*British Columbia Chronicles special bonus section for Members Only.*
You may recognize the names of renowned Victoria architects Samuel Maclure and Francis Rattenbury who’s as well remembered for his having been murdered by his wife’s lover as he is for having designed the B.C. Parliament Buildings. But how about Thomas Hooper?
Read More“Sale of the Burrard’s Inlet mill—the sawmill owned by J.O. Smith was sold on Thursday by his creditor’s assignees. It was purchased by Mr. Moody for the sum of $6900.”
Read MoreIn my recent caption for the coming Christmas Chronicle, I sort of joked that, thanks to email, hardly anyone mails Christmas cards any more, with or without an envelope.
Read MoreBecause the Leader published weekly, Christmas 1921 was four days old when readers received their newspaper; hence there was a single and short reference to the holiday just passed.
Read MoreChristmas Day, 1858. For pioneer British Columbia journalist D.W. Higgins this was his most memorable Yuletide of all—the time Christmas dinner almost cost him his life.
Read MoreSince we did Christmas In the Stores, the main feature on this week’s front page, last week, this is going to be an abbreviated ‘100 Years Ago’.
Read MoreToday I’m taking you back in time to December 15th, 1921 when (if we don’t factor in inflation) prices are cheap.
Read MoreProof as to how much things have changed in a century is this issue of the Leader’s main headline, POULTRYMEN’S BUSINESS.
Read MoreLost treasure is where you find it—quite possibly under your very nose! I offer this as encouragement to armchair enthusiasts who confine their treasure hunting to television, movies and daydreams. Ironically, few realize that, while there definitely is gold in some of 'them thar hills,' it can also exist, in various forms, much closer to home.
Read MoreThere are two big news stories in this issue of the Leader.
Read MoreI've wanted to write this story for years. But I was missing a key element so I set it aside then misfiled it. It's been so long now that I forgot how I happened to learn of it in the first place.
Read MoreTwo full columns of this issue of the Leader are devoted to a public debate between the Hon. S.F. Tolmie, the Dominion minister of agriculture, and federal electoral opponent (and home candidate), city alderman C.H. Dickie.
Read MoreIt wasn't long after I began researching B.C. and west coast shipwrecks that I first read of the sinking of the S.S. Islander. The Victoria-based coastal passenger liner had struck an iceberg in Alaska's Lynn Canal during the Klondike gold rush.
Read MoreHow quiet it was in the Cowichan Valley, a century ago!
Read MoreAs a kid I thrived on shipwrecks--in magazines and books, anyway. Photos in National Geographic and travel magazines of rusted hulks on semi-tropical beaches, underwater scenes of Spanish treasure galleons, and of Second World War naval ships on the sea bottom in the southern Pacific really turned me on.
Read MoreAlmost three-quarters of the front page of this issue of the Leader is devoted to the week-old story of the unveiling of Duncan's Memorial Cross, better known today as the Cenotaph.
Read MoreOver the past 24 years I’ve had the privilege of writing the Remembrance Day edition for the Cowichan Valley Citizen. At a calculated guess that would be close to 150 articles—a lot of words. All of them honouring what I believe is the most important day of the year: Remembrance Day.
Read MoreIt was Remembrance Day, 100 years ago, too. It was also the day of publication for the Leader--meaning that a report on the unveiling of the new Duncan Cenotaph would have to await the next issue, a full week after the fact...
Read MoreAs did Alcatraz so too did Victoria have its “birdman.” Whereas Robert Stroud, a twice convicted murderer, made himself famous through his studies of birds, William W. Gibson achieved immortality by being Victoria’s—Canada’s—Wright Brothers in one.
Read MoreThere's no having to guess the big news story of this issue of the Leader, the large, centre-page headlines crying out: ARRANGEMENTS FOR UNVEILING CEREMONY ON ARMISTICE DAY. The unveiling in question was that of the Duncan Cenotaph.
Read More
