Tuesday, October 13, 2009 from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Meet in Maple Tree Square by Gassy Jack’s Statue

Heritage Vancouver invites you to join Robert Fung, the President of the Salient Group, for a personal guided tour of his Water Street and Maple Tree Square projects – the Alhambra, the Garage, the Cordage, the Grand, and the Terminus. This is a unique opportunity to see the interior of some of these buildings and experience how Robert’s work is transforming Maple Tree Square and Water Street, Vancouver’s historic birthplace.

Robert Fung has a passion for redeveloping and reinterpreting heritage buildings for modern, urban life and for reviving old neighbourhoods as vibrant and integrated communities. Following the tour there will be an opportunity to talk with Robert about his vision and how these projects contribute to the revitalization of Gastown, to the City, to the local economy, to the tourism industry, and to the future of Old Vancouver.

This event is of particular interest to architects, developers, planners, decision makers and people who are passionate about the future of Gastown.

• Project architect Mark Ostry, of Acton Ostry Architects, will provide a detailed look at how his architectural ideas shaped the final building designs.
• Heritage consultant Donald Luxton, of Donald Luxton & Associates Inc., will provide historic background information and discuss the restoration of the buildings.
• Scott Hein, senior urban designer with the City of Vancouver, will provide an overview of the City’s plans for Gassy Jack Square.

The event begins in the Heart of Old Vancouver at Gassy Jack’s Statue on Maple Tree Square and ends with a private reception at the Canvas Lounge at Powell and Columbia. Canvas, a world class, full service venue for special events, is located in the historic City Hotel which was built in stages between 1905 and 1912.

Robert Fung – What is a Heritage Building Film

$100 includes the tour, conversation, and a private reception with hors d’oeuvres and a sampling of wines in the Canvas Lounge.

All proceeds from this fundraising event go to support
the preservation of Vancouver’s built heritage.

Space is limited – click to register online by PayPal
For more information email info@heritagevancouver.org

Photograph by Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun

The Marine Building penthouse is, incredibly, more or less intact, although it’s now used as an office.

When it was built in 1930, the Marine Building was the tallest building in the British Empire. To show off its dazzling waterfront view, an observation deck was built on the top floor, with a huge wraparound terrace.

The cost of taking in the view was a mere 25 cents. But that proved too much for the masses during the Great Depression, and the observation deck was soon closed. By 1933, the builders were in such dire financial straits they sold the art deco masterpiece for $900,000, a fraction of the $2.3 million it cost to build it.

A.J.T. Taylor ran the British Pacific Building Co., the new owner. He decided to install the company offices on the 19th floor, then came up with an ingenious idea for the observation deck – to convert it into a penthouse apartment for Taylor, his wife and their two kids.

The Marine Building penthouse became one of the legendary spaces in Vancouver, a two-storey art deco wonder. Incredibly, it’s still more or less intact, although it’s now used as an office.

The current tenant is Phil Boname of Urbanics Consultants. He will be hosting a $100 a pop fundraiser for Heritage Vancouver at the penthouse tonight, and even allowed The Vancouver Sun in to take a peek.

It doesn’t disappoint.

“It’s special because it’s part of the whole experience of the Marine Building, that jazz age-art deco style,” says Don Luxton of Heritage Vancouver.

“Taylor had amazing taste. He was inspired by Rockefeller Center [in New York]. It has that kind of high art deco movie set feel to it.”

The observation deck was originally one big room, with a 20-foot high ceiling. Taylor installed a mezzanine on the western side which contained two bedrooms and an open sitting area. Underneath the mezzanine was the dining room and kitchen.

He raised the floor two feet in the living room so that you could take in the panoramic views through the windows while sitting in a chair. But the living room still has an 18-foot ceiling, and with light streaming in through the 12-foot-high windows, it’s a very dramatic space.

“It’s very inspirational,” says Boname.

“People tell me my voice changed when I moved in here. The tone became philosophical, softer.”

He laughs like a guy who can’t believe his luck. So would you, if you got to work in a drop-dead gorgeous space with a teak floor, an enormous black marble fireplace and a curved built-in bookcase.

There have some changes, of course. The Marine Building underwent some questionable renos in the early ’80s, when some teak walls and a teak balcony were either removed, covered with drywall or painted white. A glass wall was installed in the mezzanine, breaking up the open plan and cutting off the air circulation. The original chandelier was even replaced with a more modern one.

Thankfully the upstairs bathroom survived, completely intact. It is out of this world, with walls done up in green, gold, black and blue tiles, an aqua-marine floor and a butter-coloured tub. There’s a button to call the help, a stainless steel rack to heat the towels and a window which gives you a deadly view of the harbour.

One of the quirks of the space is that the mezzanine windows are the top of the first floor windows, so they’re all at floor level. Another quirk is that you step down from the living room into the old dining room and kitchen, cause it’s at the original level of the floor. The dining room is now an office, but the galley kitchen is still there.

You access the terrace through a door in the old dining room. Sadly city planners allowed the new Fairmont Pacific hotel/condos to be built directly north, which cuts down the water view. But the vistas are still breathtaking, whether you’re looking up Hastings, Burrard, or out to Coal Harbour.

The coolest aspect of the terrace is a pair of lion statues on the eastern side. Taylor was part of the consortium that built the Lion’s Gate Bridge and developed the British Properties; the statues are small “maquette” versions of the lions Charles Margera sculpted for either end of the bridge.

Taylor didn’t actually live there long; his wife apparently hated living on the top of an office building, even after Taylor installed a small private elevator so you didn’t have to walk from the 18th floor to the 20th. After Taylor moved out, the city directory lists a Mrs. Mary Fisher in the penthouse from 1941 to 1944. In 1947 the penthouse was converted to an office by the Spencer department store family, and it’s been an office ever since.

Still, with a bit of imagination it’s easy to see it as your own art deco mansion in the sky. There may be bigger and more opulent modern penthouses in Vancouver, but none are cooler.

At press time there was only one ticket left for the Heritage Vancouver fundraiser, which takes place from 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. tonight. For information, go to the Heritage Vancouver website: www.heritagevancouver.org/, phone 604-331-8430 or e-mail info@heritagevancouver.org.

Moving forward together

December 8, 2008, OTTAWA – Canada’s Performing Arts Alliance, a collaboration of the Canadian Dance Assembly, Opera.ca, Orchestras Canada and the Professional Association of Canadian Dance Theatres, concluded its first-ever meeting, committed to the underscoring of the role of Canada’s performing arts organizations and artists in communities, big and small, from coast to coast. Building from a position of strength, we are looking to work with government and community builders to collaborate on proactive measures that will maximize the benefit Canadians enjoy from the arts.

Deeply concerned about the potential impact of the current economic crisis on communities across Canada and in particular their theatres, orchestras, dance and opera companies, members of the joint boards forged common cause to ensure the structural and resource ability of performing arts organizations. This forum explored policy responses to address the volatility facing companies in every corner of the country. As a significant contributor to Canada’s economy and the quality of life of Canadians, the performing arts sector came together to urge all levels of governments to ensure that the arts are part of any economic stimulus package.

Drawing on experiences and lessons from both inside and outside of Canada, leaders of Canada’s performing arts sector found common ground to fortify their collective impact, nationally and in their communities. Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, spoke passionately and convincingly about the need to engage Canadians from all walks of life and to reach out to community builders from all sectors, including citizens, business and the third sector.

At the meeting, participants considered the success of Culture pour tous and their flagship event les Journées de la culture in providing access to and participation in the arts for over 350,000 people annually in more than 300 Québec municipalities. Participants were unanimous in endorsing a national public arts engagement campaign.

Representatives of the Canadian Public Arts Funders briefed the meeting on their collaborative approach aimed at improving communications, efficiency and transparency for the benefit of artists, arts organizations, and Canadians. The importance of coordinating networks and communications was applauded by all.

The founding meeting of Canada’s Performing Arts Alliance drew together the board members of the Canadian Dance Assembly, Opera.ca, Orchestras Canada and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. Together we represent over 850 performing artists and arts organizations across the country. Representatives of l’Association des théâtres francophones du Canada, Canadian Arts Presenters Association, the Canadian Conference of the Arts and the Association of Canadian Choral Communities were invited to this first-ever gathering.

Canada’s Performing Arts Alliance is committed to being at the forefront of arts advocacy in Canada, working with the Canadian Arts Coalition, the Canadian Conference for the Arts, Imagine Canada and others.

For more information contact:

Canadian Dance Assembly
Shannon Litzenberger
Executive Director
416-515-8444
shannon@dancecanada.net
www.dancecanada.net

Orchestras Canada
Katherine Carleton
Executive Director
416-366-8834
katherine@oc.ca
www.oc.ca

Opera.ca
Christina Loewen
Director of Operations
416-591-7222
c_loewen@opera.ca
www.opera.ca

PACT
Lucy White
Executive Director
416-595-6455 #11
lucyw@pact.ca
www.pact.ca

Heritage Vancouver invites you to a unique opportunity to explore the two floors of the ultra-elegant private penthouse at the top of Vancouver’s finest heritage building. Enjoy the Art Deco atmosphere and the fabulous view, hear about its unique history, and share your experiences, stories, and photos of the Marine Building.

The Penthouse has many of its original features still intact, and is currently the office of Urbanics Consultants Ltd, our generous host and sponsor for the event. Donald Luxton and Chuck Davis will intrigue you with stories of the architecture and history of the Marine Building.

Proceeds support the work of Heritage Vancouver. Tax receipts will be issued. Purchase your tickets early as there are a limited number of spaces for this exclusive event.

Friday, March 6, 2009
5:30pm to 7:30pm

Marine Building Penthouse
# 2000 – 255 Burrard Street

Tickets $100
Wine and hors d’oeuvres included

Online by Paypal
Print and bring your receipt

Or mail your cheque to
Heritage Vancouver Society
PO Box 3336
Main Post Office
Vancouver, BC
V6B 3Y3

Heritage Vancouver

Heritage Vancouver informs our community about opportunities to appreciate, preserve, and restore our heritage structures and neighbourhoods through events, tours, films, forums, and reports.

Heritage structures are community landmarks that are tangible expressions of the era in which they were created and which contribute to the character, attractiveness, and quality of life in our neighbourhoods.

Heritage structures identify and define our communities, connect us to our history and our diverse heritage, and are our legacy for the enjoyment of future generations.

Heritage Vancouver works with developers, architects, businesses, associations, community groups, and arts and cultural organizations to preserve our heritage structures and neighbourhoods.

Urbanics Consultants

Phil Boname founded Urbanics Consultants in 1976 as a firm of land economists and development management consultants.

The firm provides real estate development, project management, and economic impact services to create viable mixed use commercial, industrial, and residential projects including hotels and resorts, recreation and tourism facilities, shopping centres, downtown revitalization and waterfront development projects, and arts and cultural centres in North America and around the world.

Urbanics has been involved in major mixed use projects such as Granville Island, Whistler Village, Westminster Quay, Lonsdale Quay, Prince’s Island Village, and South Edmonton Common.

Why Heritage Matters

Don Luxton, Phil Boname,
Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles, and Christopher Gaze
talk about why heritage matters.

Why Heritage Matters Film

February 9 and 11, 2009
8:00 pm

Norman Rothstein Theatre at the
Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre
950 West 41st Avenue @ Oak Street

The Emperor of Atlantis may be one of the most amazing works of art you have never heard. It was written by Viktor Ullmann and Petr Kien in the Nazi camp Theresienstadt in 1944, and has no equal.

This is the first major production by City Opera Vancouver, the only chamber opera company in Vancouver. The opening performance sold out and seats are going fast for the intimate Norman Rothstein Theatre.

The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre’s current exhibition, In Defiance – Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust, is being held in conjunction with the performance. It documents how Jews responded actively to changing circumstances during the Holocaust. They acted individually and collectively to defy Nazism in ghettos, slave labour and concentration camps, partisan groups, and in the arena of daily life.

City Opera’s next production Pauline, is a newly commissioned chamber opera created for the great dramatic mezzo Judith Forst. The work is based on the life and final days of Canadian writer, poet, and actress Pauline Johnson. The music for Pauline will be written by Christos Hatzis and the libretto by Margaret Atwood. City Opera Vancouver plans to create many works by Canadian composers.

City Opera is a project of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver

City Opera Vancouver , the cast of Emperor of Atlantis, Music Director Peter Jorgensen, and Music Director Charles Barber are honoured to co-present, with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, the British Columbia premiere of a unique chamber opera, The Emperor of Atlantis, by Viktor Ullmann and Petr Kien.

While its score survived the Nazis, its creators did not. When the Nazis realized what ‘Atlantis’ was about, they shipped its entire company off to Auschwitz.

The opera speaks both to transformation and recurrence. It speaks from the nadir of the 20th century to the continued violence and despair of the 21st. Ullmann and Kien, together with their colleagues at Thereisenstadt, created a masterwork.

Among seven characters, two are principal: Death, and The Emperor. Horrified by the murderousness of the Emperor and his regime, Death goes on strike. People are killed but do not die. The Emperor demands that Death resume his business. Death finally agrees, but on one condition…

Faced by the question of how people could perform and compose even in the depths of hell, there were basically three attitudes among the inmates. The naive prisoners were oblivious to their surroundings and did not absorb the full impact of their situation. They saw no reason to change their lifestyles; if they practiced six hours a day before the war, they would continue to practice six hours a day in the camp.

The optimists believed that the war would soon be over and that the civilized world would not allow the atrocities to continue. They would continue to practice in anticipation of their imminent liberation. Then there were the pessimists who said; ‘We will soon be murdered; why not make the best of our lives while we can?’ Thus the pessimists also continued to perform.

Pavel Kling – violinist and survivor, 1928 – 2005

Tickets are $40 available online at Tickets Tonight

Or purchase by phone at 604-684-2787

Tickets are also available at Tom Lee Music, Sikora’s Classical Records, and the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre at the door.

Globe and Mail Article – Legacy of a Holocaust Survivor

The Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, the Honourable Steven Point, and Doctor Jaap Hamburger whose parents were holocaust survivors, spoke to the sold-out audience at the opening performance on Sunday February 1, 2009.

2010 Legacies Now and the Government of British Columbia awarded a grant of $10,000 toward the production of ‘Atlantis’. We are deeply grateful for their investment in this extraordinary project.

In partnership with the Community Arts Council of Vancouver

Vancouver — Thirteen years ago, Charles Barber’s music tutor, Paul Kling – or PK, as he liked to be called – suggested an impromptu drive to Mexico from their homes in California. The trip marked the first time Barber had ever seen his friend without a jacket, tie and vest. But as relaxed as he was that day, Kling, a Czech virtuoso violinist and retired chair of the University of Victoria’s School of Music, did not roll up the sleeves of his white shirt.

“I realized I had spent years indulging in magical thinking,” acknowledges Barber, now conductor and artistic director of City Opera Vancouver. “I knew PK was Jewish, I just presumed he’d escaped the war hiding out in a cave in Switzerland, or something.”

He put the last pieces of the puzzle together when he was advised by another of Kling’s former students to read Music in Terezin 1941-1945, by Joza Karas. “There was a Pavel Kling who featured prominently,” says Barber. “And I knew instantly that was PK.”

Theresienstadt concentration camp (termed Terezin in Czech) was the so-called “model ghetto,” where the Gestapo grouped together educated Jews, including many musicians who were forced to create orchestras and jazz bands to perform for the Nazi propaganda machine.

Kling had been deported to Theresienstadt in 1943. Just 15 years of age, he already displayed signs of a prodigious talent. Dubbed “the little one” by fellow prisoner Karel Ancerl (later conductor of the Toronto Symphony), Kling received instruction from many of the camp’s musicians, at one point sharing sleeping quarters with two conductors, three composers, a poet and a number of teachers. He was a member of several of the camp’s ensembles, including the orchestra working on The Emperor of Atlantis.

With music by Viktor Ullmann and libretto by Petr Kien, The Emperor of Atlantis is an hour-long chamber opera – and a political allegory: The eponymous anti-hero Emperor Uberall’s brutality becomes so egregious, Death himself rebels and refuses to kill people. The score is sharply satirical, employing many musical references including a version of Deutschland Uber Alles, set to a Bach-inflected chorale.

The piece was into full rehearsals before an SS officer figured out the subtext – and promptly shut down the production. The entire company was shipped to Auschwitz in September of 1944. All but two perished there: Kling and one other member survived. They lied and persuaded the guards they were simply engineers and had nothing to do with the music. They were sent to the slave labour area of Auschwitz-Birkenau and survived to see the Russians advance and the camp liberated the following January.

“Thirty years later,” notes Barber. “PK came to the West and became my teacher.” And 13 years after that fateful trip to Mexico, The Emperor of Atlantis is having its B.C. premiere in Vancouver.

Produced on a shoestring budget of $127,000, the production is presented in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. With no budget for advertising, Barber and his colleagues have been working hard at spreading the remarkable story of this opera and Professor Kling, who died in 2005.

“We have held 44 talks to try and build an audience,” Barber says. “At one, an elderly woman came up to me afterward and said, ‘Thank you for talking about this – I was there.’ I didn’t have a single word in me. I simply held her hand.”

Of the approximately 200 known Holocaust survivors living in Vancouver, seven or eight were at Theresienstadt. The opening performance will include many survivors in the audience, and will be attended by B.C.’s Lieutenant-Governor, Steven Point. Though the opera itself runs just an hour, a 30-40 minute prologue has been devised to remember the history and put the work into context.

“This is the first time I have ever warned the singers and orchestra to be prepared for audible sobs and cries from the audience,” says Barber.

Tickets for the remaining four evenings are selling slowly. Even if all five performances sell out, City Opera will only break even. Barber has waived his $5,000 fee for directing and conducting the piece. “We decided we would continue regardless – even if we lose our shirts,” he insists. “The entire company is so proud to be associated with such an important production.

“Ullmann wrote a masterpiece: Had he not been murdered, you and I would know his name today,” Barber concludes. “This work needs to be heard – and it needs to be heard in British Columbia, where my teacher spent many years inspiring young musicians. My teacher – Paul Kling – who worked on this opera, and who the Nazis tried to kill.”

The Emperor of Atlantis plays at the Norman Rothstein Theatre in Vancouver, Feb. 4, 7, 9 and 11 at 8 p.m. www.cityoperavancouver.com.

Event notice – The Emperor of Atlantis

It is his intention—and we enthusiastically agree—to put the restored facility into the hands of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. This will guarantee sound operation and rental agreements affordable by local arts groups. It now remains for the current owner Paul Phillips and Mr. Wall to sit down together and work out an agreement acceptable to both parties. Once that is done, we can look forward to construction, not demolition. What a jewel will now be added to our community!

This is a great day for Vancouver! It clearly demonstrates that we now have a City Council that is sending a positive message of support to arts and culture groups and their audiences. Please email the mayor and members of Council with your thanks and appreciation.

Thank you for your support and help in getting this to happen.

Sincerely,
Tom Durrie
Save the York Theatre Society

Related News

Agrees to buy, renovate and hand over theatre in exchange for tower

Council is trying to help save the York Theatre, also known as The Raja Cinema. – Photograph by: Arlen Redekop, The Province

Vancouver developer Bruno Wall has offered to spend up to $12 million to buy and restore the historic York Theatre, now slated to be torn down Jan. 15 to make way for townhomes.

Wall has also offered to hand ownership to the city — in exchange for development rights equivalent to a 20-storey building, to be built on an as-yet undetermined city site.

The 500-seat theatre, opened in 1912 near the north end of Commercial Drive, was home to the Vancouver Little Theatre, where a number of local actors launched their careers. It later hosted musical acts and Bollywood films.

But it has been empty for several years. EDG Homes bought the property for $960,000 in August 2007 after being assured by city staff that there was no historical significance or interest in the theatre.

The city has approved EDG’s townhouse proposal, which is now eligible for building permits. Demolition of the theatre is legally permitted as of Jan. 15.

Yesterday, EDG’s Peter Phillips warned council that ongoing development costs and liabilities would force him to demolish the theatre and proceed with the townhouses if no deal for a sale is completed.

In March, the city’s attitude toward the site changed. The Vancouver Heritage Commission ruled that it was eligible for listing in the Vancouver Heritage Register.

Arts groups that want the theatre saved argued its restoration would provide the hub for a cultural district when combined with the nearby Vancouver East Cultural Centre and the cafes and galleries bordering Commercial Drive.

Yesterday, after learning that Wall had stepped forward with cash that arts groups and theatre fans have failed for years to raise, council agreed to offer Wall the unusual density deal to encourage him to proceed with the purchase.

Heather Redfern, director of the Vancouver Eastside Cultural Centre that would run the new theatre, applauded the move.

Redfern described the theatre as “the perfect place” — an ideal, mid-sized venue that would provide affordable space for small projections and art showings in a city where theatre space of any kind is at a premium.

cmontgomery@theprovince.com

On Thursday December 18th, 2008, at 10:00 am, City Council will consider a staff recommendation.

Council’s decision will determine the future of the York Theatre.

If Council approves the staff recommendation to grant a transfer of density to cover one-third of the restoration costs, the York Theatre will be demolished.

If Council approves the prospective buyer’s request to grant a transfer of density to cover 100% of the restoration costs, the York Theatre will be restored.

The Save the York Theatre Society is asking Council to approve a density transfer of 100% of the value of the restoration.

Our Last Opportunity

This is our last opportunity to save the York Theatre.

To register to speak at City Council this Thursday, email Denise Salmon click here.

To express your views by email to the Mayor and Council click here.

To contribute to the conversation on the Vancouver Arts and Cultures Forum use the comment box below.

The Story

The York Theatre was purchased by a developer in 2007 with the intention to demolish the building and build residential units.

The Save the York Theatre Society mobilized the community to stop the demolition and found a benefactor interested in purchasing and restoring the theatre.

The Vancouver East Cultural Centre Society expressed an interest in operating the theatre and began working with the benefactor and the City.

On September 18th, 2008, City Council placed a 120-day protection order on the York Theatre to allow the Vancouver East Cultural Centre Society to complete a Feasibility Study and Operation Plan for the York Theatre.

The benefactor agreed to purchase and pay for the complete restoration of the theatre in exchange for increased density on another site in the City. The City donates air and the community receives a fully restored theatre.

The staff report does not support this proposal. It recommends the Vancouver East Cultural Centre Society fund raise for two thirds of the restoration cost. The Society stated from the beginning they were not in a position to do any fund raising.

On January 16, the current owner will have the right to begin demolition of the York Theatre. Although staff recommends Council ask him to voluntarily postpone demolition, the owner intends to tear the building down as soon the protection order expires in mid-January 2009 and has already started dismantling the interior.

The December 18th Council meeting is our last opportunity to save the York Theatre

More Information

To read the Staff Recommendations and Report to Council on the York Theatre PDF click here

To read the call to the community which attracted the interest of a benefactor to Save the York Theatre click here

To read the History and Vision for the York Theatre click here

To read about the Need for Theatre Space in Vancouver click here

To read what Heritage Vancouver says about the York Theatre as one of the 2008 Top Ten Endangered Sites click here

To read what the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance says about the York Theatre click here

The Pantages Theatre is for Sale

The historic Pantages Theatre is at imminent risk. The Pantages is one of Vancouver’s three historic theatres that face an uncertain future.

The current owner inspired the community with his ideas to restore and reopen the Theatre. After investing three years in the project the owner has put the Theatre up for sale.

The For Sale sign means the owner and the City of Vancouver were unable to reach an agreement. This creates an opportunity to build on three years of groundwork and avoid losing the theatre to demolition or neglect.

Opportunities

• The City of Vancouver could buy and restore the theatre and operate it as a publicly owned facility.
• The City of Vancouver could buy or option the theatre and collaborate with the community to find a proposal that works.
• A new buyer with an interest in taking over the project could purchase the property.

Letter from the Pantages Theatre Arts Society
Letter from Community Arts Council of Vancouver
Letter from Heritage Vancouver

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