Monday, April 19, 2010
Genoa North Vancouver, Not Italy

The green house at 482 Genoa Crescent was built at the base of the North Shore mountains in 1958. It could have been started on a day like the one in the photograph when most of the mountain disappeared in the low cloud. D. Allan was the owner who built the $14,000 home on this short street that stems off of Vienna Crescent near the top of Delbrook Avenue.


In 1960 Charles A. and Frank M. McKenna were living in the house at 482 Genoa Crescent. Frank was employed as an assistant manager at Dennison Manufacturing. At least Frank continued to live in the house and to have the same job until 1980. In 1991 Jill and Chris A. Davies bought the house. Chris worked as a real estate agent at a company at 2360 Queens Road. By 1996 they had been living in the house for six years. During four of these years Glenn Berning was also a resident.


As the year 2010 is a time of demolition permits on the 400 block of Genoa Crescent, 1958 was a time of construction. This was also the year that the home at 468 Genoa Crescent was built. (See Blog Post March 26, 2010.)

 Note: As to the title of this post.  Yesterday morning we were in Rome Italy, although our original plan was to be home in North Vancouver by that time. Yes, we were trapped with thousands of others in Europe by the cancellation of our April 16th flight via Amsterdam back to B.C., trapped by the giant cloud from the eruption of the volcano in Iceland. Our trap was a two night 250 euro hotel room with all meals paid for by KLM. But it did delay my writing of this post. (Thank you to KLM for their generosity and diligence and for Alitalia  and Air Canada for getting us home.)

Demolition: Permit applied for in March 2010.
Photo: Taken in March 2010 by SW.

Friday, March 26, 2010
A Mountain Behind

468 Genoa Crescent is the first of two homes on this blocked slated for demolition.  The other is at 482 Genoa Crescent.  Genoa Crescent is tucked between Hermosa Avenue and Vienna Crescent just south west of the Delbrook Avenue  and Montroyal Boulevard intersection. At this point you have driven up Delbrook Avenue near to the base of the north shore mountains. This is evident in the photo above as you can see the slope of Mount Fromme behind the house.

The house at 468 Genoa Crescent was built for $13,000 in 1958 by E. A. Sinkler.  In 1962 E. G. Sinkler added a $250 sundeck. The sundeck also gave the house a covered carport. By 1971 Vernon C. Gouchee and his wife Gwendolyne M. were living in the house. Vernon was a salesman for Northland Commercial Sales.  In the 1980 City Directory the house was reported as vacant.  Jack and Jessie Pendygrasse owned the house in 1990.  Jack was employed by Chevron Canada.  The 1995/96 City Directory could not verify a resident at the 468 Genoa Crescent address.  At the time of the 2010 photograph this typical 1958 North Vancouver  house was a rental.


Demolition: Application for Permit in February 2010.
Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW.