John “Navvy Jack” Thomas was a Welsh deserter from the Royal Navy who married Row-ia, the granddaughter of Squamish Nation Chief Kiepalano. According to the West Vancouver Historical Society, “their union was among the first among the local native and settler population, and their descendants continue to live in the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam regions of the Lower Mainland.” Thomas built the house sometime around 1873, according to the society, where he and Rowia raised four children. The three daughters of John “Navvy Jack” Thomas, pictured in the early 1900s. His descendants hope to restore the house, which is located in John Lawson Park. (Submitted by Evelyn Lamont) The house was occupied until 2017, making it the oldest continuously occupied house in the Lower Mainland, according to the society. In 2020, West Vancouver councilors voted to shelve an earlier proposal to demolish the Navvy Jack House. Thomas’ descendants hope to restore the building, which is located in John Lawson Park. For them, it is a key part of local history and a part of family history. “As Indians we always feel the presence of what belonged there, so it would be icing on the cake if they could restore it,” says Andrea Jacobs, Navvy Jack’s great-granddaughter. Jacobs says her grandmother died at home. “Her spirit is still there,” he said. The Navvy Jack House Citizens’ Group says it hopes to turn the building into a seaside cafe. The cost of the restoration is estimated at $2.6 million. The District of West Vancouver, which owns the house, has agreed to contribute $1 million, and the group has until spring 2024 to raise the remaining $1.6 million. Geoff Jobson of the Navvy Jack House Citizens’ Group hopes to preserve the building and honor its heritage. “It’s the stories of the house and the people who lived in the house that matter to us,” he said.
