Car #124

On August 15, 1950 the BC Provincial Force was dissolved after 92 years of service. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police took over their duties.

The first Canada- wide rail strike began on August 22. It ended by government order on August 30, 1950.

Eccles-Rand Limited built Vancouver's first atomic bomb shelter and on August 29, they inspected it at an undisclosed yard in Shaughnessy.

September 1. The CPR went on strike and this affected many residents in Port Coquitlam since many of them worked on the marshalling yards there.

Also on September 1, 1950, the first regional shopping centre in Canada opened. Park Royal Shopping Centre originally opened on the north side of Marine Drive in West Vancouver and later expanded to the south side of the Marine Drive.

September 17 saw the last run of Vancouver open air streetcars. These observation cars were built by BC Electric in 1909 at their New Westminster shops. The end of the open-air streetcars also meant the end of tour guide Teddy Lyons.

Lyons was born in Portage La Praire and was a "spieler" aboard car #124 from 1911 to 1950 - 39 years. He was a character, pointing out interesting sites and cracking jokes. (Pointing up at seagull: “There’s the richest bird in Vancouver—he just made a deposit on a brand-new Cadillac”) Someone calculated that Teddy had travelled 930,000 kilometres during his career.

Here's a photo I found of Teddy on one of his streetcar tours. I got it from the Vancouver Public Library archives

September 21, 1950. John Oliver, the city's engineer, said he feared that if the provincial and dominion governments didn't contribute funds to the building of the Granville Street bridge, the project would cost $3 million more than the original projected cost of $8 million. (Actually, in 1939, it was estimated the bridge would cost $4 million to build.) Neither government contributed and when the bridge was completed in 1954, the total cost was $16 million.

Vancouver's Sunset Memorial Centre at 404 East 51st Avenue on September 29. It was officially opened through a telephone call from Bing Crosby. Crosby enjoyed this area, often visiting to relax and fish however, on this date, he was filming a movie. He did manage to view the centre when he visited the following year. 

Although local people protested, a BC Electric Tram made its last trip between New Westminster and Chilliwack on September 30, 1950. In a settlement, BC Electric contributed to establishing bus transportation. Businesses complained the mail was now slower. 

Thanks to  The History of Metropolitan Vancouver website for the above information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill