Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mirror Images on Mountain Highway

This house with the distinctive double slanted roof has the address of 690 Mountain Highway.  However, only its west side faces Mountain Highway.  The entrance faces a short side street east off of Mountain Highway. The street is so short that there are only 2 houses on it.  The other house at 698 Mountain Highway is the mirror image of 690.  The back of these two homes face what used to be the Keith Road on ramp to the Upper Levels Highway. The on ramp has been changed to go from Keith Road, to Mountain Highway, to Fern Street, and left onto the Highway.

The original house on the 690 Mountain Highway lot was built in 1942. At this time its address was 1631 East Keith Road. (Elaine Oakes)   The residents in the 1955 City Directory were listed as Robert P.  and Betsy Edge.  Robert Edge was employed as a laborer at Lions Gate Lbr.  In 1960 the residents were R. Marcel and Ruth A. Beauchamps.  R. Marcel Beauchamps worked as a powderman for Pacific Blasting.  Ruth Beauchamps worked as an operator at Western Crests.  In 1971 William A. and Linda Hayden lived at 690 Mountain Highway.  William Hayden worked  as a laborer for the North Vancouver District.

The only actual owners verified by the 1955, 1960, 1971, and 1980 City Directories were Bernard and Liane Rohne in the 1980 publication.  Bero Metallic Design is mentioned next to their names.  Bero Metallic Design in the old Lynnmour United Church building at 664 Mountain Highway is listed from 1973 (as Metallic Design with the owner being Bernard Rohne) to 1998.  The name changed to Bero Metallic Design in 1975. The old church building was demolished in 2004.

In 1986 the 1942 house was demolished, the lot was subdivided and 2 new houses were built.  This is when the address was changed from 1631 Keith Road to 690 and 698 Mountain Highway. (Elaine Oakes.) 
The 1991 and 1996/1996 City Directories contain no listing of the address 690 Mountain Highway.

Thank you: To Elaine Oakes for information on the homes built on the 690 and 698 Mountain Highway lots.

Photos: Color photo above taken in Sept. 2010 by SW.
                 Black and White negative on file at the North Vancouver Archives
                          taken in August 2008.
Demolition: Permit for 690 Mountain Highway applied for in September 2010.
                Old Lynnmour United Church demolished in 2004.
                Original 1942 home at 1631 East Keith Rd. address demolished in 1986.
Note: See booklet on  Seylynn Village to be filed at the North Vancouver
                Archives in 2011.
            See Blog Post October 6, 2010, On the Move, for more information on this
                location and Seylynn Village.