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!
Sidetracked on a Side Street
The Pacific Great Eastern Railway, despite its name, was a Western company. Incorporated in Vancouver in 1912, it was founded to create a railroad between Prince George and the docks of North Vancouver via Squamish and the Howe Sound. Decades passed before this goal was fully achieved due to a section of challenging, mountainous terrain and ongoing financial challenges. It became known as the Province’s Great Expense to Prince George Eventually. However, the story of the PGE Railway is one of ambition and perseverance that created an important, historic route along the waters of the Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound, remnants of which still exist today.