Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme “Where do you find Heritage?” Our sixth stop is Ottawa Gardens, one of the City of North Vancouver’s designated Heritage Conservation Areas located in the 200-300 block of West 6th Street, between Chesterfield and Jones Avenues. It was developed in 1906 by the North Vancouver Land and Improvement Company as an affluent residential neighbourhood, regulated through minimum construction costs and restrictions on building and landscaping design.
West 6th Street.
The house at 214 West 6th was the show home for the development, and was built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style to underscore the affluence of the neighbourhood and attract the “right” kind of homeowner. In 2018, the new owner of 214 West 6th entered into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA), which allowed the house to be moved forward on the lot, in order to build additional units in the back. In return, the owner undertook the complete restoration and permanent protection (i.e. designation) of the heritage building. Other homes on the block have also undergone HRA’s, allowing homeowners to add square footage or additional units while maintaining the integrity of the original heritage structures.
214 West 6th Street before restoration work.
214 West 6th Street today.
This block remains one of the most beautiful and historically intact neighbourhoods on the whole North Shore. Many of the homes in Ottawa Gardens are on the City of North Vancouver’s Heritage Register and have plaques in front which provide interesting details of past occupants or interesting architectural features of the house. Another good destination for a leisurely walk!