Wednesday, September 22, 2010
53 Years on Tempe Crescent

Tempe Crescent is one of three Crescent shaped streets south of East 29th Street in the City of North Vancouver.  The crescent streets, Somerset Street, Brand Street, and Tempe Crescent, start and end on East 29th Street.  The house at 452 Tempe Crescent is just about at the most southern point of these three crescent streets.

There is no entry for the 452 Tempe Crescent address in either the Building Permit Book or the 1950 City Directory at the North Vancouver Archives.  However, in the 1955 issue Rex W. and Gwen M. Johnston are listed as owners.  They are also listed as the owners in the 1960 issue.  During this time Rex Johnston was a branch manager at the Royal Bank.  

In 1964  the Knowles family bought the house.  The move was an easy one since for the previous 7 years they had lived just a few door away at 440 Tempe Crescent. In fact, in 1960 Allan R. and Wilhehmina Knowles were reported as the owners of the 440 Tempe Crescent home.  By 1965 they were listed as the owners at the 452 Tempe Crescent residence.  During  this time Allan Knowles was employed as an accountant at the Bank of Nova Scotia. In the 1971, 1980, 1991, and 1995/1996 City Directories the owner was listed as Mrs. Wilhelmina Knowles.   In 1991 and 1995/1996 Wilhelmina (Billie) Knowles was employed by  North Shore Home Support Services.  Two other residents listed in the 1995/1996 City Directory were Samuel C. Knowles, a gardener, and Akiko Takemoto, a student.

Billie Knowles continued to live at the 452 Tempe Crescent address until September 2010.  Although she will still be living on the North Shore the move will be more extensive than the one from 440 Tempe Crescent in 1964.  She has had to pack up not only her possessions but family heirlooms.  One of these was  the 1869 Christening dress of her grandfather Charles Wood Rogers.  Her grandmother's wedding dress has previously been donated to a museum.

With the 7 years the Knowles lived at 440 Tempe Crescent and the 46 years they lived at 452 Tempe Crescent, their total time on the street was 53 years.

Demolition: Permit applied for from the City of North Vancouver in Sept. 2010.
Photo: Taken in September 2010 by SW.