Well, you can’t complain that Vancouver City Councillors are a lazy bunch. While I was finishing off my weekly update, they were still hard at work. It was after 9 pm when they voted 7-1 in favour of rezoning the…
Vancouver City Council will consider the redevelopment of the First Baptist Church property next Tuesday evening (July 18). City staff recommended June 27 that the application by Bing Thom Architects Inc. on behalf of First Baptist Church and Westbank Project Corp. be referred to a…
A couple of years ago, The Globe and Mail featured a story called Vancouver churches unlocking their land value, noting: Urban churches are sitting on some of the priciest real estate in the province, and they’re using the situation to their…
Dunbar Ryerson United Church recently announced plans to redevelop its Kerrisdale property – and there is already a Ryerson Neighbours website and campaign to block it. The church owns two parcels of land on the north side of 45th Avenue,…
Oakridge Lutheran Church held an open house Tuesday evening (February 23), welcoming neighbours to learn more about plans to redevelop its property. The church, which is located just west of Cambie Street, across 41st Avenue from Oakridge Centre, has partnered…
With the redevelopment of the Central Presbyterian Church site at Thurlow and Pendrell streets in the West End finally underway, Rev. Jim Smith – who’s been shepherding this project since its inception six years ago – can finally breathe a…
“A hilarious bluegrass musical full of songs and stories that will set your toes tapping and your heart soaring.” That is what Pacific Theatre is promising in Smoke on the Mountain, and I don’t doubt there will be a ready…
Dramatic plans for First Baptist Church appear to have caught the media by surprise, but they have been a long time coming – and are still some way from being realized. Last week the church at the corner of Nelson…
Urban churches are beginning to realize the treasure they have, not just in their pews, but hovering high above their buildings. ‘Air rights’ focus on the space above the church building, and Christians now take in the reality that owning…
Soohwan Park has visited the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan several times. Here she describes her most recent visit, over the Easter season. Check out Soohwan Park’s blog on Fukushima and the upcoming (May 7 – June…