We regret to inform you that the demolition of Dilkusha was completed the week of July 17, 2017. The following letter was written by Frank Bugala, Vice-President of the Preserving Dilkusha Group: Those of us living near the Heritage Building known as Orchard House/Minos/Dilkusha, have endured a week of the sounds of her final demise. Added to the wildfire smoke and fears, all our neighbours have been subject to a gamut of emotions. The Canadian Mohawk songwriter Robbie Robertson put those feelings into place with the classic ’69 song ‘The night they drove old Dixie down…’, an ode to believing. The Preserving Dilkusha Group believed the process laid out by City Council to prove her heritage significance through the Heritage Commission. We proved it, and almost 700 citizens agreed, but the Commission recommendation was rejected in favour of a possible future swimming pool that council maintained would require the entirety of both public lots. Our community lost not only an icon of our past and its stories, we also lost the opportunity for a fully informed and transparent dialogue, another loss for our local democracy. We also lost a unique business potential. The Dilkusha Heritage Society of BC has been formed to preserve the stories of the building and its place in history, locally and globally. Stay tuned for our future initiatives to educate ourselves by extending the values of our lives through respect for the past, present, and future, together. Frank Bugala, B.Arch. President, Dilkusha Heritage Society of BC