A Vancouver-based non-profit organization focused on preserving arts and cultural spaces has acquired its first property, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to safeguard venues through collective ownership. The Cultural Land Trust (CLT), launched in 2021 by arts organization 221A, took ownership of a bungalow near Lord Byng Secondary School in West Vancouver. The house was donated by the estate of the late Dr. Evelyn Pinkerton, a former Simon Fraser University professor known for her environmental activism and support of the arts.

Pinkerton’s home served as a gathering place for visiting artists, musicians, and scholars during her lifetime. She was actively involved in the Vancouver Folk Song Society and frequently participated in music festivals across the region. Originally, her estate managers considered donating the property to the Cooperative Housing Federation of BC; however, the federation determined the house was not suitable for their portfolio and approached 221A, which agreed to accept the donation with permission from Pinkerton’s estate.

Brian McBay, executive director of 221A, described the acquisition as fortuitous, noting the house’s history as a hub for cultural exchange aligned well with the organization’s mission. The CLT aims to purchase small performance venues and cultural spaces using a combination of community support, philanthropic contributions, and government funding. These properties are then leased back to operators at fixed rates to keep them functional and removed from speculative real estate markets, thereby preserving cultural assets for public benefit.

The bungalow, assessed in 2025 at approximately $2.77 million, is the trust’s first official asset and represents a tangible step toward its goal of securing 30 cultural properties across British Columbia by 2050. While the mortgage has been paid off, the building, dating from the 1920s, requires several upgrades including roof repairs and plumbing and electrical improvements. McBay said the organization intends to seek government grants to fund these renovations.

Following refurbishment, 221A plans to conduct a community consultation to identify the best use for the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house. McBay anticipates the property will primarily serve as affordable temporary housing for visiting artists, operating on a cost recovery basis. The trust will handle ongoing expenses such as property taxes and maintenance.

One of the challenges for cultural land trusts is acquiring properties quickly when they become available. The purchase of this bungalow is expected to bolster the CLT’s credibility with potential sellers and lenders, enabling it to act swiftly to protect critical cultural infrastructure. McBay highlighted the lack of mechanisms within the cultural sector to secure real estate and emphasized that owning this asset provides the trust with leverage when seeking to acquire additional spaces.

Pinkerton’s family members expressed support for the project, saying she would be pleased to see her home preserved for artist housing. Her stepdaughter, Natalie Wright, remarked that Pinkerton understood the difficulties faced by those contributing to cultural life in finding affordable, stable housing and hoped her donation would foster a lasting community space.

The CLT’s work comes amid growing concerns about the viability of Vancouver’s arts sector, which has experienced the closure of more than 400 production spaces, venues, and galleries over the past decade. A recent statement from the City of Vancouver’s arts and culture working group underscored the precarious position of more than 37,000 cultural workers in the city, highlighting challenges such as limited funding, regulatory obstacles, housing shortages, and shifting audience patterns. The statement called for substantial, sustained investment in cultural infrastructure and workforce development.

Amid these pressures, McBay views the acquisition as a positive development. “To see that it actually did happen, it just feels very positive that someone would give their home to charity,” he said, reflecting on the serendipitous nature of the bequest.