Monday, March 6, 2023

Prince Rupert's Boulevard of Boarded Up windows

A building on Third West just west of 1st Street is just one of a few
along the city's downtown core area that feature boarded up windows

Last week we noted of a topic making for some Social media conversation related to the Debris field still in place from the Belmont Hotel fire of the spring of 2022. 

Amidst some of the commentary of late has also been some concerns over the growing visuals of the downtown area, with a few mentions along the way of the growing umber of boarded up windows along the main shopping District of Third Avenue West.

And a quick wander along the heart of the downtown over the weekend from 1st Street to 7th Street does offer up a tour of some of the recent and not so recent incidents of vandalism that have seen picture windows replaced by sheets of plywood.

We start our tour from the eastern end of Third West (photo above), working our way west.




Not all of the use of plywood seems reflective of vandalism of late,  but perhaps is being used as a pre-emptive measure.

And just a few steps away towards the harbour there are a pair of familiar buildings which have featured plywood as a fashion accessory for more than a few years now.


The topic of the look of downtown and other areas of the city has on occasion been a talking point for some on City Council.

February 2021 -- Council hears details of path forward towards enforcement of property maintenance bylaw

And with the growing volume of ad hoc window fashions, the situation  may be due for another review from Council as to the reasons that require the maintenance work and how the City could address them.

For now however, with the increase of issues in the downtown area,  the real money in Prince Rupert is that which is found in plywood sales.

A look at some of Prince Rupert City Council's past discussion themes can be reviewed here.


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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 6, 2023 at 11:03 AM

    Note to city administration. Where is the pride? My pride in the city is faltering. A little bylaw enforcement, well a lot of bylaw enforcment is required. If you don't start it keeps getting worse. Complaint driven enforcement has to go just as Barry requested.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 6, 2023 at 11:25 AM

    Nuisance Prohibition Bylaw # 2709 definitions.

    Nuisance definition - a person, thing, or circumstance causing inconvenience or annoyance.
    Unsightly definition - unpleasant to look at; ugly.

    Until our city starts taking complaints via Facebook. Email bylaw@princerupert.ca and cc in a city council member if you feel one of the above pictures is a nuisance or is unsightly.

    The canned response of "we are sending out letters" is insulting at this point. Look at how effective your letters have been.

    If the city is serious about attracting/retaining residents and truly making Rupert a great place to live. It would make this a priority.

    https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/ConsolidatedNuisanceProhibitionBylaw2709.pdf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMarch 6, 2023 at 12:39 PM

      Yes, let the bylaw officers do their work. It is council and the administration that is responsible for this mess time to deal with it!

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMarch 6, 2023 at 1:05 PM

    Boarding up windows is not necessarily about lack of pride so much as a desire to protect empty commercial buildings from having windows broken by hooligans, which is another downtown issue that has been ignored for too many years.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 6, 2023 at 2:31 PM

    There are other measures to protect windows aside from a sheet of unpainted plywood.
    The city chooses to accept this and it is wrong.

    ReplyDelete

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