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Vancouverites, in fact most British Columbians, are quite patriotic. Or at least we used to be. During the Boer War, we were ready to send men to war but the federal government rejected the province's offer, taking only 17 men. Naturally, the people of B.C. were indignant. 

On December 31, 1900 seven of the detachment returned. They were met at the CPR station by one of the largest crowds in Vancouver history. These men had taken part in 37 battles and skirmishes as well as the capture of 3 defended cities.

And their home city pulled out all the stops to welcome them home. The 6th Regiment Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles were on parade for the returning soldiers. Colonel C.A. Worsnop and Mayor Garden made speeches and a procession accompanied them to the Royal Theatre. There, the men were welcomed home by the Lieutenant Governor, T. R. McInnes.

Arches were erected on Cordova Street and searchlights played from the top of the B.C. Electric Building, ending at the Opera House. There, the returning heroes were presented with a gold watch and a new suit of clothes.

The News-Advertiser wrote the next morning:

"They were surrounded on the stage by the fair faces of the youth and beauty of the city, which set off to admiration the bronzed, bold and manly faces of the heroes who had suffered and conquered on the burning veldt for Queen, Home and Empire!"

Looking back today, after everything the world has gone through, this may seem tinselly and overly theatrical. However, at the time, it was the biggest was the Empire had had since Waterloo. For all the horrors of war, the Boer War didn't cast a shadow over the wild rejoicing on the last night of the nineteenth century.

Fortunately, there weren't many deaths of the original seventeen sent overseas. One captain and two privates were killed. Four were seriously wounded and sent home as invalids and the last three returned home later.

Thanks to the book Vancouver, From Milltown to Metropolis by Alan Morley for the above information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill

Vancouver Corner

Although the sign outside now says Sinclair Centre when this four-storey, classically designed structure was built from 1911 to 1913 it was known as the Customs Examining Warehouse and is adjacent to what was then the post office.

David Ewart - the Chief Architect of the Department of Public Works - headed the team that is responsible for this design.



It is one of four federally-owned buildings on a site known as Block 15. This building looks like it is divided into three parts - a base which is made of rough faced stone and smooth brick; the shaft is shown by shallow brick pilasters with segmented arches on the upper floors and finally a prominent cornice suggests the capital of a column. The steel frame and reinforced concrete was a modern construction technique unique to Vancouver at the time. (The Great Fire of 1886 was still fresh in some people's minds I guess.)

Some of the character defining elements to this impressive warehouse are its classically inspired design that uses what was then modern building techniques; the upper walls are faced with red clay brick trimmed with sandstone; the changing size, shape and pattern of the windows; the steel and concrete superstructure and the overall masonry. Whether you are walking along Hastings or Howe or Cordova you can't miss this building. Even the entrance is interesting.

As I have said before there are mosaics around the city and some of them tell the story of this beautiful city. Like this one.

This mosaic, Vancouver Corner, may be one a person would just glance at but once you read what it stands for it really makes you pay attention. And be thankful for what you have.

Far away in a town called St. Julien in Belgium there is a piece of Vancouver buried there and watched over by a statue called the Brooding Soldier.

The story goes like this: In the Second Battle of Ypres, where chlorine gas was released on French and Canadian troops, the Canadians - who were fighting for the first time as a nation instead of a British Colony - proved themselves equal to any fighting force. Especially a Lt. Donald Bellew of the British Columbia 7th Battalion, the Duke of Connaughts Own Rifles.

On April 24, 1915 the enemy was 100 metres away and the reinforcements destroyed when Lt. Bellew and another soldier decided to fight it out. The other soldier was killed and Bellew wounded but he kept firing until the ammunition failed. Then he took a rifle and smashed his machine gun before being taken prisoner.

Bellew survived and when he returned to Vancouver he read in the newspaper that he had been awarded the Victoria Cross.

This is the Brooding Soldier monument. It shows a Canadian soldier with his head bowed and was designed by  Frederick Chapman Clemesha. It stands 11 metres high and is located at what was known as Vancouver Corner during that war.  It was unveiled on July 8, 1923 by the Duke of Connaught and a tribute was given by French Marshal Ferdinand Foch. He said:

The Canadians paid heavily for their sacrifice and the corner of earth on which this Memorial of gratitude and piety rises has been bathed in their blood. They wrote here the first page in that Book of Glory which is the history of their participation in the war.

These photos are compliments of Google Images and Wikipedia. I didn't take them personally. But I thought it would be nice to see what I was talking about.
 
I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Customs Examining Warehouse, David Ewart,The Brooding Soldier,Lt. Donald Bellew,History,St. Julien,Belgium,Victoria Cross,