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DASSENGER EX,

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North Vancouver’s first hospital, approximate date 1909.

Our report to
the community

1991 is the 70th Anniversay of the Kiwanis Club of North Van-
couver, It is also the Centennial Year of the District of North Van-
couver and therefore seems appropriate to relate the history of the
local Kiwanis Club to events which were occurring in the community

during the same period of time.

Mast citizens may not realize
that the 189) municipal incor-
poration of the District of North
fancouver took place only tive
years after that of the City of Van-
couver. Sixteen years later the
City of North Vancouver was
carved out of the District and in
1921, the Kiwanis Club of North
VAncouver was founded.

The thirty years between 1891
and 1921 was a period of rapid
growth. Many businesses were

established, including a number
ot sawmills and a shipyard.
Residential areas were developed
and grew and a newspaper call-
ed the Express began operating.
Schocls, hotels, restaurants and
a hospital were built, A ferry and
strectair systeai were credted.
This period ot trantic develop-
ment and land speculation was
tollased abruptly by a general
financial depression which oc-
curred just prior to the beginning
ot World Wart.

North Vancouver Ferry.
Circa 1900.
Looking up Lonsdale.

Bob Handel

President, Kiwanis Club

of North Vancouver
1990-91

Sunday, March 17, 1991 ~ North Shore News - 17

The 1920's saw a return to op-
timism throughout North
America. The war was over and
major technological advances
were being made. Mass produc-
tion of goods and services con-
tributed to the enhancement of
our quality of life. In 1921, the
year of the first census, the
population of North Vancouver
was recorded as 10,602.

This was the time that a group
of committed individuals band-
ed together to offer volunteer
services to the community and
those less fortunate. The newly
formed Kiwanis Club of Van-
couver saw the opportunity for
a Ki..anis Club on the North
Shore and set about its sponsor-
ship. In 1921 the Kiwanis Club of
North Vancouver was up and
running, just one year before
British Columbians started driv-
ing on the right hand side of the

: es
LONSDALE AVE
\-NORTH- VANCOUVER 9

road.

For the first 20 years of its ex-
istence, the Kiwanis Club of
North Vancouver concentrated
primarily on the youth of our
community. This interest in
young people continues to the
present day through the sponsor-
ship of sparts teams, a program
of high school scholarships and
a Cub group.

Between 1921 and 1940, a
number of noteworthy events oc-
curred in the community. The
first Second Narrows Bridge
opened in 1925 and closed in
1930. This closure, due to a ma-
jor shipping accident, lasted four
years and put the District of
North Vancouver into receiver-
ship. The Dollarton Highway was
opened to traffic in 1932 and the
Lions Gate Bridge opened in
1938.

Streetcars on Lonsdale Avenuc.
Photo courtesy of North
Vancouver Archives.

Kiwanis Care Homes Ltd’s
Director of resident care Carol
Gordonsmith talking with
resident Dorothy Morrow.

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