Newsletter

September 2003
Volume 3, Number 10

History Helps, Volume Three, Number 10, September 2003
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WELCOME TO AUTUMN!

A New School Year

In 1891, school would already have been open for several weeks by this time, as this item informs us:

"According to the new School Act the summer vacation has been extended to the second Monday in August. The public schools will, therefore, not reopen until Monday, 11th inst. [sic]"

Source: The Daily Columbian, 03 August 1891, page four.

Municipal Elections Act, 1896

"THE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITIES

The date fixed by the Act for nomination day in all the district municipalities of the Province is the second Monday in January, polling day being the Thursday following. This will bring nomination day on the 11th of next month, and polling on the 14th. Since the last municipal elections throughout the Province, the Municipal Act, 1892 (consolidated) has been repealed by the Legislature, and its place taken by the Municipal Clauses Act, 1896, the Municipal Elections Act, 1896, and the Municipal Incorporation Act, 1896. The first two, read together, have made certain important changes affecting elections, which it will not be amiss to point out, although those particularly interested in municipal matters have, no doubt, made themselves familiar with these changes before.

The Municipal Elections Act, 1896, defines as persons qualified to vote, in township or district municipalities, any male or female, being a British subject, of the full age of twenty one years, who has paid, on or before the thirtieth day of November (the old act read the thirty first day of December), in the year immediately prior to the day of nomination, all municipal rates, taxes, assessments, and license fees payable by him or her to the municipality, who has been a resident of such municipality for at least one year previous to the date upon which the last revised voters’ list of the municipality has been closed (this residential requirement was not in the old Act, except as regards an elector by virtue of holding a trades license or being a householder), and (a) who is the assessed owner of lands or of improvements, or the assessed occupier of lands situate within the municipality; or (b) who carries on business and is the holder of a trades license in the municipality the annual fee for which is not less than five dollars; or (c) who is a householder within the municipality (in which latter case, the elector must, on or before the first day of December in each year, enter with the Assessor or Clerk of the municipality his or her name as a voter, and make a statutory declaration of citizenship, age, twelve months’ residence in the municipality, householder qualification, etc.).

The main, and very important, difference in the new Act as compared with the old, as regards the qualification of municipal electors, it will be seen, is the requirement, in all cases, of residence in the municipality to complete the qualification. And another very important change is the carrying, of this residential qualification, also, into the qualification of Reeve and Councillors, so that no non-resident is now eligible for those offices. This change is made in the Municipal Clauses Act, 1896, by adding to the property qualification required for Reeve and Councillors, the words: "And being other wise qualified as a voter" (the voters’ qualification, it being remembered, including residence, among other requirements.)

The property qualification for Reeve and Councillors, it may be as well to mention here, is property within the municipality to the assessed value of $500 for Reeve, and $250 for Councillor. It is required that the candidate must be the registered owner of the necessary property (which must be of the value stated, over and above any registered encumbrance) for the three months next preceding the day of his nomination. For Councillor, however, an alternative property qualification is provided, as follows: "Or being a homesteader or pre-emptor, who has resided within the municipality for the space of one year or more, immediately preceding the nomination, and who is assessed for $500 or more on the last municipal or Provincial assessment roll, over and above any registered encumbrance or charge."

Source: The Daily Columbian, 29 December 1896, page two.

Updated Resource

A most useful resource, "British Columbia Local Histories: A Bibliography" has been updated. Originally compiled in 1991 under the direction of Linda L. Hale and Jean Barman, it has been expanded by Brenda Peterson. The original version is available in libraries in hard copies, but the new and improved compilation is accessible via the University of British Columbia Library’s website at http://toby.library.ubc.ca/resources/onlinelist.cfm. Use of the database, unfortunately, requires one to have a library card from the University.

Upon inquiry, I was told by the compiler that the bibliography may be published in book form in the future, but not before next year (2004).

Future Prime Minister Visits Delta

"LAURIER AT LADNER’S

He Talks to the Settlers, Who Are Well Pleased With Him.

Ladner’s Landing, Sept. 15 -- (Special) -- Hon. Wilfrid Laurier, accompanied by Sidney Fisher, Ex-M.P., Senator McInnes, Alex. Ewen, D. J. Munn, and a number of the leading citizens of New Westminster, arrived here by the steamer Telephone at 11 o’clock and were met at the wharf by a large number of people. W. H. Ladner, ex-M.P.P., presented an address of welcome on behalf of the residents of Delta. It set forth many matters to which the people of the section desire attention called, relating to the fisheries, the canning industry, and the navigation of the river. There were a large number present. Mr. Laurier made one of the happiest replies he has yet made to an address in the Province. He also stated that any of the grievances mentioned in the address, if submitted to him at Ottawa, would receive his attention, and he would be pleased to see that they were, as far as possible, rectified.

At the conclusion of the reply he was introduced to a large number of settlers, who loudly cheered him. He then went for a short drive through the settlement, being driven by Mr. Arthurs [sic] and others.

Mr. Kirkland presented him with a basket of magnificent plums. Upon his return from driving he will partake of luncheon and return to New Westminster, where he will catch the 2 o’clock train for the east.

Messrs. Fraser, Sutherland and Hyman are coming down by special steamer and will address the electors, who intend turning out in great numbers, on the political issues of the day, at 12 o’clock. They will return to New Westminster in time to catch the 5 o’clock tram for Vancouver. The weather is perfect. Mr. Laurier was very much pleased with his reception and he has won a place in all our hearts. We intend to make our voice heard on the right side at the next election."

Source: [Vancouver] Daily World, Saturday, 15 September 1894, page five.

Canadian National Registration of 1940

I’ve just discovered that this website has moved, and now has a new address, namely http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/natreg.htm.

The change is tiny, but enough to shut you out if you’re using the old address.

Here are two other web pages that turned up when I searched with Google for "National Registration of 1940."

http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/List001/list7.htm

http://www.statcan.ca/english/IPS/Data/93C0006.htm

Wartime Concessions

"RUBBER-SOLED SHOES DUE FOR COMEBACK

Canadians can look forward to wearing rubber-soled shoes again because from now on between 160,000 and 200,000 of them will be manufactured every month in Canada, said G. Elmer Johnston, director of footwear for the wholesale and retail trade administration, Wartime Prices and Trade Board, when addressing a meeting in London, Ont., sponsored by the National Shoe Retailers’ Association.

Rubber-soled shoes which have been in short supply since the Japanese cut off the trade routes to the sources of natural rubber, will be made from reclaimed rubber, Mr. Johnston explained. They will serve to supplement present stocks of leather shoes, he said.

‘There is absolutely no need for worry on the part of the public about not being able to buy an adequate supply of shoes.’"

Source: The [Ladner] Optimist, 22 July 1943, page two.

Another Volunteer Website

I’ve mentioned a number of times a website named Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness at http://www.raogk.org/listing.htm for which I’m a volunteer. It’s possible to request the lookup of a number of different kinds of information here.

There is another volunteer website called "Books We Own" which is organized in a similar fashion. This website, according to its home page, is "a list of resources owned / accessed by individuals who are willing to look up genealogical information and e-mail or snail mail it to others who request it." Have a look at http://www.rootsweb.com/~bwo/

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.

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