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Archival description
Vancouver (B.C.) Streetcars--British Columbia--Vancouver
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[Vancouver area road construction ; Port Hardy ; Watson Lake]

Unedited footage. B&W. Vancouver area road construction, 1920s [252 feet]: "Consists of many scenes of bulldozers, graders, trucks, shovels and construction workers building a road from scratch, possibly near UBC, according to Mr. Mackenzie's cousin. Later in the film a group of men and equipment are paving a street in Vancouver, smoothing asphalt, steam rolling it, building sidewalks, etc. In this sequence a CN freight train grinds by as the men lay concrete forms along a short stretch of the tracks, a Dunbar streetcar comes up the hill barely missing a man sprinting across the road with two bottles of milk, and two other streetcars pass by while construction work is in progress. A man in a suit poses, takes off his hat, scratches his head, and puts his hat on again." (Colin Browne) COLOUR. Port Hardy, ca. 1940 [255 feet]: Cleared area with stumps and slash pile. Donkey engine and spartree; yarding logs. Topping a tree. Logging (or construction?) camp scenes. Wharf and sawmill. A seaplane lands. Aerial views of Port Hardy. COLOUR. Watson Lake (presumably in the Yukon), early 1940s [253 feet]: Views of settlement. Motor scow and barge on lake. Airstrip under construction; various aircraft. Townsite in winter with log buildings. Twin-prop seaplane. Motor barge with freight. Moored barges. Clearing small trees with a cat tractor. More aircraft.

Across Canada in fifteen minutes

Travelogue. Travel film of sights from a train trip across Canada, including footage of Nova Scotia, St. John, St Andrew's, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Georgian Bay, a Great Lakes steamboat, Fort William, Kenora, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Bassano Dam, Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and Lake Louise. B.C. footage includes: the Spiral Tunnels at Field (with train passing through); Field; open-topped railway observation car with sightseeing passengers; Glacier; Mt. Sir Donald; Albert Canyon; train en route in Fraser Canyon; Vancouver (street scenes, Hotel Vancouver, Stanley Park, English Bay bathers); CPR steamers en route to and at Victoria; Legislative Buildings; Empress Hotel.

[Burritt miscellany, reel 7]

Footage. Colour [Dufaycolor process]: shots of Vancouver skyline and Hotel Vancouver (the latter matching a shot in the film 'AND-'). B&W [Agfa stock]: underexposed night shots on and from a streetcar passing through downtown Vancouver on New Year's Eve, 1937 - passengers (including Dorothy Fowler), some in party hats; big Christmas tree, theatre marquees and electric signs. Scenes in nightclub with jazz band; trick shot of man "sucking in" smoke rings. Dorothy, Oscar Burritt and others swimming; Dorothy taking photos. Colour: brief shots of Oscar posing with unidentified man and woman in front of a sightseeing bus [Kodachrome, edge code 1938].

[Gesner film]

Amateur film. Footage of Vancouver, Victoria and the Lower Mainland region, including shots of Vancouver streetcars, flowers and gardens, a ferry trip through the Gulf Islands, etc.

Vancouver diamond jubilee

The item is a composite print of a promotional film made in 1947. It shows the celebrations marking Vancouver's 60th anniversary to provide a framework for a short history and description of the city. Jubilee events include parades, a pageant at Timber Bowl in Stanley Park, First Nations dancing and the induction of the Governor-General (Viscount Alexander) as an honorary Kwakiutl chief. There are historical photographs which show Vancouver's early development.

Contemporary footage reveals various aspects of the city: skyline, public buildings and street scenes including Marine Building, harbour and shipyards, False Creek CPR yards and roundhouse, Lion's Gate and Burrard bridges, Vancouver airport, bus and streetcar systems, Police and Fire departments, Kitsilano Beach, Stanley Park, Bowen Island, boating, sailing, Sun Salmon Derby etc. It also includes footage of regional industries: logging, mining, smelting, fishing, farming, hydro-electric sites.

Vancouver diamond jubilee

Promotional film. The celebrations marking Vancouver's 60th anniversary provide a framework for a short history and description of the city. Jubilee events include parades, a pageant at Timber Bowl in Stanley Park, Indian dancing and the induction of the Governor-General (Viscount Alexander) as an honorary Kwakiutl chief. Historical photographs show Vancouver's early development. Contemporary footage reveals various aspects of the city: skyline, public buildings, street scenes; Marine Building; harbour and shipyards; False Creek CPR yards and roundhouse; Lion's Gate and Burrard bridges; Vancouver airport; bus and streetcar systems; Police and Fire departments; Kitsilano Beach; Stanley Park; Bowen Island; boating; sailing; Sun Salmon Derby; etc. Also includes footage of regional industries: logging, mining, smelting, fishing, farming, hydro-electric sites.

Progress report

The item is a promotional film made around 1947. It show the BC Electric Railway Company's $50 million post-war expansion and modernization program, to be completed by 1950. Shots includes: expansion of transit services, including start of the switch from streetcars to trolley buses, water gas plant, explanation of the Bridge River project, with footage of construction (including La Joie Falls storage dam) and Lower Mainland power sub-stations. It also include various Vancouver street scenes, especially Fraser Street and downtown.

Dinner for Miss Creeden

The item is an Industrial film on colour print made in 1947. It is a film about the growth of B.C. Electric from 1906 to 1946, built around the story of stenographer Flossie Creeden, the first female office employee of the company. Footage includes: Goldstream power plant, Vancouver natural gas facilities, BC Electric Railway lines in Fraser Valley, Stave Falls generator plant, Alouette Lake and Ruskin plants, 1939 royal visit, BCE employee's newsletter, A.E. Grauer family at home, office scenes, plans & construction at Bridge River project, BCE employee's service in World Wars I & II and BCE streetcar and trolley bus services.

Going to town

The item consists of a promotional film made in 1948. It depicts Vancouver's growing traffic problems and BC Electric's response, including the start of its switch-over from streetcars to trolley buses. Also shows how public transit services help to alleviate traffic congestion, the operation and maintenance of buses, and the removal of streetcar tracks.

Kenneth A. Hodgson fonds

  • PR-2143
  • Fonds
  • [ca. 1950], 1990

The fonds consists of Kenneth A. Hodgson's amateur films created around 1950, showing B.C. Electric's Fraser Valley passenger and interurban rail service, and the special streetcar used for sightseeing tours in Vancouver. An accompanying videotape made in 1990 includes both these and other films of rail transportation in the Lower Mainland, supplemented with voice-over narration.

Hodgson, Kenneth A., 1922-

[Downtown parking] : [out-takes]

Out-takes. Illustrates Vancouver's downtown parking problems. The outs here accessioned, found in a can labelled "Roy's Traffic," are on 1953 stock and are thought to be from the film DOWNTOWN PARKING. The roll includes many excellent shots of dense traffic (including streetcars and buses) on downtown streets, and on the Burrard Street and Cambie Street bridges.

Rails to rubber

The item consists of a film print of unedited footage from 1955. It shows BC Electric's celebrations marking completion of the conversion from streetcars to trolley buses in Vancouver. Footage shows final streetcar runs from downtown Vancouver to the PNE, with special cars for longtime local residents, crowd entering PNE grounds, ceremonies inside PNE Exhibition Gardens, including BC Electric (male) choir, BCE President Dal Grauer, Vancouver Mayor Fred Hume, speeches, presentations and communal singing, etc.

British Columbia Electric : streetcars & streetcar track removal

The item consists of unedited film footage from 1955 on two rolls. It contains footage of the demise of BC Electric's last Vancouver streetcar run. The first roll shows streetcars in operation at various points along Hastings Street from Granville Street to the Kootenay Loop exchange, 18 April 1955. The second roll, shot shortly afterward, shows crews removing the streetcar tracks along Hastings and repaving the street.

Yesterday's newsreel : no. 2

The item is a newsreel compilation on a black and white film print. It contains an historical compilation of international news items: the San Francisco earthquake 1906, the capture of Two-Gun Crowley 1931, King Alfonso exiled 1931, 1929 personalities, the Atlantic Charter 1941, 1901 aviation [Alberto Santos-Dumont's balloons and airplane], 1920 fashions, World War I brides 1919 and 1926 sports. It also contains BC material spliced into the print: 1949 "Wreckers demolish old Hotel Vancouver" and 1948 "BC Electric introduce first trolley coaches". The latter item includes crews tearing up streetcar tracks, Oakridge Transit Centre and development of the system 1945-55.

John Ramsey Low, Jack Mehan, and William Wallace : interview

CALL NUMBER: T1327:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], [1960?] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: COLONEL LOW recalls Vancouver in the 1890s and 1900s; his father, who worked for the CPR; his impressions of the Seymour Street area; Hotel Vancouver; Granville Street; the Howe Street races; the Badminton Hotel; the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. He continues with childhood memories of home on Seymour Street in 1899; Dawson School; incidents; and the Fairview area. He recalls Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show; streetcars; his position as electrical inspector for the city; pageants; arches in the city; first automobiles; Saturday night entertainment and vaudeville shows. TRACK 2:; Colonel Low continues with recollections of teenagers, ca. 1900; newspapers and journalism; the Imperial Theatre and other theatres. WILLIAM WALLACE gives his impressions of Vancouver in 1906 including Carrall Street and the Grandview district. He recalls boyhood incidents; schooling; East Indians; lacrosse; sports; the Grandview District; the Okimo Club, a social club for boys and girls; the chain gang; and the Riel Rebellion.

CALL NUMBER: T1327:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], [1960?] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Wallace recalls the change in traffic directions. JACK MEHAN was born in Nanaimo; his family came to Vancouver in 1905. Mr. Mehan talks about the early streetcar lines; childhood pranks; Main Street; Granville Street; the BC Electric [interurban] line to Steveston; Point Grey; the CPR gardens in Kerrisdale; the collision between the "Princess Victoria" and the "Chehalis"; and Captain Alex MacLean. [TRACK 2: blank.]

Reuben Hamilton interview

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1967-09-27 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Hamilton recalls his early years in Vancouver; his family arrived in 1890. He describes the city; the streetcars; the Mount Pleasant area; his family; his childhood; work at the mills; anecdotes; his work in logging camps; impressions of the city between 1890 and 1900; Carrall Street; saloons; stores; schools; development of the city; Granville Street; English Bay and Indians. TRACK; 2: Mr. Hamilton continues with recollections of the Vancouver Harbour; mills in the city; sounds of the city; dairy farms; streams; the Chinese community; race riots in 1907; bridges; False Creek; T;rout Lake; Cedar Cottage district; Victoria; anecdotes about the McGeer family and reminiscences.

Charlie Steele interview

CALL NUMBER: T1717:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1973-[06?] SUMMARY: Charlie Steele, born in Vancouver in 1886, talks about his family; his aunt Sara Anne Reimer, his uncle, Tom Hugh, and his grandfather, Mr. Hugh, coming to Vancouver. He recalls property sales; funerals; subjects from the family diary; family homes; the Mount Pleasant school and community in the 1890s. He describes the family house; gardens; streetcars; the development of Mount Pleasant; trails; Cedar Cottage; Fairview; the McGeer family; False Creek; and Christmas.

CALL NUMBER: T1717:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1973-[06?] SUMMARY: Charlie Steele continues with recollections about the Mount Pleasant area; Christmas; birthdays; school; Nightingale's (the local general store); the chain gang road work; breweries; wildlife; hunting; fishing; childhood; Trout Lake; ice skating; False Creek; and streetcars. He discusses land business and personal transactions mentioned in his grandfather's diary; land transactions; depressions; speculation; the 1907 depression; the 1911-1912 land boom; land auctions; and girls' and boys' education. He describes the views of Mount Pleasant and Vancouver that he would have seen (and might have; photographed) from the tower at the fire station at Quebec and Main Street, 1901. CALL NUMBER: T1717:0003 [CD T1717:0002A] RECORDED: [location unknown], 1973-[06?] SUMMARY: Mr. Steele continues describing of views of Vancouver from the fire station at Quebec and Main.