Saturday Travel Feature
Home On The Mediterranean

The Cruise Ship Costa Pacifica is a "home away from home" during its eight day cruise of the Western Mediterranean. The 3,789 passenger luxury ship built in 2009 features music as its theme. Classical music is played in the halls and music of the day's destination in played in the elevators. Entire lounges are dedicated to a single style of music: classical, jazz, swing, disco, calypso. Afternoon and nightly shows feature a single style or a the whole range including classical, rap, and pop. Decor also features music with: treble clef railings in the lounge, cello motifs on the elevator doors, paintings of musicians in the state rooms, wallpaper sketches of musicians on the hall walls.

The 112,000 tons of this cruise ship are decked out in ultra Vegas with spectacular amenities. There are: two retractable-roof swimming pools as well as an outdoor swimming pool, five hot tubs, a kiddie pool, a Formula 2 race car driving simulator, one of the largest spas at sea, a library, a music studio, and 13 bars/lounges.

The route of this floating beauty is: Civitavecchia (and hour and a half on the train from Rome), Savona (with an excursion to Monaco available), Barcellona Spain, Mallorca, Tunis Tunisia, Malta, and Catania Sicily. Passengers board at several of these ports. (See map below.)

Since the Costa Pacifica is an Italian ship, Italian is the main language used on board.   On the first week of April 2010 cruise only 500 of the 3,789 passengers were English speakers. Italian and French were predominant. Announcements were made taking this proportion into consideration.  Important information such as the life boat drill were repeated in every language represented.  As the 3,789 passengers stood on deck sporting their life jackets all the information was repeated in: Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, and English. Only then was the all clear horn  sounded.

Another pleasant surprise on the Costa Pacifica Cruise line is the age range.  Families with with babies, preschoolers, and teens, honeymooners, and  extended family groups dominate the roster.

Link: http://cruises.about.com/od/costapacifica/ig/Costa-Pacifica.-odC/
Photo: Costa Pacifica Cruise Ship taken in Malta in April 2010 by SW.

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.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

One of Five

1938 Mountain Highway is one of five similar homes built in that block. The one storey houses on concrete slabs feature two windows on either side of a central front door. Some have attached carports. There are also two other similar homes on the adjacent East 20th Street and a few others in the nearby neighborhood. Several of the homes are built at an angle to the city street. The 1938 Mountain Highway home was built for $10,500 in 1956 by Pioneer Construction.

In 1961 Cyril and Sylvia Vickers were the owners of 1938 Mountain Highway. Cyril Vickers was an accountant at McIntosh McVicar Dinsley and Co. In 1971 Michael and Marlene Harris were the owners. Michael Harris worked as a fitter at M. B. King Lumber. In 1981 Len and Diane Wagner lived at 1938 Mountain Highway, and had lived there for at least a year before as they were not reported as "new neighbors". Len Wagner was employed at L and M Radiators. In 1991 Kathleen and Gary McLauchian were reported as "new neighbors". Gary McLauchian was an engine designer. In 1995 Kathleen and Garry McLauchian reported to the City Directory that they had lived at the 1938 Mountain Highway address for five years. At this time Kathleen was employed as the office secretary at Oscar's Woodcraft in the Lower Lonsdale area of North Vancouver and Gary was an engine designer at Hipp Engineering Ltd.

Mountain Highway was named and completed in 1927. Before that it was a path then rough road that lead up to the ski area of Grouse Mountain. (See Link.)

Link: http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/archives_grouse.htm
Demoltion: Permit applied for to North Vancouver District in June 2010.
Photo: Taken in June 2010 by SW.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Duplex? Fourplex?

The duplex with the addresses 267/267B/269/269B East 5th Street is just east of the duplex with the addresses 263/265/265B East 5th Street. (See Blog Post June 15, 2010.) Each property is presently enclosed in blue construction fencing indicating they may be combined for construction of a one complex.

There is no record in the Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives for the addresses at either 267 or 269 East 5th Street. This seems to indicate that they were built more recently than the 1947 time limit of the Building Permit book entries.

For  the west end units of the duplex,  267 and 267B East 5th Street,  there is a listing by 1971. In 1971 Ernest G. Mayo, a printer at Dalmac Mtl. Products, was living in 267B. There was "no return" from 267 East 5th Street. In 1980 Don A. Taylor, a chiropractor and "new neighbor", was living at 267 East 5th Street. There is no listing of 267B. In 1991 the "new neighbor" is G. Knechtel. And in 1995 Linda and Rodney A. Shier were the owners at 267 East 5th Street. Rodney Shier was an accountant and Linda Shier was a sales clerk at The Bay. They reported that they had lived there for four years.

For the east end units of the duplex, 269 and 269B East 5th, there are two listings by 1971.  In 1971 Gerald and Donna Macey lived in 269. Gerald Macey was an operator at Reliance Motors and Mechanics. In 1971 Peggy Proudlock lived in 269B. Peggy was a teller at the Bank of B.C. In 1980 G. A. Bryson was the "new resident" in 269. And in 1991 Greg Sutton was the "new neighbor" at 269. By 1995 Greg Sutton reported that he had lived at 269 for five years. D. Johnson reported that he had lived at 269B for five years as well.

With all four addresses at some time being listed as having occupants, the duplex at 267/267B/269/260B East 5th Street, may have actually at some times been a fourplex.

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

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Multiple House Numbers, Families, Stories

A house on the lot that now has the addresses of 263 and 265 East 5th Street dates back farther than the duplex now with those addresses. Although there isn't a listing in the Building Permit book for this present duplex, there is for the original home at that location.

In 1928 a building permit was applied for by D. J. Dixon for a $4,250 house at 263 East 5th Street. In the City Directory of 1931 there is no listing at 263, but there is at 265 East 5th Street. The owner was reported again be D. J. Dixon. D. J. Dixon at this time was employed as a boilermaker (blrmkr). Again in 1940 there is no listing in the City Directory at 263 but there is 265. The residents at that time were Harry and Emily Smith. Harry Smith was a school teacher in North Vancouver City. Harry Smith was also reported in the 1950 and 1955 City Directories as being the owner. In both of these years he was a principal in the North Vancouver School District #44.

After that there is no listing of 263 East 5th Street in the 1950, 1955, 1961, or 1971 City Directories. In 1980 J. L. Johnston is reported as being a "new resident". In 1991 the address was "vacant". And by in the 1995/96 city Directory E. and Cathy Proulx reported that they had lived at 263 East 5th St. for four years. E. Proulx was employed as a bus driver for B.C. Transit.

After Harry Smith owned the 265 East 5th Street home in 1955 it was reported as being "Vacant" in 1961 and "no return" in 1971. Then in 1980 when there was a listing for a new resident at the 263 East 5th Street address there was also a new resident listing at the 265 East 5th Street address. This resident was D. R. Mclean. In 1991 the resident at 265 was M. Eck who was employed as a contractor at Dorle International Ltd. In 1995 M. Eck reported that he had lived at that address for 8 years, so he must have moved there in 1987. In 1995 M. Eck was still working as a contractor for Dorle International Ltd.

In 1995 a new address is listed on the 263/265 East 5th Street property. The new address was 265b East 5th Street and the residents were Mark and Laura Butler. They reported living there for 6 years, so the 265b East 5th Street address seems be have been established by 1989. Mark Butler was working as a fisherman.

In brief, the history of the property at 263/265/265b East 5th Street seems to be this:
             1928 a home built at 263 East 5th Street
             1931 the address now recorded at 265 East 5th Street
             1955 the home at 265 East 5th Street still occupied
             1980 new residents reported at both 263 and 265 East 5th St. (duplex)
             1989 the address 265b East 5th Street established

The duplex to the east of 263/265/265b East 5th Street has also applied for a demolition permit. Both duplexes are now behind blue construction fence. Perhaps multifamily housing similar to that in the rest of the block will be built.

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

"...Put Up a Parking Lot"

The grey stucco house behind the white picket fence was built in 1942 for $1,700  by owner T. A. Agrellis.  Curved window arches on either side of the front door are featured on this house at 1348 Chesterfield Avenue. By 1950 Norman and Emma M. Buckler owned the house.  Norman Buckler was retired.  They continued to live there until at least 1961. 

In 1971 the owner was Elsie B. Schram.  In 1980 the new owner was Norman J. McDowell, a janitor for the City of North Vancouver. By this time the house was sitting on the same block as the City of North Vancouver City Hall. 

In 1991 the "new neighbor" (a designation by the City Directory) was B. Miles, an employee of R. Brobyn Ltd.  In the 1995/96 City Directory Zeon Graphics electric equipment was listed at the 1348 Chesterfield Avenue address.  B. Miles was also listed at that address and as continuting to work at R. Brobyn Ltd.

The photo of 1348 Chesterfield 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. At this time the house was owned by the City of North Vancouver.



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 1348 Chesterfield Avenue had been demolished. The house lot is now part of a city parking lot.


Demoliton:  Between the year 2000 and the year 2007.
Photo: Taken in the year 2000 by SW.
Thank you: To Arne Carlson for the lyrics to the song "Big Yellow Taxi"-"They paved paradise, put up a parking lot."

Sunday Church Feature

Cathedral of Catania

Catania, Sicily, Italy

"The Cathedral of Catania, entitled to St. Agatha, is a church in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy.The church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times due earthquakes and eruptions of the nearby volcano Etna. It was originally constructed in 1078-1093, on the ruins of the ancient Roman Achillean Baths,... At the time it had the appearance of a fortified church ...  In 1169 it was nearly entirely destroyed by an earthquake, leaving only the apse area intact. Further damage was introduced by a fire in 1169, but the most catastrophic event was the 1693 earthquake, which again left it mostly in ruins. It was subsequently rebuilt in Baroque style.

"Today, traces of the original Norman edifice include part of the transept, the two towers and the three semicircular apses, composed of large lava stones, most of them recovered from imperial Roman buildings.

"The current appearance of the church date to the 1711 century design of Gian Battista Vaccarini, who designed a new Baroque façade after the 1693 earthquake. It has three floors with Corinthian columns, in granite, perhaps taken from the Roman Theatre of the city. All the orders are decorated with marble statues of St. Agatha over the gate, St. Euplius on the right and St. Birillus on the left. The entrance door, in wood, has 32 sculpted plaques with episodes of the life and martyrdom of St. Agatha, coat of arms of popes and symbols of Christianity.

"The dome dates to 1802. The bell tower was originally erected in 1387, with a height of some 70 meters. In 1662 a watch was added, the structure reaching 90 meters; after the 1693 destruction it was rebuilt, with the addition of a 7.5 t bell, the third largest in Italy after that in the St. Peter's Basilica and in the Duomo of Milan." (See Link.)

Photo: Taken in Catonia, Sicily, Italy  in April 2010 by SW.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catania_Cathedral