Program Summaries

Glimpses of the Past through description, related books and internet connections

1941

Early days in northern British Columbia
[January 27, 1941, Mrs. Constance Cox]

Facts and fancies of British Columbia's early history
[April 28, 1941, B. A. McKelvie]
(see B. A. McKelvie's Early history of the Province of British Columbia, Dent, 1926; Pageant of BC: glimpses into the romantic development of Canada's far Western Province, Nelson, 1957)

Pre-confederation defense problems of the Pacific colonies
[October 2, 1941, 5th annual banquet & AGM, Willard Ireland]

Russian naturalist explorers of the Pacific Northwest
[November 3, 1941, J. W. Eastham]

The Spaniard in British Columbia
[December 4, 1941, Judge F. W. Howay]
As Spain had proclaimed the whole eastern Pacific Ocean its territory, it began sailing to the Pacific Northwest when it was perceived that the Russians were going to move south and take over the territory. As Spain had passed through its bloody genocidal period, its policies at Nootka were relatively enlightened.
(see Tomas Bartroli's Brief presence: Spain's activity on America's northwest Coast, 1774-1796, author, c.1991;)

1942

British Columbia at the crossroads
[February 24, 1942, Dr. Walter N. Sage]

Alaska and the Alaska Highway
[November 19, 1942, AGM, E. S. Robinson]
The Alaska Highway, a 1009 km highway from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks, Alaska, was built the by Americans in the summer of 1942. Completed in 1943, the Canadian portion was taken over by Canada in 1946 with a payment of $120 million.
(see S. Douglas' The Alaska Highway, a saga of the north, author, c.1943; Douglas Coe's Road to Alaska: the story of the Alaska highway, J. Messner Inc., 1943; see also http://www.themilepost.com/history.html)

1943

VPL #4914, Philip Timms, 19--, the Eburne skull showing trepanation

Early medical history of British Columbia
[February 23, 1943, Dr. W. Kaye Lamb]
(see A. S. Monro's Medical History of British Columbia, Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1931-32; Encyclopedia of British Columbia, 453-54)

Early days in Vancouver
[March 23, 1943, Major J. S. Matthews]
(see Encyclopedia of British Columbia, 733-34)

VPL #4244, Leonard Frank, 1924, former storehouse at Fort Langley

Original Fort Langley
[April 20, 1943, George Green]
Built to capture the fur trade in 1827 about 50 km from the mouth of the Fraser at a place now called Derby, the site was moved in 1839 to nearby its present site. Not successful as a fur trade site, it became more useful for its salmon and farming capacity. It was burned accidentally in 1840 and in 1858 became a jumping off point for gold miners heading into the interior. It was closed in 1886 and is now a National Historic Site.
(see Morag Maclachlan's The Fort Langley Journals, 1827-30, UBC Press, c.1998; B. C. McKelvie's Fort Langley, birthplace of British Columbia, Porcepic Press, 1991; see also http://users.uniserve.com/~gborden/fl-hist.htm)

VPL #7118 , Philip Timms, 190-, First family in living room in New Westminster

Early days in New Westminster
[September 30, 1943, Mrs. Clarence D. Peele]
Founded in 1859 on the north shore of the Fraser River as a defense against an attack from the south, New Westminster was declared the capital of the colony of British Columbia. In 1868, two years after the colonies of Vancouver Island and BC were joined, the capital was moved to Victoria. Originally called Queensborough, it is also referred to as the Royal City and the Queen City. It was burned in 1898 and is a thriving city today.
(see Alan Woodland's New Westminster, the early years, 1858-1898, Nanaga Publishing Co., 1973; see also http://www.nwheritage.org/heritagesite/history)

The historian - a detective
[October 25, 1943, Dr. Sylvia Thrupp]
(see Sylvia Thrupp's History of the Cranbrook District in East Kootenay, np, 1929; and Short History of the Worshipful Company of Bakers of London, Galleon Press, 1933)

VPL #10052, Leonard Frank, 1933, Bridge at Lillooet

Early history of Lillooet
[November 18, 1943, AGM, Hon. E. C. Carson]
Originally called Cayuse flat, Lillooet was an important First Nations site and terminus of the Douglas trail and thus an important miner's site in the 1860's gold rush era. From that point, it was mile “0” on the Cariboo Wagon Road. (see Irene Edwards' Short Portage to Lillooet, and other tales and trails, author, 1978; Lorraine Harris' Halfway to the Goldfields; A History of Lillooet, J. J. Douglas, 1977; see also http://www.lillooetchamberofcommerce.com/html/about_lillooet.html)

1944

VPL #10730, Leonard Frank, 1927, Vancouver Daily Star

Early Vancouver newspapers
[February 1, 1944, Miss Bessie Lamb]
(see Bessie Lamb's Origin and development of newspapers in Vancouver, UBC MA Thesis, 1942; Encyclopedia of British Columbia, 496-97)

Historic development of our northland
[February 29, 1944, Dr. M. Y. Williams]

VPL #19162, Philip Timms, 192-, Post Office, Station C

The postal system of the colony of BC
[March 22, 1944, Gerald E. Wellburn]
(see Gerald E. Wellburn's The postage stamps & postal history of colonial Vancouver Island & British Columbia, 1849-1871, F. E. Eaton & sons, 1987)

Survival values in human life
[October 5, 1944, Rev. John C. Goodfellow]

Judge Howay, historian and friend
[November 14, 1944, AGM, Dr. W. Kaye Lamb]
Ontario born Frederic William Howay (1867-1943) was a jurist and eminent British Columbia historian who published many books and articles in Canada, the US and England. His work for many decades was considered definitive regional history. He served on the bench for 30 years and was very active in public affairs. (see W. K. Lamb's F. W. Howay: a bibliography, W. Hoffer & S. Lunsford, 1982; see also http://www.sfu.ca/labour/FredericWilliamHoway.htm, and http://www.library.ubc.ca/spcoll/AZ/PDF/H/Howay_Frederic_William.pdf )

VPL #15576, Leonard Frank, 1938, Staff houses at West Kootenay Power and Light, Slocan River Valley

Reminiscences of my experiences in the Slocan
[December 6, 1944, Dr. A. M. Sanford]

 

 

1945

British Columbia becomes Canadian
[February 13, 1945, Dr. Walter N. Sage]
From the time British Columbia joined Canada in 1871 to 1901, the province went through various stages to Canadianize itself. (see Walter N. Sage's British Columbia becomes Canadian [1871-1901], Queen's Quarterly, 52:2, 1944; see also http://www.canadiana.org/citm/themes/constitution/constitution14_e.html)

Frog Lake massacre of 1885
[April 10, 1945, William Bleasdell Cameron]
On April 2, 1885, as part of the Northwest Rebellion, 9 white clergy and settlers were killed by local Indians and Metis. The Canadian government had been unsympathetic to Metis and Indian problems of starvation and settlement.
(see William Bleasdell Cameron's The war trail of Big Bear, being the story of the connection of Big Bear and other Cree Indian chiefs and their followers with the Canadian North-west rebellion of 1885, the Frog Lake massacre and events leading up to and following it, and of two months imprisonment in the camp of the hostiles, Boston: Small, Maynard, 1927;)

Some pioneer journalists
[May 7, 1945, Dr. W. Kaye Lamb]

VPL #22079, Dominion Photo Co., 1886, Locomotive #374

Linking the Atlantic to the Pacific - Locomotive 374
[September 25, 1945, Major J. S. Matthews]
The first CPR train from the east to arrive in Vancouver was on February 23, 1887, although it was formally celebrated on May 23, 1887 with the arrival of the first passenger train from the east. Engine 374 was the engine for the latter arrival and was the 1st passenger train to go beyond Port Moody over the 12 mile extension to Vancouver. The engine is now housed in the Roundhouse in Vancouver's Yaletown.
(see http://www.seevancouverheritage.com/eng374/eng374.htm;)

VPL #7686, Philip Timms, 1907, Barnet Street, Burnaby

Early history of Burnaby
[October 29, 1945, George Green]
Surveyed by the Royal Engineers in 1859 and named after businessman Robert Burnaby (1828-1878) who led its survey, Burnaby has moved from a logging to farming to a working class suburb. Its Central Park was a reserve originally set aside for spars for the Royal Navy. (see Colin Steven's Burnaby Village Museum, 1971-2001: 30 years of heritage preservation, Burnaby Village Museum, 2001;)

Rossland as I knew it
[November 26, 1945, AGM, Rev. A. M. Sanford]
(see Rosa Jordan & Derek Choukalos' Rossland, the first 100 years, Harry Lefevre, 1995; Encyclopedia of British Columbia, 613; see also http://www.rossland.com/About/history.html)