Friday, July 16, 2010
Big Changes On Bewicke-5

The last house on the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue is at 1456. As with the other homes on the block no records are available until the mid 1950's. In 1955 The owners were Jean M. and Cliff Halverson. Cliff worked as a plasterer.

By 1960 Mrs. Hillary J. Hurst was the owner. She was the widow of G. Hurst. She continued to own the house at least until 1980. In 1960 she was employed as a stenographer at Eaton's. In 1971 she still worked at Eaton's but as a clerk. And in 1980 she reported that she was retired.

In 1991 Mark Kennedy reported to the City Directory that he was the owner. And in 1995/1996 the only entry in the City Directory for 1456 Bewicke Avenue was "not verified".

All the properties on the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue are slated for demolition. The house at 1444 is under a blue tarp. The project that has been presented is that of an 18 unit development.

Demolition: Permit applied for in 2009.

Photo: Digital colored above taken in 2010 by SW. A black and white negative and photo on a contact sheet taken in July 2009 as part of the Demolition and Construction Project 2001-2010 is on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
Reference: See Blog Post July 12, 2010 for more information on Bewicke Avenue.
Reference 2: See Blog Post July 13, for more information about the homes in the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue.

Thursday, July 15, 2010
Big Changes On Bewicke-4

The house at 1436 Bewicke Avenue peeks from behind the layers of leaves on its front yard trees. But what can be seen shows that the original stucco and cedar clapboard exterior has been replace by white clapboard siding. This fourth house on the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue was owned by E. G. and Margaret E. Martin in 1955. The City Directories report them as the in the 1995/1996 issue as well. That is at least 40 years that they lived in the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue. This wasn't unusual for that block since their neighbors Jean E. and Alfred H. Richardson at 1404 Bewicke Avenue lived there even longer, 45 years. (See Blog Post July 12, 2010.)

The only job that Edwin Martin reported during the 40 years that they lived at 1436 Bewicke Avenue was as an employee of Eaton's Department Store. From at least 1955 to 1971 he was a window cleaner for Eaton's. In 1980 he reported that his job was as a maintenance man for Eaton's. In the 1991 and 1995/1996 Edward and Mary Martin were listed as retired.

Demolition: Permit applied for in March 2010.

Photo: Digital colored above taken in June 2010 by SW.
Reference 1: See Blog Post June 12, 2010 for more information on Bewicke Avenue.
Reference 2: See Blog Post July 13, for more information about the homes in the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Big Changes On Bewicke-3

The third house on the 1400 block is at 1428 Bewicke Avenue. This house also has the typical features of all the houses in the block: rock retaining wall, cement front steps with a wrought iron railing, large windows on either side of the single front door, and stucco and cedar clapboard exterior walls. It also has a large cherry tree on the south side of the front yard, a row of day lilies hugging the front wall of the house, and gay yellow dandelions and buttercups scattered through the grass.

Again there is no listing of this house in either the Building Permit Book or the 1952 City Directory. But in 1955 and 1960 Alfred N. and Barbara J. Pickering were the owners of 1428 Bewicke Avenue. In both of those years Alfred Pickering was employed as a longshoreman.

In 1971 the owners were Edwin F. and Jenny E. Baumley. Edwin Baumley worked as a handyman at Burrard Dry Dock. "Burrard(Dry Dock had) built over 450 ships, including many warships ... for the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy in World War II."(See Link.)


There was "no return" to inquiries by the City Directory in 1980. In 1991 the resident, but not owner, was Deidre Carrigan. And in the 1995/1996 City Directory the address is not even listed.


Demolition: Permit applied for in 2009.

Photo: Digital colored above taken in 2010 by SW. A black and white negative and photo on a contact sheet taken in July 2009 as part of the Demolition and Construction Project 2001-2010 is on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
Reference 1: See Blog Posts July 12, 13, 15, and 16 for more information about Bewicke Avenue.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrard_Dry_Dock

Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Big Changes on Bewicke-2

The neighbors to the north of 1404 Bewicke Avenue are at 1416 Bewicke Avenue. Again there are no records of any house being at this site until the mid 1950's. In 1955 and 1960 William M. and Lillian D. Speers were the owners. William M. Speers was of Speers Bros., C. A. and W. M. Speers a bulldozing company at 864 West 16th Street with a warehouse at 212 Fell Avenue, both in North Vancouver. In 1960 William Melville Speers reported that he was secretary of Speers Brothers Bulldozing and C. A. Speers was president. In 1961 Mrs. Lillian D. Speers was listed as a the widow of W. M. She was employed as a clerk at B. C. Hydro.

New owners of 1416 Bewicke Avenue are listed by 1980, Irene R. and Peter Lingbanan, a welder at Vancouver Shipyards. By 1991 the owners were  James M. and Karen Hughes. James Hughes was a student and Karen Hughes worked with Brenda Knight at Karen-Karita Boutique at 1755 Marine Dr. in West Vancouver. In the 1995/1996 City Directory James and Karen reported that they had lived at 1416 Bewicke Avenue for over 9 years. So they must have bought the house by 1986.

The two houses in the photo above, 1404 and 1416, are typical of the six houses built on this block. They feature: stone retaining walls, cement front steps with wrought iron railings, white stucco and cedar clapboard exteriors, and a large front window on either side of a single front door. Some have had modifications over the years.

Demolition: Permit applied for in 2009.
Photo: Digital colored above taken in 2010 by SW. A black and white negative and photo on a contact sheet taken in July 2009 as part of the Demolition and Construction Project 2001-2010 is on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
Reference1: See Blog Posts July 12, 14, 15, and 16, 2010 for more information on Bewicke Avenue.

HAPPY

70TH

BIRTHDAY

ALAN

Monday, July 12, 2010

Big Changes On Bewicke-1

Many of the streets in the City of North Vancouver were named in 1891 to honor major landowners. These included: Heywood Street, Lonsdale Avenue, Fell Avenue, and Mahon Avenue. Others were chosen to recognize men of business. These included: Hendry Avenue, Moody Avenue, and Bewicke Avenue. Percival Henry Bewicke was involved with the Moodyville Lands and Sawmill Company and was a major landowner.(See Reference 1.)

Bewicke Avenue, runs north and south in the western part of the City of North Vancouver. Its southern border is on Burrard Inlet at Bewicke Park on Native Lands. It then runs north to cross the commercial intersection of Marine Drive and West Keith Road and finally ends two blocks north of Larson Road. At this point it is just west of Wagg Creek and East of Mosquito Creek. The 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue is one block north of the intersection of Marine Dr. and West Keith Road.

This 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue was bush until the mid 1950's. There is no record at the North Vancouver Archives of any home at that address in the Building Permit Book or in the 1950 or 1952 City Directories. Then in 1955 six address appear: 1404, 1416, 1428, 1436, 1444, and 1456. Now all of these homes are slated for demolition and new multifamily units will be built.

The home at 1404 Bewicke Avenue is on the north east corner of Bewicke Avenue and West 14th Street. In 1955 the owners were Alfred H. and Jean E. Richardson. According to the City Directories and phone book they continued to live there until at least the Year 2000. That is 45 years for the Richardson's at 1404 Bewicke Avenue. In 1955 Alfred Richardson was employed as a machinist at M W and D. In 1960 he was a mechanic at Cummins Diesel. And in 1971 and 1980 he was employed as a mechanic at C P Air. In the 1991 and 1995/1996 City Directories Alfred Richardson reported that he was retired.

Demolition: Permit applied for in 2009.
Photo: Digital colored photo above was taken in 2010 by SW. A black and white negative and photo on a contact sheet taken in July 2009 as part of the Demolition and Construction Project 2001-2010 is on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
Reference 1: "The Ambitious City/A History of the City of North Vancouver" by Warren Sommer.
Reference 2: See Blog Posts July 13, 14, 15, and 16 for more information about the homes in the 1400 block of Bewicke Avenue.