North Vancouver Museum and Archives

The Capilano Air Park

by Eve Lazarus on March 12, 2016

1950s newspaper ad promoting Norgate as a family-friendly neighbourhood, courtesy North Vancouver Museum & Archives

From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History

A few people that I know have sold their large houses and downsized to Norgate, one of the few flat areas of North Vancouver just to the east of the Lions Gate Bridge. Norgate is also one of the few areas that hasn’t seen massive change to its housing stock—a collection of modest-sized, tidy mid-century ranchers with big gardens. And that’s exactly the appeal to those not willing to settle for a condo or multi-floored townhouse with strata fees and councils attached.

And, as it turns out, Norgate has a really interesting history—the area was originally planned to be the Capilano Air Park.

According to the North Vancouver Museum and Archive’s March 2006 Express, the new airfield was first proposed in 1945, and designed to cater to tourists flying their own planes from other parts of Canada and the U.S. Plans were to have two runways— the first, a 3,000-foot landing strip for light aircraft and another 2,500-foot runway for heavier craft to be added later. Construction was supposed to start in 1947 and include luxury accommodation for the “flying tourists.”

Sowden Street, Norgate ca.1950, courtesy North Vancouver Museum & Archives

In the end, there weren’t enough funds available for an airfield and the land was sold to Hullah Construction to develop a subdivision. Company namesake, Norman Hullah, modeled Norgate after a typical California subdivision, building houses on a scale of 50 at a time and working out of a mill located in the area.

Tags Capilano Air Park, Norgate, Norman Hullah, North Vancouver Museum and Archives

Aborted Plans: A Third Crossing for the North Shore

by Eve Lazarus on January 23, 2016

I spent the last three months of 2015 working on an interactive project called Water’s Edge for the North Vancouver Museum and Archives. We started at Indian Arm and went a little west of Ambleside to find the stories that would show the massive changes that have happened to the shoreline and to Burrard Inlet.

One of my favourite parts was looking at the many changes that didn’t happen such as the much talked about third crossing to the North Shore. The most recent plan was laid out in a book published in 1974 called Vancouver Tomorrow: A search for Greatness, by Warnett Kennedy.

Warnett was a Scottish-born architect, town planner and City of Vancouver Alderman who arrived in 1952 to develop Annacis Island. The Greater Vancouver Book writes: “Kennedy imagined what he called a ‘wet village on the west coast’ transformed into a megalopolis, where vertical take-off aircraft would take citizens from the roofs of the West End’s 100-storey apartment buildings to homes in the suburbs—the peaks of Grouse and Seymour. Key to his vision was the idea that tourists and future residents would come to mountaintop chalets to gaze out over the Fraser Valley’s farmlands, which, overdue for a massive flood anyway, would have been left untouched by suburban sprawl.”

Clearly, Warnett missed the mark there—no 100-story apartment buildings yet fortunately–the Shangri-la is the highest at 62 stories. Although aircraft pick up from my North Vancouver rooftop does sound like a pleasant way to avoid traffic jams and road rage.

But speaking of gridlock, there’s still no third crossing either.

"People are nervous when it is proposed to tamper with a loved environment. a tunnel, although more expensive, is apparently the popular choice (Vancouver Tomorrow: a search for greatness) — “People are nervous when it is proposed to tamper with a loved environment. a tunnel, although more expensive, is apparently the popular choice” (Vancouver Tomorrow: a search for greatness)

Warnett writes: “One might think that the water which separates the North Shore from Vancouver’s downtown was the Grand Canyon. This mindlock has to be broken. It stultifies imagination in planning.”

Warnett’s idea for a third crossing would continue along from a tunnel under Thurlow Street. Cars and rapid transit would cross to the North Shore just by Brockton Point over the world’s biggest cable bridge, and exit at Pemberton Avenue.

The world's biggest cable-stayed bridge off Brockton Point would be 8% less costly than a tunnel on the same alignment (Vancouver Tomorrow: A search for greatness) — “The world’s biggest cable-stayed bridge off Brockton Point would be 8% less costly than a tunnel on the same alignment,” (Vancouver Tomorrow: A search for greatness)

Makes you wonder though. More than 40 years has passed since that proposal was rejected and North Vancouver is still without a third crossing or a direct connection to Vancouver’s rapid transit system.

Next Week: Warnett Kennedy’s Twin City Concept

Tags North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Third Crossing, Vancouver Tomorrow: A Search for Greatness, Warnett Kennedy

Making History with Facebook for 2015

by Eve Lazarus on December 26, 2015

Since this is my last blog for the year, I thought I’d put together a list of my top 10 favourite FB pages. My criteria is pretty simple: the page has to have a strong Greater Vancouver flavour, there has to be a historical element, and the page has to post reasonably often and with original postings.

In Alphabetical order……

1. City of Vancouver Archives (likes: 2,328)

The Archives does an amazing job as our official keeper and promoter of Vancouver’s history. But most importantly the Archives took the step a few years ago of digitizing tens of thousands of photos and making high res versions freely accessible to anyone who wants them. They also have a great blog.

2. Every Place has a Story (likes: 1,643)

I started this page a couple of years ago and it has grown into a mixture of curated material, photos and original posts (you really don’t know what you are getting from one day to the next because I’m never sure myself).

3. Foncie Pulice (likes: 1,384)

Most long time Vancouverites have at least one Foncie photo in their album, and his photos really touch a chord and say a lot about our history. Foncie took his first photo in 1934 and his last in 1979. He was the last of the street photographers

4. Forbidden Vancouver (likes: 5,518)

This is a local business run by Will Woods (shown wearing cool hat). Will has shaken up the idea of the walking tour, added some theatre and shows the sketchy side of Vancouver to locals and tourists. His FB posts reflect this side of Vancouver.

5. Heritage Vancouver Society (likes: 2,091)

For keeping Vancouver’s heritage buildings as an issue, for publishing the top 10 watch list of endangered buildings and for putting on great events that keep us interested in heritage. You need to follow this page.

6. North Vancouver Museum and Archives (likes: 2,091)

The North Vancouver Museum and Archives has been fundraising this year for a new museum that would live at the foot of Lonsdale. They’ve also ramped up their postings on FB and shared some really fascinating bits of local history and photos for people on both sides of the Inlet.

7. Vancouver Firefighters Historical Society (likes: 531)

Not all the photos are of burning buildings, some are shots of old equipment, trucks, parades, old Vancouver and heritage fire halls. And, if you’re in need of some eye candy pop over to The Hall of Flame calendar page — it’s okay it’s for the children!

8. Vancouver Heritage Foundation (likes: 3,334)

Through the annual heritage house tour, lectures series, walking tours, Places that Matter and their collateral, the Vancouver Heritage Foundation does an amazing job of keeping heritage important and fun. Follow this site for information about grants and events.

9. Vancouver Then (likes: 14,861)

I can’t say enough good things about Vancouver Then. Jeremy Hood posts consistently and often and he puts a huge amount of work and thought into his posts and photos about Vancouver. My favourites are his then and now posts that show how much we have changed, or in some cases, how much we haven’t.

10. Vancouver Vanishes (likes: 7,702)

Noted fiction author Caroline Adderson started this page a couple of years ago and has attracted a huge following of people who are just as outraged as she is by the demolition of character houses in Vancouver. Her relentless beating on City Hall has had real results and her page was the basis for Vancouver Vanishes, a book of essays with contributors such as Michael Kluckner, John Atkin, Kerry Gold, and me.

If I have missed any of your favourite pages, please leave a note in the comment section below!

Tags Caroline Adderson, City of Vancouver Archives, Eve Lazarus, Every Place has a Story, Foncie Pullice, Forbidden Vancouver, Hall of Flame Calendar, Heritage Vancouver Society, Jeremy Hood, John Atkin, Kerry Gold, Michael Kluckner, North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Vancouver Fire Fighters Historical Society, Vancouver Then, Vancouver Vanishes, Will Woods

The unsolved murder of North Vancouver’s Jennie Eldon Conroy

by Eve Lazarus on July 25, 2015

Look for the full story of Jennie Eldon Conroy in Cold Case Vancouver: the city’s most baffling unsolved murders

A couple of weeks ago, Daien Ide, reference historian at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives came into the possession of a photo album. At first she thought it was just a nice family photo album once owned by a Miss J. Conroy of North Vancouver. The photos, which stopped in 1942, were carefully placed in the album, and the owner had identified people by their first names—there’s “dad and me,” for instance, and various others such as Milly, Carl, Ruth, Mabel, Percy and Eva.

Daien wanted to know more.

She found that the owner of the album—Jennie Eldon Conroy died in 1944 at just 24 years old. Digging a little deeper she discovered that Jennie was murdered in West Vancouver, and to her knowledge, no one was ever charged.

Jennie Conroy photo album — The photo album came via the West Vancouver Archives. Eve Lazarus photo

Inside the album was the Conroy’s address—539 East 7^th Street in North Vancouver. Her father John Cecil Conroy (1882-1964), was a Seaman in the Canadian Navy. He married Minnie Eldon in 1910, and later became a Watchman for North Vancouver Ferries. Jennie was named after John’s mother who also had the unusual spelling. She was a grain loader at Midland and Pacific Elevator in North Vancouver.

In 1943 the family moved to 876 Churchill, behind the Indigo on Marine Drive. By 1944 the family disappears from the directory altogether.

Daien did some more sleuthing and found a story in the Vancouver Sun. In 2012, reporter John Mackie came across an old file marked “confidential for Sun Staff use only” with documents dating back to 1925. There was a file holding tips for unsolved murders. One was for Jennie Conroy “found slain in bush beside the road on Third Street, not far from Capilano View Cemetery on December 28, 1944.”

Jennie Conroy — The Conroy home on East 7th Street. Eve Lazarus photo, 2015

There was little information available on the online database, but one article from January 3, 1945 said, “Police began a check of all green coupes in greater Vancouver in an attempt to break the Jenny (sic) Conroy murder case. The green coupe remained the leading lead in the six-day-old mystery. Miss Conroy’s body was found last Thursday just off a dead-end street in an isolated section of suburban West Vancouver. Police said they believe blunt and sharp weapons caused the fatal head wounds.”

And, then Jennie disappears.

Since this story came out on my blog, I have connected with Jennie’s niece Debbie, and her daughter Mary. Jennie’s story is amazing and it’s now Chapter One of Cold Case Vancouver.

Tags 539 East 7th Street, 876 Churchill, Daien Ide, Jennie Conroy, John Cecil Conroy, Minnie Eldon, North Vancouver Museum and Archives

Who lived in your house — in 10 (mostly easy) steps

by Eve Lazarus on March 15, 2014

In some ways, researching your home is like an archeological dig. But with a bit of patience you can find out who built your home, who lived there before you, who was murdered there, who died of a comfortable old age, perhaps, even, who’s haunting it now.

1. City Directories:

I always start with the city directories, and now thanks to the Vancouver Public Library, all of B.C. is online up from 1860 to 1955. After 1955 you can find actual copies at the Vancouver Archives, at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives in Lynn Valley or on microfilm at the VPL. The directories will tell you the name of past residents, owners as well as their occupation. The directories also give information about the population of the time, the business climate and advertisements for businesses—it’s a bit like a tourist brochure.

2. Census:

Once you’ve discovered the people who lived in your house you can find out all sorts of great information through the census records. If nothing else it will give you a whole new appreciation why you slog through the forms every five years.

3. Ownership Title:

If you’re flush with cash you can always visit the Land Titles Office in New Westminster. If you provide them with a legal description (District, Block, Lot), and payment, they will provide you with details on ownership history

4. Vital Events Records:

It gets better every year with birth, marriage and death certificates online. More often than not, you can even find copies of the actual death certificates. This death certificate, for example, tells you that Errol Flynn died in Vancouver in 1959, that he’d been here six days, that he lived in New York City, was a motion picture actor from Tasmania and that he was married to Patrice Wymore (and that’s just the top half)

5. Heritage Registers:

If your house has historical merit (and this includes mid-century homes) it may be listed on a Heritage Register. Most municipalities have them and they are almost all online now. Your local city hall will also have a file on your house, and don’t forget to check your local archives.

6. The Vancouver Building Register:

It’s worth checking to see if your house is on the Vancouver Building Register. This register lists tons of information and sources for residential and commercial buildings in Vancouver.

7. Building Permits

Heritage Vancouver took on the herculean task of transcribing the original handwritten registers from Vancouver Archives. As of the end of March 2015 they had just under 33,000 pre-1922 building permits online in a searchable database. Heritage Vancouver also says that if you dig through the water permits at Vancouver Archives you’ll find additional clues to your house’s completion date.

8. Heritage House Tours:

It’s worth a shot, if your house is old enough it may be on one of these tours. New Westminster has run an annual tour for the past 35 years. The Vancouver Heritage Foundation for the past 12 Vancouver Heritage Foundation. and if you’re in Victoria you’re really lucky because the Victoria Heritage Foundation has put out a comprehensive set of four books.

9. Google:

Sometimes the obvious is best. Simply google your address and see if anything interesting pops up. Often past sales will give you pictures and information on the owners.

10. Newspaper databases:

Taking Google one step further, most newspapers are accessible online through your public library. All you need is your library card. For archival newspapers, the British Colonist is online from 1858-1920.

For more information on researching your home’s history see At Home with History: the secrets of Vancouver’s heritage houses

© All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Eve Lazarus.

Tags British Colonist, city directories, Errol Flynn, Heritage House Tour, Heritage register, Heritage Vancouver, Land Titles Office, North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Patrice Wymore, Vancouver Building Register, Vancouver Heritage Foundation, Vancouver Public Library, Victoria Heritage Foundation

Researching John Bull’s House

by Eve Lazarus on March 13, 2013

On February 23, Jennifer Clay gave an A to Z workshop to home owners wanting to research the history of their homes. Jennifer has written a guest blog based on her presentation.

732 East 8thStreet, North Vancouver — Jennifer Clay in front of her 1926 heritage house

By Jennifer Clay

I live in a 1926 heritage home in North Vancouver, and while I had a vague idea of the previous occupants of our home, the key word is ‘vague’. So when my daughter Kristen, 11, was looking for ideas for her heritage fair project, I suggested she research the history of our home.

Our first stop was the local archives where we were shown the City Directories (1871 to 1996). These directories are like an old fashioned “411.ca”—you can look up your address, find out the name of the occupant, his profession, his employer and the name of his wife (after 1934).

The City Directories are just one useful resource at the Archives. You can also look for Building Permits, Property Tax Assessments and Fire Insurance Maps to determine the name of the owner, the type and value of structures built on your property and the relevant dates. You may also be able to find photos of your house, its occupants or your neighbourhood. The Vancouver Public Library has over 90,000 historical photographs. BC Archives has five million, Vancouver Archives about 1.5 million, while the North Vancouver Museum and Archives has a searchable database of 15,000 photos.

If you wish to trace the genealogy of the previous residents of your house, you can search for their names in the 1852, 1901 and 1911 Canadian Census documents, and can also find a wide range of birth, marriage and death certificates for Vital Events which took place in BC and elsewhere in Canada.

By doing all this and more, I was able to trace the family of the first owner (John Bull) back to Britain in the early 1800’s. I found out that he left his home in Ontario in the 1860’s, went to Brooklyn, married the (Catholic) daughter of Irish immigrants, had seven children—including twin girls—and in the 1890’s, brought his family to the Slocan region of BC to seek his fortune. It’s unclear if he found either gold or copper during his 20 year stay, but we did learn that he lost one of his twin girls, Henrietta Maud, on August 8, 1904 in a drowning accident. When my daughter and I figured this out, we both felt a sense of loss ourselves, as by this time, we felt an emotional tie to this pioneering family who once inhabited the same space that we now inhabit. After their stay in the Kootenays, the family came to North Vancouver, where John Bull started a Coal and Building Supply business, built our house at the age of 75, worked until he was 82 and died at 83.

I’m not done yet. It’s my goal to find a photo of John Bull, be it through his descendants or through the archives of the Slocan Valley. It remains to be seen if I will be successful but it has already been a fun and very rewarding journey.

Tags 732 East 8th, BC Archives, city directories, City of Vancouver Archives, Henrietta Maud, Jennifer Clay, John Bull, North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Vancouver Public Library

The Lynn Valley Hotel

by Eve Lazarus on August 30, 2012

Built in 1909 for Harry Holland — The Lynn Valley Hotel ca.1912 NVMA

The large house at the corner of Lynn Valley and Hoskins Road has always intrigued me, so I dropped into the Community Archives last week to see what I could find out about it. Daien Ide, found this great photo taken around 1912, when the street car ran from the bottom of Lonsdale Street to the top of Lynn Valley Road—where our End of the Line general store now sits.

There’s not a lot of information about the former hotel on file. According to Walter Draycott’s book, Early Days in Lynn Valley, it was built by Harry Holland as the Lynn Valley Hotel in 1909.

Harry’s intention to brew and sell beer on the premises was apparently thwarted by Presbyterian sensibilities in the area. When he couldn’t get a liquor license, he supposedly ran a “dry” hotel catering to tourists visiting Lynn Canyon Park and the suspension bridge. Doesn’t sound like a lot has changed here in over a century.

City directories show Harry as the proprietor with at least one resident—Henry Eastcott, a master mariner. Sharon Proctor writes in her book Time Travel in North Vancouver that it also housed workers employed by the municipality and the lumber companies, until the hotel’s sale in 1923. The hotel then disappears from the street directory for a number of years, and pops up again as a boarding house run by a Mrs. A.E Luck prior to World War 11. In 1944 it’s listed as the Dovercourt Rest home and remains a rest home of some sort until well into the 1990s.

I took a walk past there today and snapped off this photo. The sign at the front says “Dovercourt,” and the old building is looking in need of some love, but at least it’s one of the 152 sites in the district slated to go on the district’s new Heritage Register.

Tags Daien Ide, Dovercourt Rest Home, Early Days in Lynn Valley, End of the line, Harry Holland, Henry Eastcott, Heritage register, Lynn Valley Hotel, North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Sharon Proctor, Time Travel in North Vancouver, Walter Draycott

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