Let’s find a way to preserve the Navvy Jack House

Recently a diverse citizens group came together, mostly out of members of the West Vancouver Heritage Advisory Committee, to save the Navvy Jack House when it came under threat earlier this year.

As a recap, in June, council voted in a closed door meeting to “deconstruct” the building rather than to repurpose it. The building doesn’t need any structural restoration because it is as solid, if not more solid, than the day it was built back around 1873, being built out of the finest first-growth wood cut locally.

When old fine-grained wood is kept well, it hardens over the years making it stronger. This building is the oldest building on the North Shore and connects us to West Vancouver’s first colonial settler, John “Navvy Jack” Thomas, who married the granddaughter of a Coast Salish Chief (her name has been reported in various historical reports as Rowia, Slawia, Annie, Madeline and her baptized name Magdeleine).

They raised four children in the home and their descendants include many members of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh bands on the North Shore including all the descendants of the late famous actor, Chief Dan George, and activist Leonard George.

In July, at the prompting of the Heritage Advisory Committee, a temporary stay of demolition was voted for by Council until the report of the quickly formed Navvy Jack House Citizens Group could be completed and presented to Council.

This group of eight people had never worked together before, but in a short seven week period, pulled together a 120 page report weaving together historical information, architectural drawings (by professional architects on the team), building cost estimates and general options that summarizes many diverse opportunities ranging from coffee shop to public rental space usable for weddings.

The report was submitted on time to West Vancouver staff to review and report back to Council on it by the end of October.  As a member of this group, I can attest to the time commitment by everyone to complete a thorough report to save this building.

The report recommends an option to remove some of the less attractive additions added on in the last 80 years that were focused on expanding building space with less emphasis on character.

The hope is to return the building to the character it took on circa 1907 and to preserve some of the modifications built later to expand space when those changes do not unduly impact on the character.

There will also be an attempt by some groups like the West Vancouver Foundation to facilitate donations to complete the repurposed building. Council will likely be more enthusiastic to spend public funds if private donors can come forward to assist.

Unfortunately, we are not in the USA.

In America it seems like every town, big and small, celebrates their heritage through the preservation of buildings still standing from the 1800’s or before.

Philanthropists have been generous in protecting such buildings through trusts and municipal protection throughout the US. The Navvy Jack House is desperately in need of that kind of respect being given to it and time may be running out.

Paul Hundal is a West Vancouver citizen and a member of the Navvy Jack House Citizens Group.