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British Columbia History
Vol. 48 No. 2
50 pages
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BRITISH COLUMBIA TORY Summer 2015 • $7.00 w ?elewk Belongings Musqueam Values and Interactive Technologies Sikh Roots in the Fraser Valley: 100 Years and Counting BC's Nautical History Who or what is Kootenaiana? Kate Hennessy using the digital tabletop, showing belongings in the ring with the monitor behind her. ISSN 1710-7881 9 771710"788007"> "f "J" BRITISH COLUMBIA History Call for Papers - Spring 2016 Celebrating Community Halls Community halls are the cornerstone of towns throughout British Columbia. For generations, they have been the places where people come together to celebrate and to mourn, to teach and learn, to dance and to visit, and for hundreds of other reasons. They make community possible. What is the story of your community hall? In Spring 2016 we will feature a special issue to celebrate community halls. British Columbia History publishes feature- length articles as well as documentary selections, essays, pictorial essays, memoirs, and reviews relating to the social, economic, political, intellectual, and cultural history of British Columbia. Sod turning for the new Camp River Hall in Chilliwack, BC, April 30, 1975. From left: Don Northgraves, vice-president of the Camp River Hall Society; Mrs. Moss, oldest living resident of the Camp River community; A.D. Rundle, Norm Standeven, president; Bill Standeven. Articles for the Spring issue can vary widely in length, from 1000 to 3000. The ideal British Columbia History article is a pleasure to read and it is informative. When readers have finished an article, they should feel that they have been engaged and have learned something about British Columbia history that they never knew before. Share the story of your community hall. The deadline for article proposals is September 15, 2015. Please submit proposals to the Editor, British Columbia History, Andrea Lister PO Box 21187, Maple Ridge BC V2X 1P7. Email: bcheditor@bchistory.ca. In this issue Published by the British Columbia Historical Federation | Summer 2015 | Vol. 48 No. 2 Features 5Kootenaiana Making History Possible By RJ. (Ron) Welwood Collecting and preserving material relating to the central Kootenay region of BC is only part of the story: utilizing and presenting the stories is the goal. 9 Belongings: Musqueam Values and Interactive Technologies By Kate Hennessy, Alissa Antle, Reese Muntean, Susan Rowley and Jordan Wilson Museums can use technology to connect visitors to the past through objects, the belongings of past peoples. ) From British Columbia to ) Pax Britannica and Return By Barry Gough Musings on a life lived understanding the "British Peace" of the nineteenth century and its legacies on the history of the BC coast. I Making Nautical History L in British Columbia By John MacFarlane Exploring nautical history through Facebook allows access to researchers of all kinds, from established historians to maritime enthusiasts. ) Sikh Roots in the Fraser Valley: 1100 Years and Counting byRishma Johal Recent efforts have allowed descendants of Sikh pioneers to reconnect with their personal histories and tell new members of the Sikh community that * they have a long history in the Fraser Valley. Regulars 36 Archives 8$ Archivists by Doug Rolling; edited by Sylvia Stopforth Coquitlam Heritage Society's Oral History Project has preserved a 20th century epic that stretches from the horrors of Juno Beach, to the Depression-era Prairies, to present day Coquitlam. 48 Cabinets of Curiosities By M. Diane Rogers 62 years ago Jenny, a Canadian built 1952 Pontiac became part of a family. Every Month 3 Editor's Note: Reflections on History Andrea Lister 4 Inbox Letters from Readers 37 From the Book Review Editor's Desk K.Jane Watt McKowans Creston heroine, the historic role of canoes, BC and the Great War. r/ ,►/ SAVE LIVES and PROPERTY, ' Ft fi^MGE^^TARJ '] (^ wm 22 Hiflfc KcAME ;URaJ t^lEP Dl 9365 T IT BRITISH COLUMBIA History British Columbia History is published four times per year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) by the British Columbia Historical Federation. ISSN: print 1710-7881 online 1710-792X Subscriptions: $20.00 per year (CDN Funds) USA: $32.00 (per year (CDN Funds) International: $44.00 per year (CDN Funds) Subscription & subscription information: BCHF c/o Magazine Association of BC #316 - 336 East 1st Avenue Vancouver, BC, V5T 4R6 email: subscriptions@bchistory.ca Phone: 604.688.1175 Single copies of recent issues are for sale at: n Caryall Books, Quesnel, BC n Gray Creek Store, Gray Creek, BC n Otter Books, Nelson, BC n Royal British Columbia Museum Shop, Victoria, BC n Touchstones Nelson: Museum of Art & History, Nelson, BC British Columbia History welcomes stories, studies, and news items dealing with any aspect of the history of British Columbia, and British Columbians. Please submit manuscripts for publication to the Editor, British Columbia History, Andrea Lister PO Box 21187, Maple Ridge BC V2X 1P7 email: bcheditor@bchistory.ca Submission guidelines are available at: bchistory ca/journal/index.html Book reviews for British Columbia History, K. Jane Watt, Book Review Editor, BC History, Box 1053, Fort Langley, BC VIM 2S4 email: reviews@bchistoryca ISSN: 1710-7881 Printed in Canada. Production Mail Registration Number 40025793 Publications Mail Registration No. 09835 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Canada British Columbia Historical Federation A charitable society under the Income Tax Act Organized 31 October 1922 PO Box 5254, Station B. Victoria BCV8R6N4 www.bchistory.ca Under the Distinguished Patronage of The Honourable Judith Guichon, 0BC Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Honorary President Jacqueline Gresko Magazine Liaison K.Jane Watt Read more about the digital tabletop technology in "Belongings" starting on page 8. Photo courtesy of Reese Muntean Cover design: Bill Glasgow EDITORS Andrea Lister, Editor K. Jane Watt, Book Review Editor Sylvia Stopforth, Archives & Archivists COPY EDITORS Ronald Greene Sarah Sewell Catherine Magee Erica Williams READERS PANEL Peter Broznitsky Sarah Sewell Catherine Magee Erica Williams Sandra Martins Anne Wyness Find us on Facebook Submission Guidelines Manuscripts that have been published elsewhere, or are under review for publication elsewhere, will be considered at the editor's discretion. □ Word Count 1000 to 3000. □ Electronic version, with file extension (either .doc or .rtf), will be required should the article be accepted for publication. □ Endnotes must follow Chicago Manual of Style. Do not insert notes in text. □ Photocopies/scans of research material/quoted material (pages from books, documents, or journals you have used) for fact checking are appreciated. □ Illustrations are encouraged: c Submit copies of permissions (or assurance of permission) for the images; c Sufficient resolution for high-quality reproduction, 300 DPI (dots per inch) minimum or a pixel dimension of 1200x1500 pixels, (with the exception of images such as coins; minimum 600x600 pixels) preferable in jpg or tif format; c Not embedded in text—send as separate files; c Please provide suggested captions for the illustrations; c Image credit information must be provided with all illustrations; c Low-resolution images may be sent with initial submission in cases where images would need to be purchased from an institution. □ Include a 2-3 sentence biographical note about the author and photo. If a manuscript is accepted for publication, major changes will be cleared with authors before publication. Authors will also have the opportunity to do a final proof check prior to publication. You agree to grant the BCHF First Rights (the right to be first to publish your material in North America) or Reprint Rights (your material has been published before and this is now a reprint; the original publisher will be credited at the time of reprint), and Electronic Publishing and Multimedia Rights (the right to publish the work on the internet) and to publish that work in British Columbia History for no payment. Future online publication of your work and the right to reprint it in a future publication is included in your granting of publication rights to the BCHF. The British Columbia Historical Federation assumes no responsibility for statements made by contributors. While copyright in the magazine as a whole is vested in the British Columbia Historical Federation, copyright of the individual articles belongs to their respective authors, and articles may be reproduced for personal use only. For reproduction for other purposes permission in writing of both author and publisher is required. Editor's Note Reflections on History KJane Watt was the driving force behind this issue. She envisioned and recruited people involved in telling history and asked them to reflect on the process and what it means — both to them and to the public they serve. The result is the stories of the historians, the different challenges they faced, the discoveries they have made, and the joys they have experienced. I read with great interest "Belongings: Musqueam Values and Interactive Technologies". It brought back memories of when I was a student at UBC. I took Anthropology 341: Museum Principles and Methodology. For one of our assignments we were put into groups of four to mimic a small museum team and were instructed to create an exhibit. We were limited by budget and what we could do in a permanent gallery space. We were assigned the Visible Storage area (now the Multiversity Galleries) at the UBC Museum of Anthropology (MOA). At the time the Visible Storage area was quite revolutionary and allowed visitors to peruse the majority of the museum's collection rather than having 90% of objects in storage away from visitors. Our team spent some time in the gallery and decided that the biggest challenge for visitors was the lack of interpretation. Our team had been inspired by a recent class field trip to the Seattle Art Museum where we had seen touch screens in the galleries, so we created a prototype computer program. Our designer used a Mac Classic and HyperCard 2.2. We did not have the budget for touch screens but we wanted to show the possibilities. We included interviews and images of objects in the collection, we surveyed visitors to MOA on the busiest day of the year, and I presented our project to staff and students. I am sure that our prototype is quite laughable by today's technology standards and cannot wait to go see the exhibits at the Museum of Anthropology and the Museum of Vancouver to see what is possible today. Our student project was a good team experience and there are many parallels with the creation of each issue of British Columbia History. The team for every issue includes visionaries, authors, editors, archivists, proof- ers, subscription managers, printers, and accountants. Articles in this issue also bring to the surface the ideas of reinterpretation of history and tales of history lost and rediscovered. Our theme is clear, that the historian's tools may have changed with time but the goal is the same: to tell British Columbia's unique stories and engage people in that experience. Perhaps some of their stories will inspire you to research and share a chronicle of some untold pocket of BC's narrative. Until next time, Andrea Lister, Editor BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 INBOX Letters from Readers Looking Good Hello Andrea and Jane, ...and thanks for the copies of the recent British Columbia History. Layout is really good—including cover—colours lovely too—artwork—and I like your new back cover feature—the photograph. A wonderful theme issue with Jean Barman's great work taking the lead. Nice to have some response from readers too in the letters sec- tion....guess my BC geography was 'off"...but folks were reading! Janet Nicol Re: "French Canadians in the Pacific Northwest" spring issue Judging from the little interest that Jean Barman's latest book on this topic has generated amongst our mainstream media in spite of her top credentials, I wish to congratu late your magazine for having had the courage to dedicate a whole issue to it. Catering to larger contemporary demographics is so much easier but you chose a worthy high road. Allow me to add that these people never referred to themselves then by the colonial "French Canadians" but by "Canadiens" independently of their "ethnic" "language" "religious" or even country geographical origin. It was indeed a far more heterogeneous mix than what the mainstream has been conditioned to believe to this day. Sincerement, Rejean Beaulieu, Burnaby Francophones I received and read my copy — very good issue. Glen Mofford (via facebook) March Issue The March Issue looks attractive. I imagine that lots of people will buy it! Thank you for having sent a copy of the journal to the AHFV Have a nice Springtime! Gisele Samson ^Association historique francophone de Victoria (AHFV) Send us your thoughts. British Columbia History welcomes reader's letters and emails, while reserving the right to edit them. Email your story to: bcheditor@bchistory.ca, or mail it to: Editor, British Columbia History, PO Box 21187, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 1P7. Refreshinff Design The publication of the British Columbia Historical Federation began in 1923 as the Annual Report and Proceedings of the British Columbia Historical Association. Between 1937 and 1958 it was published as the British Columbia Historical Quarterly, and then the B.C. Historical News from 1968-2004. In 2005 it was renamed British Columbia History and the BCHF Newsletter was launched as a separate publication. It wasn't until 2012 that the magazine sported its first colour cover for the 90 year celebration of the British Columbia Historical Federation. 2015 brings a dramatic shift in the design of our magazine that brings our magazine into line with twenty-first-century publishing. A special thanks to the award-winning Bill Glasgow of William Glasgow Design for working with us to develop our new look. Our new look features new fonts that improve readability. Layouts are bolder with full bleeds and larger images to allow for a stronger visual story. The core of the magazine remains the same; it still tells British Columbia's story through a unique mix of community chroniclers, museum and archive professionals, and academic historians. Enjoy. ■ British Colombia Historical Association First Annual Report and Proceedings Cover of the 1923 Annual Report and Proceedings of the British Columbia Historical Association. BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 Mr. R.G. Joy, 1950. Image B-05416, courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives KOOTENAIANA Making History Possible By RJ. (Ron) Welwood Who or what is Kootenaiana? In 1969,1 was a young, recently appointed librarian at Notre Dame University of Nelson, BC (NDU). It soon became apparent that no concerted effort to collect and preserve published material relating to the central Kootenay region of the province had been made, although Selkirk College in nearby Castlegar was collecting material relating to the West Kootenay — thus the genesis of Kootenaiana.1 Following the example of the National Library of Canada and its vast Canadiana collection, this regional moniker seemed appropriate. When the government of British Columbia closed NDU's successor institution, David Thompson University Centre (DTUC) in 1984, there was a hiatus of several years before the DTUC library building and its contents were in jeopardy. With the City's2 permission, the Library's Special Collections were re-assigned. Archival documents, photographs, audio and clipping files were relocated to the Nelson Museum and Historical Society (now referred to as Touchstones Nelson: Museum of Art and History) and published materials including microfilmed newspapers, to the Nelson Municipal Library3 During this period the Kootenaiana collection had expanded beyond an assemblage of regional books BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 Philip and Helen Akrigg, 1976. University of British Columbia Archives, [UBC 93.1/773] and archival documents. Thanks to funding from the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation, microfilm copies of Kootenay newspapers, photographs and even a professional reel-to-reel tape recorder were added. These Koerner grants made it possible to publish a bibliography of library holdings in 19764 and to audiotape pioneer recollections for a monograph in 1981.5 Over the years the archival collection expanded — the papers of R.G. Joy6 who was the historian for the Nelson and District Oldtimer's Association; the files of Edna H. Hanic and the papers of David Scott, Nelson's co-authors of two Kootenay books; the Nelson Club files repatriated from Ontario7, to name a few. These and many other documents were eventually integrated into the Shawn Lamb Archives at Touchstones Nelson: Museum of Art and History. During the 1970s several irreplaceable collections had been mislaid and nearly forgotten, but they now have been reunited with the archival collection. In particular, two fonds took an extraordinary amount of time and, one might say, intrigue to repatriate. In 1975, a NDU faculty member in the History Department received federal and provincial grants for students to interview three generations of three ethnic groups in the Kootenay region — English, Italian and Russian. The completed audio cassettes were transcribed and referenced in two academic papers.8 One specifically cited "Kootenay Collection, Notre Dame University Archives" as the location of these interviews. Perhaps this was the faculty member's intention, but this intent was not carried out. In the intervening years this supervisory faculty member had returned to his home state of Texas, but in the summer of 1992 he was hired as a visiting professor at Lakehead University. While in Ontario he passed the oral history material on to a former NDU colleague who was on faculty at that BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 university. This material was stored away and forgotten until discovered during a basement renovation at the faculty member's home. In August 2007, approximately 25 cm of typed transcripts were finally repatriated to the Archives in Nelson.9 In another incident of missing history, a pioneer Nelson doctor had over his lifetime accumulated a remarkable and unique collection of documents. After his death, his only daughter retained his chattels, but when she passed away relatives unwittingly discarded all household possessions and papers. It seemed that the good doctor saved everything relating to his life and profession. Fortunately, teenage scavengers rummaging through the Nelson City dump in the spring of 1978, unearthed crates of his memorabilia, but only a fraction of this trove — including a selection of diaries, correspondence and photographs were rescued and preserved.10 Although the Kootenay collections have been primarily used by regional researchers, they have also been used by outsiders: G.P.V. and Helen Akrigg of British Columbia Place Names, N.L. (Bill) Barlee of Canada West, the BC Heritage Conservation Branch and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (the newsworthy Sadegh Ghotbzadeh a.k.a. Asfahani, editor of the NDU student newspaper, became the Iranian Foreign Minister, ultimately executed for allegedly plotting an assassination of Ayatollah Khomeini.11) It is impossible not to be affected by the lure of the Kootenay when surrounded by a goldmine of primary regional history. My interest may have been reinforced by personal contacts at Oldtimers' Nights in the 1980s and also as a member of Nelson's Heritage Advisory Committee (later Community Heritage Commission) between 1981 and 1995. Access to this treasure trove of Kootenaiana made it possible to create three popular Nelson tours: Architectural Heritage Walking Tour (1984), Architectural Heritage Motoring Tour (1986) and Heritage Cemetery Tour (1991) — the first two won a BC Heritage Society Award in 1987. Later, when Nelson entered the Communities in Bloom competition, the Heritage Conservation sector's submission won five blooms (first prize, 2006) that included "Nelson's Blooming Past" a series of newspaper articles that appeared in Nelson Daily News. Material that languishes on the shelf serves no purpose. Why collect, describe, care for and retain documents if they are not uncovered, utilized and presented? Thus Kootenaiana resources became the focus of a personal quest to investigate, research and document lesser-known but intriguing Kootenay stor ies. Articles and book reviews have been published in newspapers and magazines, several encyclopedias or posted on websites; but the British Columbia Historical Federation has been the preferred vehicle to reveal and celebrate these Kootenaiana anecdotes. ■ Ron Welwood's career as a librarian began with the federal government's Librarian-in-Training programme followed by work in the National Library of Canada, 1967-1969; Notre Dame University of Nelson Library, 1969-1977; David Thompson University Centre Library, 1978-1984; Selkirk College Library, 1984-2000. After retirement he was Volunteer Archivist, Diocese of Nelson, 2000-2011. His interest in amassing Kootenaiana commenced in 1969 and continues today. Endnotes 1. Kootenayana seemed awkward and unappealing, thus I adapted the American spelling — Kootenai + ana. The Kootenaiana collection located at NDU Library and later, David Thompson University Centre (DTUC) grew to include print, non-print and archival resources including those relating to NDU/DTUC. 2. The provincial government handed over the campus and its assets to the City of Nelson. 3. Ron Welwood, "British Columbia's Political Library: David Thompson Library, a Decade as an Educational Icon," PNLA Quarterly, 60.2 (Winter 1996): 17-20 or "David Thompson Library: a History, 1954- 1994," Nelson Daily News, November 17, 1993, 2. 4. RJ. Welwood, Editor. Kootenaiana: a listing of books, government publications, monographs, journals, pamphlets, etc., relating to the Kootenay area of the province of British Columbia and located in the libraries of Notre Dame University of Nelson, B.C. and/or Selkirk College, Castlegar, B.C. 1976. 5. While talking to oldtimer, David Norcross, at the Chamber of Mines in Nelson, I met Argenta school teacher Peter Chapman and learned about his interest in recording Lardeau pioneer stories. Thanks to the Koerner Foundation a professional field tape recorder was purchased. The result was Chapman's Where the Lardeau River Flows (Victoria: Sound and Moving Image Division, B.C. Provincial Archives, 1981), Sound Heritage Series, Number 32. 6. Only one-half of the Joy papers were donated to the NDU Library in 1971 while the other half had been sent to the Provincial Archives previously. Arrangements were made to reunite, organize and microfilm these collections. All originals were then repatriated to Nelson in July 1978. Larry Scanlan, "Local History Lives in DTUC Collection," Nelson Daily News, July 17, 1978. 7. Ron Welwood, "Gone, But Not Forgotten: the Nelson Club, 1896- 1925," British Columbia Historical News, 26.1 (Winter 1992-1993): 2-6. 8. Stanley H. Scott, "A Profusion of Issues: Immigrant Labour, the World War, and the Cominco Strike of 1917," Labour/he Fravailleur, 2 (1977): 54-78; and his paper presented at a University of Oregon symposium, July 1976, "The Origins of Kootenay Society, 1890-1930," eds. Edwin R. Bingham and Glen A. Love, Northwest Perspectives: Essays on the Culture of the Pacific Northwest (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1979), 78-96. 9. NDU's Student Oral History Project (transcription) Fonds, Touchstones Nelson, Shawn Lamb Archives. 10. R.J. (Ron) Welwood, "Discarded and Recovered: Dr. E.C. Arthur Fonds" British Columbia History 47.2 (Summer 2014): 28-39. 11. "Sadegh Ghotbzadeh," Wikipedia, accessed 24 January 2015. BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 ^^■Ik , Kate Hennessy using a large, interactive, horizontal screen, like a large iPad, to interact with replica belongings and display information on the monitor behind her. Archaeologists refer to the material they excavate as artifacts or objects. Our Musqueam collaborators call these items belongings. Photo courtesy of Reese Muntean Belongings Musqueam Values and Interactive Technologies By Kate Hennessy, Alissa N. Antle, Reese Muntean, Susan Rowley and Jordan Wilson N ew technologies have provided museums with new possibilities for sharing information with visitors. From the use of video to tell stories about objects, to accessing mobile databases, museums no longer have to be dusty institutions exhibiting "exotic" cultures as remnants of a long-distant past. Archaeologists refer to the material they excavate as "artifacts" or "objects". Our Musqueam collaborators call these items — that were created by, and continue to belong to, their ancestors — 7el9wkw or belongings. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (MOA) sits on the traditional and unceded territory1 of the Musqueam people. Curators and Musqueam representatives have worked together for many years to Replicas were cast from molds and ha belongings. find ways to reflect contemporary Musqueam identities and concerns in the museum's exhibitions. New technologies have played a role in their collaborations; for example, the Musqueam Indian Band was a co-developer with MOA of a web- C : 8 : 7 : w- h : q: m Pronunciation Guide casna?am 17elawkw | hariqamiriarii "ts" + a little force adding a slight pop u in "but" A consonant with no sound like the space in "uh-oh" like the English w but with a bit of a creaky or constricted sound like an English k with a build-up of air pressure for a "popping" sound. The w means this sound is made with lips rounded like the English n but with a bit of a creaky or constricted sound is similar to "k" only farther back and slightly down your throat The apostrophe indicates glottalization which builds up the air pressure in your mouth so that there is a slight popping sound when the sound is released like the English m but with a bit of a creaky or constricted sound nd painted to resemble the original Photo courtesy of Reese Muntean based portal called the Reciprocal Research Network (http:// rrncommunity.org). Launched in March 2010, RRN helps researchers from museums and First Nations communities to work together and to make collections more easily searchable. Oral histories in the form of digital video and audio recordings have brought Musqueam voices and the hgncpmingm language directly into exhibitions. Recently, a team of curators, interaction designers, and computer scientists worked together to develop an interactive display for the exhibition cdsna?dm, the city before the city, an exploration of the ancient village of C9sna7gm, a site now covered by the Vancouver BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 Visitors can place an object from the fish table onto one of the rings on the digital tabletop; information appears about the object. Photo courtesy of Reese Muntean This can of Coke represents the colonial economic system. Photo courtesy of Reese Muntean 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 neighbourhood of Marpole. This project was a partnership between three Vancouver institutions — the Musqueam Indian Band, the Museum of Vancouver, and the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia — as well as the University of Waterloo. We were interested in finding ways to use digital media to help museums engage visitors in complex stories about history and identity. This project extended our collective understanding of the ways that new technologies might be used to communicate the rich cultural values associated with specific Musqueam belongings and their ties to place. Our main goal in this project was to find ways to demonstrate the richness of information that is associated with small fragments of belongings from casna7gm. In the past, it has been difficult for museums to interest visitors in the significance of small, apparently unremarkable items. We wanted to help visitors understand the complex stories of these ancient fragments and to demonstrate connections between these small belongings and the vast Musqueam knowledge of the environment, space and land. We wanted to communicate respect for Musqueam knowledge and create chances for conversation and new understanding about Musqueam values and history. We developed an interactive digital tabletop — a large horizontal screen with legs, like an oversized iPad or smartphone. Museum visitors can interact with it through their fingers, using touch gestures much like an iPad. In addition, some tabletops support tangible interaction, a form of computing in which everyday belongings can be sensed by a computer program when they are placed on the tabletop. Tangibles — as these belongings are called — allow visitors to interact with digital content stored on a computer. This digital content can include text, photographs, images, video, and audio files, such as interviews or other important narratives. Using replicas of ancient belongings excavated from C9sna7gm and contemporary everyday belongings, the tabletop shares stories about Musqueam's history and the importance of cultural knowledge in Musqueam life today. When a visitor places a replica of an ancient belonging on the tabletop, the computer system program can display digital content related to that belonging on the tabletop surface. In this way, visitors can access video or audio files, photographs or written interpretive ma- Kate Hennessy, Debbie Cheung, Brendan Matkin, Susan Rowley, and Jordan Wilson view belongings from casna?am in storage at the Laboratory of Archaeology at UBC. photo courtesy of Reese Muntean terial. They can also place belongings on "hot-spots" on the table and access relevant puzzles or games. Because they are physical tables that can respond to more than one visitor at a time, interactive tabletops allow visitors to gather and connect. They also encourage small groups to explore content through pre-specified patterns, such as steps in a narrative or timeline. The ?eldwkw—Belongings installation includes six replicas of ancient Musqueam belongings, six contemporary belongings, two activator rings, and three monitors on the walls (each ring is associated with a specific monitor, and the third shows photographs of the process of cleaning and filleting a fish). The tabletop itself displays a scene of a fish-cutting table with a salmon, salmon fillets, knife and knife sharpener. Surrounding the table are supplies used for fishing and preserving fish — nets, gas, oil, and wood. When visitors place a belonging in one of the rings on the table, basic information appears explaining what the belonging is and why it is important. Visitors can also connect belongings to their related area of the fish table image to learn more about the belonging's use and its place in Musqueam culture. For example, the ancient slate blade matches to the knife that is used to cut fish. Visitors can further explore connections between past and present by matching ancient belongings to their contemporary counterparts. In one such pairing, a stone net weight matches to a set of keys, showing that while some aspects of fishing look quite different BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 11 from the past (such as the use of motorized vessels), detailed fishing knowledge remains an important part of Musqueam culture today. Once visitors have learned about a belonging through these interactions and activities, they unlock short videos of Musqueam community members sharing stories of their own. The process of learning by doing is one that Musqueam community members highlight in their shared stories and is one that the table encourages in museum visitors. We want to provide visitors with space to pause and question what they are viewing. This opportunity for thought is accomplished through the use of the unexpected. Ancient and contemporary belongings sit together on a small cart and visitors are frequently taken by the fact that a Coke can sits there too. What is it here for? What relevance does it have for Musqueam culture? Even more thought provoking is the connection between the Coke can and an ancient adze or axe blade known made from nephrite and known to archaeologist as a celt. What could these two items possibly have in common? By connecting the celt and the Coke can on the tabletop, the visitor learns: For thousands of years our ancestors traded with our relatives and neighbours, both near and distant. This celt was made of nephrite, a material not found in our territory. This can of coke represents the colonial economic system. Today, resources are removed from and enter our territory as part of the global trade network. A series of images and texts following this introduction conveys further information on the topic of trade, including the establishment of salmon canneries on the Fraser River, today's global trade in BC resources, Musqueam's need to ask permission to gather traditional resources, and the modern community plans for sustainable economic development. This text weaves together the themes of the exhibit which are struc- Authors Kate Hennessy and Alissa N. Antle teach in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SAIT) at Simon Fraser University. Reese Muntean is a graduate student at SAIT. Susan Rowley is a curator at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia. Graduate student Jordan Wilson is a Musqueam Indian Band member and co-curator of the Belongings exhibit. Detail of the digital tabletop. Photo courtesy of Reese Muntean tured around the strands of importance in Musqueam's past and its values, the disruptions to culture that were the products of colonialism, the cultural continuities between past and present, and the necessity of building for a future of Musqueam sustainability and self-determination. Tangible computing technology has provided our team with an exciting tool for the communication of historical information. It has also allowed us to draw important connections between the history of the ancient village site at C9sna7gm and its ongoing significance for Musqueam people, including the challenges faced by the contemporary Musqueam community as it positions itself for the future with strength and resilience. We have been able to demonstrate how ancient belongings find continuity in new forms and to provide space and time for visitors to interact with each other in an open-ended exchange of knowledge and ideas. 7el9wkw—Belongings is up and running at MOA and beginning to connect visitors with Musqueam values — such as respect for cultural knowledge and the use of the hgnqgmingm language. We believe this new technology offers a space of dialogue for museum visitors and reminds us all that understanding and respect are essential tools for a future in which social justice and decolonization are priorities. ■ Endnote 1. Unceded territory = title to the land has not been relinquished title to the government by treaty or otherwise. Left to right: Reese Muntean, Alissa N. Antle and Kate Hennessy. Missing: Susan Rowley and Jordan Wilson. 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 Esquimalt naval station near Victoria, showing ships of H.M.'s fleet, circa 1900. image A-01066, courtesy of Royal bc Museum, bc Archives From British Columbia to Pax Britannica and Return By Barry Gough Countless times I have been asked how I came to be an historian and to spend my time writing on the themes that have been such pleasant companions to me for almost half a century now. What follows is a partial answer, and I say partial because the many compelling factors that have led me forth in "making history" are so various as to defy categorization or even simple explanation. Certainly among the passions that I have had in this line of work is my love of locale and landscape. I have always been drawn to the sea around me, and as one Victoria-born and bred, I grew up by great waters. Under power and canvas I have sailed its seas. I have often thought about the wonders of the deep and the travails of the mariner's life. I believe in "my home and native land," and I unabashedly claim that Canada is one of the great and beneficial inventions of the modern world, doubtless a place with more geography BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 13 than history, a odd collection of provinces and regions thrown together by the larger forces of history and by the common cause of being an un-American jurisdiction in the Americas. Although Canada is an experiment in nation building, it is defined by a constitution second to none in the world. I have been able to write about my own seas and my own lands and to follow my attraction for the humanitarian impulses in history. Perhaps because Friend at Hand pub, Russell Square, London, March 2007. Stephen Harris, UK pub history and historical Street directory website of my religious upbringing, I was early interested in crusades against slavery and the protection of aboriginal interests. Deeper reading into these aspects of our history has turned up some paradoxical and by no means finite subjects for historical study, and some of these I explored with delightful intensity in Gunboat Frontier: British Maritime Authority and Northwest Coast Indians, 1846-1890, published by UBC Press in 1984. Gunboat Frontier was not an afterthought to other books I had written about our coastal history; instead, it was an extension of The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast, 1810-1914: A Study of British Maritime Ascendancy (UBC Press, 1971) and Distant Dominion: Britain and the Northwest Coast of North America 1579- 1809 (UBC Press, 1980).1 The tale of how Gunboat Frontier was written lies in the story of its precursor, my Ph.D. thesis, which was published as The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast. When I embarked on my Ph.D. studies at Kings College University of London under Professor Gerald S. Graham, Rhodes Professor of Imperial History, I required a thesis subject of sufficient depth and breadth to support the necessary book, or number of scholarly articles, that the Historical Board of the Institute of Historical Research adamantly expected as an end result. Wanting to work on a topic of relevance to British Columbia, I had previously inquired of Willard Ireland, the Provincial Archivist, what prospects he saw. He advised that the only large subject that lay within my interests and had never been adequately researched was how Esquimalt came into existence as a British naval base. This grand suggestion opened many vistas. The rise and fall of British naval activities in the eastern Pacific therefore became my theme. Beginning with the War of 1812 and the struggle for control of Astoria (Fort George), my thesis concluded with the reorganization of the Royal Navy's Pacific and China stations and the transfer of the mighty naval infrastructure of the dockyard and marine facilities at Esquimalt to Canada by 1914. This story was surely enough for a very large book. Besides a safe and commodious harbour, the Royal Navy needed spars for masts and yards, coal for steaming, food and drink for officers and men, a dockyard for repair, and perhaps a hospital for convalescence. All of this was required in a temperate climate and on British soil. The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast, 1810-1914, was the first book published by the brand-new UBC Press. It was, apparently, a landmark in Vancouver publishing, too. The Ph.D. degree at London is a research degree. It entails both an appreciation for, and an evaluation of, the historical literature. A student passes or fails on the basis of his or her written work, originality of thought, thoroughness of research, and rigorous argument duly defended in the "bull ring" of seminar. I had to fight professorial doubt and geographical bias, for as Professor Graham proclaimed, the Royal Navy in the Pacific was "small potatoes." I set out to prove him wrong, as indeed I was obliged so to do. Three years of research in London at my own expense and with a young family proved an added challenge — and a glorious one. London, then as now, is a global centre of historical studies. It is the seat of unparalleled repositories of documents related to the early history of Canada and its coastlines. I found I was not alone in working my way through countless Foreign Office, Colonial Office, and especially Admiralty files. After-seminar sessions in a public house called "Friend at Hand," off Russell Square, soothed the nerves as well 14 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 as enriched friendships with other colonials who had come from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada and joined an essentially British post-graduate cohort. Sundays were spent exploring the metropolis, its memorials and flagstone walkways, its museums and galleries. "When you are tired of London you are tired of life," counseled Dr. Johnson. I had the advantage of access to the Hudson's Bay Company's Archives, then in Beaver House, City of London, where at the end of the day I was obliged to turn in my notes for the archivist's overnight scrutiny. The smell of furs arising from the auction room below and the tinkling of the bell by the tea lady announcing her presence in the hallway remain even to this day charming remembrances. Other excursions took me into deepest Warwickshire to the country house of the late Rear-Admiral Sir George Seymour, who had been Commander-in-Chief Pacific at the time of the Oregon crisis and who had sent various frigates, sloops and even a paddle- wheel steamer into our waters to protect British interests against American interlopers. Because naval history was not a university subject, I was necessarily self-taught in that field, though closely watched by Rear Admiral PW Brock, C.B., D.S.O.. He was retired from the Royal Navy and living near Hazlemere, Surrey. He became my guide and saved me countless occasions from my all-too-easily made, and thus mistaken, judgments about naval officers and ships' complements. I had to learn the design characteristics of a gunboat as opposed to a gun vessel, and the range of shot and shell. I learned the difference between a cannon and a carro- nade, a torpedo and a torpedo boat destroyer, shore defences and garrison, telegraphy and wireless, and much else. I learned what "Up Funnel Down Screw" meant as a command. I imbibed the Nelson tradition and learned about "That Hamilton Woman," dear Emma. All that I knew about Captain George Vancouver was I learned to recognize handwriting of the main characters, interpret an eccentric English turn of phrase, and glean the policy formation of the day upon which future demonstrations of " quarterdeck diplomacy/ repressions, based. paltry in comparison to this very much larger canvas of world-ranging authority. I passed long days reading Admiralty documents, all written in longhand. I learned to recognize handwriting of the main characters, interpret an eccentric English turn of phrase, and glean the policy formation of the day upon which future demonstrations of "quarterdeck diplomacy," even repressions, would be based. Days passed yielding little of significance; others, a bonanza. Patience brought results but not before despair. One hundred years of "reports of proceedings" had to be read and digested. To my great relief the handwriting of my witnesses became more legible as the century advanced, and I rejoiced when I could read typed documents and printed memoranda. My argument in The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast was that British Columbia owed its existence to British sea power. This ran counter to the old argument that the Province arose from the Hudson's Bay Company's enterprizes, for it was empire within empire. It was a matter of satisfaction that my external examiner, none other than the dean of corporate studies of British imperial expansion, Professor John S. Galbraith of the University of California Los Angeles and then Smuts Professor at the University of Cambridge, accepted my argument and thesis, if perhaps a little reluctantly. What I had proved was that the HBC was not the only agent in the commercial and political project of creating British Columbia's boundaries. Russian rivalry on the north and American expansion into Oregon, by settlement and political design, prompted the British response. With the HBC's influence sagging under the free trade enthusiasms of mid-century, the Navy based at Esquimalt became the main agency supporting colonial government, hydro- graphical surveying, and cross-cultural relations. The advent of steam navigation had profound influence on the extension of colonial and later Canadian authority, even would be BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 15 and with it the Navy's focus shifted from keeping a nervous eye on the Russians and the Americans to enforcing a Pax Britannica — the British peace — in our very own waters. Day after day as my research progressed — often in dimly lit and un- heated archives — and as I laboured to contain the immensity of my thesis, I struggled to resist the lateral tours into important flashpoints of coastal history that the archival documents offered. They included the difficulties at Fort Rupert, northern Vancouver Island, where the Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) and the Nahwitty were embroiled in what justice of the peace John Sebastian Helmcken called "this miserable affair." Although my thesis touched on this event — the first time a British gunship fired on aboriginal people in the Pacific Northwest — it did not carry sufficient depth in terms of native evidence and responses, HBC interests, Naval actions or the intervention by the Governor of Vancouver Island, Richard Blanshard. Other research tours I resisted were mid-nineteenth-century problems of contact in the Cowichan Valley, in the Gulf Islands, in Haida Gwaii, at Hesquiat on the west coast of Vancouver Island, at the mouth of the Nass River, and at Port Simpson and Metlakahtla. For future reference, I kept in a bulging shoebox a running file of cards headed up "Indians." On my trusty 4 by 6 inch note cards I made brief notes of the episodes and the documents in question. Later, thesis done, I extracted these notes and began work on what became Gunboat Frontier. But something else had happened in the interim. Interested colleagues at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, and at nearby academic institutions were pushing back the boundaries of "ethnohistory," and I was soon drawn into interdisciplinary studies, mainly Barry Gough, lecturing as professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University, 1980s. Wilfrid Laurier University Archives & Special Collections with anthropologists and archaeologists. The Laurier Conference on Ethnohistory was born. It brought together some of the best minds of our times: Donald Smith, David McNab, Douglas Leighton, Cornelius Jaenen, Charles Bishop, Olive Dickason, and others. I learned all about "upstreaming" and "down streaming" anthropological technique; I studied all about F. Boas and George Hunt. Douglas Cole became a wonderfully valuable colleague and critic. In those days the teaching of "Indian History" at the university level had just begun, and the two-semester sequence I crafted was the first of its kind in Canada: Semester One was Eastern Woodlands and Arctic; Semester Two, Plains and Pacific Wests. In those days the patriation of the Canadian Constitution was in process, and with it was the amending formula, and of extreme importance, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which under Section 35 recognized existing Aboriginal rights for "Indians, Inuit and Metis" people. This truly groundbreaking document which embroiled our whole nation in discussion about its past, present and future, received final approval on 17 April 1982. These external debates came home to my classroom in very real ways. One of my students in "Indian History," Part Two, came up to me after morning class. "Dr. Gough," she said, "can I speak to you about something very unusual?" I replied in the positive. "Last night at my family dinner table," my father said to us all, "My dears, I have something to tell you. I have made up my mind what course I intend to pursue. I leave it to each of you to decide what you want to do." My student paused. Tears came to her eyes. She told me that her father had been doing genealogical re- 16 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 search and had found that he was Metis. He intended to declare himself as such. He told his family of his decision at what must have been the most remarkable event ever held around that table. My student was surprised and shocked, but soon gathered her strength. She made her own declaration, the very next day, on the morning of my class. Until that historic family Sunday dinner she had been White; now she was Metis. ^^^^^™ Not long afterwards, the distinguished American scholar from the Smithsonian Institution, Wilcomb Washburn, pointed out to me that Canada was a most enlightened nation by virtue of the fact that it accorded official status to a "mixed-blood" peoples, the Metis . His words and the unfolding life story of this newly-declared student in my classroom reminded me I was participating in and witnessing remarkable times in the history of my country. Writing about the aboriginal side of British naval influences in BC's history was not only a natural thing for me to do, but it was also an essential means of furthering the story about British sea power in our waters which I had begun to tell in The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast. Gunboat Frontier was the result. My studies in Anthropology and my contributions to the journal Ethnohistory and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography aided and abetted my progress. As I worked to learn about the ethnographic particulars of what publishers like to call "Northwest Coast peoples," I also learned that there were a great many different types of British naval officers. Some, to my delight, proved to have strong humanitarian instincts: Joseph Denman, James Prevost, and George Henry Richards are three who come to mind. And I also learned that I must never diminish either the warlike ardour or the military capabilities of native tribes, for as a friendly critic pointed out after reading a draft that I was in danger of diminishing their tribal vigour and willingness to fight. The viewpoints of Denman, Prevost and Richards I also learned that I must never diminish either the warlike ardour or the military capabilities of native tribes, for as a friendly critic pointed out after reading a draft that I was in danger of diminishing their tribal vigour and willingness to fight. were entirely in keeping with British policies of trusteeship. The select committee of Parliament investigating abuses against native peoples in the British Empire knew all about the territories usurped, European vices and diseases introduced, and the drink and guns imported. "The British Empire," wrote the report's high-minded members, "has been signally blessed by Providence in her eminence, her strength, her wealth, her prosperity.... These were given for some higher purpose than commercial prosperity and military renown.... He who has made Great Britain what she is will require at our hands how we have employed the influence He has lent to us in our dealings with the untutored and defenceless savages [sic]." 2 By 1837, then, the same time that self-government was being promoted in the Canadas, the metropolitan forces of empire had adopted a new standard for frontier behaviour. Empire- makers wrestled with the question of how colonial self-government was to develop side by side with native trusteeship. It was a duality that was to perplex British policy makers for the rest of the century, and that continues to trouble Canadians as heirs of empire to this time. The legal implementation of trusteeship is disclosed in the Proclamation of 1763, the Canada Jurisdiction Act of 1803 [dealing with offences committed in the Indian Territories], and another statute, enacted in 1821 and called An Act for regulating the Fur Trade and establishing a Criminal and Civil Jurisdiction within certain Parts of North America. This legal framework was preliminary to the formal introduction of law and justice in the Colony of Vancouver Island.3 Ending slavery and controlling liquor traffic were two persistent problems faced by civil authorities. They became matters for British gunboats. Neither was easy work, for Indian slave owners and sellers as well as liquor producers and vendors were difficult to locate and even harder to stop. Indeed, controlling the liquor traffic proved beyond the power of gunboats BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 17 •''«*• Sitting left to right; Sub-Lieutenant E.P. Bedwell, 2nd Master Daniel Pender, Mrs. G.H. Richards, 1st Lieutenant William Moriarity; standing. Dr. David Lyell, Paymaster W.H.J. Brown, Captain G.H. Richards, 2nd Lieutenant R.C. Mayne; of HMS Plumper, 1862. Image B-036i7, courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives already taxed by other duties. I was surprised to find that one of the first laws created by the government of the Colony of Vancouver Island controlled the import and sale of spirituous liquors. This enactment, by the Proclamation of 13 May 1850, applied equally to natives and whites. In his preamble to this proclamation, Governor Richard Blanshard specifies that "the free and unrestricted traffic in spirituous liquors has caused and does still cause great damage and inconvenience to the Inhabitants of Her Majesty's Colony of Vancouver's Island, by debauching and corrupting the population, both native and Immigrant." The proclamation provided regulations for specified volumes and sale of imported liquors. It also established penalties for unlawful offenses. Its intention was to prevent smuggling and to lessen its attendant social evils. I was fascinated, but not surprised, to find that Governor Blanshard had instincts to protect natives as well as whites. Rummaging in various treatises and files in the B.C. Archives and in papers of the Church Missionary Society and the Aborigines Protection Society revealed the strong instinct of government in those days that drink was a curse and would surely destroy the Indian nations. Blanshard advised his superior in London, the 3rd Earl Grey, that the importation and manufacture of "ardent spirits" was a danger. First, he believed drink led to riotous conduct by miners and labourers at Fort Rupert, which he feared might lead to serious consequences with the Indian population. Second, he argued that the introduction of spirituous liquors "tends to demoralize the Indians to a most dangerous degree."4 These humanitarian instincts to protect native populations were supported by his scheme of import duties. Initially import duties were imposed; somewhat later regulations were introduced to establish quality control. Some of the most fearful and dangerous, even lethal, concoctions were being peddled to the Indians by illicit means. 18 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 Another important role of the Royal Navy at the time was in anti-slavery patrols. The gradual abolition of slavery was achieved by stopping inter-tribal marauding.5 For millennia, slaves had been an integral part of coastal Indian life, ideology, and mythology. Slaves were of high economic and prestige value to their owners. Some slaves were captured in battle; they were used for food gathering and for canoeing. Other slaves were acquired by raiding parties or by purchase. Certain tribes were well-known slave traders. At the Columbia River and at Port Simpson where slaves were bought and sold, prized dentalia, blankets, food and other property was used to pay for them. Slavery, I found to my surprise, was widespread:, in 1845, by the estimate of two British army lieutenants, 5,146 indigenes lived in slavery in Hudson's Bay Company territories west of the Rocky Mountains, that is, about one in every fifteen Indians. Other surveys record the percentage of coastal Indians enslaved as between four and six, perhaps higher. British officials who came to colonial British Columbia could not ignore slave traffic nor slavery in general. Parliament had abolished the British slave trade in 1807 and legislated the end of slavery everywhere within the Empire in 1833. The Foreign Office had conducted an international campaign to rid the world of the institution. James Douglas trusted to "moral influence" to end the traffic, and seems to have done nothing to free slaves. On the other hand, his policy of non-interference in an indigenous institution, and of trusting to the moral influence of law, presumably of Christianity, for the eventual eradication of slavery showed his appreciation of the strength of indigenous societies. Even as late as 1859, the HBC did not attempt to free slaves by coercion. Rather, as is shown by the case of a Snuneymuxw Indian woman who had been captured in a foray by some Fort Rupert Kwakiutl, the Company engaged in the native custom of paying a reward for her return. By British practices this was, indeed, as the British Boundary Commission naturalist who witnessed the transaction wrote, "a strange purchase." Further, the coming of missionaries proved a powerful force for liberty, and ending slavery in those communities; indeed, in this forum, far from being repressors, they were liberators. The Navy was similarly bound by the cultural mores of the Victorian age and many of the officers and men were caught up in the crusade of liberation. Admirals Fairfax Moresby and Denman brought to the Coast great records as anti-slavery advocates, duly recognized by the United Kingdom government. Douglas invited the cooperation of the Navy in the greatest anti-slavery measure ever taken in British Columbia. Douglas, who by now placed less confidence in moral influence and took on a reformed position involving direct action, believed that the abolition of slavery and the security of the settlements could be best achieved by telling the Indians, especially those at or near Fort Rupert, in Haida Gwaii, in the Nass-Skeena river estuaries, and on the west coast of Vancouver Island, that they must stop fighting one another and live by British law. Thus in i860, when the "danger" to the fledgling infrastructure of settlement had reached its apex, H.M.S. Plumper, Termagant and Alert, all under w^mi^m This photo at Drakes Bay was taken on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Drake there and the proclaiming of Nova Albion, the English claim on the Pacific Coast of North America. Photo courtesy of Barry Gough BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 19 the command of Captain George Henry Richards, undertook to take the governor's message to the various warring tribes and to extract promises from their chiefs that they would live according to British law and stop fighting each other, especially during their annual voyages to Victoria. The vessels steamed from Esquimalt, proceeded to Fort Rupert, and then, each taking a section of the coast, visited all the main Indian villages north of Vancouver Island as well as those on the Island's west coast. Everywhere the amphibious diplomats were well received. Chiefs promised to obey the law and to live in peace. They agreed to stop their marauding expeditions. Some even offered to restore all slaves stolen from Vancouver Island. By extracting promises of mutual agreement among the Haida, Tsimshian, Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl), and other chiefs, the British brokered a peace. The chiefs seem to have been more concerned with economic realities and the social consequences of their situation than with the moral implications of slavery as perceived by the British. Nonetheless they apparently agreed to the terms presented. Thus gunboat diplomacy served to reduce intertribal tensions and violence, helped achieve security for settlers, and weakened the tendency towards slave-taking and thus slave-trading. And so the Pax Britannica was achieved. It was no small undertaking, and has left many legacies. In later years I began to conceive of a book in which I might explore the British Columbia themes I had worked on since my graduate school days in a global context. I chose the century between 1815 to 1914, that is, the time between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe and the War of 1812 in North America and the outbreak of the great catastrophe of WWI in 1914. Once again, I spent many a month and many a year in England in my beloved Admiralty papers in the Public Record Office in London, now The National Archives in Kew in the county of Surrey. I found myself learning about the Navy dhow-chasing in the Indian Ocean, and bribing Arab sheiks to comply with British naval promises so as to end piracy of the east coast of Africa. I investigated how the British spun their imperial web in the South Pacific, despite every intention of avoiding "wasps nests." Once again the missionary factor played a role, and that was not all: "blackbirders" had to be checked from taking away native labour to work Queensland sugar fields. The lessons of "the imperialism of free trade" and "turbulent frontiers" leading to the expansion of Empire all came into play. In the Mediterranean, the corridor to India had to be maintained. Beyond the Indian Ocean, through the Straits of Malacca lay the allure and the profits of China and Japan. In Latin America, "Gentlemanly Capitalism" provided a touchstone for theory and historical practice. I even included a chapter on hydrographic surveying, and did not neglect to mention old Captain Franklin frozen in ice, his men having forged the last link of the Northwest Passage with their lives. I had girdled the globe, but in doing so made British Columbia an integral part of the larger scenario. When Pax Britannica: Ruling the Waves and Keeping the Peace Before Armageddon was published last year, by Palgrave Macmillan, I had brought my story full circle. And I hope this work that grew from the lands and oceans that have fascinated me all my life shows that the British Columbia story — with its lovely particularities and odd nuances — is but a variant of a larger ethos and enterprise embodied in the work of the Royal Navy. It is really only a chapter in global history after all.H Barry Gough was founding director of Canadian Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Fellow of King's College London and Life Member of the Association of Canadian Studies. He is author of many critically acclaimed books, including Fortune's a River: The Collision of Empires in Northwest America (Harbour, 2007). He has written biographies of Sir Alexander Mackenzie and Peter Pond. Gough has been writing about the the Pacific Coast for almost four decades. history of Endnotes 1. The second and enlarged edition appeared as The Northwest Coast: British Navigation, Frade, and Discoveries to 1812 (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1992). 2. For discussion of this, see George R. Mellor, British Imperial Frustee- ship, 1783-1850 (London: Faber & Faber, 1951). 3. For an introduction and further discussion of these issues, see Barry Gough, "Law and Empire: the Extension of Law to Vancouver Island and New Caledonia, "Western Legal History, 6, 2 (Summer/Fall 1993): 217-28. These "humanitarian" aspects featured in the decision made by the British Government to award the Charter of Grant for the colonization of Vancouver Island to the Hudson's Bay Company, though there were many other factors. Barry Gough, "Crown, Company, and Charter: Founding Vancouver Island Colony — a Chapter in Victorian Empire Making," BC Studies, no. 176 (Winter 2012/13): 9-54. 4. For sources and further discussion of these matters, see Appendix II: Statutory Provisions of Liquor Relating to British Columbia Indians, 1850-1867, in Gough, Gunboat Frontier, 219-23. 5. More extensive treatment of this is given in Gough, Gunboat Frontier, 84-94; and for additional discussion of the prevalence of slavery, Gough, "Send a Gunboat! Checking Slavery and Controlling Liquor Traffic Among Coast Indians of British Columbia," Pacific Northwest Quarterly, 69,4 (October 1978): 159-61. 20 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 Making Nautical History in British Columbia n British Columbia Kc-. x y_ <- C Li https://vWAv.facebook.com/group By John MacFarlane Every day a significant percentage of the more than 500 members of the British Columbia Nautical History Facebook Group document and share nautical history by posting photographs, answering questions and discussing the content publicly on line. This is a far cry from the days when only accomplished writers and historians published books and magazine articles. There is now a widely held perception that nautical history seems to be growing out of fashion. It seems to lack wide and current appeal, especially compared to popular interest in themes such as collecting antiques, old vehicles, sports history, and stories of the "great and the good" or "very bad." 'Making history' involves using references from materials held in libraries, archives, museums and personal collections. Since the earliest writing and documentation of the nautical history of British Columbia the thematic focus appears to have been mainly on exploration, industrial or military themes, or on individual ships and mariners themselves. Today little has changed — even in digital media channels those topics continue to fascinate those who retain an interest. On first consideration the major geographical focus might appear to be confined to the narrow inhabited portion of the Pacific coast. While that area produces the most images and stories, nautical history themes are also interwoven with the overall history of the province. There are few themes which do not have any nautical links from inland rivers and lakes. Agriculture, mining, forestry and many other pursuits have depended much on boats and ships — particularly in the early days before the creation of road and rail infrastructure. The earliest printed historical references come mainly from the UK. The multi-volume accounts of Captain Cook's and Captain Vancouver's voyages were among the very first. Since almost all early settlers arrived by ship, nautical references appear prominently in the works of early BC writers. Regular reporting of marine activity in newspapers now forms an important source of documentation for researchers but was not perceived to be of historical importance at the time of publication. Captain John Walbran published his compilation of British Columbia Coast Names 1592-1906: Their Origin and History that made documentation widely accessible for the first time. In his introductions he acknowledged §1 >i< I British Columbia Nautical History Jcin this group to post and comment PINNED POST i. John M. MacFarlane 22 October 2014 Ediled Post your photographs, share your memories, ask your questions! Please stay on topic - anything that has a link to the Nautical History of British Columbia is discussed here. We are a friendly, respectful and polite Group - please stay on topic and feel free to recommend this Group to people you think would be interested. Like Share li 14 [^ 19 RECENTACTIVITY ABOUT 591 members '.': Public Group Go ahead and post photos of working vessels, yachts, boat builders, mariners, queries and anythi... See More Tags: Boat building ■ Boats ■ Tugboats CREATE NEW GROUPS Groups make it easier than ever to t'\i */\ share with friends, family and ^«—S teammates -|- Create group SUGGESTED GROUPS The British Columbia Nautical History Facebook group has over 700 members. BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 21 Judge Howay speaking at the unveiling of the walking beam of the S.S. Beaver at Prospect Point, July 26,1941. City of Vancouver Archives, AM54-S4-: Port P569.5. 22 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 the names of more than 60 individuals he identifies as authorities in their own right and we might infer that nautical history was widely discussed in some circles. His approach resembles the notes of an antiquarian, capturing significant and trivial information in an entertaining and informative way — but very useful and providing many launch points for further inquiry. His work continues to fascinate casual and serious historians into the present time. It may have been Captain John Voss' stunt of attempting to sail around the world in a First Nations wooden dugout canoe and the publication of his book the Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss that focussed widespread popular interest in BC's nautical heritage. Today this book has a near-cult readership worldwide and Voss' abilities to navigate small craft in heavy seas are still cited by blue water sailors. Even as he sailed he had a sense of history and intended to capitalize on it as a business enterprise after his voyage. He was well ahead of his time in his approach and achieved worldwide notoriety. He was certainly well known in Victoria until recent times when his story has been allowed to slip into lost memories. The British Columbia Historical Association (now Federation) played an early and pivotal role in documenting and presenting nautical heritage in its journal and in presentations at its meetings. Judge F.W. Howay was particularly interested in these stories and documented early nautical history throughout his life. In the early days there is frequent mention of his chairmanship of a Marine History Committee (of the then British Columbia Historical Association) suggesting that there was special interest in maritime heritage although there is little tangible evidence of the work of the group remaining. In 1928 the Hawaiian Historical Society sponsored the first significant efforts to honor Captain Cook's Pacific voyages in a sesquicentennial (150th) celebration in Hawaii. Judge Howay, representing Canada and the BCHF at the celebration, contributed a paper on the "Relations of Hawaii with the Northwest". He also brought a number of books and photostat copies of old ships' logs of the 1780s and he brought a copy of the original map made by Captain Cook of Kealakekua Bay. By Act of Congress, funding went to the Archives of Hawaii to establish a "Captain Cook Memorial Collection" The first contributions to the Hawaiian collection came from BC via Judge F. W. Howay. Major Longstaff was another retired army officer and active member of the British Columbia Historical Association who devoted much time and effort to documenting BC's nautical history. He also publicly advocat ed for the establishment of a maritime museum as one of the key proponents. He organized a committee of prominent members of the marine community, historians and the Victoria naval officers to work on its organization. Without Longstaff's leadership it would be fair to say that a Maritime Museum of British Columbia (MMBC) would not have been established in Victoria until many years later. (It is variously reported that in 1939 he also chaired the Marine History Committee of the British Columbia Historical Association) and it is reported that he made a number of addresses on nautical subjects to member meetings. Longstaff's collection of papers — particularly a large set of surveyor's notebooks filled with notes, cuttings and observations on maritime and naval topics — are preserved in the British Columbia Archives. He also wrote a number of nautical history books and was active in military science until his death. Ship-borne field trips up the coast of Vancouver Island organized by Major Longstaff were enjoyed by groups of BCHF members. They documented what was then perceived to be 'historical' nautical heritage — curiously documenting people, events and vessels that were less than 50 years old. Their sense of nautical historical significance was already strong in this group and antiquity was not the sole criterion applied to their interests. Their findings appear to have been documented in "rich" captions for photograph collections that were collated in presentation albums, one of which is still held at the MMBC. The earliest collections were, of course, in what was then the Provincial Archives and the Provincial Museum (now the Royal BC Museum Corporation). The concentration of preserved assets has the unintended consequence of also making them less accessible. They were then, and still are now, largely inaccessible to the average investigator — although this is slowly improving through internet access. This is impeded by the large holding of uncatalogued material which will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. The Maritime Museum of British Columbia made early efforts to gather and preserve the records and artifacts of nautical significance. Major James S. Matthews, whom early marine writer Ruth Greene described in her early book Personality Ships of British Columbia as someone "whose records of individual ships are without equal," created the foundation for the Vancouver City Archives. Matthews also took an antiquarian approach in his documentation combining anecdotal material with solid documentation. After his military and business career he focused solely on collecting historical material about Vancouver. BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 23 He managed to publish some of his material before his death but it was not widely distributed. He was collecting this material at a time when few people recognized its historical significance. Sailors love to share a yarn. Major Longstaff was, in 1932, a prime mover in the formation of the Thermopylae Club in Victoria BC and hosted the inaugural meeting of October 21,1932. This club served the interests of deep sea mariners who were nautical history enthusiasts. For many years it was the senior nautical heritage organization in British Columbia. Originally for retired mariners, it still functions and holds regular meetings in Victoria and now accepts members who profess interest in the sea and seamanship. The Thermopylae Club evolved from a gathering of old mariners who had served under sail and who liked to swap oral history. Their club records record some of the details of the presentation made to it — and the most significant were gathered and published by writer Ursula Jupp. Some of the original members personally applied their shipwright skills to restoring and stabilizing the Tilikum after its arrival in Victoria. The long term preservation of ships and boats is technically difficult and very costly — to the point of being prohibitive. Yet it was the move to preserve the Tilikum and later the St. Roch that drew public attention (and support) to the Maritime Museums in Victoria and Vancouver. The public perceived the importance of these two significant artifacts and the Museums did a good job of communicating the fascinating detail of their stories and their contribution to Canadian history. Public focus arose again when the Maritime Museum of British Columbia (MMBC) moved into its quarters in the old courthouse on Bastion Square in Victoria. The Tilikum, which had been retrieved from the UK and displayed in Thunderbird Park for many years, suffering from prolonged neglect, Major James Skitt was moved inside the Museum. She Rifles, 1936. was in a sad state having been stored in the open air and required stabilization again. The move inside was hotly debated in the Provincial Legislature — and divided public feeling and opinion raged while the back wall of the Museum was demolished to allow its entry into the exhibit hall where it sits today. In the early 1950s the Royal Canadian Navy created a naval museum in Esquimalt that soon evolved into the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. It held the artifacts, archives, library and exhibits interpreting the nautical history of British Columbia. To promote economy the navy was anxious to relinquish the museum Matthews, 6th Regiment Duke of Connaught's Own City of Vancouver Archives, A34192. 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 The Tilikum on display at Thunderbird Park, 1953. mage I-26982, courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives. — and the civilian members wanted it to represent broader themes than just those of the navy. It moved to a central location in part to fulfill the City of Victoria's downtown revitalization aspirations at Bastion Square. It also solved a problem for the Provincial Government acting as a tenant for an undesirable and vacant historic building. The MMBC published a particularly interesting journal, The Resolution, for almost two decades as well as a series of comprehensive occasional papers. In spite of the grand name the MMBC tended to have only local aspirations and budget limitations made it almost impossible to exert wider influence. The City of Vancouver was anxious to have its own maritime museum with a focus on the Port and the Arctic (a theme inherited with the St. Roch). From their beginnings the two institutions have tended to be rivals for acquisitions and funding. This has been particularly unhelpful in preserving and presenting nautical heritage. Instead of creating synergistic partnerships, they have tended to strengthen the protection of local interests. Governments have been skillful at exploiting institutional rivalries to avoid dedicating significant funding to an institution representing the nautical heritage of the Province. The MMBC remains the largest non-government maritime museum in the country. The commemorative role of the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada does not The Tilikum under sail at Galiano Island, 1901.1900. mage E-04094, courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives. present a particularly strong marine component. The MMBC established its own prototypical metal historic markers with notable examples seen today at San Juan Island (USA), and on the beach at the Royal Roads. Unfortunately this program fizzled out, probably because the necessary thematic analysis to support the identification of themes and stories had not been put in place. The public display of major artifacts (for example the propeller of the Iroquois, the mast of HMS Algerine and various large anchors) is yet another facet of recording history through major artifact collections. Major George Nicholson's book Vancouver Island's West Coast, 1762-1962 became one of the most suc- BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 25 Rob Morris, editor of Westcoast Mariner. cessful self-published books about British Columbia in the 1960s and 1970s. He could not find a publisher who would print the book so in 1962 he became one of the first in a long tradition of nautical writers to self-publish. "George Nicholson was not only a West Coast pioneer," says BC historian T.W Paterson, "but a publishing pioneer." In an obituary for him the Victoria Times Colonist, Alec Merriman described George Nicholson as "the authority on anything pertaining to Vancouver Island's West Coast." It was reprinted at least 12 times by Nicholson before his death and it is estimated that he sold 25,000 personally autographed copies. Ten years after cutting the MMBC adrift after its move to Victoria, the Navy re-established a naval museum at CFB Esquimalt. This effectively withdrew support of the MMBC and created even more competition for community support. This had the effect of hobbling the MMBC and creating the long term funding issues that plague the society to this day. After being pushed from their tenancy in the courthouse (ill-suited to preservation of any significant assets) they are poised to move to a high profile location. This may prove to be the beginning of a re-birth, consolidation and definition of new roles for them. An interesting outlier in the published histories are the two huge volumes of Lewis & Dry den's Marine Courtesy of Rob Morris. History of the Pacific Northwest and The HW. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. Published in Seattle and edited by Gordon Newell they are trans-border compilations of a chronology of ships, personalities, companies, events and marine industry. They are remarkable for their size and detail, but more so because they do not recognize the traditional impediment to a broader understanding of history — the international border. British Columbia detail comprises a little less than half the volume of pages. The details of the ships have been made available on-line and provide partial access to those not fortunate enough to have access to a printed volume. Norman A. McLellan and Norman Hacking, two Vancouver journalists, regularly presented historical themes to newspaper readers. Their personal knowledge of the industry and skill at presenting information engaged wide audiences who might otherwise have ignored these stories. McLellan wrote the column "Marine Notebook" in the Harbour & Shipping journal. Hacking was a reporter covering the waterfront for the Vancouver Sun. Many currently active writers mention the inspiration they acquired by reading the work of these two writers. Newspaper and magazine reporting has been a major channel of communicating nautical history in the past (the Islander Magazine in Victoria, regular col- 26 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 umns in the Vancouver Sun and Harbour & Shipping, articles in the Western Mariner and Pacific Yachting are particularly important. The Islander Magazine of the Victoria Times Colonist provided a venue for many years for stories by freelance writers with a nautical historical theme. Many of these writers gained the confidence and content to produce stand-alone books that reached even wider audiences. Of particular note is the writing and publishing efforts of Rob Morris (and his predecessor Alan Haig- Brown and their long time contributor Rick James), who have carried the torch for nautical journalism over the last two decades. While their magazine, Westcoast Mariner, communicates largely aspects of the modern marine industry interest Morris never misses an opportunity to document the past and to demonstrate that the stories all have deep historical roots. In the interior, freshwater nautical history has almost no public profile at all. With little tangible evidence of marine activity surviving, the public could be forgiven for not knowing that there was once a large fleet of ships, boats and barges making life and commerce possible. It would seem that they disappeared so suddenly that they have passed from the public memory in a flash. In recent years there has been a slow drift apart between the popular and academic historical writers. Barry Gough (a past President of the BCHF) has built a solid body of work related to the history of the Pacific coast which has both educated and enlightened two generations of readers. Historian Bob Turner (formerly of the Royal British Columbia Museum) has been a prolific writer with many nautical titles in a larger body of work on transportation history. He combines the rigour of a research historian with the enthusiasm of an interpreter and presenter of history and nautical themes. His books demonstrate the best possible standards of authorship to the nautical community. Channels of communication that expand public awareness and presentation seem to be increasing modestly at the moment. Participation seems to be more inclusive and encouraging for writers and researchers. While we still frequently see losses of major marine artifacts and cutbacks in museums, we also see a growing number of books and articles being published — many self-published using modern technological tools. Internet website presence and social media activity has picked up dramatically in the two years. Nautical researchers have been slow to embrace these modern phenomena but are rapidly becoming voracious consumers of images, stories, data and discussion. I suspect that the personal empowerment felt by these participants — making nautical history more popular — will result in more enthusiasts emerging and engaging. Almost any researcher now has access to tools and assets that allow them to carry out sophisticated online research. There are still challenges. Making nautical heritage stories, source documents, and data accessible is a major issue today. To progress and grow the body of knowledge and understanding we will need much more access for researchers who are not able to personally access archival and museum storage facilities. Casual researchers (such as family genealogists or community historians) also need online access to databases of people and vessels and assistance with the techniques for maximizing their searches. As a group interested in provincial, regional and local history we need to find more and better ways to make history more accessible. A proper provincial thematic analysis could highlight provincially and regionally significant nautical themes worthy of commemoration and further study. This is work that could be championed by the BCHF. Alarmingly I perceive a revisionist drift in the public perception of history which emphasizes the bad in the past while omitting the good. Whole aspects of nautical history are being tainted by political filters — skewing the stories that are being told. A downside of the lack of any sort of peer review of some of the material now publicly available is that it can be used to advance political or commercial agendas without regard for a full and frank discussion of all aspects of our nautical history. In spite of the current challenges I am optimistic for the future of the documentation and sharing of nautical history in British Columbia. After several decades of malaise I see many excellent initiatives in several parts of the province. There seems to be a growing mass of energy which may lead to a high water mark in the public appreciation of the provincial story and creating a foundation for consideration of the issues affecting the future. ■ John MacFarlane is the Curator Emeritus of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. He is the founder of the on-line searchable maritime history database at Nauticapedia.ca and is active as the Curator of the British Columbia Nautical History Facebook Group. He is also the author of 13 books and more than a hundred articles. BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 27 Sikh men standing on the platform of the Maple Grove station off Bateman Road, now the Matsqui Prairie area of Abbotsford. Circa 1910s or 1920s. The Reach P76i6 Sikh Roots in the Fraser Valley 100 YEARS AND COUNTING by Rishma Johal In celebrating the centennial of the Abbotsford Sikh Temple, the Sikh Heritage Museum provided an opportunity for descendants of Sikh pioneers to reconnect with their personal histories and for Indo-Canadian students to learn about the history of their ancestors within Canada. Popular literature that the community has produced over the past five years has aimed to establish a sense of belonging for younger South Asian Canadians by preserving historical accounts of Sikh pioneers and by reminding new generations as well as new members of the Sikh community that they are not outsiders but longstanding residents within the Fraser Valley; in fact, it is their rightful home. "Turbaned Men Excite Interest": The Early Days The first South Asians who made Canada their home were mainly Sikhs from Punjab—a region that expands across current day Northern India and Pakistan. They were soldiers in the British Indian Army, however, many served in colonies such as Malaysia or Hong Kong before making Canada their home. Most of these early immigrants were soldiers who passed through British Columbia on two occasions. The first set of Indian soldiers travelled through Canada during Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and the second set passed through Canada in 1902 to attend King Edward VII's coronation in Britain. Local newspapers docu- 28 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 mented these celebrations with enthusiasm. Headlines such as "Turbaned Men Excite Interest" expressed local residents' enthusiasm to see these men. The soldiers felt welcomed in Canada and they sent information about the mountainous land they were travelling through back home to India. Gradually, other Punjabis heard about employment opportunities in Canada and decided to move to British Columbia as prospects in Punjab dwindled. The first Punjabis moved to the Fraser Valley in 1905 and worked in the forest industry. Over the next few years, the numbers of Punjabis in British Columbia increased significantly. When a recession hit, Anglo- Canadians developed the impression that Punjabi men had taken away their jobs and a sense of hostility developed. Newspapers spread concern and the curiosity that marked the passage of Punjabis through Canada on previous occasions changed to hostility after they moved to Canada. The Globe and Mail published an article in 1906, titled, "Hindoo Invaders: A Strenuous Protest from British Columbia." It read "We want the immigration act invoked in order to exclude as undesirables the Hindoos who are flocking into British Columbia... The article author Mr. Macpherson was indignant as he spoke of the invasion of the Asiatics, bringing discomfort and alarm to the white laborers in British Columbia".1 In fact, several cases of violence among the population precipitated and "the immigrant problem" became a concern in local newspapers throughout British Columbia.2 These events culminated with the Canadian government disenfranchising South Asians in 1907 and the BC legislature passed an act preventing Asians from entering certain professions alongside the withdrawal of other rights. The following year, the Canadian government implemented the infamous Continuous Journey clause to the Immigration Act, which stipulated that"... immigrants may be prohibited from landing or coming into Canada unless they come from the country of their birth, or citizenship, by a continuous journey and on through tickets purchased before leaving the country of their birth, or citizenship." The continuous journey regulation allowed the government to restrict both Indian and Japanese immigration. Following the passage of the Continuous Passage Act the government prohibited Canadian Pacific from the sale of tickets offering direct steamship service from India to Canada. As Indians were also British subjects it L made it impossible for them to enter Canada as immigrants.3 No vessel sailed directly from India to Canada and authorities ensured that others would not adopt a direct journey from India to Canada. These policies led to the Komagata Maru incident in 1914 when the community tested this regulation by chartering a ship from Hong Kong to Vancouver under the ordinance that they were British subjects who had the right to travel to other parts of the empire. Once again, the Anglo-Canadian population panicked and newspapers cautioned of the "the Hindu Invasion of Canada" and "Hindu Invaders now in the City Harbor on Komagata Maru" The ship was forced to return to India. When they reached the port of Budge Budge, shots were fired and nineteen passengers were killed and many others were imprisoned.4 mil ifw iPti 1 &*L ' 1*kSi 7-8 EDWARD VII. CHAP. 33. An Act to amend the Immigration Act. [Assented lo 10th April, 1908.] JJIS Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the foUowff- Commons of Canada, enacts as 9 WSJI,bSeSli0? 1.0'sectha 30 of The Immigration Act, chapter R a . „ 93 of the Revised Statutes, 1906, is hereby repealed and the*3» following is substituted therefor :— amc.tad. " 30. The Governor in Council may, by proclamation or hib.t the landing in Canada of any specified class of immigranto *£&** or of any immigrants who have come to Canada othfrwfce than by continuous journey from the country of which S are natives or citizen, and upon through tickets purchased to orrAWA: w~db" -SS.SX.'JfflSiu" *— - * K'°* 357 An Act to Amend the Immigration Act, 1908. Library and Archives Canada. Statutes of Canada. An Act to Amend the Immigration Act, 1908. Ottawa: SC 7-8 Edward VII, Chapter 33 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 29 Abbotsford-Sikh-Gurdwara (Temple), 1934. Becoming Canadians, Sarjeet Jagpal, Courtesy of the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada Over a period of four years circumstances changed drastically for Indo-Canadians as the population grew, and the recession threatened the financial security of British Columbians. Nonetheless, the growth of the Punjabi population meant that these individuals were able to build a strong sense of solidarity and establish a number of organizations. This occurred all over the Punjabi diaspora, which expanded across different British colonies. These people published papers in Urdu and Punjabi that were exchanged across borders.5 The Sikhs in Vancouver established their first community organization, the Khalsa Diwan Society in 1906. This organization expanded across other cities, extending to the Fraser Valley, and establishing a stronghold in Abbotsford by 1908. Moreover, this community organization led to the first public protests against racist policies that halted British subjects from claiming the same rights as Anglo-Canadians. They also made significant attempts to lobby the government and obtain permission to have their wives and children join them in Canada. Historians have documented the first South Asian Canadian women as arriving in Canada by 1910 (Mrs. Uday Ram Joshi, Mrs. Sunder Singh, and Mrs. Teja Singh) but the government quickly eliminated this right.6 The men were vocal about obtaining permission to have their families join them and the topic became a cause for debate. The media widely labelled it "the Hindu Woman's Question." Some Indo-Canadian men were successful at challenging the government and a few women were allowed in British Columbia as an act of grace such as Mrs. Hira Singh, Harnam Kaur, Kartar Kaur, and Bishan Kaur Hundal but these were exceptional cases. The rest had to wait until 1919 when the Canadian government reluctantly altered the law at the behest of the British during the Imperial War Conferences. Many Indian soldiers assisted Britain in World War I and as a sign of gratitude the British declared that members of colonies who participated in the war effort could move with their wives and children to other parts of the empire.7 Nevertheless, many Sikhs returned to their homeland and most of these men's 30 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 families were unable to enter Canada until 1924 when better immigration procedures were established.8 The Indo-Canadian population struggled hard to achieve equal rights and build a community during these early years. From a Land of Jewels to the Land of Berries One of the first accomplishments that Sikhs made worldwide when they adopted the colonies as their home was the establishment of Sikh temples. In 1911, Indo Canadians successfully constructed one of the first Sikh temples in North America right in the heart of the Fraser Valley. These early Sikhs built the temple on a one-acre property that Sunder Singh Thandi and Arjan Singh bought for about $3,000 near Mill Lake in Abbotsford. Sunder Singh's wife, Mohinder Kaur, was in British Columbia at the time and actively involved in the efforts to build the first temple.9 The Indo-Canadian community loaned roughly $2,000 for other costs and the Trethewey family donated lumber to build the temple. The Trethewey family owned the Abbotsford Lumber Company and they employed the largest number of Punjabis in the area. The Punjabi men who were employed at the mill or worked at the farms in Abbotsford would carry the lumber from the company to the temple site on a high section of ground. They built a strong, durable foundation that has lasted for over one hundred years with few renovations. Abbotsford residents could see this Gurdwara (Sikh temple) from far and it denoted the growing presence of the Indo-Canadian community within the Fraser Valley. In addition, the establishment of the Sikh temple was symbolic and it marked a unique portrayal of cultural harmony among Sikhs and Anglo-Canadians. The Trethewey family's support and Anglo-Canadian community's reserved cooperation conveyed a considerable amount of respect and toleration of the Sikh population. Therefore, the establishment of the Sikh temple in Abbotsford signified an important moment of cultural solidarity in the history of the Fraser Valley. The Abbotsford Gurdwara was the Indo-Canadian community's social, religious, and political centre; this is where all of their important meetings and celebrations were held. The temple was closely connected to other temples in British Columbia and hosted its share of political meetings. Of course, these political gatherings included the Indo-Canadian community's efforts to obtain the vote as well as activities associated with the Ghadar movement (the Indian independence struggle) and the Komagata Maru incident. The community also debated whether its members Gur Sikh Temple, 33089 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC, 1940s. The sign over the stairs reads: "Notice No person under the influence of liquor or using tobacco will be allowed in the temple."To the left is:"Stairway made by Sunder Singh June 25th, 1939." To the right is: "Temple opened Feb. 25th, 1912."The Gur Sikh Temple was the second temple built in Canada and with the demolition of the 2nd Avenue temple in Vancouver, became the oldest surviving temple in North America. It was designated a National Historic Site on July 31,2002. The Reach N294 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 31 Prime Minister Stephen Harper, BC Premier Christy Clark and Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, join Kabal Hundal, temple president, during an unveiling of a monument to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford in August 2011. Photo by Deb Ransom. Source: © Office of the Prime Minister, (2015) should participate in World War I because they were not allowed to vote and both provincial and federal governments refused to acknowledge them as citizens. In addition, Sikh religious holidays such as the birthdays of Sikh Gurus and Diwali were all observed at the temple. The women (the few who migrated to the region) prepared and served langar (food), and the temple soon became a place for the first Indo-Canadian women to interact with one another. More importantly, one of Abbotsford Khalsa Diwan Society's first treasurers was Mohinder Kaur—a woman—and she was one of the longest serving treasurers that the committee has seen to date. The temple was also where family events such as weddings or births were celebrated and the passing of community members was mourned. It was especially important for newcomers because it provided temporary accommodation and free meals for these individuals. Furthermore, the Gurdwara was more than a Sikh Centre, it was an example of true early Indian collaboration as Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims gathered together to make imperative community decisions. This sense of kinship, however, would not last forever. Nevertheless, the Gurdwara stands as a commemorative example of multicultural cooperation and harmony among the communities within the Fraser Valley, while the general socio-political atmosphere remained hostile towards these immigrants. It is a place of nota ble significance for Sikhs within the community today. In a talk at the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley in 2013, S.K. Bains noted that: As the only early Sikh temple that has survived intact, the Abbotsford Heritage Sikh Temple has become imbued with symbolism. For the Sikh community the building is a gift given to them by the pioneers. It signifies their sacrifices, their perseverance against many odds and their resilience to carve out a place for themselves and their families. The Indian community members today consider it their duty to preserve the site for future generations. The temple is an important touchstone to their past; its preservation also represents one of the first steps in documenting the history of the Sikhs in Canada. Bains' words cite the efforts of South Asians today to build a connection with their predecessors who paved the way for countless others to adopt the Fraser Valley as their home. A Shifting Demographic Profile Today, many South Asian Canadians are unaware of the contributions that early Punjabi migrants made to Canadian society because they adopted Canada as 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 their home after 1967. Immigration laws were changed in this year and the federal government adopted the Points System, so people from different countries could hypothetically migrate to Canada. For many families in the Fraser Valley today, this second era of South Asian immigration is too early as well because their families moved to the Fraser Valley within the past fifteen years or so. Many of them come from different countries in South Asia; they speak various languages and practice different religions. Abbotsford's 2014 demographic profile indicated that 53.2% of its total immigration population is South Asian with a significant number of immigrants arriving after 1990. Thus, many South Asians remain disconnected from the past and they believe mainstream conceptions about the formation of Canada, which portray the English and French as founders of this nation, ignoring the fact that their predecessors played a substantial role in building the nation alongside the Chinese and Japanese.10 Consequently, the Fraser Valley community's efforts to commemorate the early immigrants coincides well with large numbers of South Asians adopting the Fraser Valley as their home. Nevertheless, the 'immigrant problem' remains a stereotypical issue within popular discourses, so recognizing that South Asian Canadians have resided within Canada for over a hundred years is essential. In fact, this is vital for the community as well because many South Asian Canadian youth feel displaced and lack a sense of belonging. These youth need to understand their parents' and/or ancestors' historical relationship with Britain and Canada. Therefore, it is critical for South Asian Canadians to bridge this gap with their past and share stories about the establishment of their community. Recent Indo Canadian Writing about the Fraser Valley The number of Indo-Canadian publications that have sought to build a connection with the early South Asian immigrants has soared over the past five years. These were significant years for the community because they marked momentous events for the first South Asian Canadians. The federal government recognized the Abbotsford Sikh Temple as a National Historic Site in 2002 and instituted the official monument during the temple's centenary celebration in 2011. Newspapers and magazines covered the centenary with great enthusiasm, including mainstream publications. The Abbotsford News noted, "Thousands of Abbotsford Sikhs were joined by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Premier Christy Clark, Mayor George Peary and many other high profile guests in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Gur Sikh Temple on Sunday morning." The paper's online coverage included a video dedicated to the 100-year anniversary as well as a collection of tweets made by prominent community members and political leaders such as Christy Clark and Michael de Jong. The Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies (CICS) was heavily involved in organizing the celebrations and published material about the event in its newsletter and on its website. One of its reports discussed the temple's history and summarized the events of the three-day Akhand Path (a particular form of religious recitation and congregation). The 100 year celebration was a grand affair with thousands of people gathering together and participating in the parade that followed the Akhand Path's conclusion. In addition, the community established a number of websites in relation to the Gurdwara's centenary to commemorate the experiences of early immigrants such as Canadian Sikh Heritage, the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada, and Komagata Maru journey. Additionally, the Gurdwara centenary attracted attention from the Vancouver Sun, The Province, Global News, OMNI News, and Star-Phoenix. The Sikh temple's 100 year anniversary acknowledged the Fraser Valley as a region that espoused diversity and popular forms of literature began publicizing the story of early South Asian Canadians. The South Asian Canadian community produced literature that emphasized the Punjabi community's deep roots within Canada leading up to the temple's centenary as well as following these celebrations. On August 5, 2011, Punjabi Patrika dedicated a specific section to the Gurdwara centenary, which sought to establish a connection among Punjabis who call the Fraser Valley their home today and the Sikh pioneers. The Sikh Heritage Museum began presenting exhibits on the early immigrants and held significant events to remember the pioneers, which began with its first exhibit in 2013 called "100 Years of Settlement and Integration." Abby News also published articles about these immigrants to convey the ties that this community has within the Fraser Valley and BC. In 2010 M.K. Doman-Manhas, conducted a series of interviews with the first South Asian Canadian women and wrote Zhindagee: Selected Stories of our First Daughters to mark a century of Punjabi women's first documented presence in Canada. It was completed a year before the Abbotsford Gurdwara's centennial celebrations. Manhas explained, "This book also celebrates the first Indian women who—despite the law against them—emigrated to Canada to reunite their families in 1910." It is one of the very first books on early South Asian Canadian women, and it remains BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 33 Mewa Singh Martyr for the Sikh community The anniversary of Mewa Singh's death has been commemorated by Sikhs in BC and California ever since his execution in New Westminster, BC, January 1915. In October 1914 Mewa Singh shot and killed an immigration inspector, William Charles Hopkinson, who was largely responsible for return of the Komagata Maru to India. one of the few sources focusing on these early women's stories. Punjabi Patrika's cover page from August 26, 2011 featured a 1972 image of Mr. and Mrs. Rajinder Gill at their wedding ceremony in front of the temple, accentuating the Gurdwara as the Fraser Valley Sikh community's social centre. The bilingual (English and Punjabi) paper sought to build connections with the events taking place during the centenary and the lives of South Asian Canadians. Consequently, this image reflected the longstanding presence that Indians had within the Fraser Valley and the contributions that they made for the establishment of a South Asian Canadian society. These popular forms of literature sought to convey the Fraser Valley as a longstanding home for South Asian Canadians and a place where they truly belonged. The Gurdwara's 100 year celebrations also triggered the collection of popular literary accounts within the Fraser Valley about the contributions that early Sikhs made in this region. In 2011, the Punjabi Mail organized an event on the death anniversary of Mewa Singh to commemorate his legacy as well as the Ghadarites (revolutionaries associated with the Ghadar movement) at the Abbotsford Banquet Hall. Various individuals presented their stories; descendants of early immigrants shared the experiences of their predecessors and writers made academic presentations about the Ghadarites, particularly Mewa Singh, martyr for the Sikh community. This phenomenon of organizing commemorative events intensified as the centenary of the Ghadar movement approached in 2013 and the Komagata Maru centennial in 2014. There was a proliferation of publications about early South Asian immigrants and local newspapers surged with information about these events including Abbotsford Today, The Abby News, Punjabi Patrika, UFV Cascade, and the section on the Fraser Valley in BCNews. The desire of South Asian Canadians in the Fraser Valley to gather information about its early immigrants coincides with the larger trend among the South Asian Canadian community to connect with their past. Mehfil Magazine launched its 100 year journey publication earlier this year to commemorate the stories of these early immigrants. The Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation successfully constructed a stamp to commemorate the tragedy and published the Komagata Maru Journey souvenir in 2014, which included a collection of papers on the significance of the event. All of these historical endeavours seek to connect South Asians with their history, especially South Asian Canadian youth — and to connect the vibrant South Asian community with the mainstream community across the space of a shared history. ■ Rishma Johal graduated from Simon Fraser University with an MA in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies and BA in History. She completed a number of oral histories for her thesis project, which was a comparative historical analysis of South Asian Canadian women's agency between two eras: 1919-1949 and 1967-1997. She has presented at numerous conferences over the past few years and received the Lai Bahadur Shastri award for the Best Graduate Essay. Rishma has also hosted several television programs, radio shows, and live events in the Indo-Canadian community. Photographer Dale Northey Works Consulted Agnew, Vijay. Gender, home, and nation: A century of writings by South Asian women in Canada. Toronto: York University, 2003. Bains, Satwinder Kaur. "Ghadar Centennial Conference Proceedings." Interpreting Ghadar: Echoes of Voices Past: pp. 1-171. Abbotsford: Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, 2013. Banner) i, Himani. The Dark Side of the Nation: Essays on Multiculturalism, Nationalism and Gender. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2000. Bariana, April Kaur. The Broken Covenant: Punjabi Sikh Narratives. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997. Basran, Gurcharn Singh, & Bolaria, B. Singh. The Sikhs in Canada: Migration, race, class, and gender. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003. Buchignani, Norman, Doreen. M. Indra, and Ram Srivastava. Continuous Journey: A Social History of South Asians in Canada. Toronto: McClelland, 1985. Cahute, Larissa. "100-year anniversary stamp for Komagata Maru approved by Canada Post." Vancouver Desi, August 2, 2013. http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/100-year-an- niversary-stamp-for-komagata-maru-approved-by-canada- post/600574/ 34 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 Canadian Sikh Heritage. "Passage to Canada-History." Last modified 2011. canadiansikhheritage.ca Canadian Sikh Heritage Museum. "Past and Current Exhibitions." Last modified 2013. http://canadiansikhheritage.ca/ sikh-heritage-museum/past-and-current-exhibitions/ CBC News. "Abbotsford Gurdwara turns 100." CBC News, January 10 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ british-columbia/abbotsford-gurdwara-turns-100-1.1092641 CICS Report. Centennial Celebrations. Abbotsford: Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, 2011. City of Abbotsford. "2014 Demographic Profiles". Abbotsford Summary, (2014): 1-19. Doman-Manhas, Mahinder Kaur. Zhindagee: Selected Stories of our First Daughters. Victoria: M.K. Doman-Manhas, 2010. Dua, Enakshi. "The Hindu Woman's Question." Canadian Woman Studies 20, no. 2 (2000): 108-116. Habib, Sanzida. Z. Gender, Race and Class Biases in Canadian Immigration Policies: The Impact on Women of Colour. Burnaby: Simon Fraser University, 2003. Handa, Amita. Of Silk Saris and Mini-Skirts: South Asian Girls Walk the Tightrope of Culture. Toronto: Women's Press, 2003. Johal, Rishma. Moving Beyond the Citizen's Shadow: South Asian Canadian Women's Agency. Burnaby: SFU Summit Repository, 2014. Johnston, Hugh J. M. "Group Identity in an Emigrant Worker Community: The Example of Sikhs in an Early Twentieth Century British Columbia." BC Studies, no. 148 (2005): 3-23. Johnston, Hugh J. M. The Jewels of the Qila. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011. Juergensmeyer, Mark. "Scholarly Interest in the Ghadar Movement: An Annotated and Selected Bibliography." Sikh Pioneers (1988): 15-17. sikhpioneers.org/scholarly.html Continuous Journey. Directed by Ali Kazimi. Vancouver: Peripheral Visions, 2004. DVD. Mehfil Magazine. "Home". 100 Year Journey: Commemorating South Asian Pioneers Last modified January 2015. htt- p://100yearj ourney.com/ Mewa Singh Centennial Commemoration. "Home." Last modified January 2014. http://www.mewasingh.com/ Mohindra, R. Many changes in the Sikh community in the 1920s. Abby News, April 8, 2011. http://www.abbynews.com/commun- ity/119506394.html. MSA Museum Society. Indo Canadian History. Last modified 2014. http://www.msamuseum.ca/abbotsford-history/ indo-canadian-history/ Mullick, Rohit. Gur Sikh Temple: Grand Parade to Mark Centennial Celebrations. The Times of India, August 30 2011. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gur-Sikh- temple-Grand-parade-to-mark-centennial-celebrations/arti- cleshow/9791669.cms Postmedia News. "Harper and Clark among Thousands Marking Abbotsford Sikh Temple's Centennial. Global News, August 28, 2011. Globalnews.ca. Punjabi Patrika. "Mr. Mrs. Rajinder S. Gill." Punjabi Patrika, August 26, 2011, p. 1. Punjabi Patrika. "Shaheed Bhai Mewa Singh." Punjabi Patrika, January 16, 2015, p. 1 and 14. Ralston, Helen. "Canadian immigration policy in nineteenth century: Its impact on South Asian women." Canadian Woman Studies 19, no. 3 (1999): 33-37. Roy, Anjali Gera. "Punjabi Delights in Forbidden City Singapore: The Space of Flows and Place." Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 24, no. 2 (2009), 236-250. Sandhra, Sharanjit Kaur. "Pioneer Interviews-Mohinder Kaur Thandi." Last modified June 26, 2014. http://canadiansikhherit- age.ca/uncategorized/mohinder-kaur-thandi/ Sandhra, Sharanjit Kaur. "Komagata Maru Tragedy Remembered." Abby News, March 11, 2011. SFU Library. "Komagata Maru: Continuing the Journey: Newspaper Articles." Last modified 2011. komagatamarujour- ney.ca Sharma, Kavita. (1997). The Ongoing Journey: Indian Migration to Canada. New Delhi: Creative Books. Singh, Jane. "The Gadar Party: Political expression in an immigrant community." Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 2, no. 1 (1982): 29-38. Sodhi, Pavna Kaur. Punjabi Women Living in Canada: A Study Exploring how Parental Attitudes Influence Intergenerational Cultural Preservation and Ethnic Identity. Michigan: ProQuest, 2002. Stasiulus, Daiva, & Abigail. B. Bakan. Negotiating Citizenship: Migrant Women in Canada and the Global System. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003. The Globe. "Hindu Invaders: The Strenuous Protest from British Columbia." The Globe, 1906, p. 11. The Province. "Celebrating a century of Sikh history: Khalsa Day event revolves around North America's oldest Sikh temple." April 13, 2011. Thobani, Sunera. Exalted Subjects: Studies in the Making of Race and Nation in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007. Hindustan Times. "Ghadar centenary proclamation installed at heritage gurdwara." December 3, 2013. http://www.hindustan- times.com/chunk-ht-ui-punjabsectionpage-punjababroad- canada/ghadar-centenary-proclamation-installed-at-herit- age-gurdwara/articlel-1158501.aspx Vancouver Sun. "Thousands turned out Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011 for a parade and celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford." August 28, 2011. www.van- couversun.com. Wray, Ashley. "Gur Sikh Temple Celebrates 100 Years." Abbotsford News, August 29, 2011. http://www.abbynews.com/ community/128618863.html. Endnotes 1. The Globe, 1906, p. 11. 2. Norman Buchignani, Doreen M. Indra, and Ram Srivastava, Continuous Journey: A Social History of South Asians in Canada (Toronto: McClelland, 1985), p. 23. 3. "Continuous Journey Regulation, 1908," Canadian Museum of Immi gration at Pier 21, accessed March 24, 2015, www.pier21.ca/research/ immigration-history/continuous-journey-regulation-1908#foot- note-5. Second source: "The 100th Anniversary of the Continuous Passage Act," Government of Canada, accessed March 24, 2015, www. cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/asian/100years.asp 4. Continuous Journey directed by Ali Kazimi (Vancouver: Peripheral Visions, 2004). DVD. 5. Mark Juergensmeyer, "Scholarly Interest in the Ghadar Movement: An Annotated and Selected Bibliography," Sikh Pioneers (1988): 16, http://www.sikhpioneers.org/scholarly.html; Jane Singh, "The Ghadar Party: Political Expression in an Immigrant Community," South Asia Bulletin 2, no. 1 (1982): 32. 6. Tania Das Gupta, "Political Economy of Gender, Race, and Class: Looking at South Asian Immigrant Women in Canada," Canadian Ethnic Studies 26, no.l (1994): 3; Mahinder Kaur Doman Manhas, Zhindagee: Selected Stories of our First Daughters (Victoria: M.K. Doman, 2010), p. 16. 7. Manhas, Zhindagee, p. 15; Helen Ralston, "Canadian immigration policy in the twentieth century: its impact on South Asian Women," Canadian Woman Studies 19, no. 3 (1999), p. 2. 8. Hugh J.M. Johnston, Jewels of the Qila: The Remarkable Story of an Indo-Canadian Family (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011), p. 5. 9. $1 in 1911 converts to approximately $25 in 2014 money. $3000 ~ 75,000. $2000 ~ 50,000. "Inflation Calculator," Dave Manuel, accessed March 24, 2015, www.davemanuel.com/inflation-calculator.php. 10. Himani Bannerji, The dark side of the nation: essays on multicultur- alism, nationalism and gender (Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2000), p. 43. BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 35 Sylvia Thrupp petting the dog with Dorothy Dallas and Dorothy Blakey Smith and unknown woman at Phrateres Camp, May 1944. University of British Columbia Archives, [UBC 68.1/35] The Pedigree and Prospects of Local History By Sylvia L. Thrupp Seventy-five years ago, UBC historian Sylvia L.Thrupp penned these meditations on the importance of local history by dipping deep into the European past she knew so well. Excerpted from the October 1940 edition of the British Columbia Historical Quarterly, the precursor to British Columbia History magazine. The writer of local history is to-day deservedly receiving more and more recognition. Thanks to the part that his more dramatic findings can play in arousing the historical imagination of children at school, and to the attention that is paid to his subject in research-work directed from universities, a growing number of people now take an interest in the background of the communities in which they live. The subject has always a certain romantic colour; it appeals to local patriotism, and it has also, to students of history and sociology, a more serious appeal. This serious interest in the evolution of community life is essentially modern. The writing of history was for many centuries guided by quite different ideas. One can therefore best appreciate and understand the position and importance of the study of local history by looking backward over the long procession of writers and thinkers who throughout the ages have sought to interpret past experience. Men's outlook upon history has always been conditioned by the attitudes and interests of their own time; this has been so from the very beginning. When a consciousness of the past first began to dawn within our Western civilization warlike and predatory peoples were playing a dominant role. Tales of adventure—recited either in prose, or in verse, which was more easily memorized—were everywhere popular. In the circumstances any one who wished to arouse interest in the past naturally tended to fasten upon the adventures and deeds of great heroes and leaders. Memories of the past were inevitably shaped into stories, and were handed down in the form given them by the more dramatic story-tellers. When professional story-tellers and poets appeared, 36 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 another influence was brought to bear upon the shaping of historical traditions. For the audiences best able to reward these men were to be found at the courts of kings and chieftains, and here the subjects most in favour were the valour of the leader and his nobles and their ancestors. Since in all warlike and aristocratic societies people have held blood and ancestry in more or less superstitious reverence, the minstrel who could spread abroad the fame of a leader's ancestors might very greatly enhance his prestige. Thus early written history inevitably came to focus upon the fortunes of the great, the holders of power. Historical narrative was not at first clearly distinguished from mere story. It was only very gradually and painfully that the idea of founding history upon what had actually occurred assumed the force of an ideal; and had the relating of history been left entirely to the poets and minstrels of the courts, this ideal might never have arisen at all. But fortunately, early in the development of the great kingdoms and empires of the ancient world, the poetic monopoly was broken by prosaic competitors, for it became the duty of certain officials to compile a record of major public events as they took place, year by year. Such annals made dull reading, but their value grew with their length. They preserved and symbolized, for governments and dynasties, the accumulating dignity of age and lineage; besides, they were of practical use. To be able to refer back to exact records was a convenience, and sooner or later a necessity, in the work of government. Hence a care for truthful records of many kinds arose.... The cult of local history grew up among the bourgeoisie of the medieval towns. The people of the medieval towns, crowding together for security, century after century, behind their encircling walls and moats, generated among themselves an extraordinarily intense spirit of community. It grew and found expression in long and tenacious struggles to win rights of self-government from feudal overlords, in the adoption of laws and customs different from those of the countryside, in the triumphant enforcement of the custom that all residents of the town acquired the status of free men. Pride in local traditions was in the very atmosphere. Every street and market-place, every church tower, had its dramatic associations with the past.... The vigorous and neighbourly sense of community Every aspect of general history is inevitably bound up with the slow currents of change at work in the local community. which was a part of their character as townsmen enabled them to portray a wider sector of local life than any other historians had yet had the power to describe. For example, here and there they would fill in a few lines with journalistic jottings of matters of human interest that had evidently been the talk of the town. They note the bolder local crimes, crimes committed by women, sensational damage done by storms in the neighbourhood, the nature of local epidemics, as how one summer many people were ill of a flux that came from eating too much fruit.... It was soon realized that only through the winnowing of local traditions and records could sound and reliable national history be written. John Leland, who was appointed official historiographer by Henry VIII., toiled up and down England amassing notes on local institutions of all kinds—monasteries, churches, families, towns. So ambitious was his programme and so severely did he drive himself that he ruined his health and collapsed into insanity before his researches were nearly completed. But a succession of scholars arose to carry on the labour of research in the same spirit of excitement, inspired partly by local patriotism, by love for their own city or county, and partly by national feeling. John Stow, who, to quote his own word, "consecrated" forty- five years of his life and much of a modest bourgeois fortune to research, is best known for his Survey of Elizabethan London and its monuments, which he felt himself "bound in love" to undertake, but he worked also to popularize the reading of national chronicles. It is evident that history, both local and national alike, was a means of enriching and widening the sense of citizenship.... The cultivation of local history did not come into its own again until the rapid social and economic changes of the nineteenth century aroused an interest in the social and economic aspects of the past. In many places amateur historians had come to realize the great importance of economic changes in their own localities long before the professional historians had grasped their importance in the national life.... Their work gradually made available a great variety of records that dealt in one way or another with economic life, or with gossipy details of private social life in past generations.... BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 37 It is probable that without the work of pioneer local historians the appearance of any satisfactory interpretations of national economic development would have been very considerably delayed. It is not merely in connection with specialized economic studies that historians have found it necessary to take account of local changes. The old idea that the political and constitutional history of a nation could be written satisfactorily on the basis of the records of its wars and its laws, its parliaments, revolutions and reforms, died hard, but is now safely in its coffin....Even the more popular type of historical writing, the kind that bases itself on biography, cannot afford to ignore the work of the local historian. The notion that the gist of a nation's story is contained in the life and character of its great statesmen and generals is true only in a superficial way... Since great numbers of their fellows hated, loathed, and despised them, one may still ask why such men were thrown upon the central stage of power. And to answer that question one must turn to the little country towns and villages, to scenes where there were probably no great figures at all, but where the impact of unwise government policies, of official corruption, of sacrifice in war, or of gradually changing conditions—the rise of new occupations, new families and classes, and the decadence of old, were creating social tension and cutting channels for new ideas. Every aspect of general history is inevitably bound up with the slow currents of change at work in the local community. Most modern corrections of the errors in fact or interpretation that are to be found in the work of the older historians are based upon increased knowledge and understanding of the diversity of local conditions.... Every type of record that survives from the past is pressed into service—not only the vast files of government and municipal records in public archives, but the intimate letters and diaries of private people; family housekeeping accounts; the business letters and accounts of merchants, bankers, industrialists, and stewards of landed estates; wills, inscriptions on tombs; the inventories of old libraries long scattered; ecclesiastical records; school and hospital records; not to mention early newspapers and handbills and literary material of every kind. It is beyond the powers of a single scholar to master all the materials that are needed to illustrate truthfully the varied aspects of life in any historical period. The writing of history is therefore now essentially a It's about time we had a literary map of B.C. Alan Twigg of BC BookWorld and BC BookLook is making a Literary Map of British Columbia. He invites readers of BC History to submit photos for their suggested literary landmarks and locations. You can send your photos and suggestions to bookworld@telus.net 38 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 co-operative enterprise. It progresses only by virtue of a working partnership between the general historian and the specialist in local research. Looking back over the evolution of his craft, the local historian may well feel proud of the long cultural traditions that he inherits and represents. Medieval townsmen, politicians and patriots of the Renaissance, seventeenth and eighteenth century seekers after truth, and nineteenth century social philosophers, have each in turn practised it with similar and perpetual delight, but guided by ever-widening horizons of thought and aspiration. On this continent the local historian has had the advantage of enjoying the whole of this heritage with almost none of the trouble that was involved in creating it. He has been spared the heavy labour of research in damaged medieval records written in bad, semi-legible abbreviated Latin, and has been spared the reproaches of those who have no patience save for modern history. He has been able to avoid the antiquary's temptation to concentrate upon the genealogy of long-dead aristocrats or the architecture of ruined buildings. It has been much easier for him to gain the respectful co-operation of the general historian because the striking diversity of different regions on this continent has made it essential for the latter to seek the assistance of his special knowledge. Again, economic factors have played so obvious a part in shaping national life that the value of the economic and social data which form so large a proportion of the local historian's stock- in-trade is readily recognized. Although a very great amount of work remains to be done, it should not, in these circumstances, take very much longer to round out the history of national development. But when this task is approximately finished, when all the documents in all the archives have been made to yield up all the economic, political, constitutional or biographical facts that bear upon the national development, when all the important sources now mouldering in the cupboards and basements of lawyers' offices and business firms have been tapped, what will the local historian do? What will become of him? Will he be regarded as a useless relic of the past? It is sincerely to be hoped that he himself will never take this view, for there will always be vital and absorbing work for local historians.... We live in a day of mass movements, of unprecedented possibilities for good or evil through the mobilization of public opinion. The study of shifting attitudes, opinions, and values is already of far more than abstract academic interest: it is essential for any one who professes to have a realistic approach to the political problems of the day... In Sylvia Thrupp's UBC Department of History online biography, Raymond Grew of the University of Michigan writes, Thrupp had made her way in a scholarly world reluctant to grant women permanent positions, battling without bitterness for ideas more than status. Born in Surrey, England, in 1903, she emigrated to British Columbia with her family when she was five. She received her BA from the University of British Columbia in 1925 and her MA in 1928. After teaching in high schools in British Columbia from 1926 to 1928, she went to England, receiving her PhD from the University of London in 1931 and remaining abroad as a postdoctoral fellow until 1935. She was instructor in history at the University of British Columbia from 1935 to 1944 and a special lecturer in history at the University of Toronto the following year. From 1945 to 1968 she was assistant professor and then associate professor of history at the University of Chicago, with visiting professorships at the State University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin. In 1961 Sylvia was named to the newly established Alice Freeman Palmer Chair at the University of Michigan, a chair named for the founding president of Wellesley College, a Michigan alumna. At the age of 83 she married a fellow medievalist, Joseph R. Strayer, who had retired from Princeton, and spent a happy year with him there before his sudden death. She then moved to California to live with her nephew, Dr. Lauri Thrupp. Publications and awards can hardly capture, however, the importance of her personal ties to leading scholars in many disciplines, her influence on students and colleagues, her gift for friendship, and the delight of her charm and irrepressible wit. All of that is remembered with gratitude by all who knew her. Sylvia L.Thrupp Ph.D. wasa member of the Department of History of the University of British Columbia when she wrote this article. She received her doctorate from the University of London, England, and is the author of A Short History of the Worshipful Company of Bakers (London, 1933), and other studies and articles. Photo credit - Courtesy the records of News and Information Series D, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan ; BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 39 Archivists An oral history interview in progress, April 2014; City of Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart interviewing J. Lambert. Courtesy of Coquitlam Heritage Society Coquitlams Oral History Project by Doug Rolling; edited by Sylvia Stopforth The Coquitlam Heritage Society's Oral History Project ran from 2012-2014, and was originally funded by the Federal Government's New Horizons for Seniors Program. With the generous and expert assistance of Mackin House Museum staff, twenty volunteers interviewed a total of fifty-one participants. In all, forty-seven video recordings were created. Participants were encouraged to speak on any topic they saw fit, and told the stories of their lives in Coquitlam from the 1920s to the 1970s. The resulting collection provides a unique perspective on the history of the 20th century as it was lived, day by day, in Coquitlam, BC. Interviewees Elsely and Yeti Foulds were married in Holland, in October of 1945. Yeti wore a dress made of army surplus parachute silk. There was money for a fancy gown, but there were few dresses in the stores. In fact, there wasn't much of anything in the stores, for just five months earlier the Allied forces—including valiant young Canadians—had liberated Holland from the Nazis. Elsley was skilled with his hands. He had endured the hardships of economic depression in 1930s Saskatchewan and, as a trained medic, he had survived the horror of the Allied Normandy invasion on June 6,1944. Yeti grew up in Depression-era Holland, when bicycle tires were wooden because of the shortage of rubber. Elsley was finally demobilized from the army in Regina in 1946, and Yeti joined him in Saskatoon in July 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 of that year. In 1947, they got on a train to Coquitlam, where Elsley had relatives, to start a new life. A very rural Coquitlam greeted the young couple. North of Maillardville, the town consisted of scattered dwellings amongst the trees. Austin Avenue boasted a chicken farm. Where the Lougheed Highway now carries thousands of vehicles every day, bulrushes flourished. While Yeti set about to make a home for what would be ten children, Elsley looked for work. For a time he bussed to the tram in New West, then travelled to Vancouver, then took another tram all the way down to Steveson, to work in the canneries. Now in their 90s, Yeti and Elsley are as sharp and active as people forty years their junior. Their 100-year- old Coquitlam home bears a heritage plaque. They radiate an abiding appreciation for their blessings and accomplishments. And, of course, they have been back to Holland and Europe more than a few times to enjoy ceremonies honouring the Liberation. The Coquitlam Oral History Collection is stored at Mackin House Museum and at the City of Coquitlam Archives. Hours and contact information for the museum are available at www.coquitlamheritage.ca/con- tact/. Readers interested in accessing materials at the Archives are invited to email archives@coquitlam.ca or call 604-927-3907 to make an appointment. ■ Sylvia Stopforth is a Librarian and Archivist at Norma Marion Alloway Library at Trinity Western University. The Oral History Program Collection Courtesy of Coquitlam Heritage Society Doug Rolling coordinated the Oral History Program. He is a retired teacher, an active musician, and co-author of the book Coquitlam Then and Now. [Vote A slightly different version of this article was published as "A dress made of parachutes", Tri-City News, Nov 8, 2013. It is reprinted here with permission. British Columbia Historical Federation Awards and Scholarships W. KAYE LAMB Essay Scholarships Deadline: May I5 The British Columbia Historical Federation awards two scholarships annually for essays written by students at BC colleges or universities, on a topic relating to British Columbia history One scholarship ($750) is for an essay written by a student in a first or second year course; the other ($1000) is for an essay written by a student in a third or fourth year course. Contact: essays@bchistoryca Anne & Philip Yandle Best Article Award Deadline: To be eligible, the article must have appeared in British Columbia History for that year. A Certificate of merit and $250 will be awarded annually to the author of the article, published in British Columbia History, that best enhances knowledge of BC's history and provides reading enjoyment. Judging will be based on subject development, writing skill, freshness of material, and appeal to a general readership interested in all aspects of BC history. BC History Web Site Prize Deadline: December 31 The British Columbia Historical Federation and David Mattison are jointly sponsoring a yearly cash award of $250 to recognize Web sites that contribute to the understanding and appreciation of British Columbia's past. The award honours individual initiative in writing and presentation. Contact: webprize@bchistoryca Best Newsletter Award Deadline: March I Newsletters published by BCHF member societies are eligible to compete for an annual prize of $250. They will be judged for presentation and content that is interesting, newsy and informative. Contact: recognition@bchistoryca Certificate of Merit Deadline: March I Group or individual who has made a significant contribution to the study, project, or promotion of British Columbia's history. Contact: recognition@bchistoryca Certificate of Recognition Deadline: March I Given to individual members or groups of members of BCHF Member Societies who have given exceptional service to their Organization or Community. Contact: recognition@bchistoryca Certificate of Appreciation Deadline: March I Individuals who have undertaken ongoing positions, tasks, or projects for BCHF. Contact: recognition@bchistoryca The Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for Historical Writing Deadline: December 31 Each year, the British Columbia Historical Federation invites submissions for its Annual Historical Writing Competition to authors of BC history; and the winning author is awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for Historical Writing. Contact: writing@bchistoryca for complete details go to www.bchistory.ca BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 41 Book Reviews READ LOCAL BC Reading Local ^ READ LOCAL - BUY LOCAL - THINK GLOBAL The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia is just finishing up a month-long campaign called "Read Local" to highlight the wonderful variety of books produced about — and from — British Columbia. But the abundance of new material that the program celebrates — from small local presses and large presses alike, from rural museum societies to metropolitan academic presses — will not be a surprise to our readers. Many of them participate in its creation by turning their eyes, and tuning their ears, to the local. Great writers invite us to notice what we hadn't noticed before, ask us to look at the world in a new way. Book reviewers do the same. They map out new books for us, show us landmarks in thought or style, and even warn us where the going might get rough. We're thankful for our book review team. Until next time, Jane A note for the future: We will be continuing our New Books from Small Presses section, so please keep them rolling in. And Brian Murdoch, of Murdoch's Bookshoppe will be beginning a regular feature on collectable and antiquarian books about British Columbia. From the West Coast to the Western Front: British Columbians and the Great War. By Greg Dickson and Mark Forsythe (Madeira Park: Harbour, 2014) $26.95. The courage and sacrifice of British Columbians at war a hundred years ago is poignantly captured in this comprehensive account by historian Greg Dickson and host of CBC Radio's BC Almanac, Mark Forsythe. Accompanying a compelling narrative is an array of visual and textual "side" stories and artifacts, com prised of letters and postcards from soldiers, photographs, telegrams, and family memories contributed by listeners of BC Almanac. Art inspired by the First World War is also included. Each chapter provides a theme—from front line soldiers, officers and decorated heroes, to women nurses, to war resisters, enemy aliens and disenfranchised volunteers. The call to assist the British Empire against the German foe on the battlefields of France and Belgium in 1914 was heeded by 55,570 British Columbians, the highest per capita rate in the country. And not all of BC's 400,000 residents were of British stock. The authors begin with two towering figures of the war, General Arthur Currie—whose legacy would be controversial—and Premier Robert McBride. Curries rise from schoolteacher to military commander is remarkable and McBride's political manoeuvrings to support the empire's fight and protect the West Coast from possible attack at sea also makes for fascinating history. Next, the reader follows the young volunteers from training camps in Vernon to the trenches of northern Europe, appreciating what life must have been like for the common soldier in a BC regiment. Corporal Filip Konowal managed to avoid internment as an enemy alien (which Ukranian-Canadians were designated) to fight at Vimy Ridge and to earn a Victoria Cross. Chip Kerr, who spent time as a lumberjack in the Kootenays also won this highest honour and became the subject of a cigarette card series. A nightwatchman on the Vancouver waterfront after the war, Mickey O'Rourke was wearing seven war medals when he led striking longshore workers at the "Battle of Ballantyne Pier" in 1935. When O'Rourke died in 1957, all pallbearers at his funeral were Victory Cross recipients. BC's naval and air force combatants merit a chapter as does Canada's notable contribution to the victorious battle at Vimy Ridge in 1917. The men on horseback played a crucial role, some coming from BC's remote frontier, such as George McLean of Kamloops and Gordon Flowerdew of Walhachin, north 42 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 of the Thompson River. Artist and historian Michael Kluckner gives context to the pioneer gentlemen farmers like Flowerdew, who completely abandoned their arid and infertile farms after enlisting. A chapter devoted to the experiences of First Nations soldiers opens a door for curious historians to explore even further. The stories of the nursing sisters are among the best in this book. It is astounding to learn that medical areas full of invalid patients were deliberately targeted by enemy fire. The bravery and emotional strength the nursing sisters mustered to help patients can never be underestimated. The women "left behind" have their stories too. BC historian Jean Barman reminds us in her contribution to this topic that women's essential war-time services provided opportunities to demand equality, including the right to vote. When the carnage was finally over and peace came in 1918, the work of building memorials began. The cenotaphs in every city, town and village across the land are a constant reminder of those who served. Nelson historian Greg Nesteroff recounts Anglican church members removing a time capsule in 2011 to find an honour roll list of 222 church members who enlisted in World War I. Thus began a history project in the Kootenay town to learn more about each of these individuals. In Fort Langley, returning soldiers initiated the successful building of a stone cenotaph with Celtic cross but over time the tradition of a Remembrance Day gathering diminished—only to be successfully revived fifteen years ago. Vancouver's Stanley Park contains one of BC's most notable cenotaphs, built to honour Japanese Canadians participating in every major battle in the First World War. Some of their stories are included in this book along with a description of the Chinese Labour Corps—labourers transported across Canada to the western front to dig trenches and tunnels. Another fascinating topic looks at the men who chose not to fight—socialists, pacifists and deserters. The often-told story of union organizer Ginger Goodwin is recounted, for instance, as well as that of the Doukhobor community, whose members refused to bear arms based on their religious beliefs. A chapter also covers BC's internment camps. German-Canadians and several other members of immigrant groups — whose homelands had become enemies of Canada —found themselves spending the war behind barbed wire. A few prominent German-Canadians were especially feared as spies, including Vancouver businessman, Alvo von Alvensleben. He managed to escape to the United States with his Canadian-born wife and children, only to be interned in Utah after the Americans joined the war in 1917. The traumas and heroics of the war permeated the arts for decades to come. Among several examples is the play, Billy Bishop Goes To War, based on the true story of Canada's top flying ace. The play was launched in Vancouver to huge acclaim several years ago by its playwright, John Gray. Victoria-based writer Jack Hodgins depicts war veterans homesteading on Vancouver Island in his novel, Broken Ground. Interviews with Gray and Hodgins for this book provide insight into the inspiration behind their work. Reminiscences about various athletes who served are yet another aspect of the war stories and include the Vancouver Millionaires hockey team, Peachland's war canoe members, and boxer Tommy Burns. A survey of the ways Canadians have honoured the soldiers of the First World War concludes the narrative. Many Canadians, including the authors, have traced family members' participation in the Great War either through a pilgrimage back to Europe or by accessing government databases and memory projects. The Canadian Letters and Images Project at Vancouver Island University is one such database. It has already digitalized more than fifteen thousand letters as well as photographs, diaries and other war-related items from Canadians across the country. Impressively, the authors are turning royalties earned by this book to help fund the Project. A young province of 400,000 people saw 6,225 men die in battle, and hundreds more return home wounded and facing new challenges. Besides preserving the memories of our province's collective past, this book is an excellent resource for educators to engage youth in the diverse history and in the courage and sacrifice of people a century ago. Janet Nicol Canoe Crossings: Understanding the Craft that Helped Shape British Columbia. By Sanford Osier. (Surrey: Heritage House, 2014) $19-95- Even if you haven't paddled a canoe since childhood camping days, you may develop an urge to BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 43 explore BC's waterways after reading this book. Author Sandford Osier has combined his interest in history and his love of canoeing to inform readers about almost everything there is to know about canoes. He illustrates how this water craft has shaped British Columbians as he interweaves his personal experiences into the narrative, including childhood excursions to Georgian Bay in northern Ontario and, much later, paddling the Bowron Lake circuit in northern BC with his ten year old son. The history of this unique craft begins with the birchbark canoe of aboriginal peoples, the subject of the opening chapter. The grain of a birch tree runs around the tree trunk rather than down the bark, allowing for a canoe, as "light and elegant as a seagull when it skims the summer waves," according to French explorer Samuel de Champlain. Early Europeans in eastern Canada recognised the value of these canoes over their own boats. Indeed, the canoe was key to mapping our country and to the expansion of the fur trade, the author contends. By the nineteenth century, the boat's practical use had declined, however, and canoes became popular for recreation and sport. The transition from the wooden frame to the fibre- glass canoe came in the twentieth century. Osier includes this evolution of canoe making in his narrative of change from traditional materials to contemporary technology and materials. The days of birchbark canoes are well over, he notes, except for ceremonial use, such as the 2010 Olympic Games and for display in the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. The large ocean-going "dugout" canoe is the theme of the second chapter. It has been a necessity for First Nations people on the West Coast. (The author notes "canoe" and "ocean" are anagrams.) The largest ocean-faring canoes were likely built by the Haida Nation, as island people living among giant trees. Contemporary First Nations canoe carvings and art are built on this heritage, as Osier notes in his description of the inspiring work of internationally-acclaimed Haida artists. A third chapter is dedicated to the "canoe of the north" — the kayak, or what was once described as the "skin" canoe. Kayak making was a critical skill of the Inuit, the author contends. These boats were made with de-haired seal, sea lion, or caribou skin sewn together with natural thread and covering a skeleton made from wood, bone and ivory. Early Europeans recorded their astonishment at the agility and skill of the Inuit paddlers in these craft. Several colored photographs— both archival and recent—compliment the text. In the final chapters, Osier examines the functions and symbolism of canoes in the modern world. He observes the benefits of annual canoe races and journeys by diverse groups, including University of BC students, at-risk youth and First Nations' communities. The canoe symbolizes unity and team work. According to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the canoe "is a source of enrichment and inner renewal." Former BC Lieutenant- Governor Steven Point carved a dugout canoe in 2009 and called it the "unity" canoe project. "I look at the world as one canoe, and we're all paddling in it together," Point stated. The canoe has played a historic role in shaping our province (and beyond) and continues to do so, Osier asserts. Canoe Crossings provides a fascinating lens for us to appreciate our collective history, the story of this ancient boat, and the precious rivers, lakes and oceans we will continue to paddle. Janet Nicol From Classroom to Battlefield: Victoria High School and the First World War. by Barry Gough (Surrey: Heritage House, 2014) $19-95- This local history is a detailed account of the wartime contributions of more than 400 students who passed through the halls of Victoria High School a hundred years ago. Significantly, Victoria High was the first secondary school built in British Columbia in 1876. Gough, an historian, as well as a former student and teacher at the school, is one of several accomplished alumni. His history of the school's wartime record begins with a brief description of the evolution of the institution from its earliest days to the start of war in 1914. The reader follows this cohort of current and former students turned soldiers as they enter the fields of combat. He points out most of the volunteer 44 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 recruits were Canadian born—and not, as commonly assumed, British immigrants. Chapters are divided into key Canadian battles, starting with the gas attack at Ypres, passing on to the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, and concluding in the 100-day offensive which led to the Armistice in 1918. The author guides the reader through the unrelenting four years of trench warfare in a clear and accessible manner, layering in the fates of Victoria High School's youth. By taking a close look at a community of soldiers and following their footsteps, the reader truly appreciates how young and full of life these men were — not to mention how the deaths of too many of them sent profound ripples of grief and devastation throughout the community. Take for example two graduates of the high school, Fletcher Frederick Elliott and George William Elliott, both sons of a Methodist preacher. They enlisted with the 88th Regiment, Victoria Fusiliers. Fletcher was the first to fall at the Second Battle of Ypres on April 24,1915. In the wake of the battle's large death toll, the newspapers in Victoria stated, in error, that both brothers had died in the German's treacherous gas attack. George had in fact survived. He would meet his end a year later, however, in a counterattack on the German forces at Mount Sorrel. Most enlisted as privates, many to distinguish themselves as they moved up the ranks. Conrad Blackadder Wilson was attending Victoria High when he enlisted, aged 18, with the 50th Regiment, Gordon Highlanders. He rose to officer and served two years in the front lines before his death on the line, February 7,1917, following a successful bombing raid of an enemy trench near Picardy, France. Victoria High also housed a College at the time. The school produced its share of future Rhodes scholars, including Ernest John Knapton. He wrote for The Camosun, a publication which closely watched the war. A rich source of information for the author, the publication gives insights into students' feelings at the time as well. The unnamed valedictorian of 1916, for instance, eloquently recognized those who answered the Empire's call to arms as well as the bonds forged by Victoria High. The three sons of the Laundy family all survived the Vimy Ridge battle and one of them, a lieutenant, won the Military Cross as the only surviving officer tasked with capturing an enemy position. Another to achieve rank was Robert Stanley Stuart Yates, who came from a pioneer Victoria family. He survived several battles and returned home after the Armistice to practice law, later becoming the clerk of the BC legislature. Another talented figure to come out of the period was school art teacher Earl W Clarke. A sculptor and design expert, Clarke played an important role in the remembrance when the war ended, including the creation of the Great War Banner of Honour and Sacrifice. Seven white maple leaves signify seven nursing sisters connected to Victoria High who served overseas. Six blue and three red maple leaves signify the teachers who served (three of whom died). Fifty-three red maple leaves connote students who were casualties of the War, and 397 white maple leaves represent those who served and returned home. The book's appendices include the school's roll of honour. Detailed footnotes indicate the precision and care the author has taken in researching the many individuals filling this history. Gough's book may inspire BC educators to teach more about their school's own rich history. It serves to remind all of us to appreciate a generation who endured and sacrificed so much. Janet Nicol Reviewer Janet Nicol has provided us with this hat-trick of reviews. She is a teacher of history in a Vancouver high school and she blogs at janetnicol.wordpress.com. Her article on Squamish leader Andrew Paull was published in the most recent edition of Canada's History Magazine. Nicol writes of Paull that "despite his lack of a law degree... he was remarkably successful in defending clients in British Columbia's courts of law in the early part of the twentieth century. Paull had received legal training but refused to be called to the bar because at the time it would have meant giving up his Aboriginal status." "ISi^HANADiANWOM^WRm^iRiES Janet of Kootenay: Life, Love, and Laughter in an Arcady of the West by Evah McKowan, edited by Leigh Matthews. (Ottawa: Tecumseh Press, 2014). $19.95. Beginning at the beginning isn't necessarily the best way to approach Janet of Kootenay: Life, Love, and Laughter in an Arcady of the BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 45 West, a reprinted "scholarly" edition of the popular 1919 novel by Cranbrook writer Evah McKowan. Under the banner of Tecumseh Press's "Early Canadian Women Writers Series" Editor Leigh Matthews of Thompson Rivers University has set out to re-capture and re-present the romance, personality and rigorous accomplishments of McKowan's legendary pioneer heroine, Miss Janet Kirk. For fear of giving away too much of the ensuing tale and action as well as appearing overly analytical, Matthews' 70 page opening Introduction and Explanatory Endnotes should be read after McKowan's 158 page original story, (which occupies the central pages of the book) has been innocently absorbed and enjoyed. Janet Kirk of Ontario and briefly of rural Saskatchewan is — and remains in history and in literature — a true-to-life woman. She is an orchardist, rancher, farmer, Jill-of-all trades, and un-intention- al entrepreneur. She is not afraid of man, nature or beast. With a little suspension of disbelief in the nearly predictable plot and the sometimes stilted dialogue, Janet's story can be accepted as readily as a "back-to-the-land" or a "life- as-a-female tree-planter" episode from the late 20th century. Editor Matthews, in her Introduction and Endnotes, follows and details every nuance of Janet's Arcadian life in the Creston Valley of southeastern BC. She is a stickler for pinpointing even minor geographical sites and her references and bibliography are impeccable. This feature will be popular with local Kootenay readers. (Although a map, as part of the real-life Introduction would be of interest.) Matthews has even provided the reader with a set of Explanatory Notes to the original text. Set against the backdrop of World War I in all its complexity — including the challenges of veterans, the fight for women's suffrage, lingering Victorian mores, immigration, racism, mechanization, and rapidly changing "women's issues" — Janet's life and the characters with whom she shares her Arcadian venture appear authentic. Matthews has enthusiastically adopted Jean Barman's West Beyond the West outlook on British Columbia and has applied this vision to the East and West Kootenays. The Creston Valley is a microcosm of all that is positive about the "last best West." McKowan employs a letter-writing technique throughout the novel. In her letters to a dear friend back in Saskatchewan, Janet records and reveals her multiple (and sometimes exhausting) rural activities, a changing cast of characters, and her personal aspirations. Conversations and anecdotes keep the reader engaged in the progress of Janet's aptly-named homestead, Arcady. This journalistic format generates a sense of intimacy and offers opportunities for humour and conviviality between Janet and Nan, her more traditionally motivated correspondent. Published in 1919, Janet of Kootenay was widely reviewed by newspapers and media in the Eastern US and in Canada in its time. It will be interesting to learn if other reviewers of the currently popular Canadian Women's Literature genre will be as engaged in McKowan's Creston heroine as I have been. Readers should be encouraged by Matthews' skill and empathy in introducing readers to biographical fiction and a style of story-telling almost a century old! Reviewer Frances Welwood has written a biography called Passing Through Missing Pages. It chronicles the life of political and social history figure, Annie Garland Foster (1875- 1974). She has found amazing similarities in the lives and times of the real Annie, whose story is based in Nelson, and the fictitious Janet. Both were confident. New Women of the Canadian variety who followed their dreams to the Kootenays alone in the early days of the 20th century. 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 British Columbia Historical Federation A charitable society under the Income Tax Act Organized 31 October 1922 PO Box 5254, Station B., Victoria BC V8R 6N4 | www.bchistory.ca | info@bchistory.ca Under the Distinguished Patronage of The Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia OFFICERS PRESIDENT Gary Mitchell Phone 250.381.6607 president@bchistory.ca FIRST VICE PRESIDENT K. Jane Watt Phone 778.246.0981 vpl@bchistory.ca SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Maurice Guibord Phone 604.253.9311 Mobile 604.771.3047 vp2@bchistory.ca SECRETARY Judy Lam Maxwell Phone 604.418.8560 secretary@bchistory.ca TREASURER Kerri Gibson Phone 250.386.3405 Fax: 250.361.3188 treasurer@bchistoryca PAST PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO) Barry Gough Phone 250.592.0800 pastpres@bchistory.ca HONORARY PRESIDENT Jacqueline Gresko honorary@bchistoryca DIRECTORS Marie Elliott essays@bchistory.ca Ron Hyde directorl (gbchistory.ca COMMITTEE CHAIRS ADVOCACY Diane Rogers Brenda L. Smith advocacy@bchistory.ca CONFERENCES conference@bchistoryca MAGAZINE LIAISON K. Jane Watt magazine@bchistory.ca HISTORICAL WRITING AWARDS Maurice Guibord writing@bchistory.ca MEMBERSHIP Ron Hyde membership@bchistoryca W. KAYE LAMB ESSAY SCHOLARSHIP Marie Elliott essays@bchistory.ca RECOGNITION Gary Mitchell recognition@bchistory.ca HISTORIC TRAILS AND SITES Tom Lymbery Phone: 250-227-9448 Fax 250-227-9449 trails@bchistory.ca EDITORS Andrea Lister, Editor British Columbia History bcheditor@bchistoryca K. Jane Watt, Book Review Editor, British Columbia History reviews@bchistory.ca Sylvia Stopforth, Archives & Archivists Editor British Columbia History Andrea Lister, BCHF Newsletter newsletter@bchistory.ca R.J. (Ron) Welwood, Website Editor webeditor@bchistoryca For awards and scholarship information see www.bchistory.ca MEMBERSHIP The British Columbia Historical Federation has been working since 1922 with historical sites, societies, groups, museums, archives, etc. throughout British Columbia preserving and promoting British Columbia's history. The British Columbia Historical Federation is an umbrella organization embracing a variety of members interested in the preservation and promotion of British Columbia's history. Member Societies: Local and regional historical societies with objectives consistent with those of the Federation. All dues paying members of the local or regional society shall be ipso facto members of the Federation. Affiliated Members: Groups, organizations and institutions without dues paying members with specialized interests or objectives of a historical nature. Associate Members: Individuals may become members of the Federation. Corporate Members: Companies are entitled to become members of the Federation. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES Member Societies: one dollar per member with a minimum membership fee of $30 and a maximum of $75 Affiliated Members: $35 Associate (individual) Members: $35 Corporate Members: $100 For further information about memberships contact: Ron Hyde, Membership Chair Are you an Undergraduate History Student? Each year, the British Columbia Historical Federation offers two W. Kaye Lamb Scholarships for student essays relating to the history of British Columbia. Prize for a student in the 1st or 2nd year is $750 Prize for a student in the 3rd or 4th year is $1,000 Eligibility The essay must be written by a student registered in a university or college in British Columbia. Candidates must submit their application for this scholarship by May 15th, 2015. See full rules and criteria on the BCHF website: http://bchistory.ca/awards/essay/index.html BCHISTORY.CA BOOK STORE The website Book Store now has over 85 titles on its shelves from the British Columbia Historical Federation and member societies. Books can be purchased through bchistory.ca using PayPal. Purchase books about BC history: www.bchistory.ca/publications/store/index.html DIGITAL ARCHIVES Federation publications from 1923 - 2007 can be accessed from through www.bchistory.ca Or go directly to the UBC's library website at http://bchistory.library.ubc.ca/?db=bchf# The archive of BCHF Newsletters can be found at bchistory.ca/publications/newsletter/index.html MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION OF BC | MagsBC www.bcamp.bc.ca Magazine ^association of ^•B ^^ BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol 48 No. 2 47 Cabinets of Curiosities Her name is Jenny By M. Diane Rogers ^ Her name is Jenny; she's a Canadian built 1952 Pontiac — Willow Green. My father brought her home from Bowell, McLeans Vancouver, BC lot in 1953 and he drove her for decades. Today she resides in Sidney BC and is driven on special occasions by my brother. Although he is the family car buff, I too remember Jenny as part of the family. Our father, George William Rogers, born in South Vancouver in 1917, met and married Mum, a Manitoba girl, during World War II, while each was serving in the Canadian Army in Washington, DC. Both were optimistic about British Columbia's future and so they settled in Vancouver. From the 1950s to the 70s, together they had an insurance business, George W Rogers Ltd., first on Broadway, and from 1953, on Cambie Street near 17th Avenue. Our parents were always civic minded. From 1953 to 1957 Dad was a Director of the Vancouver Traffic and Safety Council. In this 1957 photo, found in my parents' old files, you see one of the safety ads Jenny sported over the years. In the 1950s, the Council along with the City of Vancouver's fire service promoted fire prevention, along with regular fire inspections.1 In later years, I remember helping with window displays and Jenny's "Don't Drink and Drive" sign. We lived only a block away from the office. Local transit was good; stores and schools were within walking distance; the car was more for business. Sometimes we did ride along on sales calls. Dad always had a crisscross directory and a phone book in the back and I'd get to look up addresses. (Now that I'm a genealogist; I still like to do that.) In the summer we'd go in Jenny to Jericho or Second Beach for a picnic supper. But almost every week we went for a "Sunday Drive," Once I remember we went right out to Delta! But most often we were close to home, just seeing sights, like the new Oakridge shop- George W. Rogers, M.B.E. Manager ^ ^^■MKnFTij^^ Jenny with fire prevention advertising, 1957. Courtesy of author ping centre in 1959, perhaps afterwards stopping for a walk in Queen Elizabeth Park or for a soft ice cream, my mum's favourite. ■ Note 1 Mr. K. A. Hill of the Vancouver Fire Warden's Office, speaking in 1962, gave 1955 as the year the department "took an interest in Fire Prevention Education", pointing to a 40% decrease in fires since 1955. Vancouver Traffic and Safety Council annual report (Vancouver, page 16), City of Vancouver Archives AM1519-: PAM 1962-108. A 1959 letter from Vancouver Fire Chief H. S. Bird thanking G. W. Rogers for a educational Fire Prevention window display said that "as a result of our Campaigns" fires had been 38% % less from 1955. Letter on Fire Department letterhead, dated 2 December 1959, private collection. Every object has a story. Do you have an object of curiosity in your cabinet? Send me 300 to 400 words, together with a high-resolution image of the object, telling me the story of the object. Email your story to: bcheditor@bchistory.ca, or mail it to: Editor, British Columbia History, PO Box 21187, Maple Ridge BCV2X1P7. 48 BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORY I Summer 2015 I Vol. 48 No. 2 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Open: April 1,2015 Johnson is proud to offer 50 scholarships valued at $1000 each. The Scholarship Program is open to children and grandchildren of Johnson Affinity group members and Home-Auto clients. Students must complete high school in 2015 and be entering into post-secondary education in the fall of 2015. The deadline for applications is August 31,2015. Contact us today for more information. Web: Johnson.ca and click "About Us" Email: scholarshipfund@johnson.ca Call: 1-866-544-2673 JOHNSON Johnson has awarded over 1500 scholarships valued at more than $1 million to support young Canadians across Canada in pursuit of their post-secondary education. Johnson Inc. isa licensed insurance intermediary. Although the Fort Langley Community Improvement Association had been founded in 1924 by Mrs. Morrison (nee Hadden), construction on the building did not begin until 1930. On March 6, 1931, the formal opening and Inaugural Dance was held, and that same year maple trees were planted by members of the board, those along the north by the women and along the south by the men, and the cherry trees were later donated by another supporter. Originally, the hall was painted dark brown, not the yellow it is today. The Community Hall became a designated Heritage Site on September 10,1979. Langley centennial muh ■ \m History in Context Do you have an old photograph with a story to tell? British Columbia History magazine is excited to announce a new back page feature! Taking inspiration from Dear Photograph and HistoryPin, we would like to encourage you help bring a photograph of the past to the present. Anyone can contribute a photograph! Please send your photograph of the past in the present to: bcheditor@bchistoryca and include information on who or what is in the photograph and why it is important to you or your community. It could appear here on the back page. The use of the old photograph featured on this page was graciously donated by the Langley Centennial Museum (LCM #0932). The photograph is from 1931 when construction was occurring on Fort Langley Community Hall. In 1924, the Fort Langley Women's Institute, led by the second Mrs. Hector Morrison, started the Fort Langley Community Improvement Society with the idea of building a new town hall. In 1925, the old town hall grounds were purchased from the municipality for $137.13.
Titled "British Columbia Historical Association Report and Proceedings" from 1923-1929; "British Columbia Historical Quarterly" from 1937-1957; "BC Historical News" from 1968-2004; and "British Columbia History" from 2005 onward.
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Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Victoria : British Columbia Historical Federation
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British Columbia--History
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