This photo ca. 1905 shows Lonsdale Avenue as viewed from the wharf. Note the lack of streetcar tracks and the newly erected electricity poles on one side of Lonsdale Avenue. In August 1905, an agreement was signed between North Vancouver’s district council and the B.C. Electric Railway Company to bring street lighting, electric power, and electric streetcars to North Vancouver.
In 1906, when electricity was introduced to the town centre, the population of the entire North Shore was estimated at 1,200. The prosperity electrification brought to the Lower Lonsdale area prompted the separation of the city from the district in 1907. The distinctive building at centre right was the first municipal hall, built in 1904.
Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to learn about MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver opening in Fall 2021.
Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley is open by appointment only. Contact: archives@monova.ca
Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.
