In 1957, the PNE prize home, at 1,444 square feet, was one and a half times the size of a normal house.
Story from: Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the city’s hidden history
1957:
In 1957, things were a lot less complicated. People went out to movies and drank Nescafe in the kitchen. The prize home, at 1,444 square feet, was one and a half times the size of a normal house. It was a single-storey, boxy, early Ranch style house.
It was also less than half the size of recent prize homes.
Moved to Burnaby:
The 1957 house was moved to, and remains at, 6517 Lougheed Highway in Burnaby. It originally sat on a concrete pad, but owners have since added a basement, bringing the total square footage to a little over 2,400. In 2025 it’s assessed at nearly $1.4 million.
Contrast that with this year’s PNE prize home. Valued at $2.5 million and located in Langley.
It has 3,292 square feet of crafted living spaces over three levels, including 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a library, whiskey tasting room, and a legal 2-bedroom basement suite.
Also please note that the PNE prize home is not actually at the PNE this year, you have to go to Langley to try and find it. For more information see the PNE prize home website
Related:
- The 1981 PNE Prize Home
- The PNE in the 1970s: Photos by Bruce Stewart
- 10 Things you won’t see at the PNE this year
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Eve Lazarus.
Amazing changes in how we lived then and today. We demand and expect so much more from our principal home, our health care system, our employer, etc. The PNE has lost its glow, its sparkle, and its uniqueness. Paying a good looking meteorologist to buy tickets to basically save the PNE is quite frankly sad/pathetic. The City of Vancouver wants its gone, most citizens of this area want a change. Would you run a business that loses money every year, not I.
Wowzers. The 1957 house is so cute, except it only has 1 bathroom. My Dad lived with all his women (wife and 4 daughters) and only 1 bathroom for many years in a 3 bedroom home built in 1963 but it had an unfinished basement. He slowly added a rec room, laundry room, 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom for his very own. We loved that house and huge yard. I enjoyed this post very much. Thanks, Eve!
Great to see that 1957 prize home is still standing. And cool that it’s a Panabode.
I remember this house and a nice lady that won it. I lived on Broadway St.
Jeam, I lived in Vancouver from 1959-1993, but I never knew there was ANOTHER Broadway in the Lower Mainland, until I looked for that house on Lougheed Hwy just now! I went to the PNE as a lad and worked at Playland circa 1967-68ish. What a FUN job for a teen back then! I worked the Bumper Cars ride, and then the Looper which was a real ‘MONEY’ ride as many riders lost their change, and wallets! L0L
During PNE season The Food Building was my FAV of course! I still remember the aroma of fresh-baked scones, that melted in my mouth, Hunky Bill of perogy fame of course, whom I met at The Dover Arms on Denman st a few decades after in 1986ish.
I am now wondering how many PNE prize homes were Panabodes as I am aware of at least one more (located in Coquitlam).
I was fortunate, indeed to have had the opportunity to photograph the PNE in its heyday. The warp and woof of the Midway were the dizzying lights, the scraping and grinding of the rides, the crazy blaring rock music accompanying it all – and the pungent smell of onions sizzling alongside the burger patties on the open grills! The people watching, the kids (of all ages) going crazy, the stuffed animal prizes and the winners and losers at the Crown and Anchor tables. Gorging on corn dogs and candy floss, then being dead dropped 6 or 8 stories from dizzying heights back to solid ground, only to go on to more ‘challenging’ rides from there! Contrasting all with the staid and sober lineups to view the prize home . . .
All wonderful memories of a time when a fun night out could be had for well under 20 bucks. And a few cents more for a ride home on the Renfrew bus.
Can you tell me if the large structure with the red roof facing the inlet is the race track?
Thank you😊
I believe it is the grandstand at Exhibition Park race track. Now named
Hastings Racecourse and Casino.
the seating for the horse racing
Hi Bruce! Yup, the PNE was always a GO-T0 PLACE for us kids in the 1960s, except we rode the Stanley Park/Nanaimo st. bus from Trout Lake area to Hastings and usually walked east to the PNE. For some reason I remember that little restaurant close to the PNE on the NW corner of Renfrew/Hastings next to the gas station that sat right on the corner. I envision a cowboy hat on the sign? Was it the Stetson? Then the Demolition Derbies north on Renfrew a few blks. I’ll Giggle it and see what I can find….
Don’t forget the Pure Foods building. You could make a couple of laps and score enough free samples to consider it lunch!
I enjoyed the aerial view of the PNE with the North Shore in the background and a half finished Memorial Iron Workers bridge (i.e. second narrows). Wouldn’t you just love to go back in time for a day and wander around the city?
Me too Trevor, and I also enjoyed the view of DT Vancouver from N. Burnaby looking west with Burrard Inlet and the mountains to the north! There was a seedy bar just east up Hastings on the north side by Cassiar st I went to a few times! The bus loop was in that locale too at one time. After work at Playland I’d sometimes catch a bus home from there.
Just a comment on the naming of rooms. Primary bedroom? Is there a secondary one? Its the master suite. And a great room? A real one is in a very large home that has a living , dining and kitchen already and is the renamed family room with cooking area, powder room (s) and bar with access to any outdoor space which again these days has an outdoor(summer) kitchen.
Media room. Would be one room with door for quiet not linked to a noisy smelly gym area. Flex ? This seems like the old Den or Nursery but in reality a room to small to be a bedroom.
We seem to be addicted to sq ft these days.
Great pics as usual.
Our family moved here from Ontario in 1965, and I made a point of visiting the PNE. At the midway there was legal gambling, and that included a “live roulette wheel.” You placed your bet, and there was round drop-centre portion in a large table with holes around the perimeter. Each hole had a value, which went from zero to higher numbers. The carnie had a mouse in a small box, which he opened and let loose. Whichever hole the mouse went into became your prize, or not.
Win a house, win a car! People have always loved to win stuff, the horseraces, the casino, breakfast, it doesnt really matter. Walking through the PNE of the 1950s is like walking down memory lane. Good work, as always Eve.
Check out how you dressed in ‘57 for Ex!
Oh, I just remembered the name of that small NARROW restaurant! It was the Golden Horseshoe! THE STETSON was actually a drive in restaurant in the early ’60s where Kingsgate Mall is now. And that beer parlour by Cassiar st was in the North Burnaby Inn IIRC? FF a few years and there I was at the PNE/PC in 1972 watching The Rolling stones concert. Nope, it wasn’t me that started that RIOT! L0L I’m 70 now and it was so long ago! Cheers…(=
My parents mike & Terry (Margaret)Rosse won in I think 1953 ?
I am Mike and Terrys daughter not sure of year but my mom did win