Canada's Most Endangered Places Include Vancouver's Chinatown | HuffPost

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The area is at risk of losing its unique character, according to a charity.

Mohamed Omar— The Huffington Post B.C.

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Caitriana Nicholson

Since 2005, National Trust for Canada has been publishing an annual list of the country's most endangered places.

The charity releases the list to raise awareness of the "value that historic places bring to quality of life, local identity and cultural vitality." In choosing the sites for the list, the organization measures a place's significance, the severity of the threat it faces and how much work has been done to protect it.

This year's list, released on Thursday, includes Vancouver's Chinatown, which the organization says is at risk of losing its unique character.

"Relentless development threatens the physical fabric of this nationally significant urban cultural landscape," the charity states on its website. It adds that "intense speculation" has raised rents and displaced long-time residents.

Check out the full list in the slideshow below:

Canada's Most Endangered Places

Spaca Moskalyk Ukrainian Catholic Church(01 of10)

The church in Lamont County, Alta. was built in 1925. National Trust for Canada says it is in "dire need of repair."Unless the funds required to save it are raised, "it will be lost like so many rural places of faith on the Canadian Prairies." (credit:Jim Henry)

Nottawasaga Lighthouse(02 of10)

This lighthouse in Collingwood, Ont. was built in 1858. In 2003, it was deemed unsafe and decommissioned, according to the charity.Despite a $400,000 investment to repair its exterior, the lighthouse was abandoned in 2005 and "without swift action, is unlikely to survive many more winters." (credit:Nottawasaga Lighthouse Preservation Society )

Prairie Grasslands(03 of10)

National Trust for Canada says these lands in Saskatchewan are at risk because of the provincial government's plans to sell them to private owners. (credit:Edna Winti)

Wooden Grain Elevators(04 of10)

Though the country once had up to 6,000 of the structures peppered across rural areas, the Trust says less than 14 per cent of them remain."While some have been saved through creative new uses, every year more and more of these rural landmarks are lost forever." (credit:Wilson Hui )

Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary(05 of10)

This penitentiary in Laval, Que., opened in 1873, was the country’s only francophone correctional facility, according to the charity."Though the abandoned buildings were a popular filming location and open for tours, in 2007, the site was closed to the public after mold was found in its walls," the Trust's website states. "Since then, the former prison has languished with no clear plans for its future. With no investment and very little maintenance, this National Historic Site is wasting away." (credit:Jean Gagnon )

Former Royal Alberta Museum(06 of10)

This "modernist gem" in Edmonton was opened in 1967 and closed in December 2015.The Alberta government submitted a request for proposals to come up with a plan to turn it into an "open green space.""An adaptive use of this high-quality and much loved building is surely the more sustainable choice," the charity says. (credit:Kurt Bauschardt)

Gibson Isolation Hospital(07 of10)

This Belleville, Ont. building was part of a school for deaf students founded in 1870.The Trust says although the building's exterior is in good condition, it "may be paved over for parking spaces." (credit:Greg Pinchin)

Vancouver’s Chinatown(08 of10)

The charity says "relentless development" is threatening the neighbourhood and rising rent is pushing long-time residents out."Without better control on new development and efforts to sustain local businesses, Chinatown’s unique character will be lost," the organization says. (credit:Caitriana Nicholson)

St. Stephen Post Office National Historic Site(09 of10)

The Trust says this building in St. Stephen, N.B., completed in 1887, is getting "demolished by neglect."The town council voted in favour of its demolition in February 2016. That plan was ditched after a public outcry, "but the future of this National Historic Site remains in question." (credit:Alana O'Halloran)

Harbour Grace Court House(10 of10)

This "handsome" structure in Harbour Grace, N.L., which included a jail and a jailer's house, was built in 1830. The building has been in "bad repair" because of deferred maintenance.The province's latest budget "condemned this building to an uncertain fate," according to the charity. (credit:Dee Gandhi )

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