Showing 2752 results

The Norwest Seniors Curling Club was founded in October 1975 by a small group of men, including original members Jack Mackenzie, Toots Phillips, and Bus Lowery. At the time of its creation, the club curled out of the Capilano Winter Rink.

Since its inception, the curling club has actively fund-raised and expanded its membership base. The club has grown considerably from its small beginnings, but has consistently remained very local, engaging mostly in friendly competitions, such as those supported by the Royal Canadian Legion. The Norwest Seniors Curling Club continues to be a successful West Vancouver organization.

The West Vancouver Transportation Company was formed in October, 1909 by John Lawson, Robert McPherson, John Sinclair and W.C. Thompson. They purchased the launch "Aline" for $1900.00 and on November 4, 1909 started regular runs from Hollyburn Wharf to the North Vancouver Ferry Wharf in Vancouver. The service was a combined freight and passenger service.

The West Vancouver Transportation Company was incorporated as a joint stock company on February 22, 1910. The first meeting of the Directors was held on May 17, 1910. John Lawson was elected President, Mr. Robert McPherson Vice President, John Sinclair Director, and W.C. Thompson Secretary Treasurer. By 1911, John Lawson was the major share holder of the company.

The company very soon started experiencing financial difficulties, and not long after West Vancouver was incorporated as a municipality in March 1912, Mr. Lawson and Mr. Thompson approached the council with a proposal that the muncipality buy out the private transportation company. Later that year the West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited was formed. The ferry company was a joint stock company as well, but with the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver as the majority shareholder. John Lawson then became manager of the West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited, for a yearly salary of $500.

At a meeting on August 9, 1915 it was decided to offer all the assets of the company to the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver for $ 8,000. The Municipality agreed to the offer, and it was approved by the shareholders in April of 1916. company as well, but with the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver as the majority shareholder. John Lawson then became manager of the West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited, for a yearly salary of $500.

At a meeting on August 9, 1915 it was decided to offer all the assets of the company to the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver for $ 8,000. The Municipality agreed to the offer, and it was approved by the shareholders in April of 1916. and the district of North Vancouver was approached with an offer to buy the assets of the company. But in February of 1912 West Vancouver had been incorporated as a municipality and the West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited created. West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited purchased the assets of the West Vancouver Transportation Company in 1912. The Ferry Company was a joint stock company as well, but with the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver as the majority share-holder. John Lawson became president of the West Vancouver Ferry Company. At a meeting on August 9, 1915 it was decided to offer all the assets of the company to the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver for 8,000 dollars. The Municipality agreed to the offer, and it was approved by the shareholders in April of 1916.

 The West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited was the successor to the West Vancouver Transportation Company Limited. The company was created in 1912, and was a joint stock company with the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver as the majority share holder.

John Lawson was the first president of the West Vancouver Ferry Company Limited. At the Annual General Meeting on January 25, 1915 he was succeeded by George Hay.

On March 1, 1916 the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver offered to buy the Ferry Company, subject to the passage of a by-law sanctioning this purchase. The by-law was passed on March 16, 1916. The final meeting of the West Vancouver Ferry Company was held on May 8, 1916.

The Church of Our Lord was established on October 29, 1874 by Rev. Edward Cridge. Cridge was sent to the colonial outpost of Fort Victoria in 1855 as Chaplain to the Hudson's Bay Company. Rev. Cridge played a major role in establishing the Anglican church in Victoria and later became Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. Doctrinal differences resulted in Cridge and his large following creating a new congregation in the fall of 1874 and, in keeping with its evangelical principles, the new church affiliated with the Reformed Episcopal Church of America.

The Church Of Our Lord building was completed in 1875 and dedicated on Sunday, January 16, 1876. The land and organ were donated by a founding member, Sir James Douglas, Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and later Governor of the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. The church was designed by John Teague, who later became Mayor of Victoria. The building, of board and batten construction in the Carpenter Gothic style, was declared a Federal Heritage Building in 1998 and over the next five years underwent a major restoration.
The Church of Our Lord retains an active presence in the Victoria community to this day.

Methodist work in the area began in 1884 with the construction of a
church, organization of a congregation and appointment of a minister at the behest of Amos Russ, the grandson of a Native chief and a Christian convert. The initial building that served as the church was an old First Nations dance hall that had been refurbished by the local community. This was the local church for 28 years, after which the Spencer Memorial Church, constructed largely by volunteers in 1912, served as the place of worship. Spencer Memorial Church was named for Dr. J.C. Spencer, a minister and medical doctor who spearheaded its construction. Although the mission was initially started for the purpose of evangelizing to the native peoples, the congregation expanded to include many families of settlers, who immigrated to the area in search of natural resources and work during the 1910s and 1920s. Spencer Memorial Church was renamed Spencer Memorial United Church with church union in 1925. In 1957, in concert with Queen Charlotte City United Church, the congregation of Spencer Memorial United Church purchased Dead Tree Point, which they used for a children’s camp from 1957 to 1969, when the regular summer camps stopped due to a lack of participants. In 1974, Spencer Memorial United Church was found to possess insufficient facilities to continue serving as the area’s church. An analysis of the building found it to be lacking in insulation and basic facilities such as a washroom or kitchen, as well as possessing a much larger sanctuary than was needed to house the now modest congregation. In 1974, Spencer Memorial United Church was closed and a new church named Skidegate United Church was built and dedicated. The building of Spencer Memorial United Church was demolished in 1975.
Methodist services began in Queen Charlotte City in 1908 when the Reverend J.C. Spencer began making trips by boat from the village of Skidegate to Queen Charlotte City. A regular minister was appointed and a church building constructed in 1909. The congregation would expand to include many more families of settlers who came to the area searching for natural resources and farmland during the 1910s and 1920s. A new church building was constructed in 1960-1961; it included improved facilities such as a new kitchen, washrooms, committee room, and entrance hall.

Trinity United Church has its roots in Wellington and Lantzville Pastoral Charges. After church union, Wellington United Church became a Pastoral Charge in its own right. Between 1929 and 1931, Wellington was affiliated with Cedar. In 1931, the Nanaimo Suburban Pastoral Charge was formed and included Wellington as a preaching point, as well as Lantzville, Brechin, Chase River, Cedar, South Wellington, East Wellington and Extension. By 1952, the yearbook listed only three points: Brechin, Lantzville, and Wellington. In 1959 Brechin built a new church and became a stand alone Pastoral Charge. Lantzville and Wellington joined together and formed their own Pastoral Charge, operating as a joint-charge.

In 1967 there were joint meetings consisting of members from both Wellington and Lantzville and in 1970 they became one congregation with a Council and four committees elected from both groups. Worship services were held in both Lantzville and Wellington, now as two parts of a single congregation. In 1977 the St. Philips U.C. building was sold to the Anglican Church and the congregation integrated fully with the Wellington U.C.

In 1975 plans began for an ecumenical center in between the United Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Wellington U.C. became Trinity United Church and, with Trinity Catholic Church, dedicated the Nanaimo Ecumenical Centre on February 4, 1979.

The RCMP were posted in Osoyoos during World War II. Several citizens of the area were suspected to be supporters of Germany.

The Caulfeild Property Owners and Ratepayers Association was a group of Caulfeild residents engaged in issues of concern to the neighbourhood. They held regular meetings in members' homes and prepared correspondence and petitions to staff and Council of the District of West Vancouver.

Dundarave Pharmacy was opened ca. 1925 by James Finlayson. From 1937 to 1942, it was owned by pharmacist W.L. Ker, and from 1942 to 1944 by Alex Steven. It was also known informally as Libby's Pharmacy, when owned by Frank Libby after 1959.

 The West Vancouver Little Theatre Guild was an amateur theatre group that produced plays and presentations in the community. Prior to 1946, the group was called the West Vancouver Little Theatre Group but it did not make an impact until Ernest Laws, a prominent London actor was asked to participate. The guild was officially formed in 1946. By its second year, membership had flourished from 20 to 106, although the guild never managed to have its own facility to stage plays.

In its first season, the guild produced four plays, To Have the Honour, Distinguished Gathering, Personal Appearance, Yes and No, and scenes from Alice in Wonderland. The guild averaged four plays a year and members participated in the One Act Play Festival and the Dominion Drama Festival for which they received numerous awards. The guild also held actors workshops and studio nights. The group was renamed West Van Little Theatre in 1985, and more recently became Theatre West Van.

The Rotary Club of Campbell River (club 6224), sponsored by the Rotary Club of Courtenay was chartered on April 10, 1946. A celebration of this event was held at the community hall in Campbellton. When established Dr. Ken Craig was the first president and other board members included: F.E. McCarthy (treasurer), Carl O Thulin, Oscar Thulin, A.G. McLean, K.W. Brown, J.H. Burgess.

Although the club charter night was April 10, several (weekly) meetings of the new club took place before then. The first meeting was held on March 13, 1946. The club immediately became involved in community activities and one of their earliest community projects was supporting the construction of a new hall for the Boy Scout's.

Over the years the club has been a part of a number of significant community activities and undertaken a number of community projects. Some of those significant projects include involvement in the building of the community halls, the Centennial Outdoor Pool and ice arena, the Rotary Beach Park and Seawalk and the Cari Infant and Toddler Centre.

Additionally the Rotary Club of Campbell River sponsored the chartering of several new rotary clubs in the area including Port Hardy, Sayward, Gold River and the Campbell River Daybreak Rotary. The Rotary Club of Campbell River continues to have an active role in the community.

Commissioned by the BC Ministry of Forests to manage the development of the Public Access Silviculture Information System (PASIS). The purpose of PASIS was to provide the general public with an accessible information source about silviculture, and to promote unbiased information sharing among a variety of interested people.

In 1986, with close to 60 members, the Francescan Society was renamed the Francescan Outreach Society, and registered as a charitable trust. It continued the regular fundraising and outreach activities of the organization until 1989 when, after more than twenty years assisting numerous North Shore organizations, and individuals, the group ceased operations.

The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the new Anglican Church in North America. Founded in 1873 by Bishop George David Cummins, formerly of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the Reformed Episcopal Church conducts services according to its own edition of the Book of Common Prayer, based heavily on the Church of England's 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The REC holds to a faith rooted in the English Reformation.
Within a year of the founding of the REC, like-minded Canadian Anglicans in New Brunswick and Ontario seceded from that Church and formed Reformed Episcopal congregations. In October 1874, Edward Cridge, dean of the Anglican cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia, withdrew with about 350 of his congregation and joined the Reformed Episcopal Church. Cridge was consecrated a bishop for the REC in 1876.

Established in 1907, the Vancouver Law Students’ Society was originally open to “all students-at-law” and articled clerks residing in the City of Vancouver. The objective of the Society was to organize educational and social activities for the city’s law students. To promote legal education, the group lobbied the provincial government and the Law Society to establish a local law school. In large part the efforts of the VLSS resulted in the establishment of the Vancouver Law School which operated almost continuously from 1914 to 1944. When the University of British Columbia established a Law School at its Point Grey campus the Vancouver Law Students’ Society ceased operations.

The Women’s Auxiliary to the Vancouver Art Gallery established in 1943 was originally known as the Ladies’ Auxiliary to the Vancouver Art Gallery. It was developed as a way to undertake the work that was beyond the scope of the officers and executives of the gallery. On September 24, 1979, after receiving its first male members, the Women’s Auxiliary voted to re-name itself the Volunteer Committee to the Vancouver Art Gallery. It retained this name for 18 years. After broadening its operating mandate in 1997, it re-established itself yet again in 1998. A new constitution was developed with fundraising as the main focus while at the same time seeking new ways to engage Gallery members. The group is currently named the Associates to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The mandate of the associates is “to operate in accordance with the policy and priorities of the Vancouver Art Gallery, to be devoted to raising friends and funds for the Vancouver Art Gallery through social, educational, and service enterprises, and to foster wider cultural interest in the community, and to develop public awareness of the activities of the Vancouver Art Gallery.”

The volunteer organization has been responsible for various entertainments, lectures, and meetings over the years. Some of their many contributions include: Beaux Arts Balls, How to Look at Pictures, Christmas Creations, Do You Own a Canadian [Contemporary] Painting?, Home and Garden Tours, Art in Bloom, Heirloom Discovery Days, Town Tours, Painting Classes, and Art Rental and Sales [Picture Loan]. A noteworthy contribution of the Women’s Auxiliary to the Vancouver Art Gallery was the Gallery Shop beginning in 1963. Funds were also raised to purchase materials for the Gallery Library.

Various committee’s and associations were established as an offshoot of the Auxiliary group. Some of these include: the Education Committee, the W.A. Junior Committee, the Docent program, and the Alumni Association.

Titles:

Women’s Auxiliary to the Vancouver Art Gallery 1943-1979
Volunteer Committee to the Vancouver Art Gallery 1980-1998
The Associates to the Vancouver Art Gallery 1998-present

Presidents:

Mrs. J. P Fell 1943-1947

Miss H. Darling 1948
Mrs. R. Travers 1949-1950

Mrs. M. Caple 1950-1951
Iby Korner 1952-1953
Winnifred Philpott 1954-1955
Jean Turnbull 1956-1957
Dorothy-Jane Boyce 1958-1959
Jean Martin 1960
Estelle H. Warren 1961-1962
Grace Cameron 1963
Peggy Martin 1964
Nancy Paterson 1965-1966

Anne Tornroos 1967-1968

Sheila Casson 1969-1970
Thelma Plant 1971-1972
Noreen Anderson 1973
Cathie Miller 1974-1975
Claudia MacDonald 1976
Mary Zentek 1977-1978
Jane Wollen 1979-1980
Robin Gray 1981-1982
Brigitte Freybe 1983-1985
Ethel McIntosh 1986-1987
Dagmar Gabay 1987-1989

Sheila Mingie 1989-1991
Judy Daughney 1991-1993
Phyllis Buell 1993-1994
Joan Bawlf 1994-1997

Cathy Scott 1997-1999
Grace Robin 1999-2002
Gloria Smith 2002-2004
Lynne Du Moulin 2004-2006
Judy Lindsay 2006-2008
Annick Boisset 2008-present

The 1965 Conference of Learned Societies was held at UBC. The UBC Committee of Arrangements was responsible arranging conference facilities, accommodation, publicity, etc.
From <cite>The Canadian Encyclopedia</cite>: "The Learned Societies are the large group of Canadian scholarly organizations that hold conferences annually from late May to mid-June at a different university location each year. Society members come not only to hear and discuss scholarly papers on the latest work in their fields, but also to renew contacts and share common concerns. The gathering of these associations in one place over one period is distinctively Canadian and owes more to practical evolution than to planning power. Selecting one site with suitable university accommodation was an answer to Canadian distance that allowed scholars more economical joint arrangements, let them attend meetings of societies besides their own, and encouraged them to visit varied geographical areas".

Lakeside Orchards Improvement District was formed as a land development company in Osoyoos in 1960, and was incorporated in 1966. The founding officers included Homer Falding, Mary Lillian Cox, Jesse Johnson and Violet Kirstine Fraser. The company was dissolved in 1987.

A group committee to sponsor the Osoyoos Boy Scouts was formed February 3, 1952. Officers elected were Bill Graham (President) and Mrs. Ken Schorn (Secretary – Treasurer). Scoutmaster at the time was Mr. E. McNaughton.

Methodist work began in Prince Rupert in July, 1908. A small tent-roofed church was quickly erected, and services were begun. A larger church was built on a new site in 1911, and dedicated on March 3rd, 1912. In 1925, Prince Rupert Methodist Church entered church union, becoming First United Church. A majority of the Presbyterian Church congregation voted not to enter church union. In 1959, First United Church sponsored the development of “Friendship House”, a social centre and a residence for boys from First Nations villages who needed to come to Prince Rupert to attend high school.

The Rupert East United Church was built in January of 1926 and Rev. G.G. Hacker conducted the first service. Prior to this, Methodists had been active in the area for several years with a gymnasium and Sunday School. The Church was disbanded in 1934 but Sunday School care continued for several years afterwards.

The Osoyoos Centennial Committee was formed in 1969 to coordinate celebrations for the province’s centennial celebrations of 1971. The original committee consisted of S. Schmidt (Chair), D. Porteous (Vice-Chair), and B. Jenks (Secretary Treasurer). The permanent project of the committee was the renovation of the Osoyoos community hall. The final meeting of the committee was December 15, 1971.

Katie Lacey of Osoyoos collected some of the original Inkameep Day School artworks in the mid-1940’s and donated them to the Osoyoos Museum in 1963. More artwork was donated to the museum by unknown donors in 1967. In 2000, Leslie Plaskett, president of the Osoyoos Museum Society, brought one of the pieces of art to a meeting of provincial historians and was put in contact with Dr. Andrea Walsh, a visual anthropologist at the University of Victoria. Leslie Plaskett then facilitated a research project in collaboration with the University of Victoria (CURA), the Osoyoos Museum, and the Osoyoos Indian Band to document the band/day school history and the significance of the collection. The project resulted in a Virtual Museums of Canada website, a catalogue (Inkameep Chronicles), and an exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Subsequent tours of the Inkameep Art collection within BC were arranged by Gayle Cornish, director/curator of the Osoyoos Museum after funding was received to develop a touring collection. For further information, see MS 5, Okanagan Society for the Revival of Indian and Crafts fonds.

In 1967, two members of the West Vancouver Anglican church, St. Francis-in-the-Wood formed the inter-faith female fellowship group, the Francescan Society. Commonly known as The Francescans, the stated purpose of the group was "to share time and talent to provide outreach in the community and to raise funds for the community."

The Francescans provided financial assistance to many North Shore organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Emily Murphy House, North Shore Association for the Physically Handicapped, North Shore Adult Daycare Centre, West Vancouver Daycare, and West Vancouver Community Help and Information Centre. The group's popular fundraisers included spring luncheons, strawberry teas, rummage sales, dinners, and special events. In the early 1980s, The Francescans also ran the refreshment garden during Community Day in West Vancouver.

In 1986, with close to 60 members, the organization was renamed the Francescan Outreach Society, and registered as a charitable trust.