Coquitlam Centre 1979

       The New Westminster archives, has been slowly but surely placing their vast collection of photographs online.
            Below is three aerial views of the Coquitlam Centre area in August 1979, interesting that the photographer was Craig Hodge, working for the Columbian newspaper. Craig is today a Coquitlam City councillor. [ NOTE:  these photos were dated as 1981 at the New Westminster Archives, but the Coquitlam Archives informed me that their copies are dated as August 1979, when the Coquitlam Centre Mall first opened.  ]

 

Coquitlam Centre. - 1979

Craig Hodge;  Columbian photo. Record ID  66720  

Google Earth 2008

  Aerial view of Coquitlam. - 1979. Aerial view of Coquitlam, including Coquitlam Centre
and the intersection of Lougheed and Barnett.

photo: Craig Hodge; Record ID 66721

Google Earth 2008

Aerial view of the Barnett highway in Coquitlam. - 1979

shows the Barnett highway, with Coquitlam Centre on the left. The Lougheed Highway crosses Barnett at the top of the photograph.
photo: Craig Hodge; Columbian Photo.   Record ID     66722 

Google Earth 2008

NOTE: Notice how we have lost  considerable greenspace in this area, today it looks considerbly different than these images.

UPDATE: came across this photo in the Coquitlam Archives

1979 Photographer: Craig Hodge

Google Earth 2003

Bertrand Galloway

An error caught my eye in an article the local newspaper;  Coquitlam looks at street naming rules
Someone at City hall was NOT doing their due diligence in the information given for the write up thinking that Galloway Avenue is named after a breed of cattle, while Galloway is indeed a breed of cattle,  the Galloway Avenue Coquitlam is named after the Galloway family, more than likely Bertrand Galloway who owned and developed his land along the road. The road was previously known as Irvine Road, probably after the Irvine family who primarily lived in Port Coquitlam. It was frequently also called Galloway Road, a usage in use even today.

Typical ad placed by Bertrand Galloway in the newspapers.( this ad is from 4 Feb., 1959 edition of The Chilliwack Progress )

Bertrand Galloway was born on the 21^st of February 1894 at Vancouver, B.C.
Parents were Edwin James Galloway, and Lizzie Cox (note: it appears that Lizzie was previously married, her family name is Lizzie Thompson )
Bertrand married in 1915 Theresa Maria Zazzorino 1895-1992   Her father was Giovanni Zazzorino, who was born in Sicily, he changed the family name to Angel, and he became John Angel.
Bertrand  Galloway died on the 10^th of February 1971, at Burnaby General hospital, Burnaby, B.C.  Home for many years was 1574 Laurier Street, Vancouver; which is located inside the Shaughnessy subdivision.
“Bert” was into insurance in the early 1940’s, then in the mid 1940’s he is selling real estate, which he continues to do until his death in 1971.

A quick search of the Coquitlam Council minutes gives the main clue:

25 April 1945:  Bertrand Galloway Ltd. asks council to build road for him, he will pay.   Council says no.    In the interim he must have greased some palms…
26 January 1946:   request for signs Galloway Road ( Irvine Road )9 September 1946:   Galloway subdivision plan of L.S. 5  Section 18 twp 40.   approved 28 October 1946:    plan of subdivision SW¼ of sec 18 twp 40.  approved
     Had to wait until 1948 for BCER power poles to be approved by council; and the residents in the late 1960’s early 1970’s were asking for water connections, with no good answers from the municipal parliamentarians.

Theresa Maria Galloway  1895 -1992

Bertrand’s mother, Theresa Galloway was involved with women's issues and a civic fixture for decades, as president of organizations like the Vancouver Council of Women, the Provincial Council of Women of British Columbia, and the Lady Vancouver Club (an auxiliary of the Greater Vancouver Tourist and Convention Bureau). The Native Sons of British Columbia named her Vancouver’s Citizen of the Year in 1963. She had her own hairdressing business:  Hairdressing Annex, at 2061 Venables Street, Vancouver.  Very active in community and humanitarian services from the 1920’s through the 1980’s .
 Bertrand’s father Edwin James Galloway, was a stationer, book dealer in Vancouver from 1890 until his death in 1930, but the business continued after his death until 1946.

“Edwin J. Galloway, The Old Book Shop, established 1890. High School and University Books, a specialty. New and Second-Hand Books of every description carried in stock, or procured at short notice. Libraries or single books purchased for cash at a fair valuation,” at 940 Granville Street.

 940,944,950 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Edwin J. Galloway; Ready-Wear shop, Oxford grill.
21402 VPL 31 January 1923, by the Dominion Photo Co

938-952 Granville Street, Van., B.C..  Galloway-Dorbils, New Palace Cafe, Aristocrat cleaners, Aristocrat hatters, Elite cafe. laSalle Shoe repair.
photo: 15895 VPL  November 1943  by Leonard Frank.

 Before and After: Galloway’s was at some point located at 872 Granville Street. The place is still there, in fact, but now a renovated American Apparel next door to The Orpheum.   photo from the Changing Vancouver blog

A start on the book store history was done by the  GRF Antiquarian, here is a few bookplates from Galloway et al.

 

AD from 1945

Edwin  James Galloway came to B.C. in 1890  and did various jobs, then he started into the stationary, book selling business; on  the 10^th of August 1891 he must have been in Wentworth, Ontario because he was married to Lizzie Maud Cox there.   The 1891 census, captured Edwin living in Vancouver. Also the 1901 Census and the 1911 Census, captures the growing family. 
Edwin James Galloway was born on the 8^th of April 1869  at Dundas, Ontario.  His parents were Thomas Galloway  and  Hannah Naylor  (1891 Census of the parents )
Edwin J. Galloway died at on the 5^th of May 1930 at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, B.C. after a short stay of three weeks,  the family home for many years was at 1963 Creelman Avenue, Vancouver.

Children of,
Edwin J. Galloway and Lizzie Maud Cox / Thompson( June 1872/1873-?):

Lottie Galloway  b. Mar. 1895
Cecil Thomas Galloway  1898-1963
Chrissie / Christine Galloway  b. Mar. 1900
Anne Edith Galloway “Yuill” 1892-1944Ethel Belle Galloway “Thomson” b. Nov. 1895
Probably incomplete. 

---30---

     Sadly there has been many name changes of the roads, trails in the Tri-Cities area, and with very little documentation to go along with the changes. 

       For instance : Pitt River Road built roughly following some trails in 1862 by the Royal Engineers, it started at the junction of todays East Columbia Street, and Brunett Avenue, and made its way to the Pitt River, in present day Port Coquitlam.  In Coquitlam and New Westminster the remnants of this historic road are known by numerous other names: Brunette Avenue, then enters a void consumed by the present day freeway system, near Cape Horn, then it reappears as  portions of Cape Horn Avenue, then Mariner Way( portions of which were known as Mathewson Avenue and was named after Gilbert Mathewson ( 1866 - 1933 ) a supervisor at Essondale and a  landowner. Road name changed in 1986 ), Violet way, Fern Terrace, Holly Drive, then immediately after it enters Port Coquitlam, it gains its original name back and keeps it.
Part of the Pitt River Road on the Port Coquitlam side is newer alignments, in the past the connection was further north, and two bridges were crossed not one as it is today.  And  most of the road names that I have mentioned in Coquitlam, have also had other names in the past, drives a historian crazy.

Guilby Park

       Probably should really be named Colby Park; unknown who Guilby was I have not been able to find out nothing about him / her.

But Guilby Park it is today

       The Colby’s received tentative approval to subdivide in May of 1953, and in July the planning department was okay with Colby’s 24-foot wide road around the park, by August a plan of the subdivision ( Plan 18364 ) had been created and deposited in the Land Registry office in September 1953, by January of 1954, approval was given to go ahead, with the Colby Subdivision with 16 lots, surrounding a central park was given.

      Rather nice when you look at the surrounding area today, that the park was part of the subdivision plan.  And lucky for the residents that the city did not sell it like they had with so many of the parks in the area prior to and including the 1950’s.


Guilby Street to the west; Richard Street to the east; Edgar Avenue is the southern boundary, and Shaw Avenue is the northern boundary (2014 aerial photo )

Clellan Lawrence Colby was born on the 16^th of January 1885 somewhere in Nebraska, U.S.A. -  and he died at home at 634 Rochester Avenue where he had lived since 1929, on the 17th of October 1960. He had retired in 1955, after being involved locally in trucking, and top-soil sales, for 25 years. He had lived in B.C. for 32 years, and been living in Canada for 50 years. His father was Ambrose Colby.   Clellan is buried in Forest Lawn cemetery, in Burnaby.

        The 1911 census finds Clellan  farming in the Tramping Lake --- Battleford, Saskatchewan  area, somewhere in Township 38 Range 22  W3

      By the 1916 census he is married to Bertha, and farming somewhere in the Township 36 Range 18 W3  Grandview, Saskatchewan area.
The census states that Clellan immigrated in 1909, and Bertha in 1908.
 
Bertha Elizabeth Richards; Bertha Elizabeth Colby was born on the 24^th of December 1885 in England – 13 August 1957 at home.   Bertha was also buried in Forest Lawn cemetery in Burnaby, by Bowell & Sons, funeral directors

Clellan and Bertha appear to have had two daughters:
 Betty Hazel Colby ( Mrs. Betty Hazel Dodd ) was married to Wilbert Ross Dodd (1900 - 1982)
and Nola Colby ( Mrs. Nola Cox ) who was married to John Charles Cox, they lived at 636 Shaw Avenue, which is part of the Colby Subdivision.

        So I guess the family gave up farming at the start of the Depression and moved to the Coast like so many of the Prairie peoples; and it is interesting that the family home appears to be still standing, and in good condition, if the outside is used as an indicator.

Bel-Air apartment fire

A still unsolved arson crime from 1993, that caused two deaths, is in the news.

Made it into the newspapers far away from the Lower Mainland.

Cariboo Observer  3 November 1993 page 5

Fire kills two and destroys apartment

Port Coquitlam - A fierce fire Sunday morning killed two people and destroyed a Port Coquitlam apartment building.
The building was home to over 50 people who are now homeless.
Killed in the fire was Agda Louise Easingwood, 65, who became separated from her husband as they fled the building.
Firefighters later found her collapsed in a hallway.
Firefighters found a second body in the building late Sunday, afternoon, that of a 20 year-old woman. Her name has not been released and both women are believed to have died from smoke inhalation.
The fire started, at about 3 a.m. in the front lobby of the 32-suite Bel-Air Manor at 2191 Tyner St. Fire officials suspect it may have been deliberately set.
"We believe it to be suspicious, but we are cheeking that out at this time," said Port Coquitlam Fire Chief John Baillie, adding the description of the fire suggests an accelerant such as lighter fluid. Bailie said the fire spread quickly through the 80-year old building. "It does not look like there were any fire stops whatsoever. We didn't have a hope in hell of stopping this once it got inside," he said.

--30--

And a call by the RCMP for any leads in 2015

Coquitlam RCMP hope for new info on old fire that killed two women
Coquitlam Mounties still seek answers 21 years after fire killed two

And the official call by the local Coquitlam RCMP renew call for witnesses in unsolved homicides from 1993.    File # 1993-43287

 
After the fire the building was removed and a new building replaced it in 1994, after which  the address was changed  to 2120 Central Avenue, Port Coquitlam. Previously it was 2191 Tyner Street, Port Coquitlam.

The arched doorway in this photo was the lobby,
which faced onto Tyner Street

 Agda Louise Easingwood 

Agda lived on the second floor in #220 with her husband Albert Edward Easingwood
She was born in Barriere, B.C. on the 20^th of February 1928, and died on 31^st of October 1993, she is buried in the Port Coquitlam Cemetery. ( Death certificate One – Two )

Memorial at Port Coquitlam cemetery

Her parents were Ernst Waldemar Scmidt (21 March 1896 Streese, Germany – 5 November 1962 ) and
  Agda Elvira Rosen  ( 20 September 1901 Wetaskiwin, Alberta – 20 March 1987 Surrey, B.C. ) They were  married in 1926 at Chinook Cove, B.C.
other siblings of Agda are: Allen Edward Schmidt and Joanne Schmidt, possibly others.

 Valerie Michelle Diner

Valerie was born in North Vancouver, B.C. on the 22^nd of November 1972; her parents were John Diner, and Patricia Noreen Pritchard.
  ( Death certificate: One – Two )
Valerie worked at one of the local Mohawk gas stations. She lived in apartment #213.   A young life lost.

NOTE: The Bel-Air Apartments contained a warren of halls, totally built from wood, numerous renovations throughout its life; an accident waiting to happen; but in this case an arsonist did the deed, and sadly caused the deaths of two souls.  At the time the rumour was that the owner wanted everyone out.

      This fire reminded me of another fire, totally unrelated, almost across the street from the Bel-Air apartments, that happened 17 years earlier, when a friend, Thomas Regan Choboter, (New Westminster, B.C. 31 January 1960 to 1 August 1976 ) lost his life to an accidental fire in the family home, ( 2250-2260 Tyner St. ) that was abandoned after the fire and replaced by an industrial building 2 years later.  Leaving his mother Darlene Maddess, step-father Vern Lawrence and brother Rick Choboter to mourn his loss.  Sadly another brother died young; Raymond Drew Choboter 10 Nov 1961 PoCo -  13 January 1994 Coquitlam. Their father was Dave Choboter .
Regan Chobotor is the name he went by, and he is commemorated with a memorial marker in the Port Coquitlam cemetery.

Re-Settlement and Cultivation of Land in British Columbia

I came across this booklet, and have transcribed it, added links, photos, and what little information I could find about the author (next to nothing )
Re-settlement and cultivation of land in British Columbia, (PDF)  1915, the author was William Sinclair (Scotland,1840 - 1917, Coquitlam, B.C.) who lived somewhere between Como Lake and Mundy Park, he gained a Crown Grant in 1902, and lived the rest of his life there.  The booklet may possibly be the first published book by a Coquitlam resident, not sure, certainly early.

Also the same revised copy but at the Internet Archive: 
Re-settlement and Cultivation of Land in British Columbia

Coquitlam Mountain plane crash

On June 17, 1955  Frederick Hill Atkinson, a student at Columbia University, was flying a Cessna 120 registration number N72843  from Sea Island to Cranbrook., B.C.

     He sadly crashed the plane into Coquitlam Mountain, also sometimes erroneously known as Mount Coquitlam. Reported to be located on the eastern side of the mountain at 49° 23' N;  122° 42' W although according to those coordinates it is another unnamed mountain nearby, to the east of Coquitlam Mountain  ( Google Earth KML file ) His body was recovered two days later on Sunday, June 19, 1955.   From what I have been told in the past, the remains of the aircraft were recovered.( but it is unknown if that is just a story to keep people away from the crash site, since it is located inside the watershed.  A person could identify any parts found by downloading the 1954 Cessna parts catalogue for the 120-140 series (PDF))
He was born in New York on the 22^nd of May 1935, and at the time of the fatal crash his address was  150 East 52^nd Street, New York, New York.

A Cessna 120 similar to the plane that crashed; the Cessna 120 was first built in 1946, and was the first all metal aircraft from the Company.

The Vancouver Sun Atkinson. Passed away suddenly June 17, 1955, Frederick Hill, in his 21^st year, beloved son of General and Mrs. Frederick G. Atkinson, vice-president of R.H. Macy & Co. Inc., New York, N.Y. Survived also by his grandfather, Mr. Van Dyke Hill, and his grandmother, Mrs. Bransford L. Hill, both of New York City.  Funeral service was held in Simmons & McBride Funeral Chapel, Broadway at Maple St., Friday morning, followed by cremation.

The Vancouver Sun: Tuesday, June 21, 1955, page 9
Dad Says Flier Died on too-Wide Turn

New Westminster  —  "He made too wide a turn. If it had been tighter he would have been OK."
With soldierly calmness that the father of a 20-year-old United States airman described to a coroner's jury here Monday his theory of the crash on Coquitlam Mountain Friday that claimed the life of his only son.
The witness was Brigadier-General F.G. Atkinson of New York, a USAF reserve officer and vice-president of Macy's department store.
He was testifying at the inquest into the death of his son, Frederick Hill Atkinson, whose body was found on Mount Coquitlam near the wreckage of his plane Sunday.
The dead pilot left Sea Island airport for Cranbrook, but had apparently turned back because of thickening weather just before the crash.

Frederick’s father’s obituary from the New York Times May 8, 1991

Frederick G. Atkinson, Ex-Macy executive, 86

         Frederick Griswold Atkinson, a former vice-president for personnel at R.H. Macy & Company, died on Sunday at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 86 years old and lived in Palm Beach.
He died of heart failure, a funeral home representative said.
Mr. Atkinson joined Macy's in 1940 after heading employment and training at Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati and working in personnel at the Cities Service Company.
He was named director of personnel and industrial relations at Macy's in 1947, a vice president in 1948 and a director in 1966. He retired in 1970.
During World War II he served with the Air Transport Command and later was a brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve. He was also a consultant for several Federal agencies and for the New York City Police Department.
Mr. Atkinson was active in the Episcopal Church and was a director of General Theological Seminary. He was also a director of Roosevelt Hospital and an honorary life member of the American Management Association.
He is survived by his wife, the former Joyce Mallory Hill, and two sisters.

Lois Eileen Milne

 UPDATE:        Lois Milne - Celebration of Life
              Will be held on Saturday March 22 from 11 AM to 3 PM, at the  Heritage at Leigh Square
We celebrate the life of one of the founders of PoCo Heritage, who recently passed away. Those who knew Lois are invited to attend.   Location of the Port Coquitlam cultural and heritage society in Google Earth (KMZ file)

☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆

Sadly we lost our persistent historical preservationist a few days ago, after a short lung infection, that was going around in the care home, that she called home for the past few years.

The Tri-City News, Wednesday 26 February 2014, page A11

 Lois Milne, who passed away last week at the age of 83, was a driving force
for the preservation of Port Coquitlam heritage, including the creation of a PoCo history book. 

MILNE WORKED TO PRESERVE POCO HISTORY

"Words cannot express my gratitude to Lois Milne, president of the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society.

Whew! She set a pace that had me puffing.

- from Acknowledgements in the book Port Coquitlam: Where Rails Meet Rivers by Chuck Davis (published 2000 )

The city of Port Coquitlam is mourning the passing of a long-serving volunteer whose efforts ensured the city’s past will be preserved for future generations.

Lois Milne, who died Feb. 19 at the age of 83, is remembered as a dedicated volunteer whose passion for Local history helped create the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society.

“it is still a shock to me that Lois has passed away.”said Pippa Van Velzen, past president of the society ”She was my friend and mentor She was Port Coquitlam’s encyclopedia. Her incredible memory for names and dates was amazing. “Lois was a founding member of Heritage but that wasn’t all that she was involved in,” Van Velzen said. I first met her on the Community in Blooms committee. We got on like a house on fire! It was her passion that encouraged me to become a member of Heritage.”

Coun. Michael Wright, the city’s longest serving politician, remembers Milne as one of PoCo’s most active volunteers whose legacy will be the preservation of city history in a museum and archives, now housed at Leigh Square. 

      Wright noted that Milne worked at the reference desk at Terry Fox Library and it may have been having to answer questions from patrons that led her to getting involved in heritage preservation.

Mime was also involved in helping authors such as Chuck Davis and Edith Chambers in recording PoCo history in local books.

       Milne’s involvement in heritage preservation dates back some time, when materials were stored on the top floor of PoCo’s northside fire hall, Wright said. Many of these materials are now stored at Heritage at Leigh Square, which opened to much fanfare last year.

         Milne was also involved with the May Day Committee, the Friends of Terry Fox Library, Wilson Centre Advisory Committee and, when she moved into Amica at Mayfair she became chair of the residents’committee, Van Velzen said. 

      For her work, Milne was honoured with a volunteer award from the city and with the Governor Generals Caring Canadian Award.

According to the family, a celebration of life will be held but no date has been set. Milne, a mother of five daughters, was predeceased by her husband Keith.     dstranberg@tricitynews.com

Obituary from the Tri-City News 

 

MILNE, Lois Eileen (nee Frankish) 

       Lois passed away on February 19, 2014 at age of 83. She is predeceased by her husband Keith and granddaughter Sarah. Lois will be sadly missed by daughters Linda (Ron), Sue (Jim), Brenda (Doug), Kathy (Joe), Heather (Bryan); brother Allan (Vivienne); grandchildren Nerissa (Ben), Devan, Jeremy (Nikki), Nick, Lyndsay, Katy and great grandchildren Sophia and Jacob.

        Lois was one of the founders of the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society, and was the go-to volunteer for many task forces after her retirement at Terry Fox Library. Her friends and colleagues shall miss her. Many thanks to the friends and staff at Amica Mayfair as well as staff at Eagle Ridge and Royal Columbian Hospitals. Private family burial. A Celebration of Life shall be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, it would be Mom’s wish that you give to the charity of your choice. 

Lois's  obituary in the Vancouver Sun, where you can post your thoughts.

✞ - 30 - ✞

 Lois's parents were her mother,  Clara Charlotte MacLeod, ( 1900 - 1966 )

father, William Thomas Frankish, ( 1899 -  1986 ) who was a psychiatric nurse at Essondale/ Riverview hospital.
 ( I did not know this, but the Frankish name is familiar from my researches into Essondale. )

Her husband William Keith Milne, ( 1922 - 1996 ), who went by his middle name Keith.

All buried in Port Coquitlam Cemetery, as I guess Lois will be.

        I was wanting to talk with her about some local history, no chance now. But I knew that she would have been very interested since her husband Keith Milne, worked at Huntington Rubber mills, and I know lots about the beginning company Gregory Tire and Rubber Company, but very little is to be found about the Huntington Rubber Company, and I was hoping that she would have known.

A passionate supporter of saving, protecting our local history, she will be missed.