Wednesday, October 6, 2010On the Move
The house at 698 Mountain Highway is the mirror image of the house to the east at 690 Mountain Highway. Only these two homes sit on the short street that is off Mountain Highway but retains its name. It is one of the streets that is part of the planned Seylynn Village. (See Link.) The other homes that will be demolished for project are on Bruce Street and the north side of Fern Street. Curiously there is no listing of the 698 Mountain Highway address in the Building Book at the North Vancouver Archives or the 1950, 1955, 1960, 1971, 1980, 1991, or 1995/1996 City Directories.
However, Elaine Oakes, Records Management Clerk at the District of North Vancouver Hall gives this report. "1631 East Keith Rd., the original house built in 1942 at this address was demolished 1986. The lot was subdivided and 2 new houses built... R and M Industrial Engineering Company Ltd. built both 2 storey, 5 bedroom houses with carports, now 690 and 698 Mountain Hwy. Building Permit numbers 40026 and 40027 were issued March 17, 1986 for 698 and 690 Mountain Hwy. and the occupancy permits were issued Sept. 25th and 24th 1986, respectively."
This is not the first time this area, previously known as Lynnmour, has undergone traumatic change. In the 1960's the Trans Canada Highway (also known as the Upper Levels Highway) cut a swath through Lynnmour and many homes were demolished. There are remnants of the time before the Trans Canada Highway. On the east side of the Trans Canada can be found a strip of: Keith Road and St. Denis Avenue (which was the original name for much of Mountain Highway). On June 6, 1996, the Keith Road on ramp to the Trans Canada Highway was closed and moved to the east end of Fern Street. (See Blog Post for October 6, 2010, Mirror Image.)
Planned Seylynn Village
(See Link 1.)
698 Mountain Highway was in the upper left corner of the planned complex.
"The Seylynn Village North Vancouver property development calls for the construction of eight residential buildings that range from low rise buildings of four storeys to high-rise residences of 25 levels...With housing for singles to couples and from families to retirees, the North Vancouver Seylynn Village real estate
development proposal will include highly adaptable housing units, live/work townhouses, live/work apartments, mingle condominiums, affordable housing and smaller spaces...will be the site of 690 new Seylynn Village condos of which seventy will be dedicated to affordable rental units for low and middle income individuals...some of the largest benefits to the Seylynn Village community will be the Seylynn Hall and Seylynn Park upgrades and improvements..."(See Link.)
Thank you: To Elaine Oakes, Records Management Clerk, Administrative Services, District of North Vancouver for information on building of 690 and 698 Mountain Highway.
Demolition: Permit applied for September 2010.
Photos: Colored photo above taken in September 2010 by SW.
Black and White negative on file at the North Vancouver Archives
taken in August 2008.
Note: See booklet at North Vancouver Archives on Seylynn Village available at
the North Vancouver Archives in 2011.
Link: http://www.vancouver-real-estate-direct.com/blog/2009/06/proposed-masterplanned-seylynn-village.html
