Help Save Vancouver’s Bloedel Conservatory
12.31.09
I’m a member of the “Friends of the Bloedel” mailing list and I received this letter from them today. Vancouver’s Bloedel Conservatory was donated to the City of Vancouver 40 years ago by Mr. Bloedel. Due to all the money being spent on the 2010 Olympics, the Park Board has decided to shut down the conservatory, which is home to an incredible array of plants, exotic birds, butterflies, fish and more. Some of the birds even talk. The conservatory is a beautiful oasis that hasn’t been marketed very well so even some people who’ve lived in the city for years don’t know about it. I’d be a terrible loss to the city and to visitors of the city, if it was shut down. Friends of the Bloedel has now set up a bank account in order to raise funds. If you’re a Vancouver resident or you visit Vancouver, please pass this blog post on to your friends, family and business contacts.
Here is the letter from Friends of the Bloedel:
Dear members of Friends of the Bloedel;
Once again, if this is our first e-mail contact to you, welcome to our group. We are volunteers committed to saving the Bloedel Conservatory for future generations. We are happy to have your support. Our membership currently stands at 146.
Please do FORWARD this e-mail to interested friends and family, along with the attached posters and bookmarks.
Please print off as many copies of the bookmarks and posters as you like, and distribute them to shop windows, public facilities, bank branches, etc. in your neighborhood. Please be respectful in your placement of the posters and obtain permission before posting.
We have become aware that despite our efforts to date, and despite the possible illegality of the decision, the Park Board is moving ahead to close the Bloedel Conservatory on March 1, 2010. Staff at the Conservatory have been directed not to take bookings for events past March 1, pending a decision from senior staff regarding operating costs for March and April of 2010. So, although the Park Board will be accepting expressions of interest until April 30, 2010, it looks as though the Conservatory will probably close on March 1, 2010, unless they can cover the operating costs for March and April.
On the positive side, attendance at the Conservatory is way up. In December of 2008, attendance was in the range of 4,000 with revenue at $20,000. In December of 2009, we have seen attendance levels above 10,000 with revenue in excess of $50,000. Our efforts in increasing public awareness about this issue have paid off in admissions. Hopefully the Park Board will apply this increased revenue to the operating costs for March and April of 2010, as they are legally bound to do according to the original Legal Agreement between the Bloedel Foundation and the City of Vancouver.
The bottom line is: we now have eight weeks to save the Bloedel Conservatory.
We are moving ahead with a fund-raising push. Our goal is to raise $250,000 by March 1, 2010. We need to show the Park Board that serious about saving the Bloedel Conservatory, and have the financial ability to pursue this on all five fronts listed below. We are now equipped to receive donations through the Royal Bank of Canada. Please make a donation to save the Bloedel. You can go to any Royal Bank branch in BC and make a donation by quoting the name “Friends of the Bloedel”, and it will help if you bring the account number, which is 06080 003 1006428. Please also encourage your friends and family to make a donation.
Our account is currently a holding account only, which means that we will not be able to access the funds until we are registered with the CRA, and/or incorporated with the Province of BC. We are not currently able to offer tax receipts, but may be able to retroactively once we are a registered charity with the CRA.
Because the future of the Bloedel is uncertain, and because we are asking for donated funds, our board has passed the following motion to clarify what will happen if our efforts to save the Bloedel are unsuccessful:
If the Friends of the Bloedel Association is unsuccessful in its attempts to prevent closure of the Bloedel Conservatory, then after the elapse of one calendar year from the official closing date of the Bloedel Conservatory all remaining funds after expenses will be donated in turn to the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden.
We recognize the uncertainty of the future of the Bloedel, but at the same time feel confident enough in our efforts that we are in a position to promise good stewardship of donated funds. All of us involved in this are passionate about saving this horticultural, architectural, and natural jewel at the pinnacle of our city. We promise that we will do everything we can to save the Bloedel, including:
1. Continue in media relations efforts.
2. Fundraise in support of the Bloedel.
3. Pursue legal action to protect the Bloedel.
4. Continue to protect the Bloedel as a Class A Heritage Site.
5. Find a political solution working with the Park Board and City Hall.
We will keep you posted about our first AGM, which will take place some time in the last two weeks of February. We anticipate that in six weeks we will have a much clearer picture of our position financially and with the Park Board, and will be better able to direct your talents appropriately. For now, please do help us as much as you can with our fundraising.
Thanks again for all you are doing to help save the Bloedel Conservatory. Please remember that YOU really are our most valuable resource. Don’t doubt your ability or power to make a difference. All of your help is much appreciated.
Yours very truly,
Sheryl Hamilton
Friends of the Bloedel
604.992.5761
Thank you for helping to get the word around. I & other former Parks Commissioners contacted are unanimous in saying the current Board’s decision is unfortunate, ill-informed & unnecessary, even in the current financial climate. From our combined experience we know there are other options for the Conservatory & the Children’s Farmyard. It appears the current Board & Council are not prepared to look @ these. One must ask, why? Common sense says if experienced people are asking them to reconsider, it is foolhardy to not do so.