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Page 10 West Vancouver Historical Society March 2005 Generally speaking, the Capilano Estates represents an ideal location ideally developed. It is an asset not only to West Vancouver but also to Greater Vancouver and the whole of the province. It time it will come to be known as one of THE residential sectors of the American Continent. President-Editor Jottings Including the piece on Capilano Estates was a last-minute decision prompted by a conversation I had earlier in the day with Andrew Pottinger, Director of Community Relations for the British Pacific Properties Co. He chatted briefly about his talk to us at our next general meeting two weeks from now. I was so interested in what he had to say about his upcoming presentation, I thought it appropriate to insert a November 1938 piece on Capilano Estates written by a hiding of Captain F.F. Lovegrove. It is interesting, but it is plainly not the Captain’s prose. Producing the newsletter in the past several months has been compromised by visits to cat scanners, blood takers and sundry specialists. One of the latter asked, “How much do you drink?” I paused for more than a moment and answered, “I live pretty close to the Beaune.” His eyes glazed over, and lest he take me for an aggressive punhandler I forebore suggesting that if he had a Beaune to pick with me a good choice would be Drouhin’s Clos des Mouches. Max Sennett still lives. Someone could produce a comedy script from what goes on at the Gertrude Lawson House. Especially every third Thursday of the month between 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm (Though enthusiasm and loquacity sometimes prolong the event by thirty minutes or more) I’m talking about the monthly meeting of your executive committee. On January 13'*’ (an important day for this Capricorn, as well as for the ungoatlike bearer of the secretarial quill) I left a late appointment with a medical specialist in North Vancouver for the GLH. At 6:30 pm I disarmed the burglar alarm, went upstairs to prepare for the meeting. Moments before 7:00 pm an executive member who was to have chaired the meeting had I not been able to attend entered the building. Believing no one had yet arrived he applied the appropriate strokes to the burglar alarm keypad. Having thus armed the alarm he went upstairs to start the meeting. Straightaway a motion detector sensed movement and the signal was sent. Enter Officer 1-397 of the WVPD, as consummate a gentleman as one could ever hope to meet. (There would be merit in having a member of the WVPD on our board.) I phoned Don Thompson to get his OK to print his article on the 2004 Victoria Classic Boat Festival. Don is a fine font of information on West Vancouver as it once was, so conversations with him are invariably interesting. Heritage Week The highlight of Heritage Week was the Achievement Awards and Reception, held on Saturday, February 26“’ at the Museum and Archives. All of the awards were given for heritage advocacy and awareness. This year’s recipients were Peter Hall, for his book Place Names of West Vancouver, Katherine Steig, for her efforts to conserve the environmental heritage of our parks and natural spaces, Tom Taylor, for his book Glimpses: World War II West Vancouver Through the Eyes of the Papers and the Paperboy, and the Lighthouse Park Preservation Society, for continued efforts to preserve the natural heritage and environmental values of Lighthouse Park. The week ended as it did last year with “Heritage Fayre”, which was held at Park Royal North. Here visitors were able to meet with the many volunteer groups which have contributed so generously to the many dimensions of West Van’s community life. The mind boggles at the time and energy spent by Carolanne Reynolds, who both organizes and spearheads the event each year. ./^sst. Editor May Day Fire Truck 1946 A few weeks ago the North Shore News printed a 1946 photograph of the May Day Fire Engine. It was taken at 25'“ and Marine Drive, just outside of the Dundarave Pharmacy, where the parade would typically begin. As was the custom, the vehicle was covered in young male humanity, all of which would make its mobile way to Ambleside Park. Accidents were unheard of: at the wheelâ€"as was the case this dayâ€" would be a driver hand-picked by Bill Thompson, West Van’s volunteer fire chief (He was paid $10.00 a month.) This day it would be Freddy Titcombe, who was as thoroughly competent driving the fire truck as he was with coping with a boisterous bunch of young W^V boys. Fred’s age at this time could be reliably put at 33 years. Several weeks ago I had a phone call from Fred, who was obviously very excited. He had every reason to be: he had never before seen the photo. This was the first time. I am pleased to report that the enthusiasm Fred would put into events such as May Day he still pours into the volunteer community work he does today. (And it doesn’t require complicated mental arithmetic to figure out how old he is.) The following are thought to be among those on the truck: Freddy van Aggelen, Peter Hudson, Billy Davie, Bobby Davie, Mickey Montgomery, Bobby Middlemass, Jack Sissons, Sheridan Clarke. We thank the North Shore News for printing this photograph, as well as that to its immediate left, in which Alex Swanson, appropriately uniformed for the moment, is seen holding his trumpet. (A true West Vancouver musical talent) Thanks are due also to Carol Howie and Lois Enns for seeing that the photos were taken to the NSN for printing.