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.
Final committee reports and audit for 1890 received. Council then adjourned Sine Die. This transcript was made in 2016 by Transcribimus volunteer Donna Kynaston and sponsored by Shirley Barnett original…
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…
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,…
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…
Council met with Mr. Imrie Bell to discuss the proposed graving dock (drydock). Bank of BC confirmed that the investors were good for the amount required. Mr. Bell agreed that…
Tenders to be invited to supply the City with coal, wood, and feed for 1891, with the provision that coal and feed must be weighted at the Market scales before…
No action to be taken for the moment about Mr. Lawson’s letter of dismissal from the City Engineer. Misses Woodward and Drummond, nurses at the City Hospital, ask for increases…
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…
Henry B. Warren (City Engineer) and John P. Lawson (Assistant Engineer) have each filed charges against the other. Mount Pleasant citizens request an electric light at the intersection of Westminster…
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…
Council sends condolences to New Westminster Council on the loss of life and property due to its recent fire, and regrets it could not send its fire engine to help.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
A majority vote of two thirds of the aldermen present compelled Mayor Oppenheimer to sign the minutes of February 23, 24, 28 and March 9. Vancouver Trades and Labour council…
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 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…
License for the What Cheer house transferred to Mr. Sciutto. Transfer for license of the Germania Hotel not approved. Plans for the city market hall approved, tenders for building to…
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.…
The entire Fire Department budget was reviewed and the staff given raises. City Clerk asked to contact telephone company for a discount on rates to city government telephones. This transcript…
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.…
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…
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…
$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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Council passed a resolution of condolence to telegraph to the Lady Macdonald, window of Sir John A. Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada, then “adjourned until Monday next out of respect…
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…
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…
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…
Illustration: City of Vancouver Archives photo AM54-S4-: Dist P9 [The first caretaker’s cottage at Mountain View Cemetery near Bodwell Road (33rd Avenue) and North Road (Fraser Street)] Document: City of…
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…
Police “cannot interfere” to compel children to keep away from the Electric Railway track on city streets. Dr Fleming granted permission to erect a tent for the sale of drugs…
Mrs. McDonald, wife of the cemetery keeper, to be paid $5.00 per month for attending to the telephone. City Solicitor gave his opinion that the position of Police Magistrate is…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Letter received from H. Abbott, General Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., stating that he was authorized to proceed with the construction of the terminal station at the foot…
Council “cordially endorses” Victoria council’s plan for a BC building at the (1893) Chicago World’s Fair. The Board of Health met to discuss the care and treatment of two Chinese…
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.…
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…
Champion and White appointed as caretakers of the new city garbage burning facility at a joint salary of $75 per month. Board of Works to meet with the City Solicitor…
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…
Final price for City’s purchase of Water Works was $452,530. $225 to be paid to A. Larwill for guarding lepers. Guard to be withdrawn and Mr Abbot of the CPR…
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…
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…
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.…
A Special Meeting was held to appoint a Police Magistrate at a salary $125 per month. A. Williams was unanimously selected. This transcript was made in 2016 by Transcribimus volunteer…
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 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…
A six foot sidewalk to be put on 7th Avenue to the Baptist Church, with stumps and roots “which may be obstructions” to be removed. The new Crematory (garbage burning)…
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…
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…
Special Meeting to review purchase of the Vancouver Electric Light and Street Railway Co. and to revise the Liquor License By-Law. This transcript was made in 2016 by Transcribimus volunteer…
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…
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…
