"...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

Saturday Travel Feature

Teatro Massimo Bellini Opera House 

Catania, Sicily

"The Teatro Massimo Bellini is an opera house in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. Named after the local-born composer Vincenzo Bellini, it was inaugurated on 31 May 1890 with a performance of the composer's masterwork, Norma. It seats 1,200." (See Link 1.)  Discussions about building a new opera house started after the 1695 earthquake that destroyed Catania, but the foundationstone wasn't laid until 1812.

"The exterior of the house matches the distinctive Sicilian Baroque style of the neighboring buildings of the late 17th Century. Its marble foyer, the “Ridotto”, is ornate and stuccoed, and a statue of Bellini is located between the central arches. The beautiful red-plush interior includes the main floor seating and four tiers of boxes. Surrounding them, on the upper level, are unusual arched arcades. The painted ceiling of the theatre is quite spectacular in its depiction of scenes from four of Bellini’s most well-known operas." See Link 1.)

The 2010 ballet to be performed at the Teatro Massimo Bellini Opera House  is Romeo E Giulietta by the Stagione Liricai Balletti. (See Link 2.)

Photo: Taken in Catania, Sicily, Italy in April 2010 by SW.

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

Link 2: http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.informasicilia.it/2010/04/06/catania-teatro-massimo-bellini-lirica-con-il-balletto-%25E2%2580%259Cromeo-e-giulietta%25E2%2580%259D-di-prokofiev/&ei=b6YOTIy5E5T6NYaQ2fcM&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DCatania%2BSicily%2BRomeo%2BE%2BGiulietta%2Bby%2Bthe%2BStagione%2BLiricai%2BBalletti%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Friday, June 11, 2010
50 Years on Woodbine Drive

The green shuttered house at 2911 Woodbine Drive has actually been there for 60 years. But it is the family that presently owns that has been there at least 50 years.

This home is a stones throw from Edgemont Village in heart of the District of North Vancouver and was built in 1950. The owner was D. Shattock and the construction cost was $10,000. In 1955 Robert L. and Roberta E. J. Wilson were the owners.

But by 1961 the Caesar family had moved into the Woodbine Drive home. They not only moved in but applied for a building permit for a $300 carport. Robin L. Caesar and his wife Judy/Judith are listed in the Building Permit books as living there through 1996. And they are listed in the North Vancouver Phone Books as continuing to live there in 2008. However, only J. Caesar is listed at that address in the 2010 phone book.

In 1961 Robin Caesar was employed as a forester at C. D. Schultz and Co. In 1971 he was the operations manager at C. D. Schultz and Co. From 1980 to 1996 Robin L. Caesar is listed as the president of R. L. Caesar and Associates Ltd. In 1995/96 Judith Caesar is also employed at R. L. Caesar and Associates Ltd., as the office secretary.

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

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Office Building at Lynnmouth Park

This four storey modern office building featuring broad expanses of widows is on the north east corner of Brooksbank Avenue and Cotton Road in the City of North Vancouver. The four storey section of the building extends north along Brooksbank Avenue to include a two storey section of additional offices. The whole complex runs adjacent on the east to Lynnmouth Park with its rushing Lynn Creek. Across Brooksbank Avenue to the west is the Park and Tilford Shopping Center. And across Cotton Road on the south is the large area of businesses and industry that continues to the waterfront.

The 212 Brooksbank Avenue address refers to only the four storey part of the office building. There is no listing in the Building Permit Book or the 1971 City Directory for this address. However, in the 1975 issue there is a listing, that of Chemex Labs Ltd., a chemical manufacturer.

In 1980 other residents at that address are listed as well as Chemex Labs Ltd.:
     Concord Sales Ltd, food brokers
     Acrodyn Manufacturing Co.
     Smith Barry D and C Ltd.

In 1991 these residents are listed at 212 Brooksbank Avenue:
     Chemex Labs Ltd.
     Anatek Microcircuts Inc.
     Barry Henderson
     Acrodyne Fabricators Inc.

In the 1995/96 City Directory these residents are listed:
     Acrodyne Fabricators Inc.
     Allan Crawford Associates Ltd.
     Accurex Technology
     Chemex Labs Ltd.

The 212 Brooksbank four storey building had been observed to be in use until last year, 2009. However, now a For Sale Sign and a Rezoning Application Sign have been posted. The Rezoning Application Sign states that the four storey 212 Brooksbank Avenue building will be demolished. (See signs below.)

Photos: Taken in May 2010 by SW.

Update:  August 2011. The entire complex in the Rezoning Application sign

                  has been demolished.

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.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Two Stories, Two Paint Jobs

Above the Upper Levels Highway, in the City of North Vancouver, at the juncture with East 26th Street was the "little house" at 2556 Chesterfield Avenue. Because East 26th Street did not go through Chesterfield Avenue on its way to Lonsdale Avenue the living room of the "little house" looked out into East 26th Street. The origins of this "little house" has two stories: one from North Vancouver Archives research and one from the year 2000 owners.

The story according to the Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives is that the house at 2556 Chesterfield Avenue was built in 1920 for $300 by C. E. Martin. In 1931 C. E. Martin also applied for a $300 house addition. By 1925 John M. Ashton was living in the house. John Ashton worked as a stationery engineer. He was also living there in 1931 at which time he was employed as a laborer at Vancouver Creosoting. In 1940 Mrs. A. M. Hill, a widow, was the resident. And in 1950 and 1960 William H. and Ethel M. Dryer were the owners. William Dryer was retired. In 1960 Ethel Dryer, a widow, was the owner. At that time Ernest Dryer, a construction worker, was also listed as living at 2556 Chesterfield Avenue. By 1971 the resident was Miss Karen Romas. And from *1976 to 1983 the residents were David and Jean Dyck. Jean possibly worked as a teller at National Trust (The address of this National Trust employee was not listed in the City Directory.) The City Directory listings for 1991 and 1995/96 record only Vacant and then Under Construction. The construction was possibly the rooms added onto the back of this very "little house".

During the inclusion of the 2556 Chesterfield Avenue house in the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home Kevin Grant and Kimberley Bradbury were the owners and they told the story written below.

When the year 2000 photo was taken it was mentioned that the house was soon to be repainted. It was also requested that another photo be taken when that was completed. The photo at the end of this blog post is of the new paint job and was taken in November of the year 2000.  The 2006/2007 North Vancouver Phone Book lists Kevin Grant as still living at 2556 Chesterfield Avenue.

The photos of 2556 Chesterfield Avenue were 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. This was true in the case of 2556 Chesterfield Avenue.


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 2556 Chesterfield Avenue had been demolished and a new house had been built. Demolition and Construction Project records show that the house was demolished in 2005.


Demolition: Took place in the year 2005. A black and white negative of the house at this time is on file at the North Vancouver Archives.
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.
* Reference: From 2011 e mail from Jean Dyck.