Dunbar / Southlands
by Rita Woodman
Archaeological data indicate native people occupied this area for at least 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. The first homesteaders, in 1863, were Fitzgerald and Sam McCleery. The McCleery farm, now McCleery golf course, was the first operating farm in Vancouver, and the farmhouse, built in 1873, was the first permanent dwelling in the Vancouver area.
Dunbar/Southlands was part of the old Municipality of Point Grey. The area had been logged, but land for development was available only in Marpole and Kerrisdale. Most of the land was a mass of fallen, burned timber and was held by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the provincial government.
The origin of the name Dunbar is sometimes attributed to Charles Trott Dunbar, general agent for the Union Land Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, who came to Vancouver in 1888. He invested largely in real estate, and owned and controlled considerable property in the city. In 1906 a Vancouver newspaper reported he was promoting Dunbar Heights and “selling lots like hotcakes.” However, the name’s origin is earlier, for in 1886 it already appears on a map of Vancouver. Another suggestion is that the area was named after the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, in association with other battle-named streets in the area--Trafalgar, Balaclava, Blenheim, Waterloo and Alma. These names, however, were given by the city council in 1907 in substitution for Boundary, Richards, Cornwall, Lansdowne and Campbell, which were in use elsewhere in the city.
In 1912 a section of the UBC lands was subdivided and laid our on town-planning principles. The fact the university was to be established nearby was undoubtedly responsible in large part for the early development (and type of development) of the Dunbar/Southlands area. By 1919 the municipality was earning a reputation as a well-controlled area with regulations outlining building and landscaping. At that time a third of Point Grey’s municipal revenue came from CPR land taxes. By 1927 three streetcar routes served the area.
When Point Grey amalgamated with Vancouver in 1929, it was agreed Vancouver would respect the area’s restrictive zoning by-laws. The first land development of any consequence occurred in the mid-1920s, and some of the homes built during this period are still standing. Dunbar/Southlands consists almost entirely of single family dwellings and there are no highrises. There are “castle” homes scattered throughout, with two fine examples on West 39th Avenue just west of Dunbar.
The area is noted for its beautiful gardens, and the park board has planted many flowering trees along the streets. In some parts the trees meet overhead, forming archways several blocks long. There are many parks, the largest being Memorial Park West on Dunbar between 31st and 33rd avenues. Dunbar Community Centre opened here in 1950 after a spirited community drive for funds. At Musqueam Park one can plunge into the forest and follow Tin Can Creek, where salmon still spawn each fall.
The churches have followed the area’s development. Knox Presbyterian started in 1920. It later became part of the United Church and changed its name to Knox United. Immaculate Conception Church began in 1924 and St. Philip’s Anglican in 1925. Dunbar Heights United also dates from these years.
Within 15 minutes of downtown Vancouver, at the mouth of the Fraser River, there’s a serene pastoral retreat where horses and waterfowl mingle with high-tech development and historical landmarks. No other major Canadian city has country living so close by. It’s not uncommon to hear the cries of blue herons, red-tailed hawks and bald eagles as you clip-clop along a country road on your horse. You’ll also pass opulent new homes next to old rustic dwellings, as the area is still zoned for limited agriculture.
Spring cherry blossoms, among the best in the city, herald the beginning of the planting, pruning, and sowing season for spectacular English country gardens. Great pride is taken in creating these postcard-quality blooms.
Southlands Riding Club, incorporated in 1943 and home to some of Canada’s finest equestrians, sits on just over seven hectares in the heart of the community. The clubhouse, once an abandoned fisherman’s net storage hut on Deering Island was dismantled and carried piece by piece, by members on horseback, to its present site. Today cyclists, joggers, walkers and riders enjoy the wonderful river trail along the Fraser leading to Pacific Spirit Park, with its meandering trails under giant cedar and firs. Two-thousand-year-old Camosun Bog, a unique wetland within the park, can be reached by a boardwalk path beginning at Camosun and 19th Avenue. The bog is revered by the Musqueam people as a portal to the spirit world.
The entire Dunbar/Southlands covers an expanse from 16th Avenue to the Fraser River, and from Camosun Street east to Blenheim. It encompasses the Musqueam reserve, Celtic and Deering Islands, plus two public and three championship-rated private golf courses. This area contains some of the highest priced real estate in Canada.
With additional material by Elfleda Wilkinson and Glenda Guttman.
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