Community Heritage Register
Church of St. John the Evangelist
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Also known as Anne MacDonald Hall

Exterior view of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, 2004
Photo: City of North Vancouver, 2004
- Built
- 1899–1900
- Recognized
- 1995
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Church of St. John the Evangelist is a one-storey wood-frame building with a steeply pitched roof, clad in drop siding with shingles in the gable ends. It is the oldest Anglican Church in North Vancouver, and was moved to this location and converted for use as a community facility to ensure its preservation.
Heritage value
The Church of St. John the Evangelist is of historic value as the first Anglican church to be built on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet, and represents the role of religious organizations in North Vancouver's early years. Services were held in private homes until the church was completed in 1900 and dedicated as a mission church. Typical of pioneer churches, it is a simple vernacular structure built with local materials. Lumber for its construction was obtained from the Moodyville sawmill. Such was the growth of the area that the size of the church congregation had doubled by 1907. In March 1909, the cornerstone of a new church was laid, and this original building was then used as the church hall. The building initially stood at 13th Street and Chesterfield Avenue. In 1973, the church was donated to the City, and was moved to its present location for use as a recital hall. It is now known as Anne MacDonald Hall, and the interior has been retained as a public assembly space.
This building is valued for its association with Anne Elizabeth MacDonald, for whom the building is now named. MacDonald founded the North Vancouver Arts Council and the B.C. Arts and Crafts Fair, and took a leading role in the establishment of the Assembly of B.C. Arts Councils. In 1990, McDonald was awarded the Order of B.C., the province's highest award for outstanding achievement, for her dedicated services to the community which included the establishment of Presentation House Arts Centre in North Vancouver and the preservation of St. John's Church.
SourceHeritage Planning Files, City of North Vancouver
Character‑defining elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Church of St. John the Evangelist include its:
- rectangular plan form, modest scale and regular, symmetrical massing
- exterior cladding of wooden drop siding, with cedar shingles in the gable ends
- regular fenestration, with ten-pane wooden-sash casement windows hung in double-assembly
- steeply pitched front gable roof
- overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails
- original front entry at centre of front facade
- interior, retained as a public assembly space
- interior features such as wooden panelling and wooden flooring
End of the register’s text
Location
333 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver, British Columbia, V7M, Canada
49.31530° N, 123.08080° W
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Similar places
Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.
St. John the Apostle Anglican ChurchPort Moody, British Columbia
St. John the Divine Anglican ChurchBurnaby, British Columbia
Church of St. John the DivineYale, British Columbia- St. John the Devine Anglican ChurchQuesnel, British Columbia
EnhancedSt. John the Evangelist Anglican Church Municipal Heritage SiteConception Bay South, Newfoundland And Labrador- St. Augustine's Anglican ChurchVancouver, British Columbia
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.