Friday, April 9, 2010

Shell Game

No more driving up to the pumps on the southeast corner of 13th and Lonsdale to fill up your gas tank or zip into the Shell Station convenience store for a litre of milk. The North Shore News announced the station was closing on September 9, 2009. It was empty and surrounded by fencing on September 10th. Keshvar Eidipour operated the convenience store for 14 years. Buying gum or milk always included a friendly chat. It was the only Shell station in North Vancouver City. It is estimated that the corner lot, which includes the Shell gas station and adjacent oil change shop, is assessed at close to five million dollars and will be sold for development. The City's official community plan allows for mixed-use construction.

A  reference to a building on the corner of 13th and Lonsdale can be found in the 1885 City Directory.  It is described as a "shack on 13th...15 feet square...with a capacity of 25 people."  It was referred to as Dorman's Shack.  Frank Dorman was a brick manufacturer and had a brickyard at Roche Point.  Even as late as 1910 the Fire Insurance Map shows a "shack" on 13th St. at Lonsdale.

It seems that the Anglican Church organized services here in 1891, The History of North Vancouver British Columbia Canada. They later built a frame building on West 13th Street and dedicated it to St. John the Evangelist.  In 1903, the Presbyterian Church held its first service in Dorman's Shack, St. Andrews United Church Sunday Bulletin, Feb., 26th 1978.

A permit for demolition of 1250 Lonsdale Avenue Shell Station was applied for in September 2009.

Photo: Taken October 2009 by SW.

NOTE:Thanks to Benjamin Alldritt's September 9, 2009 North Shore News article for information on the Shell station at 1250 Lonsdale Ave.