Naked Doukhobors and Peace

During 1920, plans were made to erect a Cenotaph on the old courthouse site at Cambie and Hastings Streets. This is what we now call Victory Square. The BC Electric employees won the eight-hour work day. Although this was becoming standard, it would be several years before the mill workers gained the same privilege.

1921 was another interesting year in Vancouver. The civic election tried out proportional representation voting but soon discarded it because it was too complicated. The Vancouver General Hospital treated 13,000 cases during this year and its budget rose to $1 million.

Printers in Vancouver went on strike in 1921 for a 44-hour work week. And won. They were the first Vancouver workmen to obtain that right.  On December 1, 1921, three Doukhobors stripped their clothing in the CPR Station.

The Peace Arch at Blaine was completed and dedicated at Blaine. This project was vigorously supported by Vancouver women's associations.

The Peace Arch is a monument that stands between Surrey, British Columbia Canada and Blaine, Washington USA. It was built by Sam Hill and dedicated in September of 1921. Standing 67 feet tall, 20.5 metres, the arch commemorates the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.

The Arch stands on the exact United States - Canada boundary between Interstate 5 and Highway 99 in the grass median between the north and southbound lanes.

On the crown of the Peace Arch is the Canadian Flag and the American Flag. The frieze below has two inscriptions.

For the Americans: "Children of a common mother". For the Canadians: "Brethren dwelling together in unity".

Inside the arch are two iron gates. On the east side, it reads: "1814 Open One Hundred Years 1914". On the west side: "May these gates never be closed".

On the Northern side of the arch is the Peace Arch Provincial Park and on the Southern side is the Peace Arch State Park. These are international parks, which means that visitors do not need a visa or passport to visit the parks as long as they stay within the park boundaries.

This arch was built and erected to symbolize the unity and peace between these great countries.

Philip Timms took this photo of the Peace Arch in the 1920's or 30's. Photo compliments of the Vancouver Public Library

Thanks to the book, Vancouver, From Milltown to Metropolis by Alan Morley for some of the above information and to Wikipedia for information on the Peace Arch. 

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill

Sales and Murder

First I want to tell you about a big free event I am having starting tomorrow, March 21, 2013. It will run through March 24 and all three of my kindle titles will be free.

For the first time EVER, The Bond, A Paranormal Love Story will be free in Kindle.

A woman, Laura Neill, in Vancouver is struck by a Chrysler Intrigue while crossing the street. At the same time in Toronto a car also strikes Julian Rule. Both people have an out of body experience and meet as they are floating. Their ethereal forms bond as one before separating - each taking a part of the other’s soul with them as they return to their bodies.

 When the two people wake up, they remember the experience they shared and have memories of each other. The simultaneous accidents created a psychic bond. They are truly soul mates. Although Laura is haunted by visions of Julian that she cannot understand, she has decided to make dramatic changes in her life. One of them is becoming engaged to a member of England’s nobility that has recently appeared in her life. When he senses that she is in danger – a feeling that is confirmed by a psychic friend – Julian goes to Vancouver to come to her aid. With the help of a detective, Julian is able to prove that Laura’s fiancé is a con artist and a murderer. When Julian confronts the man, he and Laura are placed in imminent danger.

Here's the link.

Mystique Rising:

In a bloody showdown during a Mystique concert, the government ended rock music. The members of Mystique disappeared - as many musicians before them had -without a trace.

This drives fans underground and they form the rebel group,the Let Us Play Organization. Presently Kaya More, who is the daughter of a slain LUPO founder, as well as a descendant of a member of Mystique, leads LUPO.

The gift of second sight aids Kaya as she leads the rebels from New York City to California to the Canadian Rockies. Once LUPO joins forces with other outlaws from around the world, the rebellion explodes and a showdown between the oppressors of music and fans is inevitable.

Link

And last, but certainly not least, Missing Flowers.

When psychic Julie Seer moves to Vancouver, her dreams are filled with visions of women being murdered. She doesn’t know who is being killed, or why, until the day Julie goes to a press conference held by the Vancouver Police Station: a press conference to announce the formation of a special task force that will investigate the case of the prostitutes who have gone missing from Vancouver’s East Side.

Detective Constable Santoro Ricci, an officer with the Vancouver Police Department, wants on the special task force. When he happens upon Julie at the press conference, Ricci finds himself unofficially investigating the case.

Julie also finds herself having visions where she is transported back in time into the body of a Chinese prostitute in the late 1800s. Through these visions, and stories told to her by long time residents of the city, Julie learns more of the history of Vancouver.

With the help of Francine, an east side prostitute, Julie and Santoro work together to solve the mystery of the missing women. When Francine and Julie are taken by the killer, Santoro must find the missing answers fast.

 Link

If you haven't read my books then I hope you will take advantage of this promotion and get yours.

This is a federal coke delivery truck. It belonged to the British Columbia Electric Company. The photographer is unknown but it was taken in 1919 - 1920 and is under the Georgia Viaduct. 

Taken in 1923, this photo of passengers boarding The Cheam is credited to Timms, Philip. The Cheam was owned by the Union Steamship Company.

Another photo of The Cheam. Here it is docked in Howe Sound and Timms, Philip is credited with this photo. The date it was taken is unknown. All three of these photos are from the Vancouver Public Library collection.

The twenties were a glorious time for Vancouver and even more so for the district of Shaughnessy. Old, moneyed families such as the McRaes held lavish masquerade parties in the ballrooms of their opulent mansions.

Prohibition was over and its demise was toasted in style with imported wines and spirits. The wine cellar at the McRae's was reputed to have some 2000 bottles.

Here's a float for a parade. Taken by John Davidson in the 1920s. 

This is the King George Junior Basketball Team. Winners of Wilson Cup in 1920. Stuart Thomson took the photo.

This photo, taken in 1920 by Stuart Thomson, shows employees outside of Duke's Grocery on Commercial Drive.

Another Stuart Thomson photo, taken July of 1920. This is the 10th annual convention of N.W. photo engravers and is outside the Hotel Vancouver. This would have been the second Hotel Vancouver built in 1916. The third is what we see today. These four photos are from the city of Vancouver collection.

While the elder rich held parties and balls, the younger ones raced around the town in their automobiles and played tennis, bridge and golf. It was rumoured that these wild ones would party through the night and skinny dip by the midnight moon while toasting the fun with French champagne.

Taken by the Dominion Photo Company between 1924 and 1928, this picture shows Mayor L.D. Taylor with two ladies, raising money for crippled children.

Stuart Thomson took this 1920 photo of the Central Baseball Club.

A 1920 photo of the Alexandra Orphanage at Crescent Beach. It was taken by Stuart Thomson.

This photo dates back to February 11, 1920 and Stuart Thomson took this image of the Washington State Hotelmen's convention.

These photos are from the City of Vancouver collection.

It was in 1924 that the debauchery of the rich set shocked the city. A Shaughnessy nanny, Janet Smith, was found dead in her employers' home. She had worked for the couple as they had hosted an all night party and her body was discovered in the morning.

It was a shameful time for Vancouver. Violence, drug abuse, corruption and police collusion were all revealed during the extended murder investigation. To this day, no one has ever been convicted of that murder.

June 10, 1920 is when Stuart Thomson took this photo of the Kiwanis Club luncheon at the Hotel Vancouver.

May 24, 1920. Stuart Thomson took this photo of the start of a Coast to Coast road trip.The 'Reo Six' went from Vancouver to New Brunswick. The Reo Motor Car Agency.

Major James Skitt Matthews took this photo in 1927 looking north from Robson Street down Granville. It was reproduced in 1955.

This is a 1927 photo of the Confederation Arch at the Hotel Vancouver - Georgia and Granville Streets. It was taken by E. Walter Frost.

Once again these four photos are from the archives at the City of Vancouver.

Thanks goes to Aynsley Vogel and Dana Wyse and their book Vancouver, A History in Photographs for the information on Shaugnessy in the 1920s.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

November 1929. Stuart Thomson took this photo of the S.S. Selma

Compliments of the City of Vancouver archives.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, 1920, history, Vancouver, A History in Photographs, Aynsley Vogel British Columbia, Canada, Dana Wyse,Shaughnessy, eBooks

Homes and Dry Goods

On August 15 I had written an entry about panels depicting the history of certain buildings in Japantown. I had found some information on other places on that time so I walked back and got more photos.


This is the Dales House at 414 Alexander Street. It is one of the oldest houses in Vancouver and was built for T.J. Dales in 1889.

Alexander Street was the first part of the city to get piped water and since it was so close to Hastings Mill a residential area of substantial homes quickly followed.

Alexander Street was a major residential street for Japanese pioneers and this house was home to Japanese tenants as early as 1911. In 1927 the house was bought by Isokichi Yamazaki - which is evidence of the growing prosperity of the Japanese community in the twenties. The Japanese were going from being tenants to land owners.

This is an important building due to its size, era, scale and rarity. It is also the last of its kind in Vancouver. I saw the archival photo and the original house was quite different. Originally the house had a high Victorian pediment and turret but those have both been remodelled over the years. (The archival photo was taken in 1890)

Despite the fact that those changes have been made, the house has been raised and covered with asphalt shingles, it is still a testimony to the thriving residential past of Japantown.

There are only two historic buildings left in the 20 block of Powell Street and the Komura Building at 269 Powell Street is one of them. The Japanese Canadian community began and radiated out from here. This building is an example of an early Edwardian corner building built sometime in 1905 for George Stevens.

The building first appeared in the city directories in 1906 as Komura Bros. General Store. Hiyujito Komura went from tenant to building owner in 1911 when he purchased the building.

The Komura Bros. General Store was in operation from 1906 until everything was taken from those of Japanese descent by the government in 1941. There is a mosaic tile in the front which still bears the Komura name.

Morimot and Co. Dry Goods is at 326-328 Powell Street and was built in 1912. The first tenants of this building were a Japanese tea room on street level, Japanese rooms in the upper floors and the Kane Shooting Gallery in the basement.

The rental portion of the building has stayed the same although it has changed names over the years. It has been called the Stanley Rooms then the King Rooms.

The tea room evolved into a dry goods store, run by various Japanese owners. The funny thing is that although this building is known in Morimoto and the name is still visible in one of the entrances, U. Morimoto and Co. only leased this building for two years (1920-1921).


This was also the address for the Canadian Japanese Social Athletic Club in the 1920s.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill,Canadian Japanese Social Athletic Club, Vancouver,U. Morimoto and Co,Kane Shooting Gallery,1920,History,Stanley Roooms