The History of Laura Lynn:
During the late 1800’s the area was known as “Spar Hill” by the British Admiralty who came to use the area’s incredibly straight and tall Fir trees as spar poles in the masts and booms of their ships. Yew trees were also found in the area, and their wood served as good material for gun mountings on Escort Frigates.The official Government seal was placed on each tree to claim British ownership until they were cut down.It took almost a full days chopping to cut theYew trees and usually called for a celebration after a hard days work.Rumor has it that you may still find some valuable antique whiskey and rum bottles under years of growth and around old stumps.
Early in the 1900’s Spar Hill was devastated by a major forest fire and, by that count, remains a young forest today.In the 1930’s Hastings Creek, which runs through Laura Lynn, was used to float timber by Harold Fromme, to his sawmill.Today two local streets are named after this man, who was from a prominent North Vancouver family.
In 1950, John Donovan purchased the twenty-four acre estate from the District of North Vancouver.It was John who has guaranteed the preservation of the property he named Laura Lynn, in honor of his wife Evelynn, and his mother Laura. John’s father, George Lucas Donovan, came from Ireland at the age of seventeen in 1908.Working initially in accounting for the bank of Hamilton in Grimsby, Ontario and then for Canadian Westinghouse. He wanted to open an office equipment business. In 1912 he moved here, and created an office equipment business on Hastings Street in Vancouver, which is still located there today. His son John was no less entrepreneurial.On June 6, 1938, he married the attractive Evelynn, who worked at the family business. In January 1951, John and Evy moved out of the city with their six children.This was the beginning of a happy and creative life at Laura Lynn.
With all the natural beauty and trails going to the Peak of Grouse Mountain, the Donovan’s determined a need for a riding club and community centre.They built the Laura Lynn Equestrian Centre in 1953 and contracted the construction of Scandinavian- style guest cabins to a Norwegian family from West Vancouver. Shortly after the cabins were completed, a Mr. Mann was hired to build the Laura Lynn Lodge, which served as a social centre for visitors, family friends, and riding club members.The Laura Lynn Riding club regularly held Western and English shows for local residents.
In 1959 the Donovan’s seventh child was born at Laura Lynn out of the same kind of romance that possessed John to build a private lake next to the lodge.With the help of a bulldozer and a slight diversion of Hastings Creek the lake was created and then stocked with trout. It was his anniversary present to Evy, shaped like a cupid’s heart and called naturally, “Evelynn Lake”.
When the Donovan’s sold the property, one condition was that the natural forest environment be preserved.In 1977 Narod Developments Ltd completed the development of the current Laura Lynn. With only four residences per acre, 81 townhouses are sprinkled across what was once “Spar Hill”.Carefully blended into the natural park-like setting to preserve the beauty of the natural forest setting and to leave undisturbed the mountain stream and Evelynn Lake.In accordance with the Donovan emphasis on health and family, residents also have tennis courts, a heated swimming pool, the original Lodge, and the Equestrian Centre.All this only twenty minutes from downtown Vancouver.
During the late 1800’s the area was known as “Spar Hill” by the British Admiralty who came to use the area’s incredibly straight and tall Fir trees as spar poles in the masts and booms of their ships. Yew trees were also found in the area, and their wood served as good material for gun mountings on Escort Frigates.The official Government seal was placed on each tree to claim British ownership until they were cut down.It took almost a full days chopping to cut theYew trees and usually called for a celebration after a hard days work.Rumor has it that you may still find some valuable antique whiskey and rum bottles under years of growth and around old stumps.
Early in the 1900’s Spar Hill was devastated by a major forest fire and, by that count, remains a young forest today.In the 1930’s Hastings Creek, which runs through Laura Lynn, was used to float timber by Harold Fromme, to his sawmill.Today two local streets are named after this man, who was from a prominent North Vancouver family.
In 1950, John Donovan purchased the twenty-four acre estate from the District of North Vancouver.It was John who has guaranteed the preservation of the property he named Laura Lynn, in honor of his wife Evelynn, and his mother Laura. John’s father, George Lucas Donovan, came from Ireland at the age of seventeen in 1908.Working initially in accounting for the bank of Hamilton in Grimsby, Ontario and then for Canadian Westinghouse. He wanted to open an office equipment business. In 1912 he moved here, and created an office equipment business on Hastings Street in Vancouver, which is still located there today. His son John was no less entrepreneurial.On June 6, 1938, he married the attractive Evelynn, who worked at the family business. In January 1951, John and Evy moved out of the city with their six children.This was the beginning of a happy and creative life at Laura Lynn.
With all the natural beauty and trails going to the Peak of Grouse Mountain, the Donovan’s determined a need for a riding club and community centre.They built the Laura Lynn Equestrian Centre in 1953 and contracted the construction of Scandinavian- style guest cabins to a Norwegian family from West Vancouver. Shortly after the cabins were completed, a Mr. Mann was hired to build the Laura Lynn Lodge, which served as a social centre for visitors, family friends, and riding club members.The Laura Lynn Riding club regularly held Western and English shows for local residents.
In 1959 the Donovan’s seventh child was born at Laura Lynn out of the same kind of romance that possessed John to build a private lake next to the lodge.With the help of a bulldozer and a slight diversion of Hastings Creek the lake was created and then stocked with trout. It was his anniversary present to Evy, shaped like a cupid’s heart and called naturally, “Evelynn Lake”.
When the Donovan’s sold the property, one condition was that the natural forest environment be preserved.In 1977 Narod Developments Ltd completed the development of the current Laura Lynn. With only four residences per acre, 81 townhouses are sprinkled across what was once “Spar Hill”.Carefully blended into the natural park-like setting to preserve the beauty of the natural forest setting and to leave undisturbed the mountain stream and Evelynn Lake.In accordance with the Donovan emphasis on health and family, residents also have tennis courts, a heated swimming pool, the original Lodge, and the Equestrian Centre.All this only twenty minutes from downtown Vancouver.
