Vancouver Centennial Plaque #22 – Cedar Cottage

“CEDAR COTTAGE

In 1888 Arthur Wilson started the Cedar Cottage Nursery on 40 acres. Other settlers followed, establishing small farms. The 1891 interurban line encouraged commercial development and by 1910 Cedar Cottage was a thriving village.”

Credit: Vancouver Centennial Commission, Historic Plaque Program – list and documentation plaques 1-49 (June 18, 1986). Courtesy of Vancouver Archives

Arthur Wilson was the first non-indigenous settler in this area and, in 1888, started the Cedar Cottage Nursery here. As with many areas outside the centre of Vancouver, this settlement was initially agricultural, with plenty of cattle for both beef and dairy.

In 1891, the interurban line from Vancouver to New Westminster was built and the station next to Trout Lake was given the name Cedar Cottage. The area became a thriving community, with forty stores, a bank, a post office, and apparently, even a roller coaster! However, as cars increased in popularity and Kingsway was built, Cedar Cottage’s importance as a commercial centre decreased.

The plaque is still installed – now on the corner of the Chance Cafe, which is definitely worth a visit.