Description of Historic Place

The 40 Houses consist of 40 one-storey, post-Second World War veteran's housing located in the area bounded by the E&N Rail Line, 17th Street, Lewis Avenue, and 18th Street.

Heritage Value

Built in 1948, The 40 Houses are valued as a group of properties for their historic connection to a federal housing program intended to provide returning veterans of the Second World War and their families with affordable and appropriate housing. This project was a joint Veterans Land Act and Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation venture spearheaded by Mayor Harry Simms and the Courtenay Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. The houses were awarded to Second World War veterans based on their "length of service in Canada and overseas, intended length of residence ... marital status, and number of dependants." Of the reported 110 applicants, only 19 fulfilled the initial allotment requirements. Leased for $31.50 to $34.50 per month for a two or three bedroom house, they could be purchased after a period of a few years.

Their construction is valued historically for reflecting a significant stage in the development of Canadian communities. The construction of the 40 houses was part of the post-war response to a massive country-wide housing shortage created by the impact of the two world wars. Similar housing developments were created across the country with modest homes on small uniform lots aligning narrow curving streets. The curvilinear street pattern with rear lanes is reflective of garden city suburban plans and subdivisions created under the federal veteran housing program following the Second World War. The neat, tidy, simple and efficient design of both the houses and the subdivision, and the 40 houses location "in the woods", reflects social attitudes of the early 20th Century and influenced later housing styles and suburban development patterns. Today, The 40 Houses are valued for continuing to provide affordable housing options for many households.

SOURCE: City of Courtenay, Development Services Department (Planning)

Character-Defining Elements

The key elements that define the heritage character of The 40 Houses include:
- Original location in a rural area with access to nature and greenspace
- Curvilinear street pattern with rear lanes
- Spatial relationship of houses on their lots and to other houses in the development
- Small, uniform lot sizes of roughly 48 x 110 feet with consistent building setbacks give a neat, tidy appearance
- Trees planted as part of the planting program providing one tree per lot
- All original features of single storey bungalows including wide plank horizontal wood siding on exteriors
- Repetition of standardized housing plans in 4 to 6 room options throughout the development
- Low pitch hipped roofs or single gable roofs
- Simple rectangular massing of buildings
- Minimal porch defining front entry