During the Edwardian era, the western provinces were experiencing unprecedented population growth, and in response, in 1904 the Vancouver-based B.C. Mills, Timber and Trading Company patented a modular prefabricated building system that could be adapted to provide everything from modest one-room cottages to churches, schools and banks. Wall panels were assembled from the short mill ends of lumber and siding, until then just waste material that piled up in the millyard. These panels were bolted together on site, with the joints between the panels covered by distinctive vertical battens. Wall panels were assembled at the mill, pre-painted, and packaged with the other components and the instructions necessary to assemble the building. The disassembled building was then shipped to the waiting customer. As western settlements became established, labour and materials were more freely available and local construction companies could be more competitive in their costs. By 1910, this prefabricated system was rendered obsolete. The Smith Residence is a beautifully-preserved example of a B.C. Mills house, and is one of the models that featured a gambrel roof and a full open front verandah. This house was built by local contractor Mr. MacLean for James Smith, a ship’s engineer on the Empress of Japan, and his wife, Agnes. Agnes Smith continued to live here after her husband’s death and sold the house and property in the late 1920s with two of the acres being purchased by her daughter, Grace and husband Henry Pletcher to build a neighbouring house.
Photograph of the Edmonds Baptist Church Choir standing in three rows in front of the church building. A sign posted by the church door reads, "Edmonds Baptist Church/ SERVICES/ CHURCH SCHOOL 9:45 AM/ MORNING SERVICE 11AM/ EVENING SERVICE 7:30PM/ WORSHIP WITH US"
The women are wearing matching robe…
Photograph of the Edmonds Baptist Church Choir standing in three rows in front of the church building. A sign posted by the church door reads, "Edmonds Baptist Church/ SERVICES/ CHURCH SCHOOL 9:45 AM/ MORNING SERVICE 11AM/ EVENING SERVICE 7:30PM/ WORSHIP WITH US"
The women are wearing matching robes with collars and are holding their psalm books in their hands. The men are dressed in suits. Standing in the back row are; Jim Davies, Bille Haines, Mr. Smithson, Bill Bennett, Angus Haines, Ray Bell and Ernie Aldersley. Standing in the middle row are; Gwen Bennett (later Stewart), Thelma Mower (later Hueskin), Nora Palmer (later Coulter) and Olive Day (later Martin). Standing in the back row are; Orpha Scott (later Davies), Elenor Taylor, Mildred Bennett, Gertrude Mower, Jean Smithson and Peggy Urquhart (later Fredericks).
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "BACK ROW Jim Davies, Bille Haines, Mr. Smithson, Bill Bennett Angus Haines, Ray Bell, Ernie Aldersley / Middle Row Gwen Bennett (Mrs. Stewart), Thelma Mower (Mrs Hueskin) Nora Palmer (Mrs. Coulter), Olive Day (Mrs. Martin)/ FRONT ROW Orpha Scott (Mrs. J. Davies), Elenor Taylor Mildred Bennett, Gertrude Mower Jean Smithson, Peggy Urquhart (Mrs. Fredericks)"
"Presented
To my valued fried Rev. D. W. Scott. a former neighbor at Capitol Hill with best wishes of the author
George Green
Victoria March 1 1947" [handwritten in black ink on page opposing front pastedown]
"BMMM-WU SIGNED 1st ED 50.00" [handwritten in pencil on page opposing front pastedown]
"By George Green, pioneer resident of Burnaby, and an ex-Councillor. Charter Member of the British Columbia Historical Association, Vancouver Branch, and an Executive Member."
Subseries consists of textual records and photographs that were collected by Lillian Evelyn Salisbury during her lifetime as a citizen of Burnaby. Records document historical sites and events in and related to Burnaby, as well as various heritage groups and events in British Columbia. Included in t…
Subseries consists of textual records and photographs that were collected by Lillian Evelyn Salisbury during her lifetime as a citizen of Burnaby. Records document historical sites and events in and related to Burnaby, as well as various heritage groups and events in British Columbia. Included in this subseries are the publication and papers related to "Metrotown - Burnaby Heritage Resource Inventory."
History
Lillian Evelyn "Evelyn" Salisbury was born in 1915 and moved to Burnaby in 1945. She had three children with her husband Fred: Gordon, Lorne, and Karen. While living in Burnaby, she worked with the Red Cross blood donor clinic and the Burnaby Health Unit. In 1958, she participated in the Greater Vancouver Health League’s campaign for fluoridation as the Health Chairman of the Burnaby Parent-Teacher Council.
Evelyn Salisbury served two-year terms as secretary, vice-president and president of the Burnaby Historical Society and spearheaded a 1985 project to record Burnaby’s historical inventory of churches, schools, industries, homes and other pre-1930 buildings. When the building of Metrotown shopping centre threatened to clear historic homes in Central Park area, the Society produced a record of the historic buildings in the area. In 1988, as president of the Burnaby Historical Society, she convinced City of Burnaby aldermen to set up a heritage advisory committee. She was appointed to the Burnaby Centennial Committee the next year and in 1990 she was named Citizen of the Year by the Burnaby City Council. During her lifetime, Evelyn Salisbury endeavoured to collect papers of historical significance. She died in 1991.