“oe. Commparison;

.

‘

4

Wednesday, January 26, 1977

By ROB TURNER
Fascinating glimpses of life

on the Saanich Peninsula ‘in
years gone by are stored,
largely unknown, in. the

Provingial Archives,

Mixed in with the papers of

events of hundreds of other
phives in B.C. over the years
we records of a spy hunt at
Sidney, an undercover — in-
Vestigating of
Tony

Peoninsula-based ferries

ind grandiose plans. by the

B.C Electric to canstruet a
“mwucl sity at Nortn Saanich.
Lorcsight by governments,
corporations and individuals
-back in past years, and- hard
work by Archives staff today,
sallow. ours. and. future
generations to get a good look
at our past.
' Archives... material) makes
good reading if the right files
come to be opened.

One report, for instance, in_

the old Provincial Police
papers concerning the
Goldstream area of southern
Vancouver Island in 1910, on
the goings-on in the old road
houses, closes with this ringing
statement:

. the Goldstream Hotel
isa dump and simply a resort
for fallen: women and: men of
degraded character... 3.’

Most of the papers involving |

Sidney = and
Peninsula:

the Saanich
seem. tame - by
‘and -no .mention:
' can readily. be found: of the old
houses -of ill. repute” that

= flourished at Sidney.

Directing the - on-going
preservation.of B.C. history is
Allan Turner, Provincial
Archivist’ «since - 1974. and

Archivist for Saskatchewan for °

many years.before that:

© Surner, in his ‘role; must
balance the inclination of the-
historian’ to” ‘*preserve.
everything”? With : the. realities.
of limeand-space.”-.
~ Resolution: ‘of those conflicts"
what: our.
G n't, -be-

tomorrow, :
- From where Tarie® sits, “as.
chief administrator, -the

Archives ‘can: be. ‘seen “as. so
many miles’ of, file folders as
easily as a collection of .im-

portant historical documents.

Those are the realities, and
the Archivist - must. take. the:
lead in determining what.must
be -saved) and’ what: can -be
destroyed, ,

Much of the problem comes ~

in the area of disposition | of
“government records,

The’ Archives has ‘the: twin

finetions ,of preservation of
‘the. public crecords ~ of the
government. of the jprovinee,
and. - acquisition “private
material | that
history of B.C,

Inthe latter. area, donation
of. quality. material is always -
welcomed,

But in the former, more tons

of paper that can ‘readily “be
preserved tis ‘penerated;
especially. as government
becomes larger, :

“Not all. government: seconde”
need: to be prose tvcel says
‘Turners
ull

murteriak . that

“4 available, recommending. that

a

» Public
ACh:

* Same hy preserved and others

hy destroyed, 5)

The righ of the Archives to
be es in decisions on
edispasal ¢ t public: papers it.
proatveted by law. Under

Documents
Wl capplications: for.
> Uisposith must: to ia a fives,
© person committee of senior
y vivid ser Vill, :

‘Turner, as Provingial

Atehis iM, One Mmentber,

SGU has the Cine aI wily in

most VUSUS, §

Archives

qakeusted in
sel icient
ihe cigation oande ade
ibastiation OL ANS HeEHEYy OF
Teper ent ancl its dMpact on
HEEEE sid Parner in an
Series . :

Often however, a depart
ment i. cocking, te digpane of
“Hundreds oor: thotsands of
table feet vor routing files’ Ua
irelof ne particular historical
Mpornmnece,
ein. these

staf are most
preservation of

instances,

ASN andy oor, if. in
Jouhtl, recommend mivroe
‘snving: ee

“OT hink it is sate to say that
we ocrrcan the sideoot: con.

oevativisn,” Said Turner.
Drom oprivate. sources, the

bootlegging:

“Superintendent, *
‘Provincial- Police, : ;
PES. Hussey Esq...
| Victoria; ‘B. Co 7

aad te to find ‘out’ (about us”

ticket: :
"passenger
Saturday the 10th. September,

1910;

ae

‘curred,

relates to the’

Suche and his stat evaluate
comes:

r othe :
Disposal:

“revards 10 deta

said:
Farner, hisestatt. will want ay

Archives collects virtually any
material” that relates to the
history of B.C. and the
surrounding areas.

Such material could be

photos, paintings, — books,
pamphlets, bills: of sale,
programs, diaries, journals,
letters, records, - unpublished
manuscripts, political posters,
and on and on.
' People who donate material
to the Archives have the right
of requesting restrictions on its
use if they wish.

One of the problems faced
by the Archives is the fact that
material it holds may reflect
adversely on people still living
and their immediate
descendents.

“We like to give people the
widest possible access to the
Archives,’’ says Turner.

“But-at the same time we
respect. the privacy of the
individual,”

_ Shenanigans aboard vessel ‘Troe

Constables . of — the B.C.
Provincial Police often busied |
themselves, according to
reports for 1910, fighting sins
that today: seem _teally rather
quaint,

But one matter. about Ww hich
officialdom is,. incredibly, no

less obsessed with now than 66.

years ago is the drinking habits

‘of people.

‘ Feport is
a flurry of.

“The following
merely typical! of

undercover‘activity aboard the
S.S. lroquois, a'small ship that
- served
‘Sidney inthe sfirst decade of

the Gulf Islands from

this century,

Royal Oak, B. C.
10th September, 1 1910:

2 Sire.

An compliane’ owith
verbal ind written instructions.
| ‘purchased | an-all round trip.
“on the: S*Troquois’’-

& freight vessel on

| joined: the: Victoria &-
Sidney train’at Royal Oak at.8
thats morning ~ &
proceeded ‘to Sidney where ||

- went onboard the “Troquois’’,
Voyage lasted 9:30 a.m. to 6:10.

pan. There were-about twenty

“passengers & a crew of six or

seven mens Our first stopping
Place. was South Pender, where
the following” incidents « ov"
The barman, Herbert
Harknell, supplied) iwo “non
Passengers with two whiskeys
for- which he charged fifteen

cents a drink, Powas unable. to.
obtain the names of the two.

men who were supplied with

“drinks? bureecarefully “noted “a.-

min who bought a botde. of
whiskey & concealed the same
inside his. shirt & can identify
Hus person if required, “Uhe
barman Herbert Harknell also
took a bole of whiskey ashore
and placed itin i box on the,
whart,

NG North Pender Iwo fare
ers named Robertson. &.
Hope came -abaard” &) purs

vhased-ane beer & one whiskey
& paid ten sand fifteen cents
respectively. for sans

supplied with beers & whiskey, |
one cof these men’ remarked

after ‘leaving: the boat whilst bf

Wily, standing: an the wharf that

“he would have to. shave his
J otstivhe off i he did much:

more of Ui"!

At Notth Pender, J per-
sonally.. purchased three beer
dil three whiskey for myself,

your? “Spring: Island,’

Three?
ALICE HON passengers also were

‘ARMY CAMP.

Mr Robertson, © Mr Hope,
whilst vessel was tied up and
for a Mr Jives, a passenger
who lives at-Salt Spring Island.
I paid ten ‘cents for. beer &
fifteen cents for each glass of

“Whiskey. -

From the above remarks of
the) man’ whose name ‘T° was
unable to sobtain [> gathered
that that’ person... clearly. un-
derstoad: he was breaking the
law when he boarded. ‘the
“Trequois’® &° purchased < an
intoxicating drink. I can easily
identify the. three- men. who

Were supplied with. drink” at.

North Pender if’ necessary. At

~lwo of the stopping: places -no
business was doneat. the bar of

the: Iroquois. At. Bayne. for
instance. no-one attempted to.

-board © the: “boat. except .those
N ho®
unloading: freight:

were actually engaged

CAL Harbour, Salt
I-paid’:fifteen
cents: fora whiskey & soda and.

also purchased: “flask >of.

Cianges -

Whiskey. (Bonnie ‘cassiey: (of
& Co, .

Donald... Maepherson
CGilasgow) for-wwhich | pure fifty

scents (IF Task produced) -

Two non” passengers - were.’
also supplied with liquor at’ the.

12] sibove harbour,

AL Salt Spring Island) saw
mills, ones mill hand: was’
supplied with glass whiskey at
lificen cents. ;

At Beaver Point, Salt Spring.
Island, | bouglit Iwo whiskey & |
soda for. which’ J paid fifteen

vents a glass & one onon
Passenger purchased. Iwo
Whiskeys for

filleen.-cents:a
whass, _
Apparently the.
Herbert Harknell, supplies any
hon. passenger with liquor. at
ny port where he traquois’™
stops. when asked to do so.
gathered from conversations |
had with the crew that quite a
large quantity of whiskey
sold daily by the above barman
to residents on these islands:

“The person who concealed a-

hole of whiskey” inside his
shirt at South Pender evidently

“hnew. he was breaking the laws:
Vee was cunableto obtain

this person's’: name, but cas
aheady: stated PE could easily
identity hime if required todo
40 as hamade it careful note of

“clothes he was wearing ete |

fam, Sir, :

Your obedient servant,
Gerald Cookson

Royal Ouk, .C,

the

Armed with

in-
criminating’ evidence ofa
number Of  mndereover
esgatpades aboard the 3.5,

_ Archives No Longer A ‘Dingy Room’

People, who may remember the Archives us “that dingy room"

arein fora surprise,

The Archives are now housed in wv bright. and handsome
building in front of the Provincial Museum and across the street

Srom the Legislature,

Although the atmosphere at the Archives is not t free and ensy
like, say, a public library, people who learn a few simple rules will

Hud they live a pleasant time,

~ Use of the Archives by historians and the general public alike Is,
encouraged and, Indeed, more attention is paid to the person who

is untrained in research.

“The historian knows how to do his thing,” observes Allan
Turner, Provinclal Archivist singe 1974, -
We're here to accommodate alll § FOP Ment OF the public,"
~The interests of the genealogist, the collector and mG curlous:

individual are all valid,’” he said,

Only segment that the Archives.is not willing to serve is the.
“elementary school population" duc to the Tragility, of much of

the material on file.

_ Tours of the Archives will be miners for any group, however,

Miia eresntemcsinene rd padateed rst

mpeg aieepti a tne he Hef POAC HONE SUEY ARE CEN!

barman,

THE REVIEW

Iroquois, Provincial. Police.
Suvi. FS. Hussey obtained
the Following: report: from the
“Pacific Detective Agency.
PACIFIC | DETECTIVE
AGENCY
Victoria, B.C:
- Oct 31st 1910
Mr: F.S..Hussey,
Superintendent, .
Provincial Police,
Province of British Columbia. .
Sir:

honour to submit the following
report showing the: results of
‘an investization of what kind
tof. har: business “is: done, by: the

steamer Iroquois: after she: has.
‘ stopped | al

Ww harves.,
stopping ‘phices.
“PIs: Agency finds: thai ‘the

To the:undersigned, live the.

in War Memorial Park during the year of 1912. (Photo courtesy Rrowinicial Archives.) |

barely SIN sarong down the

road.
The: steamer’ sunk on April

“10, 19t shortly out of port at
Sidney, with-heavy loss of life.

Harsh words are directed at

the captain of the ship in this

report on. rescue attempts ‘by-a
pair of constables sent. to the

_seene from Victoria.

Capt. Sears' was later found

guilty of manslaughter. al an.
ANquest,
failed.

hoy. POLICE OFFICE

VICTORIA B.C.
APRIL 12th, 1911

LFS. HUSSE nY. ESQ.

and:

“Siig: steamer is: committing ‘an. [

“offenee against ‘the-provisions:,

ofthis Act respecting: Liquor
Eicenees- and “the:
intoxicating ‘Liquors,
came into. foree. on this: first
‘day’ of s August, 1910,” by
committing an offence against
the provisions of Section 72:of
the said) Act by “selling * to
persons oat). wharves: artd
stopping places: who ‘are not
passengers on the said st
and while the said steamship is
Hol actually travelling between
ports, wharves and stopping
‘places in waters contiguous to
‘the Province: of’ British
Columbia, :
This. Ageney is of the
opinion that. she- also. sellto
members of the -erew-of the
said steamship, As a result-of
“the ins esligation: it appears: to
the satisfaction af this Agency
that the said) steamship. has

 beenoauilty of a contravention:

of the provisions af the said
Act and if it beow seeond or
‘Further contravention: an the

part of the Livensee, you have
the power to by writing under.

your” hand: “caneel - the
steamship: livenee sof stich
‘Licensees eli = thes event: of

ovaneellation of ligenge al the

rights: cof. theo Heensee

thereander shalles forthwith
abate and cease absolinely. >

BR a! remain,

Yours truly,

“Pacitle Detective Ageney

an 4 D, Taylor

Bue all the: lrenay Over ‘the
rolecal the SiS, Jroquois as the:

F ile ai Iransporter of spirits to

(he parched mouths of Gulf

Islands settlers wily uendenie,

EARLY SEPTEMBER, 1918)... °The
Tent City’ on the Southwest spit of -
James Island near Sidney, which was:
used td house workers during World
War} TNT construction days and in
carly days of operation before other .
housing facilities ware nunilnble

SaMer:

Inst,

‘bodies:
clfeets and as farcas possible

SUPT. PROV: POLICE,
. Sits
er

‘an. “accordance: with’ ir
“Const.
for

elslip::

my self? lett

Department av155 P.M. 10th.

ook charge of bodies that had

‘been recovered, made'a’searehy’

for any that were-likely-to be
washed) ashore, and then -had
the “bodies removed’ to the
Court Houses J searched the
and took charge. of

mified.:
‘the Municipal

hitd the bodies ide
Ie. placed

Constable. in. charge of Court.
Islip -

House, and. with: Const:
instituted a.ses rch of the coast

“where -bodies were likely 10°
O'Hara’

come ashore Const:
With Mr. Birtancourt in
Customs launch from. Salt

spring Islands made a. search

“OP the: surrounding: iskinds, J,

smith, Prosper David, and J,

Bennens who had no money
were ogiven temporary
axsistines and afterwards

laken ta. Victoria, at govern-
Men expense, ,

Pauly. nese morning inyselt
wn Const. Istip took a launeh

Hh made ca Cirther search of

thescoast and dshinds around

Sidney ee lo Sidtiey at.

OOO CALMS ALOIS ASM, a.
feluphone, “INESSA BE WIS.
received | from. Dr, Hotty

“Coroner siting he would-bea

dirrived a

Sidney: shorty for ue i inquest, ;

Welniow pol Lopether Wilnenses
anid sumone a juryesin

readiness. for the inquest to be:

apened at, LOO A.M. Coroner
10450 AMG and:

TAQUeSE Wats opened Mr. Moore

oe nnneaeauannaan eenernen see AreereermNAetiny nese me

th

a cai ee

uols”

"gathered from J. Critchley. 1 -

V.t.° Norton and” other: ‘eve Frozen Cod.
Witnesses: shows that Captain Beak
Sears, © Chief Engineer 20 02. Package
Thompson Stevedore: Prosper: _
David cand “wo Indian

Deekhands = were the. first.

| SUEVIVaTS. LO reach shore in ae
olifeboat,

but criminal. charges.

-Tor-the safety of the passengers
“in his charge. It has: been given

the boat was -in’ trouble very
oMiortly

od ROQUO iS.
B DISASTE R APRIL 10th, 1OEL |
“DV have: the honot 10 report :
S ‘that * :
, structions:
Traffic: inet
that’

and |:
Sidney in:

“Automobile on receipt: of the:
news:of above: disaster by. this’.

Weartived..at:Sidney, :
“Wals to get a couple ‘of bales of

being pur out,

belive when the accident befel -
it itwas riding in the. srough of

Mr, Critchley. and Jd. Norton. B=

deavouring. to ald in the work’

In the following week’ this city”.
woubled in. size. Trestle: walkway on |
the right. No power was available, so

_ candle and oil lamps were used, Water
beneath the trestle was approximately.

‘fifteen feet deep, (Photo. courtesy
Provincial, Archiver \ )

Prices Effective:
Wed. to Sat.
Jan. 26th to 29th

In Your Friendly Sidney Safeway Store. *
Sales In Retail Quantities Only.

Economical.
Regular

Quality |
Lean Quality

lb.

Cudah’s Brand Sliced.

1 bb. Package ea.
Limit 4 Packages Per Order

Was present on behalf of the
Government. | Information

| Captains Choice.

“In my opinion the Captain:
showed | a gross neglect. of duty
in-not making some provisions

in evidence atthe inquest that

catter- leaving:- Sidney”
but al no time, oe cote

sry of the, > engers never
remy to have, entered the
& plains “rain: -On: his own
statement he signaled the mate,
“but instead of an order to get

ready to) launch - boats &e.” il

| Gardenside.
| Choice Quality
j Assorted |

hay removed to” a¥ place. of
safety which the Captain
feared he was going: to ) lose
over: the rail;

LA statement ]
Bennett shows. that. Captain
Seats was standing. on. the
Wreek. when: the. first boat was
but he took no.
steps: to see the, boat was
properly manned. E think had
an experienced man. been sent
in-charge of thatboat it would
have’ gotto shore safely, ‘as 1.

f' rom John

the sea which. broke’ over and
filled “if, Bennett. also states:
that Captain Sears, the Mate
and three deck hands got into
the nest -boat, “but thatthe §

Captain never asked any man
to get inte the boat, nor did he
Wlempeto render any aid sto.
Hartnell who was strugaling i in:
the witer about 40 ‘feet away
and. shouting for helpe

From statements made: by i

| Magic Brand,
“Instant.
‘Skim Mik

undeathers P learn that Capt ge
Sears reached shore practically: :
dry" shod, but: instead - of
remaining —there-.and en.

<=

of rescue. he went to his home,
whieh must have’ been quite a
mile: away, (a. change : his
vlothes: : _
mt "Thave the honor to be, \

~ sir, Red or :

Youro redient servant oe’ Poe : Hants
"fl White, = “>

masse timarncrsn :

ty

mt Orange

i | catonia Grown,
é : Fancy. /
fi Size 138s

Fre sti Leong yy
‘Site T's | for |