Showing 17215 results

People and organizations

Haines, Frank Archibald

  • Person

Frank Haines served in France with the 11th Field Ambulance in World War I and in Canada with the Canadian Army in World War II.

Ramsey, Frederick A., Reverend Canon

  • Person
  • 1896-1984

Reverend Frederick Ramsey was born in England and came to Canada as a child. After being ordained in Ontario and subsequently serving in several B.C. locations, he was made Rector of St. Stephen's Anglican Church in West Vancouver in 1931. He was also Chaplain at Shaughnessy Hospital from 1949 to 1961. In 1965, he served on the Special Joint Committee on Skid Row Problems.

Fruit Magazine Publishing Company

  • Corporate body

The Fruit Magazine Publishing Co. was incorporated in 1909 as a joint stock company. Original shareholders and directors were Maxwell Smith, Richard Samuel Ford, James Banks Todrick, G. W. Murray, William Francis Stewart, Richard Charles Hodgson, and Budd A. Olmstead. Maxwell Smith was the first chairman. The registered office of the company was situated at #510 Winch Building, Hastings Street, Vancouver.

Simons, G.A.

  • Person

G.A. Simons was a window dresser employed at David Spencer Ltd.

Gammage family

  • Family

Albert Gammage was born in Owen Sound, Ontario, and became the postmaster of Michel, B.C. He married Martha E. Bridgett, also from Owen Sound, in Calgary in 1904. The following year he died suddenly and his widow was appointed postmaster for Michel in 1906.

Gastown Merchants' Association

  • Corporate body

The Gastown Merchants' Association was founded in 1973 for the promotion of the Gastown shopping area and was involved in the development of the Vancouver Farmers' Market and the annual bicycle race. Al Bowen served as Vice-President and then President of the Association.

Cowan, George Henry

  • Person

George H. Cowan was born June 17, 1858 in Watford, Ontario and was educated at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall. He was called to the bar of Ontario in 1889. He moved to British Columbia in 1893 and was called to the bar in that year. In 1894 he organized the first Conservative Association of Vancouver and was it's first secretary. He was a lawyer with several firms and the city solicitor for Vancouver and surrounding municipalities in 1907 to 1910. In politics he served as a Member of Parliament for Vancouver from 1908 to 1911 when he didn't run for re-election. He was an author and public speaker. Included among his works are "The Chinese Question in Canada" and "Better Terms for British Columbia". Cowan died September 20,1935.

Keefer, George Henry

  • Person

George Henry Keefer was born in Dufferin, Ontario, in 1865 and came to British Columbia in 1885. He was in charge of clearing the right-of-way from Port Moody to English Bay for the last stretch of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Keefer worked on other rail lines in the province and in Washington before serving in France during World War One. Over the years, Keefer found work in various locales, including building construction in San Francisco and Victoria, and prospecting in the Kootenay region. He died in 1957 at the age of 92.

Ridler, Gladys Lilian

  • Person

Gladys Ridler was a Vancouver writer and poet, writing on subjects relating to daily life, politics and current events. Many of these were published in "Letters to the Editor" sections of newspapers in the Lower Mainland.

Goepel family

  • Family

The Philip Dorset Goepel family was from Islington, Middlesex, England and Victoria, B.C.

Grandview Chamber of Commerce

  • Corporate body

The Grandview Chamber of Commerce was first organized in 1918 with aims of promoting the welfare of merchants and residents in the Commercial Drive area of Vancouver. It was the Chamber that began publishing The Highland Echo in 1918. The Chamber became inactive for a number of years, but it was revived in 1949. It then became involved with civic development (parkland, traffic, parking) and promotional activities such as Christmas tree decorations.

Greater Vancouver Regional District

  • Corporate body

The Greater Vancouver Regional District was created in 1967 as the Regional District of Fraser-Burrard. In 1968, the name was changed to the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Since its creation, the Regional District has been responsible for planning and administration of services that are common across the regional, predominantly utilities and regional aplnning. It took on these responsibilities from three already-existing bodies: the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (created 1913), the Greater Vancouver Water District (created 1926), and the Lower Mainland Regional Planning Board (created 1949). While the first two technically still operate, they do so under the overall banner of the Regional District, along with the Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation.

In 2017, the name of the organization was changed to the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau

  • Corporate body

The Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau was founded in 1922. Known originally as the Greater Vancouver Publicity Association, its activities were primarily advertising in the Western United States, the Canadian Prairies and Eastern Canada, publicizing the city through news releases and entertaining convention delegates and news media. In 1936 the name was changed to the Greater Vancouver Tourist Association. During the late 1930s, the Vancouver Auto Club amalgamated with the Tourist Association. The two organizations operated jointly until 1951. In 1962 the name of the Association was changed to the Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Greater Vancouver Weavers' and Spinners' Guild

  • Corporate body
  • 1935-

The B.C. Weavers' Guild was founded in 1935. The name changed in 1940 to the B.C. Weavers' and Spinners' Guild and changed again to the Greater Vancouver Weavers' and Spinners' Guild in 1974. The Guild is active in promoting the crafts of weaving and spinning, sponsoring exhibitions, sales, and workshops throughout the year.

Toms, H.N.W.

  • Person

Robert William Gordon was an entrepreneur in Vancouver, Victoria and elsewhere. His daughter, Jessie, founded Crofton House School in 1898 and was later joined by her sisters, Mary and Edith.

H.R. MacMillan Planetarium and Southam Observatory

  • Corporate body

H.R. MacMillan Planetarium and Southam Observatory is a centre conducting research, public education programmes, and exhibitions in the field of astronomy.
Construction began on the centre in 1967, as part of celebrations for Canada's Centennial. The building was completed in 1968, and the centre shares this space with the Vancouver Museum (previously named the City Museum and later, the Centennial Museum). The management of the centre first fell under the Civic Museums and Planetarium Board of the City of Vancouver, which also managed the Centennial Museum and the Vancouver Maritime Museum. In 1972, the City relinquished its control over these institutions, and their management was taken on by the Vancouver Museums and Planetarium Association (previously known as the Vancouver Art, Historical, and Scientific Association). This Association had created and managed the Vancouver Museum from 1894 to 1959. In 1979, the Association began experimenting with having some degree of autonomy for the institutions it administered on behalf of the City. In 1987, a resolution was passed to have all the operations of the Vancouver Museum and Planetarium Association evolve into three separate legal entities, and by 1988, the Planetarium functioned independently of the Vancouver Museums and Planetarium Association.
In 1997, the name of the institution was changed from the H.R. MacMillan Planetarium and Southam Observatory to the Pacific Space Centre.

Palm Dairy Limited

  • Corporate body
  • ca. 1923-

Crystal Dairy Limited began operation ca. 1923 with James Russell as managing director. Located at 415 West 8th Avenue, it was a close neighbour of Fraser Valley Dairies Limited at 405. By 1927 the Dairy had a new location at 1803 Commercial Drive where the milk division and later the ice-cream division remained into the 1950s. Archibald and William Fraser, president and secretary respectively, controlled the business until the late 1940s. Palm Dairies, originally located at 1060 Cambie Street under the management of George Fawcett, took over the operations of Crystal ca. 1952. The main office and plant (Milk Division) moved to 3333 Main Street, while the Grandview branch at 1803 Commerical Drive housed the ice-cream division. By 1961 the ice-cream division had moved to 1060 Cambie. George Fawcett remained as manager until the late 1970s when he was succeeded by Don Westondorp.

Dawe, Helen

  • Person
  • 1914-1983

Helen Dawe grew up in Vancouver. She later earned B.A. and B.Comm. degrees from U.B.C. and a B.L.S. from the University of Toronto. During World War II, Dawe enlisted in the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (Wrens), took training in various places, and became a leading hand at Joint Services at Jericho Beach and in Halifax. She served as a Petty Officer Coder with the Canadian Naval Mission Overseas in London. After the war, she served as a librarian with the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Dawe returned to B.C. and eventually settled in Sechelt, where she maintains an active interest in local history. She has published several articles in Sechelt newspapers on the history of the area.

Hill, Albert J.

  • Person
  • [185?-?]

Albert J. Hill came to B.C. in 1880 with his brother Arthur Edmund Hill to work for the CPR. Bothe brothers were civil engineers. They were associated with surveys and construction in the Interior and on Vancouver Island, with the Coquitlam Water Works Company, and with New Westminster projects. In partnership with J.A. Kirk, Albert Hill was a partner in the engineering and surveying firm Hill & Kirk, located in New Westminster, B.C.

Hill, Arthur Edmund

  • Person
  • [-1921]

Arthur Edmund Hill came to B.C. in 1880 with his brother Albert J. Hill to work for the CPR. They were associated with surveys and construction in the Interior and on Vancouver Island, with the Coquitlam Water Works Company, and with New Westminster projects. In 1890 Arthur Hill was appointed superintendent of waterworks for New Westminster. In turn, he was associated with the Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway, the Nicola, Kamloops and Similkameen Railway, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and the British Columbia Electric Railway. He died in 1921.

Green, Howard Charles

  • Person
  • 1895-1989

Howard Green was born in Kaslo, B.C. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1915. He applied for a commission with the 54th. Kootenay Battalion and served as a Lieutenant in Canada, England and France, and saw action with the 4th Division from August 1916 to July 1917. He was subsequently an instructor with the Canadian Corps School and with the 6th. Canadian Infantry Brigade. After the armistice, he was attached to the Canadian Section, G.H.Q., where he was promoted to the rank of Captain. Green returned to Canada in 1919 and attended law school at Osgoode Hall in Toronto, and was called to the bar in B.C. in 1922. He worked for Ladner and Cantelon and later set up his own legal practice in 1926. In 1923, he married Marion Jean Mounce. They had two sons, Lewis Howard and John Willison. Marion died in 1953 and Green married Donna Enid Kerr in 1956. Green was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament representing Vancouver South in 1935. After a re organization of constituency boundaries, he served as MP for Vancouver Quadra from 1949 to 1963. Green served as Minister of Public Works, 1951-1959, and Acting Minister of Defence Production, 1957-1958. He was appointed Secretary of State for External Affairs in 1959. After losing his seat in the 1963 election, Green returned to his law practice. Green died in 1989.

Howe Sound Hotel

  • Corporate body

The Howe Sound Hotel, located on Bowen Island, was a resort which in the early 1900s catered to socially-prominent residents of Vancouver and to wealthy foreign visitors.

Cornett, Jack W.

  • Person
  • 1883-1973

Jack Cornett was the last Reeve of the Municipality of South Vancouver. He was an alderman in the City of Vancouver from 1937 to 1940, and from 1952 to 1959. He was a Vancouver Park Commissioner in 1935 and 1936. He was also Vancouver's Mayor from 1941 to 1946. He was also active in South Vancouver recreation for many years.

Jack Wasserman

  • Person

Jack Wasserman (1927-1977) was a nightlife and celebrity columnist for the Vancouver Sun. He was born on February 17, 1927 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and moved to Vancouver with his parents in 1935. He graduated from King Edward High School in 1945 and attended law school at the University of British Columbia in 1949 until he left to take a reporter's job with the Ubyssey. He was hired in 1949 by the Vancouver Sun as a reporter, but soon became a regular columnist with his "After Dark" column in 1952, his "About Now" column in 1954, and his "Jack Wasserman" column circa 1959 that continued until his death. Wasserman also had a talk-radio show on CJOR in 1969, a show called Wasserman's World on CKNW in 1970, and hosted CBC TV's Hourglass in 1972. Jack Wasserman died of a heart attack at age 50 while speaking at the Hotel Vancouver during a roast for Gordon Gibson Sr. on April 7, 1977.

Crookall, James

  • Person
  • Nov. 7, 1887 - July 27, 1960

James Crookall was born November 7, 1887 in Preston, Lancashire, and came to Vancouver as a child. Throughout his life, Crookall was an avid amateur photographer and an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He was an active member of the Vancouver Photographic Society and regularly exhibited his photographs in international salons. He died on July 27, 1960.

As a young man, Crookall joined the Union Steamship Company of B.C. He served first as a Steward, then as a Clerk and was made Secretary in 1912. His photographs reflect an interest in maritime traffic and activities.

In 1907, he joined the 6th Regiment, the Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles, probably in the reserve unit, as he was still working for the Union Steamship Company. He is alleged to have known Major Matthews, the first City Archivist, and it’s possible he met him as a fellow member of the D.C.O.R.

During World War I, he served for two years with the Royal Flying Corps. Over his lifetime, he took many photographs of both military and civil aircraft at airshows.

After the war he resumed his career with Union Steamships. Crookall became Secretary Comptroller and was appointed Secretary-Treasurer in 1949. He retired in 1958 only a few months before Union Steamships ceased operations in 1959.

In addition to photography, Crookall had many recreational interests. He was an avid painter and a keen outdoorsman, regularly cycling or hiking many miles in search of subjects for his easel or his cameras. He was involved with a local group of amateur photographers called the “cycling circus”, which formed during the gas-rationing years of World War II and organized photographic trips by bicycle.

Hamilton, James

  • Person

James Hamilton was secretary of the Vancouver Merchants' Exchange from its inception in 1921 until his retirement in 1944. He was considered an expert on British Columbia's marine history. His books included "Western Shores" (1932) and "The All-Red Route" (1960) and he contributed to "Harbour and Shipping" for many years under the name of "Captain Kettle". Hamilton passed away in 1964 at the age of 85.

James Inglis Reid, Ltd.

  • Corporate body

James Inglis Reid (1874 1952) was a Scotsman, born in Waterside, Kirkintilloch Parish, who immigrated to Vancouver in 1906. Reid found employment with Edgett s Grocery; however, he soon established his own business. He sold hams and various types of bacon, including Ayrshire, which he cured himself. Following the commercial trend of Vancouver at the time, Reid moved his place of business to 559 Granville Street in 1915. Reid incorporated the business as James Inglis Reid, Ltd. on December 24, 1930. It was at the Granville Street address that Reid achieved financial success, wide renown, and a permanent place in the history of Vancouver.

After Reid purchased the property situated at 559 Granville Street in 1922, he began an extensive renovation. The building comprised three stories and a basement. The top floor was converted to a baking area and a kitchen for the production of fresh sausages and other products. The second floor included a business office, locker room, lunch room, storage area, and a space for maturing cheese. The basement was home to the smokehouse, curing operations, coolers, and storage for supplies. The ground floor of the building remained the retail area; however, it was enlarged and the counters and floor were transformed by the installation of white and black marble during the renovation. The lane side of the ground floor had a receiving dock for deliveries, a cooler large enough to hold whole sides of beef, and the main area for meat cutting. The two year renovation was completed in 1924. Nine years later, Reid installed a structural awning over the Granville Street sidewalk. The awning featured (in neon signage) the phrase, adapted from Burns Selkirk Grace, we hae meat that ye can eat that was closely identified with the business.

The multitude of on-site operations and a skilled staff allowed James Inglis Reid, Ltd. to offer a wide selection of fresh meat, hams, bacon, and sausages. These operations included the daily cutting of sides of beef, hogs, and lambs; the curing and smoking of hams and bacon in the purpose built, fire-brick enclosure ( the smokehouse ); and the production of sausages in the third floor kitchen. In particular, the employment of Horatio Nelson Menzies, a fellow Scotsman and experienced butcher who was hired in 1917, helped James Inglis Reid, Ltd. become very well known for its house-made Scottish specialties such as white puddings, black puddings (blood sausage), and most notably, haggis. Production figures indicate that four to six tonnes of haggis was made and sold annually. Reid s haggis was prepared and shipped to townships throughout British Columbia, other Canadian provinces, and to customers in the United States.

Reid was proud of his Scottish heritage and did much to promote its traditions in Vancouver. He was a founding member of the Scottish Society of Vancouver. In addition, the shop served as a gathering point for those interested in Scottish traditions and culture. The celebration of Robert Burns birthday was an annual event. Haggis was supplied to fraternal organizations, churches, businesses, hotels, steamships, and individuals throughout British Columbia for Burns Night Suppers. In addition, the left front display window of 559 Granville Street was decorated with Burns portrait, selected quotations from the poet s work, and memorabilia.

Following the retirement of James Inglis Reid in 1945, Gordon Young Wyness, Reid s son-in-law, became manager of the business. Wyness, an engineer by profession, had gained management experience while working for Burns & Co. Ltd., a meat packing firm, and Canadian Industries Ltd Ammunition Division. He had an understanding of the demands of running a small business since his family had owned and operated a general store in Saskatchewan. James Inglis Reid Ltd., under the guidance of G.Y. Wyness, prospered for another forty years. Throughout his stewardship, the business refined its operations while maintaining its traditions ( Quality First, Value Always ).

By the middle of the nineteen-eighties, commercial patterns had shifted away from the factors that decades ago had attracted Reid to the Granville Street location. The shop was now an anomaly among the financial institutions and large chain stores that dominated downtown. Consequently, the decision was made to close the business when Cadillac Fairview Corporation began the expansion of the Pacific Centre Mall north of Dunsmuir Street. James Inglis Reid, Ltd. ended retail business operations in 1986.

Sutherland, James J.

  • Person

James J. Sutherland, Barrister and Solicitor, practiced law in Vancouver.

Yale, James Murray

  • Person
  • 1798-1871

James Murray Yale (ca. 1798-1871) was a chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1833 to 1859. He entered the service of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1815 and was stationed at Fort Wedderburn on Lake Athabasca, a site of conflict between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. As a result of this conflict, in 1817, he was seized and detained by North West Company officials at Great Slave Lake for several months. In 1821, he was put in charge of Fort George, and later served at Fort Alexandria and Fort St. James. He then moved to Fort Langley, and was put in charge of the post in 1833. During his time at Fort Langley, Yale oversaw the construction of new buildings and supervised the diversification of the post's activities away from fur trading to include salt fish packing and farming. He also ran the post through the activity surrounding the gold rush in 1858. In 1859, he retired to Stromness Farm in Saanich.

Jersey Farms Limited

  • Corporate body

Jersey Farms commenced business on December 16, 1931 at 2256 West Broadway in Vancouver. The new buildings contained a dairy processing plant, a laboratory to ensure product quality, an ice cream parlour, and included a barn at 11th Avenue and Arbutus which held the horses and delivery wagons. By 1936 the company had 55 employees and annual sales of $300,000. In 1966 it was sold to Silverwood Dairies.

Allison, John F.

  • Person

John F. Allison and Edgar M. Allison pre-empted 640 acres of land at the junction of the Similkameen River and Nicola Creek. Susan Moir, later married to John F. Allison, was considered by some to be the first white woman in the Okanagan.

Fraser, John

In 1972, John Fraser, Progressive Conservative, was elected as a Member of Parliament for Vancouver South. Subsequently he served on several committees, and was appointed Official Opposition Environmental Critic and Chairman of the P.C. Causus Environmental Committee. Mr. Fraser was re-elected in the 1974 election.

Morgan, John Frederick

John Frederick Morgan immigrated from Wales to Vancouver at the turn of the 20th century and became an employee of the B.C. Electric Railway Company.

Lennie, John James

John James Lennie (1870-1960) was born in England and came to Canada in the 1890s. He was a masseur and started a Turkish bath in Ottawa. He became known to various Members of Parliament and his family attended many functions held for the staff and servants of Government House and the House of Commons. The family moved to Vancouver in 1912. Lennie became a constable for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.

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