Edgemont Village
Edgemont Village is a neighbourhood and main settlement of Upper Capilano in British Columbia, Canada. Within the District of North Vancouver, is situated between several converging suburbs, centring on the intersection of Edgemont Boulevard and Highland Boulevard, where it is a minor residential and commercial centre for local communities.
According to the District of North Vancouver's Official Community Plan, Edgemont Village encompasses the shops and tenements along and immediately surrounding Edgemont Boulevard between West Queens Road and Ridgewood Drive. However, it is broadly recognized as taking up much of the hillside plateau between the Mackay and Mosquito creeks, bordering Ridgewood Drive to the north and the Upper Levels Highway to the south.
While the City of North Vancouver continues to be the North Shore's primary commercial and residential center, Edgemont Village serves as a village centre for its surrounding neighbourhoods. It is one of six such village centres in the District of North Vancouver. The area is also home to many examples of mid-century "west coast modernism" architecture.
Local business
Edgemont's commercial core consists of many small or local businesses and services to meet most daily needs; a range of eclectic shops; and district amenities, including the North Vancouver District Public Library and Highlands United Church.As reported in 2015, around 80% of businesses in the 3 block community are owned by women, though the landscape has undergone significant development over the past decade. In an interview with North Shore News, Marlene Tate, the owner of the artificial flower store 'Trims' which has been in the Village for 26 years, spoke of the community of Edgemont Village:
“We run the village as mothers, basically. Every woman who owns a business runs it as if it’s her home... All the women get together and figure out how to make the Village safe. We put money toward traffic safety and crossing guards.”
Transportation
Along with the rest of the district, much of the development in Edgemont Village has occurred primarily in the 1950s and 60s, and so has largely been autocentric. Despite recent projects having consisted of mixed-use development and pedestrian oriented infrastructure, vehicles remain the primary method of transportation within and without the district, especially for commuters residing in any one of the several bedroom communities which converge upon the village, wherefore Edgemont is the only such village center in this North-West quadrant of the district. Nevertheless, the area is still served relatively well by several TransLink bus routes; 232 and 246 pass through the Village.Translink's North Shore Area Transit Plan identifies a possible frequent transit service to connect Park Royal and Lynn Valley via Edgemont Village.