newscalendarstoriesphoto galleryJoin UsWho We AreGift ShopContact Us

Newsletter - Volume 9 - 2007, Fall and Winter

The Gibson Family made Deep Cove their home from 1921~1953

by Jim Gibson Jr.

Deep Cove, back in the early days must have been unknown to most of the world as there was little access except by water.  During the year 1921 Mr. Gibson was enticed by his brother Victor Gibson to come to the Cove and work for the Buck’s Logging Company.  Victor at the time was the boom man and needed help.  So, the Gibson Family, James, Margaret and baby Archie came to the Cove.

Margaret and James Gibson

Their first residence was an old fisherman’s shack along Burns Avenue next to where Robinson’s store was to be located.  At that time there was a couple of shacks nestled along side a running stream supplying plenty of fresh water.  Fishermen occasionally occupied them as a base to cook and process their daily catch of fish and shrimp. Mrs. Gibson complained long and loud about the fishy smell and no amount of cleaning and scrubbing would make the cabin fresh. (These were the days before the invention of Air Fresheners).

February 1923 was notable as during a bitter cold spell the Gibson’s were blessed with another Son, me, James Jr. As fate would have it a fire that completely devastated the operation destroyed the logging company. Now there was little or no employment opportunities left in the cove area. For many years the “fire scar” was visible upon the mountaintop as a reminder of the past. The Gibsons, now four in number, left and went to Cowichan Lake, as work was available there.  One night about two months later, homesickness for Deep Cove set in and the next day the journey back to the Cove began.  Upon the return to Deep Cove they built their first residence on Cove Cliff road, just down from the main Deep Cove road. It was here that their third son Robert was born, and now the family was complete.

Some years later when the District water supply was made available they built another house on Caledonia Avenue, house #109. This was to be the last residence they had in the area. During the years Mr. Gibson built several other houses that were rented and sold as a means of income.  Once the water supply was available throughout the Cove, building of houses began to flourish. The pounding of nails and sawing of lumber would echo throughout the area, especially on weekends. It was a common site to see cars arriving loaded with lumber strapped to the roof. By this time Mr. Gibson had been hired by the North Vancouver School District to be the Janitor (now called a custodian) of the Roche Point School. This entailed going to the school early in the morning, opening up, lighting the fires, and making ready for the school day. He would leave when the teacher arrived and come back in the afternoon to sweep out the classrooms, stack the firewood, wash the blackboards, and close up for the day. This left free time for other jobs and many times he would be hired to do carpentry work for people building their houses so they would become habitable in a reasonable time.

During the depression years of the 1930s survival and maintaining a home and raising three boys was very challenging.  What with the part time job, odd jobs, and living off “The Fat of the Land,” life in Deep Cove was reasonable considering the state of the world’s financial crisis.

Mr. Gibson was born in 1888, the son of an Irish hotelkeeper (Queen’s hotel on Water Street). Later Mr. Gibson’s father, Moses, established a ranch out in the Cedar Cottage district of Vancouver. A notation of the Gibson Ranch may be found in the publication “Vancouver the Way It Was” which told of the early Vancouver pioneers. Later at the outbreak of World War 1, he went overseas with the 7th Battalion and was eventually discharged due to wounds received during battle. This disability was to limit his physical activities for the rest of his life.

Mrs. Gibson arrived in Vancouver from Chicago Illinois in 1903. Thus it could be said that they would be early pioneers of the city of Vancouver.  Both James and Margaret had a great love for Deep Cove. Being very early pioneers of the area and being a part of the evolution from a near wilderness to a vibrant township made them very proud. Over the years they made many good friends and the circle of friends and acquaintances grew as the area became more populated. This was a simpler time when everyone knew and helped one another; it was like having a large extended family. In 1952 the decision was made to leave Deep Cove and move to Vancouver so that Mr. Gibson could receive medical treatment. Prior to leaving friends threw a “Tea Party” for them and a presentation was made of a tea set and a card. I still have them both in my possession and the names on the card bring back many memories for me.

Many years have passed since their departure from Deep Cove.  Since then my whole family, Father, Mother, brothers Archie, and Robert have passed away.  Should anyone who reads this from the Memory Book remember me from my time in Deep Cove, I am alive and well and residing in Victoria with my Dear Wife Beatrice of 62 years. I often think back to my boyhood days growing up in Deep Cove and reminisce about the past, (more to come later on my story for the Memory Book). As the old adage states “You can take the boy out of the Cove but not the Cove out of the boy” -- THANK YOU DEEP COVE FOR THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES
Photo #0149
~ donated by Roche Point School teacher Miss Florence Nye. Photo includes students Graham Phillips, Bud Pitman, Jimmy Gibson, Billy Cuthbertson, Ed Ange and was taken in June 1934.

 

Meet our New Co-ordinator

Do stop by and meet our new co-ordinator, Vickie Boughen. Vickie is in the office Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 9am to 11am.

Vickie, who worked at the Queensdale Art Gallery for many years, and her family have been residents of the Cove area for the past ten years. When she was young and free from ties she worked for many years with First Impressions Theatre as stage manager. While working with them she met her future husband who was a technical director at James Cowan Theatre in Burnaby.

Still young, but with two children now, her theatre involvement is reduced to that of audience member.

Heritage is delighted she was able to share her talents with us in the wake of the great work done by our previous co-ordinator Misha Wilson. Misha is now working with the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

Our President Takes on a New Role

The Deep Cove Heritage Society is pleased to announce that our president, Tom Kirk is now the Chair of the Deep Cove Cultural Society. The Cultural Society is the umbrella group made up of the four resident groups of the Deep Cove Cultural Centre. Its purpose is to keep the volunteer run Centre running smoothly. We are in good hands and thank Tom for taking the reins.

Deep Cove Heritage Society needs you!

Interested in volunteering with the Deep Cove Heritage Society? We are looking for more volunteers to mingle with visitors and to man our gift shop and archives. This would be a great opportunity for local seniors, students wanting to gain some volunteer experience over the summer, or people who love Deep Cove and want to share our history with visitors. We are looking for someone for Saturday or Sunday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm.

Time commitment: 3 hours per month (of course, you
can do more if you like!) If you are interested
please call 604-929-5744 or 604-929-9456.

Free Writing Workshops

With Shelley at the helm, our workshops always have a great turnout; if you missed the March workshop call the office for info about next one. Shelley can help you get your memories down on paper.

 

Our resident professional
writer, Shelley Harrison Rae.
Photo by Mike Wakefield,
North Shore News

Didja know?  Our original telephone exchange in the Cove was WOodside 6 (or 966)
it was changed to WAverley 9 (or 929) in the 1960s. Give us a call at 604 WAverley 9-5744!

Memories ~ Wayne Smith
By Wayne Smith - Dec. 15/06

Intro:  A brief walk through time, telling how someone's savings can be thrown away, found by another, saved by another, then found again.

“Mom! Mom! Come see what I found.” My little 5-year-old legs came rushing up the wooden stairs to the back door of our home on eighth avenue in Vancouver, BC. Hearing my call Mother looked up from her work. I am sure she thought, “Oh bother, what is it now?” until she saw the little handful of wet paper, I held out to her.

The weather had been wet, as usual, in Vancouver. The damp grass in a vacant lot, near our house had an unusual surprise for me that morning. While wandering about looking for something to do, I spotted a box, tossed out carelessly, by someone wanting a convenient dumpsite.

The cardboard box was wet, about the size of an apple container, and bore the smell of musty old paper. It contained a hoard, not of money, but of memories. The kind of memories one collects while travelling. My curious mind led me into someone's long past journey through the United States and Canada.

Carefully I opened the box and began to wedge apart the driest pieces of paper and post cards. They revealed a world very different from the one I was in at the moment. There were ladies in long skirts, horse drawn carts, muddy roads, with wagon wheel ruts everywhere. Every piece revealed a new treasure.

Wayne Smith 

Fortunately, mother shared my early fascination with old pictures and books, happily following me out to the vacant lot to share, though I am not sure that was the correct term, for the pictures never reappeared in my life again, until many years later. Gathering up what seemed saveable, Mom squirreled them away in some dark corner of our house.

As years went by, I would casually mention them to mother, wondering if I would ever reclaim my little treasure. More years went by, until I think mom sensed if something happened to her, meaning she died, I may never get my post cards back. Finally at the tender age of fifty-five, I was blessed with the return of my ancient pictures. They were a real treat to look through again. Some are a hundred years old. Many move forward in time, showing early days of colour photography, with city scenes of early Vancouver and Stanley Park.

Today, browsing through the small handful of pictures, sharing thoughts and stories with friends, the five-year-old in me says, “one man's junk is another man's treasure!” and the fifty five-year-old says, “Thanks, for the memories.”

Mt. Seymour History Project

Last September during NS Heritage Weekend, we partnered with Mount Seymour History Project’s resident historian, Alex Douglas with historic pictorial displays, memory sharing, presentations and a hike.

This year the History Project plans for the 15th Annual Pioneer Skiers’ Reunion. Sept. 16 will feature a reunion of ski industry friends, 6–10pm; Sept. 15–16 historical displays open to the public, 10am–4pm; Sept. 19 the 15th Annual Pioneer Skiers Reunion, 12–4pm, with a wrap up BBQ from 5–9pm. Call us for details.

Just Announced:
Memories of Mt. Seymour, the Heritage Society is again partnering with Alex Douglas of the Mt. Seymour History Project for Heritage Week, Sat & Sun, Sept 15 &16 from 10am–4 pm on the mountain.

This is open to the public in the hope of getting more people interested in the history of the North Shore Mountains with displays and stories. It would be great if some pioneers would attend! Please note that the event is free; but there is a $5 parking fee on the mountain. If you need transportation please call the office.

Photo from Mitchell’s Vancouver Book, 1954
Meetings lead to new book

The Deep Cove Heritage Society is always a beehive of activity. Our monthly meetings are always well attended — but like other groups, it is always the same people turning up and like other groups we are anxious to bring in some new people with new ideas.

One new idea was to limit the number of business meetings and have some informal social meetings. The most valuable resource this group has is the people living in the community, especially those who are long time residents.

 Our April meeting was our first social meeting and featured Shirley Welsh and Daphne McLean who spent many wonderful summers in the Cove in the late 30s and 40s.

In May we went to the Atrium “the party building” where many of our active longtime residents now reside. There was a terrific turnout and we went around the room having the opportunity to renew friendships and exchange stories. June will again be a business meeting where we will be discussing the information we gleaned from the past two meetings. We hope you will be able to take part in one of our social meetings in the future.

Members of the Deep Cove Heritage Society are gearing up to start work on their second book. This one will continue where the first book Echoes Across the Inlet left off starting around the 1950s and will cover the whole area east of the Seymour River.

The photo archives currently are a resource of well over 900 photos; but longtime residents of the area may have some gems tucked away that they would be willing to lend or donate.

We are looking for photos and films. Original items can be duplicated and returned. Sometimes you may think that the main subject is not of particular historical interest; but look behind and you may see buildings that are long gone or are still standing in spite of the years passed. The main subject may be wearing an outfit or costume that was all the rage or a uniform popular way back when. Photos of kids skipping, playing ball or other informal events are always welcome.

Maybe you have a memory of an event that you could share. Please drop by, give us a call or e-mail us at deepcoveheritage@ shawcable.com or through our website.

Spring in the Garden 2007

The Deep Cove Heritage Society extended an invitation to everyone to enjoy their annual Spring in the Garden celebration.

It was Sunday, June 3, from 1pm to 3pm, in the Deep Cove Heritage Garden at the Deep Cove Cultural Centre, 4360 Gallant Avenue in Deep Cove, North Vancouver.

Festivities included the presentation of awards to the winner of the Students’ Story Writing Contest, the unveiling of our beautiful new garden bench, crafted by Wayne Smith; see the growing series of family commemorative bricks in the garden, meeting with old friends, meeting new friends, and, of course, a tea.

Visitors browsed the archives of over 900 photos of the area and
enjoyed the garden.


From Our Archives

Photo #0031

May Day Queen
Gail Ford ~
little girl in
front centre is
Leslie (Horsman) Kirk,
our president’s wife
with the key.

Mimi Hines’ visit to the Cove

Back in the late 50s and early 60s pretty much everyone set aside 8:00pm Sunday evenings for The Ed Sullivan Show. One of the regular guests on that show was singer and comedienne Mimi Hines.

So in the early 60s the Cove was all a-flutter when she  arrived by boat at the Government Wharf and a couple big guys “probably her bodyguards” escorted her to The Cove Inn on a hot summer day.

Apparently the shapely young star was wearing an “itsey bitsey teenie weenie” bikini. It was all the talk around the patios for weeks after.

The next time Mimi Hines appeared on Ed Sullivan the phones in the Cove rang off the wall; friends telling friends to tune in to see this Cove visitor who we now felt was somehow family. Stars just didn't come to Deep Cove.

That, of course, has all changed. The Littlest Hobo was filmed here for a segment in the 60s, Bruno Gerusi of Beach Combers fame loved eating at The Savoury.

With all the filming going on here we have seen Richard Gere, Cindy Crawford, Tommy Lee Jones, Mia Farrow, Anne Heche, Jennifer Lopez (when she was with Ben Affleck) and countless others. Ben is rumoured to be a great fan of Honey’s doughnuts ... but then, who isn't?!

Look up “Deep Cove” on Wikipedia, the encyclopedia on the Internet; under notable residents it states: “Canadian artist Charles van Sandwyck spent his teen years in Deep Cove. Ben Affleck did and may still have a residence in Deep Cove. The writer Malcolm Lowry lived as a squatter in nearby Dollarton in the 1940s.”

When writing this little memory, I researched Mimi Hines and found out she was originally from Vancouver; so it is not so surprising that she found her way to Deep Cove. I also found out she replaced Barbra Streisand on Broadway in Funny Girl. Having had a sparkling career she is still working onstage there to this day. Check out Mimi Hines career on www.MimiHines.com.

Back to Top

Read Past Newsletters • Vol 1 - 2002 • Vol 2 - 2002 • Vol 3 - 2003
• Vol 4 - 2003 • Vol 5 - 2004 • Vol 6 - 2005 • Vol 7 - 2005 • Vol 8 - 2006

Email the Deep Cove Heritage Society