Key Dates
District purchases 1768 Argyle Avenue
The District bought the house in 1990 with life tenancy to Lloyd Williams.
Nature Centre proposal
West Vancouver stewardship groups propose the private residence be repurposed for a public nature centre that would focus on and feature the natural environment including forests, parkland, shorelines, wetlands, streams and local wildlife.
Council approval
Business plan submitted
The West Vancouver Nature
Centre Society (WVNHS) was formed, comprised of a consortium of nature
conservation societies. In August 2014, a business plan was submitted to the
District by the WVNHS.
The proposal could
not move forward in any meaningful way while Lloyd Williams still lived in the house.
Proposal moves forward again
An advisory committee was also proposed to be established to advise staff on programming and would include representatives from the WVNHS, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, West Vancouver Historical Society, West Vancouver Schools and other stakeholders.
Preliminary consultation
The community was asked through the District’s budget survey whether
they supported using $2,050,000 with an ongoing annual operation budget of
$110,000 to have a Nature Centre by restoring and converting the Navvy Jack
House structure to a public facility.
The survey found 36.4 per cent of respondents were not in support, 12.7
per cent had no opinion and 50.9 per cent were in support.
Council directed staff to conduct a thorough community consultation.
Information Meeting
Find out more about this proposal at an informatino meeting in John Lawson Park.
10 a.m. - noon