THE GLOBAL CIVIC POLICY SOCIETYdocuments of early Vancouver and beyond
Resolved that two bicycles be purchased for the Police Force viz one Gendrow at $50.00 and one Massey Harris at $52.50. James Clandenning was appointed Inspector on the Street Railway Construction on Denman Street at a Salary of $3.50 per day. At least two companies offered prices for street sprinkling (to keep the dust down) for the summer of 1899.
R. J. Skinner asked the Water and Market Committee for reduced water rates for Court House grounds. The Committee “[did] not see their way to make any reduction.” However, Council as a whole offered to Provincial Government offering free water for the Court House grounds “provided a suitable fountain is erected thereon”. Illustration shows the Court House on Hastings St in 1893.
In June of 1898, the steamship Laurada had caused considerable damage to Vancouver’s Water Works. Aldermen Grant, Gilmour, McQueen, McPhaiden and Foreman were in favour of an offer to settle “all proceedings and action against the steamship…upon payment of the said sum of $2000, … to be paid on the 18th of July 1899″. Aldermen Brown, Bruce, and Wood opposed the settlement. A few months later, the Province newspaper for Nov. 22 1899 reported the Laurada “had been pounded to pieces on the rocks, and nothing could be saved”.
Council reviewed lists of accounts from the Fire and Police Committee, the Finance Committee, the Water + Market Committee, and the Board of Works. Evans, Coleman and Evans provided supplies to several civic committees throughout the 1890s. Their premises (pictured here) were on Alexander Street at the corner of Columbia, according to the 1899-1900 Vancouver City Directory, page 152.
$1,000 was given to the Committee to celebrate July 1. Council resumed consideration of the upcoming sewage by-law.
The Secretary of the Trades & Labor Council asked to have By-Law enforced for weighing coal and measuring wood.
Referred to the City Solicitor for a Report as to the City’s power in the matter. Illustration shows the S. S. Joan, which was to be used for the upcoming Press Excursion.
Alderman Brown announced that if Mr. Ludgate was allowed by the Province to log Deadman’s Island, he would move that the City Solicitor look in to the City’s rights to the Island. Council agreed that the City claims free access to the foreshore Burrard Inlet over the ends of Cambie, Carroll and Abbott Streets and that notice be given to the CPR to that effect.
If the Rogers Sugar Refining Co. grant the City use of their wharf for 66 feet west of Rogers Street, the Council will have no objection to the foreshore applied for by the Company being granted.
Council overturned a request from Ward 5 citizens asking that they take the necessary steps to remove the slaughterhouses from the shores of False Creek. After hearing from Job Kelly complaining of language used towards him by Constable Wylie at the Police Station, the police were warned to be more respectful in future towards citizens.
The Medical Health Officer and Health Inspector reported that they had seized about 400 cans of salmon and condensed milk which they had condemned as being unfit for human food and suggesting that a letter be sent to the Secretary of the Canners Association calling attention to the immediate necessity of abolishing the sale of the cheap class of goods known as “turn over salmon”.