10 - BC Historical Federation

British Columbia Historical Federation
Newsletter
NO. 10 DECEMBER 2004
ISSN print 1710-1433
online 1710-1441
YOU MAY COPY AND CIRCULATE TO YOUR MEMBERS
From the President’s desk
It has been quite a year. Thank you for your support with BCHF
projects. It is heartening to see the work of the Federation’s pioneer
members being carried on by newer members and young history
students. I would like to quote from one of them.
“I am writing to thank the BC Historical Federation for selecting my
paper “Recreating Maillardville”s Historic Identity: Representations of
the Past in the Public Domain” for the W. Kaye Lamb Essay Scholarship
for 2004. The research and writing of
this paper was one of the highlights of my
academic career at the U.B.C.
I am currently living in a small village in
Northern Ghana working with a communitybased
development organization as part of CIDA’s International
Youth Internship Program. I am applying my education in local
history, particularly aural history, by working with Ghanaian project
staff to produce a short book of elders’ stories to be used as
functional learning material in adult literacy classes.
I look forward to returning to UBC for postgraduate studies in Sept.
2005 and the funds provided by the BC Historical Federation will
greatly facilitate this process. Thank you very much for your support.”
Marla Coulas.
Plans are progressing very well for the Kelowna Conference May
12-14, 2005 and I look forward to seeing you there.
Jacqueline Gresko
The Okanagan Historical Society
The Okanagan Historical and Natural History Society, later known as
the Okanagan Historical Society, began in Vernon on 4 September
1925. The Society was primarily established to stimulate interest in
regional heritage, history and archaeology; to promote the
preservation of historic sites, structures, artifacts and records; and
to record and publish the history of the region.
The First Report of the Society was published in September 1926;
and in 2004 the Society published its 68 th Report. The OHS lays
claim to be the longest continually publishing historical society in the
province.
The Society consists of seven branches in the Okanagan,
Similkameen and Shuswap areas - Salmon Arm, Armstrong-Enderby,
Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Oliver-Osoyoos, Similkameen. An
Executive Council meets three times per year in Kelowna; and the
AGM held in April, is rotated between each branch.
In 2005, as the City of Kelowna celebrates its 100 th birthday, the
Kelowna Branch looks forward to hosting both the OHS AGM and the
B.C. Historical Federation conference.
Our History Our Heritage: Celebrating Kelowna’s
100 th Anniversary
Steam Back into history
The Kamloops Heritage Railway Society was formed in 1993 to
restore, protect and operate a vintage steam locomotive, the ex CNR
2141. Built in 1912, this locomotive is owned by the City of
Kamloops and had been on static display in our Riverside Park since
the early ‘60's. Years in the elements had hastened its deterioration
and it was with some trepidation that the restoration was undertaken.
The restoration effort was well supported by the City and the
community, and after tens of thousands of hours of volunteer labor,
and many hundreds of thousands of dollars, on August 24 th , 2001,
CNR 2141 was steamed up again for the first time in nearly 50 years.
In the spring of 2002, a seven mile scheduled run to the CNR
Junction and back was offered, complete with a western themed
holdup by the “Bill Miner gang”. To date, over 34,000 passengers
have been carried and this past summer
was our best ever with over 14,000
satisfied customers. The rolling stock
includes two open-air flat cars, an ex
VIA coach and café/lounge car and
several other “works-in-progress”.
Just last month we made a test run down to Armstrong in preparation
for a limited number of scheduled runs next season. The trip will last
all day, with a stopover in Armstrong sufficient for passengers to do
some shopping and get lunch prior to returning to Kamloops. In all,
it promises to be an exciting future!
Upcoming Historical Happenings . . . . .
VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Thursday January 27, 2005 - 7:30 pm
Chinese-Canadians in World Wars I & II: their Vancouver
Connection - Judy Maxwell, Researcher in History, U.B.C.
Vancouver was home to many of the Chinese-Canadians who fought
in WW I and II and are now recognized in the Military Museum in
Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 7:30 pm
The Black Community of Strathcona and Hogan’s Alley in
Vancouver - Wayde Compton, SFU instructor and author
The mid-twentieth century saw a significant presence of black people
in Strathcona and Hogan’s Alley. The nature of that black
community is now being carefully documented.
Friday and Saturday, February 25 th 10 -9 and 26 th 10 - 5
HERITAGE WEEK IN RICHMOND - Aberdeen Shopping Centre
“Spiritual and Sacred Places” [National Heritage Week Theme]
Over 15 Heritage and Historical Groups will be participating with live
displays and information - including Member Societies London
Heritage Farm , Steveston Museum, Richmond Museum and Finn
Slough Heritage Society.
Correction: Newsletter No. 9 - October 2004. Two astute
member historians pointed out an error about the ceremonial tram to
Chilliwack with Premier Richard McBride in attendance. The article stated
the date October 3, 1919 - it should have read October 3, 1910.
Thanks for keeping us historically correct..

Greyhound Canada - Ron Welwood
In 1922, John Learmonth began his bus service along Kootenay Lake
between Nelson and Balfour. Soon, this bus line was competing with
other small operations, but these separate interests were
amalgamated in 1928 as the Kootenay Valley Transportation
Company Ltd. This company
c aught the attention of
entrepreneurs George Fay, Harold
(Barney) Olson and his brother,
Roosevelt (Speed), who purchased
the K.V.T. Co. in January 1929.
Just over 75 years ago, on 30 November 1929, the company was
reincorporated as Canadian Greyhound Coaches Ltd., B.C. This was
the first Canadian ‘Greyhound’ bus company; and pioneer John
Learmonth, served as the Nelson superintendent until he retired in
1965.
New Historical Publications & vignettes
Remember When .... celebrating 100 Years of Crawford Bay on
Kootenay Lake, B.C.
This is the second book co-authored by Susan Hulland and Terry
Turner Available from Terry Turner, Box 201 Riondel, BC V0B 2B0
or Susan Hulland, Box 42, Crawford Bay, BC V0B 1E0 $25+ shipping
The Eyestone Heritage Home “ The McKinney House”
The relocation and a short history of the people involved.
A fascinating booklet by Curtis Eyestone who moved the 1911
McKinney family home to Dyke Road adjacent to London Heritage
Farm. Contains many vignettes of Vancouver and Richmond history
as well as the moving of the house, complete with drawings of each
of the four floors. See article on Mountain View Cemetery.
26 pages spiral bound 8 ½ x 11. Available from London Heritage
Farm, 6511 Dyke Rd., Richmond BC V7E 3R3 $9.95 + $2 P&H
Ladysmith 1904 - 2004 - Ladysmith & District Historical Society
An interesting 96 page hard cover book with many lovely old photos
of early Ladysmith and a record of events, histories of social and
other organizations.
Mountain View Cemetery & Crematorium . . . .
a humble beginning (edited excerpt from The McKinney House)
Richmond pioneer James McKinney was a member of the little church at No. 3
Rd & Steveston Hwy. W hen a member of the church died and the congregation
debated about where to bury the body after the funeral service, the police
constable in Steveston informed them that no burials would be permitted on the
island as a potential existed for the coffin to float to the surface, being at or below
the water table level, the body would have to b e
taken to Vancouver for burial.
It was a grueling 18 hour canoe trip with the
corpse from London’s Landing to the Gastown
Docks where McKinney, one of the pallbearers,
was stunned to learn that burial in Vancouver was
not an option as the area was mostly solid rock.
They were told to load the coffin on a wagon and
head into the forest along Kingsway where softer
ground would permit burial
This gave James McKinney an idea to financially back two individuals to construct
a crematorium and graveyard on two sections of land he purchased at what is now
41 st and Fraser Street. They were not good businessmen and McKinney
foreclosed on the property. Cremation was expensive and most felt it was
unnecessary since burials were taking place haphazardly throughout the region.
W hen McKinney took back the business, he advertised “free cremation” but the
costs of funeral services, caskets, flowers, music, burial urns, etc. made up for
the free s ervice. Total cos ts for the funerals often coincided with the total assets
of the deceased. T he business was a very profitable one and remained in the
family until very recently. James and Jane McKinney were both cremated and
their urns are displayed in the mausoleum on site.
Our Members are busy . . . . . .
UNION BAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY - Over 300 people from all
corners of the world visited the fine museum in Union Bay over the
past summer. The building was originally the community’s
Gaolhouse and is now a Heritage Building.
Over the past few months, the Union Bay Historical Society has set
up a military display as a tribute to veterans of both World Wards
and another to make the local library’s 50 years at its present
location. They are currently working on a display on Sacred Places,
as the church will be 100 years old next year which will also feature
a display of bridal gowns and related items. [Union Bay is located 15
km south of Courtenay]
THE ROEDDE HOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY operates the
Roedde House Museum, a small
restored and refurnished Victoria home
in Vancouver’s West End.
The house was built in 1893 for Gustav
Roedde, Vancouver’s first bookbinder
and printer, and his family. The
architecture is attributed to Francis M.
Rattenbury, best known for the
Provincial Legislature Buildings and the
Empress Hotel in Victoria and
Vancouver’s old courthouse (now the Vancouver Art Gallery).
The Roedde family lived at Roedde House from 1893 to 1926 and is
the period that has been created by the Society. The Museum offers
visitors a unique opportunity to experience Victorian family life in
Vancouver as the rooms are not cordoned off and some of the
artifacts, including a period stereoscope can be handled with care.
Phone 604.684.7040 for hours of operation, admission and
upcoming special events.
Welcome to our new Members and Affiliated Members
- Myra C anyon Trestle Restoration Society - Kelowna
- Gellatly Nut Farm Society
- Fraser-Fort G eorge Museum Society
The BC H istorical Federation represents 94 Societies and Affiliates with a
membership of 9605, working for the preservation of British
Columbia’s history.
Doukhobor Collections
In recent years, important Doukhobor items have been added to the
Special Collections at Simon Fraser University Library and with the
support of the Electronic Document Centre, many of these items are
now accessible over the web. Items such as the E.H. Paterson
collection, the Peter J. Ogloff photographs, Marge Malloff interviews
[originally published in Sound Heritage, 1977], the Plotnikoff family
photos, and much more. Access to this material www.lib.sfu.ca click
Special Collections [under Branches & Collections] and scroll down
to The Doukhobor Collection, 1898 - 1930.
Extensive Doukhobor collections are also located in the libraries at
the University of British Columbia http://webcat.library.ubc.ca and
Selkirk College, Castlegar http://library.selkirk.bc.ca
BCHF Newsletter - c/o Ron Hyde -
#20 - 12880 Railway Ave
Richmond, B.C. V7E 6G2
Comments & suggestions to
Co-Editors Ron Hyde rbhyde@shaw.ca
Ron Welwood r-fwelwood@shaw.ca
The Newsletter is available on the Federation’s website bchistory.ca