May in Vancouver History
byLast month was the City of Vancouver’s 128th birthday, this weekend we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Science World is celebrating its 25th anniversary over the next few days. April and May have always been active months in the region, with projects taking off new doors opening, and of course the jump from spring to summer.
The following happened in the month of May in Vancouver’s history…
May in Vancouver History
Source: Chuck Davis’ History of Metropolitan Vancouver:
May 1, 1942: Canadian Pacific Airlines, a new national airline, was organized on this day with BC bush pilot Grant McConachie’s name was most associated with it.
May 2, 1986: Expo 86 opened, predicting 14 million paying visitors by the end of the event in the fall 22 million had visited.
1984: City of Vancouver Archives# CVA 780-505.
May 6, 1959: Oakridge shopping centre opened in Vancouver.
May 7, 1927: The Hotel Georgia opened for business.
May 11, 1907: Eight graduates of UBC, headed by Mrs. J.W. deB. Farris, founded The University Women’s Club. Their home today is Hycroft Manor.
May 12, 1954: Columnist Jack Wasserman began a daily items column in The Vancouver Sun. Virtually everyone read it over the next couple of decades.
May 13, 1907: A chunk of the District of North Vancouver broke away to form its own city, the City of North Vancouver.
May 15, 1943: Six paintings by Emily Carr went on sale for $50 a piece.
May 16, 1982: The night that “White Towel Power” was born when the Vancouver Canucks were defeated in their quest for the Stanley Cup by the New York Islanders.
May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington.
May 19, 1960: Governor General Georges Vanier unveiled a statue in Stanley Park of Lord Stanley.
May 21, 1934: The first sod was turned at the Marion Malkin Bowl, which was paid for by former Vancouver Mayor Malkin as a tribute to his late wife.
1940s – Photographer: Jack Lindsay, Item #: CVA 1184-1963
May 23, 1914: The Komagata Maru incident began with a ship’s arrival from India.
May 24, 1912: Charles Saunders made history of a sort at Richmond’s Minoru Park when he went up in a plane and performed the first parachute jump in Canada.
May 25, 1868 the capital of British Columbia was moved to Victoria from New Westminster.
May 29, 1939: The Lions Gate Bridge opened to traffic in November, 1938 but the official opening was on this day by this royal couple, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
1939 – VPL Accession Number: 3036. Photographer: Leonard Frank
May 29, 1964: The “Last Spike”… of the Stanley Park Miniature Railway was hammered into place.
Sources: Vancouver History. Related Posts: January 1st in Vancouver History, February in Vancouver History, March in Vancouver History, July in Vancouver History, August in Vancouver History, September, October in Vancouver History, November in Vancouver History, December in Vancouver History.
