Shirley Barnett funded the Vancouver City Council minutes of 1891.
The transcriptions were made by Donna Kynaston, Mary Norris, Devon Harlos, Chris Stephenson, Martha Hazevoet, Chris Mizzoni, Leah Minuk, Linda Evans, Jordan Cripps, Bronwyn Cripps & Anonymous.
Click on any headline to see the full transcript of that day’s meeting.

Vancouver City Council 1891
Mayor: David Oppenheimer Aldermen: Ward 1: Sam Brighouse, J.T. Carroll Ward 2: James F. Garden (resigned), Alexander Godfrey, A.W. Scouller (elected in byelection) Ward 3: C.G. Hobson, William Templeton Ward…
Committees established for 1891 – January 5, 1891
Six committees established for the year 1891, with some initial disagreement about the composition of the Finance Committee and the Board of Works. The Licensing Board, Health Committee, Police Committee,…
Garden resigns council, Brighouse now Works chairman – Jan 12, 1891
Alderman James F. Garden resigns. Hansen brothers of Montreal purchase $25,000 of city debentures. Crowder and Penzer granted contracts for coal and feed, provided that both be weighed on the…
Vancouver to acquire its own water works – January 27, 1891
Council agrees to acquire the Water Works from its current private owners. It was agreed to request the provincial government not to dissolve the current Small Debts Court Act until…
C.P.R. denies responsibility for street crossing safety – Feb 12, 1891
H. Abbott, General Superintendent of the C.P.R., denies C.P.R.’s responsibility to “furnish, at its own cost” the protection Council has requested at certain street crossings. The Board of Works orders…
Mayor walks out re City Engineer firing – Feb 23, 1891
The Board of Works report instructs the City Clerk to fire the current Engineering Department staff and advertise for a new staff (Alderman Brighouse, Godfrey, Templeton and Brown supporting the…
Vancouver sends $500 for Springhill mining disaster relief – Feb 24, 1891
Council read a telegram from the mayor of Halifax calling for assistance for the sufferers of the Springhill Disaster. $500 was telegraphed at once for their relief. [editor’s note: The…
Committee off to Victoria to oppose Water Works amendments – Feb 28, 1891
Mayor and Aldermen Godfrey, Brown, Hobson, Scoullar, Carroll, McDowell, and Templeton to go to Victoria to meet the members of the Legislature with the view of having the proposed amendments…
Six aldermen walk out, leaving no quorum – Mar 9, 1891
Mayor David Oppenheimer declined to sign the minutes of the last meeting beyond the point at which he left the Chair and the special meetings. Alderman Brighouse moved and Alderman…
Tracy voted city engineer – Mar 20, 1891
Special Meeting to consider applicants for the position of Chief Engineer. Mayor David Oppenheimer not present; Alderman Dowell appointed Chairman. Thomas H. Tracy of London, Ontario was unanimously selected. This…
Mayor protests “illegal” appointment of Tracy – Mar 23, 1891
Mayor Oppenheimer sends regrets and protest against “illegal” appointment of Thomas Tracy as City Engineer. Council to send letter of protest against the Attorney General’s reported intention to change several…
Women’s & Children’s hospital to go ahead – Apr 6, 189
The anticipated arrival of the S.S. Empress of India from the Orient to be celebrated with a performance by the City Band and an address to the officers and passengers.…
Battle re City Engineer continues – Apr 20, 1891
In consideration of $2,000 grant given to the women’s and children’s hospital by the City, the Chairman of the Board of Health to be one of directors of the hospital.…
Browning named to Water Works arbitration panel – Apr 22, 1891
Council appointed J.M. Browning as their arbitrator in the Water Works arbitration. A list of potential third arbitrators was presented – the City Solicitor to contact each of them to…
Browning appointment finalized – Apr 29, 1891
Appointment of Browning finalized. This transcript was made in 2016 by Transcribimus volunteer Christopher Stephenson and sponsored by Arnold Silber original handwritten minutes here City of Vancouver Archives Series 23-A…
Thomson building at Howe & Pender must be removed – May 4, 1891
$1,032 to be paid to George Telford et al for their work on Brockton Point Athletic Grounds. Mr. Thomson, owner of the building on the corner of Howe and Pender…
Water Works by-law complete – May 9, 1891
A Special Meeting was held to consider the Works By-Law; the by-law was read over, signed, sealed, and sent to the newspapers for publication This transcript was made in 2016…
By-law no. 118 altering Vancouver’s ward boundaries – May 9, 1891
This by-law was passed in the Vancouver City Council meeting of May 8, 1891. It changed Vancouver’s ward boundaries first set up under By-Law No. 3 in 1886. Transcribed by…
Clark Park to be seeded over – May 11, 1891
The Board of Works reported that “the South Park (now Clark Park on Commercial Drive between 14th and 15th Avenues) is to be seeded at once”, and that Robson Street…
Street lights not to be lit during full moon – May 18, 1891
The Electric Light Co. was instructed not to light the street lights on the night of full moon and for two nights before and after full moon. The appointment of…
Brighouse blocks Council resignation – May 26, 1891
Alderman Brighouse refused to sign document of resignation previously signed by Mayor and all Aldermen, in response to demand brought forth at a recent public meeting. H. B. Warren brought…
Warren’s wrongful dismissal suit could cost the City $5,000 – May 27, 1891
Former Chief Engineer H.B. Warren brought a suit of $5,000 against Council for unlawful dismissal. The mayor and Aldermen had their names struck off a document of resignation signed at…
No signs of leprosy within City of Vancouver – June 1, 1891
Dr. A. C. Smith reported that “after full investigation, there were no signs of leprosy within the City”. Meanwhile, hospital matron Miss Swan was directed to “exclude all cases of…
Vancouver taxes will increase 2% to fund schools – June 15, 1891
The Board of Licenses approved liquor licenses for 47 hotels, 8 saloons, 6 retail establishments (including the Hudson’s Bay Company) and 6 wholesalers. City taxes were raised to 2% “to…
Mayor Oppenheimer’s $500 expense account called into question – June 22, 1891
The firemen allowed use of the Market Hall July 1 without charge. Alderman Godfrey to obtain a flag for the building. The Finance Committee disallows Mayor’s account of $500 to…
Regulations formed for the sanitary storage & transportation of the deceased – June 29, 1891
Firemens’ salaries were raised to $10 per month ($25 for Fire Chief J. H. Carlisle). Nurses’ salaries were raised by $5 per month ($10 for matron Swan). Council chambers were…
Brown, Macgowan, Murray and Baldwin elected school trustees – July 6, 1891
The school board were unanimously elected by Council ballot; Brown was elected Chairman. An offer to the New Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company was drafted. The city would grade certain…
Ratepayers protest Isaac Hallett’s continuing as Police Magistrate – July 27, 1891
Mayor Oppenhiemer and Alderman receive a notice of injunction from Elizabeth Ann Studden on behalf of the ratepayers, prohibiting the City from paying any further salary to Isaac Hallet as…
Water Works worth $330,081.93 – August 3, 1891
Water Works arbitration panel Browning, Tilton and Drake submit their findings. The City to regulate private “scavengering” (garbage/recycling collection) within the city as soon as the waste-burning Crematory is in…
Street railway construction halted – August 6, 1891
A bylaw was introduced to license Master Plumbers within the City. The City to immediately file an injunction to prevent further construction of a street railway along Venables Street to…
Police to enforce tramway construction ban – August 10, 1891
The Police Chief authorized to prevent the New Westminster Tramway Co to interfere with Vancouver streets, and to obtain extra assistance if necessary. Alderman Carroll authorized to purchase an artificial…
Tramway agreement reached, construction to resume – August 13, 1891
A Special Meeting was held to finalize an agreement between the Tramway Company and the City. This transcript was made in 2016 by Transcribimus volunteer Anonymous and sponsored by Shirley…
Tramway back on track, business as usual – August 17, 1891
Officer Grady “allowed $12 for a suit of clothes.” R.W. Hart awarded the contract for “burying the pauper dead at the rate of $15 for each corpse. ” The City…
Nine hour day reaches City Hall – August 31, 1891
Board of Works recommends all future contracts state “that 9 hours shall constitute a day’s work.” City Hall caretaker John Clough injured in accident; a replacement to be hired for…
Post Office obstruction on Granville Street to be removed – September 7, 1891
Federal government seems to have stopped building post office on Granville Street, but has left stone blocks and building debris obstructing traffic. Two railcar loads of gravel to be purchased…
C.L. Brown wins seat in Ward 5 – October 5, 1891
C.L. Brown elected as Alderman for Ward 5, and appointed to the Board of Works, Police, and License Committees. City will purchase 20,000 cubic yards of crushed rock from Dr.…
Hallett resigns as Police Magistrate – October 12, 1891
Isaac Hallett resigned as Police Magistrate and was paid out at $125.00 per month. The lane in Block 97 D.L. 196 be graded by the chain gang. James Carnahan allowed…
Vancouver’s population is more than 18 thousand – October 26, 1891
Recent city census taken by Mackay and Emanuels shows population to be 18,260. Finance committee enquired into the City’s advertising in the News-Advertiser, and concluded that there was no over-charging…
Leprosy correspondence to be made public – November 9, 1891
All correspondence between the City, the Dominion Government and the C.P.R. regarding the leper cases to be published. City Market hall rented for a Temperance lecture for the sum of…
Council to meet with Victoria City Council to decide the leper matter – November 13, 1891
A committee was appointed to meet with representatives from Victoria to establish a jointly-funded leprosy quarantine facility. This transcript was made in 2016 by Transcribimus volunteer Margaret Sutherland and sponsored…
Lepers to be moved to Darcy Island – November 16, 1891
Vancouver’s share of the cost of the Darcy Island leprosy quarantine will be 2/7, Victoria’s will be 5/7. W.J. Hogg wrote to request that the Sunday Closing By-Law be enforced.…
Police Magistrate appointment delayed, $500 for free library – November 23, 1891
A. Williams declined appointment as Police Magistrate with restrictions. $500 was set aside for the Free Library for the purchase of books only. Market Committee empowered to find out what…
G.A. Jordan new Police Magistrate – November 30 1891
G.A. Jordan elected Police Magistrate. Matron “not to admit D.T. patients*” to the city jail. City scavengers must dump all watery matter into manholes using proper chutes from the carts…
Water Works debentures sold at 96% – December 10, 1891
The rate for the sale of the Water Works Debentures was set at 96% (The City had wanted a minimum of 97.5%, the bank had advised a straight 95). The…
Several new by-laws formed – December 11, 1891
Several by-laws were completed: Vagrancy, Bread, Guns etc., Pound, Market, Liquor, Fire Limit & Trades License. Use of the Market Hall was granted for the 26th of December to hold…
More pipes needed to extend the Water Works – December 14, 1891
City Engineer presented a plan of the city showing where more pipes were needed to extend the Water Works. Tenders were invited to supply appropriate pipes. City Clerk to advertise…
One Vancouver leper placed on Darcy Island – December 21, 1891
Duncan MacRae to be paid $87.50 for building on Darcy Island. One Vancouver leper established there. Accounts were submitted before year end, particularly from the Board of Works. By-Law was…
Street railway proposition lost; Council wraps up business – December 28, 1891
Final meeting of the Council of 1891 Fire Chief allowed to order caps for the whole department from New York, as “they are not manufactured in this city”. A Trades…