Tuesday, September 21, 2010

West of Fell

The grey stucco and green cedar clapboard house behind the fence at 741 West 20th Street was built up the hill from Capilano Mall in the City of North Vancouver.  It is also just a couple blocks to the east is the lower end of the extensive Mosquito Creek Park.  Mosquito Creek Park eventually stretches all the way to the mountains above the District of North Vancouver.

There is no entry in the Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives for this home.  There is also no entry of the 741 West 20th Street address in the 1950 City Directory.  But in 1955 Paul and Alvele M. Dahl are listed as owners.  Paul Dahl worked as  a millwright at King Lumber.  The Dahls continued to own the house in 1960.  But now, Paul was listed as working as a millworker at King Lumber. In 1971 Arthur and Florence Munro were owners of the house.  They reported that they were a retired couple.  The owners in 1980 were Danny G. and Ann E. Keeble.  Danny Keeble was employed as an electrician at Vancouver Shipyards.

About 1988 John G. Morrison started living in the house on West 20th Street.  The City Directories and  North and West Vancouver Phone  Directories seem to indicate he lived there until at least 2006.  John Morrison's place of employment at least during 1991 and 1995/1996 was The Goalnet, a sports and marine equipment company at 1624 Pemberton Avenue in North Vancouver.

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



Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Mosquito Creek Park

The northern part of Mosquito Creek Park runs from the North Shore Mountains south to just above Queens Road. This area is in North Vancouver District. The southern part of Mosquito Creek Park runs from the Upper Levels Highway south to Larson Road. This area is in the City of North Vancouver and this is where the house at 1708 Fell Avenue was built with Mosquito Creek Park across the street.

There is no listing in the Building Permit book as to the date the 1708 Fell Avenue house was built. There is also no listing of that address in the 1950 City Directory. However, in the 1955 City Directory there is a listing, that of L. F. and Lucille Audet. L. C. Audet was working as a carpenter at that time. Lucille and Lucien Audet continued to be the owners at least until the year 2000 at which time the above photo was taken. Lucien is reported to have worked as a carpenter all the years through 1971. Then in 1980 his employment is listed as a contractor. In 1991 and 1995/1996 the business L. A. Acoustic Applicators Ltd. is also listed at 1708 Fell Avenue. That is at least 45 years Lucien and Lucille Audet lived across from Mosquito Creek Park with its creek that was filled with water from the North Shore Mountains.

The photo of 1708 Fell Avenue was taken by Suzanne Wilson as part of her Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home. 2000 photos of homes in the City of North Vancouver were photographed. Approximately 800 of these were accompanied by some history of the house or a photo.

In the month of June 2007 Suzanne Wilson celebrated the City of North Vancouver's 100 birthday by distributing to their home owners copies of 1000 photos taken for the Y2K Project. At this time it was discovered that the home photographed at 1708 Fell Avenue had been demolished and a new house had been built.

Photos: Taken in the year 2000 by SW.
Reference: The Year 2000 project was donated by Suzanne and Alan Wilson to the North Vancouver Archives and is available for viewing.

Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Mountain and a River

From the front yard of 4020 Glenview Crescent you can see the North Shore mountains. A short block away are the waters of Mosquito Creek. Glenview Crescent is an idyllic street tucked away west of Highland Blvd. in the District of North Vancouver.

In 1954 this is the area on the corner lot that is 4020 Glenview Crescent where F. Hall decided to build his house. The construction of this house with four windows and a fireplace in the living room cost him $14,500. From around 1955 to at least 1960 Alberta and Doug Jackson owned the house. Doug was the vice president of Industrial Equipment. By 1971 George and Margery Bentham had moved in. George worked as an assessment officer at the Workman's Compensation Board. In 1980 and 1991 when the City Directory representative tried to contact the residents at 4020, there was no response. There was a response in 1995, from Marc Verschueren. The year 2000 phone book lists Marc as continuing to be at that address, with a view of the mountains and a short walk to the waters of Mosquito Creek.

Demolition Permit: Applied for December 2009.
Photo: Taken in January 2010 by SW.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Tall Cedars of Trenton

A row of stately Cedar trees borders the street side of the 1957 home at 3907 Trenton Place. The house on the west side of the street sits on the curve leading up from the corner with Glenview Crescent . All this is tucked away a block from Highland Blvd. and nestled along Mosquito Creek. Mosquito Creek itself originates in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park north of both Grouse Mountain and Mount Fromme. The creek flows down through North Vancouver District through the neighborhoods of Forest Hills, Delbrook and Capilano Highlands and into the City of North Vancouver. Here it empties into Burrard Inlet at Bewicke Park.


J. Kaliski built the house on the sloping lot of the mountain side for $12,000. Louise and Jacob, a notary public continued to live there at least until 1960. By 1970 J. M Cambell was the owner. And Mrs. Jeannine Campbell, a court reporter for the B. C. Government Attorney General live there in 1980 as well. Again new owners are listed in the 1991 City Directory, Jenny and Malcom McLaws.


It will be interesting to see what use of the sloping lot is made with the building of the new house, and if the tall Cedars still stand.


A Demolition Permit was applied for December 2009.
Photo: January 3, 2010.