A program that has been an annual offering for a number of years. A look at a collection of photos of the Royal City – photos that don’t often find their way into other presentations but are used for research and reference.

The theme for this year’s Heritage Week is A Legacy of Learning: The Heritage of Education. This presentation will include stories of early schooling in New Westminster from its earliest days. Photographs of many early schools and classes will bring this part of the City’s history to life. Archie Miller and Gavin Hainsworth will tell the stories.

This year, 2009, the City of New Westminster is celebrating its 150th Anniversary. A great many things are planned including a number of special events to mark this occasion. However, many people remembering the year-long celebrations of the 125th, requested the opportunity to look back 25 years to reminisce and to see what happened then – an interesting glimpse at modern historical change. Jennifer Peyton, Co-ordinator of the City’s 150th celebrations, will join the evening to bring news of this year’s plans.

On April 3, 1859, a Methodist minister held a church service for a gathering of people, one woman, a couple of children, and a large number of men, close to the river’s edge. This service, regarded as the first such service in New Westminster was held by Reverend Edward White in the new town of New Westminster which would soon grow as the new capital city. Janet White, the great, great, granddaughter of Reverend White will bring this story to the Historical Society – the event, the church, the people, and the Reverend. Also, a short set of images will chronicle the growth of the town and its first Methodist churches.

During their six-month voyage to British Columbia, men of the main body of the Columbia Detachment of Royal Engineers created a newspaper and read it each week to the men, women and children on board. By popular request, Archie Miller, known for his knowledge of the Royal Engineers, will present the story of this newspaper. He will read excerpts from the paper, the Emigrant Soldiers Gazette and Cape Horn Chronicle, at the meeting and highlight the story by further research and comments.

The City of New Westminster started in February of 1859 when its site was selected as the location for the new capital. In short order many people began to arrive in addition to the Royal Engineers at their camp. This presentation will talk of the people who were here first, what they were up to, how the townsite started and so on – all with a concentration on the folks who made up the very early New Westminster. Note: A Cemetery walking tour will be offered this year on this same topic to further introduce these people of the early Royal City.

One of the reasons for selecting the site of the new capital city in 1859 was its harbour potential. Almost immediately vessels on the river began to seek ways to stop for passengers and freight at the new town, “New Westminster”. The place needed docks, easy access to load and unload at the river’s edge, and the sheds and buildings to develop a mercantile industry on the mainland. This presentation will look at how this all grew in just a few years, the types of vessels and cargos that became involved, and the people who worked hard to make it a reality. The roots of Port Metro Vancouver are right here.

Part I will discuss the landscape, lay out the initial plans, and begin to describe the proposed “capital”. You will see what it was all supposed to look like and will come to see the “symbolism” in Colonel Moody’s plan.

Colonel Moody’s Plan For The Capital City (Part II)

This will be a special presentation that looks to the earliest days of New Westminster and the detailed plan that was created and laid onto the landscape for the new capital city. The work and ideas were from the Royal Engineers and their Commanding Officer, Colonel Richard Clement Moody. In the early 1970s Archie Miller and a university research partner "uncovered" how the plan was worked out and how it was to appear including everything from block patterns to the naming of the streets. The aim of the plans for a formal capital site was never realized but a large portion of the plans were created and much remains to this day.

Part II will show the result of the work and offer photographic examples of the plan and what can still be found today along with many comments about the entire project. You will see what it did look like and will come to understand the “symbolism” in Colonel Moody’s plan

When you look at history and those who re-enact its events and characters you will quickly note that this is very broad interest that covers a wide range of time. In British Columbia we are fortunate to have an excellent group that takes on the portrayal of our past through characters from the Royal Engineers of the 1850s and 1860s and many other folks who were part of this time period. This presentation with members of the local re-enactors will cover such questions as what is re-enacting, how is it done, what work is involved, how accurate is the work, and so on. This presentation will be an eye-opener and thoroughly entertaining. The re-enactors participating in this presentation will be identified in the later media announcement.

In 1859, the people of the new town of New Westminster and the new arrivals and homesteaders of the region marked their first Christmas season in this frontier area on the Fraser. The small town on the river celebrated as best it could with citizens and soldiers alike. The Royal Engineers played a major role in the whole thing and the Commanding Officer took an active part. This presentation will look at Christmas and what it entailed and might have entailed in New Westminster 1859 – the City’s first Christmas celebration.