This modest house was built for $1,000 in 1905 by William Dempster, who was shown as working for the BCSR (The British Columbia Sugar Refinery). Later street directories show he was a sugar boiler. This was Boundary Avenue when the house was built - it was renamed as Glen Drive in 1911. The lot is an end lot 36 feet wide, and this house was built facing the side street, at the lane, leaving another half of the plot to the north.
William was originally from Ireland, arriving in Canada in 1891, as was his wife Isabella who arrived three years later. From 1898 William was a machinist at the sugar refinery, living at 1032 Princess (the original name for East Pender, so less than a block from here).
Their son, Robert (who was sometimes known by his middle name, John, but within the family as Bob) was born in 1899, Annie in 1901 and William (Bill) in 1904.
Mr Dempster developed a number of houses around here, including one on the other half of the lot in 1907, which he moved to in 1908. As far as we can tell this house, and the other on the lot, are still in single ownership. In 1923 this was offered for lease at $30 a month for the 8-room house. In 1938 it was described as a 6-room house, and was only $18, in 1956 it was $55 and was said to have 5 rooms and in 1962 it was $65 a month. In 1972 the house was renting for $155 a month, it's seen here in 1974, and in 1978 the rent was $280 and a year later $315.
The McKillop family were living here in 1941 when Patricia, aged six, died 'suddenly', in June. She was hit by a car, and became the twenty-fifth traffic fatality that year. The family had gone to watch a fire on Main Street, and Patsy dashed across the road and into the path of a car. The driver was absolved on any responsibility, and the coroner's jury urged parents to 'keep children away from places where large crowds gather'. Patsy's sister, Sadie, was 17 when she was injured by a car in 1946 as she crossed East Hastings at Glen. Hazel Warren, who was 18 and also living here was also hit, and suffered a broken leg.
Earl Carter was a fisherman, who lived here in 1961. His troller exploded, causing Mr Carter to get burned, while moored at the government dock at Horseshoe Bay. Monica Dem Ynn was living here in 1983 when there was a house fire that caused her injuries.
Image source: City of Vancouver Archives CVA 1095-02609
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