Dunbar

Location

Dunbar is located on the due north of the River Fraser and East of the Endownment Lands at UBC. It lies to the West of Blenheim and Mackenzie Streets. One of the recreational facilities found within the Dunbar neighborhood is the Musqueam Indian Reserve.

Historical Information

Historical findings show that for centuries, people have been living in this neighborhood and around 400BC, Indians were the first people to settle in this area. The results from the findings goes ahead to state that it was in 1863 when the first settlement by Europeans occurred in the Dunbar area. It was at this time when Sam McCleery and Fitzgerald,who were the first to build their home, established a farm in this neighborhood. In 1912, it was thought wise to start the subdivision for residences to serve the University of British Columbia that was built to the west of the neighborhood. The Canadian Pacific Railway together with the Province, cleared much of the land in order to build the railway line. By 1927, Dunbar was a fully developed neighborhood served by at least three street car lines and various homes; it was the bylaws established in 1922 that enhanced this development. Lot sizes and the location of buildings were major aspects of the bylaws. Many of these heritage homes still exist.

Education

There are a number of academic institutions in Dunbar and encompass the Lord Kitchener Elementary found along the 4055 Blenheim Street, the Southlands Elementary located on the 5351 Camosun St. and the Queen Elizabeth Elementary school. The University Hill Secondary is the nearest public school to this neighborhood while Crofton House and St. George’s the closest private institutions.

Demographics

The approximate population of Dunbar is 12,345, with 49% and 51% comprising of men and women respectively. The average age of residents in this neighborhood is 39.8 with 21% of the total population being below 19 and 17% with ages ranging from 45 to 54.