PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Annual Report
Ministry of Provincial Secretary
and Government Services
JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31
1978
Queen's Printer for British Columbia <
Victoria, 1979
Victoria, B.C., January 1, 1979
To His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia.
May it please Your Honour:
I have the honour, sir, to submit herewith the report of the Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services, for ministry programs under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Provincial Secretary, for the 1978 calendar year.
I have the -honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
HUGH A. CURTIS
Minister
Victoria, British Columbia, January 1, 1979
The Honourable Hugh Curtis, Provincial Secretary
and Minister of Government Services.
Sir: I have the honour to submit the Annual Report for the programs of the
Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services for which the Deputy
Provincial Secretary and Deputy Minister of Government Services is responsible,
for the year ended December 31, 1978.
GERALD H. CROSS
Deputy Provincial Secretary and
Deputy Minister of Government Services
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statutes Administered by the Ministry-
Introduction
Page
. 6
. 7
Finance and Administration
Personnel Services Branch-
Provincial Telephone Enquiry Centre-
B.C. Special Events Fund
Visits and Functions.
Indian Advisory Branch-
Scholarships-
Government House
British Columbia House..
Government Services
Lotteries Fund Account-
Elections Branch
Legislative Library-
Queen's Printer
Postal Branch
Central Microfilm Bureau.
Robson Square Media Centre-
Culture, Heritage, and Recreation
Provincial" Museum
Library Services Branch-
Cultural Services Branch-
Provincial Archives
Heritage Conservation Branch-
Recreation and Fitness Branch-
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Superannuation Branch-
Public Service Adjudication Board-
9
10
10
10
11
12
12
12
17
17
18
22
22
23
26
29
42
44
45
48
54
61
64
STATUTES ADMINISTERED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY THE
MINISTRY OF PROVINCIAL SECRETARY & GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Agent-General Act.
British Columbia Buildings Corporation Act.
British Columbia Centennial '71 Celebration Act.
British Columbia Day Act.
British Columbia Tartan Act.
Canada-British Columbia Pension Agreement Act.
Canadian Confederation Centennial Celebration Act.
Captain Cook Bi-Centennial Celebration Act.
College Pension Act.
Constitution Act.
Daylight Saving Act.
Demise of the Crown Act.
Dogwood, Rhododendron, and Trillium Protection Act.
Douglas Day Observance Act.
Floral Emblem Act.
Heritage Conservation Act.
Indian Advisory Act.
Legislative Assembly Privileges Act.
Legislative Library Act.
Legislative Procedure and Practice Inquiry Act.
Lotteries Act.
Members of the Legislative Assembly Superannuation Act.
Mineral Emblem Act.
Ministerial Inquiries Act.
Ministry of the Provincial Secretary and Travel Industry Act.
Ministry of Recreation and Conservation Act.
Municipal Superannuation Act.
Pacific National Exhibition Incorporation Act.
Parliamentary Association Conferences Act.
Provincial Coat of Arms Act.
Provincial Elections Act.
Provincial Museum Act.
Public Documents Disposal Act.
Public Inquiries Act.
Public Libraries Act.
Public Officials and Employees Disclosure Act.
Public Printing Act.
Public Service Act.
Public Service Benefit Plans Act.
Public Service Labour Relations Act.
Public Services Medical Plan Act.
Public Service Superannuation Act.
Revenue Surplus Appropriation Act, 1969.
Sessional Allowances Reduction Act, 1961 (and 1972).
Sessional Reports Suspension Act.
Special Assistance in the Cost of Education Act.
Teachers' Pension Act.
Provincial Secretary and
Government Services
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION—1978 ANNUAL REPORT
This ministry's scope of activities expanded considerably in 1978. On December 4, under a reorganization of government, a number of programs were transferred to us, and the ministry name was changed to reflect an expanded role. The
Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services was given responsibility
for the Government Employees Relations Bureau, the cultural services branch, the
recreation and fitness branch, the library services branch, and the heritage conservation branch. The Minister also became responsible for the British Columbia
Buildings Corporation.
As a result,-our important role in providing administrative and support services
to the Cabinet, Legislature, and to other ministries has been complemented with a
new and direct involvement with the general public. We continue to be responsible for the administration of Government House and British Columbia House
(London), the provincial museum and archives, the legislative library, the elections
office, and for agencies which assist in the administration of the provincial government. The wide range of responsibilities assigned to this ministry in 1978 provided
a continuing challenge for the public servants who administer them. It is a pleasure
to report that this challenge was met with dedication and enthusiasm.
This report, which summarizes the work of over 900 employees of this ministry, reflects the range of activities being carried out by them on behalf of the government.
G. H. CROSS
Deputy Provincial Secretary and Deputy
Minister, Government Services
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Appeals
There were 44 appeals initiated in 1978, under a number of Acts, the majority,
32, under the Motor Carrier Act. Three appeals were under the Private Investigators' Licensing Act, three under the Water Act, one under the Greater Campbell
River Water District Act, and one under the British Columbia Hydro and Power
Authority Act.
Petitions of Right
The Crown Proceedings Act, which came into effect August 1, 1974, eliminated the need to obtain a fiat before initiating proceedings against the crown. Still,
petitions of right are being initiated under the old Crown Procedure Act in cases
where the cause for the petitions occurred before the new Act came into force. In
1978, four petitions of right were initiated.
Orders in Council
The trend in recent years toward a reduction in the numbers of orders in
council continued in 1978. In all, 3,276 orders were passed by the Lieutenant-
Governor in Council as compared with 3,920 in the previous calendar year.
The popular resume of orders in council was prepared 51 times through the
year, for distribution to approximately 1,200 individuals and organizations. Some
750 of these are sent to people who have specifically requested the resume, while
the remainder went to MLA's, the news media in British Columbia and government
officials on the CORE mailing list used for the distribution of information. In
addition, a summary of explanatory notes of Bills passed at the third session of the
thirty-first legislative assembly was prepared and distributed in January, 1979.
Great Seal
The Great Seal of the province was used 830 times in 1978, compared with
847 times in the previous year. The most frequent use (636) was, as usual, on
Crown grants under the Land Act. The seal was also use 86 times on letters
patent, 29 times under the Provincial Court Act, and 73 times on proclamations.
PERSONNEL SERVICES BRANCH
The p.-st year witnessed considerable activity within the personnel services
branch.
Recruitment activity was heavy as the ministry attempted to fill all vacancies,
many of which were the result of government restraint in previous years. This,
coupled with increased delegation of recruitment, poised a serious challenge to the
branch.
In June, the personnel branch moved to new office space at 503 Government
Street.
The youth employment program provided funding for employment of approximately 100 students during the summer months.
10
BRITISH COLUMBIA
A major government reorganization late in the year had a significant effect on
the ministry. Cultural services, library services, heritage conservation, and recreation and fitness branches were added to the ministry from the former ministry of
recreation and conservation. The government employee relations bureau was
added from the ministry of finance. The provincial emergency program was
transferred to the ministry of environment. This branch of the ministry also has
personnel responsibility for the executive council, the Premier's office and all legislative staff.
The travel industry division was combined with the small business development branch, formerly of the ministry of economic development, to become a separate ministry of tourism and small business development. The personnel services
branch continued to provide a personnel service for the new ministry.
At the end of the year, the ministry of provincial secretary and government
services comprised some 920 permanent positions.
PROVINCIAL TELEPHONE ENQUIRY CENTRE
The provincial enquiry centre, in its third year of operation, continued to be of
assistance to the public in the greater Vancouver area.
Set up in 1976 and located in Vancouver, the centre operates as a telephone
information service, to assist and direct the public to the correct government branch
or official. The staff will also answer basic questions regarding government services.
The number of calls handled in 1978 remained close to 1976 and 1977 figures.
A total of 46,474 calls were recorded during the year, with an average of 3,878 calls
per month and 186 per day.
The breakdown of calls related to the different levels of government were:
federal, 7 per cent; provincial, 87 per cent; municipal, 2 per cent; nonrelated, 4 per
cent.
After the centre started, in 1976, it became apparent that the number of calls
handled did not warrant the proposed staff of five. Since 1977 the centre has been
operating successfully with a staff of four counsellors.
BRITISH COLUMBIA SPECIAL EVENTS FUND
Funded solely by proceeds from lottery operations in the province, the special
events fund provides travel assistance to groups and individuals who do not qualify
for grants from the cultural fund or the physical fitness and amateur sports fund.
Generally speaking, to qualify, recipients must be representatives of a particular discipline who are attending an inter-provincial, national, or international
competition or invitational tournaments. Grants may also be awarded to groups,
which because of their uniqueness or expertise, are considered to be worthy representatives.
In 1978, 136 grants were approved to a total of $514,979.64.
VISITS AND FUNCTIONS
The ministry is responsible for protocol and in 1978 the province was favoured
by visits from a number of distinguished individuals.
The detailed planning and execution of those visits is the direct responsibility
of the ministry. The highlight of the year was the visit in August of Their Royal
Highnesses The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince Andrew. The royal visitors
were invited to participate in some of the events surrounding the Captain Cook
bi-centennial celebrations. In the two-day period of August 7 and 8 they saw and
were seen by thousands of British Columbians in Victoria and Vancouver.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
11
Their Excellencies, Governor General and Madame Leger visited the province
from July 31 to August 2. While in British Columbia His Excellency reviewed the
naval assembly held in Victoria which was also part of the Captain Cook celebrations.
Other distinguished visitors during the year included the mayor of Middlesbrough, England. Mayor R. Smith was accompanied by Mayoress D. Taylor and
Councillor C. E. Shopland. This visit took place from March 30 to April 3. On
April 6 and 7 the Right Honourable Roy Jenkins, President of the economic commission of the European Community visited Vancouver and had discussions with
the Honourable D. Phillips, minister of economic development. From July 22 to
July 25 the province was honoured by the visit of the Governor General of Fiji,
Ratu Sir George Cakobau and Lady Adi Cakobau.
Twenty-one ambassadors and high commissioners visited British Columbia
during 1978.
INDIAN ADVISORY BRANCH
The first citizens' fund was established under the Revenue Surplus Appropriation Act, 1969, "to help expand and contribute support to projects involved with
the expansion and advancement of the culture, education, economic development,
recreation, and position of the North American Indian race who were born in and
are residents of the Province of British Columbia."
The branch is involved in the administration of the first citizens' fund which
provides financial assistance for special projects and programs initiated by Indian
people.
The advisory committee is comprised of six native Indians who represent various parts of the province. The chairman of the first citizens' fund advisory committee is the director of the Indian advisory branch. The committee meets on a
quarterly basis each year to review and assess the applications and makes recommendations on the applications to the provincial secretary for approval.
During 1978, the committee reviewed 244 applications totalling $4,000,554
and of these they recommended approval of 186 applications totalling $1,491,914.
The following table shows a breakdown for the period January 1, 1978 to
December 31, 1978. The number of approved requests is indicated in brackets.
First Citizens' Fund Grants—1978
Meeting
No.
Economic
Development
Education
Culture
Communications,
Social
Services
Community
Centres
Sports and
Recreation
Total
1
S
75,000 (1)
85,000 (2)
38.O00 (2)
2,000 (1)
$
25,235 (4)
7,740 (3)
7,000 (2)
23,105 (6)
$
84,690 (7)
74,494 (15)
18,067 (3)
4,200 (1)
$
142,660 (11)
67,450 (8)
55,232 (6)
136,018 (11)
$
82,000 (4)
97,627 (2)
64,251 (4)
10,218 (1)
$
142,923 (31)
80,900 (23)
39.458 (9)
129,646 (29)
$
552,508 (58)
413,211 (53)
221,008 (26)
305,187 (49)
2
3.
4
Totals
200,000 (6)
63,080 (15)
181,451 (26)
401,360 (36)
253,096 (11)
392,927 (92)
1,491,914 (186)
The preservation of native Indian culture is of utmost importance to the Indian
residents and the first citizens7 fund has encouraged the development of programs
that involve the native Indian people of British Columbia to preserve their language,
customs, legends, art, history, and literature. These types of projects enable the
native Indians to enhance their identity and retain their culture and heritage.
12 BRITISH COLUMBIA
Education is a prime necessity for the Indian people and the first citizens' fund
continues to encourage Indian students to enrol in post-secondary educational institutions and offers incentive bursaries to those engaged in college or university
courses.
The general philosophy of the first citizens' fund is to help the native Indian
people help themselves. It is the aim of the advisory committee to encourage and
stimulate Indian participation in various projects through shared-cost arrangements
whenever possible. The most important feature of the first citizens' fund is that
all projects and programs are initiated and controlled by the Indian people.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The ministry administers the Queen Elizabeth II British Columbia Centennial
Scholarship program. This major scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate
of one of the public universities in the province for academic studies in the United
Kingdom. The winner of the 1978 scholarship, with a potential value of $15,000
was Fred W. Hansford of Burnaby.
For the first time in 1978, two minor scholarships to the value of $2,000 each
were awarded to recognize the very high calibre of the applicants for this prestigious scholarship. The 1978 minor scholarship winners were Andrew Stark and
Catherine Crawford, both of Vancouver.
Duke of Edinburgh Scholarships
To mark the visit of HRH, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to British
Columbia in the Captain Cook bi-centennial year, eight scholarships were established by the provincial government to be awarded annually. To be known as the
Duke of Edinburgh Scholarships, they are to be awarded to deserving British
Columbians attending Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific. Each Scholarship
has the value of $6,000.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
On May 18th, the swearing-in of the new Lieutenant-Governor took place at
Government House. The Honourable Walter S. Owen, Q.C., LL.D. retired after
five years as Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. The new Lieutenant-
Governor is the Honourable Henry P. Bell-Irving, D.S.O., O.B.E., E.D.
During the year, over 16,000 guests attended luncheons, teas, dinners, receptions, balls, and garden parties at government house.
On the occasion of the visit to British Columbia by His Royal Highness The
Prince Philip and His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew in August, a state
dinner and a garden party were held in their honour at government house.
Other distinguished visitors included Governor-General Jules Leger and
Madame Leger. Their excellencies took this occasion to present 11 bravery awards
to British Columbia residents at a ceremony held on August 2nd. This was the first
time the presentation of these awards had been performed outside of government
house, Ottawa.
Lord and Lady Brabourne were guests in May 1978. Lady Patricia Brabournc
who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Patricia's took part in ceremonies in Victoria involving the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Ambassadors Konstantin Tellalov of Bulgaria, Wang Tung of the People's
Republic of China, Joaquin Mas-Martinez of Cuba, Xavier Daufresne de la Chev-
alerie of France, Jozsef Nemeth of Hungary, John J. Becker of South Africa.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
13
The Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia and Mrs. Henry P. Bell-Irving at
Government House, Victoria, British Columbia.
Thomas O. Enders of the United States, and Francisco Paparoni of Venezuela were
entertained as were High Commissioners John Ryan of Australia, Sir John Johnston
and Sir John Ford of Britain, Mahboob Ahmad of India, Dean Eyre of New Zealand, Chief Mwinamila M. J. S. Lukumbuzya of Tanzania, Solomon Lutchman of
Trinidad and Tobago and Lamech E. Akong'O of Uganda.
Other notable visitors were the Honourable Naohiro Dogakinai, Governor of
Hokkaido, Japan, the Governor-General of Fiji, Ratu Sir George Cakobau and the
Right Honourable Kenneth Borthwick, Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
Representatives of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of
China were entertained at dinner on June 23rd with the vice-chairman, Chi Peng-
Fei present on this occasion.
Twenty-nine groups of students toured the house during the year.
Provincial public servants received long-service awards at two successive evening ceremonies at government house. Two hundred and thirty-nine employees
received 25 years service awards and 15 employees received gold watches for 35
years service.
BRITISH COLUMBIA HOUSE
1978 will be recorded as one of the busiest years in over a century at British
Columbia House.
One of the highlights of the year was the complete refurbishing of British Columbia House that took over three months in all to complete, using a variety of
British Columbia woods and panelling. The Honourable Grace McCarthy officially
opened the renovated office on October 30th.
14
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Refurbished British Columbia House, 1978
1978 saw British Columbia House involved in the "Captain Cook Bi-Centen-
nial" celebrations. Several projects and contests were run in conjunction with
Middlesbrough, Cleveland, which was celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Cook's
birth. Deputy Premier Grace McCarthy and the Agent-General, Mr. Wallace, participated in the official opening of the Captain Cook Museum in Middlesbrough on
October 26th. Mr. Wallace also took part in the official unveiling of Canada and
British Columbia plaques at the Captain Cook statue in Whitby, Cook's birthplace.
1978 was a busy year for the agent-general in promoting British Columbia
throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. Official calls were made to embassies
and overseas delegations at The Hague, Paris, Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, and in the
U.K. at Middlesbrough, Stratford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, and Dublin. In June of 1978 the agent-general was made a freeman of the city of London.
Visitors from British Columbia included Lt. Governor and Mrs. H. P. Bell-
Irving, the Honourable Rafe Mair, the Honourable Hugh Curtis, the Honourable
Allan Williams, and the Honourable Grace McCarthy. The leader of the Opposition, Mr. David Barrett visited with Graham Lea, MLA and David Stupich, MLA.
Mayor J. J. Volrich from Vancouver, and Mayor and Mrs. Michael Young of Victoria also visited.
Other visitors included Chief Constable D. L. Don Winterton of the Vancouver Police Department, Deputy Provincial Secretary G. H. Cross, Deputy Minister
of Housing Larry Bell, Deputy Minister of Labour James G. Matkin and Chief
Justice Nathan Nemetz.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
15
The Canada-U.K. Chamber of Commerce along with many U.K. Canadian
based firms continue to hold meetings in the board room in British Columbia House.
This facility is provided free of charge and does a great deal to enhance U.K./Brit-
ish Columbia relationships.
The monthly newsletter is distributed free of charge throughout the United
Kingdom and Europe to businesses, financial organizations and individuals with
interest in the province, endeavouring to keep them abreast of the latest industrial,
financial, tourism, and social developments.
Several receptions were held at British Columbia House in 1978. These get-
togethers for British Columbians abroad included field hockey teams from Brentwood Bay and UBC, the Victoria Amateur Swim Club, Red Lions R.F.C. from
Vancouver, both the UBC and UVic Alumni Associations, and the Gallery Singers
and St. Johns Boys Choir. The highlight of the year was the reception held on
July 20th for the Vancouver Island Vagabond Cricket Club which H.R.H. The
Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh attended.
Tourism in 1978 focused on major European markets. Promotion campaigns
were operated throughout the U.K. and continental Europe with major presentations made to travel and consumer groups.
New tour programs were developed and sold through leading tour wholesalers
and with the application of reduced air fares these proved to be very acceptable.
Record revenues were produced from these ventures and British Columbia was
firmly established as a primary holiday destination.
Mary Strong joined the staff in August as secretary to Jim Willis, Tourism's
London-based sales manager.
The economic development section of British Columbia House has been
strengthened by the appointment of Richard Landahl who brings to the ministry
18 years of shipping and international trade experience. He will be travelling extensively within the European Economic Community (EEC) to promote industrial
growth opportunities.
The other members added to the staff at British Columbia House in 1978 were
Al Blair, who returned to London after a year's absence in Victoria and Mrs. Barbara Karras, a Vancouverite.
One of the most successful and unique promotions took place in June at the
Commonwealth Institute. A British Columbia fair was featured from June 12 to
23 and nearly 10,000 children attended. It was the first time in the institute's history that a province has held such an exhibition. The fair was organized by British
Columbia's director of information for the U.K. and Europe, Richard Lillico.
The film and slide library continued to receive many requests. Travel agencies
and schools along with British Columbia House's own promotional program made
up the greatest demand. In addition full co-operation in preparation of trips to
British Columbia was given to British journalists and broadcasters.
The agent general paid special tribute to the hard working, efficient staff at
British Columbia House including the crew who maintain No. 1 Regent Street as
an important landmark and heritage building.
GOVERNMENT SERVICES
LOTTERIES FUND ACCOUNT
The net proceeds from lottery operations in the province of British Columbia
are placed in the lottery fund and from that fund disbursements are made on a
regular basis to a number of special funds. In 1978, the scope of disbursements
from the lottery fund was enlarged to include a wide range of community-oriented
activities and for the first time direct grants were made from the lottery fund.
The disbursements from the lottery fund to the special funds were as follows:
$
1,521,450
1,500,000
990,000
2,700,000
1,000,000
(a)
(&)
(c)
(d)
(«)
To British Columbia Cultural Fund
To British Columbia Physical Fitness and Amateur
Sports Fund .
To British Columbia Special Events Fund
To British Columbia Health Care Research Foundation
To British Columbia Heritage Trust
A total of 54 direct grants from the lottery fund were made to organizations
and these grants totalled $6,414,949.
ELECTIONS BRANCH
Major Activity
The major activity of the Elections Branch in 1978 was the redistribution of
electoral districts initiated by the interim report of the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform, 1978. The redistribution resulted in the reorganization of over
1,600,000 voter registration forms. A reorganization was required in each of the
28 regional offices, with the consequent transfer of files among them.
In conjunction with the redistribution, all registrars of voters were asked to
assess, and where necessary revise, their electoral polling divisions. The information from this revision was assembled and correlated in the Vancouver headquarters
and forwarded to the map production division of the ministry of environment for
the production of new district maps. Approximately 110 maps will be produced.
While the voter registration files were being reorganized, the branch organized
a province-wide door-to-door enumeration. The last complete enumeration had
been conducted in 1972. The enumeration commenced in October, with completion expected in March. A total of 1,093 enumerators have been employed
throughout the province and 188 temporary office staff have been employed to process the enumeration data.
A by-election, held on March 20 in the electoral district of Oak Bay, was
necessitated by the resignation of Dr. Scott Wallace, Leader of the Progressive
Conservative Party. Mr. Victor Stephens, the new Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, was returned as the Member for Oak Bay.
The branch has undertaken a study in relation to making voting easier for
blind people. The province of Ontario and the federal government have gone in
different directions on the subject employing the notched ballot and ballot template
respectively.
17
18
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Through the staff of the registrar of voters in Vancouver, the branch provided population statistics and working maps for the Electoral Reform Commission, and acted as a liaison with various government ministries for the preparation
of the commission's interim report.
When time permitted addressograph, copying, and collating work was done
for other areas of government, primarily the liquor distribution branch and the
safety engineering services branch.
The branch also assisted the Labour Relations Board by supplying experienced
personnel to act as observers, pursuant to Section 81 of the Labour Code of British
Columbia, during the conduct of strike votes and lockout votes.
LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY
Computer-based Cataloguing
The decision to join with other libraries in the province in making use of the
University of Toronto Library Automation Systems (UTLAS) catalogue support
system and to become a member of the British Columbia Union Catalogue (BCUC)
project was made after much consideration. A formal agreement with UTLAS
was signed in August and the library was accepted as a member of BCUC in September.
Although the delivery of the terminal for making use of the UTLAS records
has been delayed, it is expected that the transition to automated cataloguing will
be completed in the early months of 1979. The card catalogue will be "closed,"
that is, frozen in its existing state, and all future records of the library's holdings
will be on Computer Output Microfiche (COM).
Last year's report noted the visit of two senior staff members from the National
Library of Canada to discuss a formal agreement under which the legislative library
would become the official agent for providing Cataloguing In Publication (CIP)
data for British Columbia government publications. The agreement was signed
on behalf of the British Columbia government by the provincial secretary and minister of travel industry in May. British Columbia thus became the first provincial
government to agree formally to participate in the federal program administered by
the national library and is, in fact, still the only province to be providing cataloguing
data within its publications under the national scheme, although Ontario, which
entered into a similar agreement shortly after British Columbia, had indicated that
CIP information should begin appearing in its government publications next year.
Under the program essential bibliographical information needed for library
cataloguing of an item is supplied to the author ministry or to the Queen's Printer
prior to printing so that it appears—usually on the reverse of the title page—within
the publication.
The demands of the program on the library, are heavy but in the absence
of a provincial government publications distribution centre, only the legislative
library can provide such a cataloguing service, given the necessity for confidentiality
in the handling of unpublished government material.
In spite of some difficulties in the communications necessary to the cataloguing,
the arrangement with the national library is useful. Under their supervision we are
assured that the CIP data in British Columbia government publications is in accordance with national and international standards. Even more important from the
point of disseminating information about provincial publications is the national
library's policy of entering all bibliographical information approved for British
Columbia publications into their data banks for distribution by CAN-MARC tape
and through the national bibliography, Canadiana, immediately upon publication.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
19
The number of items for which CIP was supplied during the year remained
close to the previous year's total. The cataloguing department's major problem
in carrying out the program is still the difficulty in securing the material to be processed. The establishment of a government publications agency may alleviate this
problem.
Computer-based Information Services
Use of the library's on-line information retrieval service continued to grow
steadily during the year. During the summer the demand for service from staff on
special research projects grew to the extent that limitations were considered. Training in the use of the terminal and in on-line search techniques is being expanded so
that all librarians on the reference staff will be able to make use of the facility although the supervision of the service and the monitoring of its use will continue
to be assigned to one or two staff members to ensure efficiency.
Two new bases were added during the year, the index to the Toronto Globe
and Mail and the Canadian Council on Social Development data base. The Globe
and Mail service has proved to be of great assistance, particularly in meeting members* requests.
Shelving Notation for Government Publications
John McEachern, head of the government publications division, has devised
a shelving code to assist in the filing and retrieval of government publications. In
the past these publications have been placed on the shelves .using only the identification published in each volume, a task that has largely required trained librarians
in order to achieve accuracy. With the newly-developed coding system, which was
applied to provincial documents other than British Columbia for an eight-month
trial period and which proved eminently feasible, it will be possible to assign
both the shelving and the retrieval of document material to the clerical staff as has
always been the practice with the classed book and the periodical collections.
Copies of the coding system have been forwarded to a number of libraries
in the hope that the system may prove useful to other institutions faced with the
difficult task of processing and retrieving government publications.
Publications
The library issues two monthly checklists to assist in the use of material. The
list of recent accessions is designed especially for members and their research staffs
to keep them informed about useful material added to the collection.
The second, the monthly checklist of British Columbia publications, continues
to be of wide interest to librarians and research workers throughout Canada. Requests to be placed on the mailing list far exceed the library's ability to produce
sufficient copies to meet the demand and distribution is limited, therefore, to the
larger Canadian academic and public libraries, to Canadian legislative libraries,
and to school district resource centres in British Columbia. In an effort to encourage
wider circulation, the library places no restriction on photocopying of the list and
co-operates with the open shelf division of the library service branch in making an
abbreviated version of the checklist available for publication in the British Columbia
library association's '"Reporter."
There remains, however, a real need to improve both the distribution and the
method of compiling the checklist. A study of more efficient ways in which the
work can be done is continuing.
In response to requests from members and to assist in clarifying the function
and services of the library, a brochure outlining the hours and areas of reference
20
BRITISH COLUMBIA
service, the range of the collection and including a brief history of the library was
prepared and is now available upon request.
A helpful bibliography listing sources of staistical material, particularly summaries of current statistics, was compiled by a member of the reference staff. It
has been distributed to members of the legislature and to their research staffs.
Microfilming
The microfilming program, designed for the preservation of those of the province's newspapers that are not commercially microfilmed, continued to show progress during the past year. Files of all papers received during the year, except those
available by purchase from commercial firms, were filmed and further progress
was made on the filming of the library's historic files. As noted in last year's report,
the filming is done for conservation purposes only; film is not available for commercial distribution.
Once again the central microfilm bureau, whose personnel carry out the work,
has provided a very high level of service.
Recovery of Stolen Property
In 1974, during the period when the stack area of the library was under renovation, a number of volumes were stolen from the collection. The library was
notified in August 1974 by the New York City Police that its volumes, together
with a large number from libraries in Washington, Oregon, California, Kansas, and
from other libraries in British Columbia, were in the custody of the police department. The trial of the person who committed the thefts was concluded in 1976
and the stolen property has been returned to the legislative library.
Space
During the past year the weeding of the collection continued in order to remove from the shelves material that is no longer relevant to the service requirements
of the library or that might be of more immediate use in another library. All
volumes that are so removed from the collection are made available first to libraries
in British Columbia and then to institutions outside the province. Academic libraries particularly are thus able to supplement their research collections with material
of use within the context of their holdings that is no longer required by the legislative library.
As a result of the decision taken two years ago to hold copies of newspapers
after 1976 only in microfilm, it was possible to compress all of the bound newspaper collection, allowing no further room for expansion of the bound files. The
shelf space thus gained has been used to re-shelve the oversize book collection and
to open badly-needed shelf space on the third stack level. A third of the entire
book collection has been shifted and a large area has been made available to accommodate the growing intake of government publications.
Service to Ministerial Libraries
A significant change in the library's service policy to other ministries was begun
during the year. As last year's report indicated, direct service to the ministries of
human resources and recreation and conservation through the secondment of legislative library staff ceased March 31 with the transfer to the ministries of the two
former legislative library staff members.
A second re-assessment of the library's role has led to a decision to phase out
the library's cataloguing service to other ministries.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978 21
For some years the legislative library has provided card-based catalogue service for a number of ministry libraries. This has been justified on the basis of the
efficiency of centralized operations and of the ability to share resources through a
single union catalogue. Three issues however have called this service into question:
rising labour costs and increasingly attractive machine options; evidence that the
union catalogue does not promote resource sharing, and increasing awareness that
the standardized cataloguing practised by a centralized service agency does not
meet the needs of ministry libraries. In addition to these factors, the fact that the
service could only be extended to some ministry libraries because of staff and budget limitations and the lack of any accountability was unsatisfactory. Finally, the
inability to locate a manual card catalogue in more than one site has been a problem
for some ministries.
The circumstances led to a review of automation options in early 1977. The
focus of library automation at that time in British Columbia was the British Columbia Union Catalogue Project (BCUC) based on the University of Toronto
Library Automation System (UTLAS). The study of legislative library options
led to a recommendation that it enter the BCUC project. This study did not fully
recognize the differing needs of ministry libraries, however, nor did it adequately
appreciate the costs of sorting the data for each ministry On a frequent cycle. A
closer study made it only too apparent that UTLAS was highly desirable for the
legislative library on its own but unattractive for the legislative library acting as a
service bureau for a number of small client libraries. In addition to simple cost
considerations it_became clear that the powerful (and expensive) capabilities of the
Toronto system would not be utilized by the small libraries.
The possibility of a simplified automated cataloguing system was raised with
the government libraries association in the fall of 1977 but preliminary investigations through British Columbia Systems Corporation (BCSC) were not fruitful
until late in 1977 when the ministry of forests took the initiative. They had taken
a library package developed but never implemented by the department of transport
and communications, simplified it, and used it to run a small library of fire protection documents. This system was reworked and implemented in the main forests
library which contains 5,000 items. The creation of machine readable catalogue
records was accomplished in a remarkably short period of time and final printouts
were delivered in June, 1978.
This gave government libraries a third option, a batch cataloguing system
supported by the British Columbia Systems Corporation. The strengths of the system are its simplicity, its relative economy, and the ability it provides for individual
operation.
In view of the present situation, which is fully satisfactory neither to the ministry libraries nor to the legislative library, in view of the existence of a useable alternative cataloguing system, and in view of the legislative library's need for more staff
time to carry out its work under the CIP program, which is more relevant to its
role as a legislative library, it was decided that free cataloguing service for ministry
libraries should be brought to an end. In order to allow ministries receiving the
service at the present time to provide funds in their estimates for the change, a
termination date of March 31, 1980 was set. Until that date the present service
will continue for those ministries requiring it, although a number have already
indicated that they will assume responsibility for cataloguing their collections prior
to 1980.
22
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Workshops, Conferences, Training Sessions
Members of the professional staff attended a number of workshops and conferences during the year, among them the annual meeting of the western Canadian
division of the American Society for Information Science, a conference on the legislative process, and workshops on computer-based cataloguing, legal bibliography,
current cataloguing practices with regard to authorities control. Two of the librarians from the cataloguing division took part in a seminar and training session on
CIP at the national library and all the reference librarians have undergone special
training in the use of the on-line information retrieval equipment. The assistant
librarian attended the conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries in
Ottawa. The librarian took part in the biennial meeting of the Association of Parliamentary Librarians in Canada, which was held in Quebec City in November.
QUEEN'S PRINTER
During the year, the Queen's Printer experienced considerable growth. Invoices for printing and stationery purchases to the end of the year were $10,500,000,
an increase of 12 per cent over the previous period. The Queen's Printer growth
was reflected by the 6,200 purchase orders issued to its suppliers, including the
purchase of approximately 1,000 tons of paper for both printing and stationery
sales.
This past year marked the beginning of paper shortages, price increases and
extended delivery times from suppliers; a situation similar to 1973/74.
During the year, the Queen's Printer in conjunction with the Government
Employee Relations Bureau successfully negotiated a new two-year labour contract
with the Council of Graphic Arts Unions. Settlement for the employees was within
government guidelines.
1978 saw the introduction of new technology into the department. Extensive
renovations were made to the composing room to create a controlled environment
for the new computerized typesetting equipment.
Objectives for the coming year will be to concentrate on the typesetting system
and to establish flexibility and speed in serving the ministries during our transition
from hot metal to cold type production.
POSTAL BRANCH
Despite the labour unrest in Canada Post in September and October 1978 the
postal branch continued to process volumes of mail.
In the year 1978 the postal branch processed 31,071,909 pieces of mail. This
compares with 31,720,470 in 1977, when there was no disruption of service in
Canada Post.
The total cost of postage in 1978 was close to $5.5 million, and with another
increase in postage due in April 1979 the total cost could well be over $6.5 million.
Two branch offices were opened in 1978, at 940 Blanshard Street and at River-
view Hospital in Essondale. The Blanshard office will handle the mail for law
courts, consumer and corporate affairs, ministry of highways, and the lottery branch.
The office in Essondale will handle all mail for residents at Riverview Hospital and
the ministry of health.
The direct "containerization" service for mail originating in Victoria has now
been extended to 30 major locations in British Columbia, ensuring next day delivery
to government offices. The branch will continue to monitor volumes of mail to
other locations not served by our "container." They will be added as warranted.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
23
Our Vancouver office moved into new quarters in Robson Square in June 1978
and the additional work area, with proper loading facilities, is a great improvement
over the former site in the Vancouver courthouse.
Leon E. Hall, director of the postal branch has indicated that a large distribution change of British Columbia government mail is forthcoming in 1979. Major
offices in British Columbia will be involved and Mr. Hall intends to visit those
offices in early 1979 to outline the changes.
Total Volumes—Victoria and Vancouver Only
Year
1974
1975 *
1976 .
1977
1978**
Pieces
Received
Pieces
Dispatched
6,717,151
15,618,026
6,422,642
13,177,291
9,943,404
13,637,814
11,747,147
19,973,323
10,867,884
20,204,025
* Federal postal strike—eight weeks.
** Federal postal disruptions in September and October.
CENTRAL MICROFILM BUREAU
The central microfilm bureau, comprised of 10 work stations throughout government and 79 employees in the Victoria and greater Vancouver areas, experienced
unprecedented production growth in 1978. In addition to the film exposed and
processed from the bureau's work area there was an excess of one million feet of
film processed for ministries operating their own micrographic installations. This
represents approximately half of the film processed for the year and an indication
of the micrographic activities in the service.
Also, the bureau has installed a 17-foot-long archival Houston Fearless film
processor in the Vancouver film laboratory with plans for a similar model to be
installed in the Victoria film laboratory when all central microfilm bureau operations
are located in one building. These installations will support the high rate of microfilm processing, quality control and monitoring of government micrographic systems already active and will provide for general micrographic services required.
The initiation of new government programs making information available to
the public requires co-operation and co-ordination by ministry and central microfilm bureau personnel to develop methods and procedures necessary for micro-
graphic systems to support the programs.
The following are examples of film projects the bureau handled this past year.
Ministry of Environment—Land Management Branch
The bureau was requested to film 18,000 files of land management information
to disseminate to seven newly created field offices. Although this was not a regularly scheduled filming project, the bureau was able to draw from auxiliary staff
resources to augment a normal one-shift system with a second shift. The priority
given to this program was due to the tight schedule for the move of land management personnel. The files had to be on hand for personnel in the field to perform
their duties efficiently.
24
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Ministry of Mines and Petroleum Resources—Petroleum Resources Branch—
Engineering Division
In similar circumstances the bureau completed the filming of approximately
3,500 well reports for the engineering section of the ministry of mines and petroleum
resources. The public will now be able to receive all of the well reports in diazo
fiche form or, in part, in paper print form.
Ministry of Finance—General Administration Branch
A project requiring more rapid rotary filming equipment was completed with
approximately 7,000,000 general account, payroll and other cheques being recorded
on microfilm. This project was filmed on a recently developed extra thin base
polyester film with packing density increased 100 per cent. It is possible to house
200 feet of film on a normal 100-foot acetate film storage spool thereby recording
25,000 cheques with fronts and backs filmed simultaneously and displayed opposite
each other on 16 mm film at a reduction of 40-times.
These are cheques returned from financial institutions after recipients have
cashed them. The procedure enables those with accounts to check film for clarification of payment.
The director has been requested to consult with project management personnel,
advising ministeries on various occasions regarding procedures, methods, and selection of micrographic equipment.
Interprovincial micrographic council representing Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario,
Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. H. B. Bennett, central microfilm bureau, British Columbia, third from left (standing).
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
25
The director has been elected president of the inter-provincial micrographic
council for 1978/79. The council is comprised of senior micrographic representatives from the province who meet annually just before the Canadian micrographic
society's conference.
The director is currently participating in the development of a standard for the
"admissability of micrographics in the courts," working with the British Columbia
crown counsel office. That office has initiated a cross-country study of the Canada
Evidence Act and the admissability of micrographics in the courts.
The director addressed the Victoria chapter of the national secretaries group.
Organization
The reorganization of the provincial archives and the central microfilm bureau
has emerged in the past year.
A closer relationship with the manuscript and government records sections of
the archives has been instrumental in denning the bureau's direction regarding film
requests and priorities, and has been helpful in offering alternatives to ministry personnel involved with record keeping.
The director's responsibility to the provincial archivist has been beneficial in
solving administration, organization and operational problems.
Treasury Board approval was received this past year for the classification of a
technical co-ordinator and two program co-ordinators. The responsibilities of the
two program co-ordinators will be divided with one supervising operations in Vancouver and the other in Victoria. The addition of these staff will allow for greater
development of the services to be offered and of the policy necessary to guide the
operations.
The technical co-ordinator will have a consulting role with ministry personnel
and the purchasing commission. The co-ordinator will provide technical information.
In addition to implementing programs, the co-ordinators will liaise with ministry personnel to develop satisfactory schedule and space (for on-site filming) and
create methods and procedures to increase production.
Projections
The educational section of the bureau will commence seminars for ministry
personnel requiring guidance to make best use of micrographic systems. This section of the bureau will take a leading role in the development of micrographics in
the government.
Records management personnel will become an integral part of the development of ministry record keeping. They will also help the development of the bureau
in an interfacing role.
The development of a records management program is needed with records
management staff actively involved in ministries to make inventories of records
and developing schedules to handle them with guidance from the manuscript and
government records section of the provincial archives.
26
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Comparison List of Services
Searches
Prints
Cartridges
Computer Paper
Jackets
Diazo Duplicates
Copy Film
Aperature Cards -
Processed Film
Exposures 16,182,703
34 per cent gross increase.
1977
1978
Per
Cent
6,213
6,926
+ 12
19,047
24,720
+ 30
3,694
3,995
+ 8
62,200
57,980
— 7
58,321
149,578
+ 157
—
50,457
+ 100
235,675
234,805
— .4
74,732
88,160
+ 15
1,908,270
2,110,960
+ 11
6,182,703
17,514,449
+ 8
Exhibit Area—Over 837 m- of display space provides an area for special exhibits.
ROBSON SQUARE MEDIA CENTRE
Robson Square, the 4-block courthouse complex in the heart of Vancouver
is quietly gaining public recognition. The building's character is shaping up and
people are very interested in the pattern of growth.
The factor which contributes largely to this personality is the media centre and
surrounding amenity areas. The media centre is under the direct jurisdiction of the
ministry and comprises the media centre theatres, lecture halls, and exhibition space.
Robson Square amenity areas, in total, have been busy since the October 1978
opening. On any given day, you could see a fashion show on skates on the plaza:
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
27
a production crew filming George C. Scott in the media centre; children arriving
by private buses to see Laterna Makika, the Czechoslovakian black light theatre;
visitors admiring the Centennial Museum's display in the exhibition area; or a
mariachi band entertaining the patrons of the food fair.
The media centre itself is composed of six lecture rooms, three with sliding
doors which roll back to form one large auditorium. The rooms are available for
diverse use: press conferences, continuing education lectures, luncheons, workshops,
and displays.
The cinema is designed mainly for film presentations, seats 350 and has 35 and
16 mm projectors. The theatre, with rear projection screen, seats 140 in conventional fashion with room for another 150 seated on a bleacher arrangement around
the theatre sides. Both theatres are equipped with small stages for live presentations and the walls of the smaller theatre fold back to form a huge standing reception area for short speeches and audio-visual presentations.
The 9,000 square feet of exhibition space in the media centre provide a nucleus
for mini-conventions. The space is 62 feet wide and 125 feet long, with a 50-foot
square well opening up for viewing from the food fair. Exhibitors can display
their latest wares, and interested consumers can visit and then attend workshops in
the adjoining lecture rooms, or presentations at either of the theatres.
Cinema—accommodates 350 for musicals, live drama, and special events.
CULTURE, HERITAGE, AND RECREATION
BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL MUSEUM
P. Yorke Edwards, Director
The museum continues to be popular and an exciting place to work. For the
seventh year in a row more than a million people entered the exhibitions building,
while many thousands more were in touch with the museum through its several
dozen other ways of helping people and communicating with them. The provincial
museum appears to have evolved a successful mixture of science and entertaining
communication that has caught the attention of museums around the world.
Many people and institutions outside the museum have contributed to a successful year. The Royal Ontario Museum loaned its security expert, Mr. H. Harvey, for a survey which it also helped fund. Dr. Len Hills, University of Calgary,
twice donated several days to organizing our rather neglected collection of fossils.
Henry Birks & Sons Ltd. gave generous financial assistance toward our show of
Canadian silver from the Birks collection. Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Reif donated an
outstanding collection of Haida carvings in argillite. The National Museums of
Canada continue to give annual grants toward travelling exhibits, inventory, training, and various special events. By no means least, the Friends of the Provincial
Museum continue to help the museum in countless ways, donating generously of
both time and money. Their projects this year included: helping young native
carvers; an elevator for the handicapped; adding to the library; upgrading the soil
in the museum's garden of native plants, and funding a plastic, life-size, model of
a woolly mammoth.
A particularly gratifying project of the friends was the funding of our first
full-time manager for the Newcombe auditorium, and supplying the operating funds.
After brief experience, we can now demonstrate that our beautiful theatre can be
a constant success attracting satisfactory crowds morning, afternoon, and night.
Co-operative projects add to the list. The provincial museum of Alberta has,
for the third year, used its palaeontological capability (which the British Columbia
provincial museum lacks) to salvage many dinosaur tracks from rocks exposed on
the floor of the Peace River canyon.
Dr. Chandler Scriven of the University of Wisconsin chose this museum for
detailed studies on how to increase the communication effectiveness of museum exhibits. The result was a successful joint project that improved our exhibits and our
staff's understanding of the need for effective communication in displays.
Other highlights during the year included a successful joint conference in
October of the American Association of Museums and the Western Association
of Art Museums, which attracted a record registration from all over the western
United States. Queen's University agreed to sell rights of use of new plant preservation techniques to the museum under patents and patents pending held by the
university. The methods are a major advance for biology and, for the museum,
could save funds as Phase I of the new natural history gallery takes shape. Finally,
in April, the first Great British Columbia Egg Race took place in the museum foyer,
an exciting mixture of technology and nonsense that attracted much attention.
29
30
BRITISH COLUMBIA
A successful year of publications produced: a second handbook on plants
eaten by British Columbia Indians; an occasional paper on the birds of Pacific
Rim national park (manuscript courtesy of Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service); a study of human remains found near Hesquiat Harbour; and a
manual of instructions for writers and editors mystified by the process of the printing
shop.
It is fitting to end this sequence of successes by noting the magnificent response
of the government of British Columbia to our urgent request for lottery funds for
collecting old pieces of Indian art and artifacts. It is the last chance to acquire a
collection of world class at reasonable cost. Now this famous art can be kept at
home in British Columbia, where a good representation belongs.
The Vermilion Star (Mediaster aequalis)—a common sea star of British Columbia waters.
~i* -J^e^^S&fiitta
■-■'•'
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978 31
Aquatic Zoology
Alex E. Peden, Curator
The division's increasing involvement with fresh-water fauna, as well as marine,
has necessitated changing the name to Aquatic Zoology from the former Marine
Biology. This involvement was exemplified in 1978 by a field-trip to the Peace
River area to obtain specimens and photographs for a revision to the handbook
on fresh-water fishes. The trip also involved studies to determine if a fresh-water
fish, the Speckled Dace, is an endangered species.
Current research includes studies of the natural history and taxonomy of
several genera of marine fishes, among them Radulinus, Icelinus, Lycodapus, and
Hemilepidotus. An x-ray machine, acquired with funds from the Friends of the
Provincial Museum, has enabled us to study the internal anatomy of fishes, which is
important in taxonomic work. The collection and identification of marine invertebrates continued with the specimens and data gained to be utilized, among other
things, in the preparation of future handbooks. Collaboration with federal and
university collection programs has also yielded many interesting and useful specimens.
A major part of our energies during the year were devoted to preparing permanent and travelling displays. Photographs and text for an underwater exhibit
were completed, and the planning, text, and illustrations for the marine section of
the permanent natural history exhibit are nearly complete.
Three scientific papers, an article on marine life for Beautiful B.C. Magazine,
and 14 illustrated lectures were also among the activities of the division in 1978.
Archaeology
Donald N. Abbott, Curator
The division was involved in two major field projects in 1978: a large, multi-
site, salvage program at the Duke Point industrial development near Nanaimo,
carried out in co-operation with the University of Victoria, and an experimental
program in the Victoria area designed to develop techniques for intensified site
inventory that will yield greater information without resorting to full-scale excavation. Other field work was carried out in Prince Rupert harbour, Zayas Island,
Anthony Island, and in the Similkameen Valley.
Core samples from red cedars, collected as part of the Hesquiat project, were
used in a major research breakthrough at the Western Forest Products laboratory
where a 300-year dendrochronological sequence at Hesquiat was found to correlate
with part of a 1300-year sequence at Kitimat, more than 500 kilometres away.
Two promising techniques were developed for preparing geotomes (solidified
stratigraphic sections from the walls of excavations). One method considerably
shortens the time required when the soil is dry; the other can be used with wet soil
and even underwater.
Negotiations were carried out with certain Indian bands to assist them in
assuming stewardship of archaeological collections from their areas and a transfer
of collections was made to one band.
In addition to the usual extension activities, staff prepared educational material
for parks branch and the Saanich Indian school board and participated in an innovative teaching program on early man for Prince George schools.
We were saddened by the deaths in 1978 of Mary Amos and Mike Tom, both
elders of the Hesquiat Band, and of Charles E. Borden, the father of British Columbia archaeology.
32
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Nineteenth-century Tsimshian mask of a woman. The mask was collected by William
Duncan, the well-known missionary who established the Christian community of Metlakatla,
near Prince Rupert.
Botany
Robert T. Ogilvie, Curator
The reference collection of British Columbia plants forms the basis of this
division's research program and provides information for public extension and display exhibits. In 1978 more than 3,000 specimens were added, bringing the total
of vascular plants specimens to 90,000. Besides collections by staff important collections were received from J. Pojar, R. Long, G. Mendel, L. Pedley, and N. Turner. Loans of specimens were made to and from a variety of botanical institutions,
among them the Academy of Science, Moscow, U.S.S.R.; Missouri Botantical Garden; National Museum, Ottawa; Biosystematics Research Institute, Ottawa; Canada
agriculture stations at Kamloops, Swift Current, and Beaverlodge; and the universities of British Columbia, Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge.
-
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
33
A major improvement program got underway on the native plant display
gardens, the outdoor display of living plants of British Columbia in the heritage
court. The program involved re-designing parts of the sunken garden, removal
of the clay subsoil and its replacement with better topsoil, addition of new stock,
and organizing a labelling and data record system for all the plants. A new garden
technician was appointed, and valuable professional assistance provided by Mr.
Verne W. Ahier.
A highlight of the division's extension program this year was the series Green
Plants and Man, attended by 875 people in four rural communities of the province.
Four new species of water plants were discovered for the province. The
division co-operated with Dr. N. Turner in directing research on the ethnobotany
of Pacific Rim national park. Work was completed on a revision of the birches
for a new edition of The Flora of Alberta, and on select groups of rare and endangered plants species of British Columbia.
Entomology
Robert H. Carcasson, Curator
Although the accessibility and scientific usefulness of the insect and arachnid
collections were greatly enhanced by the acquisition of several new storage facilities,
the chronic lack of floor space continues to create acute problems. It was found
necessary, therefore, to move parts of the collections to the Viewfield Road warehouse for storage.
The re-arrangement of existing collections of Lepidoptera was completed with
the identification -and sorting of the moth family Noctuidae. New collections of
soil mites were identified, sorted, catalogued, and incorporated into the collections.
Several important collections of mites were received on loan from the University
of California at Davis, Fort Mayes University (Kansas), and the British Museum.
A large collection of soil mites was returned to the Laboratoire de la Faune du Sol
(Dijon) after sorting and study.
Several field-trips were made to verify or extend existing faunistic records,
and for pioneering studies of the Pacific Northwest soil fauna. Among areas collected were the Cowichan and Comox valleys and the Cedar district, on Vancouver
Island, and the Kootenay and Cariboo regions of the mainland.
The division's principal research project remained the systematics and distribution of uropodine miles in the Pacific northwest. In addition a survey of the
insects and arachnids associated with Garry Oak on southern Vancouver Island
was commenced in co-operation with members of the Victoria Natural History
Society.
Ethnology
Peter L. Macnair, Curator
The division's ethnohistoric photographic collection of 16,000 catalogued
prints was supplemented this year by photos obtained from the National Museum
of Canada, the Smithsonian Institute and other agencies in North America. This
project was generously supported by the Friends of the Provincial Museum.
The friends also funded the recording of three elderly southern Kwakiutl
singers: Thomas Hunt, Jack Peters, and Tom Willie. More than 100 songs were
recorded.
The division continues to collect contemporary northwest coast silk-screen
prints, funded partially through the friends. Approximately 50 prints have been
collected which includes the work of 65 British Columbian Native Indian artists.
34
BRITISH COLUMBIA
In addition to contemporary materials, the energies of the curator continue to
be concentrated on the collecting of British Columbian ethnohistoric artifacts. One
important collection consisted of artifacts which document a late Bella Bella style
practised by one or more artists. Two of these objects were acquired through
funding provided by the secretary of state, government of Canada. This material
was supplemented by two Bella Bella painted paddles donated by Mr. C. Ormiston
of Victoria. The division was pleased to receive a Nootka basket, a mountain goat
horn spoon, two Bella Bella silver brooches and a pair of earrings from Miss Francis
M. Partridge of Victoria; a contemporary Coast Salish woven blanket and a Kwakiutl copper from Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Johnson of Seattle; an Ojibwa bandolier bag
from Mrs. W. B. Wilson of Victoria; and a wooden Tlingit bowl from Rex L. and
Kathryn L. Bartlett of Marysville, Washington.
The British Columbia provincial museum's teaching kit 'Kootenay,' set up in a classroom
in the Cranbrook school district.
.'-. * . !- u
report of the provincial secretary, 1978 35
Linguistics
Barbara Efrat, Curator
The division's collection, consisting of both taped and written materials, continues to grow, with 663 tapes added in 1978, bringing the total to 1,154. Much of
this material has been produced by linguists working under contracts. In 1978
these contracts were awarded for work on Bella Coola, Haida, Okanagan, Saanich,
Gitksan, and Nootka. Arrangements have been completed for the division to acquire copies of many tapes containing valuable linguistic data currently in the collection of the National Museum of Man.
After two years of development and planning, a small exhibit on native languages of British Columbia opened at the museum at the beginning of the summer
and ran through September. It has since been sent to Campbell River and is
scheduled for Gibson's Landing shortly.
The division was represented at the 13 th annual International Conference on
Salishan Languages, where a member of the staff gave a presentation on aspects of
southern Kwakiutl syntax. Staff also gave informal talks on Nootka at the University of British Columbia (Museum of Anthropology) and the University of Victoria,
and on southern Kwakiutl at these universities, as well as a general discussion on
linguistics at the Campbell River museum for the volunteers there.
Modern History
Daniel T. Gallacher, Curator
This division acquires, preserves, and interprets artifacts and data of significance to British Columbia for the period 1770's—1970's. It focuses chiefly in the
areas of social and industrial history with the aim of developing and maintaining
collections for study and exhibit. During 1978, the curators and technicians made
important steps toward refining both acquisitions policies and methods for collecting. Foremost among these was the decision to specialize in provincial manufacture by collecting the tools of tradesmen as well as examples of British Columbia
products. A program of research and field work, employing students under curatorial supervision, proved successful in this regard, and further projects of this
nature are planned for 1979. Other work included: extensive retroactive cataloguing
of the objects inherited by the division from various government agencies; action
with regard to the British Columbia provincial museum being designated an authorized weapons collector under the new federal gun control legislation, and improvements to storage facilities in the curatorial tower.
Curatorial research included: a study of British Columbia's coal industry to
1891; colonial road building methods and activities; the province's manufacture
and trade in precious metals; a case-study in pioneer self-sufficiency (Armstrong),
and the history of aviation in British Columbia. Research was also carried out for
several displays, the most noteworthy of which were: Victorian clothing in British
Columbia; two Captain Cook exhibits (Museum Train and the Seaward gallery);
A Sterling Past showing selected elements of the Birks family's private collection,
and Airborne, a travelling display designed to introduce the province's aviation history to the public. The Museum Train travelled the Kootenays in the fourth season
of its five-year province-wide tour.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Woolly Mammoth—a feature of the new natural history gallery, provincial museum,
Victoria, takes shape in a maze of scaffolds and ropes.
Vertebrate Zoology
Charles J. Guiguet, Curator
The bird and mammal division officially became known as the vertebrate zoology division this year. The name is more appropriate in that the division works
with amphibians and reptiles as well as birds and mammals.
Priority was given to display commitments this year. Large-scale permanent
natural history displays, scheduled to open in 1979, demanded a great deal of planning, collecting, and preparation. A major item of display was the reproduction
of a woolly mammoth for the entrance hall of the new galleries.
The large sea-lion mounts were completed this year, as well as some 90 specimens of various species of vertebrates for the coast forest, hall of the sea and didactic displays.
Field work was restricted this year but collections were made of white-footed
mice from Doyle Island in Goletas Channel where introductions of Vancouver
Island mice, made in 1974, are being studied. Inventories and food studies of
wintering sea birds were also carried out in Oak Bay, at Race Rocks, and in Tsehum
Harbour.
Field collections were made by the associate curator while on a series of lecture
tours through British Columbia. He addressed 70 school classes, natural history
societies and other groups. In addition, he took part in several radio and television
presentations. ;
•
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
37
With the aid of summer students employed under the work in government
program, a bibliography of British Columbia ornithological literature was produced.
There were about 700 loans of scientific study and educational material made
to various institutions, individual scientists, researchers, and students during the
year.
Conservation
Richard Renshaw-Beauchamp, Chief
The care and preservation of the museum's collections occupy most of the
energies of this division. A recurring problem with condensation in the "glass
house"—the display area for totem poles—was corrected late in 1978. With this,
one of the outstanding attractions of the museum can be re-assembled.
A major effort was made to rid the Fannin building of its resident carpet beetle
population by shutting down and fogging all affected areas. This has not been
completely successful but has cut the population considerably.
A departure for this division was the work carried out at Ninstints village, and
at Standing Rock near Keremeos. The former, a proposed world heritage site, was
partially cleared and the life of the remaining poles and house frames considerably
prolonged. Standing Rock, a most important Interior Salish historic site, was
cleaned of graffiti and 35 hitherto unrecorded pictographs were revealed. A native
canoe, uncovered in the Kettle River near Grand Forks, is being treated in Grand
Forks using our expertise and materials.
The division staff visited 22 small museums in British Columbia during the
year to assist with local conservation problems.
Exhibits
Alex James, Chief
A major change in the administration of the division, which involved a change
in leadership, was completed in 1978. Despite this, considerable progress has been
made on phase I of the new natural history exhibits including all the major construction of the coast forest and seashore dioramas. A plant preservative solution,
developed by Queen's University, was purchased and is being used to preserve the
botanical specimens for these dioramas. The 30-foot projection dome, which forms
the ceiling of the coast forest display was built and installed, together with all the
fibreglass trees. The background of this diorama is more than 140 feet long and
painting it is a formidable undertaking for the artists of the division.
A major element in phase II of the natural history exhibits is that part of the
aquatic zoology exhibit which will be a "submarine." While this phase will not open
until later, the major engineering for the "submarine" has been installed to make it
possible to open phase I.
Once again the Friends of the Provincial Museum were of enormous help,
sponsoring a full-size replica of a woolly mammoth and a spiral stairway; both items
are major elements of phase I. A Pos 1 process camera was also purchased by the
friends and has proved invaluable.
1978 was the bi-centennial of Captain Cook and the division opened a temporary exhibit to help the celebration along. Another important exhibit was the
Canadian silverware of the Birks collection.
Museum people from many countries came to see the exhibits and to discuss
our methods: Australia, Japan, U.S.S.R., and the U.S.A.
38
BRITISH COLUMBIA
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NEW HAZELTON, B.C
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Just one of the many valued opinions received in regard to the museum's travelling displays.
This one on "Big Eyes," the story of owls.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
39
Education and Extension Services
Shirley Cuthbertson, Chief
Since 1974, thanks to an increase in the number of volunteers, this division
has tripled its activity programs available to school classes coming to the museum.
Also since then, two functions have been added to the division without increasing
the staff: co-ordinating and installing temporary exhibits and producing and circulating travelling exhibits. The extension program, including curatorial lectures,
is funded by the National Museums of Canada assistance to associate museums
program.
During the summer, ministry of labour funding provided 12 tour guides who
guided over 15,000 visitors. Staff of the division gave "specials" to 6,040 people
and more than 100 hours of training to docents and tour guides. They also helped
train docents in Campbel River, Penticton, Sidney, and Vancouver, and gave workshops for teachers in Prince Rupert, Richmond, Nanaimo, and Cranbrook. An
experimental teacher training course was given, in co-operation with staff from
Simon Fraser museum of archaeology and enthnology and seven other lower
mainland museums, on how to use museums. This was the first such course in
Canada.
One new travelling exhibit was produced. It was Airborne, history of aviation
in British Columbia. One temporary exhibit, Victorian Fashions, costumes from
the modern history collection, was also produced. Both were produced with curatorial support from modern history. Our travelling exhibits appeared in 26 community museums throughout the province this year.
The Interior Salish teaching kit, and a new kit, The Kootenay, circulated in
Oliver, Osoyoos, Nelson, Chilcotin-Cariboo, Cranbrook, and Nelson school districts.
Museums Advisor
John E. Kyte, Museums Advisor
In 1978, the museums of British Columbia emerged as a vital part of the cultural community of the province and, excluding the two major institutions, attracted
an estimated 1.5 million visitors. During the year, this division continued to work
in three major areas of assistance to community museums, training, advisory services and funding.
Advisory services provide technical advice and assistance, to community
museums with particular emphasis on guidance to the smaller institutions usually
operated by volunteers. Such institutions depend extensively on the services of the
division.
The training program moved into full-scale operation with the appointment of
a new training co-ordinator in March. As in previous years, training was carried
out through a seminar workshop program, geared to the needs of community museums, and a three months internship using the facilities of the provincial museum.
Eight seminar workshops were presented in areas where upgrading in the basic
of museum operation was required. The internship program again proved a successful training technique.
In 1977, the British Columbia museums and archives assistance fund supported several projects necessary to improve operational standards in community
museums. With the program co-ordinated through the provincial museums advisor, both museum training and the advisory services were closely linked to projects
supported through these grants.
40 british columbia
Friends of the Provincial Museum .
This was a year of progress for the friends. Membership increased from 511
to 550, of which 104 were new members. Of the individual members, the 68 gift
shop volunteers are probably the most active. Through their efforts more than
$155,000 was produced and made available for projects for the museum, a 30 per
cent increase over 1977. Of the member organizations, the docents association,
as in former years, was by far the most prominent in its service to the museum.
During the year the friends financed 11 projects with a value of nearly
$142,000 compared to 47 projects and some $182,000 in 1977. This reduction in
projects, though with greater individual value, reflects a new policy worked out
between the friends and the director of the museum as a result of the changing needs
of the museum and the increasing revenue generated by the gift shop. The museum
no longer needs tools and specialized equipment to build and develop its displays.
Now, funds to aid it with its annual budget and in improving its value to the people
of British Columbia and their many visitors, are needed.
The major projects of the year included: improvements in programmed use of
the Newcombe auditorium; upgrading the native plant garden around the museum;
provision of an elevator for the handicapped to the mezzanine floor, and a special
objects purchase fund of $50,000, to be topped up annually, and to be used for the
purchase of artifacts, at the joint discretion of the president of the friends and the
director of the museum.
PUBLICATIONS
Barkley, W. D. An Approach to Designing Display Areas and Displays. Interpretation
Canada, 5{I).
Seminar Report: Communications Panel, Introductory Remarks. Museum Round-up,
72:23.
Campbell, R. Wayne. Book Review. Birds and Marine Mammals: The Beaufort Sea and the
Search for Oil by Donald A. Blood. Canadian Field-Naturalist 92(4) :409.
and L. A. Gibbard. British Columbia Nest Records Scheme: Twenty-third Annual Report, 1977. Federation of British Columbia Naturalists Newsletter 16(2) :7—9.
and M. McColl. Winter Foods of Snowy Owls at Victoria, British Columbia. Journal
Wildlife Management 42 (1) : 290-292.
Book Review. Minimizing the Dangers of Nesting Studies to Raptors and Other
Sensitive Species by R. W. Fyfe and R. R. Olendorf. Syesis 11.
Cooke, Brent. Exploring Below the Waves. Beautiful British Columbia Magazine, Winter,
1978. pp. 32-40.
Cuthbertson, Shirley. The New Look of British Columbia's Provincial Museum, Canadian
Geographical Journal, Feb.-Mar. 1978.
Edwards, R. Y. Edmonton Goes Back to Nature. Nature Canada 7(1) :41-43.
Five Years of Moving It. Gazette 11(4) : 2 pp. of insert, unnumbered.
Freeman King, Naturalist. Victoria Naturalist 34(7) :79-81.
The Great British Columbia Egg Race. Museum Round-up, 73:34-35.
Florian, M-L. Biodeterioration of Museum Objects. Museum Round-up, 73:35—43.
"Waterlogged Artifacts: The Nature of the Materials. Journals of the C.CJ., 2:11—16.
A Literature Review: The Lichen Role in Rock Art—Dating, Deterioration and Control.
Conservation of Rock Art, I.C.C.M., Canberra, p. 95-98.
and C. E. Seccombe-Hett and J. C. McCawley. The Physical Chemical and Morphological Wood Should Dictate The Conservation Process. Proceedings of Maritime Archaeology, 1st Southern Hemisphere Conference on Maritime Archaeology, Oceans Society of
Australia, p. 128-144.
Gallacher, Daniel T. Historical Responsibilities of Museums: One Panelist's View. Museum Round-up 69:62-64.
Black Gold of Nanaimo. The Sea Otter 1:7:5-9.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
41
Gallacher, Daniel T. Archives and Strategy: Writer's Reply. Ass'n. of Br. Col. Archivists
Newsletter (Summer) p. 6.
Review of R. Watt. Shopping Guide of the West (1977). In Vancouver Historical
Society Newsletter (Spring).
Review of G. P. V. and Helen B. Akrigc. British Columbia Chronicle, 1847-1871.
Vancouver. Discovery Press, 1977. In Friends of the Prov. Mus. Newsletter. 6:1:5—6.
Introduction to Bus Griffith's Now You're Logging. Madeira Park, B.C. Harbour Pub.
Guiguet, C. J. The Birds of British Columbia (10): Goatsuckers, Swifts, Hummingbirds and
Swallows. British Columbia Provincial Museum Handbook No. 37, Victoria.
Haggarty, James C. A Glimpse of Zayas. Friends of the Prov. Mus. Newsletter, Victoria.
——^— Duke Point Archaeological Project. Friends of the Prov. Mus. Newsletter, Victoria.
IIamer, D., S. Herrero, and R. T. Ogilvie. Year Two of Ecological Studies of Banff National
Park Grizzly Bear. Parks Canada. Ottawa.
Hatler, David F., R. Wayne Campbell, and Adrian Dorst. Birds of Pacific Rim National
Park. British Columbia Provincial Museum Occasional Paper No. 20, Victoria.
Janszen, Harvey. Vascular Plants of Saturna Island, British Columbia. Syesis 10:85-96.
Keddie, Grant. The Reliability of Dating Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials with
Associated Chinese Coins. Datum, 3(2). Heritage Conservation Branch, Victoria.
Lambert, Philip. British Columbia Marine Faunistic Survey Report: Asteroids from the
Northeast Pacific. Fisheries and Marine Service Technical Report No. 773, p. 1—23.
Loy, Thomas. An Archaeological Application of Seismic Refraction Profiling Techniques.
Canadian Journal of Archaeology No. 2, pp. 155-164, Ottawa.
Nanavati, Tara. A Sterling Past. The Silversmiths of Canada. British Columbia Provincial
Museum, Victoria.
NancakROW, C. Conservation of Chinese Silk Tapestries. Arts Victoria 3(5).
Studies into the Nature of Kashmir Shawls. Museum Round-up 74:34—39.
Ogilvie, R. T. Alpine and Subalpine Vegetation. Proc. Workshop on Alpine and Subalpine
Environments. Ministry of Environment, Resource Analysis Branch, Victoria, 172 pages.
Patterson, Robert G. Henry Birks & Sons Ltd., Museum Round-up 70:28-29.
Foreword to Ruth Carmichael, William Maurice Carmichael (1892—1954) Silversmith
of Victoria, British Columbia. Museum Round-up 71:14-8.
Peden, A. E. A Systematic Revision of the Hemilepidotine Fishes. Syesis, 11.
and M. E. Anderson. A Systematic Review of the Fish Genus Lycodapus (Zoarcidae)
with Descriptions of Two New Species. Can. J. Zool. 56(9): 1925-1961.
Parker, David N. and Robert D. Turner. Captain James Cook and the Pacific Voyages.
British Columbia Provincial Museum, Victoria.
Renshaw-Beauchamp, R. B. Manual of Care and Conservation of Museum Artifacts, A
Short Manual. Conservation Division, B.C.P.M.
Fumigation for small Museums and Museums in Developing Countries. I.C.O.M.
Committee For Conservation, Zagreb.
On the Deterioration of Rock Carvings in Valcamonica. Bollettino del centro Camuno
de Studi Preistorici Vol. 16, October.
Scace, R. C. and R. T. Ogilvie. Historical Ecology of Fort Walsh National Historic Park.
Parks Canada. Ottawa. 152 pages.
Sealy, Spencer G. and R. Wayne Campbell. Post-hatching Movements of Young Ancient
Murrelets. Western Birds 9.
Turner, Nancy. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians. Part 2—Interior Peoples. British
Columbia Provincial Museum Handbook No. 36, Victoria.
Turner, Robert D. British Columbia's Provincial Museum Train, Steam Railroading through
Western Canada. Pacific News 18 (1): 1, 6-10.
Rayonier in the Rain. Pacific News 18(19) : 12-13.
Vancouver Island Today. Rail fan 2(6): 1, 49-56.
Wardrop, James. Notes and Comments: Modern History Division, British Columbia Provincial Museum. Material History Bulletin. Spring:69—73.
My Never Failing Friends Are They . . ." Museum Round-up 71:33.
Weber, Wayne C. and R. Wayne Campbell. Occurrence of the Smew in British Columbia,
With Comments On Other North American Records. American Birds 32(5): 1059-1061.
Wilson, Donald E., and Grant W. Hughes. The First Record of the Brown Cat Shark from
Alaskan Waters. Syesis, 11.
42
BRITISH COLUMBIA
LIBRARY SERVICES BRANCH
Programs and Establishment
ADMIN ISTRATION
Director
Assistant Director
2 Librarians
4 Support Stall
Open Shelf
3 Librarians
7 Support Staff
Lower Mainland Office
2 Librarians
2 Support Staff
Audiobooks Unit
3 Technical Staff
Clerk
Regional Offices
North Central
3 Librarians
4 Support Staff
Peace River
2 Librarians
5 Support Staff
East Kootenay
Librarian
4 Support Staff
December 31. 1978
Director's Message
On December 4, 1978, in a re-organization of Cabinet responsibilities and
services within ministries, the library services branch was returned to the ministry
of provincial secretary and government services, as a part of the management of
heritage, sports and cultural activities, and we anticipate this will mean new directions and new policies.
Our consultant services continue to advise and encourage; our regional offices
in Prince George, Dawson Creek, and Cranbrook serve the needs of over half of
the 44 public library associations; the administrative staff keeps close liaison with
all agencies engaged in library service and its welfare, including boards of individual
and regional libraries, municipal councils, regional districts and school districts,
libraries and library organizations in the academic field, libraries and branches of
ministries in provincial and territorial governments and the federal government,
provincial and national associations of librarians and library trustees; our clearinghouse facilities for inter-library loans operates for the benefit of libraries and library
patrons seeking materials and information; our mail service goes out to the more
remotely situated residents of the province; and our audiobooks unit is making
"reading" possible for more and more visually and physically handicapped citizens
of British Columbia and Alberta.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
43
Appendix
Operating Data
Grants-in-aid to be paid to libraries and library systems for the fiscal year
ending March 31, 1979 by region:
Greater Victoria
Vancouver Island _
Greater Vancouver.
Fraser Valley
Okanagan
Cariboo-Thompson Nicola .
Kootenays
Lower Coast
North Central
North Coast _
Peace River
General development
$
130,118
254,690
949,793
296,551
186,523
1,060,550
96,135
27,517
90,012
46,461
37,522
24,128
3,200,000
Highlights
Provincial Support
On May 11, 1978 the Honourable Sam Bawlf, Minister of Recreation and
Conservation, announced major revisions to provincial funding for public libraries,
"concentrating provincial grants on the provision of the most essential resource in
our public libraries—books."
Beginning on October 1, 1978 annual grants were to be based on the population served, at $1 per capita for areas of more than 6,500 people and up to $2 for
areas of 6,500 or less.
The announcement said, "These grants will apply to the supply of books . . .
The costs of operating library premises and staffing them will be the responsibility of
the local library boards, where the greatest financial control can be exercised . . .
libraries will be required to meet certain standards of operation to qualify for grants
. . . the decision to participate in a regional or other integration of library service will be a local one, without pressure from the provincial level in terms of
funding . . ."
Accompanying the announcement was a schedule of grants payments for the
fiscal years 1978/79 and 1979/80, amounting in total to $3,200,000 in the earlier
year and $3,500,000 in the latter.
Special grants for personnel, equipment and the like are no longer part of the
library services grants program.
Legislation
On June 9, 1978 a Bill was introduced in the Legislature by the Minister of
Recreation and Conservation, to amend the Public Libraries Act. Aside from the
correction of some minor discrepancies in wording, the intent of this bill was to
concentrate provincial grants on the provision of books based on a new granting
formula resulting in increased support for most areas of the province. Provision
was made in the legislation for the creation of a library advisory council.
44 BRITISH COLUMBIA
CULTURAL SERVICES BRANCH
The cultural services branch acts on behalf of the government to stimulate and
encourage the creation, performance, and appreciation of the arts in British Columbia.
One of the branch's major responsibilities and programs is the administration
of the British Columbia cultural fund. The fund was established April 1, 1967,
by the provincial legislature as a perpetual endowment fund. It was originally endorsed at $4 million and, in 1969, the endowment was increased to $10 million.
Further increases of $5 million in 1972 and in 1974 have brought the endowment
to $20 million.
Since 1975, the interest generated by the endowment (approximately $1.5
million annually) has been augmented with revenues from the British Columbia
lottery fund. In 1978, approximately 45 per cent of every grant awarded by the
British Columbia cultural fund was comprised of lottery monies. No charge is
made against the cultural fund for its administration.
Grants awarded annually from the cultural fund are evaluated, adjudicated,
and recommended by a consultative body to the minister, the British Columbia
Arts Board. This committee consists of 15 members, appointed by the minister.
It represents all regions of the province and a cross-section of cultural interests.
Each major disciplinary area (music, dance, theatre, and visual arts) has an advisory
committee to assist the board in its deliberations.
As well as administering a grants-in-aid program the cultural services branch
serves as a technical resource to government and private agencies on progams relating to the arts. And the branch acts as the co-ordinating agency within the provincial government for its endeavours regarding cultural development. The branch
maintains communication and liaison with all professional arts organizations in the
province, as well as community and regional arts councils, provincial and national
arts organizations, other governments' arts agencies, and with other provincial
agencies involved in arts programming.
Highlights
In 1978, the scholarship assistance program awarded professional study
awards of $2,500 each to four young British Columbians to aid in the final stages
of professional career training. Two visual artists, a composer and a playwright
were assisted.
In other areas of the scholarship program, 39 junior tuition awards and 112
senior tuition awards were approved for fine arts students.
Other grants from the British Columbia cultural fund totalled in excess of
$2.6 million, with assistance provided to 78 community and regional arts councils
and 85 arts groups and provincial associations.
The second annual conference of provincial arts councils was held in April
in Vancouver, where representatives from over 50 arts councils met to exchange
information and discuss common concerns.
As well, the branch in co-operation with the federal department of external
affairs, co-ordinated the first international touring exhibition of works from the
provincial government's art collection. The exhibition, entitled "Paperworks,"
features water colours, prints, drawings, and collages by contemparory British Columbia artists. It opened in Canada House, London, in October 1978. From there
it has toured to Paris and Brussels.
—
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
45
PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES
The provincial archives is responsible for the preservation of the historical
public records of the provincial government, and collects private papers, manuscripts, books, maps, photographs, paintings, and sound recordings relating to the
history of British Columbia. During 1978 substantial additions were made to all
of these holdings, and the staff continued to make progress with arranging and
describing them. Public reference service remained at the same level as in 1977,
but there was an increase in the total number of visitors to the Emily Carr Gallery
and the Helmcken House and Craigflower Manor historic sites which are operated
by the provincial archives.
The number of persons who carried out research in the archives reference
room averaged 37 a day, for a total of 9,196 daily users during the year. In
addition, 865 persons consulted material during the evening and on weekends.
A record was not kept of all telephone or written enquiries, but indicative of the
level of reference service were the more than 1,000 orders for photographs and the
600 written replies to enquiries by the manuscript division, 200 by the aural history
division, and 158 by the map division. Over 2,000 prints and 4,000 post cards
of Emily Carr's works were sold at the Emily Carr Gallery which attracted 17,075
visitors in 1978. The number of visitors to Helmcken House and Craigflower
Manor was 17,967 and 6,298 respectively.
Five staff positions were added in 1978, including the new positions of archives
advisor and chief conservator. Leonard DeLozier, who had been a staff member
in the manuscript division, was appointed archives advisor, his duties to encompass
liaison with local archives and museums, provision of advice to them on arrangement, description, and preservation of archival holdings, conducting training seminars for local curators, and fostering exchange and copying programs between the
provincial and local archives. Owing to the difficulty of recruiting trained personnel, the position of chief conservator had not been filled at the end of the calendar
year. The addition of one archivist to each of the maps, paintings, and photographs
sections met a long-standing need to process the backlog of accessions and meet
increased public usage in those areas. David Chamberlin was transferred from the
library to the map section, and Kathryn Bridge and Leslie Mobbs were appointed
to the paintings and photograph sections respectively. Rob Harvey transferred
from the legislative library to replace Mr. Chamberlin, and Diane Matters replaced
Mr. DeLozier in the manuscript division.
William Langlois, who had directed the aural history program since its establishment in 1974, resigned during the year. Carole Simpson replaced Mamie Darnel as secretary in that division.
The public documents committee, comprised of the deputy provincial secretary,
the deputy minister of finance, the comptroller-general, the associate deputy attorney-general, and the provincial archivist (chairman), met several times to review
applications by government ministries for the destruction of public documents or
their transfer to the provincial archives. Pursuant to the provisions of the Public
Documents Disposal Act, the recommendations of the committee resulted in the
disposal of records of forty separate branches or offices in 11 ministries.
The archives contributed to the observation of the bi-centennial of Captain
James Cook's voyage to the Pacific coast. Two issues of the magazine, Sound
Heritage, were devoted to the theme, and during the period May 15 to September
8 the Simon Fraser University exhibit, "Cook and the Cartography of the North
Pacific," and the British Council exhibit, "The Voyage of Captain Cook," were
shown in the archives gallery.
46 BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Treasury Board confirmed an internal organizational structure for the
archives which recognized its two main programs, the archives and library program,
and the visual and aural records program, the activities of which during 1978 are set
forth below. In addition, the general office provides secretarial service to the provincial archivist and carries out functions common to the whole of the institution
such as receiving enquiries, handling mail, issuing purchase requisitions, processing accounts, personnel matters, and sales of publications, photo-copies and
prints. Revenue from these sources exceeded $54,000 in the 1977/78 fiscal year,
more than double the figure of the preceding year.
Archives and Library Program
The manuscripts and government records division accessioned 274 manuscript
units, consisting of 47 linear metres of original material, 159 reels of microfilm,
203 microfiche, and 105 units of government records, extending to 108 linear metres
of paper and 59 reels of microfilm. Major donations included the papers of former
cabinet ministers, A. D. Turnbull and Leo Nimsick, former deputy minister of
forests and chief forester, C. D. Orchard, and Douglas Leechman, anthropologist.
The British Columbia Cattlemen's Association loaned records for the period 1919-
1978 for microfilming (6 reels). The transfer of records of commissions of enquiry
from the legislative library and the office of the deputy provincial secretary resulted
in accessioning 125 units totalling 60 linear metres. The division prepared finding
aids for 34 manuscript units and 36 units of government records, and published
Manuscript Inventory No. 2, listing some 350 manuscript units and 165 microfilms.
Frances Gundry made three week-long collecting trips, to Silverton and New Denver in February, to Kamloops and Kelowna in July, and to Hazelton, Smithers and
Terrace in October. Ken Haworth made a collecting trip to the Okanagan and
Kootenay in July, and participated in an archival workshop at Dawson Creek.
Leonard DeLozier and Brian Young conducted a workshop at Merritt, and the
former held a number of training sessions for genealogists. Terry Eastwood was
elected president of the Association of Canadian Archivists and represented that
organization and this institution at the annual conference of the Association of
American Archivists at Nashville in October.
The library division purchased 956 books during the year, and added a variety
of items, such as government publications, brochures, menus, and posters. In all
1,140 book titles and 123 pamphlet titles were added to the catalogue of the Northwest Collection. Conservation work included 169 volumes repaired or rebound,
and 309 volumes sent for binding. Linda Webster and David Chamberlin attended
workshops in Vancouver on the topics, "After the Card Catalogue" and "Subject
Analysis through Precis." In a library-related activity, the newspaper indexing section under the direction of Mrs. M. David clipped and indexed a wide range of
historical items from British Columbia newspapers.
The map section received some 1,520 items during 1978, and catalogued 840
items. Another 1,400 plans and drawings of government buildings were sorted,
arranged, and accessioned. The continuing program of microfilming original material resulted in adding 500 negatives and aperture cards to the map collection.
The section handled 472 reference enquiries and supplied over 1,000 copies of
maps to the public. Mr. G. Castle attended a conference of map archivists at Ottawa
in April, and was one of the hosts for the annual meeting of the Association of
Canadian Map Librarians held at Victoria in June.
David Mason, chief of the archives and library program, also supervised the
operation of the public reference room to which staff archivists were assigned in
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978 47
rotation. As well, one clerk was assigned full-time to assist the duty archivist, and
another was required virtually full-time to photocopy records requested by the
public.
Aural and Visual Records Program
The aural history division added some 2,500 hours of sound recordings, bringing the total of its collection to approximately 16,000 hours. Among the donors
of important acquisitions were Cominco Limited, the estate of the late Fred Smith,
the Horsefly historical society, the 100 Mile House district historical society, and
the modern history division of the provincial museum. Significant new material
was added on such subjects as the career of Emily Carr, early aviation, railroading,
and the history of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Among notable public
figures interviewed during the year were the Hon. W. A. C. Bennett, Hon. Walter
Owen, and Messrs. Leo T. Nimsick, P. A. Gaglardi, Leslie Peterson, and R. M.
Strachan. Cataloguing was partially or wholly completed for 1,700 tape recordings, of which 600 items were entered in the computerized catalogue. As usual, a
great deal of staff time was devoted to production of the quarterly magazine, Sound
Heritage, subscriptions to which reached 2,525 in 1978, and the "People in Landscape" educational series. In addition to the staff shortage occasioned by Mr.
Langlois' resignation, a six-months leave-of-absence was granted to Dr. Janet
Cauthers. Derek Reimer was therefore called upon to supervise all aspects of the
work of the division, but found time to conduct a number of workshops and participated in one arranged with the manuscript division at Dawson Creek, as noted
above.
The photograph section received a total of 11,053 images, loose or in albums,
as a result of the 84 collections which were either donated, purchased, or loaned
for copying during the year. A total of 1,851 images were catalogued. Among
the significant items received were some 650 views of the Skeena River district,
1900—1914, several hundred photos relating to the Todd, Compton, Ramsey, and
Blenkinsop families of Victoria, an additional 170 images for the Koozma Tarasoff
collection of Doukhobor history, and 400 lantern slides depicting the Cariboo and
Cariboo Trail. With the aid of summer assistance staff, progress was made with removing original photographs from the user files, re-numbering negatives, and creating inventories of several important collections. Mr. J. R. Davison attended a
national conference on photography at Ottawa in May, followed by a seminar on
historical photograph collections at Rochester, N.Y. At the end of the year the
staff mounted a photographic exhibit, "Winterscape B.C." in the archives gallery.
The reprograhpic laboratory, with its staff of four photo/arts technicians, produced 1,696 black and white negatives, and 10,817 glossy and matte prints. In
addition, 44 special projects required 189 negatives and transparencies and 840
prints; 240 shots were taken to copy 120 maps; and the on-going colour inventory
of the painting collection involved 1,050 shots of 210 items. Mr. Y. Leong was
sent to a three-day seminar in Toronto on advanced methods and procedures in
photographic preservation.
The paintings, drawings, and prints section accessioned 158 items and proceeded with the slide inventory, including unframing and reframing, carried out by
the reprographic lab. Among the items purchased were works by such artists as
F. W. Lee, C. W. Young, E. C. W. Lamarque, Alexander Rattray, I. M. Martin, H.
Crane, J. Christison, and C. J. Collings. The original chronological survey of works
in the Carr Gallery was maintained, with one rotation of the works on paper in the
interests of conservation and variety. In addition to the Cook and "Winterscape"
exhibits already noted, the gallery in the archives was used during the year for ex-
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
hibits on heritage conservation and architectural restorations, and made available
to the cultural services branch for the Western Artists Association exhibit, "Contemporary Realism." The section made loans to three exhibits at the Art Gallery
of Greater Victoria and contributed to the National Gallery of Canada's exhibit,
"Our Own Country."
There were a number of important donations of paintings during the year,
and, it should be noted, similar donations to every section of the provincial archives.
Indeed there were far too many to cite individually within the scope of this report.
Although they have been formally acknowledged by the issuance of donor certificates, it is fitting to conclude this annual summary of archival activity by stressing
that it would not. have been possible were it not for the contributions of documentary heritage to the provincial archives by many citizens of the province, to all of
whom we are indebted for their generosity.
HERITAGE CONSERVATION BRANCH
The past year was both active and productive for the Heritage Conservation
Branch. The personnel of the branch, 33 in number, gave particular attention to
the following areas: liaison with groups and individuals in the public and private
sectors, field activities involving the protection, conservation, and interpretation of
British Columbia's heritage resources, and maintenance of heritage resources and
educational and public information programs.
The branch had a budget of $1,477,331. Divisional allocations were: archaeology, $533,032; consulting services, $139,350; heritage administration, $398,103;^
research and planning, $338,757.
The move from the ministry of recreation and conservation to the ministry of
provincial secretary and government services was completed without undue difficulty. We leave the former with fond memories and look forward to a bright future
with the latter.
Archaeology Division
The division issued 28 permits in the 1978 calendar year as provided for in the
Heritage Conservation Act. These covered a variety of field programs associated
with the investigation, protection, and conservation of archaeological resources in
the province.
Under the regional impact assessment program, archaeological investigations
were carried out with the direction of the regional archaeologists. There were investigations in each of the resource management regions established by the provincial government. The investigations involved systematic exploration and documentation where developments were scheduled to take place. Archaeological resources were located and recorded, and the negative impacts of the development
projects were assessed. Following this assessment, measures were taken to lessen
adverse impacts.
Under the regional inventory and evaluation programs systematic inventories
were undertaken and archaeological resources were evaluated in terms of relative
significance. This program provided a heritage component in resource management
and land use planning. Projects of this type took place on the Stikine River, in the
Gulf of Georgia and on the South Thompson River.
The division co-ordinated salvage excavation programs at 13 locations during
1978. Salvage excavations were made in the face of the imminent destruction of a
site.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
49
Besides operating the internal or headquarters program outlined above, the
division issued a large number of permits to other groups, agencies, and institutions.
In such cases the division was responsible for administrative supervision of the permit holders' activities. Usually these permits allowed the investigators to assess the
impact of major development on archaeological materials. Permits were issued,
for example, to allow investigations at the Site C Hydroelectric development in the
Peace River district, the Hat Creek thermal development and the Duke Point development of British Columbia Development Corporation. Research projects were
carried out under permits issued by the division at Namu and Kwatna in Burke
Channel, on the Dean River near Anahim Lake, and at other locations throughout
the province.
A major concern during the past year was the encouragement of public involvement in archaeological activity. Toward this end, the regional advisor program was developed. Under this program, citizens throughout the province are
encouraged to participate in heritage conservation.
Consulting Services Division
This division is project orientated. It consists of architects, engineers, planners,
and technicians. The division offers technical advice to a variety of groups and
individuals in the private and public sectors. In addition the division may propose
programs for the restoration, stabilization, and maintenance of heritage buildings.
In 1978, personnel of the division visited 116 sites throughout British Columbia. Many of these visits resulted in written reports being submitted to the Heritage
Trust. Throughout the year, the division was involved in planning and supervising
technical work and restoration. Tod House in Victoria was completely rewired
and a new electrical panel installed. The Miners' Hall at Rossland was stabilized
and ongoing restoration was initiated. At Keremeos, negotiations for the purchase
of a 19th century grist mill were undertaken. Restoration of the mill is expected
to begin in Spring, 1979. A report, with technical drawings, was prepared for the
restoration of the Emily Carr House. Complete drawings for the restoration of
Congregation Emmanuel Synagogue were made. The synagogue, built in 1860 is
considered a building of national significance. A survey of Canadian Pacific Railway roundhouses in British Columbia, which was started by students from the
faculty of architecture at the University of British Columbia, was completed by
divisional staff. The division also provided a consultant to conduct a feasibility
study on the restoration and renovation of the old hospital building at Burns Lake.
In addition to the above, the division co-ordinated liaison with the ministry
of municipal affairs on settlement plans throughout the province. A branch publication program was initiated by the division and now forms an ongoing responsibility. The program involves preparation of materials for municipalities, heritage
committees, and the general public.
Heritage Administration and Development Division
During the past year, the division provided liaison with groups and individuals
involved in heritage resource projects. In particular, the division has been involved
in negotiations with parks Canada for the provision of a provincial component in
the proposed Klondike Gold Rush International Historic Park. Negotiations with
parks Canada also took place on provincial participation in Fort St. James National
Historic Park.
As part of the development program for established provincial historic parks
and sites, the division was responsible for capital funding programs at Barkerville
historic park, Cottonwood House historic park, Fort Steele historic park, Kilby
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
historic park and Point Ellice House. These projects were carried out in co-operation with the parks branch of the ministry of lands, parks and housing. The division assisted community historical societies and museums throughout the province
in their endeavours to preserve the heritage of their respective areas. Members of
the division participated in meetings with historic societies in Wells, Yale, and Atlin,
offering advice and information on how heritage assets in these communities might
be most effectively used and protected. The provision of assistance and support
to local interest groups involved meetings with the O'Keefe Ranch and Interior
heritage society at Vernon and the Father Pandosy mission committee at Kelowna.
The division also prepared heritage development documents and operational
agreements for properties held by the British Columbia Buildings Corporation,
particularly those in the parliamentary precinct.
An excellent example of adaptive re-use of a heritage building.
Research and Planning Division
The division is responsible for co-ordinating the planning activities of the
branch. Historic sites in British Columbia, when they are regarded as provincially
significant, are protected and conserved by the division. The planning component
is also responsible for master plans and concepts for provincial historic parks.
The research component of the division undertakes historic research on a selective
basis and provides research support for the consulting services division when appropriate. The development of historic trails is also a divisional responsibility.
Five major internal research projects were carried out in 1978 including the
Fraser-Lillooet heritage resources study, a major examination of heritage resources
of the area's heritage. The study also made recommendations at the preliminary
level for future development. This study will be published in Spring, 1979. The
Nelson study, an extensive examination of Nelson's architectural heritage and the
potential for its development, was carried out during the year. A report based on
the study will be completed in March, 1979 and recommendations made to the city
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
51
of Nelson. In co-operation with the parks branch and the recreation and fitness
branch, the division carried out a study of the Alexander MacKenzie Grease Trail.
The manuscript has been completed and the summary and recommendations are
with the parks branch. An examination of Victoria's Chinatown was completed
during the year. Finally, extensive research was undertaken on the Miners' Hall
in Rossland. This has now been passed on to the community which is restoring the
building.
One of many such buildings in Nelson which the branch is attempting to conserve.
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In addition to the above, five major projects were undertaken by contract with
other provincial government agencies. A conceptual plan was prepared for the
Barkerville historic park. This is now being reviewed by the parks branch. The
Edenbank farm, near Chilliwack, was studied. The provincial heritage advisory
board has recommended designation. The heritage conservation branch is assessing the report. A report on heritage buildings owned by the provincial government
was prepared for the British Columbia Buildings Corporation. A task force composed of staff from the British Columbia Buildings Corporation and the heritage
conservation branch has now been established to discuss ways and means of preserving the buildings. Preparation of a submission on heritage schools in the province began in October. Completion of the submission is expected by March, 1979.
Lastly, a review of provincial stop-of-interest markers was undertaken. A report,
based on this study, is to be submitted in March, 1979.
The division also initiated the development of a resource information centre
for the heritage conservation branch. The centre will include materials in a wide
range of media including books, journals, manuscripts, maps, films, photographs
and so forth.
British Columbia Heritage Trust
The foundation, of the British Columbia Heritage Trust, in February, 1978,
marked a significant contribution to heritage conservation by the provincial government. The board of the trust was formed under the chairmanship of the Honourable J. V. Clyne of Vancouver. Other board members include Mr. Larry Killam
of Vancouver and Mr. Martin Segger and Mayor Michael Young, both of Victoria.
The trust initiated a number of heritage programs during 1978. These included capital support for the conservation of institutional buildings. A number of
such grants were provided to municipalities and heritage societies during the year.
Another program was concerned with the provision of information about the heritage field. The trust commissioned a series of publications by author Roland
Morgan, under the collective title "British Columbia Then and Now." The trust
also established a revolving account in support of a wide variety of heritage matters
Section 9 of the Heritage Conservation Act enables the foundation of a board
to advise the minister on heritage matters of provincial significance. Accordingly,
the provincial heritage advisory board was formed in December, 1977. In 1978,
the board held five general meetings and a number of committee meetings.
The principal committees of the board are the historical general committee and
the archaeology committee. The committees examine problems affecting provincial heritage and formulate policy recommendations which are directed to the minister. In addition a strong liaison exists between the archaeology committee and the
heritage conservation branch with regard to all permits issued for archaeological
work in the province.
During 1978, the board considered a number of major proposals for the designation and acquisition of heritage property. Recommendations pertaining to these
properties were forwarded to the minister who, in turn, took appropriate actions.
The board also arranged a liaison with interested specialists from the field of underwater archaeology. A policy proposal, suggesting a close alignment between the
archaeology committee of the provincial heritage advisory board and underwater
archaeology specialists, has been prepared.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
53
The late Willard Ireland—named provincial archivist in 1940, served with the RCAF 1942-45.
provincial archivist and librarian 1946 to 1973.
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RECREATION AND FITNESS BRANCH
The recreation and fitness branch was established in June of 1977, through
the consolidation of a number of agencies providing provincial government support
for recreation and sport opportunities. The director was appointed in January of
1978, and division chiefs were all in place by September.
British Columbia's recreation delivery system is managed and runrby a huge
network of volunteer individuals, agencies and organizations assisted by limited
numbers of recreation professionals. In sport alone, more than 30 million hours
of volunteer management time is committed each year in 78 provincial sport associations. The 140 municipalities in British Columbia have 567 full-time paid staff
and over the last five years, more than $200 million worth of recreational facilities
have been built in communities across the province since the government began
contributing to their cost.
In recognition of the growth of recreation in the province the minister approved a specific set of objectives for the recreation and fitness branch in October
1978. These objectives are statements of purpose which form the basic rationale
for the existence of the branch and provide a framework for program priorities.
Branch Goal
To provided effective administration and assistance to programs and policies
established by the government in recreation in order to enhance the well-being of
British Columbians, including: community recreation, outdoor recreation, amateur
sport and fitness.
Objectives
(1) To expand and improve leadership in the delivery of recreation opportunities to British Columbians.
(2) To increase awareness by British Columbians of the social and economic
costs and benefits associated with recreation.
(3) To increase access to, and use of, the recreation facilities and resources
of British Columbia.
(4) To increase the diversity and quality of recreation opportunities in British
Columbia.
(5) To encourage participation by British Columbians in activities conducive
to greater individual fitness.
(6) To increase opportunities for involvement and the improvement of performance by British Columbians in amateur sport.
(7) To increase public safety associated with recreation participation in British Columbia.
(8) To decrease environmental damage associated with recreation activity
in British Columbia.
Special programs and projects are carried out by staff in five divisions of the
branch. The administrative services division processes approved disbursements of
branch funds; maintains detailed records on all funds; establishes administrative
systems and procedures; provides secretarial and clerical support to the branch and
meets with the ministry personnel, accounts and information and education staff.
The research and data division conducts recreation and fitness research within
the province to assist in policy formulation and analysis and maintains a data bank
of service to the ministry, other ministries with recreation programs, recreation
departments and commissions, community service groups, resource people, and the
public involved in all areas of recreation in British Columbia.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
55
The community recreation division makes recommendations of recreation
master planning and leisure development services to municipalities, regional districts, other ministries and the public.
This division identifies the branch role in the inter-relationship of recreation
delivery services at the municipal, regional, and provincial levels. Facility inventories are maintained to ensure optimum use of existing facilities and assist in determining future requirements. The recreation facilities assistance program is administered by the community recreation division.
The sports and fitness division evaluates and makes recommendations on applications to the physical fitness and amateur sports fund. This division also administers a coaching development program in conjunction with the national program ic
improve the calibre of sport and leadership in all sports. Sports and fitness programs also include liaison with Canada Games, Western Canada Games, B.C.
Games, Northern B.C. Games and similar events; projects that encourage lifetime
sport activities, develop fitness and establish leadership programs in fitness training
in schools, communities and recreation agencies and administration of a support
program in liaison with sports governing bodies in the province.
The outdoor recreation division formerly part of the recreation and fitness
branch, was transferred to the ministry of lands, parks and housing, December 4,
1978.
The field services division ensures the effective delivery of branch programs
throughout the province. This division provides information on grant programs,
consultative services, community recreation development services, educational packages and information resources. Field services staff ensure that branch management has a complete understanding of current developments, program demands
and issues emanating from the areas they serve.
Branch Highlights
The following projects exemplify some of the actions taken by the recreation
and fitness branch to meet its objectives during 1978. "
Grants totalling $4,105,201.40 were provided in the 1978 fiscal year to aid
in development and encouragement of sports and recreation and fitness programs
throughout British Columbia. Projects funded included development of new programs, expansion of existing programs, and initiative of education activities for
sports and recreation. Grants included $2,807,300.25 in assistance to provincial
sports governing associations and provincial co-ordinating agencies for amateur
sport, physical education and athletic scholarships; assistance in conducting fitness
projects; $885,553 in assistance to regional districts in acquiring parks and trails to
serve outdoor recreation needs; assistance to recreation commissions in providing
for research, staff education, program expansion; assistance with the salaries of
full time professional positions with recreation commissions and assistance in public
safety programs and training for safe operation of all-terrain vehicles for recreational purposes.
The role of the recreation facilities assistance program was expanded in
1978/79 by informally dividing the province into four regions, each served by a
project officer, and by expanding the technical counselling services to complement
the grants administration role.
The introduction of the master planning program with a cost sharing formula
of 33VS cents per capita to a maximum of $25,000 was accepted with enthusiasm
throughout the province. Twenty communities have initiated plans.
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
The recreation facilities assistance program provided 113 grants totalling
$10.5 million. These grants included one-third grants toward the construction of
20 community halls, 15 community centres, eight curling rinks, seven libraries, six
senior citizens' centres, four ice arenas, and four swimming pools.
Sport and Fitness Division
In 1978 the division introduced the fitness festival program to seven communities in the province. This program encourages people of all ages and fitness levels
to become involved in fitness activities. In 1978 over 12,000 people became involved and this program is proving to be an effective way to promote and develop
physical fitness. The fitness development program also includes the run-walk-cycle-
swim program, an incentive awards program in which several thousand British Columbians participated and 3,462 qualified to receive awards.
The division's coaching development program is supported by $300,000 from
the physical fitness and amateur sports fund. In 1978, this fund provided the
necessary support for the coaching development co-ordinator who co-ordinated the
provincial involvement in the theory and technical portions of the national coaching
certification program. The technical and practical parts of the program were implemented by the provincial sport governing bodies, financially assisted with grants
from the physical fitness and amateur sports fund. The sport development activities
of the seven provincial sport development co-ordinators are also supported under
this program. The seven co-ordinators are responsible for the development of
baseball, basketball, diving, hockey, soccer, track and field, and volleyball. This
program has proven to be successful and more coaches, 10,276 in total, were certified through the national coaching certification program in these seven sports than
in any other province.
The interest from this $20 million endowment fund of the British Columbia
physical fitness and amateur sports fund is used to provide continuing support to
aid the development of amateur sport and physical fitness in British Columbia. In
1978, the interest from this fund, together with $1.5 million transferred from lottery
profits, provided a total of $2.5 million in financial aid for the development of
sport and fitness in British Columbia.
The sport delivery system supported by this commitment from the province
is vast. Over 1.5 million British Columbians participated in sport in 1978. Of
these, over 500,000 registered with the provincial sport governing bodies either
individually or through one of more than 25,000 clubs and teams. The effect of
this involvement in sport on the economy is large and includes $100 million in retail
purchases of sporting goods and a considerable contribution to the travel industry.
The most significant aspect of the sport delivery system is the huge time commitment of the many volunteers who work to provide support for the participants
in sport. Research conducted by the recreation and fitness branch in 1978 indicates
that volunteers spend over 30 million hours working as coaches, officials, organizers,
etc. to support those British Columbians who participate in sport.
The $2.85 million provincial commitment from the fund in 1978 was distributed in the following ways:
• $1,015,580 was provided in annual grants to 58 provincial sport associations to enable them to conduct their sport development programs. $273,356 was
distributed in 118 travel grants to enable British Columbia champion athletes to
travel to represent the province and compete in Western Canadian, Canadian, and
international championships.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
57
• $43,250 was provided to those sport governing bodies who hosted western
Canadian or Canadian championships in British Columbia in 1978. An additional
$69,900 was provided to prepare the British Columbia team for the 1979 Canada
Winter Games.
• $234,700 was granted to the two multi-sport federations, Sport B.C. and
the B.C. federation of school athletic associations, to provide support services to
enable their member sport associations to function more effectively.
• $83,370 was allocated to the establishment of the administrative centre for
sport, recreation, and fitness. The administrative centre, located at 1200 Hornby
Street in Vancouver, was a major addition to the support provided for amateur
sport in 1978 and currently provides office space, secretarial and other administrative support for 25 sport and recreation associations. This service is proving to
be a valuable addition to the administration of amateur sport in British Columbia.
• Through the Premier's awards, athletic awards and Nancy Greene scholarships, $39,500 was provided to help 65 high performance athletes maintain their
athletic pursuits while they attended college or university in British Columbia.
An additional $7,150 was provided in athletic training awards to help four of the
province's world class athletes maintain the training intensity required to compete
with the best athletes from other countries.
• The province supports multi-sport competitions and in 1978 provided
grants totalling $17,000 in the B.C. northern winter games and $227,000 to the
B.C. summer games. Both programs have greatly stimulated sport development
in British Columbia and have proved to be very popular.
• Grants totalling $63,993 were provided to five provincial sport associations
for disabled athletes to improve the opportunities for disabled British Columbians
to participate in sport.
• $196,425 was provided to the two provincial recreation associations, the
B.C. recreation association and the outdoor recreation council. Another $185,000
was provided to Action B.C., an agency which is increasing the awareness of British
Columbians throughout the province of the beneficial effects of exercise on an individual's health and well-being.
Research and Data Division
The first priority has been to assist in the development of a policy for funding
provincial sport, recreation, and fitness associations through the British Columbia
physical fitness and amateur sports fund. This involved:
• a review of funding policies and procedures of other provinces.
• intensive consultation with funded associations.
• design of applications and annual report forms.
• development of criteria for evaluating grant applications.
This division also assisted the outdoor recreation council in the development
of a computerized inventory of instructors in outdoor recreation. The council is
distributing questionnaires to approximately 5,000 instructors.
A work plan for 1979 was prepared to guide the division in its major task of
improving the information base for decision making in the sport, recreation, and
fitness delivery systems in co-operation with other agencies, organizations, colleges,
and universities.
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
Administrative Services Division
The responbilities include: provision of co-ordinated support services to the
branch in the areas of secretarial and clerical support; funds administration; systems
and procedures establishment for budget preparation; expenditure control; file
maintenance and personnel records, and to provide liaison in established procedures
and services with ministry personnel, accounts and payroll staff, and British Columbia Buildings Corporation for space requirements.
The major concern during 1978 was the location of space for consolidation of
branch offices in Victoria. Space was found and staff will be moving to offices at
546 Yates Street in the spring of 1979.
Field Services Division
This division continued to serve as a bridge between the branch and the recreation delivery system in the field with nine recreation consultants operating out of
Victoria and six area offices. As well as providing regional points of contact for
enquiries and the dissemination of information to the public throughout the province, they gave active support to 373 recreation commissions.
Grants-in-aid to support the development of leadership and the introduction of
new programs amounted to $217,258 in the nine-month period under review.
$32,850 was provided in administrative grants to 219 recreation authorities without
professional staff and $105,250 was given in staff hiring incentive grants. $79,158
was provided in contributions toward 101 special projects.
The division reached full strength with the appointment of its first division
chief on September 1, 1978. Two months later it lost one field representative who
accepted the position of executive director of the Y.M.C.A. in Prince George.
Another was detached to fill the role of sport development co-ordinator in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Island area, with over 70 recreation commissions and a population second only to that of the Vancouver area continued to expand its recreation
services. With branch assistance and support, the south island council of the B.C.
recreation association developed a survey instrument to determine problem areas
and educational needs on the southern part of the island. As a result the division
has been able to help develop a series of relevant educational programs.
The division co-operated with a number of individual communities to help
assess their needs and to deliver branch programs to them. For example, a grant was
approved to Alert Bay to fund a study to determine the most suitable programming
opportunities, and Greater Victoria received assistance in conceptualizing and
launching a pilot project for the integration of handicapped people into the mainstream of municipal recreation programs.
As well as assisting individual communities this division endeavours to introduce new programs. For example, the Vancouver Island field representative gave
British Columbians their first exposure to California's "New Games" at Port Alberni. This was followed by a provincial training seminar in new games initiated
and hosted by the branch at the University of Victoria. New games as an innovative program option has now spread to communities all over the province and form
an integral part of most community fitness festivals.
In Vancouver the field office was moved in April from Willow Street to the
sport, recreation and fitness administrative centre at 1200 Hornby Street. The
field representative served on the management committee and was chairman of the
exhibits committee for the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association conference
in August.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
59
The Vancouver field office helped organize a planning seminar for a community school on Bowen Island as a joint project of the school board and the recreation commission. The objective is to construct a school and recreation complex
and the design and administration of such a facility will be the first of its kind in
British Columbia.
The division sponsored and hosted the British Columbia carpet bowling tournament in may and provided the government representative to the games for the disabled held in Burnaby in June. A contribution was also made toward putting
signs on a trail in Port Coquitlam.
The division played a major role in organizing a seminar on the pre-school
recreation leaders course at Manning Park in November and saw delegates attending from all parts of the province returning full of enthusiasm for the course which
will be offered shortly through community colleges.
In the Fraser Valley area seminars for parks and recreation professionals included future trends in leisure, assisting the volunteer non-profit organization, and
staff development and training.
Two lower mainland parks advisory dinners were held in the fall as was a seminar for parks and recreation commissioners.
In the central area 152 people attended their annual conference in October
and 63 people took part in a fitness workshop which included jogging, running,
racing, coping with injuries, exercising equipment, and dietary methods. Thirty-
seven recreation professionals from all over the province attended the leisure development course at Cariboo College which is sponsored by the branch and is now
in its eighth year. Eight of the students completed their three year diploma.
Multi-disciplinary committees for special populations have been formed with
help from the branch in both Williams Lake and Kamloops. The latter city has
also developed a committee responsible for identifying and meeting leadership development needs in the area with respect to workshops and they have indentified
eight required for the coming year. Kamloops also held a sport medicine clinic
in April which was a first for the area and was very well received.
The Okanagan Similkameen Boundary area again contributed to the leisure
development course and a professional development workshop was held in December which was the first time that parks, recreation and facilities personnel in the
area met for upgrading. Regional recreation development included the hiring of
a community education and recreation director in the Boundary area 2 with the
salary paid jointly by the school board, the regional district and the recreation and
fitness branch. This provides a service to seven communities on a regional basis.
Approval was given for the hiring of a recreation director in Naramata and in the
fall seven zone conferences were held for recreation commission personnel. The
first B.C. Games were held in Penticton in August and these were a great success.
Kelowna held its third annual fitness festival in May.
In the Kootenay area the field representative helped with the formation of a
boys club in Creston and acted as a resource person in seminars for cultural societies
and agencies for the handicapped. A summer student completed a resource person
catalogue for the West Kootenays with funding from the branch and in partnership
with the East Kootenay recreation association.
Major initiatives were taken in refining and developing regional recreation services in northern British Columbia. The Fraser-Fort George and Peace River-
Liard regional districts had the assistance of a monitor, and field service staff of the
ministry provided initial training and organizational assistance. An effective regional delivery system in northern British Columbia has made it possible to provide
better government services to the communities in this area.
60 BRITISH COLUMBIA
In the summer two students co-ordinated a major outdoor recreation support
service to a number of northern communities including several Indian reserves.
This, along with leadership development in the outdoor recreation area, was under
the supervision of the two field representatives operating out of the joint office in
Prince George that serves all of the north.
The branch office was busy all year with the B.C. Summer and Winter Games
and it also provided a communications link for the Northern B.C. Games.
A great deal of interest has been developing on the Queen Charlotte Islands
with respect to the creation of an all-island recreation service. The field services
division helped with a workshop in October to bring island recreation people together to develop these initiatives.
A major recreation conference was held at Dawson Creek in the fall. Representatives came from all over northeastern British Columbia from as far away as
Lower Post and Fort Nelson as well as the many small communities around Dawson Creek and Chetwynd.
In October the division ran a fall familiarization conference for all field staff.
This allowed the division to examine branch objectives and the whole range of
branch programs. It also allowed the field representatives to contribute to the
planning process and feel part of the new management team -which is now in place
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
SUPERANNUATION BRANCH
Scope of Activities
The superannuation branch is responsible for the administration of nine pension plans, covering most public sector employees in the province, and all employee
benefit plans under the Public Service Benefit Plans Act. The activities of the
branch include receipt, accounting and investment of all contributions, calculation
and payment of all benefits, maintenance of statistical and actuarial information,
provision of counselling and advisory services to all employers, employees and pensioners, trusteeship of pension funds, and policy analysis and policy development
functions.
The superannuation commissioner is responsible for the operation of the
branch. J. D. Reid was appointed commissioner effective August 1, 1978 following
the retirement from the position of W. H. Forrest. Mr. Forrest was superannuation
commissioner for over 20 years and had a well-deserved reputation acoss Canada
as a pension expert.
Pension Plans
The following superannuation and pension plans are administered by the
branch:
Public Service Superannuation Plan (statute).
Members of the Legislative Assembly Superannuation Plan (statute).
Teachers' Pensions Plan (statute).
Municipal Superannuation Plan (statute).
College Pension Plan (statute).
British Columbia Railway Company Pension Plan.
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority Pension Plan.
British Columbia Power Commission Superannuation Plan.
Workers' Compensation Board Superannuation Plan.
Annual financial reports are completed by the superannuation commissioner
as required by the various pension statutes and plans. Copies of the most recent
annual report, for any plan can be obtained by writing to the superannuation commissioner.
As at December 31, 1978 there were over 164,000 contributors to the pension
plans administered by the branch and more than 20,600 persons were receiving
pensions under the plans. During 1978 there was continued growth in the number
of contributors and pensioners served by the branch. Contributors increased by
6,500 and pensioners by 1,145. To improve the branch's ability to meet the challenge of continued growth and expanding services, a major project to upgrade
existing branch computer systems was commenced in 1978 through the British Columbia Systems Corporation.
The following table illustrates the growth in 1978 of pensions granted and in
payment under the pension plans administered.
61
62 BRITISH COLUMBIA
Pensions Granted No. of Pensioners
1977 1978 1977 1978
Public Service Superannuation Plan 524 665 5,354 5,910
Teachers'Pensions Plan 357 386 4,243 4,551
Municipal Superannuation
Plan 731 752 7,224 7,815
College Pension Plan 8 8 23 35
B.C. Railway Company
Pension Plan 11 21 114 131
B.C. Hydro & Power
Authority Pension Plan.. 204 170 1,577 1,714
B.C. Power Commission
Superannuation Plan. 27 19 245 259
Workers' Compensation
Board Superannuation
Plan 14 16 181 192
1,876 2,037 18,961 20,607
Amount of Pensions Paid
in the Year
1977 1978
$ $
21,913,448 25,201,408
27,043,673 31,750,840
25,641,371
185,289
30,783,900
273,018
334,718
\ 577,358
4,289,338
5,552,791
590,552
614,180
706,961
841,400
80,705,350
95,595,895
Pensions continue to be the subject of considerable public debate in Canada.
The financing of public sector pension plans has been one area of particular concern. During 1978 actuarial reports were received on the Public Service Superannuation Plan, the Municipal Superannuation Plan, the Workers' Compensation
Board Superannuation Plan, and the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Pension Plan. These reports indicated that the Public Service Superannuation Plan
and the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority Pension Plan are being satisfactorily financed. Some increase in contributions was recommended for the Workers' Compensation Board Superannuation Plan and Municipal Superannuation Plan
and these recommendations are currently under study. Actuarial reports are expected to be received in 1979 on the Teachers' Pensions Plan and College Pension
Plan.
During 1978 the superannuation commissioner and deputy superannuation
commissioner had numerous meetings with representatives of the British Columbia
Teachers' Federation pension committee, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities pension advisory committee and other groups to explore questions related
to plan financing and pension indexing. These meetings were fruitful and will be
continuing in 1979.
Special Services and Pre-retirement Planning
During 1978, personal counselling was available to contributors anticipating
retirement within the next year. Regular monthly trips were made to the Vancouver area, as well as week-long trips to each of the Okanagan, Kootenay, and northern areas.
While the main object of the visits was to conduct personal interviews, the
branch representatives also met with officials, interviewed employers and took part
in group discussions about the pension plans administered by the branch.
An increase in the number of field trips has been planned for 1979 to accommodate the growing number of employees retiring and a significant increase in the
number of requests by individuals for personal counselling.
A pre-retirement planning program for public service employees approaching
retirement was developed in 1978. The first pre-retirement planning seminar was
scheduled for Victoria in March 1979. Additional seminars are planned for June
1979 in Vancouver and for September 1979 in Kamloops.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
63
An advisory committee has been formed comprised of representatives of the
employees, ministry of health, public service commission, and superannuation
branch to oversee the continued development of the program.
The seminars deal with all aspects of retirement including:
• Awareness
• Health
• Leisure time
• Living accommodation
• Estate planning
• Finances
Attendance at these seminars is optional and all employees are made aware
of this service by notices circulated with the public service commission position
vacant notices. Employee response to the new program has been excellent.
Employee Benefit Plans
The branch is responsible for administering all employee benefits for public
service employees which come under the Public Service Benefit Plans Act. The
following benefit plans are administered:
• Group life insurance
• Extended health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
In addition, the branch administers the death-in-service and retiring gratuity
benefits provided for in the Public Service Act and plays a significant role in coordinating the administration by ministries of the short-term illness and injury plan.
1978 was an extremely busy and exciting year for the branch and, particularly,
the employee benefits section. The branch played a crucial role in the implementation and administration of the short-term illness and injury plan and long-term disability plan, both of which came into effect for public service employees January
1, 1978 as the result of collective bargaining agreements which were reached late
in 1977. Both plans were implemented with a minimum of disruption despite a
very tight timetable. A vital computer system was developed and implemented to
ensure there would be adequate control and information under the plans.
A number of Crown corporations and other Crown agencies also participate
under the various employee benefit plans. With introduction of the new short-
term illness and injury plan and long-term disability plan in 1978, the branch was
involved in extensive discussions with many of these agencies with respect to their
participation in the programs. Emphasis was placed on the need for uniformity of
benefits and their application by all sectors of government. In this respect, gratifying progress was made in 1978.
Also, in 1978, competitive tenders were sought from insurers for the extended
health benefit and dental insurance contracts. As a result, and at significant savings
to the province, these insurance contracts were awarded to Great-West Life Assurance Company effective January 1, 1979.
64
BRITISH COLUMBIA
PUBLIC SERVICE ADJUDICATION BOARD
Members
A. W. R. Carrothers
D. Bell
G. S. Levey
J. Clare
I. Gerow
R. Parrott
L. Stair
G. Stanier
S. Tzogoeff
H. E. Stennett
J. Gormley
Chairman
.-Vice-Chairman
.-Vice-Chairman
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
..Registrar
'"Roster of Single Arbitrators
.Administrative Assistant
M. I. Chertkow
R. D. Higgins -__.
H. A. Hope
H. G. Ladner
B. Williams
..Kamloops
Victoria
..Prince George
Kelowna
.Vancouver
* The Roster is subject to enlargement in 1979.
Introduction
In this, the first annual report of the newly formed public service adjudication
board, we shall be dealing with the establishment of the board, its personnel and
responsibilities a brief outline of the grievance arbitration system which it replaced
and the work of the board during its first partial year of operation.
Personnel
The first appointment to the board was that of the chairman, Dr. A. W. R.
Carrothers, who was appointed by Order in Council 3545/77. This was followed
by the appointment in January, 1978, of two vice-chairmen, Diane Bell and Gerald
S. Levey. All these appointments are for part-time service with the board and are
effective for three-year periods.
The backgrounds of the chairman and two vice-chairmen are diverse, but all
have labour-orientated experience. Dr. Carrothers is a well known labour lawyer
with many years of academic and professional experience in the labour field.
Diane Bell is assistant business manager of the Vancouver Municipal and Regional
Employees' Union, has served on several labour/management committees and has
held various full-time staff positions with the Vancouver Municipal and Regional
Employees' Union since entering the labour field in 1972. Mr. Gerald S. Levey
graduated from U.B.C. faculty of law in 1954, has eight years experience as a
magistrate and currently practises constitutional, administrative and labour law in
Vancouver.
Following their appointments, one of the first tasks facing the new board was
the selection of a registrar and an executive secretary. The registrar, H. E. Stennett,
former deputy registrar to the labour relations board of British Columbia, was
appointed effective March 1, 1978, and Joan Gormley, entered the board's service
as an executive secretary on March 15, 1978. Over the next few weeks, the rest
of the board's support staff were hired and commenced their duties.
The appointment of board members did not take place until later in the year
after the board had commenced its operations. In October, 1978, the following
appointments were made; George Stanier, an industrial relations specialist with
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
65
Crown Zellerbach, in Vancouver, S. Tzogoeff, director, labour relations for Okanagan Mainline Municipal Labour Relations Association, Jack Gerow, business
manager, Hospital Employees' Union, and Len Stair, British Columbia region education representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees. This was followed in December, 1978, by the appointment of Joseph Clare, western field representative, professional institute of the public service of Canada and Ron Parrott,
solicitor to Forest Industrial Relations Ltd.
All board members were appointed by Order in Council and serve as and when
required.
The members of the roster, prior to the board's inception, had acted as single
arbitrators for the parties of interest on an ad hoc basis. All five accepted the
chairman's invitation to continue this service to the parties and thus became the
first appointees to the roster.
As can be seen in the table at the front of this report, the arbitrators are strategically located throughout the province. Messrs. M. I. Chertkow, H. A. Hope,
H. G. Lander, and B. Williams are barristers and solicitors. R. D. Higgins is a
former member of the Public Service Commission (retired) and possesses an intimate knowledge of the public service.
Establishment and Duties of the Board
The establishment and the duties of the board are set out in part III of the
Public Service Act.
Proclamation of the Public Service Act, except part III, was made July 6,
1976. Part III was proclaimed September 14, 1977, and was later amended, the
most recent amendments being proclaimed July 10, 1978.
Section 66 of the Public Service Act establishes the board and sub-section (3)
provides that the chairman, vice-chairmen and members shall hold office for a
period of three years.
The board's duties are set out in section 67 of the Public Service Act. In
accordance with the statutory duty imposed on it, the board drafted its regulations
and these were promulgated by Order in Council 1799 on June 29, 1978. The
board was able to start processing cases early in July, 1978.
Public Service Grievance Arbitrations Prior to Establishment of the Board
Before the board was established and commenced its duties, grievance arbitration in the public service was negotiated by the parties as part of their grievance
procedure and was set out in the respective collective agreements.
In general terms, each of the labour organizations representing bargaining units
of public servants agreed with the Government Employees Relations Bureau, the
government's bargaining agent, on a list of single arbitrators to whom grievances
would be referred on a rotating basis. All the arbitrators, who are highly regarded
in their profession, were invited, as previously noted to become members of the
roster.
Work of the Board in 1978
In the early part of the year the board and its staff had to address such tasks
as the acquisition of premises, furniture and equipment, the drawing of its regulations, meetings with the parties of interest, basic organization, and development of
procedures. By June 29th, when the regulations were proclaimed, the board was
ready to open its doors.
While the organizing process was in progress, a development occurred which
required the board to take one of its first official decisions. Obviously the grievance
66
BRITISH COLUMBIA
process had not been suspended during this period of time, the parties having continued to use the old grievance procedures up to and including June 28, 1978.
The question arose as to whether the board had jurisdiction over these cases. The
board passed the following motion at its meeting of July 14, 1978:
"We take the position that under Section 67(1) we have sole jurisdiction
by operation of law to arbitrate any case that has been assigned previous to an
arbitrator and provided that the arbitrator has not heard any evidence in the
case."
The effect of this motion was to bring under the board's jurisdiction 62 cases which
had been previously assigned to arbitrators by the parties. Although trie board
assumed the jurisdiction in these cases, it did not change the arbitrator assigned to
the case, preferring to re-assign the cases to the same arbitrators, most of whom
were by this time members of the roster. The only exceptions arose in respect of
a few cases that had been assigned to two arbitrators who were unable to continue
in this capacity and thus were not placed on the roster.
The board received its first application in July, from the British Columbia
Government Employees' Union. Initially applications were slow as the parties
adjusted to the new processes. However, by the end of the year the board had received a total of 156 applications, including the 62 backlog cases.
One of the impacts that the board has had on the arbitration process has been
to speed up the processing of grievances and bring them to the point of hearing
sooner than had been the case. This has required adjustment on the part of the
parties of interest and the board and will require an expansion of the roster in order
to make more arbitration time available. By the year-end, 63 cases had been concluded without going to a hearing; 43 cases were concluded before a hearing was
scheduled. Twelve decisions have been handed down. (See statistical appendices.)
The board believes that it is a good industrial relations practice to permit the
parties to settle their own differences and it is board policy to encourage settlements
where the opportunity presents itself. The foregoing statistics indicate that the
board and the parties of interest are in accord in this matter; the number of cases
concluded without a hearing is just over 40 per cent of the total applications received.
During the period of operations being reported on, a total of six appeals of
decisions was received by the board. Four of these arose out of decisions made
by arbitrators prior to the board becoming operational; the board decided to obtain
the consent of the parties before it accepted jurisdiction. Of these four appeals
two are pending and two have been heard and the decisions handed down. The
remaining two appeals arise out of decisions made since the board commenced its
operations. At this time one has been heard but no decision handed down; the
other is scheduled for hearing early in 1979.
It was apparent to the board that its operations would have,to be phased in
since it would be dealing with four employee organizations, two types of applications (each requiring a different procedure), and a backlog of accumulated cases.
With the concurrence of the appropriate parties of interest a decision was made
that grievance applications would be handled first. Consequently, classification
appeals did not start to be phased in until November, when three applications were
made by the British Columbia Government Employees' Union. At year-end, one
of these applications had been tentatively settled by the parties and the other two
will be scheduled for hearing early in 1979.
REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, 1978
67
As the year progressed the board found it necessary to clarify some aspects
of its regulations and to develop policies for the guidance of the parties. To meet
these needs the board has issued a series of policy resolutions.
Conclusion
Nineteen cases are scheduled for hearings in 1979, and arrangements are in
hand to speed up the phasing-in of classification appeals. It is anticipated that early
in the year the roster will be expanded to permit an increase in the number of
hearings that can be scheduled.
When the next report is made, the impact of board policies should be more
clearly discernible.
Statistical Appendices
The following tables provide an analysis of cases filed with the public service
adjudication board and their disposition.
In reading the tables it should be borne in mind that they cover a six-month
period only, and that the board had not become fully operational in all areas of its
activities even at the year-end.
TABLE I
Number of Cases Filed With Public Service Adjudication Board
Type of
Application
Request for arbitration _
Appeal from decision2
Classification appeals
B.CG.E.u.
._. 1521
2
3
Party Making the Application
B.C.G.P.E.A. Nurses
Totals .
157
Nil
* Of the 152 cases filed. 62 represented the backlog which had accumulated prior to the board becoming
operational.
2 Both the British Columbia Government Employees' Union and the Government Employee Relations
Bureau requested the board to hear two appeals each arising out of cases which had been heard prior to the
board assuming jurisdiction over public service arbitration.
TABLE II
Number of cases Concluded Without a Hearing1
B.CG.E.U.
432
B.C.G.P.E.A.
Before a hearing was scheduled
After a hearing was scheduled 203
Totals 63
AW
1 All cases referred to in this table are requested for arbitration.
- 21 of these cases were part of the backlog.
3 Six of these cases were part of the backlog.
68 BRITISH COLUMBIA
TABLE IH
Disposition of Cases That Were Not Concluded by the Parties.
Prior to a Hearing
B.C.G.E.U. B.C.G.P.E.A. Nurses
(A) Decisions, orders, or awards handed down
Requests for arbitration1 102 — —
Appeals from decision 1 — —
Classification appeals — — —
Totals 11 Nil Nil
B.C.G.E.U. B.C.G.P.E.A.
(B) Cases carried forward into 1979
Requests for arbitration 793 1
Appeals from decision 1 —
Classification appeals 34 —
Totals 83 1 Nil
* Four of these hearings were heard at facilities other than the offices of the board.
- Includes three backlog cases.
:: Includes 32 backlog cases.
4 The three cases reported form part of a separate backlog of accumulated classification appeals.
Queen's Printer for British Columbia ©
Victoria, 1979
1030-879-5017
BC Sessional Papers
Annual Report Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31 1978 British Columbia. Legislative Assembly 1979
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