Wednesday, July 7, 2010
St. Andrew

This house at 1624 St. Andrew's Avenue was two blocks north of Lions Gate Hospital in the City of North Vancouver. It was built for $3,000 in 1947 by N. Tomlinson. There is no listing in the 1950 City Directory of any house on the 1600 block of St. Andrew's Avenue. But by 1952 Graham H. and Lilly L. Hossack are listed as owners. The Graham H. Hossacks reported that they were retired. Three years later, in 1955, 1624 St. Andrew's Avenue had a new owner, Mrs. J. Hunter. She was the widow of F. G. Hunter.

By 1960 Mrs. J. Hunter was working as a clerk at The Boulevard. At that time there was a grocery store at 2453 Lonsdale Avenue named The Boulevard. Mrs. Jean Hunter reported to the City Directory that she also owned the house in 1971 and 1980. However, in those years she did not report any place of employment. In 1991 Tina and Cameron Fox were the residents who lived at 1614 St. Andrew's Avenue. In the 1995/1996 City Directory they are listed as having lived there more than 9 years. So they were living there at least in 1985. However, in all of these records they are not listed as owners. Cameron Fox is also listed as living at 1624 St. Andrew's Avenue in the 1999/2000 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory.

The photo of 1624 St. Andrew's 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.


In the month of June 2007 Suzanne Wilson celebrated the City of North Vancouver's 100 birthday by distributing to 1000 home owners copies of photos taken for the Y2K Project. At this time it was discovered that the home photographed at 1624 St. Andrew's Avenue had been demolished and a there was new construction on the site.


Photo: 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.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Let The World Hear Music

1707 Grand Boulevard is on the corner of Grand Blvd. and East 17th St. Across the street to the east and to the south are the green lawns of Grand Boulevard and  Boulevard Park. Grand Boulevard to the east is dotted with specialty trees, rhododendron bushes, and a walking path up the centre.  Boulevard Park to the south features a children's playground, a soccer field, tennis courts, and slopes for winter sled riding. This high spot is also the best place in the City of North Vancouver to sit on the grass and watch the summer fireworks festival fired off from a barge in Vancouver's English Bay.

There is no listing in the Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives for this house with its park views. In 1955 there is a listing in the City Directory. In that year Doug H. and Ivy Mathieson owned the house. Douglas Mathieson was a driver for Vancouver Supply. In 1960 Mrs. C. J. Westall was the owner. Mrs. Westall ran Westall's Hairdresing Salon at 577 Granville Street in Vancouver.

Then by 1971 Edwin and E. May Lowe were living in the house at 1707 Grand Boulevard. Edwin was a piano teacher. Edwin and E. May Lowe were the owners in 1980 when Edwin was not only a piano teacher but also the organist at St. Andrew's United Church in North Vancouver. Edwin Lowe is listed as a piano teacher and organist at St. Andrew's United Church in the 1995/1996 City Directory. Edwin Lowe is also listed at 1707 Grand Boulevard in the year 2000 phone book and was living in the house when it was photographed for the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home by Suzanne Wilson. Edwin Lowe was well know by his many North Vancouver piano students and the congregation of St. Andrew's United Church.

For more information on Grand Boulevard see Blog Post published on June 23, 2010.

Demolition: Permit applied for June 2010.
Photos: Taken in June 2010 by SW. Black and White negative and contact sheet photo on Roll #113 of the Demolition and Construction Project 2001 to 2010 by SW. On file at the North Vancouver Archives in the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home by SW.

Monday, July 5, 2010
Perhaps Two Families

Perhaps only two families ever lived at 402 East Keith Road. The first family was that of Hector A. and Katherine M. Rossetti. There is no entry for 402 East Keith Road in the Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives. And there is no entry for that address in either the 1950 or 1952 City Directories. However the Rossetti's are listed as the owners in the 1960 and 1971 City Directories. During all that time Hector Rossetti was employed as a teacher in the North Vancouver School District. In 1980 there was "no return" to inquiries by the City Directory staff.

The second family that lived in the house was that of R. and Darlene Bayne. They were listed as the owners in 1991. R. Bayne worked at United Refrigeration. In the 1995/96 City Directory the owner Darlene Bayne reported that she had lived there over 9 years. So she and R. Bayne had moved in at least by 1986. Another Bayne is reported in the 1995/96 City Directory, Tiffany Bayne, a student. The Bayne family is also reported as being at 402 East Keith address in the 1999/2000 and 2006/2007 North and West Vancouver Phone Directories.

The house sits on the north east corner of East Keith Road and Ridgeway Avenue. It was painted the aubergine color just in the past few years. For months before, samples of the three colors being considered were dabbed on the front of the house. Along with the aubergine sample was on of a gold color and one of a taupe tone.

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

Happy July 4th
Sunday Church Feature
Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, California

"Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish traces its history to December 2, 1857, when the first Orthodox Society was founded in San Francisco. Ten years later, on September 2, 1867, it was incorporated as the Greek Russian Slavonian Orthodox Eastern Church and Benevolent Society. During these years, the Orthodox population of the Bay Area was spiritually and sacramentally served by chaplains from Russian Navy ships that frequented San Francisco Bay.




"During the Holy Week of 1868, an Orthodox Priest was sent to the City from Alaska to conduct the Paschal services here. That priest, Father Nicholas Kovrigin, became the first permanent Orthodox minister in San Francisco Another Alaskan missionary, Archpriest Paul Kedrolivansky, became the first Rector of the San Francisco parish (+1878).


"In 1872, the Right Reverend Bishop John  transferred the headquarters of the ruling hierarch of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska to San Francisco. Since then, it has been a cathedral church...

"The bell tower of the Cathedral is adorned with a set of five wonderful bells donated by the Emperor Alexander III in 1888. Two other bells were locally recast from older bells that melted during one of several fires that seriously damaged the temple in the course of the years. (To actually hear the bells click on the Link, the "The Bell of Holy Trinity Cathedral".)


"The temple itself is illumined by a grand chandelier donated by the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II. According to tradition, the Emperor also donated a richly decorated icon of his patron saint, Nicholas of Myra and Lycia, to the Cathedral.


"There are many gorgeous old icons on the Cathedral's walls. In 1993-94, its iconostasis icons were painted in old Russian style by iconographer Dimitry Shkolnik.


"Today, as at the very beginning of its history, Holy Trinity Cathedral is a multinational, or, more accurately, an American Orthodox community, the only Orthodox church in San Francisco where the services are conducted in English (with some Slavonic). Our community is wholeheartedly open to all and any Orthodox Christians. The majority of our parishioners today are "converts" -- Christians who have been consciously searching for the true faith and have found it in the Holy Orthodox Church." (See Link.)

Link:  http://www.holy-trinity.org/
Photo: Taken of Holy Trinity Cathedral at the corner of Van Ness and Green Street(1520 Green Street) in San Francisco in 2001by SW.

Saturday Travel Feature
Developing Environments, SF

Link 1  tells the story of the building at 540 Alabama Street "In the early seventies, a small group of artists and urban dreamers converged on a vacant three story wearehouse with the objective of transforming it into a community in which they could both live and work. After twenty-five years and all the major building improvements long completed, the artists today concentrate on their individual creative pursuits. The Developing Environments community encompasses a broad range of backgrounds and creative endeavors.  Painters, musicians, sculptors, print makers, graphic designers, computer artists, dancers, photographers, circus and theater performers occupy its thirty-six studios." 

The story lore passed down by the  residents is somewhat different.   When San Francisco was filled with hippies and flower children some of them found their way to the Mission warehouse area to find housing. One of the warehouses they found was at 540 Alabama Street. The upper two floors of the three storey building with large windows filled with makeshift tents.  Slowly temporary walls replaced fabric tent walls.  The walls were at odd angles, making odd shaped rooms as they were needed.  The center of each warehouse floor was left open for a communal space.  Here in 1972 the Royce Family established the artist coop Development Environments.  The haphazard living spaces were made into live/work units for artists.  Some of the apartments had water, some had kitchens.  The 20 foot ceilings allowed for lofts for sleeping areas to be built.  Bathrooms were communal and down the hall. The floors were the original cement of the warehouse.  A large freight elevator was available for the artists to move their heavy sculptures and large pieces of art work. (See photo below.) There are many stories which are said to take place in Developing Environments: a hanging on the top floor, the Treee Frog kidnappings, Project 2, and Dirty Pierre's Party Palace.

Today only artists can apply to live in the building. The artist is interviewed and submits a portfolio.  Monthly rents continue to be way below San Francisco housing prices, but residents are responsible for the upkeep of the building so must  volunteer for cleaning, painting, and maintenance workbees.   The Royce Family still owns the building under the name of Mariposa Trust and in 2010 Developing Environments will celebrate its 40 anniversary.

There are 36 live/work units in the building. Some of the artists who live there are: Amy Faville Wilson, a painter with work in the permanent collection at The Legion of Honor (See Link 2 and postcard photographed below.) and her husband Jody Hart, a writer; Brett Reichman, a painter with work in the collection at MOMA (See Link 3.); Karen Quest, a cowgirl performer (See Link 4); Shawn Harris, a photographer (See Link 5.); Moshe Cohen a clown with Clowns Without Borders (See Link 6.); and Bess Bair, who tap danced across the Golden Gate Bridge in 1976.

Link 1: http://www.lightdark.com/deweb/index.html
Link 2:http://artistregistry.artadia.org/registry/view_artist.php?aid=175
Link 3:http://www.artnet.com/artist/14086/brett-reichman.html
Link 4: http://www.kellypro.com/ImaginativeActs/KarenQuestCowgirlTricks.htm
Link 5:http://www.shawnrayharris.com/
Link 6:http://www.yoowho.org/
Photos: Taken in 2009 in SF at Developing Environments at 540 Alabama St. by SW. (Copy of advertising post card for Open Studios.)
Note: Artist Amy Wilson Faville is the daughter of Suzanne Wilson.

Friday, July 2, 2010
1911 Wallace House

The first year addresses are recorded in the North Vancouver Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives is 1911. One of these earliest addresses is 309 West 27th Street. It was built in 1911 for $200 by W. Wallace. The Wallace name has a predominant place in North Vancouver History. (See Link.) In the 1912, 1913, and 1914 the City Directories W. Wallace is simply listed as living on West 27th Street near Mahon.  309 West 27th Street is near the corner with Mahon Avenue. By 1915 the owner of the house is recorded as Alex H. Wallace, a blockman(blkm) at John Brind. In 1916 the owner is recorded as Alfred Wallace of Wallace Shipyards. In 1925 and 1931 A. H. Wallace is listed as the owner of 309 West 27th Street and working as a blacksmith. In 1937 the Building Permit Book shows another Permit, to A. Wallace for a $500 house addition. By 1945 Alex H. and Isabell Wallace were the owners. Now Alex Wallace was a blacksmith at North Vancouver City. So the Wallace family had built the house at 309 West 27th Street, built an addition, and owned it for at least 34 years.

Then in 1950 it was Mrs. Edythe J. McKinley, a widow, who owned the house. After that only residents, no owners are listed in the City Directories. The residents in 1961 were John and Anne F. Grigoruk. John Grigoruk was a teacher in the North Vancouver School District. The residents in 1971 were Oddvar N. and Jorunn Hansen. Oddvar Hanson worked as a plumber. The resident in 1980 was Mrs. Mary Martin, an employee at Lion's Gate Hospital. There was no return to inquiries from the City Directory staff in 1991 and the resident could not be verifed in 1995.

The photo of 309 West 27th Street 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.


In the month of June 2007 Suzanne Wilson celebrated the City of North Vancouver's 100 birthday by distributing to 1000 home owners copies of photos taken for the Y2K Project. At this time it was discovered that the home photographed at 309 West 27th Street had been demolished and a new home was under construction.

Photo: 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.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrard_Dry_Dock

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Happy Canada Day

Flag Flying on East Keith Road

This home at 502 East Keith Road had its Canadian Flag flying on Canada Day in the year 2000. It is appropriate that it flies its Canadian Flag today, 10 years later, to again celebrate Canada Day.

There is no listing of the 502 East Keith Road address in the Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives or in the 1940 or 1945 City Directories. However, the house is in the style of a typical 1950's North Vancouver home: wide clapboard cedar siding on the bottom and stucco on the top. In 1950 John R. and Gerda H. Waghorn were reported to be living in the 502 East Keith Road home. John Waghorn was employed as a driver for Glenburn Dairy.

By 1960 Richard B. Howell was the owner of 502 East Keith Road. He reported that he owned the house and was retired in the 1980 City Directory. In 1991 the resident was listed as Ted Howell, an apprentice. In the 1995/1996 City Directory Ted Howell's job was reported as an appraiser. He also listed himself as living at 502 for over 9 years, so he must have moved in before 1986.

Neither Richard Howell nor Ted Howell are listed in the 1999/2000 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory, so it is now known who hung the Canadian Flag next to the front door for the year 2000 Canada Day. But we thank them for their patriotism and for being part of our Canada Day celebration in the Year 2010.

The photo of 502 East Keith Road 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. This was one of the many homes that was photographed flying flags to celebrate Canada Day in the Year 2000.


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 502 East Keith Road had been demolished and a new one was under construction.


Photo: Taken on Canada Day 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.