Introduction to Kitsilano

Kitsilano stretches from the English Bay waterfront to 16th Avenue, and from Burrard to Alma Street. It is know for its young, active population, its endless beaches, spectacular mountain views, and its proximity to shopping, restaurants and the Downtown core.

History & Heritage

At the turn of the century, this area from Burrard to Alma Streets were a dense, wild-life-filled forest, in spite of earlier logging. A salmon canning factory at the foot of Macdonald Street was once unable to deal with the 'hundreds of thousands of salmon' caught in 1900.

During the summer, dozens of vacationing campers, many from the city's fashionable West End, lined Kits Beach, which was then called Greer's Beach named after one of the area's earliest settlers. East of the beach area was the Kitsilano Indian Reserve, which is the site of today's Vanier Park. The Coast Salish Village of Snauq was located on the shore of Falser Creek, slightly east of the Museum-Planetarium Complex.

The CPR, the B.C. Electric Railway's streetcar line along 4th Avenue to Alma, and the Burrard Bridge built in 1932, all played a role in opening up Kitsilano. Kitsilano was not fully developed south to 16th Avenue until the late 1940's. During World War 2, most of the old estates and many single-family homes along the slope above Kitsilano Beach were transformed into rooming houses. They remained that way until the 1960's, when the area had become popular with university students and young people from throughout North America.

There is a long history of community involvement in Kitsilano. As early as 1907, Kitsilano citizens lobbied for sewers, tram service and other infrastructure for their community. A rezoning of the slope above the beach to allow apartments raised residents' concerns over the future of their community. Further changes in the 1970's, and again in the 1980's, prompted City Council to initiate local area planning programs involving Kits residents, local business people and City staff.

In the past three decades, there have been numerous physical changes in the Kitsilano area. The most dramatic have occurred in the apartment area, where most original houses have been replaced by the new apartment buildings. In the duplex conversion areas of Kits, residents have been working hard to restore and preserve the character homes, which make the community so unique.

Concentrations of Craftsman-style houses can be found in the area bounded by Macdonald, Stephens, 5th and 6th Avenues. A virtually intact row of 'California Bungalows' can be seen on the south side of 5th Avenue, between Bayswater and Balaclava.

In recognition of the special quality of these duplex conversion areas, City Council has adopted changes to the Zoning and Development By-law to assist the retention of older character homes. These changes include:

" Allowing the conversion of large, old homes into multiple suites in designated areas
" Offering bonuses for sensitive new building designs as well as for the renovation of heritage buildings

Another community landmark is the tiny Arbutus Grocery at the corner of 6th Avenue and Arbutus Street. The building has a boomtown facade and an unusual corner entry. Thomas F. Frazer built it in 1907. It is one of the finest old grocery stores in the city.