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magazine / mj07
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May/June 2007 issue |
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Curbing gentrification
Cory Dobson spent the past year exploring the quirky shops, cafés and historic homes in the Grandview-
Woodlands area of Vancouver. A recipient of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Maxwell
Studentship in Human Geography, he is studying how the east-end neighbourhood retained its unique character and kept
gentrification at bay.
Gentrification, which involves the replacement of one social group with another, has traditionally
meant the ousting of the working class by the wealthier middle class. While gentrification
may bring increased property values and the perception of lower crime rates and safer streets, it often does
so at the expense of affordable housing, independent businesses and support services, such as drop-in centres.
Despite Grandview-Woodlands' proximity to downtown Vancouver and the influx of young residents, the
area has diversified without reducing its base of affordable housing units. "We're seeing what appears to be a successful
community resistance to gentrification," says Dobson, a master's student in human geography at the University of
British Columbia, "probably because the residents want to preserve the diversity."
Historically, the area is no stranger to change. At the turn of the 19th century, it boomed with British tradesmen. Following the
First World War, Chinese, Italian and eastern European immigrants transformed the area into a multicultural community.
Today, it is one of the most vibrant market regions in Canada, with a mixture of industrial, single-family
and multi-family residences. Commercial Drive, the 15-block-long spine of the neighbourhood, supports
300 eclectic businesses, most owner-operated. "One of the strengths of Commercial Drive is its diversity," says
Dobson. "We've always had a great mix here."
Vancouver developers may pay a penalty when tearing down or renovating singleroom units in the downtown core. Montréal and Toronto are encouraging builders to
designate at least 20 percent of new projects for affordable housing. But Dobson says these strategies are not
enough. By comparing heavily gentrified areas in Vancouver, such as Kitsilano, with communities like
Grandview-Woodlands that not experienced thesocio-economic shift, he hopes to identify factors that
will help communities retain affordable housing.
"There is a lot of pressure for development in Vancouver, but it's getting to the point where there is no place for
people to live," says Dobson. "When society places an emphasis on preserving affordable housing, it can have a
huge impact."
— Andréa Ventimiglia
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Congratulations to photographer Derek Crowe, whose
photo essay on the Yukon Quest, "Spirit
of the Quest"
(CG Travel Winter 2006-07), won top prize in the photography
category of the Canadian Tourism Commission's Northern
Lights Awards in April. Canadian Geographic writers,
photographers and staff also received National Magazine
Awards nominations for work published in 2006. Allan Casey's
story "Forgotten
Lake" (Nov/Dec) was nominated in the
Politics and Public Interest category. "Titanic
Ice" (Mar/Apr)
by Wayne Curtis was nominated in Science, Technology and
the Environment. "Living
to 100" (July/Aug) by John DeMont
was nominated in Health and Medicine. "The
Living Art of the Beekeepers" (July/Aug) by J. Kevin Dunn was nominated
in Words and Pictures. In the Editorial Package category,
Canadian Geographic staff received a nomination for "The
Music Issue" (Jan/Feb). Winners will be announced on June 15, 2007. |
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Author funds expeditions
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society's expeditions
program is US$10,000 richer thanks to a
donation in January from acclaimed travel writer Leila Hadley Luce. Author of Give Me the World and A Journey
with Elsa Cloud, Hadley Luce was married to the late Henry Luce III, the son of the founder of Time magazine.
Gisèle Jacob, president
of The Royal Canadian
Geographical Society, travelled
to New York City in
March to thank Hadley Luce
and attend the Wings Women
of Discovery Awards gala,
which recognizes women in
geographic exploration.
Hadley Luce is co-founder
of Wings WorldQuest, the
non-profit organization that
presents the awards.
Close encounters
It's been two years since the
launch of The Canadian
Atlas Online, and Canadian
Geographic's new-media
department is at it again,
implementing the next phase
of the project: a street-level
mapping feature. Now you
can plot amusement parks,
boat ramps and playgrounds,
zooming in to a space representing
a one-kilometre
square. The 1:50,000 scale
holds 16 times more data
than the current map, which
zooms to a 20-kilometre
square. Visit www.canadiangeographic.
ca/atlas
Forging friendships
Jacob Cosman has strong
memories of his participation
in The Great Canadian
Geography Challenge as a student
at Kamloops Secondary
School in Kamloops, B.C., but
stronger still are the friendships
he made as a member of Team
Canada at the 2003 National
Geographic World Championship
in Tampa, Florida.
"I still chat online and
exchange e-mails regularly
with former contestants from
Argentina, Singapore and
Nigeria," says Cosman, now
an undergraduate student
in the University of British
Columbia's physics program.
"It is really interesting to hear
where everyone's life has been
going now that we've all graduated
from high school."
Thirteen years after Dick
Mansfield, former chair of
the Canadian Council for
Geographic Education,
attended the National Geographic
Bee in Washington
D.C., and decided to create a
similar contest for Canadian
elementary and high school
students, the Challenge is
still turning out winners.
"I'm really proud of what
we've accomplished," says
Mansfield. "This initiative
provides a vehicle for kids to
express interest in a specific
area of study and to shine."
—Tanya Manoryk
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