History-onics (West Vancouver, BC: West Vancouver Historical Society), 1 Mar 2014, p. 3

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The Gapilano River Walk by Heinz Berger (a continuation of September's column) When we started the Capilano River Walk we h a d to first o p e n a six foot fence o n b o t h sides o f the PGE railroad bridge . T h e next obstacle was a c a r w a s h business i n S o u t h Park R o y a l . T h e y h a d l a n d s c a p e d riglit d o w n to the river. 1 suggested that we w o u l d c h a n g e t h e i r l a n d s c a p i n g b y p u t t i n g the t r a i l across their p r o p e r t y a n d they a g r e e d . N o r t h o f there w a s a s m a l l W e then h a d to g o u n d e r the Marine Drive Bridge past the Capilano Care Centre b a c k to the river. W e f o u n d out that the p r o p e r t i e s h i g h o n the ridge to the left o f the t r a i l o w n e d the l a n d right d o w n to the river; so w e were trespassing. H o w e v e r , they h a d no o b j e c t i o n to the w a l k . . W e h a d to bspass Woodcroft a n d w a l k a short distance o n Keith Road past Klee Wyck u n d e r the Upper Levels Bridge T h e next obstacle w a s to bypass Capilano Suspension Bridge property next to t h e i r six foot h i g h fence. T h e r e was a n o v e r h e a d p o w e r - l i n e . I p r e s u m e d that the l a n d u n d e r this line was m u n i c i p a l . \ V e were w o r k i n g with two m e n a n d a small bulldozer. o f the fact. N o w w e w e r e free to w a l k f r o m the o c e a n front a l l the w a y I to Cleveland Dam . t A t a later date West V a n c o u v e r h a d t o t u r n over the w h o l e t r a i l system to the r e g i o n a l D i s t r i c t . I n the i b e g i n n i n g they d i d n o t m a i n t a i n it w e l l . A p a r t was w a s h e d o u t i n a s t o r m a n d w a s n o t r e p a i r e d for a l o n g time. It is n o w b a c k i n o p e r a t i o n a n d ! o n o u r side o f the riven I w r o t e to N o r t h Vancouver asking permission to b u i l d the t r a i l i n t h e i r p a r k . T h e y d i d n o t answer. W e j u s t w e n t a h e a d I a n d b u i l t the t r a i l a n d i n f o r m e d t h e m undeveloped North Vancouver park A m a n appeared out o f nowhere a n d s a i d " T h e p o w e r line has the right o f w a y o v e r o u r property, but y o u d o n ' t . A s l o n g as 1 d o n ' t see the g r e e n o f y o u r m o n e y , get o u t . " S o m e h o w , the I r e g i o n a l district w a s c o n v i n c e d to : p u r c h a s e the strip o f l a n d . T h e n we c o u l d finish o u r t r a i l . Two views takenfromthe Capilano River Walk south of Woodcroft. Much of the Walk is a former railroad bed built to transport cedar bolts to the mouth of the River in 1917. · w e l l used. T h e r e is e v e n a n e w b r i d g e across Brothers' Creek . T r y the w a l k . It is most enjoyable. Funded Projects for the Preservation ofWest Vancouver's History b y Jim Carter R e v e n u e f r o m t h e sale o f o u r b o o k "Cottages to Community " h a v e b e e n u s e d b y t h e Society t o fund p r o j e c t s at t h e West Vancouver Archives, the West Vancouver Memorial Library a n d a small project initiated b y the Society The funds f r o m 2013 a n d 2014 w i l l a l l o w t h e West Vancouver Archives t o p r e s e r v e t h e m a t e r i a l s left t o t h e m b y t h e Leyland p l a y e d a k e y r o l e as t h e Reeve o f West Vancouver d u r i n g t h e 1930 's. H e w a s Joseph Bentley Leyland family instrumental i n negotiating the building o f the Lions Gate Bridge and the development o f the British Properties. T h e m a t e r i a l s i n v o l v e 1.94 m o f textual r e c o r d s , a p p r o x i m a t e l y 550 photographs , a n d 20 maps . A s w e l l , t h e Archives w i l l continue to preserve the records o f W e s t Vancouver Secondary School. T h e West Vancouver Library has b e e n g r a n t e d funds for t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n o f audio-visual materials that have b e e n donated a n d prevent t h e m f r o m b e i n g lost. T h e material w i l l be d i g i t i z e d a n d preserved. T h e original material w i l l be preserved a n d o r g a n i z e d i n archival-quality storage m e d i a . F i n a l l y t h e Historical Society is p r e p a r i n g m a t e r i a l o n t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e ferries i n Horseshoe Bay O u r effort t o find a speaker o n t h e subject l e d us to d e v e l o p m a t e r i a l f r o m o r i g i n a l sources. W e h o p e t o preserve t h e h i s t o r y f r o m t h e early days o f t h e v i s i t o f t h e Britannia t h r o u g h t h e e r a o f t h e Sannies t o t h e Blackball Ferries a n d n o w o u r BC Ferries . Pages