Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

News stories from the Renfrew-Collingwood community in East Vancouver

Collingwood Corner: Joyce Road Garage

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BY LORETTA HOUBEN

A snip taken from the 1931 film provided by BC History channel on YouTube. Photos courtesy of Loretta Houben

Vintage photos of the area of Collingwood near Joyce and Wellington are quite rare. Thanks to YouTube clips on the internet, I discovered a 1931 film that BC History put up on YouTube. I saved snips from the film, which shows Joyce Road Garage on the southwest corner of Joyce and Wellington.

I’m not sure how long the business lasted, although I do remember my dad filling up his car at a modern gas station at the same location. This was in the 1960s through the 1980s, but the building was very different. If any of the RCC News readers have a photo of it, I would be very interested in seeing it.

1913 Joyce Road and Wellington photo from Mrs. Walter S. Baird. The Joyce garage was built on the lower right corner beside the dark brown house, facing Joyce, which is shown looking south up the hill.
1913 Joyce Road and Wellington photo from Mrs. Walter S. Baird. The Joyce garage was built on the lower right corner beside the dark brown house, facing Joyce, which is shown looking south up the hill.

E. H. Walker was the first owner of this gas station and he applied for a permit in 1928 from the city of Vancouver. The old address was 499 Joyce Road, and the value was $3,000. Three years later a film verifies that the garage was built, and for many years a gas station remained here.

Nowadays, city gas stations are rapidly disappearing. Apartment buildings are taking the place of the stations. Currently an apartment building is at the corner of Joyce and Wellington.

If you would like to view the old footage of the YouTube video, please look for “Home Gas Stations in Vancouver and Burnaby 1931” under the name of “BC History” on the YouTube channel.

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