Friends of Navvy Jack House Society Fund

For over a century and half Navvy Jack House has stood proudly on West Vancouver’s waterfront. This summer, following a careful restoration, it will once again open its doors to residents and visitors interested in the story of this house and the people who lived there. People such as:

• The Welsh settler, John “Navvy Jack “Thomas, and his wife Sla-wiya, the granddaughter of Chief Ki-ap-a-lano
• John Lawson, often referred to as the “father of West Vancouver”, who chose the name “Hollyburn the Beautiful”
• The Williams family, who enjoyed this home for more than forty years, making it the longest continually occupied house in Vancouver.

The stories of Navvy Jack House are compelling, but they need your help to ensure that they are told. Volunteer members of the Navvy Jack House Citizens’ Group have conducted extensive research into the history of this property, and with assistance of professional curators, have prepared interpretive panels to be installed around the house. They are confident that the estimated 1.5 million people who walk past Navvy Jack House every year will find the information on these display panels engaging and informative.

However, manufacturing and installation of these permanent display panels is expensive, and they are asking for your help. The West Van Historical Society fully supports this initiative, and has helped to launch their fundraising campaign by making a donation of $2500 to this “Friends of Navvy Jack House Society Fund” at the West Vancouver Foundation. The Friends of Navvy Jack are very grateful for their support, and are asking if you would consider joining them by making a personal donation. Tax receipts will be issued by the Foundation for all donations made online and donations of $20 or more paid by cheque (made out to West Van Community Foundation, with the memo line saying ‘Friends of Navvy Jack Fund’).