Chronology

February 7 James Sinclair, federal cabinet minister, died in West Vancouver, aged 75. He was born May 26, 1908 in Banff, Scotland. “He was,” writes Constance Brissenden, “an outstanding athlete at UBC.

January 1 Frederick Soward, historian, teacher, died at 86. Frederick Hubert Soward was born April 10, 1899 in Minden, Ontario. Smart enough to enter high school at 10, he had to wait two years.

January 3 The SkyTrain commenced operation between Vancouver and New Westminster. (The extension to Surrey would come later.)

February 19 John Prentice, forest company executive, died in Vancouver, aged 79. Born in Vienna February 27, 1907 he came to Canada in 1938, changing his surname from Pick.

January 1 Thirteen maximum security prisoners escaped from Oakalla Prison. There had been a riot at the prison four days earlier.