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May 1993 WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY Pages CJOJMocns'G' lEs^HEiiMnrm THURSDAY, MAY 27 at 7:30 pm WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY -GENERAL MEETING Our next General Meeting will be held at Pauline Johnson School, 1150 22nd Street when the guest Speaker will be the former Mayor Don Lanskail speaking on "West Vancouver's Seawalk and other Municipal Treasures". SATURDAY DAY, JUNE 5 WEST VANCOUVER COMMUNITY DA Y Community Day kicks off with a parade leaving AmblesideParkatIO AM. Parade route is up 13th to Marine Drive, then west to 22nd Street. Activity at the Community Centre will be continuous until 5 PM and will include exhibits, demonstrations and entertainment. Refreshments will be available . VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES FIFTEEN MEMBERS ATTEND MUSEUM COURSE By Waring Pentland On a Tuesday afternoon early in February I found myself, along with 14 others, in a lecture room listening to Jacquie Gijssen, our Museum Curator, introduce us to the History and Functions of Museums. I am not sure what I expected when I signed up but as the course unfolded I found it increasingly more interesting. Our second session was a field trip that gave us a tour of the North Vancouver Museum which included discussion with members of the museum staffi the Curator, Archivist and volunteers. By the time the tour was over I had a much better appreciation of the dme, effort and organization required for even a modest operation. The course proved to be nicely balanced between lectures outlining the basics (working in museums, caring for collections and setting up and displaying exhibits) and field trips to see these principles in action. Our visit to the UBC Museum of Anthropology was probably the real' eye opener' of the course. I had no idea of the scope of activity open to museum volunteers and no conception of the responsibilities they were accepting. It seems obvious now but it was only as the tour progressed that I realized what a major part our Society members would be required to play when our Museum opens to the Public. See - Members Attend Museum Course - Puge 8 HISTORY WATCH Tht West Vancouver Historical Society Maintains a Strict Nonpartisan Policy Regarding Current Political and Business Affairs. However the Society Believes it has a Responsibility to Inform its Members of Current Local Actions Influencing Significant Historical Records. HISTORIC CHANGES TO PARK ROYAL The current construction program at Park Royal South and the sudden changes triggered by the financial difficulties of Woodwards have been the focus of conversation for many of our members. They have expressed real concern for the sudden loss of many features they had come to regard as permanent. The Oasis Car Wash, a unique service to the area for many years has gone, the stand of timber bordering the south side of Marine Drive has disappeared almost overnight and the theatre complex may also be lost to our community. This recent acmdty follows a substantial change to the face of Park Royal South and the previous remodelling of Park Royal North. To many of our members these modifications represent the loss of surroundings that have been a major part of their life; it is understandable that the loss is unsettling. To the community this represents progress as well as a dramatic change in the social fabric. Historically, it could mean the loss of surviving records that date back to the beginnings of the present Canadian urban marketing systems. Remember that Park Royal was Canada's first shopping centre! When the City of North Vancouver saw their shipyards finally shut down, many of the remaining company records and artifacts passed over to the North Vancouver Museum. Because of concern and attention by both the final company owners and the North Vancouver Historical Society valuable items were saved to provide a record of a local industry that is about to go the way of MoodyviUe. We hope that any remaining records of Park Royal's early development will not be lost with the demise of Woodwards and the change in ownership of this historic marketplace. SPECIAL EVENTS. ACTIVITIES SPECIAL EVENTS REPORT The following is a report by Laureen Jones, DIRECTOR, SPECIAL EVENTS, on contributions the Historical Society has made to recent and upcoming events. June 5, 1993 - Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM - COMMUNITY DAY WEST VAN RECREATIONAL CENTRE - MUSIC ROOM We will again be taking an active part in supporting the Community Day celebrations. As there is no particular theme this year we will be showing the panels depicting West Vancouver history... including the new ones prepared for Port Day. As before, we will have access to the VCR to show our historic videos. This year we will have an entry in the parade.... a 1911 Overland, courtesy of Brian Britton and if all plans go well, we wdll have a former May Queen riding with him in this very special heritage car. We plan on a bright sunny day! See - Special Events Report - Page 8