26 - North Shere News — The view from North Van’s watertra DON Mahon has lived on the North Shore for 78 years. He worked for 32. years with the M.B. King Lumber Company, which later became the = Fullerton Lumber Company, at the foot of Fell Avenue — a prime location to see the activity on the harbour and the waterfront. In the 1930s, the North Shore was regarded as the play- ground of the entire Vancouver area. Grouse and Seymour mountains were great attrac- tons, with skiers during the winter season and hikers in the spring and summer. ~ Things were really quite dif- ferent here. There were no highrise apartments, and the area was still pretty much for- est. The highest building was probably the St. Alice Hotel on 2nd Street in North Van. Sunday, January 9, 2000 Although the Second Narrows Bridge was in exis- tence, Burrard Inlet was tea2m- ing with marine taflic. Every other Thursday morning one of the CPR’s fleet of large Empress ships (Euipress of Russia, Japan, Canada and Australia) would leave for the Orient. The CPR also had a > coastal fleet of 14 ships — the Princess line (Princes: Victoria, Patricia, Raval, ew.) There were also the fleet of Union Boats, named after a wonderful New Year to aff our clients, staff and friends. | the Beby Atbum wl be eo in the Frid 28th - issue of the North Shore News. Fables nid chop it off with a clear block & white or colour boby photo with your payment of $32.05 to. orth. Shore -Your Baby's’. . Name here ~- Mom & Dad Last Name Here Month 00/99 SENIORS ladies (Lady Alexandra, Lady Cecilia, and Lady Cynthia, and so on.) Some of these boats provided day excursions. = The Union’s “up coast boats” carried freight and provid- ed overnight accommoda- tions for passengers. The CNR’s fleet was the Prince line of boats (Prince Rupert, George, Jobin, ete.) The West Vancouver ferries travelling to and from Vancouver were litte diesel boats. There were also various tow boats out- tits wavelling the waters and, of course, some small private water craft. You could set your clocks by the various toots and whistles of the marine craft in the harbour. For instance, at 8 a.m. precisely the boat from Seattle would dock. At 7:15 p.m. the boar from Victoria. would arrive to meet the transcontinental train. At LL p.m. the CPR's Princess Victoria would Jeave on its overnight run to Seattle, and at midnight the boat to Victoria would leave. All marine traffic had to signal the Prospect Point Signal Station. The signal station used a “yard arm” with “balls and cones” to signal the boats. Each fleet of Goats had their own whisdes to identify them whew approaching the dock. The harbour ferries were named by numbers (No. 2 Ferry, No. 3 Ferry, etc.) and built locally. Numbers 3 and 4 ferries maintained the ferry ser- NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 1999 Beautiful Baby Albu the coupon and send or The North Shore News, 1999 Baby Album 9 95 +657 ($2.10) FOR MORE INFO Call 986-6222 1139 Lonsdale Ave., V7L 2H4- or Fax 985-3227 ADDRESS, cy P/ PHONE (H) RELATIONSHIP TO CHILD BABY’S NAME : wh BOYO GIRL) DATEOFBIRTH. /_/__- FIRST AND LAST NAMES OF PARENTS cHEoue] visa) waster) CARD* SIGNATURE Desdtine- Monday Jon, 17, 2000 Photos will be retuned by ral EXPIRY vice. The present-day Seven Seas Restaurant located at the foot of Lonsdale is, in fact, die ald No. 5 Ferry, Most of the passengers trav- elled the return ferry trip from the North Shore to Vancouver to work. Periodically Woodwards in Vancouver held a 95 Cent Day, which took people across the harbour in droves. ; We must not forget the PGE (the Pacific Great Eastern) railroad with its two Ada Pharmacist CAPSULE COMMENTS ‘The Canadian fitness and Lifestyle Research institute sur- veyed more than 2500 Canadians to see what prevented them from exercising regularly. The most common responses were: not enough time; not enough encrpy to become more active: lack of motivation; and it costs too much. To get started, choose an exercise and commit to a minimum of three sessions each week for six weeks at least. That's how long it takes to adapt psychologically to exercise and start reaping the benefits. You'll find that you will continue because you feel better and ironically have more energy! Free Parki ; Free Delivery for cy Prescriptions DAVIES PHARMACY 1401 St. Georges NEWS photo Julie iverson DON Mahon recalis the ’30s when the North Shore was the city's playground and diesel boats ferried people to anc fro. gas cars — numbers 101 and 102 — and its two diesel cars, numbers 104 and 105, It was nicknamed the “railroad that came fiom nowhere and went nowhere.” In summer, the train ran an hourly service from North Vancouver to Whytecliff. The fall months were the worst months for fog. There was no radar in those days. In ‘fog, captains of the ferries sim- ply stecred by. the compass course until they heard the mournful sound of the auto- matic foghorn at their landing dock. . Docking relied on echoes on the Vancouver side. The steam whistle was a valuable asset and the echo from it gave a warning of objects ahead. nt With or without fog, acci- dents will happen. In April 1930 the SS. Lesmar lost control in che Narrows and collided with the Second Narrows Brdge. Both ship and bridge were out cf commission for sev- eral weeks. However, 2 worse accident occurred in September the same year when the barge Pacific Gatherer swung. off its course and demolished the span leaving one end hanging in the Inlet. Three years later the bridge was restored, With the Second Narrows - Bridge our of commission the waffic increased heavily on the ferries. On week- ends especially, a long line of cars would stretch up Lonsdale, sometimes to Eighth Street. In February 1935 the West Van ferries had a ter- tible accident. . .- The West Van Ferry No. 5. . was in collision with the CPR’s Princess Alice near Brockton Point. The Princess Alice’s bow cut ‘nearly through the small ferry, penetrating deep into the passenger accom- modations. The ferry sank minutes after the collision, but was subsequently raised, repaired, and put back in service. : Disaster struck again on Dec. 16, 1935, when the No. 2 Ferry procesding to North. Vancouver with cars and pas- sengers was struck on the star- board side, near the stern, by the Norwegian freighter, 4.5. Brynje. No one was injured, and No. 2 was immediately dry-docked and repaired. The First Narrows Bridge — the Lions Gate Bridge was completed in 1938. With the two bridges in operation,. the ferries faced a definite dwin- dling of traffic.’ ” rn The view from our water->~. front has changed dramatically | and will continue to do so, but |. with the help of memories like”: Don Mahon’s we will remem-.: ber our past. - a oh Vikks Finkbeiner is a North Vancouver writer. a