What signifies spring in Vancouver better than cherry blossoms! This beautiful array of trees in pink bloom is outside the charming Strathmore Lodge Apartments at Bute St. and Comox St. in the West End. It overlooks Nelson Park on Mole hill.
The Strathmore, one of Vancouver’s early apartment buildings, was originally named the Royal Alexandra when built in 1909 on the site of a house built in 1891. The builders were the Lightheart brothers who made a living by managing the apartments they built. After a terrible fire in 1927, the Royal Alexandra was restored and renamed the Strathmore Lodge.
It was originally surrounded by houses similar to those we see restored in the block between Bute and Thurlow and Pendrell and Comox Streets. This is part of the famous Mole Hill Preservation Project. In 1950s, Vancouver City Hall wanted to provide more green space in the area, which became today’s Nelson Park. In order to achieve this, many heritage homes were purchased by the city and demolished. At the same time, densification was beginning in the form of taller apartment buildings and like today, affordable housing was being lost. The Mole Hill Living Heritage Society was formed to save the houses in the restored block described above and, after many years of struggle, the project was finally completed in 2003. The houses are divided into multiple units providing about 170 affordable spaces. There is a beautiful laneway mid-block with a charming greenway connecting to Comox St. It’s a calm oasis in an urban environment that carries us back to a gentler time.
In the left background of this picture we see a shadowy tower looming. This is the infamous Trump International Hotel and Tower on Georgia St. Due to some of Trump’s provocative statements while currently running for the US Republican presidential nomination, people wanted the name changed but were unable to do so. The tower was designed by the late Arthur Erickson. The 67-storey building will have the first 15 floors as hotel space and the rest will be high-end residential.
We certainly cannot fault the real estate tycoon for cashing in on Vancouver’s lucrative market. After all, this is supposedly his forte. Maybe he should take to heart the adage: “Don’t give up your day job!”
For further enjoyment of spring cherry blossoms, there is the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, March 24–April 17. For a list of events: www.vcbf.ca.
