Renfrew-Collingwood

In 1891, a new era dawned on Renfrew-Collingwood. Canada’s first electric tram began its route, connecting Vancouver and New Westminster. This interurban railway spurred the growth of Renfrew-Collingwood. The tram brought new residents and businesses. Many early homes and shops clustered around the Collingwood East Tram Station at Vanness Avenue and Joyce Street. Renfrew-Collingwood’s name likely originates from individuals associated with the tramway company. These individuals had previously resided in Collingwood, Ontario. The two areas, Renfrew and Collingwood, were frequently linked, even back then. Early settlers established themselves along Westminster Road, later renamed Kingsway, to the west of Boundary Road. Renfrew-Collingwood’s first store, opened by Philip Oben, stood near Central Park. In 1895, the first school class, held by Peter Dubois, took place in his vacant store. The Vancouver East School, built in 1896, proudly housed all 30 Collingwood students. This two-room school became the oldest school in Vancouver. Many area streets carry the names of the families of these first students. Battison Road honors the Battison brothers, while Earles Road remembers Florence Earle. Joyce Road is named after the first school board secretary, A. Joyce. Vivian Road commemorates Jennie Vivian, the first child born in the area in 1892. The school, initially Vancouver East School, became Collingwood Heights in 1908, and Sir Guy Carleton in 1911. By 1913, Renfrew-Collingwood boasted a grocery store, a Bank of Vancouver branch, a butcher shop, a Methodist Church, and a doctor. The paving of Westminster Road and its renaming as Kingsway marked further progress. The streetcar system’s extension to Joyce Street, along with a new bus system, eventually led to the decline of the interurban tram. However, this shift fostered business growth around Kingsway and Joyce. This development, along with the 1929 amalgamation with Vancouver, transformed Renfrew-Collingwood from a semi-agricultural community into a residential suburb. Though the interurban closed in 1954, its impact resonated. The 1986 construction of the SkyTrain along the old interurban route sparked new development near station stops. This mirrored the development spurred by the interurban years before. The Collingwood Inn, built around 1890 on Kingsway just east of Joyce Street, stands as a reminder of Renfrew-Collingwood’s early days. This roadhouse served stagecoaches travelling between Gastown and New Westminster.