Vancouver’s plan to create urban villages has some residents anxious

Commercial Street is a special little shopping street tucked away on Vancouver’s east side, just west of Victoria Drive, part of the historic Cedar Cottage neighbourhood. The street has enjoyed a revival in recent years, with a growing population, restoration of the Gow Block heritage building, and the arrival of interesting shops, such as Second Nature Home Boutique, Flourist Bakery, Collective Goods and Equinox Gallery.

More than 100 years ago, it was a thriving high street thanks to a popular stop for the Central Park interurban streetcar, according to history buff and resident Peter Finch. But by the early 1950s, B.C. Electric had replaced the streetcars with buses. Most of the retailers moved away.