In February of 1886, a number of residents of the town of Granville sent a petition to the B.C. Legislative Assembly to incorporate the City of Vancouver. In 1944, the Attorney-General of BC returned the original document to the City of Vancouver. This copy was made from COVA reference number COV-S27.
copy of original petition here
This letter was transcribed in May and June of 2018
by Transcribimus volunteers Gent Ng and Gerald Soon
Petition for
Bill to Incorporate
the “City of Vancouver”
Presented 15/2/86
Robson
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To
The Legislative Assembly
of the Province of British Columbia
The Petition of the residents of Vancouver in the District of New Westminster
Humbly Sheweth
That the present village of Granville with its vicinity has been chosen by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company as the terminus of their Railway, and in consequence thereof the said Village is now daily increasing, and is likely to increase very largely in population, in the immediate future
That in view of the large increase in said population, it is necessary and expedient that the building of the roads, streets and bridges, and other improvements of a like nature should be provided for
Your petitioners further shew that the said Railway Company are about setting the contract for constructing their line of Railway from Port Moody to said Village of Granville and are about constructing large wharves and other buildings and improvements in said Village of Granville and in the immediate vicinity which said construction and improvements will give employment to many hundreds of men, and for the reasons aforesaid, and for the better preservation of law and order your petitioners are desirous of obtaining a charter incorporating the said village of Granville and its immediate vicinity, a city under
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the name of “The City of Vancouver.”
Your Petitioners therefore pray. .
That your Honorable House may be pleased to pass an Act incorporating the said City of Vancouver in accordance with the desire of Your Petitioners.
And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
Richard Alexander
Chas A. Coldwell
L. A. Hamilton
Edward E. Rand Jos Mannion
Thos F. McGuigan Alex Johnstone
F. F. Kingdon J. Miller
D A Ferguson A W King
Frank. A. Nicholson S Brighouse
J. W. Sullivan M. A. Mac Lean
James Hamilton Walter J. Graveley
Donald M Naughton J. J. Blake
Robert Thomas Jno Leask
D. L. Beckingsale John Boultbee
Thos Haggart Jones Mc Allister
Samuel Pearse T. C. Innes
C Russell E. E. Barker
J D Jarvis F. D. Boucher
A K Coughtrey S. S. Tilley
Colin Rankin J Rooney
Pet. Larson John Hay
G Blackstone Cy Arkell
John M Haywood W. J. McGuigan M. D.
Allan Mc Pherson C M Johnston
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Thomas Wilson R McDonald
W. Irvine J G Nicolson
J. Pitt T H Morris
D. Caldon A. Wilson
H. L. Freese J. Ross
Hemsley Lewis L R Arthur
W U Macdonald J. D. Kavanagh
J. A. Livingston
Robert Tassyeth G. Finney
J. B. Harker Stephen Altermat
Lewis J Hall M. Green
Elton Coleman H L Wilson
Alfred Wendell H. J. Carter
James E. Kelly J. Harvey
Will Smith H. Sweet
B. T. Chase J. H. Watson
C. Sullivan Justus Ryerson
Jos Edson M. Madison
F McCartney Pat Barry
W E McCartney + Bro Geo. Addison
George Chipman Samuel Greer
H. E. Langis, M. C. Arthur Johnston
James Z. Hall. Donald Menzies
J. W Jackson John McKenzie
G Jackman Edward C [unreadable]
G Fraser Thos I James
Jas E. Wize J A Gillion
Wm. Proehl W S Westcott
J. W. Palmer C. T. Wm Brown
H Hemlow Henry W. Hughes
John Cartwright R. A. Hanters
J. L. Quackenbush
W. W. Chase Mr Clements
M. Y. Ross Jas Harney
John Strathern A. Gilmore
G Payne
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Isaac Johns
A. C. Fraser
J. C. Douglas
A G. Ferguson
Wm Brewer
H G Bullson
W J Kilross
J. Huntly
T H Boyd
Henry Blair
E. P. Hamilton
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Attorney-General
Province of British Columbia
Victoria
May 4, 1944
C.H. Wilson, Esq.,
4175 Balaclava St.,
Vancouver, B. C.
Dear Mr. Wilson:
I enclose herewith copy of the original
Petition for the Incorporation of the City of
Vancouver.
I thought you would like to have this.
Yours very truly,
R L Maitland
Attorney-General.
enc.
