When I read Gordon McIntyre’s article on architects Norman Hotson and Joost Bakker in today’s hard copy Vancouver Sun I was pleased. I was pleased too to understand why since my arrival to Vancouver in 1975 we have always been subscribed to the Sun. It is our city newspaper.

It was only a couple of days ago that ex art director, design director, editor, publisher and magazine owner and now a musician, Bob Mercer had a Spanish tortilla (an omelette) in my Kitsilano home. We discussed the soon-to-be gone Westender.

Soon there will be no competition for the Vancouver Sun and the Georgia Straight. We wondered why those two publications, and in particular the Straight don’t go  for really large photographs (well taken and with style) as much of the advertisers of the Westender will be looking for another place to spend their money. I will quote Mercer here, “A publication about the arts [the Straight?] should look good.”

We talked about the death of Sean Rossiter has left our city with no real  voice in writing about architecture and city politics.

Sometime in the late 70s I photographed Norman Hotson outside his office on the yet to be developed Yaletown.

The picture here of Norman Hotson and Joost Bakker is one of many photographs that I took for Western Living (this one) and Vancouver Magazine. In most cases the writers were either Sean Rossiter or Kerry McPhedran. Most of the other architects I photographed either died or moved to better hunting grounds.

Mercer and I wondered how endangered is the profession of the publicist. Sooner or later these few remaining publicists will figure out that an intelligent use of social media is about all that is left in town.