Ending '43

Elmore Philpott, born in Toronto, joined the Vancouver Sun. This 47-year-old started a political affairs column that lasted until 1961.

Lutz Haufschild, a Vancouver artist, was born in 1943 in Germany. Haufschild is a glass artist, recognized worldwide for his creations.

One of Canada's largest contractors, Vancouver based E.J. Ryan Contracting, filed for bankruptcy in 1943. 

Another birth in 1943 was that of Norm Jewison. (This Jewison is no relation to the movie director) This future sports publicist was born in England and raised in Montreal before coming to Vancouver in 1977 to become public relations director for the Canucks.

The following article appeared in the Province newspaper in 1943:

“City police Sunday seized two cameras and a quantity of film from persons taking photographs in prohibited waterfront areas. “A Lt.-Cdr. of the U.S. Navy lost his camera and film when he was stopped by police at Prospect Point in Stanley Park.

 “Two girls, photographing each other at the North Vancouver ferry wharf, were required to turn over their picture-taking equipment.

“A man reported to be taking pictures of English Bay from Queen Mary School grounds, Fourth and Trimble, could not be found when police searched the district Sunday."

John Henderson began as a Vancouver School Trustee - a position he would hold for twenty two years. In 1961, he was named Vancouver's Good Citizen due to his long history of service in numerous organizations and for his exemplary personal deeds. Henderson even had an elementary school named after him.

In 1943, the precursor of the Vancouver Volunteer Centre was formed. Initially, its duties were to mobilize women for the war effort, provide accommodation for children evacuated from Britain and for the women working on the assembly line. The Women's Voluntary Service, as it was known at the time, began by helping 37 agencies and had 267 volunteers. By the end of the war, there were over 10,000 volunteers registered with the agency.

R.J. Sprott died in '43 and his widow, Anna Ethel Sprott became president of the Sprott-Shaw Schools of Commerce, Radio and Telegraphy. She was also the founder of the West Coast Radio Show.

That is all I should be writing on 1943. I think! Thanks goes to the History of Metropolitan Vancouver website for the information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, Sprott-Shaw, history, VanDusen, History of Metropolitan Vancouver British Columbia, Canada, the Province,Elmore Philpott

1943 Bits

This sign is from last summer, which means this home on Lakewood Drive was built in 1910.

In 1943, a group of citizens in Burnaby were interested in having a hospital built. They met and formed a fund raising committee - the group raised $6,000 from door to door canvassing. This accomplishment prompted the city to contribute more and soon a hospital was on its way. At that time, the population of Burnaby was 35,000. Now, according to a 2011 census, the population is 227,400.

H.R. Butler was club champion this year for the Shaugnessy Golf Club.

1943 was the year that the Advocate, a bimonthly publication by the Vancouver Bar Association, began.

A book by Agnes Rothery, The Ports of British Columbia, appeared.

Here is a quote from Jim Lyon in the Greater Vancouver Book:

“Vancouver's shipyards turned out hundreds of cargo vessels and warships and by the peak year of 1943 the work force had grown to more than 25,000. This number did not include several thousand more employed in support industries such as boilermaking and the manufacture of steering engines and winches. In just four years West Coast yards built more than three million tons of new shipping and repaired, converted and refitted a similar amount. In 1943 alone Burrard Drydock completed 33 cargo vessels, North Vancouver Ship Repairs completed 15, West Coast Ship Builders turned out 17 and the remaining yards in British Columbia launched four. The vessels, of 10,000 tons and 4,700 tons, were produced at remarkable speed, some completed in just 65 days.”

Architectural historian, Harold Kalman, wrote on the construction of Burkeville, west of Airport Road in Richmond:

“Burkeville was laid out and built by the federal government during the Second World War to provide 328 houses for workers employed at the Boeing Aircraft plant. It was named for Stanley Burke, president of Boeing. The streets are named after airplane manufacturers. The plain, no-frills dwellings came in several standard sizes. Most have been altered to fit the needs of two generations of residents. After the War, Boeing sold the houses to returning veterans. The tightly-knit community, already encircled by airport uses, is currently threatened by the intended further expansion of roads and runways.”

Funny enough, the idea and plan for 'no-frills dwellings' was given to us by McCarter and Nairn. Those gentlemen were responsible for the ornate and elaborate Marine Building. The name of the development was chosen from a competition among Boeing employees.

Thanks goes to the History of Metropolitan Vancouver website for the information on 1943.

I hope you find the beauty around you.


Karen Magill, Vancouver, Boeing, history, VanDusen, Jim Lyon British Columbia, Canada, Burnaby,Harold Kalman

Still '43

On November 11, 1943 - after being silence due to wartime shortages - our city's Famous Nine O'Clock gun fired again. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story of Vancouver's Nine O'Clock gun, please visit here to learn more.)

On November 13, local newspapers reported that the president of Army and Navy Department Stores Ltd, Samuel J. Cohen, had purchased the Dominion Bank Building. Rumour was that Cohen planned to turn this 15-storey, office building at the Northwest corner of Cambie and Hastings into a modern department store after the war. But that never happened.

According to Cohen's granddaughter, Jacqui Cohen, that was never the plan. Samuel bought the building because the price was right.

Christmas Day 1943 was a sad one for the Knowlton family. Edmund Shorey Knowlton died at the age of 75.

Knowlton was a pioneer druggist. Born in Newboro, Ontario in 1868, Knowlton came to B.C. in 1896 and opened 'Knowlton's Drug Store' a year later. He moved to store to a series of sites on Westminster (now Main Street) and Hastings before finally setting in 1911 at 15 E Hastings.

After his death, the company continued. In 1948, Knowlton's opened a second drug store in West Vancouver. In 1965, the name was changed to Knowlans Drugs but restored to the original name in 1970.

A famous 1907 film of Vancouver, which I will tell you about on Monday, shows one of the Knowlton locations.

I took this photo recently just to show that spring is coming! At least in my part of the world.

It was in 1943 that Kitsilano Beach was used for rehearsing commando beach assaults. 

1943 is the year that the Southlands Riding Club was incorporated. Now it sits on just over seven hectares in the heart of the community but it wasn't always so grand.

Originally, an abandoned fishermen's net storage hut on Deering Island was dismantled and carried piece by piece to a new location to build the club house. This was all done by members on horseback.

62-year-old Victor Odlum was named Canada's first ambassador to China in 1943. A former soldier and newspaper publisher, he served until 1946. (Victor was the son of Edward Faraday Odlum after who there is a nearby street named after. And one with a few historical homes that I have to get photos of.)

I have to thank The History of Metropolitan Vancouver website for the above information. There is more to tell and I may do so on Monday. If there is room after telling you of the 1907 film.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, History of Metropolitan Vancouver, history, Samuel J. Cohen, Victor Odlum British Columbia, Canada, Kitsilano Beach,Knowlton