Lightheart's West End: A Lost Ledger's Tale

0:00It's April 1st. Welcome to Vancouver News today, powered by AI. A ledger from Vancouver Builder, William Acquit Lightheart, has turned up after six decades, packed with 150 photos of apartment blocks. From the late 1930s or early 1940s. Lightheart and his five brothers own 62 buildings in the city from 1901 to 1930, mostly in the west end. The handmade booklet, with its edible pages like old catalogs, lists, names, addresses, unit counts, and even purchase prices, such as one spot bought. For $28,000 cash in 1941. It captures the neighborhood right as zoning shifted in the late 1920s, turning big single-family homes into apartments. Many shots show original details, like roof urns and balconies that got lost over time, with some buildings still standing under new names. Heritage expert John Ackin could not believe his eyes flipping through it, calling it an invaluable snapshot of the west end's transformation before.

1:02The 1950s changes. He points out gems like English Bay mansions in its unrenovated glory, and a turd-ed mansion by top architects Pa and Fee, now gone for high rises. Ackin even runs walking tours, highlighting lightheart properties. The family built standouts like Stanley Park Manor, and the six-story lightheart apartments from 1909 later renamed. William, born in 1875, chased the clon-dye gold rush before settling as a contractor. This fine preserves a slice of Vancouver's architectural diversity, reminding us how those early blocks shaped the city we walked today.