With this year being Kitsilano’s 100th birthday, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at the architectural history of our fine neighbourhood. We’ve all seen the Craftsman style houses that were built in the early 1900s from the outside but not a lot of us have had a chance to tour one of these million dollar homes other than during the odd real estate open house.
Enter the Vancouver Heritage Foundation – every year they conduct the Open Vancouver Heritage House Tour and this year they have Kitsilano on their list of stops. This year’s tour includes ten unique homes – a turn of the century kit houses in Strathcona, charming worker cottages near Commercial Drive, Craftsman bungalows in Kitsilano and luxurious Shaughnessy homes. Some of the houses feature careful restorations while others are creative interpretations on historic themes.
This year’s tour is on Sunday, June 5th. Visitors use a guidebook giving architectural and social history information about the houses and neighbourhoods, to plan their own, personal itinerary. Visit as few or as many houses, in whatever order you choose. Volunteers are on hand in each home to welcome visitors and answer questions.
Last modified: May 2, 2005
