Cory Monteith of Glee urges followers to sign Waldorf petition

by Charlie Smith on January 13th, 2013 at 11:35 PM

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Former Vancouver resident Cory Monteith has joined a growing chorus calling on the mayor to save the Waldorf Hotel.

Monteith, a star on the hit TV show Glee, has more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter.

He's hoping that they sign an online petition urging Gregor Robertson to "exercise your authority to deny the rezoning of this important cultural site, and take a step towards preserving the arts and cultural identity of the city".

As this is being written, the petition has attracted 5,000 signatures.

Earlier today, a large crowd gathered at the Waldorf Hotel to support the operator, Waldorf Productions, which will vacate the site on January 20.

Robertson has instructed city manager Penny Ballem to bring a report before city council on Tuesday (January 15) outlining options for retaining the 63-year-old hotel on East Hastings Street.

Today, a representative of the owner, Waldorf Hotel Ltd., and Waldorf Productions each provided more detailed financial information about the situation in separate interviews with the Straight.