Vancouver Historical Society NEWSLETTER

ISSN 0042 - 2487 Vol. 48 No. 8 May 2009 The History of the Archdiocese of Vancouver May Speaker: Dr. Jacqueline Gresko

This presentation on the history of values networks, clergy, and religious the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of orders. They promoted the building of Vancouver is based on research for Catholic institutions – schools, hos- Traditions of Faith and Service, the pitals, organizations – and especially recently published archdiocese centen- post-secondary education, a seminary nial history book. and a university. Images from the 1953 BC Catholic newspaper special issue Pioneer French and Irish priests found- on the 50th anniversary of Holy Rosary ed missions, parishes and schools in the Cathedral illustrate the contribution of late-nineteenth century. First Nations, the Maritime Archbishops, especially Canadians, Americans, Europeans and William Mark Duke, who led the Arch- Asians contributed to traditions of faith diocese from 1931 to 1964. May speaker Jacqueline Gresko and service in the city. The twentieth the Commission and Douglas and century Archbishops from the Mari- Jacqueline Gresko has taught at Doug- Kwantlen students, culminating in the times -- Neil McNeil, Timothy Casey las College since it opened in 1970. publication of Fraser Port: A History and William Mark Duke – gave new di- She has designed and taught Cana- in 1986. rection to Vancouver’s Roman Catholic dian, American and Women’s History community. The three maritime Arch- courses. She was the elected Chair of Dr. Gresko, born and brought up in bishops brought Anglo-Canadian ideas, Arts and Humanities, 1988-1991. She New Westminster, attended the Uni- has served on a versity of where she wide range of received a BA Honours in History in College com- 1969. In 1970, she completetd her MA mittees with in Canadian Studies at Carleton Univer- recent service sity in Ottawa. Her thesis ‘Qu’Appelle on the Occu- Industrial School: White ‘Rites’ for the pational Health Indians of the Old Northwest’ became a n d S a f e t y the base for several published articles. Committee. In 1999 she finished her PhD in Edu- cational Studies at the University of Gresko also British Columbia. directed the Fraser River She recently wrote the Traditions of Harbour Com- Faith and Service, which commemo- mission His- rates the 100th Anniversary of the Original St. Patrick’s Church at 116 12th Avenue near Main tory Project, Archdiocese. was replaced in 2002 by a new church building. working with

: Next Meeting: Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 pm at the Vancouver Museum Nominees for 2009-2010 Executive PREZNOTES In its role as Nominating Committee, the current VHS Execu- tive is pleased to submit the following full slate of nominees for the 2009-2010 Executive to be elected at our May 28, The VHS has had another great year thanks to 2009 Annual General Meeting. your hard working executive and other volunteers. Elizabeth Hawkins has been trying to keep up with President Bruce M. Watson the flood of new members while organizing and Vice President Larry Wong guiding us through our annual Incorporation Day Treasurer Paul Flucke Luncheon; Jacqueline Gresko has been chronicling Recording Secretary Jean Wilson our busy meetings and Chuck Davis reporting on Director Scott Anderson the speakers. Director Chuck Davis Director Elizabeth Hawkins Thanks to a myriad of people including Jim Mc- Director Jim McGraw Graw and Wes Knapp behind our City Reflections Director Jean Mann DVD, which continues to garner interest ever since its successful public launch. It has gone on to re- All terms of office are for one year beginning June 1, 2009. ceive two awards, thanks in part to the educational Additional nominations will be accepted at the AGM provid- component developed by Charles Hou. Revenue ed that the nominee is a current VHS member and is present. from sales has allowed us to finance two worthy digitization projects of the Vancouver Public Li- brary and City Archives. Thanks to Paul Flucke for keeping track of the finances and Paul and Wes for distributing them to ever- eager sales outlets.

Another successful completed project was the Crime in the City erection of our two historical signs in Stanley and Bootleggers, brothels, riots, murder, the early drug trade - are all Devonian Parks. We are delighted with the inter- part of the seamier side of Vancouver’s history. Discover more est in them as evidenced by the well-worn areas about this intriguing subject in front of each sign — lots of footprints with no during the Vancouver Police grass remaining. We couldn’t ask for more. Museum’s “Sins of the City” walking tour. Thanks to Larry Wong and Scott Anderson who have engineered some great talks this year from This two-hour tour is being of- the history of Punk Rock to stubborn women fight- fered to VHS members free of ing City Hall. The talks have brought out record charge on Saturday, August 15 numbers. One speaker — Lisa Smedman, our busy as part of our summer field trip novelist-historian — has also done wonders keep- series. This tour begins at 10:00 ing the Courier readers informed of our events. am. The number of participants Scott has put in a great deal of time organizing our is limited so please sign up early. very successful field trips. You cna do so at our Thursday, May 28th Annual General Meet- Weapons seized from Vancouver’s Thanks to Elizabeth Walker for sitting in on the ing (7:30 pm) at the Vancouver “juvenile delinquents” in 1928.

City’s Park Naming Committee and thanks to City Museum. Photo courtesy of Vancouver Public Library VPL Hall for recognizing the value of the VHS and its 9101 members.

Paul Flucke and Barbara Coles have done wonders answering our website and telephone enquiries or referring them to appropriate sources. Through Welcome New Members them, two more private collections of documents

Preznotes continues at the top left of Page 3. James C. Conwell Michael Cox Preznotes Continued from Page 2 have found their way into the City Archives. Jim McGraw Upcoming Speakers & Events continues to turn out outstanding newsletters and Scott An- derson sees to it that they get to members. The VHS organizes a series of historical talks held on Thanks are owed to Neil McBurney, Janet Venn, Valerie the fourth Thursday of every month except June, July, Whitehead and Shurli Tylor for volunteering at meetings August and December. The talks, which start at 7:30 and Jean Mann for agreeing to take on the updating of the in the evening at the Vancouver Museum, are free to website. everyone including non-members. Our new 2009-2010 season of talks begins again in September. Lisa Smedman and Jacqueline Gresko’s very busy schedules On September 24th — our first meeting after the sum- have dictated that they step down at the end of their terms and mer months — we team up with Heritage Vancouver to so we will be looking for other worthies to fill their shoes. highlight the historic Pennsylvania Hotel at Carrall and Paul Flucke, who has been Treasurer for 10 years, will also Hastings. When it opened in 1906 as the Woods Hotel, be looking for an eventual replacement to train during the it was an opulent establishment featuring an electric el- upcoming new year. evator and a chef hired away from San Francisco. We’ll Lastly, thanks to all the members for your unwavering support learn much more. and enthusiasm. We all look forward to another great year. Molly Watson of the Jewish Museum will be our speaker on October 22th showing photos from their collection of Bruce M. Watson, President works by photographers Otto Landauer and Leonard Frank. We will take a photographic journey through Vancouver’s era of bridge construction, collapse and Unique Museum Visit renewal between 1895 and 1980. Chuck Davis hosts an evening with Vancouver’s favou- One of the most unique museums in Vancouver opens its rite bandleader Dal Richards on November 26th. Now doors to VHS members as part of our summer field trip series. in his early 90s, Dal has spent a lifetime entertaining with The Bowmer-Shoebotham Museum of Military Medicine his big band. It will be a wonderful evening of Vancouver — open only by appointment — will host VHS members for memories, stories and more. a free tour on Monday, July 20 at 10:00 am. After the Christmas holidays, we’ll hear about germs, The museum features a large collection of military-medical epidemics, clean drinking water and more when we learn memorabilia including surgical instruments, uniforms, med- about the history of public health in Vancouver. Our als, photos and more. January 28th guest will be Vancouver’s former Chief The Museum was named Medical Health Officer, Dr. John Blatherwick. for Colonel E.J. Bown- On February 25th, Chuck Davis will aim the spotlight er, M.C., who served on a Vancouver landmark — the Orpheum Theatre. as a Medical Officer in When the Orpheum opened in 1927, it was Canada’s WWII and was award- largest vaudeville theatre with 3,000 seats. There are ed the Military Cross many wonderful stories about the building, the perform- for bravery at Monte ers who played on her stage, and the films that played Cassino in Italy in 1944 there when it was later converted to a movie theatre. and M.W.O. Shoebo- We take a very personal tour of Chinatown on March tham who served as a 25th through the stories of Larry Wong who grew up Medic in 12 Canadian there. Larry’s father, a tailor, emigrated from China in Light Field Ambulance 1911 and eventually opened a business on Main Street. in WWII. Larry’s mother joined his father in 1921 and they raised Sign up for this unique a family of four. visit at our Annual Gen- Watch this space and our website (www.vancouver- eral Meeting on Thurs- historical-society.ca) for more information on VHS day, May 28 at the Van- talks and events. couver Museum. The History of the Port of Vancouver Last Month’s Speaker: Rory Babin

There was a lively night at the public meeting of the Van- confined to trans-Pacific voyages, and they come in to our couver Historical Society on Thursday night, April 24 at the Centerm, Vanterm, Deltaport and Fraser Surrey terminals. Museum. Rory Babin, a young Community Relations Rep- (The Panama, incidentally, is being widened.) resentative from Port Metro Vancouver (the entity that was formed in 2008 from the amalgamation of the three Lower News to many of us: Many Asian imported cars arrive at Mainland port authorities) gave the audience of about 80 the Port, bare-bones basic, and are “value added” with people a history of the Port, well illustrated by some good features like air conditioning and iPod docks in workshops Power Point images. at the terminal to the dealers’ instructions! (Workers can, by He ran into some early (and the way, unload about 4,000 friendly) flak with a few mi- cars in four hours.) Most nor mistakes of dates and RoRo (Roll on-Roll off) ves- facts, called out helpfully by sels carry between 3,000 to various people. We’re a tough 4,000 vehicles. audience! Rory took it all in amiable and promised Rory urged us to go out to he’d fix things. We heard a lot UBC and look at the Chung of interesting stats on the Port: Collection in the new library, 16 municipalities border on the which has all kinds of his- Port; the Port trades with more toric images of the Port and than 130 different economies, related subjects. And he also and 114 million tonnes of cargo suggested we visit the Port’s CPR Wharves was shipped through the Port in Interpretive Centre, located 2008. We learned the Port is a private company accountable at the north end of Canada Place for a free public presenta- to the Federal Minister of Transportation, the difference be- tion. The presentation can be booked at 604-665-9179 or by tween “bulk ” and “breakbulk” cargo. Bulk cargo is poured e-mailing: community.relations@portmetrovancouver. into hulls, like wheat and coal, potash and sulphur, while com. breakbulk cargo is placed directly into a ship, like lumber and steel. (Another great discovery: Japan’s famous (and tasty) Kirin Beer is made from Canadian barley shipped through Van- Some new container-carrying ships are too wide at 22 couver.) containers abreast for the Panama Canal, which can only handle 18-container-wide vessels. So those behemoths are Chuck Davis

Vancouver Historical Society - Leadership, 2008 - 2009 (elected May 22, 2008) EXECUTIVE: APPOINTED POSITIONS

President Bruce Watson Webmaster Quasar Design & Data Mgmt. Vice President (Programs) Larry Wong Archivist Elizabeth Hawkins Treasurer Paul Flucke Info Line Barbara Coles Recording Secretary Jacqueline Gresko Newsletter Mailing Scott Anderson Director Scott Anderson Webmail Paul Flucke Director Chuck Davis Director (Membership) Elizabeth Hawkins Director (Newsletter Editor) Jim McGraw CONTACT INFORMATION Vancouver Historical Society Information Line: 604-878-9140 Director Lisa Smedman Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3071 Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X6 Website: www.vancouver-historical-society.ca Newsletter Submissions: [email protected]