ARCHER: Heritage homes add character to Penticton | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Penticton News

ARCHER: Heritage homes add character to Penticton

There’s something about an old house that I just love. I get this giddy feeling hearing the old wood floors creak as I was across a room, the dated wallpaper, hand-cranked appliances, and little odds and ends of years long past. And it still feels, in a way, like home.

So when it comes to city development, why are people so eager to tear down old homes to free up a lot? Perhaps they aren’t as big of a history buff as I am, or have different priorities, but every time they tear down a historic building, they are taking away a bit of the city’s personality.

Old homes in Penticton are mixed in with more modern homes on our residential streets, and can easily go unnoticed for what they are. But they are still a part of what made this town and have been a home to generations of families.

These old buildings have tested time and weather so instead of tearing them down for the ground they sit on, why not fix them up and make them beautiful again? What a great story it would be to tell folks your modern-day business is situated in one of the oldest standing buildings in Penticton? Or that it was built and lived in by a man who served on city council in the early 1900s?

Our city council is pro-development and there's nothing wrong with expanding the city, but let's do it right. Let's do it with character and precision, and throw out the catalogue rendition of what a neighbourhood should look like.

Now I understand some old homes need to be gutted and completely remodelled, and that can be a costly job. If for safety reasons an historic building needs to be torn down, then so be it. But how about creating a building that will be just as memorable in 100 years as that house you just tore down? Not only will it serve a purpose now of housing a business or family, but business and families to come. And when the 22nd Century rolls around, another kid can get excited about walking into an old building and think about what it once was, instead of looking at what's left of a cookie cutter neighbourhood that's part of a city governments easy solution to affordable and increasing housing demands.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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