Billionaire Jim Pattison's West Vancouver house for sale for $1 — land not included

In the 1950s, a young car dealer named Jimmy Pattison traded a property he owned near Horsehoe Bay for a small yellow seaside home just a stone's throw from Ambleside Beach. Now, he has traded it to West Vancouver to make way for the public seawall.

In the 1950s, a young car dealer named Jimmy Pattison traded a property he owned near Horsehoe Bay for a small yellow seaside home just a stone's throw from Ambleside Beach.

“The location, the water … the house was very practical for our family,” said the 93-year-old Pattison from the downtown Vancouver offices of the Jim Pattison Group headquarters Tuesday.

"There’s nothing I didn’t like about that house."

Over the years, Pattison’s family members and the captain of his yacht have lived in the home. But as most other waterfront lots between Ambleside and Dundarave were bought by the District of West Vancouver to make way for the public seawall, only Pattison’s house and the one next door remained.

When he was elected mayor of West Vancouver last November, Mark Sager hoped to changed that.

“This was a plan that started 40 years ago when council decided we wanted public access all the way from 25th (Street) and Bellevue (Avenue) to Ambleside Park,” said Sager, who knew he had to speak to Pattison.

“I’ve known Jimmy my entire life, and I phoned him up and said, 'I know this home has great sentimental value for you, but it really is time.' And he’s such a wonderful man, and he said, 'Mark, you’re right.'”