History Helps Volume Six, Number 3, February 2006
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• Greetings
• Winter as We Used to Know It
• Useful Website
• Divorce Information
• World War Two
• Subscription and Privacy Policy

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! REMEMBER HERITAGE WEEK, FEBRUARY 20TH TO 26TH!

Winter as We Used to Know It

“SKATING ENJOYED BY MANY ON RIVER

Skating on good smooth ice was enjoyed by a large number of Delta residents on Sunday morning and afternoon, due to the industry of a number of Ladner young men who flooded the ice on Saturday afternoon.

Credit for starting the plan to flood a strip of ice on the river between The Big Store and the Home Oil Wharf must go to Fred Taylor of Brackman-Ker Milling, who enlisted the aid of Councillor Arthur Swenson. Municipal authorities who extended their co-operation and support were Reeve A. D. Paterson, Councillor Seymour Huff, Chairman of the Waterworks Committee, and Water Superintendent Peter Clark.

Four hundred feet of spare fire hose was obtained from the local firehall on Elliott [sic] Street and this was connected to a hydrant near the Home Oil depot. Two and one-half hours of flooding resulted in a sheet of ice over an acre in extent, smooth and free from rough spots. No skaters were allowed on the ice until Sunday morning when it had firmly set.

Snow on Sunday afternoon and evening put an end to the best of the skating but a small space cleared on Monday provided some youngsters more of this exhilarating sport.”

Source: The [Delta] Optimist, 04 February 1937, page three.

Useful Website

In the hope that I haven’t begun to repeat myself, I’m including this one, the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

Available on-line for a few years now, the database includes “persons of note (including British Columbians) who died between the years 1000 and 1920, or whose last known date of activity falls within these years.”

You can access the site at http://www.biographi.ca.

Divorce Information

I came across listings of divorces granted in the Vancouver Sun, 24 November 1966, and not knowing what else to do with this information, am including it here. Is this useful to anyone?

“DIVORCES

Divorce decrees have been awarded in Supreme Court to:

Jackson Donald Buxton, 12446 Old Yale Rd., Surrey, from Trilby Diane Buxton, 3837 - 152nd St., North Surrey, married 1958.
William James Himbury, 1883 East Fifty-second, from Kathleen Lucy Himbury, 312 Hawkins St., Whitehorse, Y.T., married 1943.
Katherine Anne Questroo, 2996 Charles, from Hendricus Christian Questroo, 1815 Comox, married 1965.
Jessie Hay, 3345 Parker, from Alexander Hay, 768 East Hastings, married 1933.
Deanna Faye Havens, 1315 Broughton, from Edward Rawdon Havens, 704 Accacia Rd., Coquitlam, married 1960.
Patricia Gail Knott, 8872 Young St. South, Chilliwack, from Brian George Knott, 8293 King George Highway, married 1958.
Berghild MacPhee, 5621 Commercial, from Donald MacPhee, Sandspit, married 1959.
Catherine Louise Dimock, 1720 - 37th Ave. S.W., Calgary, from George Wilbur Dimock, Jr., 5375 Inman, Burnaby, married 1951.
Jean Magadeline La Bounty, Keremeos, from Stanley David La Bounty, Merritt, married 1962.
Audrey Grace Brett, 2385 Garden, from Thomas Arthur Brett, 2008 East Nineteenth, married 1963.
Maureen Kennedy, Cloverdale, from Duane Vincent Kennedy, 2201 Manitoba, married 1963.
Frederick Thomas Bugden, 550 - East Twenty-sixth, from Marie Bugden, 2027 York, married 1951.
Gail Loretta Moore, 633 Dover Rd., Richmond, from Darryl John Moore, 624 East Sixty-fifth, married 1962.
Dorothy Myrtle Bailey, 1225 Nelson, from Herbert Dale Bailey, 2220 Haro, married 1955.
Linda Ann Ripley, 606 West Twenty-third, from Dalton Elroy Ripley, 5109 Chambers, married 1963.
Pauline Shand, 4418 James, from George Barrie Shand, 3017 East Twenty-seventh, married 1961.
Dorothy Winifred Porter, 961 Williams, Richmond, from Derrick Porter, Haney, married 1951.
Nicotina Theresia Merkelbag, 4727 Joyce, from Hans Merkelbag, 5740 East Hastings, married 1944.
Irene Sellers, 1808 East Sixth, from John Delmere Sellers, 2354 Dundas, married 1955.
Barry Lawrenson Bailey, 230 East Twelfth, from Arlene Sharon Bailey, 10 East Eleventh, married 1961.
Edna Kent, 5058 Patrick, Burnaby, from David Edward Kent, 5441 Earles, married 1952.
Evelyn May Dale, 1065 Kingsway, from Joseph Theodore Dale, Prince George, married 1949.
Barbara Jane Wigman, 1471 East Fourth, from Harvey Alan Wigman, 3105 East Eighth, married 1954.
[line missing] dary, from Dennis John Galligan, 133 East Seventh, married 1965.
Shirley Elaine Eide, 336 East Fiftieth, from Leif Hvaal Eide, Kitwanga, married 1956.”

World War Two

“BOYS OF 17 MAY NOW ENLIST IN ACTIVE ARMY

Mr. A. G. Swan, who is in charge of recruiting in this district for all branches of the active army, the women’s division or the reserve, has asked that the following information with regard to the enlistment of boys of 17 years be made known:

Boys who have attained the age of 17 years may be enlisted in active units or formations of the Canadian army for the purpose of undergoing training.

No boy shall be so enlisted without having previously obtained the written consent of his parents or guardian.

Boys so enlisted shall be entitled to receive boys’ rates of pay until attaining the age of 17 1/2 years, after which they shall be entitled to standard rates of pay as soldiers.

No boys so enlisted shall be sent beyond Canada to a zone of military operations before having reached the full age established for this purpose [19 years] for soldiers of the Canadian Army.
All applicants will, of course, have to undergo the usual medical board, and before attestation each boy must present a letter signed by both parents (if possible) or guardian declaring the age of the boy and consenting to his enlistment. In cases where it is impossible to secure the signatures of both parents the recruiting officer will state reasons.

Boys’ rate of pay is 70 cents per day. This would apply between 17 years and 17 1/2 years when usual rates of pay would apply.

The present age established for Overseas Service is 19 years.”

Source: The [Delta] Optimist, 14 January 1943, page three.

Subscription, Privacy Policy

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.

P.S. Here's a favour you can do for me: If you liked this newsletter and found it helpful or just interesting, please pass it on to a friend or colleague. Thank you.

Newspaper Obituary Database coming to

History of Delta, British Columbia On-line

Delta History On-Line

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