Monday, October 25, 2010
More Black and White
Compound on Capilano

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Prominent citizens of North Vancouver lived at the 3065 Capilano Road address.  The compound consisted of a large three storey main house, a separate building that was a small studio,  a double garage, and a tennis court.  The house was at the end of the driveway and near the Capilano River with the studio in front to the south and the garage in the front to the north.  The tennis court was near Capilano Road.  The land covered 1 1/2 acres.  Its west border was the Capilano River.  On that river side there was a rock wall to protect the house.  There were also 148 steps that went down to the river.  They were built by the Water Board but are no longer there.  The whole complex was hooded in tall trees.

A Building Permit was applied for in 1940 for a $2750 house by H. H. Cheney.  In 1941 H. H. Cheney applied for a $125 house alteration. The Cheney's also built the studio. In 1945 the City Directory lists the owners as Dr. Hill H. C and Anna G.  Cheney.  Dr. Hill Cheney was the assistant director of  Xray at Vancouver General Hospital.  In 1950 Mrs. Anna G. Cheney, widow, was listed as the owner.  Nan (Anna Gertrude Lawson) Cheney was "B.C.'s first medical artist (and first medical artist at UBC's faculty of Medicine 1951 to 1962-The Sun Nov. 7, 1985.) and a long time friend of Emily Carr...a painter who worked closely with Group of Seven members Lawren Harris and Jack MacDonald... Described as "a good painter in her own right" by artist Gordon Smith,..." Nan Lawson Cheney died in 1985 at age 88. 

Studio

In the 1951 City Directory Dr. J. F. and Annabellel L. Minnes were the owners of 3065 Capilano Road.  Dr. J. F. Minnes as an eye doctor.  In 1952 A. Minnes applied for a Building Permit for a $500 house addition.   Dr. Minnes made additions to both the house and the studio. A two storey wing was added to each side of the house.  On one side was a breakfast room and bedroom and on the other a front porch and a bedroom.  The bedrooms were upstairs.  Dr. Minnes also added a bedroom and bathroom to the studio.  And he was the owner who added the tennis court. In 1961 the Minne's continued to own the Capilano Road home and Dr. Jason Minnes office was reported as being at 3195 Granville Street in Vancouver. 

Double Garage

In 1991 and 1998  the City Directories list Colin K. Parkinson at the owner of 1965 Capilano Road.  Ella Parkinson was one of the instigators  of the North Shore Arts Commission.  She continued as Executive Director until she retired after 20 years in 1994.  Ella Parkinson was a Recipient of the Centennial Distinguished Citizen Awards from North Vancouver.

Thank you: To Ella Parkinson for the phone interview in 2002 and the detailed description of the property at 3065 Capilano Rd.

Demolition: Permit applied for in 2002.

Photos: Taken for Demolition and Construction Project Roll #9 in 2002 by SW,
                 on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
Link:http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/whoswho_C.htm





Friday, October 8, 2010
Enter on the Side

Bush covers the front door entrance to the house at 2840 Capilano Road.  It also covers most of the rest of the house.  So the steps and porch entrance in the photo above is on the south side of the house facing the driveway. The house was built some time before 1952 as the Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives reports that was the year a $2500 addition was constructed by R. Beachtold.  And the house was built by 1950 since that year's City Directory lists Rudolph and Bertha E. Berchtold as the owners then.  Rudolph Berchtold worked as a structural iron worker.  Notice that the name in the Building Permit Book was spelled "Beachtold" and in the City Directory is was spelled "Berchtold."  The Building Permit Book also lists a $500 garage was built in 1956.  Again by R. Beachtold.

The name continued to be spelled Berchtold is the 1955, 1960, and 1971 City Directories where it listed them as the owners in these years.  Rudolph Berchtold also continued to work as a structural iron worker, in the year 1971 for Kootenay Engineers.  In 1955 and 1960 Bertha Berchtold reported that she was employed as a stenographer for VLA Canada.

Address plate (rusty) and stone and cement block  yard entrance wall

In 1980 Phillippi Brunelle was a resident in the house at 2840 Capilano Road.  In 1991 and 1995 the owner of the house was L. Groendyk.  Artistic Gardening and Landscaping was also listed at the address.  L. Groendyk and Artistic Gardening and Landscaping reported that they had been at the address for over 9 years. Artistic Gardening and Landscaping was also listed in the year 1999/2000 North and West Phone Directory as being at 2840 Capilano Road.

In February 2010 The Ditton Group presented to the North Vancouver Council the proposal for a 14 unit multifamily building to be constructed on the sites of 2832 and 2840 Capilano Road.  It will be wheelchair accessible and have underground parking.  (See Link.)

Demolition: Permit applied for in September 2010.

Photo: Colored digital photos above taken in September 2010 by SW.
              Black and white photos taken in November 2009 as part of Demolition
             and Construction Project by SW on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
Link: http://www.dnv.org/upload/documents/Council_PH/phm090623.htm

Thursday, October 7, 2010
14 Town Houses

The house with the stone retaining wall along its driveway at 2832 Capilano Road is one of two homes that will be demolished to make way for 14 multifamily housing units.  The other home is to its north at 2840 Capilano Road. 

There is no listing of the 2832 Capilano Road address in the Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives.  There is also no listing in the 1950 or 1955 City Directories.  The address is listed in the 1960 publication, but the report is "Vacant".    In 1971 Mrs. Dorothy E. Morrison, the widow of L. F. Morrison, was the resident in the house.  

By 1965 the Hebert family had bought the house.  Euclid J. and Dorothy reported that they were the owners in 1965.  Euclid Hebert was employed as a supervisor for the Canadian Government.  They also reported owning the house in 1980 and 1991.  During these years the Heberts were retired.  In 1995/1996 the residents could not be verified by the City Directory staff.

Mailbox and Address for 2832 Capilano Road.

Demolition: Permit applied for in 2009 and September 2010.

Photos: Color digital photos above taken in September 2010. 

            Black and  white negative of house photo taken in November 2010 on file
            at North Vancouver Archives.

Note: See tomorrow's blog post on 2840 Capilano Rd. for details on the
            proposed 14 multifamily housing units.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Capilano Road Oldie

The house at 2840 Capilano Road is older than the Building Permit book listings. The first listing is already for a $2500 house addition in 1952. The next listing is for a $500 garage in 1956. The owner at both of these times was R. Beachtold. In 1960 there is a listing in the City Directory for probably the same person, but the spelling of the name is different. It changes the "a" to "r" resulting in Berchtold. Rudolph Berchtold was employed as a structural iron worker. His wife Bertha was employed as a stenographer by the Canadian Government. By 1971 Rudolph was a structural iron worker for Kootenay Engineering.

In 1980 Phillippi Brunelle owned the house. He was retired. In 1991 there was another new owner, L. Groenendyk and his company Artistic Gardening and Landscaping. In 1991 the spelling of the last name is again reported differently. Now the final "k" has been dropped, resulting in Groenendy. However, the business of Artistic Gardening and Landscaping is the same. The 1995/96 City Directory and the year 2000 phone book continue to list L. Groenendy and Artistic Gardening and Landscaping at being at 2840 Capilano Road. Today the internet lists Artistic Gardening and Landscaping and L. Groeneny on West 25th Street in North Vancouver.  Between the house at 2840 Capilano Rd. and Artistic Gardening and Landscaping they have travelled the record keeping highway from Building Permit to City Directory to phone book to the internet.

Capilano Road is the western border of North Vancouver District. It runs from the Native Lands in the south up to Montroyal Blvd. where it turns into Nancy Green Way. From there it goes a short way to the base of Grouse Mountain. On its way up the mountain side it passes several other prominent North Vancouver tourist attractions. First is the Capilano Suspension Bridge, next is the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, then the Cleveland Dam, and finally the Grouse Mountain Skyride. Viewing of the Salmon Hatchery and the Cleveland Dam are free. 

Demolition Permit: Applied for November 2009.

Photo Taken: November 2009.

Link: http://www.capbridge.com/index.html

Link: http://www.vancouverplus.ca/vancouver/venues/capilano-salmon-hatchery

Link: http://www.seethenorthshore.com/capilano/capilano.htm

Link: http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/

Monday, February 15, 2010
To the Bridge, To the Mountain

The house at 2832 sits about half way up Capilano Road. It is huddled among the cedar and maple trees and fronted by an over sized rhododendron bush. Few people are recorded as residents. A Building Permit  was applied for August 6, 1958 by the owner Don Hall. The contractor was the Hall Brothers and it cost $13,000. However, the 1960 City Directory lists it as vacant. In 1971 Mrs. Dorothy E. Morrison, a widow, owned the house. In 1980 another Dorothy moved in. This Dorothy was named Herbert and her husband was Euclide J. He was listed as retired in both 1980 and 1991. The response to City Directory inquiries for the 1995/96 edition were "not verified".

Capilano Road lies at the western boarder of the District of North Vancouver. It starts at Welch Street in the Native Lands on Burrard Inlet and climbs the mountain side to end at Montroyal Blvd. Although its name ends there the road continues as Nancy Greene Way leading to the Grouse Mountain Chair Skyride. Three other well known sights are along the way: The Capilano Suspension Bridge, the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, and the Cleveland Dam on Capilano Lake. Capilano Lake supplies approximately 40% of the Lower Mainland's fresh drinking water.

Thank you to Elaine Oakes, RM Clerk Admin. Svcs. NVD.
Demolition Permit: Applied for from North Vancouver District October 2009.
Photo: Taken in November 2009 by SW.
Link: http://www.capbridge.com/index.html
Link: http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/
Link: http://www.greatervancouverparks.com/ClevelandDam01.html