Thursday, December 16, 2010

St. Georges Duplex

The one storey duplex at  St. Georges Avenue sat on the corner with East 17th Street in the City of North Vancouver. Tall maple trees shaded the front and north sides of the home.  There is no listing for the duplex in either the Building Permit Book or the 1945 City Directory at the North Vancouver Archives.  However, by 1950  residents are listed at 1644 St. Georges Avenue which was the north end unit.  The residents were George W. and Lida A. Morgan.  George Morgan worked as a manufacturers agent at #24 441 Seymour St. in Vancouver.

In 1960 the north 1644 unit was reported "Vacant".  However the owner lived in the 1640 St. Georges Avenue which was the south unit. The owner was Mrs. A. L. Tussudowner.  She was the widow of G. B. Tussundowner.  In 1971 the 1644 residents were William J. and Mary E. Gannon.  William Gannon was an accountant at Canadian International Commercial.  At that time the residents at 1640 were Gemma J. and Peter Renardy.  Gemma Renardy was employed as a kitchen helper at Lion's Gate Hospital.  Peter Renardy was an iron worker at Riverside Iron Works.

In 1980 the 1664 resident was Mrs. Marg Trainer.  Marge Trainer was employed as a sales clerk at Grouse Mountain.  There was "No Return" to inquiries by the City Directory at the 1640 address.  Again in 1991 there was "No Return" to inquiries by the City Directory at the 1640 address.  However, the owners lived at 1644 St. Georges.  They were Jon and Christina Robertson.  Jon Robertson was the broadcaster for Post Haste.  Jon and Christina Robertson continued to own the 1644 duplex in 1995/1996, and Jon continued broadcasting for Post Haste.  The resident at the 1640 unit from 1991 to 1995/1996 was D. S. Kinar.

The photo of 1644 St. Georges 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 from the present or previous home owner sometimes including personal photographs.  This was true in the case of 1644 St. Georges Avenue.  

Scheila MahManish and Hossein Behrooziniz moved into 1644 St. Georges Avenue in 1998 and this is the story they told for the Year 2000 Photo Project, Your House/Our Home.

"Scheila MahManish, Hossein  Behrooziniz , and their two children, Bita and Houman, moved int 1644 St. Georges Avenue when they came from Tehran, Iran two years ago.  The whole family is musical."Hossein (See Link.) is a professional flutist.  His most recent CD is "Midnight Sun".  Although Scheila doesn't play she made a traditional Iranian string instrument from wood.  Brita has played the piano and now plays the trombone.  Houman sings with the B.C. Boy's Choir 2000.

"Scheila is an artist who makes beautiful pictures of flowers and people with wood inlay.  Bita attends Sutherland Secondary School and is a medal winner for the Chena Swim Club.  Houman attends school at Queensbury Elementary."

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 1644 St. Georges Avenue had been demolished and a new series of row houses had been built.

Photo: Taken for the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home by
               SW and available at the North Vancouver Archives.
Link: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61480406890

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The McPherson's Forever

The house with the enclosed entrance porch and the side picket fence was built at 823 East Keith Road in 1939.  The owner at that time was A. McPherson and the cost of the house $235.  In 1941 A. McPherson added a $75 garage.  He continued to live there for at least 56 years, at least until 1995/1996.

In 1945 Andrew M. and Mary M. McPherson were the owners.  At that time Andrew McPherson worked as a molder for W. McPhail and Sons.  In 1960 Andrew McPherson reported to the City Directory that he was working as a shipper at Canadian Pittsburgh Industry.  In 1971 his employment was that of a dock warehouse man at the same company.  And in 1980, 1991, and 1995/1996 Andrew and Mary reported that they were retired.

The photo of 823 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. 

Demolition: Demolition Permit applied for in 2003.
Photo: Taken for the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home by SW and available at the North Vancouver Archives.
Note: 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 823 East Keith Road  had been demolished and a new craftsman style home had been built.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Grand Boulevard

Grand Boulevard "was developed by the North Vancouver Land and Improvement Company as a high class residential enclave.  A number of grand houses were built, mostly on key corner lots, before the 1913 Depression halted further construction.  A number of more modest infill houses were built during the 1920's." (See Reference.) 

The  green strip boulevard  extends from East Keith Road to East 19th Street.   And from approximately 1908 to 1947 a street car traveled up the center of this boulevard carrying passengers from the foot of Lonsdale Avenue to Lynn Valley.

The house at 817  Grand Boulevard was built after the time of the streetcar.  There is no listing in the Building Permit book, but by 1955 it was listed in the City Directory. The owners of the home at that time were Roy H. L. and Dency M. Arnold.  Roy Arnold was the proprietor at Kiddies Shoeland.  In 1960  and 1971 the owners were Vernon R. and Kathleen R. Hill.  During these years Vernon Hill worked at solicitors Macrae, Montgomery, Macrae, Hill, and Cunnningham.

Rear of 817 Grand Boulevard

In 1980 the owners were Walter H. and Chao-Hwa Shui.  Walter Shui was employed as an engineer at Crippen Engineering.  Angela Shui, a student, was also a resident of the house.  The Walter Shui family also lived in the house in 1991.  Te and Joyce Wong bought the house in 1991 and were still listed as the owners in the City Directory in 1995/1996.

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 817 Grand Boulevard had been demolished and a stately new single family home new had been built.  See below and the Link for more photo of this new home.

Link: http://realpro.ca/realestate/listings/show/+/817+GRAND+BV,+North+Vancouver,+Vancouver/291041

Photos: Top and middle photos taken for the Y2K Photography Project, Your House/Our
                 Home by SW and available for viewing at the North Vancouver
                 Archives. Bottom photo from Link.
Reference: City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994.

Monday, December 13, 2010
1927 Heritage Style Home

This heritage style home was built for $3000 in 1927 by C. G. Cooper.  By 1931 Gilbert W. Armstrong, a shipper at G. B. Gregg, was living in the house.  By 1940 Norah S. Armstrong was also a resident and Gilbert was working as a salesman at G. R. Gregg.  In 1945 and 1950 Gilbert Armstrong was the owner and was now working as a warehouse man at G. R. Gregg and Co.

There were new owners of 219 West Keith by 1960, Frank N. and Juliane Ofner.  Frank Ofner worked as a laborer for North Vancouver City.  In 1971 a student, Miss A. Zimmer was the only resident.  In 1980 there were again owners, this time Herbert G. and Doreen Toms.  Herbert also worked as a laborer at North Vancouver City, as had Frank Ofner.

In 1990 Jacoueline A. Wheelwright bought the house.  She owned it at least until 1999/2000.  In 1995/1996  Eva Conner also lived at 219 West Keith Road.

The heritage style house on the south side of Keith Road and across the street from Queen Mary Elementary School was sold in about 2003 for $439,000.  The real estate ad (See Link.) further describes the house as: having 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a wood fireplace, a new wood shingle roof, original wood windows, an open staircase and view of the city. The total square footage of the 2 storeys and the basement was 2,100 square feet.  Views of the interior can be seen on the Link.  In addition the ad indicates that the property could used for a triplex.

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 219 West Keith Road had been demolished and a new side by side duplex  had been built.

Photo: Taken  for the  Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home
                      by SW and available at the North Vancouver Archives.
Link:http://www.iloveheritage.com/my_listings_219W_Keith.htm (Year unknown.)

Sunday Church Feature
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Mill Bay, B.C.

"St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, built in 1887 and consecrated in 1889, is the oldest building in Mill Bay. It was built to serve the French Canadian workers at the mill in Mill Bay on land donated by Mr. Gabereau. The church was consecrated in 1889 by Bishop John Lemmens, bishop for the west coast from Oregon to Alaska. Travel was difficult so visits by the Bishop were infrequent. The oldest gravestone dates to 1891." (Link 1.)



"Mill Bay is a commuter town of about 3,200 people located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada about 30 km (19 mi) north of Victoria, British Columbia, the capital.

"Mill Bay was founded in the 1860s with lumber and milling as its primary industries, done at the mill on the bay. It is known for its ferry to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula and the historic Malahat Drive, which is also a source of criticism due to frequent closures from either automobile accidents or weather conditions.^{[citation needed]} Numerous suggestions have been made by various groups regarding a 'bypass' route (possibly a bridge), though as of 2007, the Brentwood-Mill Bay Ferry and the Malahat remain the only routes to Greater Victoria from the rest of Vancouver Island. The MV Mill Bay that has served the ferry route since 1956 is named for the town." (Link 2.)

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is at 790 Kilmalu Rd., just off Highway #1 leading north from Victoria, the capital of B.C.  It is also near the town of Shawnigan Lake.

Photos: Taken in 2005 by SW.
Link1:http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM697X_St_Francis_Xavier_Church__Mill_Bay_B_C
Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Bay,_British_Columbia

Saturday Travel Feature
The Jim Thompson House
Bangkok, Thailand

"Jim Thompson or James Harrison Wilson Thompson was born in Greenville, Delaware in 1906. He attended public schools in Wilmington, went on to boarding school at St. Paul's and attended Princeton University, the family university, from 1924 to 1928.

"Although Thompson had a keen interest in art, he chose to become an architect and went on to study architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a practicing architect in New York City until 1940.



"With the escalation of the war in Europe in the early 1940s, Thompson volunteered for service in the United States Army, an important turning point in his life.

"During the Second World War, Thompson was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a move which offered him an opportunity to see more of the world. Thompson as a member of an OSS group was assigned to work with French forces in North Africa. His assignments also took him into Italy, France and Asia.

To prepare for his mission, Thompson undertook rigorous training in jungle survival. He completed the course successfully. However the war ended abruptly as Thompson and the other OSS men were en route to Bangkok. A few weeks later, he assumed the duties of OSS station chief. In late 1946, he received orders to return to the States to receive his military discharge.

"Thompson was confident that with peace restored and the expansion of air travel, there would be a significant increase in leisure travel to the Far East. Upon their arrival in the capital, these travelers would need acceptable accommodation. Few hotels in Bangkok could then even be considered of international standard. Only one had an ideal location -- the old Oriental, a former palace overlooking the Chao Phraya River that flowed through the capital.



"It was a meeting place for travelers and a social center for the foreign community. Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward and Somerset Maugham were just a few of its famous patrons. Excited by the prospects presented, Thompson became actively involved in the reorganization of the Oriental Hotel.

By this time, Thompson had developed a certain fondness for the country and its people. He began to seriously contemplate settling down and going into business in Thailand. He foresaw a promising future for the country and wanted to be a part of this process. He decided that upon leaving the service, he would return and take up residence in Thailand permanently. In late 1946, Thompson left for the States to get his discharge.



"In the twenty years before his ill-fated holiday in Malaysia, he had accomplished more than most men in a full life. He had built a major industry in a remote and little known country whose language he could not speak; he had become an authority on an art that, previously, he scarcely knew existed and had assembled a collection that attracted scholars from all over the world; he had built a home that was a work of art in itself and one of the landmarks of Bangkok; and, in the process of doing all this, he had become a sort of landmark himself, a personality so widely known in his adopted homeland that a letter addressed simply 'Jim Thompson, Bangkok' found its way to him in a city of three and a half million people."(See Link.)

The house is one of the few standing all teak houses in Bangkok.

Photos: Taken of post cards purchased in Bangkok in 1996 by SW.
Link:  http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/life/index.asp

Friday, December 10, 2010
Swedish Canadian Rest Home

The original building at 1690 Main Street in North Vancouver District was a Public Building/Dance Hall built for $1500 by the Swedish Community in 1928.  In 1944 A. Gjerdaleau applied for a Building Permit to construct a $1,500 house on the property. In 1947 the Swedish Rest Home applied for Building Permit to build a  second home there. This one was valued at $3,500.  And in 1947 there was an application was for a Public Building/Rest Home worth $40,000.

"The three Highway District buildings (the later owners of the buildings-See Link.) were originally the Canadian Rest Home, located on the north side of Main St. on Cutter Island.  Here the Seymour River divided into two branches which flowed around the island, came together again, and flowed into Burrard Inlet.

"Construction of the main rest home and the two small cottages was completed in 1948.  In the late 1950's the land and the buildings were expropriated to make way for the new Second Narrows Bridge.  The west channel of the river was filled in in 1956.  From the early 1960'a until the summer of 2000  the buildings served as offices for the provincial  highways department." (See Reference.)

Over the years the B. C. Government Department of Highways offices at 1690 Main Street included numerous departments:Regional Office, Highway Patrol, Regional Bridge Maintenance, Bridge Patrol, Public Works, Regional Surfacing, Regional Soils, Regional Right-Of-Way, Regional Maintenance,  and Regional Paving.

The three buildings were a distinctive part of the North Vancouver landscape in that they sat in the center of the Exit 23A cloverleaf on the turn off to Main Street in North Vancouver.  Since their demolition only the occasional deer or seasonal randomly decorated Christmas tree is seen there.

Reference: NV Archives photo description Key # 21667.
Demolition: Of all three buildings in 2001.
Photos: Black and White from Roll #9, 2001 Demolition and Construction Project by SW and available at the North Vancouver Archives. Colored photo from slide #15465 at the North Vancouver Archives.