Back in 2014, a former highly respected City of Vancouver Planning Director, Ray Spaxman alerted us all to a proposal by Toronto-based developer, Cadillac Fairview. The developer proposed to jam an odd-shaped, bulky office tower on their Waterfront Station site. Thankfully Cadillac Fairview was stopped in January 2015, in the face of widespread public criticism.
Much to everyone’s amazement, Cadillac Fairview returned with another ghastly design in 2018 known to all as the Ice Pick, and yet again a revised Ice Pick in 2020. At that time, I wrote in an Op Ed in the Georgia Straight on December 7, 2020 “ …just about everybody I know calls it the Ice Pick for its cold indifference to its surroundings, and how it stabs at the heart of our city’s most iconic district.”
My Op Ed appeared on the eve of the City’s Heritage Commission meeting. The next day, the Commission gave Cadillac Fairview’s proposal a firm thumbs down and crafted bold, future-minded resolutions:
THAT the Vancouver Heritage Commission does not support the application to build the Waterfront Tower, or any other tower of the same materiality or size, on the proposed site at 555 West Cordova Street.
The Heritage Commission went on to say that a plan for the waterfront needs to be completed in advance of any rogue development proposals. It also wisely requested that staff explore tools including transfer of density to relieve any future development pressure on the land adjoining Waterfront Station.
Cadillac Fairview got the message and withdrew its application. In my mind, it was gone for good and I was expecting that the next time I heard about the Downtown Waterfront it would be from the City asking citizens to collaborate in creating our future waterfront plan.
Like many Vancouverites and Lower Mainlanders, I envisioned a combination of a Granville Island, the North Vancouver Shipyards, some important cultural facilities, ample green space, greenways to connect east Vancouver to the waterfront, public plazas, an improved transit and SeaBus station experience, and maybe even additional SeaBus routes to the North Shore.
I could picture an inclusive, lively space to go for a stroll or a cycle through Gastown to Crab Park and onto Stanley Park without ever having to encounter car traffic. We would enjoy the bustle of the harbour and have unobstructed views at the North Shore mountains.
But no, Cadillac Fairview had the audacity to come back and insult us for a fourth time and this time it is called a “Tree”, supposedly inspired by a maple grove growing somewhere near the site in pre-colonial times. It is bigger and nastier than all three previous proposals. I checked back with Ray Spaxman, to see what he had to say. In a post to his Urbanarmers on February 11, 2026, he lamented:
“There are so many awful things happening in our beautiful city right now. I am sad to share this Urbanarm with many of you who might not have seen this “shocker”.” He goes on to say that he is thankful for all the citizens devoting their time once again to stop this urban vandalism. The name for this version “Drillbit” seems to have taken hold.
Spaxman got dozens of responses to the image of the hideous office building. One exasperated reader wrote “The location in question beside a historic site with a glorious view appears to be an ongoing staged comedy presentation to wear out our senses to just give in. First an Ice Pick, now a Tree” .
If only it were a comedy, we could enjoy a laugh. Actually it is an urban tragedy. What is going so badly wrong that Cadillac Fairview is allowed to waste staff’s time, Council’s and the public’s time on such an absurd proposal? How does Cadillac Fairview’s owner, the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan, feel about making money by ruining our historic precinct and waterfront?
Why can’t the City, province and federal government get their act together and complete the waterfront? Look how the federal government jumped on the task and completed Canada Place in record time for Expo 1986, and same with Province and the convention centre in time for the Olympics in 2010. The answer lies in finally standing up to the CPKC railway and the Port who seem to continue to call all the shots.
It is also high time to get the Waterfront Station in public hands – and away from the grip of Cadillac Fairview.
Surely, like countless other cities around the world, our governments can find a way to operate the Port and give the Downtown waterfront to the people.
You can help stop the “Drillbit”:
- Let Mayor and Council know what you think.
- Fill out the comment form on the City’s Shape Your City site https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/601-w-cordova-st
- Attend a meeting: The Drillbit will go before four review agencies over the next while:
- Vancouver Heritage Commission: Monday, March 9 at 11.a.m.
- Urban Design Panel: Wednesday, March 11 at 3 pm
- Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee: Wednesday, March 18 at 5.30 m
- Development Permit Board: Monday, May 11, 3pm Council Chambers
Information about the meetings here: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/601-w-cordova-st
- Stay connected with the Downtown Waterfront Working Group here. It’s composed of venerable members like former Vancouver city planner, Ray Spaxman, and has been working for over 10 long years to get a better plan finalized for this very important site—one that will include great public access so you and I and our neighbours in Gastown and the DTES won’t be stopped from enjoying the best views and public spaces on the Vancouver waterfront.
Downtown Waterfront can transform into a fabulous space for the public to enjoy.
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