If You Grew Up on the North Shore, You’ll Remember These 21 Things

Before 1938 there was no Lions Gate Bridge. The Shore was built anyway, by shipyard crews, streetcar lines and a lot of people who decided a canyon or a cove was worth the trip.

This is the documented version of the places people here grew up with. The dates and numbers come from archives, museums, the municipalities, the places themselves and local news reporting. Where sources disagree, you’ll see that too.

Some of these are gone, like the standalone White Spot and the streetcars on Lonsdale. Most you can still visit, and for each one you’ll find the story, where it is, what it costs and a tip for going back.

21. Cates Park and Malcolm Lowry’s Shack (Dollarton)

The novelist Malcolm Lowry rented a cabin near Roche Point in 1940. He liked the life enough to stay 14 years.

His best-known novel gave its name to the Under the Volcano arts festival, held in the park from 1990 to 2010. The North Shore Heritage piece covers his Dollarton years.

The ruins of the old Dollarton sawmill are still visible in the park. Follow the Malcolm Lowry trail along the shore. The shack itself is long gone, but a stone marker and a 1987 plaque on the trail near Little Cates Park mark roughly where it stood. Seasonal pay parking is in effect at the park.

20. Presentation House, Now the Polygon Gallery (Lower Lonsdale)

The old building at Third Street and Chesterfield has been a school, a city hall, a jail, an art gallery, a museum and a theatre. Few buildings on the Shore have had more jobs.

Presentation House Gallery operated there for 40 years. In 2017 it moved down the hill into the Polygon, a building that won a Governor General’s Medal.

The Polygon is next to Lonsdale Quay and is open Wednesday to Sunday. Admission is by donation; thepolygon.ca has current hours.

19. Capilano Mall and Its Sears (City of North Vancouver)

Capilano Mall opened in March 1967. One source puts the year at 1969.

An expansion added a Sears store in 1974. For years, Cap Mall was the smaller rival across the river from Park Royal.

The Sears is gone. Its old space was the indoor North Shore Bike Park from 2023 until March 2025, and it’s now the Fairgrounds pickleball club. The mall itself is still open at 935 Marine Drive, near the Capilano River.

18. Capilano River Hatchery (District of North Vancouver)

The hatchery opened in 1971 to support the Capilano River’s salmon run. For a lot of Shore kids, it was a school field trip.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada runs it, and admission is free. That’s according to Metro Vancouver’s park brochure.

It sits inside Capilano River Regional Park. Water levels on the Capilano can change suddenly, so stay back from the river’s edge.

17. Whytecliff Park (West Vancouver)

West Vancouver bought this land from Union Steamships for $75,000. It was dedicated as a park by bylaw in 1953, according to West Vancouver Archives.

In 1993 its waters became Canada’s first saltwater marine protected area. That’s a big title for a small park at the west end of Marine Drive.

Whyte Islet is reachable only at low tide. Check the tides before you cross, and leave yourself time to get back.

16. Dundarave Pier (West Vancouver)

The first was built in June 1912 by the Canadian Construction Co., according to West Vancouver Archives.

The neighbourhood name came from R.E. Macnaghten, after Dunderave Castle on Loch Fyne in Scotland. Note the spelling. The castle has an e where the neighbourhood has an a.

That first pier was wrecked by 1914, but its successor still stands at the foot of 25th Street. Walk to the end and turn around for the view back toward the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park.

15. Deep Cove, the Summer Cabin Village (District of North Vancouver)

Deep Cove grew into a summer resort for Vancouver residents in the 1920s. Long before it was a commute, it was a getaway.

The Deep Cove Yacht Club registered as a society in 1936 and took over the summer regattas in 1938. The Deep Cove Heritage Society has been preserving the area’s stories since 1985.

The society publishes a walking tour, which is the best way to see the old cabin village in what’s there now. Seasonal pay parking applies at Deep Cove Park and Panorama Park.

14. Streetcars on Lonsdale and Car 153 (MONOVA)

From 1906 to 1947, BC Electric ran three streetcar lines on the North Shore. One went up Lonsdale, one toward Lynn Valley and one toward Capilano.

Car 153 ran on the Lonsdale line from August 1912 to September 1946. According to MONOVA, the last North Van streetcar ran on April 27, 1947. Car 153 is the last survivor of that network.

The restored car now sits in the lobby of MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, and you can climb aboard. MONOVA’s Car 153 page has the full story. Check monova.ca for admission.

13. Burrard Dry Dock, Now the Shipyards (Lower Lonsdale)

The Wallace shipyard moved to the North Vancouver waterfront in 1906 and later became Burrard Dry Dock. For most of the 20th century, that was the foot of Lonsdale.

During the Second World War it employed 14,000 people at its peak, working three round-the-clock shifts. MONOVA’s history timeline tells that part of the story well.

The yards ran until 1992. The area is now the Shipyards District, a free public waterfront. Walk east from Lonsdale Quay and look for the old industrial structures and heritage features kept along the way.

12. Maplewood Farm (District of North Vancouver)

Before it was a petting farm, Maplewood was a working dairy. It delivered milk and cream from Lonsdale all the way to Deep Cove.

The District runs it, and it opened to the public in 1975. Generations of North Shore kids had birthday parties and school trips here. It still drew 88,300 visitors in 2024.

It’s off the Dollarton Highway near the Second Narrows. Admission is charged, and maplewoodfarm.bc.ca has the details.

11. The Blue Bus (West Vancouver)

The District of West Vancouver bought its first bus in 1916. More than a century later, the Blue Bus is still running.

It’s the last municipally owned bus service operating under TransLink. Everything else in the region got folded into one system, and West Van kept its own colours.

Routes run through Park Royal, Ambleside, Dundarave and Horseshoe Bay, all on a regular TransLink fare. It’s the easiest way to string several West Van stops on this list into one day without parking at each.

10. Point Atkinson Lighthouse (Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver)

The six-sided reinforced concrete tower went up in 1912, replacing a light from 1875. It stands 18.3 metres high, and Parks Canada calls it an early example of the design.

It’s automated now and still guides ships approaching Vancouver. The lighthouse is a national historic site.

The rocks at the viewpoint give you the classic photo. Find it at the south end of Beacon Lane off Marine Drive, and check the Lighthouse Park page before you go.

9. The Standalone White Spot at Marine and Taylor Way (West Vancouver)

For almost 60 years, a White Spot stood on its own at the southwest corner of Marine Drive and Taylor Way. It opened there in 1955. In 2014 the restaurant moved a little farther west, and its old space became part of the mall.

That corner worked as a landmark for generations of families. If someone on the Shore says they’ll meet you at the White Spot at Park Royal, this is the building they mean.

The standalone building is gone. The restaurant only moved a short way west, so the habit of meeting there didn’t have far to travel.

8. The Lynn Canyon Bridge, Once 10 Cents (Lynn Valley)

In 1912, the McTavish brothers donated about 5 hectares around the newly built suspension bridge to create the park. Crossing the bridge cost 10 cents back then. It’s free now.

The park has grown from 12 acres in its early years to 617 acres today, according to Lynn Canyon Park’s information page. The Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre has the bridge’s history.

There are about 30 steps down to the bridge, so it isn’t accessible for strollers or wheelchairs. Pay parking runs March 1 to Oct. 31 at $3 an hour, 8am to 6pm. Visiting after Oct. 31 saves you the meter.

7. Capilano Suspension Bridge (District of North Vancouver)

In 1889, George Grant Mackay hung a footbridge of hemp rope and cedar planks across Capilano Canyon. It’s the earliest-dated attraction on this list, though the bridge itself was replaced with wire cables in 1903 and completely rebuilt in 1956.

Today it’s a private park with an admission fee, drawing more than 1.2 million visitors a year. Plenty of locals only went when relatives came to town. The park’s own history page tells the Mackay story.

It’s on Capilano Road, north of Marine Drive. If you want a canyon without the ticket, Lynn Canyon and Capilano River Regional Park are free.

6. The Second Narrows Bridge Collapse (Ironworkers Memorial Crossing)

On June 17, 1958, two spans of the new Second Narrows Bridge collapsed while it was still under construction. Nineteen people died. They were 14 ironworkers, three engineers, a painter and a commercial diver who drowned during the recovery.

The bridge opened on Aug. 25, 1960. In 1994 it was renamed the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, which is why the full name is such a mouthful.

Unions hold a memorial every year on June 17. If you cross on Highway 1 that day, you’re crossing on the anniversary.

5. Lonsdale Quay Market, the Expo 86 Market (City of North Vancouver)

The Quay was built as a carnival-style marketplace for Expo 86. The land had been the North Van Ship Repair dock.

It opened to the public on Valentine’s Day 1986, and the official opening followed on April 12, 1986. That makes 2026 its 40th anniversary. The Quay’s own history page uses the April date.

It sits right beside the SeaBus terminal and the Lonsdale Quay bus exchange, and it’s open to the public seven days a week. Pair it with a SeaBus ride and a walk east along the Shipyards waterfront.

4. The SeaBus’s First Sailings (Lonsdale Quay to Waterfront)

The SeaBus started service on June 17, 1977, with two catamarans, the Burrard Otter and the Burrard Beaver. That was 19 years to the day after the Second Narrows collapse.

It came out of a plan that didn’t happen. A tunnel across Burrard Inlet, a ‘third crossing,’ had been proposed, and when it was dropped, the water crossing took its place.

Each sailing takes about 12 minutes, plus roughly three minutes to load and unload. It runs on a regular TransLink fare, and TransLink’s Buzzer blog has more on its history. It’s still one of the cheapest harbour views around.

3. The Lions Gate Bridge Lights Going On for Expo 86 (Lions Gate Bridge)

In 1986, the year of Expo 86, a string of white lights went up along the bridge cables. They were a gift from the Guinness family, the same family that paid for the bridge in the first place. The District of West Vancouver’s heritage page has the background.

The original bulbs were swapped for LEDs in July 2009. The look from shore is much the same.

You can see the lit bridge from Ambleside Park, Prospect Point or the Stanley Park seawall. Ambleside’s west end gives you the bridge with the city behind it, so go in the evening. Ambleside Park has pay parking year-round from 7am to 10pm ($2.50 an hour through 2026, with 90 free minutes if you start a PayByPhone session).

2. The Original Grouse Mountain Skyride (District of North Vancouver)

Grouse’s double chairlift opened on Dec. 1, 1949. For years, that was how you got up.

The 45-passenger Skyride opened on Dec. 15, 1966. The larger 100-passenger Super Skyride followed ten years later to the day. Which one you rode as a kid says a lot about your age.

It’s a paid attraction at the top of Capilano Road. Grouse Mountain’s history page covers the timeline, and grousemountain.com has current prices.

1. Paying a Toll on the Lions Gate Bridge (First Narrows)

The Lions Gate Bridge was a private project. Through a syndicate called British Pacific Properties, the Guinness family paid for it to open up its land in West Vancouver.

Pedestrians walked across first, on Nov. 12, 1938. Cars followed two days later. The province took over the bridge in 1955 and removed the tolls in 1963. The entire deck was replaced between 2000 and 2001, mostly during overnight closures, and final paving followed in 2002.

The crossing is free today. Walking it gives you the view of the First Narrows that drivers never get.

When to go

• Pay parking at Lynn Canyon, Cates, Deep Cove and Panorama parks runs March 1 to Oct. 31, $3 an hour, 8am to 6pm daily. Outside those dates, pay parking is not in effect at those four District of North Vancouver parks. West Vancouver’s Lighthouse, Whytecliff and Ambleside parks charge for parking year-round, 7am to 10pm.
• Check the Polygon’s current opening days on thepolygon.ca before planning a Lower Lonsdale day around it.
• For the bridge lights, go in the evening and watch from Ambleside’s west end.
• Whyte Islet only works at low tide. Check the tide table first.
• June 17 is the anniversary of the Second Narrows collapse, when unions hold their memorial.

What to bring

• A TransLink fare for the SeaBus and the Blue Bus.
• A way to pay for parking at District parks during the pay season.
• Legs for stairs at Lynn Canyon, where about 30 steps lead down to the bridge.
• Money or a card for the paid stops: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse, Maplewood Farm, and MONOVA ($15 for adults). The Polygon is by donation.

Safety and etiquette

On the Capilano River, stay off the rocks at the water’s edge. At Whytecliff, don’t let the tide cut you off on Whyte Islet. The Lynn Canyon bridge isn’t accessible for strollers or wheelchairs, so plan around the steps if you’re bringing someone who can’t manage them.

Getting there

Several of these sit within walking distance of the Lonsdale Quay terminal: the Quay itself, the Shipyards, Car 153 at MONOVA and the Polygon. Take the SeaBus over and do them on foot.

In West Van, the Blue Bus runs through Park Royal, Ambleside, Dundarave and Horseshoe Bay, which covers the White Spot corner, the bridge-light view and Dundarave Pier. Maplewood Farm and Cates Park are both off the Dollarton Highway, so they pair well in one drive.

District residents can buy a seasonal parks parking pass. Check the District’s parking page for current rules.

What these places cost to visit today

Place	Cost today	Parking or fare note
Lions Gate Bridge walkway	Free	Tolls removed 1963
Lynn Canyon bridge	Free	$3/hour, 8am to 6pm, March 1 to Oct. 31
Capilano Suspension Bridge	Paid admission	Check capbridge.com
Grouse Mountain Skyride	Paid attraction	Check grousemountain.com
Capilano River Hatchery	Free	Run by Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Maplewood Farm	Admission charged	Check maplewoodfarm.bc.ca
Point Atkinson Lighthouse	Free	Pay parking year-round, $5.08/hour, 7am to 10pm. Light station grounds closed to the public
Whytecliff Park	Free	Pay parking year-round, $5.08/hour, 7am to 10pm. Whyte Islet at low tide only
Dundarave Pier	Free	Foot of 25th Street
Cates Park/Whey-ah-Wichen	Free	Seasonal pay parking
Deep Cove	Free	Seasonal pay parking at Deep Cove Park and Panorama Park
Car 153 at MONOVA	Check monova.ca	Short walk from Lonsdale Quay
Polygon Gallery	By donation	Open Wednesday to Sunday
SeaBus	Regular TransLink fare	About 12 minutes per sailing

Most of the Shore’s history is still standing, as long as you know where to look. A rope bridge became a ticketed park. A shipyard became a waterfront. A streetcar became a museum piece you can still sit in. Pick one you haven’t seen since you were a kid and go back. Some of it will look the same.

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Photo credits

• 2016 366 108 Baker and the Bridge (26495813255).jpg by Edna Winti, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lions Gate Bridge (27964158802).jpg by Mike W. from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lions Gate Bridge West Vancouver.jpg by No machine-readable author provided. Tawker assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lions Gate Bridge (First Narrows Bridge) 3.JPG by Xiao23, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lion’s Gate Bridge.jpg by David J Laporte from Great Falls, Montana, USA, CC BY 2.0 (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Whitespot.jpg by Luis, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lions Gate Bridge at night.jpg by unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Second Narrows Bridge1.jpg by Kyle Pearce from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burrard Otter with Vancouver skyline 2.JPG by Alasdair McLellan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lonsdale Quay – view from the Q.jpg by Shaundd, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• North Van Shipyards Precinct from Lonsdale Quay.JPG by Shaundd, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• BCER Streetcar on Lonsdale Av., North Vancouver, B.C. – Dominion Day banner.jpg by Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• West Vancouver Blue Bus.jpg by No machine-readable author provided. Tawker assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vancouver banner Dundarave pier.jpg by Shaundd, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lighthouse Lighthouse Park.JPG by Clayoquot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Grouse Mountain cable car, late 1970s.jpg by Barry Lewis, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Capilano suspension bridge -a.jpg by David J Laporte, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge (8623297692).jpg by Colin Knowles from Vancouver, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Capilano Salmon Hatchery – Vancouver BC.jpg by eekim, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Maplewood farm N. vancouver – panoramio.jpg by bynyalcin, CC BY 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Whytecliff Park, West Vancouver.jpg by Northwest, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cates Park 14.JPG by Braveheart, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Deep Cove 1.jpg by Xicotencatl, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Capilano-Mall.jpg by Arnold C, Attribution (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver.jpg by Shaundd, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.