Urgent: Eby wants to carpet upzone Chinatown with a highway of condos today
The BC Government wants to vote on a bill that will decimate Chinatown and surrounding neighbourhoods
The BC Government under Premier David Eby and Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon is planning on passing new legislation today that will carpet upzone Chinatown, Strathcona, DTES, and Gastown.
The upcoming legislation Bill 47 will upzone regions surrounding transit hubs, allowing for housing developments ranging from 8 to 20 storeys high. Chinatown, presently zoned for buildings of 5 to 6 storeys, will be affected due to its proximity to the Main St SkyTrain and the Stadium/Chinatown SkyTrain station.
A Vancouver Sun article details:
The legislation announced earlier this month calls for eight- to 20-storey buildings within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations. It would require municipalities to “permit housing developments that meet provincial standards for allowable height and density.”
This would mean up to eight storeys for much of Chinatown and Gastown, including the 200-block of Carrall Street in Gastown and the 000- and 100-blocks of East Pender Street in Chinatown, which have numerous buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Both areas have civic, provincial and federal heritage designations.
The legislation will also impact social housing and SROs in the DTES and Strathcona.
In 2017-2018, we fought to cancel the upzoning of Chinatown, because it was producing gentrifier buildings like the condos blocks lining Main St and 105 Keefer. Not only will the legislation inflate land value in Chinatown, upzoning from 5 and 6 stories to 8 and more stories will produce more 105 Keefers that will directly harm the cultural and social fabric of Chinatown that’s already increasingly fragile.
We need to stop Premier Eby and Housing Minister Kahlon from ramming through a freeway of condos like 105 Keefer through Chinatown and nearby areas.
Help save Chinatown before they vote on the bill today.
Send an email right now to stop the BC government from decimating Chinatown:
Note: If the button doesn’t work, follow the email instructions below
Email Instructions
TO: premier@gov.bc.ca, HOUS.minister@gov.bc.ca, HOUS.DMO@gov.bc.ca, George.Chow.MLA@leg.bc.ca, SDPR.Minister@gov.bc.ca, david.eby.MLA@leg.bc.ca, Ravi.Kahlon.MLA@leg.bc.ca, sheila.malcolmson.MLA@leg.bc.ca, MUNI.Minister@gov.bc.ca, Joan.Phillip.MLA@leg.bc.ca, lana.popham.MLA@leg.bc.ca, jedi.Minister@gov.bc.ca, s.chandraherbert.MLA@leg.bc.ca, kevin.falcon.mla@leg.bc.ca, michael.lee.MLA@leg.bc.ca, karin.kirkpatrick.MLA@leg.bc.ca, dan.ashton.MLA@leg.bc.ca, Teresa.Wat.MLA@leg.bc.ca, Dan.Davies.MLA@leg.bc.ca, sonia.furstenau.MLA@leg.bc.ca, adam.olsen.MLA@leg.bc.ca
BCC: savechinatownheritage@gmail.com
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Dear Premier Eby, Minister Kahlon, Deputy Minister Collins, and BC MLAs,
I urge you to stop Bill 47 from decimating Chinatown and surrounding neighbourhoods, including Strathcona, DTES, and Gastown.
Chinatown and its adjacent areas are crucial for low-income residents, providing essential social housing, SROs, cultural businesses, and serving as cultural and heritage landmarks. The City of Vancouver wisely canceled the upzoning of Chinatown in 2017-2018 due to its negative impact on the community, causing inflated land prices, gentrification, and economic displacement.
Bill 47 risks exacerbating these issues and causing irreparable harm to Chinatown.
I implore you to reconsider and protect these neighbourhoods from the detrimental effects of Bill 47.