Ambleside is an oceanside village and neighbourhood in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, on the North Shore of the Burrard Inlet, within the municipality of

West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is situated on the north shore of Burrard Inlet to the northwest of the city ...

that occupies the southeastern corner of the community, neighboured by Dundarave to the West,

Park Royal Park Royal is an area in North West London, England, divided between the London Borough of Ealing and the London Borough of Brent. It is the site of the largest business park in London, but despite intensive existing use, the area is, togethe ...

to the East, and the

British Properties Originally known as Capilano Estates, the British Properties is a residential area in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The 4,000 acre area was sold by the municipality of West Vancouver to the British Pacific Properties Corporation in 193 ...

to the North. Ambleside covers the area from 19th Street to 13th Street, and from Fulton Avenue down to the waterfront. Marine Drive forms the centre of the community's commercial core, with two streets leading off from it.

History

Beginning in the 1800s, Ambleside was the main commercial centre of the community of West Vancouver. In 1886, "Navvy" Jack Thomas initiated the first ferry service between Vancouver and West Vancouver via the Ambleside waterfront, which lasted only one year. The next year, Thomas began hauling gravel, keeping his sloop in a lagoon then known as Ambleside Slough. In 1907, a land developer named John Lawson developed a new regular ferry service from 17th Street as a means to make selling land in Ambleside a more attractive proposition. This ferry service resulted in much development in Ambleside as well as the neighbouring Dundarave and Hollyburn neighbourhoods. The last ferry crossing from Ambleside was in 1947, after which the pier was repurposed into an area for fishing purposes. By 1914, most of the new businesses in the Ambleside region were built on stilts so as to avoid the swampy water of the area. Ambleside Park was designated in 1918, and by 1964, the slough had been mostly filled in with sand to become Ambleside Beach.

References

{{coord, 49.328298, N, 123.156729, W, display=title Neighbourhoods in West Vancouver