Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Street Undergoing Change

The 200 block on the south side of East 18th Street in the City of North Vancouver is on the march. The house on the corner lot has been demolished and a modern trim multifamily housing built. The houses on the next two lots have been demolished. Only a couple of trees, some rough low brush, and the entrance sidewalk and steps to where the houses were remains. A church like looking house sits on the next lot with no notice of demolition in its future. To the east of it is 219 and 221 East 18th Street, a side by side duplex with a wrought iron fence across the front yard. Here a demolition permit has been applied for. And then we come to the house in the photo above, 225 East 18 Street, that also has a demolition permit applied for it. So it looks like it is the hopes of the developers that the possibly 6 lots to the east of the corner complex at East 18th Street and St. George's Avenue  will become another modern trim multifamily housing complex. Time will tell.


As to the history of the house at 225 East 18th Street, there are no entries in either the Building Permit book or the City Directories until around 1960. Then Joseph R. and Kathleen Walsh are reported as owners. Joseph was employed as an assistant accountant at Clarke-Simpkins. In 1971 Donald Wilson was the owner and the proprietor of Wilson's Gifts and Coffee Lounge. In 1980 Doughlas J. Renforth lived in the house. He was employed by Pacific Truck and Trailer Ltd. By 1991 Don and Karen Wilkins had moved to 225 East 18th Street. Don was an accountant at B. C. Tel. In the year 2000 children were photographed in front of the house during Suzanne Wilson's Y2K Project, Your House/Our Home so a young family was living there at that time. A photo of the house is on file at the North Vancouver Archives as part of that project.


Two interesting features of the house at 225 East 18th Street are the view and the front low stone wall. If you look through the bare branches of the large tree on the right of the photo above you can see Burrard Inlet. This could also be the view from the back of the house. The front low stone wall looks like it has been there for some time and could tell the more of the history of the house than could be found in research at the North Vancouver Archives.


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

Appendix

243 West 6th Street

In April 2011 Suzanne Wilson photographed the home that was moved from 243 West 6th Street, North Vancouver in its new home at 301 Stern Rd., Fanny Bay, B.C. (See photos below.)

Monday, March 29, 2010

Demolished or Moved

To be demolished or moved, that is the question. Both are possibilities for the 1921 house built by A. A. McLean at 243 West 6th Street. The architect for the 1921 house was G. D. Curtis. He designed it for owner Alexander McLean, a compositor for the World newspaper.  The contractors that built this $2900 house were John Mclean & Sons. (City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994, page 154.) In 1925 Alexander McLean added a $100 garage. He was still living in the house in 1933. "Famous Canadian artist, E.J. Hughes (1913-2007), lived in the house with his grandfather, John McLean, and uncles, Alexander and John McLean, for four years (1929-1933) while studying at Vancouver's School of Decorative and Applied Arts."(See Link 2.)

After Alexander McClean there were a series of owners. Mrs. Mary Sloane, a widow, owned it in 1940. J. A Renfrew a salesman at an establishment at 123 East 3rd Street owned it in 1950. David J. and Vivian M. Nicoll owned it in 1971. David still owned in in 1971 and continued to work making signs at a company at 1140 Lonsdale. However in 1971 Mrs, Elsie G. Millar an accountant at Borsholt Furniture also was a resident at 243 West 6th Street. Y. Marisol lived there in 1980 and Frederick L. Willis is listed in both the 1991 and 1995/96 City Directories and year 2000 phone book.


The present owners of the 89 year old Craftsman style house are Douglas Fugger and Abigail Kinch. They purchased the heritage home in 2008 intending to renovate it. However, they couldn't reach an agreement with the city over the renovations and decided to demolish it and build a new house. After much jockeying they got the demolition permit but then came up with the idea of giving to anyone that would like to move it. Nickel Brothers house moving suggest that the price of moving it locally would be about $75,000. A final solution is hoped for by mid-April 2010. 

The quaint house with the sun room entrance hall sits on the south side of Ottawa Gardens. The front porch and door are on the left side of the windowed sun room. A living room fireplace is also evident in the photo above. There are also three bedrooms, a den, a dining room, and a kitchen with a nook.  All are wonderfully lit with many multipane windows.  To see all these lovely rooms look at the web site reference to interior photos in Link 2. Ottawa Gardens is a wide boulevard on West 6th Street between Chesterfield Avenue and Mahon Avenue. St. Edmunds Catholic Church anchors Ottawa Gardens on the west side.


Thank you: To Nickel Brothers for the information and photos on their web site-Link 2.
Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW. There is also a photo on file at the North Vancouver Archives as part of Suzanne Wilson's Year 2000 Project, Your House/Our Home.

Link 1: http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/northshoreoutlook/news/82818882.html?period=W&mpStartDate=01-20-2010&
Link 2: http://www.nickelbros.com/102431.html  
Later Note: One night in May 2010 the house was moved, first to the Automall at the foot of Fell Street in North Vancouver, then on a barge, finally to its new home on a water front lot in Fanny Bay on Vancouver Island.  It was sold for $1.(Thank you to Sharon Proctor editor of the North Vancouver Museum and Archives publication  the "Express" for this information.)
2011 Note: In April 2011 Suzanne Wilson photographed the home at its new location at 301 Stern Rd., Fanny Bay.  Photographs are available on request and at the North Vancouver Archives.
Ref# 10-243-1
Located: Vancouver Office: Vancouver
Price: $75,000.
Sq feet: approx 1800 (over two floors)

Dimensions:

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms:1

Floors:original fir

Roof:asphalt shingle

Exterior:wood shingle

Heat Type:

Type: craftsman

FEATURES
This classic craftsman style house is ready for another life. Built some 80+ years ago it still stands the test of time. Upgrades yes but the overall feel of the house has remained. Two bedrooms upstairs with a master bedroom on the main floor. Check out the floor plan and make your offers today. Call for details.

House HIstory: This house was designed by George D. Curtis, Architect in 1921. The one-storey bungalow was built for Alexander McLean, a compositor for the World newspaper.
Famous Canadian artist, E.J. Hughes (1913-2007), lived in the house with his grandfather, John McLean, and uncles, Alexander and John McLean, for four years (1929-1933) while studying at Vancouver's School of Decorative and Applied Arts.
click for more interior photos
 

Ref# 10-243-1

St. Aidan's on the Hill

Ucluelet British Columbia is a small natural harbor town on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island is 290 miles long and a 1 1/2 hour ferry ride from the mainland of British Columbia. To then get to Ucluelet is another 2 1/2 hour drive through small towns and then across the mountains. Until the 1950's the only access was by car to Port Alberni about in the center of the Island, and then by boat, probably the rough and ready Lady Rose. In fact, until the 1970's only a gravel logging road could be used for the the trip up one side of the mountain "switch backs" and then down the other side to the wild west coast rain forest that lead to the highway along the ocean and to Ucluelet at the south end and Tofino, an even smaller town, on the north end. When you reached Ucluelet all purchases cost 20 cents more per pound because of the freight charge. Today a paved road extends all the way to Ucluelet, Tofino, and Pacific Rim National Park. (See Link 3.)

Ucluelet means "people of safe harbor" in Nootka, the name of the Native Peoples that first populated the area. In 1870 a trading post was established and settlers followed in 1890. In 1898 the Presbyterians built the first Mission. In 1903 a lighthouse, telegraph station and lifeboat stations were added. The town became incorporated in 1952 and today there are 1500 residents.

St. Aiden's on-the-hill sits at the top of the hill at the intersection of Peninsula Road and Main Street, the street that leads down to the waters of Barkley Sound and the town pier. Across the street from the church is the Coop making this corner the hub of the town. The church was built by the Anglican Diocese of B.C. in 1952. The prominent bell tower with the cross on it was added at a later date. St. Aiden's is named after a Celtic saint and for that reason Celtic liturgies are used from time to time. The minister is shared with the congregation of the Anglican church in Tofino and lay people help in leading the service and music. The entrance door to the church is on Peninsula Road, the opposite side of the church to what is seen in the photo above. The sanctuary is in the left side of the church photo with the altar in the punch out area where the window with the cross can be seen. The sanctuary can seat 60 to 100 people, however, in the early 1970's only about 20 people actually attended the 9 am Sunday worship service. Joan Scander the present minister reports even less than that in the pews on Sundays. The church at 1663 Peninsula Road is also rented out for community events.

Thank You: For additional information about the church to Joan Scander

present minister at St. Aiden's.

Note: St. Aiden's was attended by Suzanne Wilson when she lived on Long Beach in the early 1970's. Her husband was the district school librarian.

Photo:Taken in 2006 by SW.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ucluelet

Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Island

Link 3: http://www.longbeachmaps.com/parks.html

Saturday Travel Feature
"Terry's shack is a thing of beauty..."

The "shack" in question is the ice fishing house of Terry Frank of Sherwood, Wisconsin. His actual home is on the shores of Lake Winnebago, but each February with thousands of others he heads for his "shack" to try to spear the elusive sturgeon. "Try" is the operative word for as his niece says, "He has been spearing for a bazillion years." However, she continues on, "and has never even seen a sturgeon." Liz.

Lake Winnebago is the largest fresh water lake in Wisconsin. It is 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. Its depth averages 15.5 feet with a maximum of 21 feet. Before the ice fishing is allowed the thickness of the ice must be 20 inches. Roads from the boat landings to the ice shanties are marked with Christmas trees: 2 trees=1 mile out, 3 threes= 2 miles out, etc. There are bridges over large cracks. There are about 4000 ice fishing shacks and 10,000 fishermen. They come out to their shacks by ATV, snowmobile or snowshoes. (Notes from Liz.)

The " shack is built on wood blocks so it doesn't freeze to the ice then you pack snow around it for insulation and to keep any stray light from getting in. The only light in the shack comes up through the hole in the ice. It glows an eerie green. The shack is small; just wide enough to cover the hole and long enough for the door to open so two people can sit over the hole and maybe 3 people can stand behind them. Terry has a car radio hooked up to a battery, ad two tanks of propane strapped to the back wall for the heater. It was like a sauna inside..."Liz The actual hole is cut with a chain saw and in this shack it is 18 feet deep and is angled for better visibility. PVC is lowered down to the bottom of the lake to also aid in seeing the fish. Hand carved lead weighted decoys with copper fins are also lowered into the hole. A spear with a rope attached it is throw down the hole at any sign of the fish. (Notes from Liz.)

Sturgeon are caught. One of those caught this year was a 6 foot long pregnant female weighing 110 pounds. The head was almost the size of a humans and the fins were as big as a man's hands. (Described by Liz.)

"Ice fishing"

"Ice fishing is popular on Lake Winnebago. It is not uncommon for 10,000 cars parked on Lake Winnebago during the ice fishing season.^[2] Expansion cracks on the ice are bridged. Many cities along east and west shores plow roads on the icy surface.^[2] Saugerwhite bass catches.^[2] and walleye predominate.

"The spear fishing season for sturgeon is in February. The first season of regulated sturgeon spearing was in 1903, when an eight-pound limit was introduced.^[6] All sturgeon spearing was banned from 1915 until 1931. The lake had the largest population of sturgeon in the United States in 2003.^[6] The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regulates the number of fish taken each year." Link.


Thank you: To cousin Kay's daughter Liz who e mailed me about her adventure ice fishing with the family on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. As a child Suzanne Wilson visited with her cousin Kay at her parent's cottage on Lake Winnebago. 
Photo: e mailed from cousin Kay's daughter Liz, then printed, photographed by SW, downloaded to computer, photo shopped, hence the "arty" look.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnebago

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.

 

Thursday, March 25, 2010
Maplewood Farm Neighbour

The blue house with the brighter blue front steps at 343 Seymour River Place once had a different address.  Before 1960 it was part of Riverside Drive. But now both 343 and 405 which is Maplewood Farm share the street name of Seymour River Place.

The house at 343 Riverside Drive was built for $5500 in 1953 by G. Watt.  In 1959 he built a $150 carport.  As indicated by City Directories and telephone books Eva and George have lived there ever since. In 1960, the year his address changed from Riverside Drive to Seymour River Place, George was working as a yardman at Seaford Sales.  In 1971 and 1980 he was a laborer and sorter at Northcoast Forest Products. By 1990 George had retired. 

"The History of Maplewood Farm"

"In the early 1900's Mr. Akiyo Kogo first discovered this idyllic little spot nestled at the foot of Mount Seymour on the banks of the Seymour River. He could not have known then that this land would be the last remaining farm on Vancouver's North Shore.

During the twenties, the farm developed into a thriving dairy, delivering fresh milk and cream to customers from Deep Cove to Lonsdale for almost three decades.

By 1970, agriculture had all but disappeared from North Vancouver but luckily the farm land came under the protection of the District Parks Department, being preserved for future generations to enjoy a truly rural experience in our ever expanding urban area.

"Officially opened to the public in 1975, and now home to over 200 domestic animals and birds, Maplewood Farm strives to provide a unique experience, incorporating enjoyment, education and a recollection of the rural heritage of this pastoral 5 acre setting." Link.

Part of Maplewood Farm is directly behind the house at 343 Seymour River Place. The moo's and quack's of  the animals of Maplewood Farm can be heard from the backyard. The Watt family lived in the house for at least 57 years. That is three more years that the Facer family at 564 Granada who lived in their house about 54 years. (See Blog post February 23, 2010.)

Demolition:  Permit applied for in February 2010.

Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW.

Link:  http://www.maplewoodfarm.bc.ca/