40 years later, the mystery of Vancouver's Englesea Lodge fire still fascinates

Ask people what defines Vancouver, and you might get a few answers like open view corridors to the mountains. But one particular part of the city's design — that of a walkable seawall — comes up often.

"The big success story ... is open space and walkways and bike paths, all the way around from the central waterfront to the University Endowment Lands," said Mike Harcourt, who was a Vancouver councillor (1973-1980), mayor (1981-1986) and B.C. premier (1991-1995) for much of that evolution.  

"It was part of a long-term dream that Vancouverites have had — to open up what's great about Vancouver — the mountains and the greenery. And we did it."

In the middle of that evolution, there was a building where Stanley Park begins and English Beach ends. It was the Englesea Lodge, built in 1912. For 69 years, it stood as a defining feature of the city's skyline. 

Until, suddenly, it didn't. 

The demolition of the Englesea Lodge happened 40 years ago. But echoes of the controversy and mystery can be seen in debates happening now. 

While the first third of the City of Vancouver's history was marked by settlement and industrialization of land directly around False Creek, the middle third was marked by work to reverse that.

"From 1926, there was a city plan, and it was to make Beach Drive into a pleasure drive, so that people could see, not the houses, but the beautiful views on English Bay," said Eve Lazarus, a local historian and author of Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City's Hidden History. 

"The depression, the war got in the way, and it wasn't until the 50s that the city was able to buy back all the houses and demolish them, until the only standout was the Englesea Lodge." 

For many years, the fate of the Englesea was tied up in one of those periodic battles between the city — which owned the land — and the independently elected park board, which wanted to see its long-held plan of a fully completed seawall along English Bay come to fruition.

"It's quite frustrating to deal with council," said Russell Fraser, who was park board chair at the time.  

"Council seemed to have the idea that they're king of the castle when they aren't. People are king of the castle, and the parks board is very close to the people."

Harcourt was elected mayor in the middle of the controversy and saw it differently, voting several times to save the apartment building and preserve its housing units, rented at approximately $700 a month in today's dollars.    "Guess what: we had an affordable housing problem then, and we do now," said Harcourt. "And I thought we could do both … build around Englesea Lodge and maintain housing.

"When you're on council, [parks board] is a bit of a pain in the butt."