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President's Message - from Ann Brousson If you are a regular reader of this newsletter you will understand that we for the West Van Historical Society. We are awaiting the arrival of the copies of our book Cottages to Community; the Story of West Vancouver's Neighbourhoods, by Francis Mansbridge the author and John Moir the photo editor. This much anticipated event will bring a sense of relief and accomplishment to a number of very hard-working people who have contributed to its creation. There will be future acknowledgments of individuals who have logged countless volunteer hours in the production of this book, however, at this point we cannot let the enormous amount of work of the Book Committee go unnoticed. Jim Carter, our Past President, and creator of the vision, David Barker, the "go to" man and stalwart Society member, Bruce Young, the distributor of the book and the members of the Board of the Historical Society all deserve our many thanks. Only their families will know just how onerous a job this has been. The "heavy lifting" on the part of the Society has only just begun, however; sales and distribution of the book will continue on through the Christmas season and beyond and many hands will be needed to help with this. If you are in a position to offer a few hours of support it will be much appreciated. Our website vi^hs(5)shaw.ca under the able management of Don Grant still carries order forms and will have updated information for you, or you can call the office at 778-279-2235, keeping in mind that we are all volunteers and Taking over the position of Presidency of this group is a daunting proposition. Our Past President, Jim Carter, has left very large shoes to fill. He has worked tirelessly on the "Cottages to Community" book. His fund raising, public speaking engagements and organizational skills will be missed. He has vowed to carry on with the we very much look forward to that. so a reply may not be immediate. Wendy Topham has done a terrific job book in spite of having to deal with a mail strike. The marketing committee has been for book signings and sales of the book in the fall. Our August 20th BBQ wasunder the direction of our very capable Yvonne Bower and her committee. A large number of our members came to enjoy burgers and conversation. It is always a pleasant way to spend a few hours with people who value our history in this special part of the world. The Pumpkin Fest on October I Sth and 16th has a group of enthusiastic people behind it, planning a vibrant fair for the community which includes a dance, golf tournament and plenty of family oriented activities for people to participate in. This fair is intergenerational, with the Seniors Centre, the Girl Guides and Scouts, and the Historical Society participating. We urge you to get out to the Rec Centre and have a wonderful week-end inspecting the produce, baking, and arts and crafts available. Come to the Seniors Centre and buy "Cottages to Community" at our booth. The preservation of our heritage buildings is important to us. The plans for the Ferry Building are just now being presented to the public and we hope you will express your opinions to the Arts in Ambleside group are approaching a very exhilarating time of staying on top of pre-orders of the active distributing posters and arranging The other issue we are dealing with at the moment, as you may now be aware, is the future of our Gertrude Lawson House. The Board and our committee of Pam Dalik as leader. Rod Day as the public spokesperson,Tom Wardell and myself have laid out our position in the letter we wrote Council which is included in this edition. The Board as a whole has very mixed feelings on this issue. We all have an emotional attachment to the old house, even though it does not really work as a museum facility. I have fond personal memories of Gertrude Lawson, who was my Grade 2 teacher at Hollyburn School. There are many people in West Van who share that memory as she taught for a number of years. She invited me and another young 7 year old around for Sunday tea at her home. We were both more than a little nervous about this, being met at the door by a maid in a black uniform and white lace cap. Miss Lawson's family put us at ease very quickly, her father and mother and another lady, who I think might have been Margaret Harte, were extremely kind. It is one those memories that are crystallized for all time in my memory. Perhaps this was a regular occurrence and I hope there are others who also had this opportunity to be a part of West Van's past. With this history in mind, we hope that there will be a satisfactory solution to our dilemma and I would welcome input from the office is not manned on a daily basis marketing ands sales of the book and