WATCH: A eclectic piece of BC history is the focus of a grass- roots movement among the arts community. A small waterfront cabin in North Vancouver that some say is a work of art in itself — has to go. Linda Aylesworth reports on the creative way they’re trying to save it.
Over the decades, a number of people have lived in Cates Park, a small oceanside forest on the southeast edge of North Vancouver.
That era is coming to an end, as the final couple living in a small cabin has been evicted by Port Metro Vancouver.
“This land it turns out is Port Authority land. The cabin must be moved because there’s a massive environment restoration going on,” says Carole Itter, who has lived in the home with her partner Al Neil since the 1970s.
The two are the last in a long line of artists who have lived in Cates Park, the most famous being Malcolm Lowry, who wrote Under the Volcano while squatting there.
The adjacent barge has been recently bought by Polygon Homes, which plans to build condos and townhomes on the property. Port Metro says the surrounding area – which includes Itter’s cabin – is contaminated and must be cleaned up, necessitating the eviction.
READ MORE: Residents of Belcarra cabins to be evicted, but cottages safe for now
“We’ve had a time here, but at the same time if something could happen to the cabin itself in terms of preservation, we’d be very happy,” says Itter.
That is very much up in the air, as the home is set to be demolished on February 1 if a new location can’t be found for it. Glenn Alteen, director of Grunt Gallery, is working with other artists to try and find it a permanent home.
“We’re trying to find a place to store this for a year before we can move it into other uses with different types of artists projects, and find a suitable place for it permanently,” he says.
For now, everyone involved in the project can only appreciate the cabin while it’s still standing – and hope it stays that way.
“It’s really well-built, and there’s the astounding beams that hold it all together,” says Itter.
“This has been our hideout. This has been our place of refuge.”
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