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1946 – 1958 · East HillVernon's "100 Homes": How Veterans Shaped East Hill After the War
Video presented by Tim's AI-generated presenter, in his own voice.
Not every East Hill story is a Victorian mansion. Some of the neighbourhood's most important homes are small, practical houses built for people coming home from war.
Coming home to a housing shortage
When veterans returned after the Second World War, Canada faced a serious shortage of homes. In 1945, the City of Vernon donated land on what is now 15th Street (then Sherbourne Avenue) to the federal Veterans' Land Act program, for a small subdivision for veterans and their families.
The first 20, then 80 more
The first 20 homes were allocated in July 1946, first to veterans who had served overseas. In 1948, the Veterans' Land Act planned 80 more homes on East Hill, and the last of them were finished in 1958. That is how Vernon got its "100 homes".
They were compact and practical, about 800 to just under 1,000 square feet, built to make the most of every foot while keeping costs down. Many still stand today, renovated and loved by later owners, with big yards and back lanes that suit families.
- 1945: City of Vernon donates land on today's 15th Street
- July 1946: first 20 homes allocated to veterans
- 1948: 80 more planned on East Hill; the last finished in 1958
- Gwyneth Evans, "Housing for Heroes – Vernon's 100 Homes", Vernon Museum & Archives, January 31, 2025 (vernonmuseum.ca)