5709 Wales St

Built around 1911–1912, the one and a half storey Craftsman-style bungalow at 5709 Wales Street is one of the few remaining early farmhouses in what was once the Municipality of South Vancouver. The City of Vancouver designated the building a Municipal Heritage Site in 1993 under By-law No. 7103, which describes it as a “Craftsman-style bungalow” on Lot 1 (except N 17 ft.), Block 5, DL 721, Plan 1828.

The house stands near the historic Avalon Dairy Farm, founded in 1908 by Jeremiah Crowley, and reflects the early agricultural character of the district. Farmhouses like this were built as the surrounding forest was cleared for small dairies and market gardens before the First World War. Typical Craftsman features seen here include a low pitched front gable roof, exposed rafters, and a deep porch with square wood posts.

"Wales Road" first appears in the City Directories in 1914 with 5709 Wales Street not appearing until the 1915 Directory. The first resident is listed as "Gunning Saml." Samuel Gunning was a local hardware store owner, who arrived in Vancouver from Ireland in the early 1900's with his wife, Margaret Elizabeth, and four children.

The Gunning’s family early history in Vancouver includes building a "frame dwelling" at 14th Ave E in 1907 and a store on Victoria Road (now Victoria Drive) in 1912. The store is listed in the business directories as a hardware store at 5677 Victoria Road. In the same business directories, Samuel's home address is listed as 2092 42nd Ave E. It is possible that 2092 42nd Ave E is the same lot as 5709 Wales Street as the directories note that Wales Street and 42nd Ave. E intersect at this address. 2092 E 42nd Ave does not appear in the directories and building permits for either address cannot be found.

According to a 1917 Daily Province article, which also lists the Gunning family’s address as 2092 4nd Ave E, two of Gunning's three sons, Corporal Benjamin Thomas and John Saint Claire, unfortunately perished on the front lines during WWI. His third son, Private Basil Hewit, survived and his fourth son, Henry, was too young at the time to be conscripted. The Gunning family lived in 5709 Wales Street until 1924, barring one year in 1918 when the house is listed as vacant. Samuel Gunning passed away in 1927 at age 70. An H Thomson appears as the resident for several years after.

In 1992, the Heritage Vancouver Society Newsletter reported that the house would be retained and restored within a family-housing project sponsored by the local Lutheran church. The redevelopment, designed by architect Linda Baker, was reviewed by the Heritage Advisory Committee and approved through CD-1 By-law No. 7173 (September 1993), which rezoned the site to allow family multiple dwellings and a child-day-care facility.

Today, the house stands as a reminder of the neighbourhood’s farming past and shows how older homes were adapted as the area grew into a family-friendly community in the Victoria-Fraserview area.

Research credit: Mitra A. (November 2025)

Source

VanMap, Heritage Vancouver Society, British Columbia City Directories, City of Vancouver, Monte Cristo Magazine