1945 Continues

On May 16, 1945 Prime Minister Mackenzie King opened the federal election with a speech from Vancouver. This speech was broadcast over Radio CBR. (now CBU)

May 22 was the day that the first veteran moved into the first of new veteran homes.

May 25, 1945 was the day that writer W.P. Kinsella was born in Edmonton. Kinsella has since lived in White Rock and Vancouver and currently lives in the Fraser Valley. Kinsella is a prolific writer and may be best known for his book Shoeless Joe. A quote from a lengthy article on the website Bookworld states:

"After a young American editor in Boston named Larry Kessenich saw a brief synopsis of W.P. Kinsella's short story called Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa in Publisher's Weekly, he contacted Kinsella and asked for a novel. Shoeless Joe became the basis for the 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams ..."

On June 11, 1945, former city mayor, Gerry McGeer, was named to the senate.

There is a photograph of 23-year-old 2nd Lieutenant Molly Bobak painting in London, England. Molly Bobak (Lamb) was born in Vancouver and studied art at the Vancouver School of Art from 1938 to 1941.

In 1942, Bobak enlisted as a draughtsman in the Canadian Women Army Corps (CWAC), the only woman to be hired as an official war artist. She worked on the design of the décor and the costumes for the Army Show in Toronto. At the National Gallery of Canada in 1944, Bobak took 3rd prize in the Canadian Army Art Exhibition. After V-E Day, Molly was posted to Holland where she painted the tasks and experiences of female soldiers overseas.

In 1950, Molly Bobak obtained a grant from the government of France, which allowed her to paint in France. Air France invited the Canadian artist back in 1960 to lead a tour in Paris and a Canada Council grant allowed her to spend much of that year painting in Europe.

On July 14, the Province newspaper published an interesting story concerning Ivan Knopski. Knopski ran a concession at St. Paul's hospital and was building his own home at the corner of Main Street and East 29th Avenue. You may not think that was newsworthy, but Knopski was blind.“His neighbors, as they watched him building, didn’t believe that. They were sure he was boasting, that he had some sight left. But when they heard his hammer going on into the night till 11 and 12 and no lanterns around, then they knew he must be telling the truth."

I want to thank The History of Metropolitan Vancouver website for the above information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.