Sunday. May 16, 1999 — North Shore News ~— 3 north shore news UNDAY FOCUS NEWS phato Mike Wel id MOLLIE Nye, pictured in 1994, lived for most of her life at 940 Lynn Valley Road, in the home her father built upon returning from the Boer War. The house, exclusively owned by the Nye family, remains essentially as it was when constructed in 1913. Layne Chrisiensen News Reporter inyne@nsnews.com MOLLEE Nye lived most of her life at 940 Lynn Valley Rd., the house her father built the year of her birth, 1913. Now, 20 months «iter her death, developers are hoping to give the home new Jife asa facility for community use. The plan is part of a proposal by Vancouver-based Hearthstone Partnership to develop and operate a four-storey seniors’ condominium complex on the 2.5 acre site. Hearthstone has an option to purchase the property front Nye's sur- viving relatives. The Nye house would be separate from the condominium development. The proposed complex would include approximately 105 residential units. One bedroom suites at 690 square fect would sell at approximately $166,000, two bedrooms at $226,000, A inain-floor clubhouse area would include a din- ing, room, fimess facilides, swimming pool, library, billiards room, health and wellness centre and beaury salon. The project, which is in the application stage and has not vet received approval by North Vancouver Distnet council, would be a hybrid, “the best of a retirement community and the best of condominium living,” according to Debra MacArthur, Hearthstone’s vice-president of operations. Residents would buy into a basic package that would include housekeeping and 24-hour emergency response, said Macarthur. The complex would provide an opportunity for seniors to own their condominium but be able to access health-related services by on-site staff and nurses in their own suite on an as- / HERITAGE SNAPSHOTS: wy wh: : Pi. BARRACLOUGH BLOCK 201-203 Lonsdale/104-108 W. 2nd St. ABERDEEN BLOCK 90 Lonsdale Ave. 1910-191} History: The Aberdeen Block, with the former Bank of Hamilton Chambers at the corner, con- sticate the most significant cluster of Edwardian structures on Lonsdale Avenue. Home to Paine Hardware, the building was severly damaged by fire in a 1997 New Year’s Eve blaze. Rebirth: Council approved in May a developer's proposal to demolish the inside of the building, retain the Lonsdale Street and south-facing facades and construct a six-storey modern build- ing, with the re-use of some interior features. circa 1929 a focal gro destroyed the w 1998, the third heritag History: Designed and built by W. Earfand for r named joseph Barraclough, the Lower Lonsdale landmark was altered in 194-4 to accommodate municipal office aden structure in October to go up in flames that year. Rebirth: Council is consid proposal to reconstruct the facade and builda four-storey development to include!4 residen- tial and four commercial units. ping local heritage survive needed basi Asa condition of its application tor rezoning, Hearthstone has proposed to restore the Nye residence and give it to the district for community The house would be moved to the southwest comer of the property to allow con- struction of the new condominiuns development. The idea has met with pre- Jininary support from the community, stid MacArthur. Bat not all Lynn Valley residents passing by a public information dispiay for the project pilano Mall on ‘Thursday were in fivour of the proposal. “It's too bad in a way,” said Hoskins Road resident Mike Soltice, 59. “It's nice to have the green space. “There's development everywhere, but 1 guess that's progress.” Myre Stinn, a member of the distri Advisory, Commission, sees the heritage restoration and redevelopment as a good thing. “Pm quite in favour of it,” said the Lynn Valley resident. “The hou excellent shape. It’s surviving in very good condition (and) historically important for the community.” tinn and other members of the Lynn Valley Garden Club were given per- ion to remove plants from the about 60 perennials, including roses, alstromeria, irises with plans to return them as part of a proposed heritage garden on the site. Phil Chapman, policy planner for the Lynn Valley community, said the developers are not required to preserve the house, which, though listed on the district's heritage inventory, is not protected by heritage designation. To date, the district has received interest from several groups wishing to use the proposed facility. These inelude North Shore Neighbourhood House, Lynn Valley Seniors and Lynn Valley Community Association. is in 's very 51-59 Lonsdale Ave. 1903: History: North Vancouver's first commercial block, it housed MeMillan Grocers, the North Vancouver post office, the area’s first newspa- per as well as a dance hall upstairs. It was built by the Western Corp. Redevelopment: Found to be in a dilapidated state, the building was dismantled by the develop 1997 and reconstructed as a four- storey mixed-use development. The exteri facade was recreated. Some original materials were re-used. Fire te in Lower Lonsdale ering, a developer's Nye House built in 1913 Layne Christensen News Reporter layne@usnews.cou IN 1913, the Nye House was a comfortable place to live, outfit- ted with all the “mod-cons” of the da The heuse was built ar 94001 Valley Ra. in 1993 for Alfred N4 family came to B.C ‘ ! had the Cratisman-sstvle home built on the 160 acres of forest covered land he was deeded for having served in the Boer War. Contractor Norman Corss built: the home after area pioneer Thomas Spendlove cleared the property with) nis team of horses and excavated the base- ment. Total cost of the house was $3,500 in 1933, Local tir, cedar and granite was used in the building. Modern conveniences, such as electricity, hot and cold running waier and a telephone were installed. A pantry contained a cooler and pass- through to the dining room. The kitchen ceiling ventilated cooking odours up into the attic. A wood ¢! or brought wood up trom the basement when a rope was pulled. This was later blacked off when the Nye’s small daughters, Florence (Mollie) and Joye, were found taking turns giving cach other rides. The bathroom had a chute for soiled clothes, a bath and wash basin. Pipes room. There was no washing machine, just galvanized wash tubs with a scrub board and a clothesline in the bac den tor drying. The kitchen was originally heared by a wood-burning stove (later, oil furnace), the living reom by a fireplace, the dining room by a wood heater with glass doors and the upstairs bedroom by a heater in the basement (by convection). As an adult, Mollie Nye kept a list of contracts and supplies invoived in’ the construction of 940 Lynn Valley Rd. Carpenters were paid 25 cents an hour. As voungsters, Mollie and Jovee shared a room downstairs and kept the second-floor bedroom tree tor play. As children, they sometimes slept outside on the large front porch, summer or winter, until the traffic got too noisy. During the First World War years Alfred Nye and his wife Olive were heav- ily taxed for their property and, as a ult, lost all bur 2.5 of the original mation supplicd bv North Vancouver historian Ray Pallant STEAGY HOUSE 557 Lonsdale Ave. 1905 History: One of the carliest surviving resi- dences in the city, this Edwardian house was home to Frances and Albert Steacy, a grocer and community leader who laid the foundation stone for Ridgeway School. Redevelopment: In 1990 a developer reposi tioned and restored the house for use by r dents of a new highrise condominium tower erected at the site. The house’s exterior char- acter was retained. It is currently in use as a sin- gle-family home.