The origin of the street names on the North Shore provides a fascinating history into the development of the North Shore as we know it today. This blog covers the people and places behind some of the names, starting with LONSDALE but also discussing Bridgman, Fell, Hamilton, Cloverley, Keith, Mahon, Moody, .Heywood, Pemberton, Whitchurch, Adderley and Shavington.
Sidewalk Talk
The Mystery of the Bottle Dash Stucco House
Have you ever walked past a house on a sunny day and noticed that the house sparkles? If so, it is likely a Sparkle Stucco or Bottle Dash Stucco house! Unlike traditional Rock Dash Stucco, which includes beach or river gravel, Bottle Dash Stucco contains different colours of broken glass bottles. And in the case of the house at 506 East 7th Street in North Vancouver, it even contains pieces of broken china! The aftermath of a Greek wedding? Early Upcycling? If only walls could talk!
832 Cumberland – “A Sense of Home”
This blog documents the history of the Holdcroft family who lived at 832 Cumberland Crescent for 57 years and whose daughters attended the Crosby School for Girls, located at 745 Grand Boulevard in North Vancouver. Using Mary Holdcroft’s own typewritten document called “Memories of North Vancouver in the ‘20s and ‘30s” as a source, the blog includes many excerpts to provide an animated history of her family, their home, their neighbourhood and as the title implies, life in North Vancouver in the early 20th century. The blog is interspersed with a large number of photos of their house, their family and the Crosby School for Girls as well as some city and landscape photos taken by Mary’s father, John Barber Holdcroft, an amateur photographer who lived in North Vancouver during WW1, and again from 1924 until his death in 1975.
Moderne Architecture on the North Shore
Have you ever found yourself wandering the streets of your neighbourhood, admiring the homes, both old and new, only to wonder what style of architecture a certain home might be? Well, we at North Shore Heritage are here to help! In Part 2 of our architecture series, we will be looking at the rare Moderne style.
Revitalization of the Ottawa Gardens Show Home
The distinctive heritage home that anchors the east end of Ottawa Gardens was built in 1907 as a show home by the North Vancouver Land & Improvement Company for its Ottawa Gardens development. The house is now well into its second century of life but came close to being lost due to neglect. Click here to find out how it was saved.
Ridgeway Renovation Champions
Heritage Tree Crusaders
Heritage Development at McNair Park
The Story of Park & Tilford Gardens
Chiba Gardens
A heritage home comes with tradition and history
CNV Heritage Award nominations sought
Haswell Residence saved from demolition
At the end of March, the City of North Vancouver approved a three-lot subdivision of the property at 910 Grand Boulevard. The move saves the 107-year-old Haswell Residence from almost certain demolition.
The house, known as the “Grand Dame,” was sold by developer Edward Mahon to timber dealer Eliot Haswell in 1910. The Canadian Register of Historic Places describes it as "a fine example of the British Arts and Crafts style...valued as representing the early development of the Grand Boulevard area, with large residences built on prominent corner lots.”
Under the approved plan, the Haswell Residence is to be moved to a new foundation, and two new homes will be built on the newly created lots.
While the decision received a mixed response from neighbours amid concerns about increased density, North Shore Heritage vice-president Jennifer Clay said the outcome of the hearing was the preferred option, given the bleak alternative.
To read more about this story, visit the North Shore News website here.