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Page 8 WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY November 1996 ARCHIVES CORNER Meay Chapman, Archives Volunteer Coordinator RoWy RoWy Row Your Booty gently down the stream^ a I wonder if John Sinclair bummed this little ditty as he made frequent trips to Vancouver to shop for his groceries. Tides and currents were no problem for him. He was bom on the Island of Sanday in the Orkneys off the North of Scotland where high winds, stormy seas and many shipwrecks were commonplace so he had learned the ways of the sea. After apprenticing as a carpenter-builder in Edinburgh he emigrated to Canada in 1884, spending five years in Montreal before embarking for Vancouver in .1889 - accompanied by two of his sisters Jeanie and Ann. He soon met Robert Macpherson, another skilled caipenter/builder and they formed a parmership in the contracting business and would also become brothers-in-law. They built many houses dn the west end and in Shaughnessy Heights and buildings such as the old wooden Fairview School of Commerce which was a landmark for many years at the comer of Broadway & Granville. They invested heavily in real estate west of the Capilano River at the turn of the century and would establish their homes there. By 1908 John Sinclair’s success enabled him to send for his 79 year old mother and two more sisters who were still living on Sanday. Mrs. Sinclair had never seen a train, big trees (the Orkneys are practically treeless) or a telephone before. She was amazed at the way people lived in the big cities that she had seen on her trip westward across Canada. Houses were crowded together with windows looking into another persons back yard, wall or fence, in spite of the vast open spaces of unoccupied land available. When they arrived in Vancouver John took the ladies to the foot of Campbell Avenue on the south shore of Vancouver Harbour, bundled them all in his 16 foot Turner-built clinker-hulled rowboat together with all their tmnks, baggage and other gear. He rowed down the harbour, westward, and on through the First Narrows to the beach in front of his small cottage at HoUybum. “Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.”. The following year, John Sinclair, his brother-in-law Robert Macpherson joined John Lawson and his brother-in law William C. Thompson in forming the West Vancouver Transportation Co. with the first ferry “West Vancouver” making its inaugural trip on Nov. 6, 1909. John soon built a much larger house on his property on Bellevue between 18th & 19th overlooking the waters of English Bay. It was a masterpiece of sound constmction, heated throughout by hot water, and had its own independent sewerage system, the sewer outfall running underground, where the railway tracks would mn, down to the extreme low-tide line at the beach. And this is where Mrs. Sinclair from Sanday lived in warmth and comfort until she passed away in 1920, in her 92nd year. John and his unmarried sister lived on to their 89th and 98th year respectively " is it the Scots blood or the West Vancouver air that promotes longevity? west Vancouver Volunteering â€" at the West Vancouver Museum & Archives 1553 Whether you love to talk to people or would rather work independently, have a thirst for new knowledge or want to reconnect with your community’s history, there’s a wraiderful range of activities for volunteers to undertake at the West Vancouver Museum & Archives. Volunteers form a critical component of the Museum & Archives. In 1995 our volunteer team totalled 65 and gave upwards of 2,700 hours towards the facility. From volunteering in the gallery/gift shop to working in the archives, assisting with openings or leading school children through programmes on Gertrude Lawson and her house, volunteers generally give 2 or 3 hours per week and can participate in a variety of special volunteer activities in addition to their chosen work area. Training is provided and all volunteers receive invitations to exhibit openings and special events, as well as the West Vancouver Museum & Archives News three times a year. Currently there are openings in the following volunteer teams. If you would like more information, please call Deborah at the Museum & Archives at 925-7295. ass # Education Docents MuseumK(5!v^ Working with Jill Baird the Education Coordinator, volunteers deliver hands on programming either at the Museum & Archives and/or travel to schools with the Museum Roadshow. Programs range from the early days of West Vancouver to learning about the Lawson’s and Gertrude Lawson House. 4 Museum Gallery Guides Gallery Guides are the front line people working in the galleries. If you enjoy learning about the history of West Van, talking with visitors, giving tours and selling items from the gift shop, this is a great opportunity to promote West Vancouver to our citizens and visitors. ^ Reception/Special Events Reception/Special Events volunteers help with exhibit openings and special programmes. These events are a lot of fun, and usually take on a different theme or focus every time. This is not a weekly commitment, but rather as needed throughout the year, usually something every one or two months.