Saturday, April 30, 2011

1948 in Vancouver - A Spencer's Garden Book. 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Weather

I happened to come across this 1948 Spencer's Seed Store catalogue yesterday in my files and thought - seeds=Spring!

And 'Weather' is the topic for this week's Personal Genealogy & History blogging prompt (Week 18 of 2011).

We've had much liquid sunshine here all year; that's pretty usual. This year, it's been quite cold, so now this sunshine outside is quite welcome.

But this is nothing like 1948 when the lower Fraser Valley near here flooded causing all kinds of damage and destruction, including at least 10 deaths. There was a long period of warm weather that spring, causing heavy snow melts and subsequent flooding in June. Much of the area was cut off from travel or assistance the month as bridges, roads and railways were affected.

That's a bit early for me to remember, although I've heard many people talk about the '48 flood.

This catalogue is in fairly good shape, although it was obviously well read. Likely it was my mum that ticked off certain choices in the listings - Alyssum-Carpet of Snow, an Annual Cut Flower mixture, Antirrhinum-Maximum, Early Giant Mixed Asters, Asparagus-Plumosus Nanus, and All Colours Mixed Stocks.

I wonder what the family garden did look like in 1948. I'm sure there were roses already too, as that was always my dad's favourite flower. And likely a good sized vegetable garden, along with colourful flowers. That's part of Spencer's message to customers for 1948.

"....History repeats itself, and we now have the dollar-saving austerity programme which deprives Canada of many of its imported vegetables. ...'Eat what you can, can what you can't and let Canada's surplus go to Europe.

While in 1948 we urge the growth of vegetables. In this country of ours, where we can obtain most of the essentials of life even though some are hard to get, food alone is not sufficient for a happy life, one must have beauty, color and fragrance, and where can one find more of these essentials than in a packet of seeds...."


Sadly for Spencer's, 1948 was to be its last year. Founded in 1873 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Spencer's opened its first Vancouver store in 1907. In 1948, the company was acquired by Eaton's.

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Friday, April 29, 2011

Scottish Kings and Saints - SFU course, Vancouver, May-June 2011

News about a course at SFU in Vancouver on Scottish Kings and Saints.

The Centre for Scottish Studies is offering a four-week non-credit extramural course at the Harbour Centre campus on the early history of Scotland, taught by Dr. Antone Minard. The course will cover notable individuals who shaped the culture of Scotland, including the early kings such as Kenneth MacAlpin, Malcolm III, and Macbeth, and important early Scottish saints: Ninian, Columba (Colum Cille), Kentigern, Mael Rubai, and others.

The focus on this course will be on the connections, tensions, and intersections between royal, ecclesiastical, and spiritual power in early Scotland. This course is designed to complement the Medieval Scottish History course being offered through SFU’s Continuing Education program planned for Fall, 2011.

The course will meet Wednesdays, 7:00 - 9:00 pm. for four weeks (May 11, 18, 25 and June 1) at SFU Harbour Centre (515 West. Hastings) in the Graduate Liberal Studies library (Room 2400).

Cost is $80.00. Cheques can be made payable to SFU's Centre for Scottish Studies.

To register or for further information, please contact Dr. Antone Minard
email: mminard@sfu.ca
phone: 778–246–0242

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Francophones of Early Vancouver - Guided Tour, this Saturday, 30 April 2011

The Francophones of Early Vancouver - A Guided Tour

News of an upcoming event from Maurice Guibord, one of my favourite Vancouver historians. I've been on his tours before and hope to be along on this one - always fun and you will learn so much about the city's 'hidden' history.

I am presenting this week my second and last presentation at Simon Fraser University in the context of the City Program, this year focussing on the history of Francophones in Vancouver. My last activity in this program will be a walking tour of Gastown and the Downtown Eastside where we will visit the historical sites and places of memory that highlight the history of Francophones in our city. This visit is open to the public, at 10$ a person. Since it is part of the City Program series, it will be offered in English. I will offer a version in French later this summer.


For those who wish to join us, the tour takes place this Saturday, April 30, at 10am, at the SE corner of Victory Square, at Pender and Cambie.

Those wishing to stay for lunch will dine at the Salty Tongue, at 213 Carrall St., in the building where was conceived in 1886 the first social and literary group for Vancouver’s French-Canadians. We’ll toast to their memory.


Visite guidée : Les Francophones de Vancouver


Je présente cette semaine ma deuxième et dernière présentation pour S.F.U. dans le contexte du City Program, sur l’histoire des Francophones dans la ville de Vancouver. Je termine ma participation au programme ce samedi avec une visite guidée du Gastown et du Downtown Eastside, pour faire valoir les lieux historiques et de mémoire qui rappelleront la Francophonie de Vancouver. Cette visite est ouverte au public, au coût de 10$. Puisque le programme est offert en anglais et comme la visite en fait partie, la visite sera en anglais. J’offrirai une version française plus tard cet été.



Pour ceux et celles qui veulent se joindre à nous ce samedi, le 30 avril, à 10h, au coin SE de la Place de la Victoire, à Pender & Cambie.


Si les gens veulent prendre le lunch ensemble par la suite, nous irons au Salty Tongue, au 213 rue Carrall, dans l’immeuble où la première association sociale et culturelle canadienne-française de la ville a vu le jour en 1886. On y portera un toast à nos origines en ville.


Contact Maurice: 604-253-9311, e-mail: mguibord@shaw.ca