The Vancouver Incorporation Act required the appointment of an engineer, and the City did so under by-law no. 1 (1886). It has been the largest and most indispensable department from the beginning, and despite technological changes, has remained remarkably consistent in functional responsibilities. Over the years the Engineering Department has been responsible for the construction and maintenance of streets, lanes, sewers, water works, bridges, and for traffic management, sanitation, garbage collection, and parking. With the rapid growth of the city the Department's role changed from supervision and inspection of work done by contractors to full scale operations divisions. The broad range of functions include: (1) City communications and fire alarm system. (2) City planning. (3) Refuse collection and disposal. (4) Scaffold and plumbing inspection. (5) Sewerage and drainage. (6) Snow removal. (7) Street cleaning. (8) Street decoration. (9) Street lighting. (10) Streets and bridges maintenance and design. (11) Traffic management.(12)Transportation planning. (13) Utility corridor control. (14) Water supply and distribution. The City Engineer first reported to the Board of Works (1886-1956), then to the Board of Administration (1956-1974), and subsequently to the City Manager (1974- ). The Engineering Department's administrative structure has been organized according to the various public works functions. A major reorganization occurred in 1966 when the Electrical Department was incorporated as a division within the Engineering Department (impetus for the change came from the formation of the Permits and Licenses Department which took over inspection activities while Engineering took over engineering and works aspects). In 1991 divisional units were: Projects and Parking Division (Projects, Transit, Parking and Administration, Parking Enforcement); Transportation Division (Transportation and Engineering Planning, Traffic Management, Traffic Operations); Electrical and Utilities Control Division (Street Lighting and Utilities Control; Electrical Engineering; Drafting; Electrical Operations; Sanitation, Materials, and Equipment Division (Research, Solid Waste Management, Materials, Equipment Management, Sanitation Operations, Equipment); Water, Sewers and Budgets Division (Waterworks Engineering, Budgets, Sewers Engineering, Waterworks Operations, Sewers Operations); Streets Division (Streets, Construction and Administration, Structures, Streets Planning and Design; Streets Operations, Yards); and two additional units, Land Survey Branch and Administration Division. Reporting to the City Engineer were: Transportation; Water, Sewers and Budgets; and Streets. Reporting to the Deputy City Engineer were: Projects & Parking; Electrical & Utilities; Sanitation; Land Survey; and Administration. (Organization charts for 1991-1997 are at location PD 1650). Engineering Services was previously known as the Engineering Department (1886-1995). The following individuals have served as City Engineer: John P. Lawson, 1886-1890; Henry B. Warren, 1890-1891; Thomas H. Tracey, 1891-1905; William A. Clement, 1905-1911; Frederick L. Fellowes, 1911-1924; Charles Brakenridge, 1924-1946; Charles A. Battershill, 1946-1949; John C. Oliver, 1949-1956; Randolph M. Martin, 1956-1971; Gordon H. Lawson, 1971-1974; William H. Curtis, 1974-1991; David Rudberg, 1991- . For more historical detail please consult the administrative histories of the Engineering Department and the City Electrician's Department in the Engineering Services inventory. For administrative histories of the numerous divisions see the series level of description.
Fonds consists of the following record series, all related to public works functions, which are listed by the latest creating office represented in the date range. Vancouver (B.C.). Board of Works - Meeting files, 1906-1911, series 342; Minutes, 1886-1951, series 373; Subject files, 1910-1912, series 517. Vancouver (B.C.). Electrical Department - City Electrician's subject files, 1904-1960, series 352; Procedural manual, 1966, series 353. Vancouver (B.C.). Electrical Division - Contract files, 1963-1974, series 349; Electrical and gas line plans, 1947-1969, series 354; Project files, 1930-1985, series 351; Subject and departmental files, 1948-1985, series 348. Vancouver (B.C.). Engineering Department - Annual correspondence, 1905-1974, series 547; Bridge engineer J.R. Grant's subject files, 1913-1952, series 341; Bridge records, 1910-1986, series 361; Contract register, 1912-1928, series 362; Georgia Viaduct and Granville Street Bridge photographs, 1951-1971, series 593; Granville Street Bridge construction photographs, 1951-1955, series 594; Killarney boulevard construction photographs, 1970, series 595; Levels and benchmarks, 1891-1932, series 363; Local improvements miscellany, 1905-1954, series 356; Main Street sea wall construction photographs, 1915-1917, series 596; Miscellaneous photographs, [ca. 1900], [ca. 1912]-1918, series 632; Miscellaneous records, 1905-1951, series 368; Oak Street photographs by W. J. Moore Co., 1929, series 597; Old policy files, 1911-1974, series 549; Photographs - Council and special events, 1981-1998, series 446; Plans and drawings, 1906-1960, series 365; Street ends file, 1898-1974, series 548; Water works distributing journals, 1911-1946, series 350; Water works register of appropriations for roadwork, 1906-1943, series 358. Vancouver (B.C.). Engineering Department. Administration Division - Housekeeping subject files, 1971-1977, series 321. Vancouver (B.C.). Engineering Department. Surveys Branch - Sectional maps, 1912-1956, series 508. Vancouver (B.C.). Engineering Services - Annual reports, 1906-1912, 1977, 1988-1996, series 592; Publications in City Publications Collection, 1904-1988, series 591. Vancouver (B.C.). Office of the City Engineer - City Enginineer's reports, 1906-1959, series 372; Hydro-electric investigation records, 1922-1938, series 346; Incoming correspondence, 1892-1964, series 343; Manuals, reports, and publications collection, 1944-1994, series 569; Metric Conversion Committee reference files, 1977-1979, series 355; Subject files, 1886-1966, series 442; Works reports to City Council, 1906-1977, series 374. Vancouver (B.C.). Pavements, Streets and Sewers Division - Mechanical equipment inventory, ca. 1927-1962, series 359; Road Operations Branch correspondence, 1944-1964, series 360. Vancouver (B.C.). Sewer, Water and Sanitation Division - Rain gauge registers, 1949-1978, series 658. Vancouver (B.C.). Sewerage Department - Sewerage records, 1908-1941, series 357. Vancouver (B.C.). Street Decoration Committee - Banner program, 1954-1999, series 490. Vancouver (B.C.). Traffic Division - Traffic diagrams, 1936-1937, series 659; Traffic reports, 1959-1974, series 364. Vancouver (B.C.). Transportation Division - Traffic management photographs, 1939-1997, series 505; Transportation Planning Engineer Expo 86 files, 1951-1986, series 507. Vancouver (B.C.). Water Works Committee - Minutes, 1906-1936, series 376; Reports to Committee and Council, 1910-1940, series 375. Vancouver (B.C.). Water Works Department - Plumbing record, 1904-1914, series 369; Valve record, ca. 1930, series 370; Water application record books, 1886-1911, series 367; Water rates journals, 1892-1920, series 366; Water supply drawings, 1888-1944, series 371.
Series descriptions and file lists available.<br /><a href="http://www.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/webpubhtml/w_Eng.htm">Online Finding Aid</a>