In 1860, as the Royal Engineers constructed the road from New Westminster to Vancouver (now Kingsway), a military reserve was set aside at the trail's highest point along the ridge. This reserve provided a particularly good scenic look-out since the original forest had burned down prior to 1860, the remaining stumps offered unobstructed views. By the 1880s, the city council of both New Westminster and Vancouver eyed the reserve as potential recreation ground. As construction of the tram line was underway, the Provincial Government moved to designate the whole reserve as a park. On January 14, 1891, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia proclaimed it as a public recreation ground.
Central Park was one of the first and fastest-growing communities in Burnaby. Located along the electric tram line and the Vancouver Road (Kingsway), it was also chosen for a government settlement project referred to as the Central Park Small Holdings. The lands held by the Provincial Government were subdivided and sold around 1894 and by 1899 the settlement was large enough to warrant the construction of an Anglican Church there.
In the 1890s, local entrepreneurs launched electric railways in Vancouver, New Westminster, and Victoria, eager to cash in on the promise of future growth in the major cities of the time. In the Lower Mainland, two companies started building electric rail in 1890: the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co., which undertook the ambitious project of building the first real interurban line from New Westminster to Vancouver, and the Westminster Street Railway, who eventually built streetcar service and installed electric lighting in New Westminster. By April 20, 1891, both companies merged to form the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company. Local entrepreneurs Henry V. Edmonds, David Oppenheimer, Benjamin Douglas, and Samuel McIntosh, were the directors, all of whom had extensive real estate holdings in the area. Interurban service launched on June 3, 1891, travelling along 12 miles of track from New Westminster to eastern Vancouver, running through Burnaby – which was then an unincorporated area. Installing the single-track line from Vancouver to New Westminster through uneven, forested terrain was a mammoth undertaking. The clearing of the 100-foot right of way and laying the track called for a large work force, some of whom were Chinese "gandy dancers" who had worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway lines. The line was eventually taken over by the B.C. Electric Railway Company in 1897, who remained the owners until the line was finally closed on October 23, 1953 and replaced with the modern bus system. The construction of the SkyTrain along the old route in 1986 reintroduced passenger rail to this historic transportation corridor.
Located between Nelson and Suncrest Schools, Maywood Elementary School was built in 1962 and helped eased the increasing enrolments at these other schools. Like other schools of this period, Maywood was built on one level with no basement and no high stairs. The classrooms were built in a line which could be easily added to as required. Additions to the original structure were completed in 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972. Fires at the school in 1979 and 1989 caused extensive damage and required partial reconstruction of the building.
Burnaby's Maywood Neighbourhood consists of the Metrotown Town Centre - one of four Town Centres in the City. Metrotown is one of the region's most developed and fastest growing centres. It is served by the first SkyTrain line developed in the mid-1980s and anchored by B.C.'s largest shopping and entertainment complex. As an older centre that has progressively added new developments over the years, Metrotown offers a range of housing types and tenures from three-storey walk-up apartments to modern residential towers.
On 26 April 1969 Swangard Stadium held its official opening. Named after Vancouver Sun former Managing Editor, Erwin Swangard, the stadium was funded entirely from private donations and civic and provincial grants.
1 scrapbook (textual records + 2 digital files : (pdfs) + 102 photographs : (tiffs))
Scope and Content
File consists of images and selected contents from a scrapbook with 38 double sided pages containing mostly photographs with some newspaper clippings, written material and emphemera including a page of badges and ribbons which reads "Enrolment & Membership Card of / Joan Bailey 1926 / 1st Burnaby" …
1 scrapbook (textual records + 2 digital files : (pdfs) + 102 photographs : (tiffs))
Scope and Content
File consists of images and selected contents from a scrapbook with 38 double sided pages containing mostly photographs with some newspaper clippings, written material and emphemera including a page of badges and ribbons which reads "Enrolment & Membership Card of / Joan Bailey 1926 / 1st Burnaby" and an embroidered alphabet of the Morse Code. The third page of the scrapbook includes a four page chronology titled "History of Guiding - Burnaby / 1913 - 1960" compiled by Mrs. Dolly Weber, Mrs. J. Heaps, Miss Eileen Periton, Mrs. J. Albertson and D. Fowler. The scrapbook also includes an original letter and post-script from Lady Olave Baden-Powell to Mrs. Fowler dated November 5, 1961; a typewritten copy of: "TSOONA" / PROVINCIAL GUIDE CAMPSITE - ROSEDALE B.C." and a three page typewritten copy of "THE CAMPFIRE / Volume 1, No. 4 _ November 1935 _ Vancouver, B.C.".
Many of the events documented in photographs [between 1914 and 1969] are identified on each page and read as the following: "Burnaby Brownies - Guides & Rangers" / "Early 1920" (1 photograph); "Ambulance / Display / 1st. Co."; "Girl Guide Rally - New Westminster and / Burnaby - June 16, 1923" (5 photographs); "Girl Guide Rally - New Westminster and / Burnaby - June 16, 1923" (5 photographs); "Burnaby Guides and / Brownies / June 17, 1923" (5 photographs); "April 1923" (1 photograph); "June 1923 / 2nd Burnaby Company" (1 photograph); "Burnaby May Day / 26.5.28"(2 photographs); "Sechelt 1929_ 2nd "B" Company" (2 photographs); "Leaders and Seconds / 2nd Burnaby / Grouse Mountain" (1 photograph); "Sechelt 1929 / Commandant Mrs. Peal" (1 photograph); "2nd Company / June 1930" (1 photograph); "1932 / 2nd Company at Rally / Municipal Hall Grounds" (1 photograph) ; "First Burnaby Folk Dancing team / Winners of the E.F.D. cup 1940--41-42" (1 photograph); "1st Burnaby Company / winners of Bessborough Shield / 1942 / Captain L. Crane" (1 photograph); "May 6th 1935 / Dedication of flag at Central Park" (1 photograph); "May Day Celebration / Burnaby B.C. May 6th 1935 / Stride Studios Photos" (1 photograph); "Mrs. Don Wilks / Mrs. Georgie / Runcie / Publicity Photo re- / Brownie / Training / 1958-60" (1 photograph); "Kathleen Anderson / about 1958-60?" (1 photograph); "1957 / Burnaby Camp Site / at / Wilson Creek" (1 photograph); "Work Party (1958)" (1 photograph); "Burnaby Camp Site / Spring 1958 / Cabins & Staff Houses / Dining Shelter / Cabins" (3 photographs); "Can. Girl Guide Assoc. - Provincial Leaders Conference / April 14-15/61 Civic Centre, Prince George, BC" (1 photograph) ; "June 8th, 1958 / Opening / Ceremonies / Burnaby Site / Wilson Creek / Camp Site" (4 photographs); 2 unidentified photographs [ca.1915] of a large group of Girl Guides gathered on the Pacific National Exhibition grounds (photo credit- Leonard Frank); 1 unidentified photograph of a group of Girl Guides gathered for a group portrait [ca.1914]; "Girl Guide Camp / Granthams / Landing / July 1923" (4 photographs); 4 unidentified photographs of girl guides gathered on the ship "Lady Evelyn" [ca. 1920]; "Burnaby Girl Guides" 1918; "First Burnaby Girl Guides 1920" (2 photographs on page); "2nd Co. 1923" (1 photograph) "1st Burnaby Co." [1923] (1 photograph); "Gypsy Scene - Concert / Mar 17, 1923 / Unveiling / War / Memorial / Edmonds / 1923" (3 photographs on page); "Faith Jacobson / 1961" (2 photographs); "Eve MacLean / 1961" (1 photograph); "Beverley Simkin of Montreal and Judy Robins / of the S.R.S. Royal Oak taken on the day they / sailed from Montreal for the Ranger Camp at / "Our Chalet" in Adelboden, Switzerland, May 1962" (1 photograph) and "Religion & Life Emblem / Diane Peters 11th Bby. Co. / Rev. G.W. Luetkehodeter / 1961" (2 photographs on one page).
Digital images were created of the scrapbook prior to selective retention of original records that were removed for conservation purposes
Some textual records that were selected for retention have been described at file level under BV015.35.164: "Tsoona" Provincial Guide Campsite - Rosedale B.C." and Burnaby Girl Guides newsletter, "The Campfire" (November 1935)
Photographs that were retained from scrapbook have been described at item level (BV015.35.221 to BV015.35.284)
Some textual records and ephemera that were selected for retention have been described at item level (BV015.35.320, BV015.35.321, and BV015.35.334 to BV015.35.348).
1 photograph : b&w albumen print on card ; 20 x 25 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of two streetcars at the Central Park siding of Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co. Conductors, engineers and riders are posing with the streetcars. The fronts of the streetcars include painted signage reading "12" and "13" and the sides of the streetcars read "WESTMINSTER AND VANCOUVE…
1 photograph : b&w albumen print on card ; 20 x 25 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of two streetcars at the Central Park siding of Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co. Conductors, engineers and riders are posing with the streetcars. The fronts of the streetcars include painted signage reading "12" and "13" and the sides of the streetcars read "WESTMINSTER AND VANCOUVER TRAMWAY CO. LTD.".
History
Photographers Richard H. Trueman and Norman Caple operated out of Vancouver between 1891 and 1894. The photographers worked between Winnipeg and the west coast of Canada specializing in mountain and railway views, ranch scenes and Indigenous peoples.
In 1890, two companies started building electric rail; the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co., which undertook the ambitious project of building the first real interurban line from New Westminster to Vancouver, and the Westminster Street Railway. By April 20, 1891, both companies merged to form the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company. Streetcar service began in June 1891, travelling on twelve miles of track between New Westminster and eastern Vancouver and running through Burnaby. The line was taken over by the B.C. Electric Railway Company in 1897 until the line was closed in October 1953.
Inscription on recto of photograph reads: "1138_Central Parkk Sideing of Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co. _Trueman and Caple. Photo. Vancouver B.C."
Inscription in gold ink on board reads: "Trueman & Caple_Vancouver, B.C."