Laura Rodgers
Van. Courier

The provincial government has ordered a stop to any further disturbance to part of a proposed development in Marpole. But the Musqueam Indian Band, which has protested for more than a month at the site on the Marpole Midden by the north side of the Arthur Laing Bridge, says the decision doesn’t go far enough.

The move halts an information-gathering archeological dig being performed on a subsection of the area known as Lot 9, where, according to the band, the remains of two infants were discovered.

“We’re happy that they recognize that those remains should not be removed, however, it’s just one area of the entire site,” said Musqueam spokesperson Wade Grant.

The land was known to have once been occupied by the Musqueam and was recognized as a Canadian heritage site in the 1930s. The current owners, Fran and Gary Hackett, are working with Century Holdings Ltd. to build a condominium project on the site, but were met with a vocal protest from the band who urged that the land not be disturbed. The protest has attracted interest from First Nations groups across the country and last week led to protesters shutting down the north end of the bridge. The band is hoping to acquire the land through a complex land swap that would grant the Hacketts another piece of land elsewhere in the city. Bob Ransford, spokesperson for the owner and the developer, called the current situation a “stalemate.”

The province’s decision requires that the dig be halted immediately and the “area be returned as close as possible to its original condition,” according to a June 8 press release from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.

The decision also extends the expiry date of an alteration permit for the area. Such a permit potentially allows for the removal of remains or artifacts from the site. Grant said that although he doesn’t believe any further digging should occur, the extension of the alteration permit will allow the band more time to file information in support of their plans for the site.

Musqueam organizer Cecelia Point was unsatisfied with the changes.

“They’ve only been sort of offering us partial compromises,” said Point. “They haven’t said, well, we’ll kick this owner out.”

She said the Musqueam want the bodies to remain where they are.

“So, for me personally, if they are only talking about saving part of the site, that’s still a non-starter, because we know anywhere they dig here they’re going to find more bodies, and more artifacts.”

Ransford said the owner and developer trust that the process laid out in the Heritage Conservation Act will resolve the dispute.

“[They’re] fully aware of what our position is, and it hasn’t changed, let’s put it that way,” said Ransford.

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Art finalists chosen for Meccanica project

Andrew Fleming
Van. Courier

The shortlist for artists hoping to create a public work of art at a new condo development beside the Olympic Village has been narrowed down to three finalists from dozens of applicants from around the world.

Canadian artists Shayne Dark, Greg Snider and Vancouver’s Cedric Bomford are all vying to have their work permanently displayed as part of the upcoming Meccanica complex, an L-shaped residential complex featuring both a seven-storey building and a 15-storey tower built by Cressey Development Group at the corner of First Avenue and Quebec Street.

The art display is the result of a City of Vancouver requirement that all privatesector rezonings greater than 100,000 square feet incorporate some form of public art. Developers are required to hire a public art consultant to coordinate the process, and a public art committee appointed by city council oversees each step of the process.

Hani Lammam, Cressey’s vice president of development and acquisitions, admits that developers likely wouldn’t want to spend the money on art projects if they weren’t being forced to, but says he is glad they are.

“I don’t think we would be doing it on our own if we weren’t compelled to,” Lammam told the Courier. “Having said that, what we have chosen to do is, instead of treat it as an obligation, is to say ‘You know what? This is an opportunity and let’s take it seriously and engage the best in the business.’ We view the requirement as an opportunity to enrich the neighbourhood.”

Lammam said Cressey is contributing between $1,500 to $2,000 for each of Meccanica’s 170 total housing units, meaning the cost of the final price tag will be in the ballpark of $250,000 to $340,000. He added that the building is already 40 per cent sold and that residents don’t have a say in choosing the art display.

Chances are good, however, that it will have something to do with fast cars as the overall architectural style of the Meccanica complex is intended to be an homage to Intermeccanica, a longstanding family business specializing in building replica vintage Porsches. It currently operates out of the site and, according to owner Henry Reisner, hopes to have a showroom there when the project is completed.

Jan Ballard, a local fine art consultant, believes developers can play an important role in protecting Vancouver’s arts community, especially considering B.C. has the lowest per capita provincial arts funding in the country. Ballard’s company was hired to find artists and oversee the competition.

“We’ve had so many government cutbacks in funding for the arts, so having this program in place is fantastic,” said Ballard.

“What’s even better is you have developers like Cressey who are not just randomly choosing an artist but instead are really striving for the highest creative ingenuity we can find. What I think we are seeing now is that developers are actively embracing the program-Vancouver is such a young city and it wasn’t always much of a priority-and seeing public art as a component that is so essential to the health of the city.”

Lammam said the project’s winning artist will be chosen in the next 30 days.

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