Editorially speaking…
Even as a kid I knew what the Broad Arrow stood for.
As the son of a career navy man, I’d seen it from time to time on various things such as trunks and tools, etc.: a three-pronged arrow head pointing straight up, sometimes beneath a crossed bar.
I noticed it among Dad’s things and, later, in the treasure trove of maritime memorabilia on display or for sale at Capital Iron & Metals.
This property marker in the Royal Navy Dockyard in Bermuda clearly shows the Broad Arrow despite years of weathering. —Wikipedia
Long used to denote British royalty, and, later British government property, it goes back, with variations, to the 1300s. That’s a long time by anyone’s measure, and not many other customs, royal or otherwise, have survived for that many centuries.
What brings it to mind is a recent post on Facebook: “I’m interested in finding these broad arrows within the Capital Region District, Victoria, B.C....
“This is part of a larger personal initiative to locate all of the survey points of a military survey done of the region during the late 19th century. If you know of one—please let me know or send a pic. Thanks!”
I’ve set some out-of-the-ordinary goals over the years but I never thought of this one.
Esquimalt, certainly, with its rich British military heritage (army and navy), should offer this chap rich pickings—if the broad arrow markers haven’t been plowed up over the years by development.
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There’s an interesting article in this week’s Creston Valley Advance by reporter Kelsey Yates about that community’s Pioneer Cemetery.
Creston’s Pioneer Cemetery has some great stories to tell. —interment.net
This cemetery came about by happenstance: “In the early 1900s, a man was found frozen to death by the Canadian Pacific Railway station. No one knew his name, his origin, or his destination. With coroner Edward Mallandaine leaving town, for a week, a handyman was paid five dollars to bury the body near Dead Horse Creek.
“However, with the ground frozen solid, he stashed the body beneath the porch of the Creston Hotel and spent the money on drinks...’
For the rest of the story, go to crestonvalleyadvance.ca.
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On the agenda of the Cowichan Valley Regional District at its Oct. 1st meeting will be another pioneer cemetery, this one known as the Old Hillcrest Chinese Cemetery.
For years, Neil Dirom and a handful of volunteers have laboured to keep this little-known graveyard from being overgrown by broom and to keep the markers readable to the occasional visitor.
Now Neil is trying to convince CVRD directors to dedicate the cemetery as a CVRD Historical Site:
“I am sending this email to you asking for your support for the nomination of the Old Hillcrest Chinese Cemetery on Payne Road, Sahtlam as a CVRD Historical Site.
As most of you know a number of us have been volunteering to maintain the cemetery because of the profound historical and cultural significance to the Cowichan Valley and broader communities in British Columbia.
The cemetery stands as a rare and enduring testament to the lives and labour of the Chinese sawmill workers and support workers who played an essential yet often overlooked role in British Columbia's economic and social development. The site, donated by Carlton Stone in 1945, is a final resting place for Chinese people, many of whom had no family nearby to care for them in life or death.
I have attached a Word Document for you to use to add your support - or just include your support in the email. Please do not add a return address or email because it would have to be redacted for it to be attached to the agenda.
Melody Ma, Researcher, and Danny Ng, Duncan Chinese Association Society, have been working with Mike Tippett, Manager, Community Planning Division CVRD, in preparing the required documentations.
Attached is the Statement of Significance for the Old Hillcrest Cemetery prepared by Melody Ma. It is very educational and worth the time to read.
Submit your letter - now up to the middle of September before the scheduled nomination meeting October 01, 2025.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.......Neil Dirom”.
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