Vancouver Sun

One morning earlier this month, a small crowd of people all named Paris gathered in the ruins of a century old building on one of the most blighted blocks in Vancouver. They came to tour 51 West Hastings before construction crews move in and render it unrecognizable, for a time. Eventually, they hope, something grand will rise from the debris -- the crumbling parts cleaned up, the beautiful bits that have fallen away over a lifetime of use and misuse lovingly restored -- so that it becomes once again recognizable to the family that made its livelihood between these walls for the better part of the 20th century. It will be christened the Paris Block, in honor of pioneering shoemaker Pierre Paris -- grandfather and great uncle to most of the people gathered here for the tour.