North Vancouver Cartage Company

The heritage value of the North Vancouver Cartage Company building is associated with its location in Lower Lonsdale, the commercial core of North Vancouver, and the earliest, most historic area of commercial buildings on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet. Lower Lonsdale grew explosively from the turn of the twentieth century until the general financial depression in 1913 halted the ambitious construction of the previous years. The streetcar, ferry to Vancouver and the Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) railway converged at the south foot of Lonsdale Avenue, the major transportation hub on the North Shore. The area represents a formative period in B.C.'s economy, driven at the time by major industries such as logging and shipbuilding.

Built ca. 1908, the North Vancouver Cartage Company building is valued as a symbol of early commercial activity in North Vancouver. It served as the offices of the Company, while the horses used in the business were stabled on less expensive land on East 4th Street.