100% organic Fair Trade wine from South Africa.
Fair Trade Vancouver staff Sasha and Rogayeh. Fair Trade ensures organic food farmers are paid a fair wage and goods are transported in a sustainable manner.
African Fair Trade Society’s 100% pure organic shea butter products for dry skins.
Sweet Naturally Natural Baked Goods for eco-wedding and other occasions.
Manday Tsung applies artwork on recycled clothing.
Streetcar trolley is an eco-friendly mode of transportation.
Daily eco-fashion show at EPIC Expo.
The 2010 EPIC Expo was held at the new Vancouver Convention Centre.
Vancouver’s Olympic Line streetcar has a demonstration run between Granville Island and the Olympic Village station during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Many who had taken advantage of the free ride were smitten. So when the trail ended its 60-day run on Mar 21, 2010, many were left with a sense of nostalgia and yearned for the Olympic Line to return. But the two Bombardier Flexity streetcars were promptly returned to Belgium where they came from. Although streetcars are much less expensive than a Skytrain system, the Olympic Line even with its short distance of just 1.8 km still requires a capital cost of $90 million to operate. At a time when Translink is diligently looking for $400 million to cover the cost of building the expected Evergreen Line, spending any extra dollar in maintaining the Olympic Line which may not see much passengers when the line may no longer be free as during the trial is not a very convincing proposition. However, there might be some other ways to make it work.
So what is so good about the Bombardier Flexity Olympic Line Streetcar?
Urban railcar system is one of the world’s most sustainable mode of transportation. It enables lower energy consumption, decrease land usage, less congestion, fewer accidents and greater accessibility for all passengers. Modern electric streetcar or a magnetic levitation railcar system like Vancouver’s Skytrain are sustainable forms of transportation. Bombardier Transportation claimed its rail car systems, such as the Flexity line used in the Vancouver trail “actively maximizing the environmental benefits of rail travel”. They are built on four “cornerstones: energy, efficiency, economy, ecology.” That is why the company had the message “The Climate is Right For Trains” printed on the sides of the two Olympic Line streetcars for use in Vancouver. Physical and functional attractive features of the streetcar are low floor entry (even wheelchair riders or small children could easily get on with a minimal effort) and large windows which invite riders to look out the window to not only enjoy the view but also check out the street scene and the shops that are along the streets. Sure beats driving in which your mainly concentration is on the road. That is why it is well-known that streetcars promote street life and stimulate commercial development of the areas where they serve. The Olympic Line streetcar also traveled at a slow and leisurely speed which was intentionally way under what the streetcar was capable of. For a fast and efficient way of getting from one place to another, there is the Skytrain system which Bombardier also manufactures. The system was built to coincide with Expo 86. The Vancouver’s World’s Fair which has two major themes, transportation and communication.
The Olympic Line Streetcar Has Heritage Values in Vancouver
The city of Vancouver was incorporated in 1886 and the first electric streetcar came into service in 1890, according to Heather Conn’s book Vancouver’s glory years: public transit, 1890-1915. The Vancouver streetcar played a critical role in helping the city to expand and grow. In the beginning, there was only a single line of service for Main St., Chinatown, Gastown and what is now downtown Vancouver on Granville Street. Then came the Interurban lines in the early 1900s which connected the city core to outlaying areas in Steveston, Burnaby, Surrey, Abbortsford etc. Two of these Interurban trains were preserved and restored which The Downtown Historic Railway used as a tourist streetcar service between Granville Island and Science World every summer. The 2010 Olympic Line streetcar also used this same line after the city spent $8 million improving the tracks. One of the original trams, the Interurban bus #1207 was actually built for use in 1905 connecting Marpole and Steveston. Two months after the 2010 Olympic Line finished its run, currently there is no word on when The Downtown Historic Railway will return to service again. That brings us the interesting question of heritage values of streetcars. It is not just the Good Old Days way of thinking. As mentioned earlier, streetcars were almost as old as the city of Vancouver itself. These electric trams not only enabled commerce by moving people from their homes to their place of work, especially the line that had daily runs from Marpole to Steveston where the BC fishery industry was. But for those who could afford to have a more leisurely lifestyle, the streetcar was also a convenient way to get shoppers from one specialty store to another. For those reasons and some intangible ones, streetcars have become a symbol of city development and community building. That is where its heritage value comes in and rightfully earned plenty of nostalgia in the hearts of many who had the streetcar as part of their lives growing up in Vancouver. The last of the Vancouver streetcars ceased their operation in when the rubber tires hit the road literally in the late 1950s.
Vancouver’s Granville Island Could be San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf
Much like San Francisco’s Nob Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf, Vancouver’s downtown core is where a streetcar system like the Olympic Line could really shine. A run from the Granville Island to Olympic Village then to Science World, Chinatown, Gastown, Coal Harbor and finally ending at Chilco St. in Stanley Park with a possible sideway track to Yaletown truly make sense. Streetcars for the Arbutus Corridor would someday become a reality too pending on more commercial and residential real estate development. Although right now, there is a great deal of sentiments regarding the return of the streetcar to the Kitsilano, Arbutus, Marpole and Kerrisdale areas.
So what is the official line?
Recently, Gregor Robertson, the Mayor of Vancouver, indicated that the city’s transportation priority should be on the Broadway Corridor. It s hard to argue with that as that is a much more heavily trafficed route. Furthermore, he said, funding opportunities for the Olympic Line simply do not exist at the present time. Mr. Robertson also stated that “it will take years to bring back” the Olympic Line, likely after the Evergreen Line is operational in 2014.
Alternative ways to support the Olympic Line
Some have suggested that to make the Olympic Line sustainable, corporate sponsorship, naming rights and other creative ways to fund the project could be worked out. As a transportation service line, it might have limited use. But as a tourist attraction, corporate marketing tool, or a nostalgic object of desire, this streetcar could have a much bigger role to play for the community. I think in the long run, the streetcar in Vancouver would become a reality, or at least it should, especially the Granville Island to Stanley Park route. The extension to UBC would possibly be better served via a faster light rail mode of transportation. If the Olympic Line were to become a more immediate reality, some creative thinking and partnership and marketing skills could make that happen. Personally, I do like to see that as a quicker fact, instead of waiting for some other factors like the Evergreen Line or the Broadway Corridor transit to determine its fate. Of course, the Olympic Line would be fully integrated into the overall transit network but it could stand on its own as it has enough potentials that can be exploited by those who know how. Ultimately, whichever way the streetcar line may end up, to be successful, this sleek guided-by-rail and on-the-street transit vehicle would have to focus more on being a streetcar named desire than merely a transportation vehicle. In other words, the Olympic Line could have a greater value in serving a different clientele than those who are looking for a quick way to go from A to B.
Just as units of the Olympic Village are being put up for sale, another piece of waterfront real estate belonging to the Squamish Nation is being developed in Vancouver’s Burrard Bridge south. The development is still in a very preliminary stage, with more details coming in 10 months to a year. However, initial drawings done by Kasian Architecture, the firm that was responsible for the YVR airport Canada Line station, indicated that it might contain towers that could be as high as 35 storeys. The Squamish Nation reclaimed the traditional land that their ancestors were living on after the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled in 2002 that the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) should return the land to the native band. CPR took the land from what was known as the Coastal Salish people back in 1886 and 1902 for the construction of the railway. The native population living there at the time was uprooted and relocated to the Northshore with their dwellings and whatever was left behind totally destroyed. Then in the 1980s, the railway company offered the property for sale which triggered the current reversal of ownership.
It is an odd-shaped piece of property with Whyte St. in the NW, the Molson Brewery in the SW and the Falsecreek shoreline in the NE with a southern section of the Burrard Bridge cut right through it before the bridge itself merged with Cornwall Ave. Standing tall in the land right now is a large 30 ft (w) x 10 ft (h) LED billboard on the west side of the Burrard Bridge that has drawn quite a bit of controversy a few months back when it was erected. The Squamish Nation receives revenue from the sale of advertising space on the billboard in a 30-year agreement with Astral Media Outdoor.
The land which is located at the western tip of the Granville Island and Falsecreek was appraised in 2002 at about $20 million. Yet when fully developed, the 8.67-acre land will carry a price tag as much as $1 Billion. Squamish Nation intends to become a developer this time around instead playing the traditional role of being a leaser of real estate. It will have a mix of residential and commercial towers. Furthermore, the land will be developed to Squamish Nation’s specification which does not require city approval since it is rested on native land, though water and sewage would still have to be provided by the city. On Monday May 17, 2010, Mayor Gregor Robertson of the city of Vancouver and Chief Gibby Jacob of Squamish Nation signed a memorandum of understanding and protocol agreement. This MOU was not specifically created to deal with the development project, but rather called for both sides to set up a steering committee to meet at once a year to discuss economic development, tourism and environmental issues. Gibby Davis said that one of the objectives of the Burrard land development is to provide aboriginal youths with housings before they become elders. Currently, 60% of Squamish Nation population is 25 or under.
All that brings into sharp focus the future of the Olympic Line streetcar which has a trial run during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At the time, two streetcars were borrowed from Belgium for the test and operated between Granville Island and the Olympic Village station on the Canada Line for 2 months. But even back then, the grand vision for this eco-friendly form of transportation (the streetcar ran on electricity) was to extend it from Granville Island all the way to Stanley Park and may also one day revived the streetcar system that once traveled from the city’s Kitsilano area to Steveston in Richmond BC via the Arbutus Corridor. For now, all of that remain a dream as the city put the streetcar plan on hold after spending $8 million to upgrade the test tracks. This was not to say that the Olympic Line streetcar test was not a success. It was. In 60 days, the two streetcars carried more than 550,000 passengers and made 13,000 one-way trips without a single reported problem. Globally, about 100 cities have decided to go with the Bombardier streetcar system including the city of Toronto which had ordered 204 of them for the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission.) Yet, Vancouver decided to wait and see. The obvious reason is that Vancouver still needs to have more real estate development to bring more people to live in the various Falsecreek and adjacent areas in order to make the streetcar a truly sustainable people-mover. The question for now is will this Squamish Burrard land development be enough to kick-start the plan to put the Bombardier Flexity streetcar back into gear so it can move on to its destined future?
Squamish Nation is developing this land at Burrard Bridge south
Part of the Squamish development will go around this condos building
Waterfront view of Granville Island from the development site
Currently, under the Burrard Bridge is where some dragon boats are stored
The Burrard land also has this Squamish LED billboard on it (displaying a Sex and The City 2 movie ad)
The Burrard land also has the old CP rail track that was used for the Arbutus Corridor
The Arbutus Corridor today. The streetcar line once linked up Vancouver’s West End and Steveston, Richmond BC
Vancouver Bombardier Olympic Line streetcar on test during the 2010 Olympics
First Day riders of the Vancouver Olympic Line streetcar
Looking beyond the Olympic Village, quite a few parcels of lands are in various stages of development. There is one very big piece of public land to the west of the Olympic Village (which belongs to the city) that currently sits empty or used as a parking lot and storage. Sparsely occupying the land are two free standing structures: an inukshuk and an old (and rusted) Vancouver Mill Machinery Ltd. building. This inukshuk resembles the one in Whistler which has become a trademark of the 2010 Games. This piece of property is at least as big as the Olympic Village itself and was largely used an operational area by Vanoc or the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games during the Olympics and Paralympics period. The Vancouver Mill Machinery Ltd., also known as the Historical Wilkinson Steel Building, is a former warehouse and factory featuring a minimalist industrial architectural design sheltered by a weathered, corrugated metal siding. This building will likely be preserved and might be developed much like the Salt Building was at the Olympic Village. According to a promotional publication put out by Millennium Water and Rennnie Marketing Systems, part of this area in one corner of the waterfront will contain a school and a community garden. Immediately to the south of the Olympic Village between 1st and 2nd avenues are a number of private lands that can be developed as dwellings, community and social services and light industrial use. On the whole though, much of the areas around the Olympic Village in the east, south and west are currently classified as either Industrial zone or light industrial zones except in a few pockets: CD-1 (422), CD-1 (464), CD-1 (456), CD-1 (471), and others. Whatever the area will look like in the future, one thing is for sure, there will be plenty of actions around the Olympic Village area in real-estate terms. Many private properties are alredy angling themselves to take advantage of the tremendous publicity generated by the Millennium Water Olympic Village project and are putting up advertising signs to claim a stake in this coveted neighborhood known as the World’s Greenest neighborhood because of its sustanability designs and practices. Vancouver Mill Machinery Ltd. Aka Wilkinson Steel Building
The Inukshuk with the Olympic Village in the back.
Jogger and dog on Cambie Bridge with Olympic Village and Westside as backdrop.
Large piece of city property at Olympic Village westside waiting to be developed.
Park bench in industrial area just south of the Olympic Village could one day turn into a mixed-use condos community
Victoria Day celebration (on May 24, 2010) in Canada is the first long holiday of the summer, there is heavier than usual traffic between Vancouver and Victoria and Nanaimo BC and BC Ferries have added extra sailings to handle the added volume. On Tuesday May 25th, there will be 6 AM sailings on both sides of Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay to ease congestion for post holiday travelers. Though Tsawwassen is the largest of all the BC Ferries termainals, Horseshoe Bay is by far the most scenic one nestled. From Vancouver, it is only a short 15-minutes drive to this ferry port nestled along the Sea-to-Sky Highway in West Vancouver that leads directly to Whistler, BC, a venue city of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. If you are taking your car, drive safely or live an active lifestyle, bike! Happy Victoria Day. BC Ferries schedules.
Queen of Cowichan has a car capacity of 392 and can accommodate 1466 passengers. This C-class BC Ferries vessel has a service speed of 22 knots. Travelers waiting to board at the Horseshoe Bay terminal. Horseshoe Bay is more than a ferry terminal, it is a destination point with its scenic surroundings. Young lady enjoys view at Horseshoe Bay Horseshoe Bay Park Totem at Horseshoe Bay Park Plenty of people going to Vancouver Island or the Sunshine Coast for canoeing. From Horseshoe Bay, it’s only a short 15-minutes drive to the city of Vancouver. 6750 Keith Road, West Vancouver BC
At the Vancouver Board of Trade on May 20, 2010, Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said that last year we ate more farm fishes than those caught in the ocean, lakes and rivers. And that’s because of climate change. He did not go on to explain why, but the theory is that the warmer oceans and rivers are upsetting marine habitat which in turns depleted the salmon and other fish stocks.
Just recently, research scientists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) believed that salmons that spent a longer time in the Fraser River’s warm temperature (20-degree in the summer) had a higher chance of dying from parasite infection like sea-lice. Though it may not be related (which still has to be determined), the low salmon return to the Fraser River to spawn have lead the BC government to close the Fraser River for sockeye salmon fishing in the last three years. And it is not just BC. The U.S government also closed commercial salmon fishing along the California and Oregon coast in 2009. Earlier this year, Ecojustice, an environmental legal group threatened legal action against the DFO because the federal agency allowed a fish farm in BC to expand without first doing a proper environmental assessment. Some have blamed the BC fish farm industry for causing sea-lice infestations in wild salmon stocks. The world seems to be increasingly posing tougher questions for corporations and asks them to act responsibly and pay more attention to sustainable development. Clinton’s speech in Vancouver simply reinforces that.
To understand how our desire to develop and have better lives could have environmental consequences, we just have to look at the construction of the Olympic Village. Here, part of Falsecreek Southeast was land-filled and some habitat both on land and in the water were destroyed which caused the DFO to be concerned at first. In response to that and to act responsibly, the City of Vancouver conferred with environmental scientists and consultants. The solution was to built a man-made Habitat Island at Olympic Village to re-introduce marine habitat and flora back into the area. So far that appears to be working. And the Olympic Village is now being recognized as the World’s Greenest Neighborhood. That is all because sustainability has been the guiding principle of the Millennium Water Olympic Village development.
President Clinton’s arrival in Vancouver and his keynote speech on climate change, social inequality, corporate and individual global citizenry couldn’t be more timely to the problems the world is facing today. As the 42nd U.S. president said we all have to do our part, each and everyone of us. In his own words, Bill Clinton said, “We have to do what we can to build up the positive forces of our inter-dependence” and “what we can to reduce the negatives.” Bravo!
Ex-U.S. President Bill Clinton was given a Talking Stick by a First Nations heredity chief after the keynote speech. Standing next to him (photo right) was Carole Taylor, BC politician and former chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade and the evening’s host.
Olympic Village, 181, 1st Avenue West, Vancouver BC, Canada
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton came to Vancouver to give a keynote speech for the Rix Center Engaged Leadership Corporate Citizenship on May 20, 2010 at the Vancouver Board of Trade and later had a Q&A session with Carole Taylor, a local BC politician and businesswoman. The 42nd President jokingly talks about the Canadian hockey gold medal win in the 2010 Olympics, U.S. Republican Congress, climate change, homophobic and other form of prejudices at the Centre for Performing Arts. The audience of about 1,400 gave Good o’ Bill a round of applause for every comedic moment that he generated.
The Centre For the Performing Arts, 777 Homer St. Vancouver Canada
