Berquist

This is a Crafstman style home at 2439 Eton Street, and a fine example of one. Builder-contractor Andrew Berquist who was also responsible for numerous other local buildings such as 2457 and 2487 Eton and an apartment building at 2598 Eton built it in 1911.

The ownership of this home passed on to Berquist's son, Art, who was also a contractor and the house remained in the family until 2000.

This house has been kept in exceptional condition with a multitude of original details. The decorative brackets, den-tilled barge boards, stained glass, curved balcony recess and original dark stained interior remind visitors of the beauty of years gone by.

This is another building built by Berquist - 2598 Eton Street - also built in 1911.

It is known as Park Grocery. Before the city adopted its usage-restricting zoning bylaw, corner grocery stores were common in our residential areas.

The majority of today's neighbourhood grocery stores are operated by Chinese Canadians, who entered this field after having monopolized local truck gardening.

This bay windowed, 3-storey clap board building has suites above the shop that was originally called the Beacon Hill Grocery. This store served the East Hastings area, which is an extension of the former Hastings Townsite. The district developed rapidly with the extension of the street car lines along McGill Street shortly after 1910.

For the information I relayed on the buildings I have to thank the plaque outside the Berquist house and bob_2006 at flickr.com. The photos you are seeing today are ones I have taken.

I hope you find the beauty around you.


Karen Magill, Vancouver, Flickr.com, history, Berquist, Birks British Columbia, Canada, Eton,Chinese Canadian

Tiptoe through

Here's another school for you.

I was walking along Kitchener Street one day when I saw this school and a sign anouncing its centennial celebration on May 6.

The school was named after British Admiral, Horatio Nelson.

In 1930, 1952 and 1964 the size of the school was increased. And in 1965 the playground west of the school was added and three years later portables were permanently installed when the school's enrolment peaked at 1,100 students.

The population of this learning establishment has changed over the years. During the 1940s through the 1970s the attendees were predominantly those of Italian descent but now the enrolment is more diverse with about 58% of the students being East Asian descent.

I lived in this area in 1984 and then there were a lot of people of Italian descent living here. Now it seems like there is more diversity in the faces I see.

When people mention tulips do you think of acres of yellow blossoms surrounding windmills in the Netherlands? Do you see wooden clogs and blond, fresh faced people? We do tend to associate tulips with the Dutch but would it surprise you to know that this perennial, bulbous plant was first commercially cultivated in Ottoman Empire also known as Turkey?

To me the tulips mean spring and I love the variety of colours that are everywhere it seems. I hope you do too because I have lots of photos of tulips!

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Lord Nelson Elementary School, tulips,Horatio Nelson,1911 ,History,School Board,Italian