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90*** Birthday celebrated - cont’d. These were busy years and Margaret was immersed in her musical endeavours: • Singing with the Choirs of West Van United Church; the Bach Choir, were she was president for a year; and the Cantata singers; • Conducting the Junior Choir of St. David’s United Church, WV; • Instructing 4 children in their piano lessons â€" It helped that Mom is blessed with having “perfect pitch” as she was thus able to call out the correct keys to be played from the kitchen when she heard a wrong note emanating from the living room; • Singing as the Lead soprano for St Andrew’s Wesley United Church; and • Attending weekly private singing lessons at a studio in Kit’s Point. When I was 10 years old, the family (or rather Mom) purchased our first car â€" A 1938 grey Plymouth. Thus began Margaret’s real love for the automobile and driving holidays. Mom was the first in the family to get her driver’s licence. In subsequent years she taught all members of the family, including our father, to drive â€" how we shuddered when we knew it was our turn to pass the dreaded “hill job” â€" otherwise known as parking the car on a steep hill using the clutch!! The result of all this was that Margaret morphed into a bona fide “autophile” - she subsequently owned every type and make of car from the humble Beetle to a convertible Spider, and lived for driving holidays and short road trips. With a perfect driving record, she finally gave up this “hobby” at the respectable age of 87. While married to Ivan Ockenden, Margaret wrote her Real Estate exams at age 55!! And subsequently moved to Kelowna where she excelled in Real Estate â€" in those days it was mandatory to wear high boots to avoid being bitten by rattlesnakes lurking in the sagebrush! Mom and Ivan returned to Vancouver and after Ivan Ockenden passed away in 1977, Mom put her energy into a new “career” as a grandparent = first to Jennifer Croll, born to Andrew and Judith Croll, then to the three children of Jeremy and Karen Croll - Jarrett, Bryce and Lara. Margaret, ever the mother, loved being a Grandmother to her grandchildren for any occasion. In 1987, when mom was a young 70, she married Val Ashby, who many of you here today know from his years volunteering at the West Van Legion. During these later years mom continued to lead an active life: pursuing her lifelong love of swimming, with daily visits to the West Van Rec centre pool; lawn bowling; Spanish lessons; and volunteering with the WV Historical Society (Tom Page 4 (Cont’d. next column) 90*** Birthday celebrated - cont’d. Taylor). Margaret continued to play the piano on a regular basis, and both she and Val loved to take driving holidays, often to Bellingham for the day or to their favourite getaway, Osoyoos, B. C. As Margaret entered her 8*^ decade, she continued to amaze all with her energy and good health: lengthy walks of Marine Drive; daily swimming at 7:00am helped by her good friend Betty; playing piano for pleasure and for regular Legion meetings; lunches with friends; being an involved grand- mother; and still going on those lovely car trips with Val --- a great delight for both. When Val Ashby passed away in 2000, Mom once again had to rely on her great inner strength and ability to move forward. She continued with her busy round of activities, and has only been slowed down in the last year because of a wonky hip - soon to be replaced at Lions Gate Hospital. Margaret is now in her 9*** decade and in our family we continue to regard her with amazement. We love her spirit, ability to look forward not backward, her delightful laugh, outrageous sense of humour and for being more than anything else. Our Mother!!. THE BEGINNING The Schools of West Vancouver The year 1911, marks the beginning of education in West Vancouver. October of that year, John Lawson, provided a tent on his property for the first school, and classes began. Miss Mary M. Reid, of Erin, Ontario, was hired as the first teacher of 14 students between the ages of 5 and 14. The tent school however did not hold up during a heavy snowfall in February 1912. Mr. Lawson then arranged to have the classes moved to a building on Marine Drive, between 17*^ & 18<^^ Streets. By this time the class size had increased to 21 students and by June 30, 1912, the numbers reached 44. Historical E*}iotograpli no. 4S0.WVML First ScKool ol West Vancouver {Pkoto late 1912) Teaclier: Miss Lillian Smitk (Cont’d. page five)