July 1, 2012    

Front of Church, 1970 

124 West 8th Street

Posthumous
Elim Pentecostal Chapel
North Vancouver, B.C. Canada

"Elim (Hebrew: אֵילִם‎, ’êlim) was one of the places where the Israelites camped following their Exodus from Egypt. It is referenced in Exodus 15.27 and Numbers 33.9 as a place where "there were twelve wells of water, and seventy date palms," and that the Israelites "camped there near the water... Thus, Elim is generally thought to have been located in Wadi Gharandel, an oasis 100 km southeast of Suez.

"Several ministries of mercy, Christian and otherwise, have adopted the name Elim, most prominently the Elim Pentecostal Church."  That church was founded in Ireland in 1915.  (Link 2.)  However, they have never had associated churches in Canada or the United States.

Fire Insurance Map, 1965

(Elim Pentecostal Chapel in red)

According to the Building Permit Book at the North Vancouver Archives, Elim Pentacostal Chapel was built at 121 West 12th Street in 1942 for $3000 .  Lot 4, Block 86, DL 548 lies in the first block west of Lonsdale Avenue on the west side of the lane.  Since this block is triangular, the lot runs from West 8th Street to West 12th Street. The entrance to the church when it was built in 1942 was on the north end of the lot, on West 12th Street.  

1958 Construction of Addition
(slide 2297 North Vancouver Archives)

The Building Permit also recorded that an addition was under construction in 1958.  The address is given as 124 West 8th Street as it was to include the new entrance.  According to photos from the North Vancouver Archives the addition seems to have doubled the size of the church building. The new North Vancouver City Library was built directly to the west at 135 West 12th  Street in the same year.

Back of Church, 1970

121 West 12th Street

In 1970 the Church was appraised at $96,750 by Service Agencies and Appraisal Co. Ltd (North Vancouver Archives).  The City Directories at the North Vancouver Archives list Elim Pentecostal Chapel as being at 124 West 8th Street through 1973.  In 1974 the lot is listed as being under construction.

"Big Apartment Blocks changed look for 

lower North Vancouver City" 15/4/70 

(Elim Pentecostal Chapel in red)

In 1973 a new Elim Pentacostal Chapel was built at 2800 Mountain Highway. (See blog post October 12, 2014.) 

Photos: Taken of North Vancouver Archives documents in 2012 by SW.

Fire Insurance Map: 1965,North Vancouver Archives.
Link 1: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elim/143069615704723?sk=wiki
Link 2: http://www.elim.org.uk/Groups/109308/Our_history.aspx