Eve Lazarus
I’m writing this on Saturday April 26, which happens to be Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. It’s a great time to visit your local bookstore, hang out with authors, find things for the kids to do, and maybe win a gift card or a bundle of books.
It’s also a way to say thanks to the booksellers, who support us through launches, readings, and with their vast knowledge of and passion for books.
To celebrate the launch of my new book, my publisher Arsenal Pulp Press is giving away 5 signed copies of Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck.
To enter to win a copy of Beneath Dark Waters, just give me the name of a person, a building or a historical event that you’d like to learn more about and put that in the comment section below.
On March 17, the District of North Vancouver unanimously approved a luxury townhome development on a chunk of land minutes from Edgemont Village. The North Shore News reported that the project included a community amenity contribution of $136,000 that could go to the district’s affordable housing fund.
How generous.
The 30,000 SF site was listed for just under $10 million and sold for $7 million.
Last week, I wrote a blog about the demise of Henry Hudson Elementary – the 1911 red brick building that housed generations of Vancouver school children. I asked you to share your stories, and many of you did.
Japanese Community:
Debra Kato’s grandmother (born in 1911 the same year the school opened) went to Henry Hudson Elementary with her brothers in the early 1920s.
Last chance to try and snag a brick or two before the 1911 Henry Hudson Elementary School in Kitsilano is just a distant memory. Demolition of the red brick building started Thursday.
The Namesake:
Since it’s out with the old, I’m wondering if a name change was considered for the new school?
Wanted! The Provincial government is looking for a home for several tons of black marble, currently residing in a Coquitlam storage facility.
The marble is about 12 feet high and roughly six feet wide, and that’s all there is left from Vancouver’s Centennial fountain that first sat outside the former Vancouver courthouse in 1966.
I thought I’d end the year with a fun little story from my book Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History. Thanks for following my sporadic posts this year and here’s to surviving 2025. Happy New Year!
At 6:00 am on Sunday January 1, 1922, Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island switched from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right, and thus became one of the last areas in Canada to change over.
The Bridge:
I love the Yarrawonga Mulwala bridge. It’s flawed and quirky and it turned one hundred this weekend. The anniversary celebrations were at the lake this morning, where temperatures were already well into the 30s by 11:00 am.
And even in the absence of King Charles (he sent his regrets) and Australian Prime Minister Albanese (who probably didn’t), the anniversary had a huge turnout.
