Upcoming Projects

At our May meeting we announced that we have received a Neighbourhood Small Grant to help us cover the costs of our 3rd Heritage Lounge and 2nd Treasured Buildings Signs Project. The Heritage Lounge will again take place at the Autumn Shift Festival sponsored by the MPBIA. The date is Sunday, September 13th and that’s when we will reveal this year’s recipients of our Treasured Buildings signs.

We are working on these projects over the summer. If you would like more information or to get involved please contact us at mountpleasantheritage@gmail.com and you can follow us on twitter @mpheritagegroup.

The Mount Pleasant Heritage Group extends a big thank you to the Vancouver Foundation for supporting us with a NSG.

Notes from the December 1st, 2014 Meeting

• Bruce Macdonald spoke about the need for a separate Heritage Building Code.  He also discussed the way the current RT-5 (duplex) zoning in Grandview diminishes the diversity of who can afford to live there.  That is because an old heritage house, that often has two, three or four suites of varying sizes which are more affordable, is replaced with a new, much more expensive duplex.  Alyssa Myshok mentioned that the Vancouver Heritage Foundation is posting information about the  New Vancouver Building Code (2015) on its website.  To read Bruce’s in depth discussion click here >> Saving Grandview’s Character & Its Affordable Suites & Green Heritage Homes

• Jen Chernecki of the Gropps Collective gave an update on the 1889 Victorian house at 144 East 6th Avenue that has been the meeting and exhibition space of Gropps Gallery for the last 6 years.  Joanna Karczmarek, also of the Collective, researched the building and created the Mount Pleasant Community Heritage Project in 2013.  The long term goal of the project is to protect the building and its historical character.  It was sold a few months ago and talks about its redevelopment are underway.  A Statement of Significance is being prepared and part of the process is getting feedback from the community on what it would like to see happen to the house.  Laura Lamb offered to put together a letter on behalf of the MPHG that we can send out to people on our list and anyone else who might be interested pointing them to the Community Feedback Form.  Jen spoke about its history as a live/work and gallery space and mentioned attending a meeting with a City Representative where there was discussion of a zoning specifically for live/work artist run centres.

• We have received much positive feedback about the Treasured Buildings Sign Project and with 12 recipients we exceeded our original goal of 10.  We plan to apply for a NSG again this year and want to start the process earlier.  Judging by the numbers of people who dropped by the Heritage Lounge, the enthusiasm expressed for it and the number of pamphlets picked up it is something that there is interest in continuing as well.  But both projects require a big volunteer effort.  Anna Rallings suggested we create a Project List that would break things down and make it easier for volunteers to commit to some specific project and task.  A suggestion for a future project is Women in Mount Pleasant.

• Danielle Peacock announced that grunt gallery has offered their space as our ongoing monthly meeting location.  Many thanks to grunt!

Informal organizational meeting slated for Monday, January 5th, 7 pm at grunt gallery – 350 East 2nd Avenue/Unit 116

Treasured Buildings Profiles

Here are the building profiles to accompany our Treasured Buildings Map.

As with the map below, if you picked up a walking tour pamphlet at our September Heritage Lounge you will notice that some of the information has been revised based on further research done since then.

Check out the project including sources here.