Dreamers and Designers

West Vancouver is a community defined by its geography, bordered on three sides by the ocean, backed by mountainous wilderness and threaded by creeks and ravines. This setting has attracted people from all over the world with the prospect of stunning scenery and unparalleled opportunities for outdoor activity. Its growth has been characterized by ongoing tension between efforts to conserve its natural beauty and the drive to open it up to eager would-be West Vancouverites. In recent decades, the Squamish Nation has also become a major player in shaping the future direction of the area.

In Dreamers and Designers, Francis Mansbridge traces the history of West Vancouver, examining how its approach to land use has shaped the region and illustrating the consequences of this fight, including the marginalization of its less affluent citizens. The text is enlivened by accounts of the major personalities involved in the shaping of West Vancouver, as well as archival and contemporary photographs that provide a visual account of the changing landscape. Dreamers and Designers paints a vivid picture of how West Vancouver's unique setting has defined the dynamic coastal community and the lives of those who reside there.

An engaging account of how the development of West Vancouver has been defined by its spectacular landscape.

Francis Mansbridge worked at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives. A contributor to both newspapers and literary journals, Mansbridge is also the author of several books, including Cottages to Community: The Story of West Vancouver's Neighbourhoods (West Vancouver Historical Society, 2011), Launching History: The Saga of Burrard Dry Dock (Harbour, 2002) and Irving Layton: God's Recording Angel (ECW, 1995). In his free time, he plays competitive table tennis.

John Moir is a writer, photographer and archivist from West Vancouver. His previous work includes Cottages to Community: The Story of West Vancouver's Neighbourhoods, which was curated and published in association with the West Vancouver Historical Society.