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Kruger (family)
Family · 1829-1939

Theodore Kruger was born in Hanover in 1829, and died in Oliver in 1899. He came from Germany to San Francisco in 1854 and moved to the Fraser River in 1858, where he mined at Boston Bar. When gold was found at Similkameen, Kruger opened a store and stopping place 6 miles south west of Princeton. He then moved on to Cawston, and pre-empted land there with Frank Richter. He soon moved to the old customs cabin in Similkameen and from there was sent to take charge of the Hudson’s Bay trading post in Osoyoos in 1866. He purchased the trading post in 1872 when the HBC closed it. Kruger House became known as the most important stopping place and supply centre on the crossroads of the trails leading to the gold fields of the Kootenay and Cariboo. Mrs. Christanze Kruger was born in Schleswig–Holstein in 1857 and died in Penticton in 1939. She came to Victoria in 1872 and married Theodore Kruger the following year, travelling to the Okanagan by way of the Hope-Princeton trail. She was the only white woman in Osoyoos until Judge Haynes remarried in 1875. After Judge Haynes’ untimely death in 1888, Mr. Kruger became customs officer until his death in 1899.

Smythe (family)
Family

Edward Baring Smythe (Ted) was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1886. His son, Edward Baring Smythe was born in Mexico in 1923, but was registered as a British subject. He came to Canada in 1931, the year his mother died, and lived in Montreal with his brother John and father Edward, who worked at the bank of Montreal until 1935, when his father was transferred to Sault St. Marie. Edward Sr. (Ted) died in 1941. Edward and John moved to Kingston, Ontario to live with an aunt until he joined the air force circa 1942. He became a warrant officer first class and served overseas in England, India, and Burma until 1945. Upon discharge, Edward moved to Victoria where he died in 2005.

Family

Dr. Edison Rainey Cunningham (known also as “Dr. Ed”) and Dr. Gladys Story Cunningham (“Dr. Gladys”) were medical missionaries affiliated with the United Church of Canada, Board of Foreign Missions. Edison left Vancouver in October 1922, followed by Gladys in August 1923, to serve in West China. They were married in September of 1923 in Shanghai. After a number of years of relocating to Chungking Sze, Tseliutsing, Jenshow, Chengtu, Beludin, and Peking, the couple settled in Chengtu.

Edison Cunningham was born July 5, 1892. He did his preliminary education in Winnipeg and received his BA from Wesley College and the University of Manitoba in 1915. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba in 1921. In 1927 Dr. Cunningham did his post-graduate training at Peking Union Medical College in the Departments of Ophthalmology and of Otolaryngology. During the period from October 1929 to June 1930, he trained at the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, and graduated with a Diploma in Ophthalmological Medicine and Surgery from the Royal Colleges of Medicine and Surgery, in England, 1930.

Gladys Story was born May 25, 1895 in Oakland, Manitoba. She moved with her family to Vancouver in 1910, and at the age of 20, graduated from McGill University with honours in the Faculty of Arts in 1915. Gladys studied Medicine at the University of Manitoba and graduated with first class honours and the Gold Medal in surgery, in 1923. While serving as a missionary, she continued her studies – first at the University of Peking and then at the University of London, England. From London, she obtained the degree of Master of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Edison specialized in ophthalmology medicine and surgery while Gladys specialized in gynecology and obstetrical work. During their first years in China, they both worked as practitioners and instructors at Peking Union Medical College. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Edison taught in the Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine and Dentistry, West China Union University in Chengtu, Szechwan. This university was an institution of the United Church of Canada. Edison eventually became Professor and Head of that Department. During that period (1925-1931), he also served as an ophthalmologist and otolaryngologist at the following hospitals in Chengtu: the Men’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital, and the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital. Gladys served as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at West China Union University.

The Cunninghams returned to Canada in 1951, following the Communist takeover of China. From that time on, the Cunninghams ceased serving the United Church as missionaries, although they continued their affiliation with the church as members of the Shaughnessy Heights congregation in Vancouver. Together, they opened a successful medical clinic at 2515 Burrard Street. Both retired from their practice in 1962. Gladys then taught undergraduate nurses at the Vancouver General Hospital for several years. She died in 1972. Dr. Edison Cunningham died in 1975 in Vancouver.

Brealey (family)
Family

George Albert Brealey was a teacher and the first principal of Pauline Johnson school, built in 1923. He and his wife Ester married in 1903 and had one daughter, Hazel Brealey. They lived at 1295 Fulton Avenue. Hazel Brealey was later Hazel English and had a daughter named Linda Gail McMillan English. She later married Ian Malcolm Douglas Fox. George Brealey died in 1961.

Caulfeild (family)
Family · 1843-

Francis William Caulfeild was born in England on August 29, 1843. He was the son of Reverend Edward Warren Caulfeild and Millicent Hellicar. He was educated at Rugby School and Wadham College, Oxford, and spent his early life bringing up his four surviving children (Francis Edward Bunbury Caulfeild died at the age of 2), writing poetry, painting, carving, and travelling. He married Anne Charlotte Eliza Bunbury, daughter of Commander George Bunbury, on June 11, 1868. In 1898, while touring Canada with his daughter (Dorothy Caulfeild [b. 1874, d. March 19, 1948]), he first visited West Vancouver, arriving on the shores of what was then known as Skunk Cove, tucked behind Point Atkinson. Caulfeild bought the property and began his project to develop the community now known as Caulfeild in the style of an English village with a village green, an ivy-covered village church, and winding, narrow lanes following the contours of the land.

Francis William Caulfeild retired to England and died in London on March 6, 1934 at the age of 90. His son, Francis Wade Caulfeild (b. January 25, 1872, d. November 7, 1947), had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy. He married Katherine Ann Hawkshaw, daughter of John Clarke Hawkshaw, on June 18, 1898. Vice-Admiral Francis Wade Caulfeild was decorated with the award of Order of the Crown of Italy. He was Founder and President of the Association of Retired Naval Officers in 1925. He was also invested as a Commander, Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) in 1936. After his retirement as Vice-Admiral, he and his son Wade Toby Caulfeild (b. June 24, 1902, d. 1991) raised a memorial to Francis Caulfeild in the form of a large, black anchor accompanied by a plaque situated on Pilot House Road in Caulfeild. His other children were Cicely Caulfeild (b. March 14, 1899, d. 1985), and Ann Katharine Caulfeild (b. February 19, 1907, d. 1992). Francis Wade Caulfeild died on November 7, 1947 at the age of 75.

Wade Toby Caulfeild married Philippa Mary Brocklebank, daughter of Captain Henry Cyril Royds Brocklebank, on June 29, 1935. He died in 1991. Wade Toby Caulfeild was educated at Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England. He was also educated at New College, Oxford University. Wade Toby was a director of the Antofagasta Railway. His children are James Alexander Toby Caulfeild (b. March 30, 1937) and Charlotte Antonia Caulfeild (b. April 17, 1939).

Some members of the Caulfeild family continue to reside in West Vancouver.

Colpitts (family)
Family

The Colpitts family was a pioneer family in West Vancouver. With family roots in New Brunswick dating from 1775, Ella Teare (née Colpitts) and her husband John Teare (known as Jack) moved to Vancouver and then to West Vancouver in 1908. Standford Russell Colpitts (known as Russell) moved shortly after in 1908, soon followed by Ella's brother Frank Payson Colpitts (known as Payson) in 1910, and then by Payson's wife, Janet (née Robertson).

Jack Teare was West Vancouver's first police constable, and Ella Teare was West Vancouver's "Lady with the Lamp," bringing medical aid and assistance to the sick. They lived at 1244 Inglewood Avenue and had one daughter, Harriet Murcilla Teare, who married Russell Colpitts in 1911. Russell worked for the McNair and Fraser Logging Company for a short time before being hired as the first foreman of the roads department when the West Vancouver Council was established. Harriet and Russell had a son named George Standford (known as Stan) on February 17, 1912, and a daughter named Winnifred (Winnie) May on June 1, 1913.

Payson Colpitts worked for a number of years in the logging industry in New Brunswick and the state of Maine before moving to West Vancouver where he worked for McNair and Fraser Logging Company, on the PGE Railway construction, and in Lyall's Shipyard in North Vancouver. Eventually he worked for the West Vancouver Board of Works and later the West Vancouver School Board as janitor of Hollyburn School for twenty-five years. Payson and Janet lived at 1263 Fulton Avenue and raised eight children: Helen, Frank, Evelyn, Lorne, Eunice, Mary, Agnes, and Ella. Members of the Colpitts family continue to live in West Vancouver.

Colville (family)
Family

Hiram Colville started a transportation service for skiers in 1946-1947 up Hollyburn Mountain. He and other family members ran this operation from Dundarave. The family also owned and operated "The Forks" rest stop and restaurant, which was the final stop for trucks travelling the route up Hollyburn Mountain.

Hansen (family)
Family

The Hansen family established a homestead at Port Neville, B.C. in 1891 and went on to operate a post office and store from that location.

Hans Hansen was born in Huso, Tonsberg, Norway in 1859. In 1877 he immigrated to B.C. and initially lived in the Vancouver area and later in New Westminster, but by 1891 he had applied for a crown grant and established a homestead at Port Neville. In 1897 Hans married widower Elizabeth Flintham and she along with her young son named Billy, from her previous marriage, took up residence at the Port Neville homestead.

Unfortunately, 18 months after their marriage Elizabeth passed away. Her son Billy, was adopted by and raised by Hans.

Hansen married Cathinka Marie Wikner (also spelled Kathinka or Katinka) on August 3, 1903 and they went on to have four children Karen, Edith, Lilly and Arthur.

In 1895 Hans established the 1st Post Office at Port Neville which was later operated by his daughter Karen (from 1920 to 1956). In 1940, Edith Hansen married Harold Bendickson of Hardwicke Island. In later years Edith went on to write a series of newspaper articles regarding her family and their experiences living in Port Neville.

Hans Hansen died in 1939 and his wife Kathinka in 1965.

Fletcher (family)
Family

John Howard Fletcher was born in 1889 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. When John was five, his father moved the family to Canada where he had bought some land. John's father and the two oldest boys built a six room frame house on the newly purchased land. The house was five miles north of Armstrong, BC. When John was fifteen he left the interior for Vancouver where he worked as a farm hand. In 1904 he found a job as a messenger boy for the Western Union Telegraph Co. Later, his brother Herbert found John a job as an apprentice with the Mitchel-Courtney Electrical Company.

During Canada's first real depression, John found a job at one of Vancouver's first all motion picture theatres, The Royal. Although he had never run a projector, John quickly learned from watching another projectionist. He then worked at various other theatres until he bought his own projector and started running his own shows. However, it only lasted for three weeks because he ran out of shows. John then returned to Vancouver to his old job. He continued as a projectionist as well as studying at Sprott-Shaw college. When he graduated, he took a job as a secretary for a railway survey company. This entailed a horse-back trip into the interior. He later also surveyed the Alaska-Yukon boundary.

In 1914, war was declared and John headed back to Vancouver to enlist. He was a private, first class, of the 62nd Battalion. After five months of training John headed for Halifax. After just leaving the harbour, the munitions ship blew. John completed more training when he arrived in England. In the field, he worked as a sapper or field engineer.

After the war, John travelled to Jamaica where he was offered the job of drying bananas. After eight months in Jamaica, he contracted jaundice and was told to leave Jamaica.

John then returned to Vancouver and bought a small theatre. June 5th, 1925, John married Amelia (Alma) Eleanor Snider, a cashier at the Paramount Film Exchange. Bert Snider, Alma's father, offered to help pay to build a new theatre for the young couple. The theatre became the Hollyburn Theatre in West Vancouver which opened in June, 1926. John and Alma by then had seven children. They resided at 2283 Haywood Ave.

During WWII, John became ill and sold the theatre and took a job as a projectionist at the Lonsdale theatre. After recovering from his illness, John bought the old Music Box theatre at the corner of Fraser and Kingsway and changed its name to Kingcrest.

In the 1950s, John bought a lot in North Vancouver and began building another theatre. However, during this time, television became popular and theatre attendance dropped. The Kingcrest subsequently closed and John sold the unfinished theatre.

John served as Reeve of West Vancouver from 1951-1952 and Councillor in 1946 and 1948. He was also involved in the West Vancouver Chess Club. He was the first president of the BC branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada.

John Howard Fletcher passed away February 20, 1983 in West Vancouver at the age of 93. His wife, Alma, passed away August 30, 1982 in North Vancouver.

John and Alma's children were Gordon Joy Fletcher, Doreen Eleanor Fletcher, Roy Howard Fletcher, Mavis Alma Fletcher, John Albert Fletcher, Hazel Grace Fletcher (b. October 21, 1932, d. May 2, 2003), and Gloria Mae Fletcher.

Meglaughlin (family)
Family · 1920-1984

Edward "Ted" Meglaughlin was born on May 25, 1920 in North Vancouver. Ted's parents, Isaac Tom and Lilian Meglaughlin were from Birmingham, England. Isaac Tom Meglaughlin was one of the founders of the Freemasons King David Lodge No. 93. He also worked as an agent for the BC Electric Agency (1949) and BC Electric Railway (1948). Tom and Lilian lived at 1081 17th Street in West Vancouver until Tom's death in 1950.

In 1943 Ted Meglaughlin married Sophie Zielski. Their first home was at 552 S. Boundary Road in Burnaby. Sophie's parents, Adolph and Magdalene Zielski, were the proprietors of the Wonder Bakery on 640 East Georgia Street in Vancouver from 1940 to 1946. They moved to 1425 Inglewood Avenue in West Vancouver in 1945. They also ran the Ferndale Coffee Shop (1947 to 1949) as well as the Industrial Cafe (1948) and the Normandy Cafe (1950) for a time. Adolph and Magdalene had four children: Edward (married Mona), Sophie, Walter (married Lorna), and Wanda. Adolph and Magdalene retired from the food industry in 1951.

Ted Meglaughlin was a machinist by trade, working for Reliance and Richards engineering in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ted and Sophie lived at 1188 Inglewood Avenue, West Vancouver. Their son was named Gary Richard Meglaughlin (b. 1945, d. May 29, 1984, age 39, North Vancouver).

Thompson (family)
Family · 1855-1938
 The Thompson family were active pioneers in West Vancouver who contributed to the development of West Vancouver, and establishment of the West Vancouver Ferry Company and the West Vancouver Municipal Transportation Department.

The patriarch of this pioneering family was W.C. (William Charles) Thompson who was born near Cambridge, England on January 21, 1855. In 1875 he married Rachel Matilda Carr. After suffering the deaths of their first two children in infancy, they immigrated to Canada in 1879 and settled in Ontario. Their third child, Charlie was born in 1880, but sadly Rachel died soon after the birth. W.C. Thompson suffered a profound depression which lifted when he met Grace Lawson who became his second wife in 1881. In 1887 they had their first child Harry, and would have four more children together, although two died tragically in infancy.

W.C. Thompson was a successful businessman in Ontario when his wanderlust was reawakened after hearing about the scenic beauty and opportunities in B.C. from Grace’s brother – John Lawson. He sold his business interests in Ontario, and after a cold and tedious trip arrived in Vancouver in March 1909. Delighted with the countryside and climate, W.C. Thompson and his family settled in West Vancouver. He found that selling land in B.C. was easier than selling lumber in Ontario, and first in partnership with John Lawson, then on his own account bought and sold many blocks of land in the area at substantial profits.

W.C. Thompson became active in public affairs and was one of the principals in the formation of West Vancouver as a separate municipality and in the building of the first Municipal Hall. He and three other men, including John Lawson, formed The West Vancouver Transportation Company in October 1909, which operated the ferry and bus system. W.C. Thompson and his family lived in a large gracious house at 2058 Argyle that featured a bay window of curved glass overlooking English Bay, and hot water heating. He was active in community life, headed Church committees, and was also a member of the first West Vancouver School Board. During World War I, he continued to be very active in the District managing the construction of road bridges and waterworks which was highlighted by the opening of Marine Drive to Caulfield in 1915.

His wife Grace died in 1920, at the age of 63. In his latter years W.C. Thompson was a keen motorist and enjoyed touring which he did with his third wife Anne Case, whom he married in 1922. His children – Charlie, Harry, James, William, Robert (Bert), Florence, and their families also contributed to the development of West Vancouver. They worked on several projects including municipal electric and water systems, setting up West Vancouver’s first service station at 14th and Marine Drive, and establishing the West Vancouver Girl Guides. W.C. Thompson died on December 24, 1938, at the age of 83.

Smith, George (family)
Family · 1878-1994

George James Smith was born in Greenspond, Newfoundland on August 18, 1910, one of two sons of Darius Roy and Rebecca Jane Smith. Darius Smith was a Master Mariner and captain of sailing vessels in the North Atlantic. In late 1910, Darius Smith moved with his family from Greenspond to Vancouver, where he found employment on coastal freighters and in the whaling and halibut fishing industry. In the spring of 1912, the family moved to West Vancouver when Darius Smith became employed as a ferry captain for the West Vancouver Ferry Company. The first Smith family home was a tent under a tree at the Southwest corner of Marine Drive and 19th Street, followed by a house located at 1459 Gordon Street, then at 660 13th Street. Except for serving in the Merchant Marine during World War I, he worked for the ferry company until his retirement in 1945. Known and beloved by thousands of West Vancouver ferry commuters, Darius Smith died on July 8, 1949 at the age of 70.

George Smith was educated in West Vancouver at Vancouver Technical School, and at the University of British Columbia. As a young man, he worked as a firefighter, a logger for the Capilano Timber Company from 1928 to 1931, and as a construction worker on Lions Gate Bridge.

After serving with the Calgary Highlanders during World War II, George embarked on a life-time career as professional land surveyor in B.C. He surveyed land for the British Properties, and in 1946 joined the survey firm McElhanney & McRae, later becoming a senior partner. For the next 30 years, George Smith was regarded as the province's best known land surveyor for route surveys, which included railways. He worked on numerous major projects in the province including the Harmac Pulp Mill, the Alcan Kemano Road Project, and the Cassiar Stewart Highway.

George Smith married Daisy Sinclair, and they had one son, James. His wife Daisy died on April 27, 1947 at the age of 38, and George Smith remarried in 1949 to Phyllis Hurdle. Throughout his life George was an avid sportsman who enjoyed skiing on Hollyburn Mountain, and after surveying, his interests included politics, history, geography, forestry, and fishing. George Smith died on September 5, 1994 at the age of 84.

Nixon, James (family)
Family

The James Nixon family lived on Twin Islands near Cortes Island.

Seidelman (family)
Family · 1889-1975

<p>William Seidelman, who was born in Budapest in 1854, came to North America around 1879, eventually arriving in Vancouver by way of Kansas and Seattle. In 1879 he served as a postmaster in the town of Guelph, Kansas. After settling in Vancouver, William married Esther Pearlman [Dalkin] from Winnipeg on August 30th, 1896. In that same year, William opened a general merchandise store in Cedar Cove on the South side of Powell Street at Victoria Drive. In 1900, a post office was opened in the store and Seidelman became Cedar Cove's first postmaster. The Seidelman home was located at 1735 2nd Avenue, East Grandview (the house is still standing today). William and Esther maintained Kashrut and he slaughtered chickens in accordance with the laws of Shechita using a traditional Chalif which is in the possession of the JMABC. Their children were: Edward Joseph [Joe] who was born in 1897; Rachel, [Rae] who was born in 1898; Harry who was born in 1900; and Benjamin [Ben] who was born in 1902. William Jr. [Bill] was born after the father died in 1907. Their mother, Esther, passed away in 1937. William Sr. is buried in the Bikur Cholim Cemetery in Seattle. Esther is buried in the Schara Tzedeck Cemetery in New Westminster.</p>

<p>Joseph, Rachel and Harry attended Macdonald Elementary School. Rachel also attended Seymour and Grandview public schools. All three attended Britannia High School. Joseph went to the University of British Columbia (then a branch of McGill University). At UBC, Joseph joined the Western University Battalion which fought in France in World War I. He saw service along with fellow UBC students. Joseph was killed in the Battle of Passchendaele on October 26, 1917, the first member of Vancouver's Jewish community to give his life for his country. Joseph's name is included on a plaque in the War Memorial Gym at UBC that commemorates those UBC students who fought and gave their lives in World War I.</p>

<p>Harry, at age 17 (1917), joined the Canadian Pacific Ocean Services as a cadet. He sailed the Pacific Ocean on the Empress of Japan and on the RMS Niagara before returning to Vancouver. He subsequently served on the Union Steamship Line that sailed between Vancouver and Alaska. After working for Buckerfields Feed Company, Harry joined the United Milling and Grain Co. Ltd. as a partner. He remained with the United Milling & Grain until 1961 when the company went out of business due to the City of Vancouver expropriating the land for housing.</p>

<p>Harry married Esther Blank of Winnipeg in 1938. Harry and Esther lived in Vancouver and were strong supporters of the Jewish Community Centre and charter members of the Beth Israel Synagogue. Harry died in 1972 and is buried in the Beth Israel Cemetery. Harry's children are Perry Seidelman, the first Jewish vice principal of a high school for the Vancouver School Board and the first Principal of King David High School. Perry lives in Vancouver.</p>

<p>Dr. William (Bill) Seidelman is a retired physician, formerly of the Universities of McMaster and Toronto medical faculties. At the beginning of his career, Bill was the first full-time family physician to practice at the Reach Clinic, one of the earliest walk-in medical clinics in Vancouver. He continues to be a world renowned authority and lecturer on medical ethics as a consequence of his research into the legacy of medicine during the Third Reich. He now resides in Israel with his family.</p>

<p>After high-school, Rachel attended UBC and Normal School and taught for a few years at Strathcona Public School. In 1919 Rachel became involved with the Jewish community and volunteered with Hebrew Aid, B'nai B'rith, the National Council of Jewish Women, and joined the effort to start a Reform Synagogue. Rachel taught English to landed immigrants at night school, played tennis and basketball and later took up golf. Rachel met Dr. William [Bill] Morris at the home of Ruth Mahrer, Rachel's best friend. Rachel and Bill were married in 1925 and lived in Vancouver. Rachel died in 1985 and is buried in the Beth Israel Cemetery. Rachel Morris's [nee Seidelman] daughters are Judy Zaitzow, Dorothy Grad, and Lillian Fryfield, all of whom live in Vancouver.</p>

<p>Ben married Sarah Weis of Winnipeg. Ben and Sarah did not have children and lived at various places throughout B.C. including Port Mellon on the Sunshine Coast and Crofton on Vancouver Island. They eventually moved to Los Angeles to be near Sarah's family. Ben died in 1983.</p>

<p>Bill married Hazel. They lived in Vancouver their entire married life and had one child, Roy, who is living in Summerland B.C. Bill died in 1983, the same year as his brother Ben.</p>

Bavis (family)
Family

The Bavis family was one of the first families to settle at the Woss Logging Camp, operated by Canadian Forest Products, when it was first established.
Emerson Augustus (Gus) Bavis was born on February 11, in 1915 in Bella Coola and was the son of Walter Emerson Bavis (a doctor who worked briefly in Bella Coola and on Southern Vancouver Island for many years) and Agnes (nee Hughes).
In 1939 Gus married Joan Stirling. Initially Gus was employed as a logger in the Port Renfrew area on the west coast of Vancouver Island. In 1943 he and his family settled at the Woss Logging Camp. Gus and Joan had three children, Murray who was born in Port Renfrew, Donna Louise and then Richard Paul. Donna was the first baby to live in Woss Camp.
Gus eventually became the divisional engineer for Canfor's Englewood Logging Division in the Nimpkish Valley. His son Murray also lived and worked in the community of Woss and Vernon Camp as a logger.

Galbraith (family)
MS 6 · Family · 1841-1924

Originally from Ontario, John Galbraith came to BC in 1864 to take part in the Wild Horse Creek gold rush. His brother, Robert L.T. Galbraith, joined him in 1874. After realizing that supplying the miners would earn them more money than mining, they packed supplies into the mining areas, set up a general store, and established a ferry service on the Kootenay River. John died in 1887, and Robert represented the East Kootenay as MLA in Victoria and was later appointed Indian Agent for the Kootenay Agency. Robert died in 1924.

Nation (family)
MS 30 · Family · 1876-1967

Harold Nation was born in New Zealand in 1876 and graduated from London (Eng.) University in 1896 with a degree in civil engineering. He worked on the railway survey in Creston during 1897 and 1898, arriving in Fort Steele in 1899 to survey a railway line from the US border to the East Kootenay mines. The position was short-lived, so he picked up labouring and surveying jobs where he could, working for the most part with small logging outfits. He also helped the Fort Steele government agent with office work. By 1906, he had obtained a temporary position as field assistant to the provincial mineralogist in Victoria, R. Fleet Robertson. He travelled home to England in 1907, then was sent by his father to Port Arthur to work as a mining engineer. He re-joined Robertson in Victoria in 1909. He spent three years with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during World War I. He retired from the Victoria office in 1946. He had married in 1916 in England and had three children. Harold Nation died in Victoria in 1967.

Barnard (family)
Family

Francis Jones Barnard (1829-1889) arrived in B.C. in 1859 and established the Barnard Express transportation company. His son, Frank Stillman Barnard (1856-1936), worked in the family business and expanded his business interests to lumber, brewing and electrical utilities. He served as Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. from 1914 to 1918 and died in Victoria.

Abbott, Harry (family)
Family

Harry Abbott was the general superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia.

Acreman (family)
Family

John and Ethel Acreman were married in 1915 and resided in Esquimalt, B.C. John Acreman was Esquimalt's Chief of Police from 1926 to 1930.

Aitken (family)
Family

The Aitken family has lived in Nanaimo since the late 1800s. As a young man, Thomas Morrison Aitken was a baker's assistant but later became a coal miner. Thomas married Mary Margaret Greenwell on October 1, 1902. Their son, Isaac, was also a miner. Thomas died in Nanaimo on November 19, 1952 at the age of 73. Mary died on January 21, 1966 at the age of 80.

Alexander (family)
Family

Charles Alexander was born in St. Louis, USA, on August 16, 1824 and came to Victoria with his wife Nancy in 1858. The Alexanders were among the first black families to arrive in the Victoria area and they remained in the region for the rest of their lives. The Alexanders had a total of 12 children and numerous grandchildren before Nancy's death in 1911 and Charles' death in 1913. Thomas Alexander was the Alexander's fourth child and was born in 1859. Thomas and his wife Corinthia had seven children, the youngest of which was Barton. Thomas worked as a trucker for most of his life, a profession that several of his children would continue in the firm T. Alexander and Sons.