A program that has been an annual offering for a number of years. A look at a collection of photos of the Royal City – photos that don’t often find their way into other presentations but are used for research and reference.

The theme of the 2010 Heritage Week, February 15 to 21, is The Heritage of Sport and Recreation. In recognition of this week, the importance of sport and recreation in the history of the Royal City and of course the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in BC, the Historical Society will feature a two-part presentation on many aspects of local sport and recreation.

This month, Gavin Hainsworth will join Archie Miller as they look at the wide range of "sport and recreational" venues in the City and their links to local history. Included will be parks, stadiums, arenas, playgrounds, oldtime fields used for early sports, and so on. Where possible, anecdotes and references will add colour and character to the examples. A selection of photographs will be used to show the noted venues as well as to show the changes over the years.

More on the topic with many more intriguing details will follow at the March meeting of the Historical Society.

The theme of the 2010 Heritage Week was The Heritage of Sport and Recreation. In recognition of the importance of sport and recreation in the history of the Royal City, the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in BC in February and March, and in response to many public requests for local sports history, the Historical Society is featuring a second part of the presentation on many aspects of local sport and recreation.

In February the presentation concentrated on various sports and recreation venues in the Royal City. This month the focus will be on the many stories about a variety of sports and recreational activities that are part of the community’s heritage. This is a fascinating collection of information that includes horseracing, curling, tennis, lawn bowling, target shooting, swimming, roller skating and more.

In April the Historical Society will feature a presentation from the Fraser River Discovery Centre. Located on the waterfront at Westminster Quay, the Discovery Centre is rapidly building up a list of programming and educational offerings.

For this evening, they will be presenting a lively program of information – historical, technical and personal – all connected to the local boat building industry. Stories and images uncovered during the research for the Centre’s ‘build-a-boat’ display will be included in the presentation. This will link to a boat-building exhibit to be held at the Discovery Centre – February to May. Watch for announcements from the Fraser River Discovery Centre on this exhibit or call them directly for more information (604-521-8401).

This program will build on the success of the presentations of miscellaneous images that have become very popular in January Historical Society evenings. Those presentations are centred on suggestions and questions from members of the community who come to programs at the Library or who may come to see a short segment on a topic that they want to know more about. This program in May will continue this type of theme but with a slight change – fewer topics, more time for questions and answers.

A few topics have already been put forward including the old brewery site that is being developed in Sapperton. This site has changed a great deal over the years and is about to change again into a combination of residential, business, and commercial. A short set of slides will show this corner as it was, and will mix in stories from the history of the surrounding area. Another suggested topic that will be covered is the old 6th Avenue bridge between Cumberland St and McBride Blvd. Some old photos will illustrate crossing through or past the old Penitentiary lands at 6th Ave, 8th Ave, or Columbia St. A few other suggestions are being considered. If you have a topic suggestion pass it along – it might be included. Also, come on out and ask a question of your own – let Archie Miller at 604-526-6113 know prior to the evening and maybe an answer will be ready for you.

Tracing Our Past – A Heritage Guide To Boundary Bay

For June’s program the Historical Society is pleased to have author Anne Murray talk about a part of the Fraser River delta and present her recent book, Tracing Our Past – A Heritage Guide To Boundary Bay. Boundary Bay is a part of the lower mainland that many people drive past or through, but Murray, through the enlightening stories, informative anecdotes, and beautiful images contained in her book, clearly opens up the area to a fresh natural and heritage appraisal.

Author Derek Hayes, well known to the Historical Society from his popular presentations on maps and their history, noted about Murray’s book, "Well-researched, well written, and intelligently presented, a beautifully illustrated local history not to be missed by anyone with an interest in how this area got to be the way it is".

The Incorporation Of New Westminster – Fact Or Fiction

This presentation will look at research into the background and origins of a particular community belief and the trials and tribulations that can sometimes arise from the outcome of that search. The City of New Westminster has a number of “historical” things for which it is justifiably proud and which it has for years proclaimed as “firsts” for the town. Things like “first city”, and “first municipal form of government”, are definitely part of the city’s story. However, to describe it as the first incorporated city is incorrect.

This presentation will look at the research, the evidence, and the results of what is a complicated and detailed piece of investigation. Archie and Dale Miller will walk the audience through this fascinating piece of historical work, based on previous in-depth study by Dale Kerr, now Miller, and show that there really are many intriguing and conflicting bits and pieces to many “historical facts”.

New Westminster’s First Government, The First Election, And Some Interesting Mayors

One hundred and fifty years ago, July 1860, the City of New Westminster received from the Colonial Government the authorization to have the first locally elected government in Western Canada – a City Council. The election of the first City Council, including its President, was held in August 1860. With this came a number of things that the City Council could now do in its own town while leaving a number of other aspects of government to the Colonial body.

In this presentation, Dale Miller, who has carried out extensive research into early civic governments, especially that of New Westminster, will include a number of stories from this start of local civic governance. She will include the early “municipality”, its first election, how and where it was held, anecdotes from the history of elections in the Royal City, and some brief accounts of a selection of mayors from the City’s history. Many people will be aware of Miller’s reference book on the city’s council members and mayors over the years.

Be sure to check A Sense of History Research Services walking tour schedule for 2010 for the date of a cemetery tour, “Mayors of New Westminster”, led by Dale Miller.

The Catholic Church, 150 Years In New Westminster – A Visual History

This year, 2010, is the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Catholic Church in New Westminster. This presentation, concentrating on images and stories of buildings associated with the Catholic Church in this community, will include many examples of interest.

Historical Re-enactors – The Work Needed To Get The ‘Character’ Right

Last year for October’s meeting, the Historical Society welcomed members of the Living History Group, history enthusiasts who take on the roles of Colonial characters, especially members of the Royal Engineers who were stationed in this area from 1858 to 1863. As part of that evening’s presentation, one individual recounted the difficulties and successes of finding out about a particular character or two. This information and stories of the search were so intriguing, that this year, the whole evening will be taken up with such stories and related images.

Tim Watkins, who portrays a local Royal Engineer of the early 1860s, will bring a presentation that recounts the hard work, investigation, and attention to detail that goes into being a “re-enactor”. It is not just a matter of putting on ‘a costume’. It is reading, researching, and studying as much as possible to “get to know” the person that will be portrayed. As these people who are portrayed were real, an honest effort must be made to get their story right. This will be an interesting evening.

For a number of years, Jacqueline Gresko and Anita Bonson have sought out the stories of the families of the Royal Engineers who were here in British Columbia in the 1850s, 1860s, and on. They wanted to know more about them with specific knowledge about the families that grew and stayed on in the province. Gresko, an historian with great interest in the work, and Bonson, a descendent of a member of this particular Corps of Royal Engineers, have had great success in their search and this presentation will bring some stories from their years of research.

In the presentation for November 2010, the researchers will once again bring the collection of stories of the families of the men of the Corps. Work that might find its way into the program includes children of the REs, the children of Colonel and Mrs Moody, some local female writers of the early years, and as the search is ongoing, there are many other possibilities. One thing is guaranteed with this presentation – it will be interesting.

A Victorian Christmas At Irving House

Many aspects of the Christmas season that were adapted or created during the Victorian Age set the standards for many festivities that followed. This particular period of our history emphasized many characteristics of the holiday season and out of this age came many of the traditional pieces that are part of Christmas celebrations today.

This presentation will cover illustrations and references to the Victorian Christmas with a specific link to a highly popular exhibit of a Victorian Christmas at Irving House in New Westminster. The idea of this particular exhibit developed in the late 1970s and it soon evolved into a favourite holiday event.

It became popular as it combined an historical look at Christmas celebrations, specific examples from the Victorian Age, decorations throughout the house, and much more including music, delicious smells, lots of colour, and stories. Included in this presentation will be images of the Irving House Christmas exhibit from its earliest years and during its evolution as an excellent exhibit. This will be a mixture of past and present but all with a holiday theme.