Browsing through the Vancouver Archives this morning I searched for photographed under the category “celebrations”. It was in that pile of digital photographs that I found a photos of Sister Frances of Strathcona receiving a “Good Citizenship Medal” from the City of Vancouver.
1929 – Archives item# CVA 99-1874. Photographer: Stuart Thomson
Sister Frances Redmond was referred to as “Vancouver’s little Florence Nightingale”. She was an Anglican Deaconess at St. James Church and the city’s first public health nurse. She founded one of Vancouver’s earliest hospitals, St. Luke’s Home on the 300 block of East Cordova Street.1
Born in England in 1854, she was wounded in the Boer War and became one of the few women in the world to receive the Victoria Cross.2 She came to Canada with her family and began to study nursing in Winnipeg. After Vancouver’s Great Fire in 1886, Father Clinton of St. James church contacted Sister Frances to ask if she would come to Vancouver. He asked her to help re-build the church and see to the city’s sick and wounded.
Father Clinton and Sister Frances later founded St. Luke’s Home and it became a beacon of benevolence, hope, and care on the east side. Sister Frances didn’t stop there. She then wanted to train nurses and started up the province’s first nursing school. She stepped in to run soup kitchens, help take care of those afflicted by the smallpox epidemic, and helped out wherever she could.
In 1925 St. Luke’s was demolished and a new hospital was built in its place, which became a nursing home. When she received the Good Citizenship Medal in 1929 one journalist wrote: “There are no women in British Columbia braver and more devoted to their calling than Sister Frances. She is a very bright, cheery, charitable lady, and makes hosts of friends where she is known.”3
Sister Frances passed away at Vancouver General in 1932. She had a lasting impact on Vancouver in its early days and today, Frances Street in Strathcona is named after her. 4
1 This is Strathcona
2 Book: Mainstays: Women Who Shaped BC by Cathy Converse
3 Book: Mainstays: Women Who Shaped BC by Cathy Converse
4 Vancouver History by Chuck Davis
I ventured out to the Vancouver Christmas Market for the first time this season with Ariane Colenbrander. She and I both have Nikon 1 review cameras at the moment (mine is hot pink) so we got together at the market to try them out and take some photos.
I think they really improved the layout of the market this year most noticeably by putting the Käthe Wohlfahrt ornament pavilion indoors (instead of in a tent) and having more vendors outside. The wristband system (for those wishing to partake in a beer, or gluehwein) is promoted a bit better as well, ensuring patrons get their wristbands before they line up for their beverages.
I’ll have a full review posted for the camera in the new year. So far, images from the Nikon 1 have previously appeared in my Market by Jean-Georges and Hidden at the Westin Grand posts.
The Vancouver Christmas Market is open until December 24th from 11:00am to 9:00pm.
White Spot employees at the Richmond Centre and Kingsway locations will once again give up their Christmas mornings and afternoons to open their restaurants and dedicate their workday to two great causes.
Locations:
White Spot Richmond Centre – Unit 1902 – 6551 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C.
White Spot Kingsway and Knight – 1467 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C.
Hours: December 25, 2010 from 11:00am until 3:00pm
Net proceeds from your meal directly to the Richmond General Hospital Foundation and Variety The Children’s Charity. All staff, servers, and management will also generously donate their tips as well. Stop by for a pirate pack, milkshake, or legendary burger with your friends or family on Christmas Day. Follow @White_Spot on Twitter for more information.
The City of Vancouver’s boundaries as we know them (Burrard Inlet, Boundary Road, the Fraser River, and Pacific Spirit Park) were not always part of Vancouver. Throughout its 125-year history, Vancouver has expanded and amalgamated several times. When it was incorporated on April 6, 1886, it was made up of what we would now call the Downtown Eastside, Downtown Vancouver, Mount Pleasant, Fairview, and the northern part of Kitsilano.
1898 – North to South view of Vancouver. Markers for today:
Blue: Georgia & Burrard, Green: BC Place, Yellow: Main & Hastings, Orange: Granville Island
It was on this day in 1910 that the Hastings Townsite, East Vancouver to Nanaimo St, joined the City of Vancouver [source]. It was one of the most populated areas around and there was initially a push for it to join up with Burnaby.
It was also on this day, December 21, 1910, that South Vancouver was incorporated on its own. Its Northern boundary being 16th Avenue.
1910’s – Projection for Vancouver in the 1950’s. Point Grey, South Vancouver, Burnaby.
Archives item# LGN 558.
It wasn’t until 1929 that Point Grey (another stand-alone community) and South Vancouver amalgamated with Vancouver. When the union happened, Vancouver became Canada’s third largest city [source]. Mayor L.D. Taylor made a big push for amalgamation while he held his position but it finally happened under Mayor Malkin.
1928 – Archives item# 79-10.
In the 1930’s, Vancouver’s Mayor McGreer proposed to move City Hall, which was at 16 East Hastings (the building is still there today) over to 12th and Cambie. One of his intentions was to solidify the amalgamation with South Vancouver. The new City Hall, which we have today, opened its doors on December 1st in 1936 — just four blocks away from South Vancouver’s old border. To this day, UBC’s endowment lands are not a part of the City of Vancouver.
1926-1932 – Archives item# MAP 773.
Much of Vancouver’s street planning was done by Lauchlan Hamilton although sometimes property owners or previous boundaries got in his way and we ended up with strange bends in streets (like at Cambie and Pender or Hastings). Other modern plans were drawn up by Harland Bartholomew & Associates. As a part of the Vancouver 125 celebrations, Bing Thom Architects funded the digitization of their collection of plans and maps of the city.
Want to learn more? Pick up the new book: The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver. Book Warehouse was sold out but, according to their Twitter account, now they have plenty in stock.
The Secret Lantern Society is hosting the 18th annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival in communities around Vancouver tonight. The public, young and old, is invited to gather on the East Side, in Yaletown, on Granville Island, in Chinatown, and new this year – in South East False Creek.
Each neighbourhood event starts off with a procession then ends up at a community location where there will be dancing, music, and a lantern labyrinth in some.
East Side
Procession: 6:00pm to 7:00pm / Solstice House Concerts: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Start the evening with in-the-house concerts in 3 neighbourhood homes at 2256 Parker, 2253 Parker St, and 2162 Parker Street.
Britannia Community Centre events: 6:00pm to 11:00pm enjoy the lighting of the Swedish Fire, local choirs, storytellers, bluegrass, and orchestral entertainment. There will also be a Labyrinth of Light featuring 700 beeswax candles.
Yaletown
Processions: 6:00pm at Cooper’s Park, Emery Barnes Park, and Vancouver Aquatic Centre. Each are lead by drummers along the sea wall.
Roundhouse Community Centre events: 7:00pm to 10:00pm hosted by the Master of Solstice Ceremonies Ari Lazer. Meet performers, learn about the celestial origins of winter solstice, watch aerial dancers, folk dancers, and more.
Photo credit:
mountainhiker on Flickr – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool
Granville Island
Processions: 6:00pm at Leg-in-Boot Square (where there will be a drum jam), Triangle Square, HR MacMillan Space Centre. These three processions will make their way to the False Creek Community Centre where they will have the traditional torch-lit Song Of Welcome by The Vancouver Morris Men.
False Creek Community Centre events: 7:30pm to 9:30pm Entertainment will follow from The Carnival Band, Rhythm Spirit Drummers, storytellers, jingle dancers, and more. Learn about solstice traditions from roving Mistress of Ceremonies Shauna Born (the lady in the top hat). Performance Works events: 7:30pm to 8:30pm African dance with Jacky Essombe. 8:30pm to 9:30pm join the drum circle.
South East False Creek
Procession: 6:00pm from Leg-in-Boot Square but instead of heading to Granville Island, follow the sea wall over to Creekside.
Creekside Community Centre events: 7:00pm to 10:00pm with hot chocolate, saxophone by Shane Krause, stilt-walker Lindsey Longlegs, and a labyrinth of light. More entertainment, hand-crafted instruments and festivities will follow throughout the evening.
Photo credit:
[travelfox] on Flickr – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool
Chinatown
Procession: 6:00pm from the Strathcona Community Centre, lead by Russell Shumsky & Friends through the streets of Strathcona.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden events: 6:00pm to 10:00pm samba rhythms, jazz, choral performances, a ceilidh featuring Toddish McWong and the Black Bear Rebels & Friends, and more will take place at the World’s Best City Garden. Heron and koi lanterns will dot the garden landscape while a floating installation by HyungMin Yoon will dazzle participants. Make a lantern, contribute to the community lantern, and view a collection of antique lanterns.
Should the weather be completely unbearable, proceed directly to the indoor venues for 7:00pm. All events are free for the public to attend although some events have admission by donation. With your support, events such as these can continue to celebrate the arts in our communities.
