Enduring Christchurch 5 year Anniversary of Feb 22 2011

Sept 4th 2010 was our first major quake, while there was property and building damage, no one was seriously injured.

Feb 22 2011 struck in the middle of a Tuesday, the quake was violent and shallow and significant building damage resulted in the deaths of 185 people.

The center of the City was cordoned off as a Red Zone, patrolled by NZ Army forces to keep looters and the curious out. The Red Zone remained for two more years, finally being removed in June 2013.

Note that in the 2 years following the major quakes, Christchurch experienced over 11,000 aftershocks, some big enough to qualify as events in their own right

The following photos were taken in the months following both major earthquakes.

This building had a brick frontage
Fitzgerald Ave by the river - the drop is approx 4 feet deep
Grand Chancellor Hotel badly damaged and had to be demolished

The Cathedral was badly damaged in the Feb 22 quake, but only in parts. Much of it remains standing but due to bureacracy and unwillingness of the Anglican Church leaders to compromise or make a decision, it still stands as a ruin. Still an icon for the city, now it represents a stark reminder of the fraility of our existence and our relationship with Mother Nature.

Because the Red Zone kept everyone out of the central city, no one had access to view the Cathedral until two weekends were specially allocated for viewing. Tens of thousands of people queued for hours in the hot sun, as only 500 were allowed in at a time for safety reasons.

The Cathedral in the Square has long been the heart of the city, an iconic building bringing tourists from all round the world to view it.

The Bell Tower was damaged in the Feb 22 quake but the bottom half was still standing. It was reduced to this stump by order from the Church and further demolition planned. It remains still standing due to ongoing efforts from locals and interested parties wanting to rebuild.

Messages from the Cathedral Viewing Gallery
Cathedral Feb 20 2016
Cathedral Feb 20 2016

Five years later the city is a different place, complete city blocks are now tidy grass lawns. Huge parts of the residential areas hit worst are now fenced off grass and gardens remaining from when there used to be houses.

Many people are still fighting with insurance companies to get a fair deal. Many businesses are still struggling with insurance and red tape and a city development plan well behind schedule. Everyday there are roadworks to be navigated, the noise and dust of construction.

There has been positive outcomes as well. Construction is well underway in some areas. Available building walls providing a canvas for artists invited to decorate them with stunning work. The recent opening of the Art Gallery. Our world famous Buskers Festival still continuing in a different venue as are many other cultural events.

Spark Bikes - a bike rental initiative which is a first for the city

Due to lack of buildings and facilities, containers have become a frequent sight as a replacement. Here the Army has adopted the idea with a portable museum setup in the Arts Centre carpark where a weekend market used to be based

What happened 5 years ago is still affecting our city and its people every day. In fact aftershocks started up a week ago and it has been a wakeup call for all of us that this is not over.

We have come a long way but there is still a long way to go.

KIA KAHA

STAY STRONG

Created By
Stacey Hill
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https://www.facebook.com/evokeartisanphotography

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