What intersections reveal about Metro Vancouver's past, present, and future
CBC's The Early Edition explores changing neighbourhoods across the Lower Mainland one intersection at a time
The Metro Vancouver region is booming but the character of the neighbourhoods that make up the region are in a state of flux, as population and development increase.
According to the 2016 census, growth in the Lower Mainland outpaced the national rate. Statistics Canada claimed the province's population — concentrated in the Metro Vancouver region — could increase by two million over the next 25 years.
In a new radio series called Intersections airing from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24, CBC's The Early Edition explores the issue by looking at five emblematic intersections to see how the region has adapted to change and what could happen in the future.
Monday, Feb. 20: At the cusp of development
North Road and Cottonwood Avenue, Coquitlam
The Evergreen Skytrain line has brought rapid transit to Coquitlam, but it also brings rapid development. Just a few blocks away from the Burquitlam Skytrain station is the corner of North Road and Cottonwood Avenue, where an affordable neighbourhood that is home to many new Canadians intersects with plans for redevelopment.
Tuesday, Feb. 21: The 'instant' neighbourhood
Cambie Street and S.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver
In the span of just a few years, the corner of Cambie Street and S.W. Marine Drive has transformed from an industrial crossing to a home for hundreds of people. This neighbourhood might have been created in an instant, but its roots are deeper than they might appear.
Wednesday, Feb. 22: The traffic stumbling block
Taylor Way and Marine Drive, West Vancouver
Whether you live in West Vancouver or are headed to the Sea-to-Sky Highway, you've almost certainly passed through the corner of Taylor Way and Marine Drive. Can this busy traffic intersection handle plans for future towers?
Thursday, Feb. 23: Perfectly preserved history
Murrayville's Five Corners (48th Avenue and 216th Street), Langley
The five corners have been in Murrayville for more than a hundred years. At the crossroads of 48th Avenue, 216th Street and Old Yale Road, buildings that have been standing for a century find new life at the intersection of old and new.
Friday, Feb. 24: Balancing old and new
Columbia Street and Sixth Street, New Westminster
Some have called New Westminster the Brooklyn of Vancouver, but after years of gentrification, can it keep its downtown open to everyone? At the intersection of Columbia and Sixth Street, the story of downtown New Westminster plays out on a micro-scale.
Tune into The Early Edition, weekdays from 5 a.m. PT to 8:30 a.m. PT on CBC Radio One, 88.1 FM in the Lower Mainland to hear the series.
Missed a segment? They'll be uploaded here after they air.
To listen to Monday's segment, click on the link labelled Intersections: how will SkyTrain change Cottonwood and North Avenue in Coquitlam?
To listen to Tuesday's segment, click on the link labelled Intersections: is it possible to create a pop-up neighbourhood in 10 years?
To listen to Wednesday's segment, click on the link labelled Intersections: can traffic overwhelm plans to create high-rise density in West Vancouver?
To listen to Thursday's segment, click on the link labelled Intersections: Visit the Langley intersection where little has changed in 130 years
To listen to Friday's segment, click on the link labelled Intersections: Balancing old and new on New Westminster's 'Golden Mile'