ARBUTUS

Arbutus is an upscale neighbourhood with primarily single-family homes with a few commercial areas within and very close by. Its boundaries are from W.16th Ave to King Edwards St (North and South boundaries) and from Arbutus St. to Blenheim (East and West boundaries). It’s a total of nearly 70 square blocks.

There are 2 great elementary schools and parks within its boundaries. Carnarvon Elementary (Carnarvon Park) and Trafalgar Elementary (Trafalgar Park). Prince of Wales Secondary School, while not within the Arbutus boundaries, it is the High School dedicated to the area. It is only 3 blocks south of King Edward Street.

In the 1920s, residents of Point Grey and Kerrisdale referred to the Arbutus area simply as "Asthma Flats." The future neighbourhood was a huge swamp that could only be crossed via a three-plank sidewalk.
Valley Drive dates from the 1870s, when its route was cut through the forest to provide the right-of-way for B.C.'s first logging railway. The street is one of the few streets in thecommunity not oriented to the regular street grid.