Some 95 artifacts tracing the Scouting movement — including its surge in Coquitlam — are now on show at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.
Curator Jasmine Moore, heritage manager for the Coquitlam Heritage Society, assembled the historical pieces from the society’s collection as well as donations from David Wallace, a former Scout in Vancouver and a Scout leader for his son’s group in Coquitlam during the 1980s.
His Scouting clothes, hats, books, badges, camping gear and other paraphernalia dating back to the 1960s can be seen in a large glass box reserved for the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame.
Besides Wallace’s gear, there’s also a large chalk drawing of a Girl Guide from the 1960s, donated by Louise Walters and Sandra Seekins, that was left on a Maillardville porch; it was likely from the home of a former francophone Girl Guide leader in the area.
“At the time, there weren’t a lot of organizations for girls so we thought it was important to include this art,” said Candrina Bailey, executive director of Coquitlam Heritage.
Coquitlam 1st was the first Scouting group to be founded in Coquitlam, in 1947; it met at Mundy elementary. Coquitlam 2nd sprung up a year later, meeting at Como Lake United Church, to serve boys in the western part of the city. But by 1960, both groups would make the Scout Hall at Blue Mountain Park their home.
The French-Canadian connection is strong, too.
In 1955, Jean Lambert, who holds a Freedom of the City key, brought together 24 louveteaux (boys aged nine to 11) for the inaugural meeting of Les Scouts du Canada in Maillardville.
And, in 1962, his wife, Suzanne, begun the Maillardville francophone Girl Guides; she went on to become the president of the French Scouts of B.C.
Today, there are more than two dozen Scouts and Girl Guide organizations in the Tri-Cities, honouring the traditions, values and pursuits set forth by Lord Baden-Powell.
Moore — who had help with the exhibit from Alexis Fladmark, Nisha Gill, Shay Henry and Abby Brown-John — said the society had the Scouting history show ready for this past spring; however, with the sudden death of Les Wingrove, the Sports Hall of Fame organizers bumped the exhibit until July, in order to pay tribute to the late lacrosse legend.
• A History of Scouting ends in November at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex (633 Poirier St. Coquitlam). Visit coquitlamheritage.ca to learn more about the display and go to coquitlamshof.com for more about the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame inductees.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
