Finding paths for a new Strathcona
Saturday meeting of residents, businesses designed to initiate neighbourhood change
“We can’t keep saying what’s wrong. That’s fine but that’s over, so how are we going to correct it?”
— Condo developer Bob Rennie
Revitalization and gentrification are two sides of the same coin, similar concepts that at times elicit very different responses.
Vancouver condo king Bob Rennie understands that, and it’s why he seems well suited to facilitate a panel discussion about the revitalization of East Hastings at this Saturday’s Meet the Makers Expo.
“We can’t keep saying what’s wrong. That’s fine but that’s over, so how are we going to correct it?” said Rennie. “I think it’s idea generation ... it’s finding voices that are interested in the common good.”
The Meet the Makers Expo is a oneday event organized by the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA). It takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MakerLabs, 780 East Cordova.
The free event encourages the public to get to know the largely industrial community and the businesses that call the area home.
Local food and beer will be served, while area businesses and artists engage with the public in interactive workshops and demonstrations.
Rennie, whose Rennie Marketing Systems worked on condo project Strathcona Village, will moderate a public discussion with the area’s entrepreneurs, stakeholders and community members as part of the day’s events.
Among the ideas he hopes will be up for discussion include how to make use of the industrial space that Strathcona is known for in a sustainable way, and how to keep the “fabric and the content of the community” intact while new developments go up down the street.
One suggestion Rennie hopes to bring forward is revisiting the idea of laneway businesses in Strathcona.
“My job as a facilitator is to drop those pebbles in the pond and see where those conversations go.”
Joji Kumagai is the executive director of the SBIA, and has been with the group for six years.
He hopes Saturday’s Meet the Makers Expo will serve two purposes.
“One is to continually inform the public about the types of interesting and thriving local businesses we have here,” said Kumagai. “Because it’s an industrial nature, sometimes they get lost under the radar a little bit and we want to make sure people have a chance to understand the business here.”
The other goal is to ensure the area’s businesses, residents and stakeholders each have a voice and can openly discuss plans for the neighbourhood.
“Because there’s a lot of change happening as a community, we want to make sure we have a chance to get the neighbourhood together,” said Kumagai, calling Saturday’s event a “launching point.”
“We’re hoping that people have an increased awareness of what’s happening in Strathcona. We’re not suggesting that we have all the answers of how change should unfold, but we want to use this as a forum to initiate that.”
Designer Toby Barratt is one of three principals with Propellor Design, a multi-disciplinary design firm based in Strathcona that has had a hand in projects across North America. As a Strathcona resident, Barratt acknowledged that a revitalization of the neighbourhood has both its perks and challenges.
“Suddenly, there’s all these great restaurants and breweries and pubs to go to — it just adds to the pleasure of living in the city,” Barratt said.
“But there’s definitely concerns for us, too, as the neighbourhood changes.”
For tickets and more information on the expo, visit strathconabia.com/events/meet-the-makersexpo/