Bridal Row revisited
25
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2013
Vol. 104 No. 62 • Established 1908
WEEKEND EDITION
THE VOICE OF VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS
NEWS: Deighton Cup 9/ OPINION: Java indulgence 11
Emptylot transformed intogarden
Hastings Rising
HASTINGS NORTH COMMUNITY GARDEN GRAND OPENING AUG. 10
DEVELOPING STORY
with Naoibh O’Connor photo Rebecca Blissett
In the latest instalment of our Vancouver Special neighbourhood series, we profile Hastings-Sunrise and its independent businesses, including East Cafe, owned by Dalyn and Zoltan Szilvassy who love the vintage vibe of the neighbourhood. See story page 19. To watch video, go to vancourier.com or scan this page with your smartphone or tablet using the Layar app.
Punjabi fun part of special PNE day BHANGRA WORKSHOPS AND LESSONS PLANNED SANDRA THOMAS Staff writer
D
on’t know how to dance bhangra — no problem. The performers taking to the stage as part of the first-ever South Asian Community Day at the Pacific National Exhibition later this month will ensure everyone gets a lesson in the colourful folk dance. BJ Gill, who manages E3 Elite Events and Entertainment with business partners Rik Bharmi and Sunny Kainth, said bhangra workshops and impromptu lessons will be a big
part of HYPE @ The PNE: Here’s Your Punjabi Entertainment, taking place Aug. 31 from 1 to 6 p.m. on the Chevrolet Performance Stage. “In the middle of a set the music will keep going but the performers will stop and get the crowd up and teach them how to dance bhangra,” said Gill. “It’s very interactive and a lot of fun.” Growing up Gill loved going to the PNE every summer, but it wasn’t until years later he realized it might not have been as much fun for his parents. See SOUTH on page 4
A
prominent22,000square-foot empty lot slated for development on the 2500 block of East Hastings Street next to London Drugs in Hastings-Sunrise is being transformed into a temporary community garden until the real estate market shows more promise. The Hastings North Temporary Community Garden grand opening is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 10. London Drugs owns the lot, which is located mid block on East Hastings between Kamloops and Penticton streets, as well as the property east of it to Penticton, which is home to a London Drugs store and a McDonald’s restaurant. London Drugs was planning to build a condomini-
um project called Alba, but the company decided in May to delay the much-anticipated development. Alba was to include three storeys of residential units above a commercial base. The street level portion of the building was to house a London Drugs and a restaurant on the corner where the McDonald’s is currently situated. There was also to have been office space on the far west end of the development. “Back in May, the decision was made to temporarily put the project on hold because, as you know, the real estate market in Vancouver is a bit challenged to put it mildly and we’re a family-based company. Therefore we try to make very prudent and conservative decisions,” explained Donna Figueira, director of real estate for London Drugs group of companies. “So that’s what we decided — that the market is not conducive to starting a real estate project at this point in time. Right now we’re looking at about a two-year wait. As we get there, we’ll re-evaluate and see if that’s the appropriate time or if it’s time to wait a little longer.” See GARDEN on page 4