The Dorothy Lam Children’s Centre was designed to be a state-of-the-art child care facility, worlds away from the converted basement model. Architect Jim Hancock’s two-storey design provides smart, self-contained areas for infants and toddlers, three to five year olds and pre-school/after-school care. There’s even a room wired with Fibre Link, a high speed, fibre optic internet access, so older kids can get their homework done on the computer. I wanted to push the boundaries of what was expected in a child care facility, says Hancock. Kids can spend up to nine hours a day here so it had to be a safe, stimulating, fun place to be. The Centre takes its name from a very special woman, one whose impact was strongly felt by the people of Vancouver and the province of British Columbia. Dorothy Tan Lam, wife of former Lieutenant-Governor David Lam and mother of three daughters, spent many years in the public eye, most notably as the Chatelaine of Government House in Victoria. With David Lam Park right next door to the children’s centre, my parents will always be remembered side by side, the way so many people knew them when my mother was alive, says daughter, Doreen Lau. Built by Concord Pacific for the City of Vancouver and operated by the Vancouver Society of Children’s Centres (VSOCC), the Dorothy Lam Children’s Centre is the first of four child care facilities planned for the Concord neighbourhood. With a limited number of licensed, child care spaces in downtown Vancouver, the addition of the Dorothy Lam Centre will help to fill the child care gap. Priority will be given to families living and working in the Concord neighbourhood. If you’d like to enroll your children, call the Centre at (604) 893-8971.

		Dorothy Tan Lam, beloved wife of the Honourable David C. Lam (BC’s 25th Lieutenant-Governor), mother of three daughters and grandmother of seven, came to Canada from Hong Kong with her husband and family in 1967. She served as Chatelaine, Government House, Victoria from 1988 1995. She was a devout Christian who faithfully practiced her belief in helping others, especially young families and children. Her favourite saying was "what my heart gives away is never lost, for it stays in the hearts of others". (Excerpt from the dedication plaque outside the Dorothy Lam Children’s Centre.)

	With the opening of the Royal Bank branch on Pacific just north of Davie in the summer of 1997 and the new Hongkong Bank of Canada scheduled to open in the fall of 1999, full service banking is a reality in the Concord neighbourhood. Located alongside the new grocery store at Davie and Pacific, the Hongkong Bank of Canada will offer a full service, 5,000 square foot financial facility with approximately 10 employees, ATM machines, telephone banking and a complete range of financial services. We have been a financial partner with Concord Pacific since the beginnings of the development, explained Senior Vice-President, David Lee, who will be responsible for the new branch. We’re offering a special Rate Cap and Automatic Flow Down Mortgage Program to purchasers of suites in the upcoming MarinaSide project so it was a natural move to open a branch in the Concord neighbourhood.

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