Wednesday, November 3, 2010
One Block From Lynn Canyon Park

The corner house at 3945 Lynn Valley Road was built in 1949 for $4,500 by owner R. D. Lee.  In 1950 Robert Lee also applied for a Building Permit for a $300 garage. In 1950 Phyllis E. Lee, a student,  also lived at 3945 Lynn Valley Road.

In 1960 the residents of the house  were Herbert E. and Louise E. Bowley.  Herbert Bowley was a printer at Pacific Press.  The 1971 owners were David R. and Marion G. Matthews.  David Matthews was a letter carrier for the Post Office.  In 1980 the residents were Barry and Jill Urquhart.

In 1991 the owners were Stephen J. and Lydia B. Thomas.  Stephen Thomas worked as a sprinkler fitter at National Installation.  Lydia Thomas was employed as a stenographer clerk in ticket reservations for Yugoslavian Airlines.  In the 1995/1996 City Directory the owner was reported as Audrey J. Shippard, an Xray technician at Holy Family Hospital.  She bought the house in 1991.

This one storey home on the corner of Lynn Valley Road and Kilmer Road was set in a yard of ferns and tall trees.  A stone path rambled through the front side yard that led to Kilmer Road. Tall trees stood in the front yard like soldiers protecting the cosy home.



The three bedroom, one bathroom home at 3945 Lynn Valley was listed for sale on the Web at $630,000. "Hiking and biking at your door step."

Demolition:Permit applied for in October 2010.
Photo: Take in October 2010 by SW.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Shake Clad House on Dempsey

The two storey shake clad house at 1640 Dempsey Road was built for $1500 in 1938 by J. Greenwood.  The is no listing of the 1640 Dempsey Road address in the 1940 City Directory.  However, the house is indicated by the notation "ns Greenwood J." as the owner.  In the 1945 City Directory the address is listed, and J. Greenwood is still recorded as living there. 

However, by 1948 the owner was Mrs. K. A. Vaughan, the widow of E. W. Vaughan.   In 1940 Edgar and Cathy A. Vaughan had been the owners of a home on the north side of the 1200 Mill Street in North Vancouver.  Edgar Vaughan was a cartoonist.  Mill Street is two streets north of Dempsey.  So Mrs. Vaughan's move from Mill Street to Dempsey after the death of her husband, was not a big one.  Mrs. Vaughan continued to own the house at 1640 Dempsey Rd. at least until 1971.  Over the years her name was listed in the City Directories as Mrs. K. A. Vaughan, Cath A. Vaughan and in 1971 as Molly Vaughan.

In 1981 Gunter Karl Essinger was the owner of the 1640 Dempsey Road house.  Gunter Essinger worked as a maintenance man at Delta Smelting and Refining. In 1991 the City Directory reported that Ralph, Karen, and Patrick Essinger as well as Pfiel Jens were all residents of the house.  Ralph and Patrick Essinger were both employees at the Spaghetti Factory.  Karen Essinger's employment was Scandal's Bar and Grill Restaurant.  In the 1995/1996 City Directory Ralph and Patrick Essinger were reported as living in the house.  Other residents at least from 1991 to 1995 were Harold and Marie Scott.  In 1995 Ralph and Patrick Essinger were still working at the Spaghetti Factory.  Although, Karen was not listed as living at 1640 Dempsey Road, her employment was reported as president of My Place Cafe.  Ralph Essinger was listed in the 2006/2007 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory as still living at the 1640 Dempsey Road address at that time.

Patrick Essinger adds," My father Gunther Karl Essinger  passed away in the house in 1989.  The house was left to his sons Ralph Peter Essinger and Patrick Carsten Essinger. The house had a renovation to the basement to make it livable.  Both brothers lived in and out of the basement for a few years.  Ralph married S. Essinger and lived in the house til early 2000. They had one daughter S. N. Essinger.  Patrick Essinger took sole possession of the house in 2004.  Patrick a City of Vancouver Firefighter and his wife J. A. Essinger a Registered Nurse at Lions Gate Hospital lived in the house until 2010 with their daughter N. G. Essinger. " They will be  demolishing the existing home and building a new heritage style home.

Dempsey Road and Mill Street are in the northern part of the Lynn Valley known as Upper Lynn.  This is at the base of the North Shore Mountains where the hikers park before heading up the trails.  The house at 1640 Dempsey Road is also just up the street from Kilmer Park.


Thank you: To Patrick Essinger for his contribution to the history of the home at 1640 Dempsey Road.
Demolition: Permit applied for to the North Vancouver District in September of 2010.
Photo: Taken in September of 2010 by SW. (Actual house color is a brown tone.)

Thursday, September 9, 2010
A Week of Black and White
Westlake and Marshall

It seems that this large house with the Tudor trim at 4375 Underwood Avenue in the Upper Lynn area of Lynn Valley was only owned by two families, the Westlake's and the Marshall's.

F. A. Westlake built the house in 1950 for $5000. Three years later, in 1953 he applied for a Building Permit for a $150 carport. Frank A. and Louise M. Westlake owned the house at least until 1971. In 1955 Frank Westlake worked as a warehouse foreman at Pacific Coast Wholesale Drugs. In  1960 he was a foreman at Pacific Coast Wholesale Drugs. And by 1971 Frank Westlake was retired.

The 1980 City Directory reports Garry and Ann Marshall as the owners of 4375 Underwood Avenue. They owned the house at least until 2007, as indicated by the North and West Vancouver Phone Directory. In 1980 Garry Marshall was employed as a bodyman at Tip Top Collision Ltd. In 1991 he was working as a bodyman at Bodo Motors.

In August 0f 2009 the house at 4375 Underwood Avenue was sold for $942,000.

A Week of Black and White

The Black and White photos of all the homes this week were taken in July of 2007 as part of the Demolition and Construction North Vancouver Archives Project by Suzanne Wilson. On notification of City and District applications for Demolition Permits the photos were taken and documented. Negatives and contact prints were filed at the North Vancouver Archives as part of their permanent photo collection. The project ran from 2001 to 2010.


Demolition Permit: Applied for in 2007.
Photos: The black and white photo Demolition and Construction Project photo Roll # 85 Negative 10 on file at the North Vancouver Archives. (The photo above was taken of the contact sheet with a digital camera.)

Thursday, September 2, 2010
Lynn Valley Wellington

Wellington goes here, there, and everywhere. And it is a Crescent, a Place, and a Drive. Wellington Crescent is in the Capilano Highlands area. Wellington Place is in North Lonsdale area. And Wellington Drive is in Lynn Valley area. But all are in the District of North Vancouver.

The one storey house in the photo above is at 1152 Wellington Drive, in the Lynn Valley area. It was built in 1953 for $8,500 by E. C. Anderson (spelled with an "o" in the Building Permit Book). In 1955 and 1960 Edwin C. and Olive Andersen (spelled with an "e" in the City Directory) still owned the house. In 1955 Edwin Andersen was a clerk at CGE. In 1960 he was employed a a wholesales man at CGE.

In 1971 Joseph and Pearl Alterio were the owners of the Wellington Drive house. They reported to the City Directory that they were retired. There was
"no return" to City Directory inquiries in 1980. In 1991 and 1995 L. J. Chasmar lived in the house. In 1995 L. J. Chasmar reported he had lived there for six years.

Building Permit: Applied for in August of 2010.
Photo: Taken in August of 2010 by SW.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Thorp Family on Hoskins Rd. for 100 Years

It seems that the Thorpe family always lived on Hoskins Road. Dorothy (Probert) Thorpe  was born in 1907 at Dovecourt and Hoskins Road.  Dorothy's father, Samuel,  also had the first general store in Lynn Valley at this location.  The 1911 and 1912 City Directories both list Samuel Probert grocery "ns" Dovercourt Rd near LV Road.  Below is the circa 1913 photograph from the District Engineering Album at the North Vancouver Archives.  The building on the left is Samuel Probert's grocery. 

Samuel Probert Grocery circa 1913

In 1910 Dorothy Probert's brothers Reginald and Harry Probert built a new

house on the lot at 3790 Hoskins Road and this is where Dorothy spent her childhood. (See photo below.) In 1926 Dorothy Probert is listed as working in sales.  By this time her mother, Mary Probert, was  Samuel J. Probert's widow.  "In 1929 she (Dorothy)  was married and received the home from her mother where she lived and raised her family."  Her son Harold was born in this house in 1931.  In 1953 he bought the property at 3741 Hoskins Road and built a house on it, therefore maintaining the tradition of the family living on Hoskins Road.

Dorothy Probert is the girl at the bottom of this 1909 photo

The first entry in the City Directories for the Thorpe's at the 3790 Hoskins Road address is in 1931, under H. Thorpe.  In 1955 Harold E. and Dorothy Thorpe are listed as living in  the house. Harold Thorpe worked as a trucker at American Can. In 1960 the owner is listed as Mrs. Dorothy G. Thorpe, widow of W. E. Thorpe. Mrs. Dorothy G. Thorpe continued to be listed as the owner in the 1980, 1991, and 1995 City Directories. 

That means Dorothy Thorpe lived on Hoskins Road for at least 88 years and at the home at 3790 Hoskins Road for at least 85 of those years.  This is the record in this Blog for number of years the same person has lived in a house.  The 3790 Hoskins Road house  is the oldest house recorded in this Blog, 1910-2010, 100 years. The next oldest house is this Blog was at the 322 West 21st Street house at 87 years and with more than one family being owners.

The 1955 City Directory lists Harold and Mary Thorpe at the 3741 Hoskins Rd. address.  Harold was employed as an electrician at Burrard Dry Dock.  Harold lived in that house until his death in 2007. 

The only other residents of 3790 Hoskins Rd. listed in the City Directories are   Arthur and Andrea G. Pifer in 1971. Arthur Pifer was working as a lithography at Agency Press.

Side view of 3790 Hoskins Rd.

Note the white bulb hydrangea tree in the front and

the pink roses in the back of the house.

 Dovercourt Road intersects with Hoskins Road and Lynn Valley Road just north of Peters Road in the Lynn Creek area of Lynn Valley.

Thank You: To Mike Thorpe, grandson of Dorothy Thorpe and son of Harold Thorpe for most of the information in this post.  Quotes are from his e mail.
Demoliton Permit: Applied for in July 2010.
Photos: Colored digital photos taken in August of 2010 by SW.
                                                       North Vancouver Archives
                 Black and White grocery store photo from District Engineering Album.
                 Black and White Probert family photo 1909 with Dorothy in front.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Only the Clark's

The two storey house at 1414 Dempsey Road does not seem to be built until shortly after 1965 since there is no listing for the house in the Building Permit Book, or in the 1950, 1955, 1960, or 1965 City Directories. In 1971 A. Fredrick and Margaret L. Clark are listed as owners. And they are listed as owners in the 1980, 1991, and 1995 City Directories. F.A. Clark is also listed in the 2008/2010 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory. So it looks like the Clark's owned the house for about 40 years. In 1980 A. Frederick Clark reported that he was a clerk at Barker Hardware and in 1991 he reported that he was retired.

Dempsey Road is part of the most northern connector road that runs between Capilano Road in the west to Lynn Valley Road in the east. Montroyal Blvd. starts at Capilano Rd, and runs to Lonsdale Avenue. Then Braemar Rd. follows the base of the North Shore Mountains until Dempsey Road. Dempsey Rd. then crosses Mountain Highway and finally terminates at Lynn Valley Rd. It is a handy route taken by North Vancouverites to cross from one side of the District to the other without going into one of the more crowded business areas.

Demolition Permit: Applied for in July 2010.
Photo: Taken in July 2010 by SW.

Monday, August 9, 2010
In the Rainforest

The single floor house of brick at 1605 Kilmer Road is in the Upper Lynn area of Lynn Valley in the District of North Vancouver. It was built in 1959 for $1300 by M. Hatter. Just a year later, in 1960 the owners were George W. K. and Mildred G. Slack. George Slack was employed as a surveyor for the B. C. Government.

In 1971 and 1980 the owners were Frank D. and Marie Pagnan. In both of these years Frank Pagnan worked as a storeman at B. C. Tel. In 1991 and in 1995 John Y. and Belinda Kan owned the house. During this time John Kan worked as an accountant at the Hong Kong Bank. In 1955 the Kan's reported to the City Directory that they had lived in the house for 5 years, so they must have moved into it in 1990. Today the lot is covered with dense trees and shrubs typical of North Vancouver's rainforest. North Vancouver is snug against the North Shore Mountains and has rainfall of 111.76cm/44in, (See Link.) the highest in the Lower Mainland. Trimming back the vegetation is a regular North Vancouver home owners task.

On the east end of Kilmer Road is Kilmer Park. The park runs between Dempsey Rd. and Kilmer Rd. just west of Lynn Valley Road. It features a water park and soccer fields

Demolition Permit: Applied for in July if 2010.
Photo: Taken in July of 2010 by SW.
Link: http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/Geography/North-Vancouver.htm

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

One Block of Phyllis

Phyllis Road is but one block long and just west of the Centennial Ecology Centre in Lynn Canyon Park in Lynn Valley. A Building Permit was applied for in 1954 for this one storey white house with the matching fence at 3738 Phyllis Road.  It was built in for $7,000 by L. J. Seabrook.

In 1960 and 1971 Svend A. and Gilda E. Mariager were the owners of this small house. During this time Svend Mariager was employed as a service engineer at Walken Machinery and Equipment. In 1980 the City Directory reported that Wolfgang J. Klein lived in the house, but did not designate him as the owner. Then in the 1991 and 1995/1996 City Directories the owner was listed as D. William Frith. The 1995/1996 listing indicated that he had owned the house for more than nine years, making the date he bought it in the mid 1980's. During his more than 9 years in the house William Frith was an operator at Advance Cabs.

The 890 sq. ft. house with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom was for sale in 2009 for $655,000.  (See Link.)

Phyllis isn't the only woman honored in the street names of Lynn Valley. There is also Evelyn Street and Evelyn Park, Ruth Crescent, Irene Place and Ronayne Road. Lynn (of Lynn Valley, Lynn Canyon Park, Lynn Creek, Lynn Valley Road) is also a woman's name. However, all these Lynns were named for John Linn one of the pioneers of this part of the North Shore.

Demolition Permit: Applied to the District of North Vancouver in June 2010.
Photo: Taken in July 2010 by SW.

Link: http://www.buyinginnorthvancouver.com/real-estate-north-vancouver-property-details/257840525/no/3738-phyllis-rd/north-vancouver/overview

Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sunday Church Feature

Posthumous-Methodist Church, Lynn Valley, B.C.

The Lynn Valley Methodist church was built in 1912 at 260 Institute Road. (REF 1 and 3.) It was on the west side of Institute Road, across the lane from Lynn Valley Elementary School. In 1927 St. Clement's Anglican Church was moved to 120 Institute Road (REF 1.) It was on the east side of Institute Road and was known as "St. Clements-by-the-brook". (REF 7.) On today's maps the site of the Methodist Church would be across the street from what is now the house at 3284 Institute Road.(REF 4.)

Lynn Valley Methodist Church was originally only one floor. Then a basement was built under it to make two functioning  floors. "The bottom floor was immediately put into use as a child/daycare centre." (REF 2.) This church is seen in the photo above. "It features triangular eaves, brackets, and unusual alternating vertical and horizontal wood siding". (REF 2.) The windows along the sides and in triplicate on either side of the entrance to the upper level were and of a Gothic type. The double set of steps leading to the upper level were a stylized feature.


In 1925 the Congregational, most Presbyterian, and the Methodist Churches in Canada united to become the United Church of Canada. At this time the Knox Presbyterian Church on Lynn Valley Road became the Lynn Valley United Church. The Lynn Valley Methodist Church congregation joined with and moved to the new Lynn Valley United Church. The Lynn Valley Methodist Church building was then used by Lynn Valley Elementary School as a gym. On the 1930 Fire Insurance Map the building is labeled as having Manual Training in the basement.

1930 Fire Insurance Map

 From 1945 to 1962 the lower floor of the old Methodist Church was the home of Lynn Valley Parent Participation Playschool. When the top part was moved across Mountain Highway, "The lower 1/2 of the building became a Metal Arts School and was eventually demolished."(REF 5.) It was used as "...the manual arts branch of Queen Mary School teaching local students carpentry and house building."(REF 2.) It was also used as a community center. (REF 3.)

In 1962, according to the October 11, 1962 Citizen newspaper, the Lynn Valley Arts Guild purchased the old Methodist Church Building from the School Board for $50. And According to Clare Lakes' "History of LVPPP" it was the top half of the building that was purchased and they "...moved it across the playing field to the west side of Mt. Highway..." The Citizen said further that "to move the top floor of the church to 3355 Mountain Highway cost about $1000." The actual move took place in the spring of 1963.

In 2004 new playground equipment was donated by Home Depot for the north east corner of the new Lynn Valley Elementary School grounds. Charis Kalesnikoff, the school principal, said that when the workers were digging to install the equipment, hunks of concrete were uncovered. She wondered if these were remnants of the old Methodist Church.

The top floor of the old Lynn Valley Methodist Church remains part of the RNB Dance and Theatre Arts building at 3355 Mountain Highway. If you look on the back of the building you can still see the outline of the original Gothic type church windows that lined the sides of the1912 church.

Demolition: Bottom half of the Lynn Valley Methodist Church, in 1963.

Available at the North Vancouver Archives

Reference 1: 1930 Fire Insurance Map.

Reference 2: 1988 District of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory.

Reference 3: 1993 District of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory.

Reference 4: #275 North Vancouver Archives Map.

Reference 5: Clare Lakes' "History of Lynn Valley Parent Participation

Preschool".

Reference 6: October 11, 1962 "Citizen" newspaper.

Reference 7: 1005 "Sacred Sites Tour Booklet," article by Kathleen Larsen.

Photo: North Vancouver Archives Photo(26-19B-1-Draycott Fons 26, taken ca. 1920.)

Friday, June 18, 2010

The Fromme House

There is more than one Fromme House in Lynn Valley. The first Fromme house is at 1466 Ross Road. It was built in the late 1890's by Julius Martin "J. M." Fromme, “The Father of Lynn Valley”.  It qualifies as the first real house built in Lynn Valley. This house is not going to be demolished.


The second Fromme House, the one in the photo above, was at 3253 Fromme Road. J. M's. son Harold  helped contractor Jake Seibald  to build this house that was completed in 1955.  He lived in it until his death at 95 in the year 2000. Harold was a renown local historian and athlete and owned and operated Harold Fromme's Lynn Valley Garage which had been the lumber shed of his father’s original Shingle Mill on Mountain Highway and Harold Road.  Lynn Valley United Church is now on this site. The house at 3253 was demolished in the winter of 2009. Three houses will be built on the site.


There is also a Fromme Block. This is on the south east corner of Mountain Highway and Lynn Valley Road. It was built by J. M. Fromme in 1912 and was one of the first commercial buildings in Lynn Vally. There were and are apartments upstairs. For many years the street level was the home of: Barker's Hardware, a soda fountain with the Lynn Creek Post Office as part of it, and a shoemaker. More recently there was an antique shop, barbershop, cleaners, TV repair shop, and thrift shop.  The Fromme Block  was renovated and restored and is now the home of the Toronto Dominion Bank.


There are not only the Fromme houses and a Fromme Building,  there is also the Fromme Mountain and Fromme Elementary School. Mount Fromme, between Lynn Creek and Grouse Mountain is 3888 feet high.  Today it is a key mountain bike destination. Fromme Elementary School is at 3657 Fromme Road.


Lynn Valley located at the heart of the District of North Vancouver was a logging center in the early 1900’s. The heart of Lynn Valley is at the junction of Lynn Valley Road and Mountain Highway, previously called Centre Road.  This is where J. M. Fromme bought the Lynn Valley Lumber Co. and the Lower Shingle Mill in 1906. He later subdivided his property of 1/4 section for housing sites in the area that is now Lynn Valley Center. He gave part of his land to the Knox Presbyterian Church later called the Lynn Valley United Church in the area that is now the Maple Leaf Gardens.


As you can see the names of the Fromme family can be seen on every map of Lynn Valley. Fromme Road runs north and south from Kirkstone Park below Lynn Valley Road parallel to Mountain Highway and up to Chamberland Drive. Harold Road meets Fromme Road just above its junction with Lynn Valley Road. And Frederick Road, named for Harold’s younger brother who died before Harold was born crosses Fromme Road and Mountain Highway just north of Argyle Secondary School. So all the Fromme family roads-Fromme Road, Harold Road, and Frederick Road-are clustered in the heart of the Lynn Valley they helped to build.


Benches in the memory of Jean and Harold and Julius Martin and Martha Fromme have  been placed at the Veterans Community Plaza.  This Plaza leads from Mountain Highway to the North Vancouver Community History Centre next to Lynn Valley Elementary School on Institute Avenue.


Demolition: Permit applied for October 2009.
Photo: Taken October 24, 2009 by SW.
Research:  Thank you to the Fromme family for information, editing, and fact checking.

Friday, April 16, 2010
School Next Door

The white split level house at 2808 Bushnell Place sits right next to Ecole Ross Road Elementary School. This short street leading to a cul de sac is south of Ross Road in the District of North Vancouver. The school was built in 1962 and the house at 2808 received a building permit on December 16th of 1964.  The construction cost of this 1390 sq. ft. house and carport was estimated at $17,000.  Occupancy of the one level wood frame home in the Westlynn area that backs onto the Hasting Creek greenbelt was granted April 30, 1965.  In July 1976 a building permit was issued for an addition to this house.

2808 Bushnell Place is listed in the 1971 City Directory. At that time J. W. Barnham owned the house. In 1980 Clifford and Joyce Smith were the owners. Clifford worked at Champlain Gulf. In approximately 1988 Margaret McDonough became the owner. She was the owner, retired and lived there until at least 1995. T.C. McDonough is also listed as a resident the year after Margaret moved in. He is listed in the 2008/10 telephone book as still living there. The only other McDonough noted as living at 2808 Bushnell Place is L. McDonough in the year 2000 telephone book.

Ecole Ross Road Elementary School features a French Immersion Program.  French Immersion Programs have been offered in specific North Vancouver Schools since the  1980's.


Thank you: To Elaine Oakes at the District Hall for the building permit information regarding 2808 Bushnell Place.
Demolition: Permit applied for March 2010.
Photo: Taken in March 2010 by SW.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Pink Cottage at the End of the Lane

The pink cottage at 1426 Draycott Road was built before 1926. At that time it was one of a few cottages that sat at the end of  the lane off Draycott Road. A neighbour tells the story of his father-in-law who bought the cottage at 1436 Draycott Road "when you had to take a ferry to get to North Vancouver." 

1426 Draycott Road backs on to Hasting's Creek. " Hastings Creek is a small urban stream that is one of the six tributaries of Lynn Creek. Considered one of the most important small fish-bearing streams in North Vancouver (Renshaw), Hastings originates on the east slope of Grouse Mountain, and flows through Princess Park, Hunter Park, the Lynn Valley commercial area, and various residential areas until it joins Lynn Creek in the Arbour Lynn area....1912 –" Walter McKay Draycott claims that every year at least fifty salmon and ‘salmon-trout (steelhead), swam up Draycot Brook and kept him awake at night with their ‘flipping and flapping’ in the stream" (Steward, 1975)." See Link 2.

The Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives lists a $450 house addition by owner T. Gillette in 1926. A garage was built in 1952 for $150 by then owner R. V. Lonsdale. He also built another house addition for $500 in 1954. R.V. Lonsdale continued to live there in 1960. By 1971 Leslie P. and Millicent Hetherington had bought the house. Leslie was a supervisor at Reid Crowther and Partners. Only Mrs. M. Hetherington is listed in the 1971 City Directory. Mable Hetherington is noted as being retired in the 1991 and 1995/96 City Directories. And  in the year 2000 Phone Book the phone number is under M. M. Hetherington. So for at least 30 years Millicent/Mable lived in the clapboard house with the large multipained front window and the side porch on Draycott Road next to Lynn Creek.

Draycott Road, Draycott Place, Draycott Street, and Draycott Gardens are all named for Walter Draycott. He was born in England where he studied as a topographer and then used those skills as part of the 50th Rifles and Engineers in the Boar War. After that war he moved to Canada and in 1912 bought three plots of land in Lynn Valley. However, he returned to England to again work as a topographer during WWI. From 1923 to 1975 he was a Justice of the Peace in North Vancouver and became the official historian for Lynn Valley. Walter Draycott died in 1985 at the age of 100. A statue of him was erected on the corner of Lynn Valley Road and Mountain Highway. (See Link.)

Demolition Permit: Applied for in February 2010.

Photo: Taken in February 2010.

Link 1.: http://www.walterdraycott.com/biography/textbiography.htm

Link 2: http://www.pskf.ca/ecology/watershed/northvan/hastings02.htm 

Monday, March 8, 2010
Fire in the District

The friendly blue clapboard house across the matching blue railinged creek at 3690 Mountain Highway was built for $8000 in 1951 by Roy and Betty Horne. In the 1960 City Directory Roy is listed as working as a packer (pkr) at Horne Brothers. In 1971 and 1980 Gordon and Arlene Simpson were the owners of the house. Gordon was a teacher in the North Vancouver School District. The final 1990's resident listed in the City Directories is K. Litke, for by 1995 the house was vacant. The house was destined to only have a life of 58 years, for in 2009 fire broke out. The following excerpt from North Shore News article is the story of Jamie Poole, Liza Loranger, and their three year old daughter that were living in the house at the time of the fire.

"Neighbours rally after house fire

Christmas blaze consumes family's possessions

James Weldon, North Shore News

Published: Wednesday, December 30, 2009

WHAT could have been a truly grim Christmas turned out to something else entirely for one North Vancouver family after they lost virtually everything they owned in a fire on Christmas Eve.

Jamie Poole, his new fianc? Liza Loranger and their three-year-old daughter saw their home at 3690 Mountain Hwy. completely consumed by flames Dec. 24, but thanks to the generosity of neighbours and sympathetic strangers, the family had much of what they lost replaced within hours.

Poole, a building contractor who has lived in North Vancouver his entire life, woke just before 8 a.m. to the beeping of a smoke detector. While Loranger got their daughter out of the house, he hurried down to the basement, where he found a spare bedroom filling with smoke and one wall glowing orange. Unable to get to the flames, he raced outside, and began tearing off the shingle siding and then smashing at the wall with an axe in an effort to get at the growing blaze. By the time he had punched a hole big enough for a fire extinguisher, it was already too late.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and told Poole it was too dangerous to re-enter the building. In fact, it was soon too dangerous for them to enter either, and the family was forced to stand by helplessly while almost everything they owned was destroyed.

"All my tools were downstairs in the bin, my hockey gear, my water skis, my snow skis, just everything," said Poole. "The whole bed and bathroom were all fallen into the basement, the TV; everything went down."

As renters with no content insurance, they had no way to replace what they had lost.

"Days go by, me and my girl will sit there and go: 'Oh my God, what about that. Oh my God, what about that,'" said Poole. "You just can't think of all the things that were in there. . . . I lost all the material things that cost money, but my girl lost all the pictures and all (that)."

Poole, dressed in his pajama bottoms at the time, didn't even have a shirt or shoes. Loranger saved little more than her purse, some blankets and her car. The family's Christmas tree and all the presents under it were destroyed.

But even as they watched their home burn, their neighbours were quietly taking action. Bernice Wood, who lives across the street, started spreading word of the family's plight to others, suggesting they bring anything they could to help. Other neighbours took up the cause, and with a boost from the media, the call soon reached the entire community.

"Within three hours of the fire, there was stuff being dropped off," said Wood.

Over the course of the day, friends, neighbours, total strangers came by in droves to drop off whatever they could contribute. Poole's truck, and later Wood's basement, began to fill up with clothing, food, toys, appliances, gift cards, cash -- anything people thought might help.

"My basement on Christmas Eve, you couldn't even move. And now it's completely full again," said Wood.

The family was stunned.

"It was unbelievable, just unbelievable the way everybody has helped us out so much," said Poole.
When the flames had been extinguished, and firefighters were able to enter the gutted home, they found another piece of good fortune in the wreckage: the engagement ring Poole had hidden at the top of their Christmas tree. The box had been scorched, but the ring was untouched. He proposed to Loranger right there in front of the TV cameras.
Loranger said yes.
"I put it on her finger on Global," he said. "She was very happy."..."

Thank you: To the North Shore News and James Weldon for the article published December 30, 2009.

Demolition Permit: Applied for February 2010.
Photo: Taken in February 2010.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
An Awning For You and An Awning For Me

The one storey house with its attached garage at 3764 Mountain Highway was built in 1947  for $6000.  Don M. Dunwoodie is listed as the owner.  In 1950 both Don and his wife Georgina F. were living in the house.  Don was retired.  By 1960 Gertrude and Douglas A. Hill  had bought the house.  Douglas was a branch manager at British Pacific Insurance.  By 1971 he was partners in his own company, Wyllie and Hill Transportation, and he was the director.  In 1980 only Gertrude, retired, was listed as living there. In the 1995/96 City Directory Gertrude, still retired, was joined by Lawrence D. Hill, the service manager at North Shore Taxi Automotive Repairs.

It is not known when the white awnings were added to the windows on either side of the front door.  The black horizontal border stripe on the awning matches the black paint on the garage door and trim on the white window moldings. Aside from preventing the afternoon sun from streaming into the house, they provided a welcoming facade to the dark taupe clapboard siding.

The 3600 block of Mountain Highway is north of Lynn Valley Center at the intersection with Lynn Valley Road.  It is also in walking distance to Lynn Valley and Fromme Elementary Schools, Argyle Secondary School, the North Vancouver Community History Center, Lynn Valley United Church, and Lynn Valley Library.

Demolition Permit: Applied for October 2009.
Photo: Taken December 2009 by SW.