The Pacific Great Eastern Railway, despite its name, was a Western company. Incorporated in Vancouver in 1912, it was founded to create a railroad between Prince George and the docks of North Vancouver via Squamish and the Howe Sound. Decades passed before this goal was fully achieved due to a section of challenging, mountainous terrain and ongoing financial challenges. It became known as the Province’s Great Expense to Prince George Eventually. However, the story of the PGE Railway is one of ambition and perseverance that created an important, historic route along the waters of the Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound, remnants of which still exist today.
Hendry Hall – Community Builder Extraordinaire
Originally built as an Air Raid Precautionary Post, Hendry Hall has been at the centre of the Lynnmour community in one way or another for 82 years! Currently the home of the talented North Vancouver Community Players, it also served as the Hendry Community Hall for over three decades. Imagine the stories that would be told, if the walls of this tiny but mighty building could talk! But since they cannot, I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned in my research and take you on a virtual tour of this amazing building and its people through the decades!
Putting the Grand in Grand Boulevard!
The Ellis Residence at 800 Grand Boulevard is one of the nicest heritage homes I’ve ever seen! It definitely puts the “Grand” into Grand Boulevard! And this was exactly the goal of the North Vancouver Land & Improvement Company when they first proposed the Grand Boulevard development in 1906. Grand Boulevard was marketed as a high-class residential neighbourhood, with a required minimum building cost of $4000, to ensure a certain size and quality of home. The original homes were mostly built in the arts and crafts style including 800 Grand, which was designed by the architectural firm of Maclure and Fox in a traditional half-timbered Arts and Crafts style. Jenny Morgan, my fellow blog writer, and I were privileged to get a tour of this house earlier this year and after our tour, as we walked back to our cars, she told me this is her “dream” house! I then asked her how we might get ourselves adopted by the current owners, Ken and Jenny Tekano, so we could live there too! The house is stunning, from the first glimpse through the pergola and in every room throughout the house. Read on to see why we fell in love with this home, learn more about the restoration work the Tekanos did (in their own words) and learn about the 15 families who came before them.
Lynn Valley General Store…Times Two!
When you look at this snowy scene of Lynn Valley, what do you see? I immediately recognize the “Fromme Block” which sits at the corner of Lynn Valley Road and Mountain Highway. I also see the tracks of the Lynn Valley streetcar that ended at what we now know as the “End of The Line” store. But what the heck is that house doing in the middle of the block? I had to go all the way back to 1908 to answer that question. And in so doing, I learned about the two iterations of the “Lynn Valley General Store”. So, join me as we turn back the clock to do a bit of time travelling to the early days of Lynn Valley.
The Legacy of Alfred Wallace
Doubly Spectacular Heritage Project
It all started with the January 7, 2020 North Shore News article “1908 Heritage Home Offered for Free”. The “Copper Cottage”, on the CNV Heritage Register, was slated for demolition but the developer had given it a last-minute reprieve, if North Shore Heritage could find someone to take it. Two years later, Tony Dean and Yvonne Perrault, have undertaken the most mammoth job of relocating, renovating, restoring not just the Copper Cottage but also the original 1920 house that sat at the back of their lot at 532 East 10th. The outcome is Doubly Spectacular, pun intended!!!
Revitalization of the Ottawa Gardens Show Home
The distinctive heritage home that anchors the east end of Ottawa Gardens was built in 1907 as a show home by the North Vancouver Land & Improvement Company for its Ottawa Gardens development. The house is now well into its second century of life but came close to being lost due to neglect. Click here to find out how it was saved.
Ridgeway Renovation Champions
Vestiges of the Past
Heritage Development at McNair Park
The Story of Park & Tilford Gardens
How a Clever Sub-Division and a Legal Covenant saved a Grand Boulevard Gem!
The Young-Henderson Residence is a magnificent example of an architectural gem built along Grand Boulevard in the early 20th century. But when the family decided to sell it, there was a very real chance that the home, which sat on a double lot, would be demolished to make way for two new homes. Our latest Success Story outlines how the owners and the CNV worked closely to come up with a clever and long-term solution to save their beloved family home. Read more here.
