According to Tsleil'wautuh Chief Len George, as many as 10,000 band members once lived along both sides of the Burrard Inlet, but disease took its toll in the 1400s and Europeans brought smallpox in the 1800s. In 1792, Captain George Vancouver charted this inlet of the Pacific Ocean.
In 1925, William Kask Sr. and his family purchased land along the Barnet Road and built what became known as Kask's Camp, where cabins were rented out to families working at the Barnet Mill. The family - William Kask Jr., Dave and Jack - went on to expand their business into a lumber and concrete supply company and in 1936, the company was named the Kask Brothers Building Supply Company. A lumber office was established on Curtis Street and the concrete plant was built at the former site of the cabin camp. To a large degree, the camp catered to Immigrants from Nordic countries who were active in the lumber trade. Many Finns felt at home in the camp, as the Kasks spoke Finnish and there were steam baths available.
After considering several sites in the Greater Vancouver area, the Shell Oil Company chose 70 acres in North Burnaby with frontage of one third of a mile on Burrard Inlet. Shell proposed to build a four-million dollar plant that would employ up to 2000 - providing some relief in the middle of Burnaby's economic crisis of the Depression years. The site became known as the Shellburn Refinery and was in operation until 1993.
The Westridge Neighbourhood of Burnaby was created as a new subdivision during the post-World War Two housing boom in Burnaby. Developed by the C.B. Riley Company, it was laid out in a plan contoured to the shapes of the land and was situated to allow residents easy access to main transportation routes.
The Westridge Neighbourhood is effectively separated into two areas by Inlet Drive. To the west of the highway lies a typical 1950s subdivision of single-family homes, while to the east is a newer (1970s) subdivision featuring larger lots and some low-rise units. In the 1980 Residential Neighbourhood Environment Study, Westridge was characterised as a stable community with little need for direct Municipal involvement in growth and development.
The building boom in Burnaby during the first few years of the 1950s resulted in many new subdivisions being created in previously unoccupied areas of Burnaby. One such neighbourhood was the Westridge area. In 1951, the Inspector of Schools noted in a report that there were 475 new homes in Westridge with another 100 under development. As a result, enrolment pressures were particularly heavy in this area and the School Board opened the Westridge Elementary School in 1953.
Photographs of various commerical and undeveloped properties in Burnaby. Businesses visible in the photographs include: Liquidation World, Big-O Tires, CSD Computers, and Full Gospel Assembly Vancouver.
Photographs of various commerical and undeveloped properties in Burnaby. Businesses visible in the photographs include: Liquidation World, Big-O Tires, CSD Computers, and Full Gospel Assembly Vancouver.