The housing stock in the Dunbar area of Vancouver has undergone significant change in the past five years. Originally a working class neighbourhood with many quite modest homes surrounded by lovely gardens, it is now a neighbourhood that 99% of the people working in Vancouver cannot afford because the replacement homes are built to the maximum footprint and cost millions. Greenspace has been reduced. Included on this website are photos of many (not all) of the disappeared houses.
View Teardowns in the Dunbar area of Vancouver, BC in a larger map

Demolitions West of the Dunbar Community Centre

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Changes on Wallace Street



This unusual  house was on the corner of Wallace and 19th (3902 West 19th Avenue).  It appears to have been built in the 1970's, or perhaps it was an extensive remodeling of an older house.  In any case, it was torn down in 2011 or 2012.

Built in 1946 on the corner of West 41st Avenue and Wallace Street, at 5687 Wallace.  It is on a wide lot of 78 feet that could have been split into two lots, but only one house appears to be under construction.  Torn down in late 2011 or early 2012.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Demolitions on West 39th Avenue

West 39th Avenue has wide lots, attractive for building large new houses. These three in the 4000 block join two previous demolitions in that block. Those two houses were replaced by luxury multimillion dollar houses that have spent their lives being for sale.  I missed getting a photo of 4069 before it was demolished.  It all adds up to six demolitions on the one 4000 block.


4026 West 39th Avenue on October 30, 2011. Torn down November 2011.

4049 West 39th Avenue. Torn down September or October 2011.

4055 West 39th Avenue. Torn down 2012.
This one at 3349 West 39th Avenue is east of Dunbar Street, but there are the same wide lots. Torn down 2012.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

West of Dunbar Street in the 30's



A substantial "Tudor" at 4015 West 35th Avenue. Torn down in 2011 or 2012.

The photo does not do justice to this lovely corner house at 3893 West 34th Avenue. Torn down in 2012.

Built in 1947 at 3906 West 34th Avenue.  Torn down in 2011 or 2012. Those little round windows usually mean a 1940's construction.

This house is smaller and likely older than the above three, and it was advertised as a "super Dunbar starter."  However, it met the same fate as three other houses on its same side of the block, within a 13-month period.  It will not be available as a "starter" because it was torn down on December 5 or 6, 2012.  3727 West 30th Avenue.

Friday, January 11, 2013

A Walk East on West 20th Avenue


It was hard to believe on a sunny day early in May, that this fine house high on the hill at 4047 West 20th would be considered for demolition.  However it was torn down sometime in 2011 or 2012. PS on July 14, 2013: I turned out to be wrong! It was the house to the left that was torn down, 4053 West 20th.

Across the street stood 4046 West 20th, a wide home on two legal lots.  Also torn down sometime in 2011 or 2012, it has been replaced by two houses.
3968 West 20th. Torn down in 2012.  This one has also been replaced by two houses, but the lot was only 44 feet wide, so probably the house to the right was also torn down.  It is difficult to keep track when so many are torn down--I have missed quite a few!

The blue house is 3835 West 20th, and the yellow one to the left is 3841 West 20th.  Both were torn down in 2012.
Walking east and across Dunbar Street one used to see this 1926 house at 3465 West 20th.  It was torn down in 2012.  Will the new house last 86 years?

Note the surveyor's stake, dividing this 66 foot lot into two halves.  Two new houses have been built on this former 3349 West 20th lot.  This house was torn down in 2012.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Good and Bad Design

Much is made of the design of the large new houses now being constructed, but the houses they replaced exhibited some good qualities, or not.

3845 West 37th Avenue.  Great wide porch with old stone!  Torn down 2012.

4006 West 38th Avenue, on the corner with Crown Street.  Torn down in 2012. Below, note the boring windowless wall facing Crown.  Built in 1948 without much budget, imagination, or awareness of our dark winters, or perhaps existing windows were covered up.  A bit of morning sun coming into the house would have been welcome.



3691 West 38th Avenue.  A traditional well-kept Dunbar cutie with a great spring garden growing there in April 2011. Torn down in 2012.

Built close to Dunbar Street at 3587 West 38th Avenue, this cottage could be a 20's home that underwent some modifications.  The photo was taken just prior to its demolition during the summer or fall 2012.  Prior to its demise, I noticed this little "stone cottage" in the front lawn near the sidewalk.  I wonder what happened to this nicely-painted pink-roofed home.


Saturday, January 5, 2013

Seven HousesThat Came Down on West 19th Avenue



4060 West 19th Avenue.  Built in 1923.  Torn down in 2012.
3984 West 19th Avenue.  Torn down February 4 or 5, 2011.


3716 West 19th Avenue.  This house is the odd one out in this blog entry because it appears to be from the 70`s or 80`s, or maybe it is a total remodel of an older house. Torn down in 2012.

3804 West 19th Avenue. Built in 1938 on the corner. Torn down Spring 2012 and replaced by a new house and laneway house both clad in stone.

3857 West 19th Avenue.  Snow there on February 29, 2012! Torn down Spring 2012.

3983 West 19th Avenue.  Derelict in May 2011.  Torn down Fall 2011.
3528 West 19th Avenue.  This is the only one east of Dunbar Street on this blog entry, and it appears to have been built in the 1920`s during the initial development of the Dunbar area. Torn down Spring 2011.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Demolitions on Blenheim Street


The first four houses pictured here, all on Blenheim Street, were demolished in 2011.

5276 Blenheim.  Torn down May or June 2011.

4579 Blenheim. Torn down in 2011. Replaced by a new house + laneway house.


5192 Blenheim. Torn down June or July 2011.

The above house is on a corner--here is the rear view.  The place was being prepared for demolition.

4732 Blenheim. Torn down in 2011.

4555 Blenheim.  For sale in October 2011. Torn down in 2012.

There was at least one more demolition on Blenheim Street, but I missed getting a photo of the original house.  I've been watching the old Morrisette farmhouse, which is looking more derelict all the time, but because it is a heritage building, it is supposed to be retained.  We'll see...