Article content

Great cities have texture. They have buildings, places and communities that reflect their unique character and history.

Vancouver may yet become a great city. But for now, it is, as Douglas Coupland so aptly described it, a City of Glass, all shiny and new. Except for its spectacular setting, visitors might be hard-pressed to say exactly where they have landed.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Daphne Bramham: Preserving Chinatown should be a local and national priority Back to video

There are, of course, unique places. But they are rapidly disappearing, and none is at greater risk than Chinatown, which teeters on the edge of extinction despite being designated a National Historic Site in 2011.

It is so close to the edge that Carol Lee of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation fears that without a concerted local, provincial and national effort it may be lost by the end of this year.

The neighbourhood has been eroded one neon sign, one family-run business and one clan building at a time. But at greater risk than the bricks, mortar and unique streetscapes blending Chinese and late 19th century Canadian architectural styles is the neighbourhood’s cultural heritage.