Showing 293 results

Authority record
Fenton, William Johnston
FWJ-2016-9 · Person · 1925–2015

William Johnston Fenton was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in August 1925. He immigrated to Canada with his Mother, Amelia Arabella, Father, William James, and his Sister, Caroline. After first settling near Prince Albert in northern Saskatchewan, the family made its way to Vancouver in April, 1936. The connection between the Fenton Family and forest products began when William James Fenton got a job with the Canadian Western Lumber Company Ltd at Fraser Mills on August 1st, 1936, commuting from Vancouver via interurban streetcar. In 1938, the family purchased land and built a house on Alderson Ave in Maillardville so as to be closer to the mill. Over the next few years, the family grew to include Jim, Irene, Phyllis, Mickey, and Colleen. William James became Personnel Manager but his career was interrupted by ill health and he died on July 4th, 1955 at the age of 52.

William Johnston Fenton (most commonly known as John Fenton) and all of his siblings worked at Fraser Mills or with other forest product operations in the area. John started as a casual labourer in the shipping department in 1942 and moved to the plywood plant shortly thereafter. He joined the Canadian Army in June 1944, was discharged in August, 1946, and returned to the mill. He worked as a clerk in the Traffic Department before becoming an Invoice Clerk in 1948. In 1952, he was assigned to Calgary not long after his marriage in 1951. They moved back to Coquitlam in 1954 and John then worked for the Sales Department of what was by that point, Crown Zellerbach. He moved through the managerial ranks, ultimately becoming Sales Manager for British Columbia. During this time, he built two houses on Quadling Avenue, and was a prominent community volunteer for the Coquitlam School Board and the local United Way.

In 1966, he was transferred to Toronto to be the Manager of the Ontario Sales Region and soon was responsible for sales in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. He returned to Coquitlam in 1970 and held various management positions before moving to Kelowna in 1984, where he retired as Manager of Marketing in 1990. During the later years of his career, John became an industry guru regarding wood products, with a particular emphasis on plywood. He was active as an industry representative who facilitated market expansion in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan. His knowledge of plywood production and forest products manufacturing helped inform early negotiations with the United States on a Softwood Lumber Trade Agreement and he assisted in developing product standards through the Canada Standards Association.

Fielding, Ronald
FR-2017-3 · Person · 1910–2008

Ronald James Fielding was born in Vancouver in 1910 to Thomas and Sarah Fielding. Fielding married Barbara May MacDonald in 1936. Fielding was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Excelsior Lodge #7 in Chilliwack for 70 years and associate member of Royal City/Burnaby Lodge #3.

FCC-2017-4 · Corporate body · 1987–2000

In 1889, the Ross, McLaren Mill was opened at Millside, an area near New Westminster, British Columbia. The mill had cost $350,000 to build, and was headed by President James McLaren, a Quebec timber investor and President of the Bank of Ottawa, and Vice-President Frank Ross. Production at the mill began in 1890. In addition to new facilities and a large amount of capital to support it, the mill also possessed the transportation benefits of frontage on the Fraser River and a spur line to the Canadian Pacific Railway system. However, despite these advantages, the mill soon faced several events that affected its production in a negative way. In addition to the death of McLaren, the mill also experienced a decreased demand for timber due to a general economic depression in 1892. Even when other mills began to recover in 1895, Ross, McLaren’s productivity was curtailed by the silting of the Fraser River, which made it impossible for large vessels to reach the mill.

All of these factors contributed to the company’s decision in 1899 to place the mill and its timber rights up for sale. An American investment syndicate, headed by Lester David of Seattle and Mr. Jenkins of Minneapolis eventually purchased the mill in 1903. The new owners sought to resolve the mill’s difficulties by dyking the area, and holding the federal government accountable for dredging the Fraser River channel and ensuring its accessibility to ships. Now called Fraser River Saw Mills, the mill was finally re-opened in 1905, as the largest mill in the Pacific Northwest. By 1906, the mill was already setting records for production levels and over 250 labourers were employed. As a result of the increased production levels and staff, both the mill and Millside were expanded; this included the construction of the Fraser Mills Sash, Door & Shingle Company Limited.

Production at the mill was so high by 1907, in fact, that the mill was nearly shut down due to a lack of available labour. The mill was taken over by an investment syndicate headed by A.D. McRae of Winnipeg and Senator Peter Jansen of Nebraska. The new owners instituted a major re-organization of the business. A half million dollar renovation and expansion of the original mill buildings was implemented and improvements made to increase transportation access to the mill via the Fraser River. The name of the town was changed from Millside to Fraser Mills.

The re-organization of the business culminated in 1910, with the purchase of enough timber rights in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island for the company, now called the Canadian Western Lumber Company Limited, to be considered to have the largest private holdings in the world. Through direct or indirect purchase, the Canadian Western Lumber Company Limited acquired full or partial ownership of the following companies by 1916: Canadian Tugboat Company Limited; Coast Lumber & Fuel Company Limited; Coast Lumber Yards Limited; The Columbia River Company Limited; Columbia Western Lumber Yards Ltd.; Comox Logging and Railway Company; Crown Lumber Company, Limited; Fraser Mills Sash, Door, and Shingle Company Limited; Lumber Manufacturers’ Yard Limited; Security Lumber Company Limited.; and Western Canada Sawmill Yards Limited. Later acquisitions include The Golden Light, Power and Water Company Limited. In 1954, the Canadian Western Lumber Company, Limited was acquired by Crown Zellerbach Canada Limited. The immediate successor company to Crown Zellerbach Canada Limited was Fletcher Challenge Limited of New Zealand, which purchased the company in 1983 and, with further acquisitions, became Fletcher Challenge Canada Limited in 1987. In 2000, Norske Skog, a Norwegian paper company, acquired all of Fletcher Challenge's pulp and paper assets, and a majority interest in Fletcher Challenge Canada Limited. This resulted in the formation of Norske Skog Canada Limited.

FGD-2020-8 · Corporate body · [ca. 1986]

Valda Vidners and Don Luxton of Foundation Group Designs Ltd. surveyed a selection of properties in the Maillardville and Fraser Mills areas on October 5, 1986. The surveyed properties were included in a combined document entitled "Heritage Maillardville: Building Inventory." The inventory was "intended to provide a starting point for the planning and implementation of future heritage policies in the Maillardville and Fraser Mills area."

The study divided the properties into the following categories: Primary, Secondary, and Support. "Criteria focussed on the architectural, historical and contextual significance of each structure. Buildings in the primary category were generally deemed to have merit in all three criteria, while secondary buildings were deemed to be strong in two of the criteria. Support buildings were either of architectural, historical or contextual merit."

"Architectural: means that the building is of interest due to style, materials, structure, detailing, design or architect."

"Historical: means that there are events, trends or people of civic, provincial or national interest associated with the building."

"Contextual: means that the building exists in conjunction with other historic resources or settings."

Four Acres Trailer Court
FA-2018-4 · Corporate body · [ca. 1950]–[ca. 2006]

Four Acres Trailer Court was a mobile home park located at 675 Lougheed Highway. It was owned and operated by Fabian and Helen Stiglish from the 1950s until 1979 when the trailer court was sold to Walter and Dennis Hohn. The mobile home park was rezoned and redeveloped by Mosaic Homes after 2006.

Frank, Leonard
LF-2020-10 · Person · 1870–1944

Leonard Frank was a well-known professional photographer in British Columbia between 1910-1944. He was born in Germany and first moved to San Francisco, before travelling to Alberni, B.C., to work in the mining industry. He began his photography interest there. In 1916, he moved to Vancouver and began to work as a photographer.

Son of one of Germany's earliest professional photographers, Leonard Frank was born in Berne, Germany in 1870. In 1892 he was struck with gold fever and emigrated to San Francisco, moving to Alberni on Vancouver Island two years later intending to prospect for gold. Frank never discovered gold, but by chance won a raffle prize of a camera which sparked his lifelong passion. While managing a general store and continuing to prospect, Frank took pictures of the surrounding country until photography became his chosen profession.

In 1917, Frank moved to Vancouver and quickly became the leading commercial / industrial photographer in the city. Frank 's photographs form a unique document of Vancouver and British Columbia's history between the wars. Whether in woods, shooting the activities of the lumber industry, or on Vancouver's waterfront, recording the contents of warehouses, Frank invariably managed to produce photographs which not only included the required factual information, but also the most exquisite natural light effects. He was frequently commissioned to photograph for both the provincial and federal governments, as well as being the official photographer for the Vancouver Board of Trade. Frank was an associate member of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, the first in Vancouver to receive the coveted award. He later established Leonard Frank Photos studio. After Frank's death, his photographic studio was purchased by Otto Landauer, and closed in 1983.

Gachallan, Del
GD-2017-4 · Person · [19-?]

Del Gachallan was born in the Phillipines and moved to Coquitlam. Gachallan is a retired engineer, musician and author. In 1991, he composed a song in honour of the city's centennial year, entitled "Coquitlam, My Town."

Gareau, Ray
GR-2017-4 · Person · [19-?]
Gareau, Raymond
RG-2024-1 · Person · 1942-

Raymond (Ray) Gareau (1942--) was a mill worker who worked at Fraser Mills for over 35 years.

Raymond Gareau was born in Winnipeg in 1942. In 1945 the Gareau family moved to Maillardville in after Raymond’s father was discharged from the Canadian Air Force. The Gareau family was incentivized to move to Maillardville by the promise of employment at Fraser Mills as well as government incentives for the purchase of a house. A further incentive was the Maillardville area, which had a well-established French Catholic community.

Gareau was educated at several local schools, including private parochial schools, Millside School, Austin Heights School, Como Lake Senior Secondary, as well as Notre Dame High School in Vancouver. He later obtained a Certificate in Business Administration from Eric Hamber Secondary, the tuition for which was provided in part by his employer.

Gareau began working at Fraser Mills as a teenager, on weekends and during the summer. During his employment at Fraser Mills he held a number of different roles, including several supervisory and management positions. After retiring, he started a small consulting company related to forest products.

Gareau was an active member of his community, serving on the board of directors for the Village Credit Union, as well as the Place Maillardville Community Centre. He also served as president of Club Bel Âge.

Gareau married his high school sweetheart, Margaret, who trained as a nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital, and became one of the first nurses to work at Eagle Ridge Hospital when it opened in 1984. The couple have two children, Richard and Robert.

Glacier Media Group
GMG-2020-9 · Corporate body · 1988–

Glacier Media Group was founded on March 23, 1988. It provides business intelligence, marketing and advertising, and community media services. The company owns a large number (60 as of 2020) of community newspapers in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Gleneagle Secondary School
Corporate body · 1987

Gleneagle Secondary School, or simply Gleneagle, is a public coeducational high school located in Coquitlam, British Columbia, established in 1997. It is run by School District 43 Coquitlam. Gleneagle serves grades 9-12 and has an enrolment of 1170 students.

Graham, John
JG-2021-3 · Person · 1877–1952

John Graham was a Chartered Accountant in New Wesminster, British Columbia. He was born in Fossoway, Scotland in 1887 and emigrated to Canada a around 1910. He married Maude Mabel Sworder in 1913. Graham died in 1952.

GVTS-2021-3 · Corporate body · 1973–1999

The Greater Vancouver Transit System provided bus, SeaBus, and Skytrain service in the Metro Vancouver area as GVTS from 1973 until 1983. It operated under contract by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority until March 31, 1980. In the 1970s, the system was commonly still referred to by the general public as BC Hydro Transit (or the "Hydro Buses").

On April 1, 1980, GVTS was operated by the Metro Transit Operating Company and was branded commonly as Metro Transit. In 1983, the system was renamed the Vancouver Regional Transit System. From 1983 until 1999, the system was generally referred to as BC Transit. VRTS continued operation until April 1, 1999, when it was taken over by The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, now known as Translink.

Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd.
GECL-2017-4 · Corporate body · 1974–

Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd. was founded on January 2nd, 1974 by three real estate appraisers who took over an existing appraisal office located at 5685 Cambie Street in Vancouver. In June 1985, the company moved to its present offices on West Georgia St. in Vancouver so as to be closer to the Land Titles Office, which facilitated much of their research. The company provides appraisals for all types of real estate including land, multifamily residential, industrial properties, and commercial properties.

Hannah, Shirley
Person · [194-?] -

Shirley Hannah was the owner and operator of the French Quarter Pub in Maillardville.

Harris, Hannah
HH-2018-2 · Person · 1870–1956

Hannah Hollingsworth was born in Bredsall, England. She moved to Canada and married Joseph William Harris and they had two children, John Edward and Wilfred. She passed away on March 6, 1956.

Harris, John
HJ-2018-2 · Person · 1910–1983

John Edward Harris was born in 1910 in Derbyshire, England, to Joseph William and Hannah Harris. They emigrated to Canada. Harris was a mill worker. He married Gladys Hannah Larson in 1936. He died in 1983.

Harris, Joseph William
HJW-2018-2 · Person · 1876–1955

Joseph William Harris was born on April 29, 1876. He was a rancher and labourer from Handbury, England who immigrated to Canada in 1909 and lived in Grand Forks, B.C. before settling in Coquitlam. He was married to Hannah Hollingworth and they had two children, John Edward and Wilfred. Harris enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on June 2, 1916 at the age of 40 and served with the 225th Overseas Battalion. He was discharged as medically unfit on January 22, 1917. He passed away on November 18, 1955. It is believed that Harris Ave is named after him.

Harris, Linda
HL-2018-2 · Person · [after 1942]

Linda Harris is the daughter of Wilfred and Katherine Margaret Harris.

Harris, Wilfred
HW-2018-2 · Person · 1911–1998

Wilfred Harris was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia in 1911 to Joseph William and Hannah Harris. Wilfred worked as a lumber grader. He married Katherine Margaret Sitter in 1942 in New Westminster and they had a daughter, Linda Harris. Wilfred Harris died in 1998.

Haywood, Ken
HK-2021-4 · Person · 1928-2011

Ken Haywood was the General Sales Manager at Fogg Motors Limited of New Westminster and had a long history with Westwood Racetrack. He served as President of the Westwood Karting Association and organized twelve go-kart meets every summer in the 1960s. His three sons and his daughter all raced in the karting series at Westwood.
Haywood also served as a Director and Membership Chairman for the Kiwanis Club and was instrumental in developing the club’s defensive driving program.

Hellard, Russell
HR-2017-4 · Person · 1924–2023

Russell Hellard was born in 1924 in Toronto, Ontario. He worked briefly as a laboratory assistant at the Ontario Research Foundation before enlisting with the Canadian Army in 1943. He trained at Camp Ipperwash in Ontario, then was sent for a Special Wireless Course at Vimy Barracks (the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and Canadian Signal Training Centre), before being sent to Vancouver and then on to Victoria, British Columbia to await deployment to Australia. He served with the No.1 Special Wireless Group in Darwin monitoring Japanese wireless signals until the conclusion of the war in 1945. Once the war was over, it took six months to travel back to Canada with all of the equipment that had been shipped to Australia during the war. Mr. Hellard's unit returned to Canada in February, 1946.

Russell Hellard, his wife Kay and daughter Susan lived in Toronto before his company, Calgon, relocated him briefly to Edmonton for two years. The family then moved to Coquitlam in 1959. Hellard worked for 30 years in industrial water treatment and retired in 1981. During his retirement he became very active across British Columbia as a professional dog show photographer. He was very active in the area of crime prevention within the Coquitlam community between 1984 and 1997, serving as chairman of the Crime Prevention Committee from 1989-1991 and the Community Policing Committee from 1992-1996. He was also actively involved with the Crime Watch Patrol, Block Watch, Court Watch, and Vandal Watch programs. He volunteered his photographic skills for several large community events in Coquitlam, including the BC Summer Games and Centennial celebrations, both in 1991. Hellard has also been an active volunteer and activity group leader at Dogwood Pavilion with the Lifewriters Group, which began in 1999, the Veterans Group, and the Volunteer Improvement Program. He has also photographed many Dogwood Pavilion events over the years. Russell died on February 25 2023.