Re: Nelson Commons
It's a slippery slope. Just look at the Okanagan. In a generation it has lost its identity and become just another collection of buildings like anywhere else in North America. Does a building define a community? Well actually it does. It sends a message to people as to what people value. If a community tears down a landmark of historical and cultural value, what message does it send? It says "We don't care." It is just like what you wear, whether you like it or want to admit it. It is on a subconscious level but it is there.
People restore old buildings out of passion. People build new ones out of a sense of economics. You have to decide what side you are on and what is important to you. I watched the old buildings of the Okanagan fall to the wrecking ball in the name of progress. Erasing your identity is not progress, my friends.
Aaron Toma, Castlegar