The fact of this condo tower going up in my backyard raises for me a number of questions and issues and I think you will find this interesting. If you are a compassionate human being, I know you will find this interesting. As you know, I was in frequent contact last year at this time between you, the site manager and city hall regarding the blinding halogen light in the excavation and its tendency to shine into my apartment. It was not pleasant and I had to pester, hound and nag before the situation was finally resolved. I recall also my final message to you at that time: "welcome to the new Vancouver."
We have just had a brief correspondence since yesterday about the brilliant halogen light on the crane. It isn't always a problem, except for when it is aimed directly at my apartment and even if I don't want to, I have to lower my blinds. My apartment is a tiny bachelor, not much more than three hundred square feet. When I can see out the window, even at night, it feels less claustrophobic in here. I suppose one could say, well, if that's a problem, then why don't I move. Not so simple. I live in Vancouver, the land of housing for millionaires only. I have lucked into some of our very scarce affordable housing. My job pays only a little more than minimum wage and I am sixty years old. Moving, for me, is out of the question.
Besides the blinding halogen lights there are other issues I would like to address:
1. This condo tower is going to completely obstruct my view of the sky. I have lived here in this little BC Housing apartment since 2002 and I have enjoyed having some view of blue sky, cloudy sky, golden and fiery sunset sky, and for three nights every summer some of the fireworks. As this monster gets higher I am only going to have other buildings to look at. Of course I would be angry. Who wouldn't be? The uber-wealthy development corporations, such as your employers, who build things care not a rat's heiny how their megaprojects impact the lives of people on low incomes and humble circumstances. The narcissistic hubris and arrogance of the wealthy and powerful is already well known and well documented. People like me do not register on their radar. It is like the words from the old prog-rock band King Crimson: "The gardener plants an evergreen whilst trampling on a flower." If you are one of those fortunate individuals who tends to judge us all as losers and collateral damage then let me tell you a thing or two about myself and some of my neighbours: I may be poor, but I have an IQ that places me in the top two percentile. And you know what? There are other tenants here who are also incredibly bright. Some are university students. One speaks seven languages fluently. I speak two: Spanish and English. I am also an accomplished artist with more than one hundred sales and commissions of my original art works under my belt. Here are some images of my work if you don't believe me:
Here is a photo of me (almost ten years ago) with one of my paintings
Here are some more samples of my work:
I am also a writer and if you would like to see samples of my writing this blog is full of them, including a manuscript for a novel, short stories and poetry. I am also a social activist and am currently circulating a petition for the federal government of Canada to enshrine the right to housing as a fundamental human right. Here is a link to the petition. Please sign it and pass it on:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Canadian_Prime_Minister_Justin_Trudeau_make_housing_a_Canadian_human_right/
For that matter, we all have value as human beings. We do not deserve, just because we lack resources or opportunities or wealth, to have our quality of life damaged by your megaprojects.
2. This is the worst neighbourhood in Vancouver for increasing density. The downtown core, West End, Coal Harbour and Yaletown are already dense enough. Why can't you build your towers in Shaughnessy or in West Point Grey? Oh, that's right, some of you live there already. Silly me.
3. These luxury condo towers do nothing to realistically address the housing crisis in Vancouver. They cater to a niche market and some of them are likely to be bought for purposes of investment and shadow flipping by foreign millionaires. I trust that you already have a moral compass and are aware that this is particularly ethically repugnant.
In conclusion, please explain to me, why your employers couldn't forget their short-sighted greed just long enough to consider that maybe they could open up their condo buildings even a little bit: convert some into affordable rentals, and for some others provide subsidized units that even the poorest Vancouverites could afford to live in? Perhaps the developers responsible for the Tate could do something a little more helpful to address our housing crisis?
Just sayin'
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