Avalon Dairy

Built in 1908 by Avalon founder Jeremiah Crowley, this Craftsman-style farmhouse is important for its modest vernacular architecture. The house features a front-gabled entryway, saddlebag dormers, and simple decorative features.

The Avalon Dairy site is valued for its origins as a dairy operation, and as one of the longest running and last working farms in the City of Vancouver. Now based in Burnaby, the Avalon Dairy is the oldest continuously operating dairy in British Columbia.

The site was originally part of the Municipality of South Vancouver. The sparsely populated area was brought under the jurisdiction of the City of Vancouver in 1929 when the City was amalgamated with adjacent Point Grey and South Vancouver. The farmhouse was fist connected into the City’s water system in 1945. In the face of post-World War II economy and modern development, the Avalon Dairy site is significant as one of the last remaining reminders of the semi-rural heritage of the surrounding area.

The site is additionally valued for its longstanding ownership by the Crowley family. Built by Jeremiah Crowley who first came to British Columbia from Newfoundland for the Klondike Goldrush, the Crowley family maintained ownership of the site until it was sold in 2011.

In 2018, the address was revised from 5805 Wales Street to 2661 East 43rd Avenue.

For a comprehensive history of the company, read the BC Dairy History's publication, The Story of Avalon Dairy, 1906-1996. You can visit the Avalon Dairy website for current information.

Source

BC Dairy history, Donald Luxton and Associates Statement of Significance, Avalon Dairy website

More information

https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/5805wales/documents/sos.pdf