To the editor:
Re: "Neighbourhood group rejects brand name," May 30.
Traditionally, Vancouver's most vibrant neighbourhoods are structured like small villages, with residential areas surrounding a "High Street." Commercial Drive, Dunbar and Davie Street are just a few examples. Each community supports and identifies with its own retail area. The businesses on these High Streets both depend on and help define their neighbourhoods.
Your story reveals a disturbing disconnect. Hastings Sunrise is a wonderful neighbourhood whose residents value their local shopping district along East Hastings. This is an integral part of the community, and the idea that a BIA has the ability to spend $20,000 to hire a firm to "rebrand" Hastings Sunrise is offensive. When the Hastings North BIA received only 100 re-sponses that were "neutral to a change" of the 600 surveys distributed to local businesses, it must have been clear that they had no mandate to arbitrarily change the traditional name of the neighbourhood's retail area.
Generally, BIAs try very hard to remain connected to area residents while acting on behalf of local businesses. When this symbiotic relationship is healthy, it creates vibrant and successful local communities that work well for both residents and retailers. When BIAs arrogantly decide that they can dispense with traditional neighbourhood names in favour of monikers manufactured by marketing agencies, it is time for local residents to ask city hall to rein them in and make them accountable to the whole community, not just the business sector.
Eileen Mosca, Vancouver
