Order of Canada recipient Alma Lee said the “most inspiring public place in the world” has become a community divided by fear and anger.
The founder of the Vancouver Writers Festival is calling for Granville Island to be managed by a non-profit group to preserve its unique character.
Lee’s criticism comes in the wake of the Granville Island 2040 planning project, which was completed in 2017 after a public engagement process that received input from 10,000 stakeholders and members of the public. The final report included a plan to build an elevator from the Granville Bridge to the island, expansion of the public market, and increased support for arts and innovation after Emily Carr University relocated to a new campus on Great Northern Way.
But Lee said the island was promised an “autonomous governance structure” and the new council will be anything but. She pointed out that three of the seven members will be appointed — two by CMHC and one by the City of Vancouver — while the other four will be nominated. The head of the nominating committee is the general manager of CMHC Granville Island.
“We’ve heard from many of our former clients who are very unhappy,” she said. “If they have concerns about their leases or how they’re being treated, they have no one to talk to. They’re afraid to stand up to CMHC for fear their leases won’t be renewed.” Ono took issue with the notion that Granville Island is in a period of decline, calling it “a time of positive change.” She said three long-term tenants retired over the past year, and their spaces were offered to new artists as short-term rentals to try out their business models.
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