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MARCH 2015 THE WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOL. 32, NO. 1 REEVE JOSEPH BENTLEY LEYLAND by Carol Howie The Joseph B. Leyland fonds consist of material relating to the political and private activities of former reeve Joseph B. Leyland who played a significant role in the development of West Vancouver. The records include personal correspondence, photographs, maps and scrapbooks. In the fall of 2014 the West Vancouver Archives was pleased, once again, to be awarded a grant funded by the successful sale of the West Vancouver Historical Society's book. Cottages to Community. The grant enabled staff to re-house the entire J.B. Leyland fonds in archival quality folders and boxes, describe a selection of the material in the archives' online database, and digitize key textual material and photographs. The digital collection is archives.wesryancouver.ca and contains numerous scanned photographs, maps and pages of text. Joseph Bentley Leyland, known to all his friends and colleagues as "Joe", was born in Forest Hill, London, England, on January 11, 1888, the younger of two sons born to John and Fanny Julia Leyland. Joe was educated for nine years in public school and then at St. Mary's College, in Woolhampton, Berkshire. In 1904 he sat for the Civil Service Commission Examination for Assistant Clerkship in the Royal Navy He passed, but had become interested in Canada and decided to leave England rather than take up a position. Joe Leyland arrived in Halifax in the spring of 1905 with S 4 0 in his pocket and went to Manitou, Manitoba to work on a farm. In 1906 he became a subscription agent for the Winnipeg Telegram in Portage La Prairie. The following year he worked as a bookkeeper in the law office of Arthur Meighan, who later became Prime Minister of Canada, and then as a bookkeeper in the law office of E.A. McPherson, later Chief Justice for Manitoba. In the fall of 1907 Joe joined the lead office staff of the Great West Life Assurance Company in Winnipeg and he remained in the insurance business for the rest of his working life. He started as a junior clerk and eventually moved up to Head Office Special Representative, which meant he had to travel regularly across the country In 1914, Leyland married Margaretta Barber of Regina, Saskatchewan, a coworker at the Great West Life Assurance Company The couple honeymooned in Vancouver, picnicked in West Vancouver and visited the "Clachan" in Dundarave. They returned to Regina, where their daughter, Josephine Frances, was born in 1915. By 1919 they had become permanent residents of West Vancouver. Their waterfront home at 2848 Bellevue Avenue was a popular i88.WVA.LEY Portiait of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Leyland formally dressed for the Royal Visit in 1939. Photograph by Barclay's Photographers setting for garden parties, dinners and special meetings. Their son John (Jack) was born in 1922. By this time, Leyland had left Great West Life Assurance Company and had set up his own general insurance business in Vancouver. Joe Leyland's municipal career began in 1926 when he was elected President of the West Vancouver Conservative Association. He ran for and won a seat as Councillor in the civic elections, serving as Chairman of Finance, Fire and Publicity One of his first undertakings was to introduce now available at 0842.WVA.LEY Portrait of Joseph Leyland, (193-?) Photographed by H.H. Harper