Comments on: The Kitsilano Laneway House

By: Ruth de la Giroday

Ruth de la Giroday — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 19:24:24 +0000

Hi James,

I wanted to let you know that Danny Giroday (my father) passed away this August. I’d love if you got in contact with me. My brother & I are putting together a book of stories about my late dad. If my name sounds familiar, it’s because my dad named me after his mother.

Sincerely,
Ruth

By: David Connors

David Connors — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 15:33:25 +0000

My brothers grandmother owned the pink and yellow houses at York and Yew,sold around ’94.We moved to 1st and Cypress around ’79 from False Creek,before that 4th and MacDonald.I remember seeing kids getting pepperoni from a green shack pepperoni factory at 1st and Cypress pre Bread Garden.I remember when it was suddenly gone later replaced by a deli and co-op above it.Across was a gravel sidewalk and shrubs then Bekins Storage.I recall a soda fountain then a Starbucks went in at Cornwall and Yew where the grocery store was.I remember the fresh bread from Elsie’s bakery and Big Scoop ice cream early ’80’s and Neptune Records was at the corner of the alley next to Mama Golds.

By: james hourston

james hourston — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 05:59:53 +0000

hi, my childhood pal Danny del la Giroday after being evicted from his fathers [ Louis Giroday of Giroday saw mills in false creek, nicknamed the 14th by the area kids] manse in the 1200 block of Tecumseh[ they originally lived at 1311 The Crescent but the family grew too big [ but down one when son Dennis jumped from the 22 floor of a west end high rise on lsd in 66] and he subdivided the lot and built a new home with a duplex bedroom wing giving the 1311 home to the church. when danny was born his oldest bro was 34] he squatted at the 1296 The Crescent, the Fleck mansion with its 2 stall stable in the basement, walk in safe, his and hers masters, greenhouse with a downstairs boiler and stables in the far left corner with grooms rooms above . oh yes a tennis court. the moved by douglas park where he had a laneway home on the corner of two alley ways. a friend sleeping dies after setting the home on fire with a smoke. it had an upstairs accessed by a steep stairway up three steps then fluch to the wall. bathroom under the stairs. not sure if it was rebuilt by amazing use of a tiny space

By: Raymond Parker

Raymond Parker — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 19:27:53 +0000

In reply to Eve Lazarus. Cheers, Eve. Linked from my name

By: Marliese

Marliese — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 19:26:49 +0000

My parents just got renovicted from the house they lived in for the last forty years (the house I was raised in). It’s at 1833 Yew Street, west side of street, in the lane between 2nd and 3rd.

By: Raymond Parker

Raymond Parker — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 15:08:02 +0000

I used to live a couple of blocks away, at 1st & Vine. I rented the top floor of a beautiful old house, which my roommate and I “renovated,” taking down the cardboard tiles to reveal shiplap and hauling a massive slab of rock and driftwood root up from Kits beach to form a table near the stove. I built counters from recycled oak flooring. Rent: $190 per month.

The house is long gone, replaced with one of those awful pink faux California condos, which has probably already been through leakage remediation. The corner store was a real neighbourhood meeting spot and, of course, it was wonderful to live a stone’s throw (for smaller stones, at least) from Kits Beach and its entertainments.

In my “archives” (AKA packrat’s nest) I still have a menu from (what was) the King’s Head, across the way.

If you don’t mind, I’ll link to a blog post with a couple of interior photos of my old apartment.

By: Terri Roberton

Terri Roberton — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 20:39:29 +0000

David N-Dorrington and I lived in ‘Tex And Kitties Fishing Camp’ in that alley which had a set of mannequin hands on the front door.I might have photos somewhere. Anna Gustafson, of Liberty’s Bakery fame on Yew ( I worked there with my high school buddy, Gina Gustafson in 1974/5), sub-letted it to us in 1976 when she went to California to Art School. Larry Osland, the artist, lived next door in another small alley house. Mon Dubay lived with her Mom…down the alley a ways. Up till then I had lived for a few years with my Dad in an apartment up on Vine and 3rd and worked at the notorious ‘Back to Eden’ health food bar/store. Dad built a red Dune Buggy there, kept Sam the white alley cat and had a couple of pet raccoons for a while. We lived first next to, then moved across the street from, the Native Friendship Centre, now a condo. Colleen Winch lived in that Suffolk Apartment building. My cousin still lives on 3rd by Burrard. Neil McGovern and Maria still live in the small house at the alley at 2nd and Cypress. We were all art school students at one time.

By: Doug Parks

Doug Parks — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 12:51:27 +0000

Kitsilano has always been one of my favorite neighborhoods. To this day it has managed to not mirror the development that happened across English Bay. The tiny homes are all over the area. I seem to remember one on Cyprus just South of Cornwall. Kits Point has always intrigued me , its one of the areas that seem very livable. All of this will change when the Squamish Nation puts 3,000 rental units along False Creek. Molsons property will also see development. I fear that Kits is about to see some dramatic changes.

By: Anders Falk

Anders Falk — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 21:47:00 +0000

On Tupper, at 18-19th behind the coffee shop and choices..
there was one on 26 and Dunbar.

A few more, great post!

By: Kathy Dunster

Kathy Dunster — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 18:05:33 +0000

The laneway I lived in around 1982 is still standing. rear of 4572 West 2nd. It predates WPG becoming part of Vancouver and from what I remember from the landlord, back then it was a summer cottage for West Enders. The heritage value needs to be recognized and judging from a drive-by the pace of redevelopment is a threat. It was a stand-alone cottage that had the garage added to it.