How can you decide whether a particular year from the past was a good year or bad one.
The year 1956, for example, began with a changing of the old political guard in Port Coquitlam. Incumbent mayor Charles Davies handed over the leadership of the city to newcomer John Oughton on Jan. 3. The popular Mr. Davies had served more than 30 years on council, including the last nine years in the top job. Two new aldermen, Fred Brummer and Harold Routley, also won seats on the council. The city was growing rapidly during those post-war baby boom years and many changes seemed to be happening overnight.
Work commenced on replacing the old Pitt River Bridge that had connected Lougheed Highway to points east since 1915. Old-timers may remember trying to squeeze by an oncoming large bus or truck while attempting to drive across that old narrow span. A temporary Bailey bridge was put in place to handle traffic until the new Government Bridge was finally opened by B.C. premier W.A.C. Bennett in 1957.
The Shaughnessy Street downtown business district welcomed the opening of the modern three-storey Golden Ears Hotel on May 31, with owners Gene Boileau and Fred Warman providing the city’s south side with first-class dining and banquet facilities.
The beverage room (more commonly known as a beer parlour) was also quite popular, although the liquor laws of the day required separate entrances for men and women. The Bank of Montreal also opened its doors that year on Shaughnessy Street and, yes, both sexes could use the same door.
Port Coquitlam’s 32nd annual May Day was held at Aggie Park on May 26, the May Queen was Ruth Langley, a student from Cedar Drive elementary who accepted her crown from retiring Queen Sylvia Luschnat. Even with the addition of Viscount Alexander school in 1951, older students from Port Coquitlam still had to attend neighbouring Port Moody high in order to complete their high school education. Among the list of Grade 12 graduates from June 1956 were Ted Dobson, Waverley Gates, Doug Rooney and Geraldine Statton.
With an eye to future population growth, work began on clearing the new Mary Hill residential subdivision, estimated to cost $20,000,000 when completed by the Yorkshire Corporation in 1957. There was also word that a large, unnamed construction firm was about to purchase 100 acres on Burke Mountain for additional future urban development.
The year 1956 was a popular year for weddings. Among those joined in holy matrimony were local lassies Stephanie (Stewart) Friesen, Pat (McLaine) Hanson, Phyllis (Watkins) Donnelly and Fay (McCallum) Goddard. We also saw the passing of pioneers Edgar Pollard, Bessie Donaldson and Christina Maday, and mourned the death of 13-year-old Myrtle Bitcon, who drowned while swimming that summer in the Coquitlam River. It was this tragedy that finally spurred the city to choose the building of the Centennial Pool at Aggie Park as its 1958 Centennial project, finally giving local children a safe place to swim without the dangers of the surrounding rivers, which had claimed so many young lives over the years.
I wonder how many possible deaths in the future were averted because of that decision made 60 years ago, how many people are alive today because of it?
Looking back now many years later, you could say 1956 was a good year after all.
Your History is a column in which representatives of the Tri-Cities’ heritage groups write about local history. Bryan Ness is with the Port Coquitlam Heritage Society.
