Little Mountain Housing project moves closer to demolition

By Carlito Pablo
Straight.com
June 4, 2009

On June 1, the remaining 13 families at Vancouver’s oldest social housing site received notices that B.C. Housing has applied for permits to demolish their homes.

The letter—signed by the agency’s Vancouver Coastal Region director, Dale McMann—doesn’t indicate when the actual demolition work at Little Mountain Housing is expected to be carried out. Communications staff didn’t make McMann or another official at B.C. Housing or the Ministry of Housing and Social Development available by for an interview before the Straight ’s deadline.

Vancouver city councillors have expressed doubt that there’s anything council can do to stop the knocking down of the 224 social housing units in the area, which served as homes to thousands since they were built in the 1950s.

However, Coalition of Progressive Electors councillor Ellen Woodsworth told the Straight that it is “just absurd that we would tear down perfectly good housing and leave a site vacant for maybe who knows how many years”.

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See also Wrecking ball aimed at Little Mountain (Vancouver Courier, June 5)