Syndicate Block

The Syndicate Block, built in 1996, is valued as a faithful reconstruction of the 1903 structure that once stood on this site.

The original Syndicate Block was North Vancouver's first commercial block, dating to the time that ferry service to Vancouver was established and the first mass settlement of the North Shore began. Lower Lonsdale was the major transportation hub on the North Shore at that time.

The earlier building was designed and constructed as the offices of the Western Corporation, one of the first major companies that was established to promote the development of the growing North Vancouver community. Formed in 1902, its activities soon included real estate, land clearing and speculative construction, based on designs produced by the company. The company's buildings were constructed using local materials, which after 1906 were produced at their own sawmill, located within the city.

Other original tenants included McMillan Grocers, the North Vancouver Post Office (1903-1911), and North Vancouver's first dance hall. The Express, North Vancouver's first newspaper, was located in the building from 1905 to 1914.

The reconstructed building, incorporated into a later mixed-use commercial and townhouse development, retains the historic form, scale and character of this significant structure within the context of the Lower Lonsdale area. Some original wooden elements were incorporated in the reconstruction.