In 2019, CBC news wrote an article called “From Sacred to Secular” about the National Trust of Canada ( a national charity that works to save old buildings) releasing a report that 9000 church buildings in Canada (out of the roughly 27,000 at the time) in the next ten years would be lost. The article stated that losing these churches wouldn’t just be a loss as worship spaces, but as community spaces that many churches are also used as. And, on top of that, many of these are heritage buildings with rich history and beauty.

Although the loss of churches seems to have hit an all-time high, the issue of churches being lost is not a new one. In North Vancouver, this has been going on almost since churches were built there. However, both the City and District of North Vancouver, as well as many local individuals, helped to make the losses of a few local churches something largely positive - bringing new uses and new life into buildings that had lost their original use. The stories of the three churches I’ll be discussing here all span over a century, with many groups of people enjoying the use of these spaces over the decades.

Two of these churches were near to each other in Lynn Valley in the Lynn Valley Road/Mountain Highway area:

RNB Dance and theatre arts: Top floor of old Lynn Valley Methodist Church

Lynn Valley Community Centre

Lynn Valley Community Centre upper floor and Playschool ground level on Institute Rd., just prior to demolition of ground floor and relocation of upper floor to 3355 Mountain Hwy., as Lynn Valley School of Dancing. Building was used earlier by Lynn Valley School, originally the Methodist Church. (1962)
*Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives inventory #6386*

Built in 1912, Lynn Valley Methodist Church was located on Institute Rd. It was somewhat short-lived as a church building however. After about a couple decades its congregation became part of Lynn Valley United Church and moved to a larger building. The building was decommissioned by the Church and taken over by the District of North Vancouver. The church building quickly had a new life, however, becoming a community centre in 1933 when the Institute Hall nearby burnt down. From the posters in the background you can see that there were regularly scheduled dances, some with live musicians as seen below, and the English card game whist was also played at these dances every Saturday.

Musicians playing at Lynn Valley Community Centre
Musicians playing for dance (see nos. 2960 and 2961) in Lynn Valley Community Centre, originally Valley Methodist Church. L. to R.: George Morrow, Herbert (Bunk) Goodmurphy (son), Herbert Goodmurphy (father) and Mrs. Vera Gill (nee Fromme) 1944
*Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives inventory #2962*

By 1945, Lynn Valley mothers had banded together to fundraise to establish a much needed playschool for their kids. They moved into the lower floor of the Community Centre building. But by 1962, they needed to find a new space as the main floor of the Community Centre was slated by the District of North Vancouver to be moved across the field and across the street to its current location at 3355 Mountain Highway. The families were offered a space in the old Lynn Valley schoolhouse nearby. The top floor of the church building was moved and continued to operate as a Community Centre in its new location until it was leased to RNB Dance in 1993.

The school population grew and the dance school eventually needed to expand. They launched a huge fundraising campaign, spearheaded by a few dedicated parents, and raised $500,000 over two years. This allowed them to build a wonderful addition to the old church building as well as creating a beautiful dance space. The addition and ensuing restoration was so well done that the school and the architect of the addition won a heritage award from the DNV.

You can see in the photos below the original top floor of the church on the left, the connecting middle part addition, and in the photo underneath at the far right, the large addition, mirroring, in a similar heritage style, the original church structure.

Photos above by Jenny Morgan

This long history of use by so many different groups in the Lynn Valley area is a great example of how to recycle, re-purpose and re-furbish a heritage building. Even though the entire building didn’t remain intact, a good portion of it did, retaining quality building materials and history (recycle), giving it new uses multiple times (re-use), and expanding upon, and renovating in a heritage-sensitive manner (re-furbish).

Maple Leaf Nursery: Basement of Knox Presbyterian

*Lynn Valley United Church (originally Knox Presbyterian) at Lynn Valley Rd. and Draycott Rd. Streetcar 157 on Hastings Creek trestle, Lynn Valley Rd. (1946)*
*Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives inventory #15110*

If you live on the North Shore, you have likely driven by the busy intersection of Mountain Hwy and Lynn Valley Road and seen or shopped at Maple Leaf Nursery. What you may not have known is what used to stand in its place and what still lies beneath:

Built in 1911, on land at the corner of Lynn Valley Road and Centre Road (now called Mountain Highway) and donated by pioneer Julius Fromme, the Presbyterian church known as “Knox Church” was one of the earliest churches built in the area. A simple wooden structure with gothic, arched windows, Knox Church formed the beginnings of what became the United Church in North Vancouver. Although Presbyterian in origin, a number of Christian congregations in the area decided to come together as one church and by 1925, became the Lynn Valley United Church, using Knox Church as their common meeting place. By the 1950s, the congregation built a new, larger church at 3201 Mountain Highway, which is still used today, and the old building was eventually demolished in 1967. However, the basement remained. The family that bought the property and opened Maple Leaf Garden Centre there operated originally out of the church basement, but eventually expanded the centre over more of the property. However, the basement itself remained and formed the foundation for the new garden centre. I read in an online blog post about Lynn Valley from a few years ago (see Lynn Valley Life Blog link below) that this is where the pots were sold. A peek through the window confirmed this is still the case.

Above photos by Jenny Morgan

You can see the length of the garden centre from the back in the photo above. The church basement foundation seems to be quite a substantial size within this building.

Anne Macdonald House: Church of St. John The Evangelist

First St. John's Anglican Church in its original location, now Anne Macdonald Hall on grounds of Presentation House. (190?)
Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives inventory #10493

This building isn’t hidden in the way the other two buildings are, as the church structure is still fully intact, however, many people I’ve spoken to hadn’t heard of it, and I’m guessing that’s because it’s physically become quite hidden from 3rd St. as you drive by, as the cedars that were planted all around it have grown large and tall and obscure it from almost every view. I didn’t know about it myself for many years.

The second oldest remaining church building in North Vancouver (after St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church on Esplanade whose current frame was built in 1884), St. John’s was built in 1899 using lumber from the Moodyville sawmill and was located originally at 13th and Chesterfield. A simple structure, the church was the first Anglican Church built on the North Shore. The growth of the Anglican community was swift at the time and less than 10 years after being built, the congregation size had doubled, necessitating a new church to be built. By 1909, a new church was being built, and upon completion, the original church became the church hall. Eventually, the space was used as a hall for the local Boy Scouts, but by 1973 the congregation decided to replace the building and donated it as a gift to the City of North Vancouver on the condition it be moved to a new site.

The North Vancouver Community Arts Council recognised what a great addition the church could make to the arts spaces at Presentation House Theatre, (itself a heritage building from 1902 and originally a school), and asked it be moved onto the property and the City of North Vancouver agreed to donate the building.

1004_10053_25604_16193.jpgplu_p1a6cbh7ll6cv16o71em1kde16h91.jpg

At left: The photo consists of a shot of the old St. John's Church (Anne MacDonald Hall) on the back of a moving truck. Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives inventory #16193

At Right: Old St. John's Anglican Church and Scout Hall. Prior to restoration and conversion to Anne MacDonald Hall. Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives inventory #2483

As a building full of history and a beautiful heritage space, it was certainly a great decision. The church was moved by truck down the street to its current spot on the SW corner of the Presentation House property at 3rd St. and Chesterfield Ave. It was renovated and fixed up for use as a recital hall with the help of generous funding from many sources, and named after the Arts Council’s Executive Director, Anne MacDonald, who had a large role in preserving the building, and establishing the Arts Council as well as Presentation House Theatre. She was awarded the Order of B.C. for these achievements.

I have a personal connection to the Anne MacDonald House, as I taught music for many years, and this was a favourite space of mine for my year-end recitals. The rate is very reasonable for rent and it is a magical space to perform in as well as enjoy performances. A new, large, curved stained glass window was put in after the church was moved and renovated, and this window adds a lot to the beauty of the space. The interior is large and airy, with every surface made of wood, and large, hanging lantern-style lamps adding to the ambience.

The space has a special feel to it that is captured beautifully in this painting by a local North Vancouver artist, Zinnia Falcon. She attended the recital a few years ago when I taught her daughter piano, and kindly painted this painting for me of my daughter singing in bare feet (she was nervous and thought she’d feel more at home with her shoes off) with me accompanying on the piano. The window at the back was such a lovely, iconic backdrop.

Photo by Jenny Morgan, painting by Zinnia Falcon

Photos by Jenny Morgan

Two current photos of the Hall. Third Street is behind those tall cedar trees which largely obscure it from view unless you’re in the parking lot like I was when I took the bottom photo.

Top photo shows west exterior of the building with the stained glass window.

I spoke to Giselle Clarke-Trenaman, the Production Coordinater/Facilities Manager of Presentation House and Anne MacDonald Hall, and asked her how well the Hall was being used these days. She told me it was booked up most of the time and very well-used. I was pleased to hear that, as it bodes well for the Hall’s continued use for years to come.

It seems as if all three of the former church buildings and building remnants are being well used and looked after. Maintaining and re-purposing old buildings like these churches is not always easy and requires dedication, care and money, but I think it is well worth the effort. The stories that can be told through a long line of changing hands and changing uses is a testament to a beautiful thread of history that is connecting the community of North Shore. And secondly, the re-use of these quality building materials is an important step to a greener way of building. I hope we can use these buildings and their long life as examples of what to do and how to do it for future buildings that need saving, along with their stories.

Except where indicated, text and images Copyright @ North Shore Heritage and Jenny Morgan. All rights reserved. (2017-2024) Republication in whole or in part is prohibited without the written consent of the copyright holder.