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A group of Dunbar-Southlands residents are protesting a senior living development—and took out a bus stop ad to grab the neighbourhood’s attention.

Intracorp, a developer, has applied to rezone a section of West 41st and Blenheim Street for Amica Seniors Living: an 85-foot, 232-unit, six-storey community care facility—but not all locals are happy about it, specifically citing that the build will destroy trees and block sunlight in the neighbourhood. 

The group of residents created a petition about the development, and took out the bus stop ad to promote it. Talk about grassroots marketing.

“Rezoning for a private luxury care facility equivalent to nine storeys at 41st and Blenheim will keep neighbours in the shade and remove OUR trees,” the bus stop ad reads, under the headline “Amica: Not A Good Neighbour”.

The group recommends lowering the building’s proposed height and allowing breaks between the building, thus keeping access to sunlight in the neighbouring yards.

“​​We support densification and seniors housing,” the petition states, “we just want a project that works for the Dunbar community.”

The petition can be signed until April 15.

“Don’t let Amica destroy this pocket of community in pursuit of profit,” writes one member on the petition.

“Space for seniors to live is a good thing, but this is just too much of a good thing,” writes another. 

In a city that’s desperate for affordable housing and for adequate senior care, it’s certainly fair to question the merits of a high-end senior living centre that is likely financially inaccessible for most residents. But protesting density because of access to sunlight? That’s, uh, less relatable.

So far, the rezoning application has 32 people in support, and 22 in opposition.

The arguments will continue tonight (April 9) at a City of Vancouver council meeting, in which the rezoning application by Intracorp and the petition will be discussed.