49 Trudges Along

The date was November 9, 1949 and that morning, one of Vancouver's most sensationalized murders began. The body of single, 45-year-old Blanche Fisher was discovered in False Creek near the Kitsilano Trestle by a Woodward's employee. At first, authorities thought it was a suicide but it was discovered that Fisher wore no shoes, socks or underwear and her body was covered in bruises.

34-year-old Frederick Ducharme had a record of indecent exposure and bizarre behaviour. What that behaviour was, wasn't explaining in the strait laced newspaper reporting of the day and I don't know what it was. Anyway, Miss Fischer's umbrella was found in Ducharme's car and articles of her clothing in his run down False Creek shack. Ducharme was found guilty of murder and hanged July 14, 1950.

Kerrisdale arena was officially opened on November 11. Fred "Cyclone" Taylor - hockey legend and current president of the Point Grey Community Centre Association - was there. Park board chairman Bert Emery, acting mayor R.K. Gervin and Harry Duker, who managed the raising of funds for the building, were on hand too.

The Capilano River, swollen by a violent rainstorm, swept away a large section of Marine Drive. On November 27, 1949, when this happened, that was the only road link to West Vancouver.  Part of the bridge over the Capilano was also washed away. Army engineers from Sardis rushed in to build an emergency Bailey bridge, which was also washed away. West Vancouver remained cut off for 10 days.

On December 1, the Grouse Mountain chairlift opened. It was the world's first double chair lift and replaced the two to three hour hike from the skiers' bus stop at the base of the mountain.

There was exciting news on December 3. A photograph appeared in the Province newspaper showing the site for something called a 'shopping centre'. Park Royal, on the north shore, was to become Canada's first shopping centre.

In 1949, Dick Diespecker had a radio column in the Province. Diespecker followed local and international radio personalities the way we follow television and movie stars today. On December 4, 1949, Dick told his readers the "dynamic young sportscaster" Ray Perrault had left CJOR to join the radio department of the O'Brien Advertising Agency. Today, he’s Senator Ray Perrault.


Boxer Jimmy McLarnin laid the cornerstone for Sunset Memorial Centre on East 51st Avenue on Decmber 11. McLarnin had played a large part in the establishment of the Centre (which is now called the Sunset Community Centre.) When Stan Thomas, one of the people involved in the creation of the complex, went to Hollywood in 1947 it was McLarnin—whom Thomas knew—who introduced him to Bing Crosby, a friend of McLarnin’s. Bing agreed to come up to Vancouver and record his radio show here to kick off the Centre’s fund-raising campaign. Bing’s show was recorded at the Forum September 22, 1948, attended by 9,000 people.

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

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill

49 Ain't Done Yet!

On August 15, 1949, newspapers described the newly re-opened Kingsway highway as "strikingly handsome". It was now six lanes between Vancouver and New Westminster.

Also on August 15. Radio host, Jack Cullen, did his last show on CKMO and his first show on CKNW AT THE SAME TIME!!! How did he manage that? He taped his CKMO show beforehand and did the CKNW one live.

August 21, 1949. B.C.'s biggest earthquake, that we know of, occurred off the Queen Charlotte Islands. Fortunately, the major force of the quake occurred in uninhabited sections of the islands and there was minimal damage.

"While hardly anyone in Vancouver felt the tremors, reports of the quake poured in from throughout B.C. . . . Prince George residents ran into the streets shouting ‘earthquake, earthquake,’ as cafe signs swung and poles swayed." Centres 1,500 miles (2,400 km) apart felt the quake, and it was even detected in Jasper, Alberta. Seattle measured it at 7.2. The Province reported on Page One that a clock had stopped in the home of Mrs. Laurie Sanders, Imperial Street in Burnaby.

Gloria Cranmer was born on September 10, 1949 in Alert Bay, BC. Cranmer would go on to become a film maker and linguist. She was the first First Nations woman to attend the University of British Columbia - graduating in 1956 with a degree in anthropology. In 1996, Cranmer was awarded the Heritage Society of British Columbia's Heritage Award and her contributions to British Columbia native live are remarkable.

October 22, the first "official" tree was planted at Queen Elizabeth Park, then known as Little Mountain Park. The park was carved out of a stone quarry and chosen as the site for Canada's first civic arboretum.

“The tree looked lonely and a trifle battered,” the Province wrote. “Fittingly enough, it was a Pacific dogwood, the only tree emblematic of B.C. It stood in a grassy spot overlooking the smoke and skyscrapers of downtown Vancouver.” The original idea for the arboretum, the paper reported, “was suggested by Leander Manley, secretary-manager of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, western branch.”

November 2. The Hope-Princeton highway officially opened for traffic. The highway closely follows the old Dewdney Trail, which was a trail used to move provisions north and gold and furs south.

“When the Hope-Princeton highway opened,” says the Manning Park website, “it not only provided a major transportation link between the coast and interior, it also made accessible to people everywhere the premier provincial park in British Columbia.”

A civic banquet was held at the Hotel Vancouver on November 2, 1949 for the visiting Prime Minister Nehru of India.

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

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill

More 1949

March 23, 1949 was when the Vancouver Rose Growers Association was formed.

March 29. The sale of margarine was approved. The dairy industry - rightly fearing this would reduce the sale of butter - lobbied for margarine to be coloured white not yellow.

April 1, 1949 - Newfoundland entered the Confederation of Canada.

Also on April 1, First Nations people get the vote. However, those living on a reservation would not get the federal vote until 1960. Japanese citizens were given the provincial vote.

The Princess Marguerite entered BC on April 6, 1949.

On April 22 margarine went on sale. They weren't allowed to make it yellow but the manufacturers got around that. It was packed, coloured white, into plastic bags. Included inside the bag: a small pill of food colouring which had to be popped open inside the bag by the consumer and kneaded into the margarine to make it yellow. 

The new Labour Temple opened on West Broadway on May 31.

On June 15, a fire on the False Creek waterfront caused $1 million damage.

June 25, 1949, sod was turned to begin building a Woodwards store at Park Royal.

Canadian Pacific Airlines launched its inaugural flight to Sydney, Australia on July 1. Then, on the 13th, they carried the first all-Canadian airmail to Australia.

July 23, 1949:

The Province, in a story on local tourist activity, ran a photo of “travel advisors” Doris Young, Alyse Francis and Anita Zanon.

“They reply to all queries, even stupid ones, with courteous, sensible information.” Hedley Hipwell, president of the Vancouver Tourist Association, referred to “Vancouver’s $30 million tourist industry . . .”

The VTA’s travel advisors, Hipwell explained, deal with from 600 to 700 visitors a day. “In 1948 they answered 120,000 phone calls. In 1927 there were 24,000 . . . Last year, the girls gave out 160,000 travel folders and maps, answered 11,400 direct and 50,000 letters from other tourist bureaus, 8,000 coupon advertisement enquiries. They wrote invitations to 9,000 convention prospects . . .

One of VTA’s biggest jobs is finding rooms for folk who arrive in Vancouver without reservations. It takes the full time of one advisor to find accommodation for them.”

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

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill