©2014 Denis Bouvier | denisbouvier.com
It’s a rare occurrence to view Mount Baker’s splendor apparent in the background of this picture. Located east of Bellingham, Washington, in Whatcom County, this massive peak can be viewed from the Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle areas. Its First Nations names have variations sounding like “Kulshan.” Many First Nations people believe “Kulshan” means a kind of puncture wound, probably a crater caused by an ancient eruption. However, some translations have been interpreted as “white mountain” or “white sentinel.” With some of the heaviest snowfall in the world, Mount Baker certainly makes a powerfully beautiful white sentinel overlooking our city.
This picture was taken looking east from the Granville Bridge. It highlights the ever-increasing densification of the city. In the right foreground is Best Buy, located in a series of new buildings which have developed up to Broadway and Cambie. In the mid to left foreground we can see new developments along south False Creek, which has seen a lot of recent growth east, including the Olympic Village. In the mid-right of the picture, we see three peaked houses representing what much of the old Mt. Pleasant area used to look like.
There are also redeveloped buildings like the Romanesque Revival church at 10th Ave. and Quebec St., whose white spire we see mid-left in the picture. Built in 1909, it functioned as a church until 1989. After a brief stint as a performing arts theatre, it was converted to a residential complex by 1994. Behind and a bit left of the church are all the new tower developments around Main and Broadway. The density is relieved by the swath of trees from Central Park, Burnaby, in the back right, seemingly just below Mt. Baker.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding development with some people feeling the only way to go is up and others feeling there can be redevelopment, such as that described with the white-spired church. Many people feel housing in the city has become unaffordable.
The tall tower center and furthest back, which appears to compete in height with Mt Baker, is the latest construction in the area of Metrotown, Burnaby, the largest shopping mall in the province. Sears Canada is proposing another seven towers of office and residential space on the site.
Perhaps soon we won’t be able to see Mt. Baker at all except for a little peek here and there through what the city of Vancouver is fond of calling “view corridors.” However, the “White Sentinel” will be watching whether we see it or not. The last time its voice was heard was in an eruption in the late 1800s. And it began smoking heavily in the mid-seventies. Let’s hope it doesn’t feel the need to express its opinion on all this development!
