In the vaults of the BC Archives lies a memory of the past. In 1964, nearing the end of his days, Bentley Collingwood Hilliam sat down with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio to make a recording of his life. A now largely forgotten musical genius, Hilliam was one half of the internationally touring vaudeville act Mister Flotsam and Mister Jetsam that played the musical halls from the 1920s to the 1940s. A classically trained pianist with a gift for song writing, Hilliam got his start in North Vancouver. His journey to stardom is one that warrants a re-telling!
The Child Evacuees
Behind the walls of a West Vancouver house lie the memories of a mission of mercy. Built in 1926, 2337 Lawson Avenue was - between 1941 and 1954 – the home of Emma Walker, someone who deserves recognition. Emma, often referred to in formal circles as Mrs Frank Walker, was instrumental in bringing about the evacuation of children from cities bombed by the German Luftwaffe during the second world war.
The St George Ferry
Pastimes in Past Times
The theme for Heritage Week in BC this year is Pastimes in Past Times! What a fabulous topic! Upon hearing this, I scoured the North and West Vancouver Archives for relevant photos and dug deep into my memory bank and those of anyone I knew over the age of 50. As it turns out, there are a lot of activities that people used to do in the good old days that are no longer popular today. Things like gathering as a family to listen to the radio, riding a rope tow and using a film camera plus lots more. If you actually remember doing any of these things, you are old! If you don’t, I suggest you disconnect from TikTok and read on to learn about good old-fashioned fun!