Qualicum Beach Concerned Citizens, its core group, and their “ take the town back” slogan should be “take the town backwards.”
This talk about a Tudor theme? No thanks, its been done to death.
Kimberly B.C. is the worst example of a theme town that I have seen. All Bavarian, the Octoberfest will be in full swing soon and everyone trying out their Bavarian accents, and the architecture is worse than the accents.
Everything is Bavarian, like they are the only immigrants to Canada or the Kootenay region.
It’s embarrassing.
Andrew Brown recently put it best in a recent letter to The NEWS (‘Qualicum needs new leadership’).
Half of the buildings in the Qualicum Beach downtown core that were built after 1960 could be demolished as far as I’m concerned, as they have no architectural value whatsoever and the construction of them is not much better.
The newer buildings built here under the new building code of 2006 are excellent so far.
I’m not sure what theme this group implies we are to stick to, as I don’t see a historical architectural theme here in Qualicum.
Moreover I don’t see that any of the core members of this new organization have any education in planning, civil engineering, architecture and design, or public administration.
Today’s new building codes, along with new LEED standards and very talented Canadian architects, are producing fabulous building designs with a combination in timber, stone and glass and these buildings will stand for centuries. Not just 40-50 years like the drywall dungeons we have all been living in.
Perfect examples of the new architecture would be the new proposed events pavilion at Pheasant Glen, the new proposed Clarion, newly-built Alberni Secondary School, newly-built Nanaimo Golf Club, newly-built Nanaimo Cruise Ship Terminal and many others on the Island, throughout B.C. and around the world created by Canadian architects.
Please check out these facilities and visit them.
I can tell you first hand that when you go inside these buildings, you just don’t want to leave. They are amazing. Canadian architecture is now accepted globally and exported for our sustainable natural building products.
Why not a Canadian theme for Qualicum Beach?
So I say live for the future, embrace the new technology whatever age you are, or join the QBCC and live in the past.
Brian Jenkins
Qualicum Beach