North Shore Heritage Preservation Society

Our society is deeply saddened by the loss of the Masonic Temple on Lonsdale, an A listed heritage building on the CNV's Heritage Register, that was destroyed by arson this morning. The building was built in 1911 in the Mission Revival style. Following the building's completion, the Masonic Temple was the subject of an article entitled: "One of Vancouver's New and Artistic Buildings" in the Vancouver Province in 1912. This unique and heritage significant building will be sorely missed.

Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme Where do you find Heritage? Our seventh stop is not a place exactly. It is the recognition of a unique architectural movement that swept across West Vancouver and North Vancouver in the mid-20th century, from 1945 to 1975. Local architects adapted the popular mid-century modern style of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright to the West Coast climate, geography and local building materials. The result was a unique architectural style that became known as West Coast Modern. Truly almost timeless, the North Shore is lucky enough to have a large inventory of these gorgeous homes which are sometimes open to the public on a limited basis. For more information click here.

Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme Where do you find Heritage? Our sixth stop is Ottawa Gardens, one of the City of North Vancouver’s designated Heritage Conservation Areas located in the 200-300 block of West 6th Street, between Chesterfield and Jones Avenues. It was developed in 1906 by the North Vancouver Land and Improvement Company as an affluent residential neighbourhood, regulated through minimum construction costs and restrictions on building and landscaping design. For more information, click here. Archival photos provided courtesy of MONOVA.

Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme Where do you find Heritage? Our fifth stop is a nod to the broader definition of heritage that includes cultural heritage. Today we want to recognize the rock fish weirs which are a traditional method of Coho salmon fishing used by First Nations people at the mouth of the Capilano River. Weirs are constructed out of large stones in a tidal area of a river or ocean to direct fish to small ponds where they are essentially trapped. Local indigenous fishermen then remove the fish using nets. For more information click here.

Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme Where do you find Heritage? Our fourth stop is an imaginary walk back in time, long before First Nations or Europeans first set foot on the North Shore, when the entire North Shore was covered in a dense forest. While North Shore Heritage normally focuses on built heritage, we recognize that heritage resources also include cultural assets and landscape features. For more on First Growth forests, click here. Archival photos provided courtesy of MONOVA.

Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme Where do you find Heritage? Our third stop is a virtual one which underscores the fact that a heritage house is more than just 4 walls and some lovely architectural features. It is a home with a vibrant history of its own that comes alive with the knowledge of the names, occupations and perhaps even photos of the families who lived in the house in the past. Click below to learn more about some fascinating histories of homes on the North Shore and to view an award-winning video put together by a North Vancouver student who learned about all the families who lived in her house.

Happy Heritage Week 2021 with the theme Where do you find Heritage? Our second stop is Grand Boulevard, which is a neighbourhood and a park that is bounded by East Keith Road to the south and East 18th to the north. It is an example of an area that has evolved over time and has landmarks from many different eras. The park is on the CNV Heritage Register and dates back to 1906 as part of a planned sub-division, but also was originally meant to be a fire break, as most of the land to the east and north was still forest! To learn more about the development of this high-class sub-division, its 2nd building wave in the 1950’s, the heritage trees in the park and its connection to the North Vancouver streetcar system, click here. Archival photos provided courtesy of MONOVA.