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History & Heritage
History
Drawn to the vast virgin forests on the northern bank of the Fraser River,
the first non-indigenous families settled in the Victoria-Fraserview area
in the 1860s. A small population established a settlement near the southern
ends of Main and Fraser Streets. In 1892, the area was incorporated into
the Municipality of South Vancouver. Upon incorporation, South Vancouver
stretched from Boundary Road on the east, to Point Grey on the west. It
encompassed all of what is now Collingwood, Cedar Cottage, Fraserview,
Marpole, Dunbar and West Point Grey. In 1929, the municipality changed
once again, this time through amalgamation with the City of Vancouver.
Victoria-Fraserview was mostly undeveloped to the end of World War II.
However, in the late 1940s there was a sudden shortage of housing for
returning war veterans. Victoria-Fraserview, (and its eastern neighbour,
Sunset), suddenly became home to 1,100 new homes to meet the demand. Begun
in the 1940s, and completed in the 1950s, this large influx of new housing
was not welcomed by many area residents. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing
Corporation expropriated 182 hectares (450 acres) to implement this controversial
housing scheme.
Traditionally, Victoria-Fraserview has had a strong industrial presence
along the north arm of the Fraser River. However, since the late 1980s,
there has been a marked decline in industrial uses and a trend towards
re-use of industrial lands for residential development. A new comprehensive
residential development, Fraser Lands, is proceeding along the Fraser
River. Former industrial lands are being transformed into the city's newest
waterfront neighbourhood.
Heritage
Victoria-Fraserview was originally part of the South Vancouver Municipality;
historically a rural community of modest homes and scattered farms. Wales
Street has two important reminders of the community's earliest days. The
Avalon Dairy, at 5805 Wales Street, is B.C.'s oldest continuously operating
dairy outlet. The dairy and farmhouse are still owned and operated by
the Crowley family.
The Cooper House, at 5872 Wales Street, is a fitting, semi-rural counterpoint
to the dairy. Built in the Craftsman style, with extensive use of projecting
bays and half-timbering, this superbly maintained house presents a glimpse
of country life. Constructed in 1919 on an acre of land, the original
setback and plantings have all been retained.
Detailed information on the city's heritage and a complete list of heritage
buildings is available at City
of Vancouver Heritage.
Additional information is available through the City
of Vancouver Archives.
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