Yes, it’s a beauty to behold, but this West Vancouver beach also boasts a rich history.
Sun worshippers soaking in rays at Ambleside beach this summer will likely not be thinking about much other than when they need to add another layer of sunscreen, but historically speaking, there is a lot going on at this popular spot. If a sunbather looked up from their towel and glanced across the sports field at Ambleside Park, they would spot a building that houses the Ambleside Youth Centre. Before the centre was built, the location was home to the West Vancouver Rod and Gun Club. Before that it was one of eighteen huts built by the Department of National Defence, and was stocked with gun emplacements and anti-aircraft guns to defend the harbour entrance below the Lions Gate Bridge during World War II.
After the war, the huts were converted into housing for war vets and their families. Officially, the housing development was named the Ambleside Park Village; unofficially locals called it “Diaper Lane.” The huts were built on low land that flooded several times a year, and at those times, food and supplies were brought in by rowboat. In fact, prior to 1965, much of this land was a swamp.
So sun-seekers, now you know: when you are relaxing at the beach, getting a workout on the playing fields, enjoying a round of pitch & putt golf, and going for a stroll on the duck lagoon and seawalk this summer, you are doing it all on reclaimed land.
Now photos by Eyoälha Baker
Then photos from West Vancouver Archives. 0002.WVA dated 1918, and 3411.WVA dated 1932.
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