If you stand at the corner of Marine Drive and 22nd Street - where Dundarave and Ambleside meet in a gentle architectural handshake - you’ll find an unmistakably modernist structure holding its ground. While potential development and demolition plans have resulted in much of the building being clad in protective plywood, its folded plate roof still angles confidently toward the sky; a fraction of its clerestory windows still catch the light; its caramel‑coloured dry‑stone veneer still glows warm in the afternoon sun. This is the former Pacific 66 Service Station, built in 1965/66, and one of the last surviving Mid‑Century Modern gas stations in Canada. For nearly sixty years, it has anchored this prominent intersection, quietly embodying West Vancouver’s post-war optimism, its embrace of car culture, and its flirtation with the bold, consumer‑oriented design language of the 1960s. Today, as conversations about heritage, re-use, and community identity deepen, this significant building offers a rare opportunity to reflect on how even the most everyday structures can shape a neighbourhood’s character.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day, the second day of Christmas, has nothing to do with sparring in a ring. It stems from a tradition in Victorian England. But even before that, December 26th was the day of the Feast of St. Stephen. Join our writer, Anne-Marie Lawrence, as she ties this day to North Shore built and photographic heritage.
The Child Evacuees
Behind the walls of a West Vancouver house lie the memories of a mission of mercy. Built in 1926, 2337 Lawson Avenue was - between 1941 and 1954 – the home of Emma Walker, someone who deserves recognition. Emma, often referred to in formal circles as Mrs Frank Walker, was instrumental in bringing about the evacuation of children from cities bombed by the German Luftwaffe during the second world war.
A West Coast Modern Gem
From the outside, St. Stephen’s Anglican Church looks unlike any other church in West Vancouver. With its dominant, geometric cedar-shake walls - which also serve as a roof - words such as dramatic, angular and bold might be used to describe this church at first glance. But despite its stunning exterior, nothing could prepare you for the visual feast that awaits you on the inside! One is greeted by a light-filled interior, with a dramatic and soaring geometric ceiling, exquisitely eye-catching chandeliers, and the piece-de-resistance … the most stunning stained-glass windows, made of faceted, gem-cut coloured glass, which create a jaw-dropping curtain of colour. Join us as we explore the history and features of this iconic architectural “gem” which is amongst the most significant mid-century modern churches in the world. It still stands today but is very much under threat in this world of declining religious affiliations, governmental pressures for affordable housing and developers’ drive for profits.
The Timeless Pink Palace
The Villa Maris, a pink beacon in the skies of West Vancouver, is one of the most iconic modernist apartment buildings in the Lower Mainland and is a rare Canadian example of New Sensualism, a Miami Beach offshoot of Modernism. From the outside, it screams Miami Modern with its curved wall of parabolic arches and hot pink colour! But what most people don’t know is that the inside is even more “wow”, with many of its original features including a lobby, staircase and pool that was influenced by the Hollywood Regency and Miami Modernism Styles. It’s easy to envision Elizabeth Taylor or Cary Grant sashaying through the lobby, posing by the pool or theatrically descending the staircase! Join us for a virtual walk through the interior!
Sidetracked on a Side Street
The Pacific Great Eastern Railway, despite its name, was a Western company. Incorporated in Vancouver in 1912, it was founded to create a railroad between Prince George and the docks of North Vancouver via Squamish and the Howe Sound. Decades passed before this goal was fully achieved due to a section of challenging, mountainous terrain and ongoing financial challenges. It became known as the Province’s Great Expense to Prince George Eventually. However, the story of the PGE Railway is one of ambition and perseverance that created an important, historic route along the waters of the Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound, remnants of which still exist today.