Today in Local History – December

Above: Vancouver City Hall [Image: Vancouver Heritage Foundation]

On December 1, 1936 Vancouver’s new city hall opened for business. The building’s architects were Townley and Matheson. Each lock plate on the outer doors displayed the Vancouver Coat of Arms, and each door knob bore the monogram of the building. The ceiling on the second floor of the rotunda was made of gold leaf from several B.C. mines. In March, 1976 city hall was designated a heritage building.

Vancouver population today, December 1, 2007: 602,020 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,203,981 (est.)

On December 2, 1939 Vancouver welcomed its first dial telephones.

Vancouver population today, December 2, 2007: 602,033 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,053 (est.)

On December 3, 1949 a photograph appeared in the Province showing the site for something called a “shopping centre” on the north shore. It would be called Park Royal. It was Canada’s first shopping centre.

Vancouver population today, December 3, 2007: 602,046 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,124 (est.)

On December 4, 1972 the minimum wage for adults in British Columbia was set at $2 an hour, the highest in Canada. Economic doom was predicted, especially when the NDP government promised a further boost to $2.50 an hour by mid-1974. Even more alarming, the new bill applied for the first time to women as well as men.

Vancouver population today, December 4, 2007: 602,059 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,195 (est.)

On December 5, 1892 the Terminal City Club was formed in Vancouver. It was known then as the Metropolitan Club, met in a building at the southwest corner of Hastings and Richards.

Vancouver population today, December 5, 2007: 602,072 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,266 (est.)

On December 6, 1969 the Bloedel Floral Conservatory opened at Queen Elizabeth Park. They expected about 3,500 people to visit on opening day, but more than 11,000 showed up. It’s still a great place to visit, especially on a wet, chilly winter day.

Vancouver population today, December 6, 2007: 602,085 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,337 (est.)

On December 7, 1918 a moderate earthquake tremor stopped the clock on the Vancouver Block on Granville Street.

Vancouver population today, December 7, 2007: 602,098 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,408 (est.)

On December 8, 1884 a letter to Major Rogers, the Canadian Pacific Railway surveyor, from the railway president William Van Horne, read: “Company’s plans of Vancouver townsite must be kept from everyone, including your own engineers.”

Vancouver population today, December 8, 2007: 602,211 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,479 (est.)

On December 9, 1985 the present Cambie Street Bridge opened to traffic. The first of Vancouver’s three Cambie Street bridges, a two-laner built in 1891, cost $12,000. The second, with four lanes, opened in 1912 and named for the Duke of Connaught, Governor General at the time, cost $740,000. The third and present six-lane bridge cost $50 million—some 4,167 times the cost of the first. Mayor Mike Harcourt officiated at this opening, with a very special guest of honor on hand. She was Isabelle Duff-Stuart, who as a child had presented flowers to the Duchess of Connaught at the opening of the preceding bridge 73 years earlier.

Vancouver population today, December 9, 2007: 602,224 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,550 (est.)

On December 10, 1976 the Province wrote: “Work will start immediately on construction of a $30-million grain elevator in North Vancouver to replace the Burrard Terminals elevator partly destroyed by an explosion and fire in October 1975 . . . The elevator will have a storage capacity of four million bushels and will be able to unload more than 100 cars per eight-hour shift. The present concrete silos, built in 1928, will be integrated into the new complex, which will operate under the name of Pioneer Grain Terminals Ltd.”

Vancouver population today, December 10, 2007: 602,237 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,621 (est.)

On December 11, 1985 the rapid-transit system SkyTrain, running from Vancouver to New Westminster, began. It followed the same route through Burnaby as the old interurban tramline. (The line was later extended to Surrey.)

Vancouver population today, December 11, 2007: 602,250 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,692 (est.)

On December 12, 1968 Vancouver Sun columnist Allan Fotheringham was prescient in his comment on the opening of the 29-storey MacMillan Bloedel Building at Georgia and Thurlow in downtown Vancouver. “No major new building in town,” Fotheringham wrote, “will dare to build out to the property line now that Massey-Erickson have shown the advantages of stepping back to leave some welcome space for the poor pedestrians.”

Vancouver population today, December 12, 2007: 602,263 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,763 (est.)

On December 13, 1905 the Province newspaper had a story (headlined TO CONTINUE FIGHTING CPR) that reported on a special meeting of The Vancouver Board of Trade. The Board discussed an ongoing boycott of the Canadian Pacific Railway by local merchants in a dispute over freight rates.

Vancouver population today, December 13, 2007: 602,276 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,834 (est.)

On December 14, 1941 gas masks went on sale to the general public in Vancouver. In brief tests, local school children learned to study while wearing them.

Vancouver population today, December 14, 2007: 602,289 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,905 (est.)

On December 15, 1900 the Hudson’s Bay Co., after a few years in other locations, opened a four-storey emporium at Granville and Georgia in downtown Vancouver. They have been at that corner ever since, albeit in a much upgraded building!

Vancouver population today, December 15, 2007: 602,302 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,204,976 (est.)

On December 16, 1953 Vancouver’s first locally-based television station, CBC-owned and operated CBUT channel 2, was launched when CBC chairman Davidson Dunton pushed a button at the station, a converted garage at the southwest corner of West Georgia and Bute Streets. CBUT began with network programming initially tape-delayed from Toronto.

Vancouver population today, December 16, 2007: 602,315 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,047 (est.)

On December 17, 1929 unemployed men raided the city relief office in Vancouver. The effects of the Great Depression were beginning to be felt locally.

Vancouver population today, December 17, 2007: 602,328 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,118 (est.)

On December 18, 1929 Burnaby’s first street lighting was turned on, illuminating Hastings Street from Boundary to Gilmore.

Vancouver population today, December 18, 2007: 602,341 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,189 (est.)

On December 19, 1984 the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration mandating the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 began to cause a flow of Hong Kong capital into Vancouver.

Vancouver population today, December 19, 2007: 602,354 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,260 (est.)

On December 20, 1911 professional hockey came to Vancouver when the Patrick brothers, Lester (10 days short of his 28th birthday) and Frank (one day short of his 26th) opened the Denman Arena. It was a big place, squatting at the north end of Denman Street at Georgia and holding 10,000 people. When it opened it was the world’s largest artificial ice rink. The Patricks’ team, the Vancouver Millionaires, won the Stanley Cup there in 1915.

Vancouver population today, December 20, 2007: 602,367 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,331 (est.)

On December 21, 1979 Province Consumer Alert columnist Chuck Poulsen wrote, “In a month or so, supermarkets should be serving up a large batch of rabbits for sale. Chinese rabbits. For Canada Packers, it will be the first test run of the low-cost, imported rabbits which are expected to sell for about half the price of the B.C. bunnies. The Chinese rabbits will be coming at a time when a government survey predicts that we’d eat rabbits faster than they multiply if there was a reasonable supply and the price wasn’t too much higher than chicken.”

Vancouver population today, December 21, 2007: 602,380 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,408 (est.)

On December 22, 1873 Moody’s mill on the North Shore burned to the ground, but was quickly rebuilt with lumber and bricks purchased from the Hastings Mill, its competitor across the inlet.

Vancouver population today, December 22, 2007: 602,393 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,479 (est.)

On December 23, 1975 Bill Bennett, who had defeated Dave Barrett, took office as BC’s 27th premier. He was the son of the 25th premier, W.A.C. Bennett. Bill Bennett would serve to August 6, 1986.

Vancouver population today, December 23, 2007: 602,406 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,550 (est.)

On December 24, 1951 movie star Yvonne DeCarlo, 29, visited Vancouver. She’d been born here (as Peggy Middleton) on September 1, 1922. She’d made her first modest foray into showbiz as an usherette in the Orpheum Theatre.

Vancouver population today, December 24, 2007: 602,419 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,621 (est.)

On December 25, 1932 Vancouverites listened to the first Christmas radio message from the sovereign as George V spoke from Sandringham. The 2 1/2 minute message had been written for the King by Rudyard Kipling. There is a very interesting article on the tradition of these talks at www.royal.gov.uk/output/page3643.asp

Vancouver population today, December 25, 2007: 602,432 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,692 (est.)

On December 26, 1907 a strongly-worded telegram was sent by The Vancouver Board of Trade to Prime Minister Laurier and the seven BC representatives in Parliament protesting the cancellation of the existing subsidy to the Canadian-Australian line of steamers.

Vancouver population today, December 26, 2007: 602,445 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,763 (est.)

On December 27, 1965 The Vancouver Sun and The Province (united corporately, but not editorially) moved to the Pacific Press Building at 2250 Granville Street. This would be the home of the two newspapers for the next 31 years. Their next move, in 1997, brought them to Granville Square.

Vancouver population today, December 27, 2007: 602,458 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,834 (est.)

On December 28, 1969 Ivan Ackery, manager of the Orpheum Theatre since 1935—stepped down, two months past his 70th birthday. “On my very last evening as manager of the Orpheum,” Ivan recalled, “I walked onto the stage in the empty theatre and looked up into the balcony and said out loud, “Goodbye, old friend. I’ve sure loved working with you all these years.” From the dark at the top of the balcony came a reply like the voice of a ghost. “We all loved you too, Mr. Ackery.” It was the night watchman. Look for the history of the Orpheum (and Ivan Ackery) on this web site.

Vancouver population today, December 28, 2007: 602,471 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,905 (est.)

On December 29, 1972 the Vancouver City Archives, in a building named for the late archivist Major J.S. Matthews, were officially opened at Vanier Park by Mayor Tom Campbell. It would be impossible to write on Vancouver history without the City Archives, and the Major was responsible for the core of the collection. The archives, under the direction of new city archivist Leslie Mobbs, is a great (and free!) place to visit for anyone interested in local history.

Vancouver population today, December 29, 2007: 602,484 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,205,976 (est.)

On December 30, 1900 a big civic parade in Vancouver welcomed home troops from the Boer War.

Vancouver population today, December 30, 2007: 602,497 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,206,047 (est.)

By December 31, 1980 thanks largely to an earlier CTV telethon honoring Terry Fox, who had had to cut short his Marathon of Hope earlier in the year, a total of more than $24 million had been raised for his cause by year’s end. Terry’s goal of $1 for every Canadian had been reached, and more. He had more than doubled the National Cancer Institute of Canada’s 1980 research allowance. And the Port Coquitlam post office reported that Terry got more mail this month than everyone else in town—residential and business—combined.

Vancouver population today, December 31, 2007: 602,510 (est.)
Metropolitan Vancouver population: 2,206,118 (est.)