Today, two things were brought to my attention:
1- it’s been nearly 20 years since I met B, one of my best best *bestest* friends (the friend I stay with here in Vancouver). I met her super-fab husband then, too, but none of us would have predicted at the time that he’d eventually be her husband.
B and I met in the UBC dorms. We were both on the same floor of Sherwood Lett house at Vanier. She was my neighbour; she was sharing a room with her friend from high school. I was sharing a room with Zanna, a complete stranger and a straight-edge vegan riot grrl skate betty (that roommate experience itself is fodder for many, many stories).
B and I have much in common, but I think one of the core things that has drawn us to each other and to maintain our friendship is that we were raised similarly. We both come from families with Old World (European) values. This trickles into many aspects of life including things like perspectives on relationships, food and diet, exercise, socialism and government, child-rearing and education, and more. To put it succinctly, we have very similar world views because of our similar upbringings. We have very different personalities and tastes, however, and that has been a big part of what has kept our friendship so fun — it is never stale or boring. 🙂 We are good for each other.
I can’t believe that we’ve been friends nearly 20 years. This blows my mind. I just can’t conceive of it. We’ve been there for each other through some pretty wretched stuff and of course through some beautiful, stunning stuff and I am certain there is more of both to come. I also can’t believe it’s been more than 20 years because we both still feel 18 (hee hee) and we swear we both don’t look old enough to have known each other that long! Hee hee.
2- The Ridge theatre on Arbutus will be closing after being in business for 63 years. The Ridge is a beautiful old movie cinema. It has a rich history as one of Van’s best-known second-run cinemas. It was the cinema that hosted the very first Vancouver International Film Festival. It’s supposed to be one of the best places to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and I’m sad that I’ll never have the chance to experience it there.
The theatre’s owners, Festival Cinemas, sold the land to some developers. Later this year, that plot on Arbutus will be bulldozed to make way for shops and 5 storeys of condos.
This makes me sad.
I know things have to change, but The Ridge is an institution. Vancouver has so many condos, and while I’m sure that more are needed, I can’t help be sad that the theatre owners sold out to this. I don’t understand why the theatre couldn’t be preserved and the condos built next to it.
But I am not a developer or city planner, so I probably don’t understand. I’m just a Vancouver-lover and former resident (7 years) who wants to preserve the city’s cultural history.
B and I will be going to a movie at The Ridge tomorrow night. It will be a bit of a farewell.
Time does funny things.
