West Vancouver is connected to the downtown city of Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge. Originally named First Narrows Bridge, its completion in 1938 allowed the people of the North Shore municipalities to cross 1,823 metres (5,981 ft) of the Burrard Inlet to the city.[6]
A cabin at 15th St. and Ottawa Ave. in 1942Lighthouse at Point Atkinson
The Municipality of West Vancouver was incorporated on March 15, 1912, after separating from the District of North Vancouver. The first municipal election was held on April 6, 1912. In November 1938, the Lions Gate Bridge was opened to traffic, allowing extensive growth of the semi-populated community, previously only accessible by ferry. Some homes in West Vancouver date back to the 1920s and 30s, though most of the currently existing dwellings were built in the 1970s and 80s, and mostly in British Pacific Properties' developments.
1866: John Thomas, known as "Navvy Jack", sailed from England or Wales, arriving in Burrard Inlet, in about 1866. He was the first Caucasian resident of West Vancouver, offered first ferry service to what be known as Vancouver in a rowboat. His house still stands today at Ambleside and there is a Navvy Jack Point.[8] Thomas' nickname Navvy Jack today remains used in British Columbia English to mean washed pea gravel used in construction and landscaping trades, as he was the original supplier of the material to Vancouver and mined it from coves in West Vancouver.[9]
1872: James Blake preempted the first 65 hectares (160 acres) of land
1875: First lighthouse at Point Atkinson
1898: Mr. Francis Caulfeild was put ashore at Skunk Cove
1905: John Lawson, a local leader settled at foot of 17th street
1908: First pier, Hollyburn Pier
1909:
West Vancouver Transportation Company was formed, provides ferry service across harbour to Vancouver
"Real estate boom" lots sold for as little as $450 and as much as $4,500
1910: Water systems started at Caulfeild and Ambleside
1911: First primary school, Presbyterian Church at Dundarave
Only 48 of West Vancouver's 100 kilometres of roads paved
1931: Dan Sewell opened his marina and the Whytecliff Lodge
1932: 650 hectares (1,600 acres) of land bought by A.R. Guinness-Br. Pacific Properties bought for $50 a hectare, they have been developed as the British Properties
1934: First police car
1936: Hollyburn Post Office built at 17th street and Marine Drive
1938: Lions Gate Bridge finished, opened May 29. The bridge cost a total of $6 million to build. It was financed by the Guinness family, in conjunction with the development and marketing of the British Properties.
1947: Ferry service stopped due to lack of demand after bridge constructed
West Vancouver was the second municipality in British Columbia to record cases of COVID-19 in March 2020, following the first reported outbreak at Lynn Valley Care Home in the neighbouring District of North Vancouver.[12] On March 12, 2020, long-term care facility Hollyburn House announced they had identified two positive cases among a staff member and resident.[13]
Mayor Mary-Ann Booth began instituting closures on March 13, and on March 16 closed all facilities run by the District except for Municipal Hall, police and fire services, the District Operations Centre and Capilano View Cemetery.[14] She declared a local state of emergency on March 21, granting the municipal government additional powers to enforce orders issued by provincial health officer Bonnie Henry, including business closures and revocation of business licenses.[15]
West Vancouver is mainly a residential district as many residents are retired, work at home, or take the short commute to downtown Vancouver.
A 13-block strip of Marine Drive serves as a commercial district, featuring shops, small offices, garages and gas stations, restaurants, banks, and other common amenities. The area between 13th and 19th Streets is commonly known as Ambleside Village, and the area between 24th and 26th Streets is known as the village of Dundarave. This commercial area is served by the Ambleside Dundarave Business Improvement Association.
West Vancouver is also home to Park Royal Shopping Centre, Canada's first mall. Opened in the 1950s, it now consumes 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of both sides of Marine Drive near North Vancouver. Park Royal is the second largest mall in British Columbia, after Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. Located nearby is a major bus terminal for Blue Bus and North Vancouver TransLink buses.
The West Vancouver Memorial Library, located in Ambleside, has a circulation rate of 21.32 per capita, the highest circulation rate per capita in Canada.[16]
Demographics
At the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, West Vancouver had a population of 44,122 living in 17,690 of its 18,795 total private dwellings, a change of 3.9% from its 2016 population of 42,473. With a land area of 87.18 km2 (33.66 sq mi), it had a population density of 506.1/km2 (1,310.8/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
West Vancouver has the second highest percentage of persons aged 65 or older in BC with 22% of persons fitting into the category, compared with 13% for the rest of the province. The top five professions in West Vancouver are professional science and technical services; retail trade; health care; finance and insurance; and educational services. A large portion of the population is involved in senior management in comparison with the rest of the province.[17]
As of the 2006 census, the languages spoken in West Vancouver were:
By mother tongue:
English: 70%
French: 1.2%
Other languages: 28%
By most commonly used household language:
English: 83%
French: 0.4%
Other languages: 14.5%
Affluence
West Vancouver is Canada's wealthiest municipality, with an average household net worth of CA$4,454,424.[24] North Vancouver just next door is the tenth richest. West Vancouver is home to some very large, luxurious and expensive properties and houses. Occasionally, houses have been priced and sold at around $30,000,000. In 2011, West Vancouver's average house sold for over $2,000,000;[25] 95% of the houses or close to 16,000 homes are worth over $1 million. In West Vancouver, average total incomes were $86,253 for males and $48,070 for females, almost double the provincial average. Over 80% of the population has a total family income of at least $100,000.[17]
West Vancouver is served by West Vancouver Municipal Transit, colloquially known as Blue Bus. West Vancouver Municipal Transit is one of two bus companies in the Greater Vancouver region operating under contract for TransLink. Transfer is free between West Vancouver Municipal Transit buses and other TransLink buses.
The Lions Gate Bridge viewed from Ambleside ParkWest Vancouver Aquatic CentreLions Gate Bridge and West VancouverApartment and condominium towers lined along the West Vancouver seawall
West Vancouver is known for its parks such as Cypress Provincial Park, which offers scenic views of Howe Sound and the Metro Vancouver area. Whytecliff Park and Lighthouse Park, near the community of Horseshoe Bay, at the continental terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway. All of West Vancouver is situated on the side of the Coast Mountains. Because of this position, many homes in West Vancouver have views of Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and/or Howe Sound.
Ambleside Park and the 15-block-long West Vancouver Seawall are popular spots for families and outdoor enthusiasts. Whytecliff Park is regarded as one of the best scuba diving spots in Western Canada. The District also has many other small parks, as well as Lighthouse Park at Point Atkinson, which contains some old-growth forest and has with views of Vancouver from downtown to Point Grey and is the boundary-point between English Bay and the Strait of Georgia. John Lawson Park is also another popular area for families, it features a playground for children, an open grass field for families to picnic, and a view of Lions Gate Bridge and the downtown skyline which are both across the water.
West Vancouver has several public recreation facilities including an 18-hole par 3 golf course, a pool, an ice rink, basketball and tennis courts, skate parks and numerous public parks. The new West Vancouver Community Centre (or WVCC) has been rebuilt and opened Spring 2009. Cypress Provincial Park also has mountain biking trails and a large ski and snowboard resort, which served as one of the venues for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
West Vancouver (left side) as seen from Stanley Park
Politics
As of 2022, the mayor is Mark Sager, who previously served as West Van Mayor from 1991–1996.
West Vancouver ridings typically include Squamish and Whistler, and sometimes the Sunshine Coast.
There are 17 public schools that make up School District 45 West Vancouver. There are also 4 private schools in the city. Of these 21 schools, 6 are high schools. Over 80 percent of West Vancouver high school graduates go to post-secondary schools.[26] Many residents from Squamish, the Sunshine Coast, and North Vancouver attend West Vancouver schools.
^Joseph P. Harris, "Practical Workings of proportional representation in the U.S. and Canada," National Municipal Review, 19 (5) May 1930 (pages 337–383)
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