Introduction to Kerrisdale

Kerrisdale is a mature, well-established suburban community filled with single-family homes on tree-lines street, a mixture of low and high-rise apartments, and a prosperous commercial center along 41st Avenue.

The area stretches from Blenheim to Granville Street/Angus Drive, and from 41st Avenue to Southwest Marine Drive. It is considered to be one of the most stable communities in Canada.

History & Heritage

The first settlers in Kerrisdale were the Irish McCleery brothers, who came to the area in 1867 to farm the meadows where the golf course bearing their name is located. When the Steveston fish canneries began to flourish, a need for workers prompted the CPR to construct a railway from Vancouver to Lulu Island. The "Sockeye Special", as it named, went through the heart of Kerrisdale, which provided transportation for the first influx of people.

Kerrisdale received its name in 1905, when the B.C. Electric Railway took over the line from the CPR. Mrs. MacKinnon, one of the area's earliest residents, was asked by the line's general manager to name the tram stop at Wilson Road, now 41st. She chose 'Kerrisdale' after her old family home in Kerrydale, Scotland.

In 1908, the area joined the new municipality of Point Grey and the first election was held on January 11, 1908. As the geographic centre of the area, Kerrisdale became the political hub. The present Kerrisdale Centennial Park was the site of the original City Hall, which at that time contained the Council chamber, municipal offices, the police court and a two-cell jail.

From 1904 to 1912, Kerrisdale possessed a general store and post office, a hardware store and a real estate office, at the intersection of Wilson Road and West Boulevard. In 1912, Frank Bowser and Frank Burd built the Bowser Block, which still occupies the southwest corner of the intersection.

Streetcar service arrived on 41st Avenue in 1912. It passed through the developing commercial area at 41st Avenue. Kerrisdale joined the City of Vancouver in 1929 when it combined with Point Grey. Kerrisdale retains the basic development pattern of the early years, established by the Wilson Road and Vancouver-Lulu island train tracks.

Early settlers in Kerrisdale were attracted to the semi-rural setting. Many homes were developed in a mixture of styles that still remain today. Architectural styles include English Arts and Crafts, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and the Beaux Art. Kerrisdale has retained many of its original homes and remains one of Vancouver's most pleasant neighbourhoods.

Among the estates lining Southwest Marine Drive are a number of gracious mansions from a bygone era. Prominent architects Maclure and Fox designed the Barton Home, at 2194 Southwest Marine Drive, in 1913. It is an excellent example of Tudor Revival Style. The Rio Vista and Casa Maria Estates, both built for members of the Reifel family, are impressive examples of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Ryerson United Church is a neighbourhood landmark with its steeply pitched gable roof and prominent corner tower. Built in 1927, in Gothic Revival, the church continues to be an important focus for community events.

The elegant Shannon Estate on Granville Street is another community landmark. This palatial Beaux Arts home was originally built for Benjamin Tingley Rogers between 1915 and 1925. Well-known financier Austin C. Taylor later owned it. The property was redeveloped following Taylor's death in 1965. Condominiums were added to the site, but the main house, with its columnar porticos, balustrades, outdoor terraces, and significant landscape features and gardens, still remains.