The search for the next generation of stewards of this Vancouver heritage jewel

Hycroft is considered Vancouver’s grandest mansion that is publicly accessible – an ivy-covered relic that, at one time, was the darling of Shaughnessy, where Great Gatsby-style parties drew wealthy people regularly.

In a neighbourhood where $30-million homes are not unusual, the 20,000-square-foot mansion at 1489 McRae Ave., was only lived in by one family, and it has survived only because it was taken over by the University Women’s Club of Vancouver, or UWCV, in 1962. Over the decades, faced with mounting property taxes, utility bills and maintenance costs, the Women’s Club has continued to run their clubhouse from the estate, which has sweeping views of the mountains from its north-facing terrace. They set up the Hycroft Heritage Preservation Foundation charity to raise funds for the preservation of the building, becoming pioneers for heritage preservation in Vancouver.