Sixth Field Engineer Squadron rebuiid history

Marcie Good
Contributing Writer
FY’S only a small rustic
log cabin, scarcely larger
than a garden shed.

But it represents an impor-

tant piece of the history of this
province.

In 1859 members of the
Royal Engineers were posted
to British Coiumbia.

One of their jobs was to
carve a strip through the
wilderness along the 49th par-
allel to mark the Canada-U.S.
border.

This cabin, now standing
beside the Lt. Col. j.P. Fell

‘Since 1979
The Rain Water Leaders

855 East 15th Ave., Vancouver

Armory on Forbes Ave., was
once a humble home to about
a dozen of the engineers.

When they were marking
the border between 1859 and
1864, similar log cabins were
built about every 50 kilome-
tes, starting at Point Roberts
and going east. This is the last
one standing.

“In those days you chop the
old tree down, square it up, put
the notches in, and away you
go,” said Honorary Col. Bill
Dow of the Sixth Field
Engineer Squadron, _who
worked on getting the funds
together to bring the cabin to
North Vancouver.

“In the middle of winter
with the fireplace going it
would have been a cosy place,”
he says, looking around the
180-sq.-ft. cabin

Bur the story of the
Engineers went beyond the lit-
de cabins in the woods.

After their posting ended in
1864, about half of them
stayed in British Columbia to

advantage o! th
were offered. %

Members of the unit
opened up large areas of the
province, * ouilding highways,
planning towns, surveying
land, and producing maps.

Some of the roads they built
include Vancouver's South
Marine Drive, Burnaby’s
Kingsway and Canada Way.

on You, North Vancouver

Didn't someone once say, “a bad day on the golf course is better than
“a good day at the office?’ On September 8th the North Vancouver
Chamber of Commerce and the North Shore News hosted the
10th Annual Chamber Golf Classic, with this years tournament bigger,
_ and better than ever with over 150 participants.
“As everyone knows, events like this don't just happen. We at the
North Yancouver Chamber and the North Shore News would like
to thank all of the companies who donated prizes for the Golf Classic,
but most of all we want to thank those businesses who stepped
- forward on a partnership level. They are the reason this tournament
* is something special and we thank them again for their participation.

- Bank ef Moatiga"—~

~ Hammerhead

Head Galf Works
Holly's rapes

. NEWS photo Mika Wekeficid

HONORARY Lt. Col. Bill Dow stends In front of the Royal Engineors' Cabin, bulit

it 1866 to house members of the British unit as they cut the

Several engineers formed
New Westminster’s first police
force.

“They were the ones that
really opened up this place,”
said Dow.

It was also the impact of the
British engineers that helped

“of Natio ce
to form the Sixth Field

Engineer Squadron in North .

Vancouver in 1914.

That connection makes the
armoury a perfect home for the
cabin, which stood on a farm-
stead in the Upper Fraser
Valley until 1986 when the

landowner wanted to tear it
down.

For a time it was at the mil-
itary museum in CFB
Chilliwack.

Dow secured a_ B.C.
Community Spirit Grant of
$4,500 to help save the cabin.

Members of Dow’s unit
recently ae oat lee. ick and

ita log.

Led Oy ape. Grant
Acheson and Capt.
Stewart, they reassembled it on
a concrete foundation in North
Vancouver and have restored
the roof.

This Saturday, Col.

Jim .

.S. border.”

“Anthony. Ez George. of the
Royal Engineers
Moamouthshire, England, will.
join the unit for the, official
opening of the cabin at 3 p.m. -
oo
lows a reception in
Vimy Ridge Combined Mess.
Those who wish to attend ~
can call 986-1722. ae
By next year, members of
the unit hope t0 ave the cabia
open to the public. :
“It’s going to’ be great,”
said Dow... of
“Qver a period time it’s”
going to be part of the ambi
ence of the armoury.” ;

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