Strathcona, Vancouver

Strathcona is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia. The neighborhood is bordered by Chinatown to the West, Clark Drive to the East, Hastings Street on the North, and Canadian National Railway and Great Northern Railway (now BNSF Railway) classification yards to the south.

History

Over 8,000 people now live in Strathcona, which grew during the city's boom years between the city's founding in 1886 and 1920 due in large part to the choice of early Vancouver as a railway terminus. It emerged from the original settlement that grew around Hastings Mill. It has always been a working class neighborhood and its residents have always been from many ethnic backgrounds. It is the only neighbourhood where English is not the most commonly spoken language, with 61% of residents reporting Chinese as their mother tongue, followed by English at 24%. [ [http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/branches/Strathcona/home.html] , Vancouver Public Library, Strathcona Branch]

The neighbourhood was earmarked for demolition in the 1950s as part of an urban renewal program. Strathcona would have been transformed into "block upon block of identical apartments buildings and townhouses" for social housing. The redevelopment plans proceeded with the construction of the McLean Park housing development between Union, Dunlevy, Gore and Jackson and Stamp's Place on Campbell between Hastings Union and Raymur some 15 blocks of the neighbourhood were bulldozed including Hogan's Alley, the only area with a concentration of blacks in Vancouver. [ [http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/community_profiles/strathcona/history.htm Accessed 27 September 2006.] City of Vancouver Community Profiles] Development was stopped due to opposition from the community, led by residents such as Mary Lee Chan who banded together to form the Strathcona Property Owners and Tenants Association (SPOTA). Important municipal figures such as mayor Mike Harcourt and the TEAM and later COPE party emerged from this movement.

Just as the neighbourhood organisers were making headway at preserving the neighbourhood, city engineers proposed putting a freeway through the southern part of the neighbourhood which would have connected to a proposed waterfront route. The connectors along Gore and Carrall Streets, would have partially destroyed Chinatown and Gastown.

In recent years, Strathcona has been subjected to a significant gentrification process, reinforcing the economic disparity of the area. The late 19th and early 20th century architecture in the area is a relative rarity in Vancouver and many houses in Strathcona are designated heritage houses. This housing stock in particular is being renovated, thus raising property values and attracting wealthier home owners to the area. Fact|date=February 2007 A number of homeowners have restored their houses in the original Victorian style, with a particular attention to the "true colours" of the period, which in some cases has been supported by grants from the "Restore It!" program of [http://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/restoreit.html "Restore It!" Program Vancouver Heritage Foundation]

Education

Elementary Schools:
Lord Strathcona Elementary School - 1891
Admiral Seymour Elementary School - 1900

ee also

* Lord Strathcona Elementary School
* Admiral Seymour Elementary School
* History of Vancouver

References