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February 1998 WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY Page 7 CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE Chapman Land Surveying Ltd. - Our Senior Corporate Member We have been considering a series of articles on our Corporate members for some time and it gives us great pleasme to begin this series with our most senior of Corporate members. Chapman Land Surveying Ltd. They became our first Corporate Member in 1982. Their involvement with our Society and promotion of West Vancouver historical awareness is not new. Ray Chapman supplied Hugh Johnston and his cohorts with plans for the Forestry Trails project, one of the early Society undertakings. In October of 1986, Bill Chapman was the Guest Speaker at our General Meeting on the subject of, no surprise here. The History of Surveying in West Vancouver. The primary record of the Land Surveyor has always been the land survey books, which become part of their permanent records. Chapman Land Surveying Ltd. have survey books dating back to their earliest work in the community. Each survey becomes a record in the Land Title Office in New Westminster where the information is available to the public. A display in the current Museum exhibit that has attracted much attention is a map of West Vancouver, marked with dates of all the Chapman land surv^s in the municipality. It is not surprising that surveyors might have a natural interest in the historical growth of a community in which they have had many years of continuous operation. After all they have literally set many of the boimdaries and corner posts of residential, business, and government activity in West Vancouver. Their daily business brings them into constant contact with municipal departments and they appear in support of their clients at our Council meetings from time to time. They indeed have played a significant role in our community history. This family business has been surveying lands on the North Shore for over 90 years. The company’s family history began in 1906 with the work of John Elliott later join^ by his brother Hector. John was followed in the business by his nephew, Ray E. Chapman, who continues to work, with his son Bill Chapman, who acts as managing partner. Since 1906 Chapman surveyors have walked, measured and mapped more than half of the existing properties in this community. This interest in historical awareness culminated in a company exhibit in May of 1996 to commemorate Ray Chapman’s 50 years of land surveying. This exhibition, the result of extensive company research through their own records and those of others, was on display for only for only one day on company premises. Those attending were concerned to see the efforts of so many, at such considerable expense, result in an exhibition of such a brief duration. Discussion between Chapman Land Surveying Ltd.and the West Vancouver Museum & Archives resulted in a cooperative project to develop the current exhibit; Chapman Land Surveying Ltd. - 90 Years of Land Development in West Vancouver. We can thank our Corporate Member for much of the research on this project as well as most of the objects on display. The excellence of this exhibit is in a large part due to the dedicated effort and financial support extended by Chapman Land Surveying and staff in cooperation with the West Vancouver Museum & Archives staff. You have our warmest thanks. We are proud to have you as a CorporateMember. This is an exhibit that should not be missed! (PCease, Save *Ifiose 9{erita^e ^Documents! By: David Wardle, Community Records Archivist The mandate of our Archives is to acquire and preserve archival materials that illustrate the growth and development of West Vancouver. The Archives is always ready and willing to accept any records and archival materials meeting this criteria from individuals, families, businesses or organizations. Often people have remarked that their personal or family archives would be of little interest to future researchers but this is far from the truth. Every group of local records reveals a little bit more of West Vancouver’s history. It is also impossible to anticipate what information future researchers can glean from a photograph, diary or map created in the past. True, some collections appear more valuable than others b^use they are well catalogued, comprehensive or historically relevant. True, some may duplicate existing records or for other reasons may not be suitable. Let us be the judge. During the past year, the Archives received some very worthwhile donations to its holdings. Th^ ranged from papers of individuals to the records of local organizations; from photographs to maps, to blueprints, to textual records. Highlights of last years assortment of l|^ ^ ^ donations include the administrative records nma of the West Vancouver Sketch club, Jim Hardwick’s collection of approximately 200 ge sgm carmery industry photos, 400 plans and CZ blueprints of West Vancouver homes designed Museum&Archives by Brian Barraclough and the personal papers of former teacher Freda Gilbert. Once potential donations are determined to fit the the collections policy they are accessioned into the Archives and processed so they are organized and available for researchers into the indefinite future. Once organized, the material is placed in proper storage, to promote its long term preservation. In that sense, the Archives acts very much like a bank, where records are kept safe and preserved for the future. So if you have archival materials that document the development of West Vancouver, please feel free to call the Museum & Archives at 925-7295 or leave a message for me at 925-7298.