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Brennan, Patrick Joseph

  • PB01
  • Person
  • August 29, 1918 - February 8, 1979

Pat was the first child born in Woodfibre on August 29, 1918. Pat's father Edward was manager of the mill for Whalen Pulp and Paper Co. He was one of 9 children, the others being: Edward, Jane, Alice, Ruth, Bob, Kirk, Billie, and Colleen.

Pat worked during the boom in Woodfibre and logged at Alta Lake, Powell River, and Lac La Hache. From 1939 to 1945, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Second World War.

In 1946 he returned to Squamish and in July 1949 he married Tess Martin in St Joseph's Church. Father Gallo conducted the ceremony. They lived at the end of Judd Road on land that the Judds originally pre-empted.

In 1951, Pat and his partner John Drenka incorporated Squamish Mills Co. He also spear-headed the fight against Empire Mills' Tree Farm License. In 1956 he became the president of Squamish Mills.

In the 1960's Pat Brennan acquired a 56 acre site where Overwaitea, the medical clinic, and senior citizens home now stands as development land for Squamish.

Brennan died at age 60. He was survived by his wife Tess and children John Patrick, Kathleen Anne, Susan Alice, and Elizabeth Jane. Izzy Boscariol acted as mayor until the elections in November.

Brennan Park was dedicated on May 6, 1979.

In 1980, a public safety building was built. Its creation was largely due to Mayor Brennan.

Bracken, John

  • JB01
  • Person

John Bracken was born in England. He came to Squamish in 1905 with his two sons, Richard and Lance. He was a remittance man.

In Squamish he built an "everything" store and a post office. He was the first postmaster in Brackendale.

He built the Bracken Arms, a hotel with a store and a post office prior to 1908. It was located on the East side of Government Road, south of the present Brackendale store. He used to fine people 25 cents for learning back and resting a chair on its two back legs.

In Spring 1912, the Bracken Arms Hotel burned down when a patron in an upstairs room overturned a coal lamp. The chimney was all that ws left standing.

Bennett, W.A.C.

  • WB02
  • Person
  • September 6, 1900 - February 23, 1979

W.A.C. Bennett is the longest-serving premier in BC history. Born in New Brunswick in 1900, William Andrew Cecil Bennett began his BC career as a successful hardware merchant in Kelowna. First active in the provincial Conservative Party, he joined the Social Credit Party in 1951, and became its leader after a surprise election victory in 1952. During his 20 year term as premier, the province saw rapid economic growth and the ambitious expansion of highways, hydro dams, railways, ferry service and post-secondary institutions, SFU among them. After winning re-election 6 times in campaigns against the "godless socialists" of the CCF-NDP (his term), Bennett resigned his leadership a year after his party was defeated by the NDP in 1972. His son Bill Bennett assumed the leadership, and later become premier himself. Known as "Wacky" to his political foes, W.A. C. Bennett died February 6, 1979 in Kelowna.

Baynes, Edgar George

  • EB01
  • Person
  • 1870 - November 5, 1956

Edgar Baynes was born to Harriet Amelia and George Baynes on Fens Farm in Brocking, Essex England. He had 5 brothers and sisters: Hetty, Kate, Alfred, Jim, and Lila. He and his family moved to Stisted Hall, Essex in 1874 and were educated at Braintree Board School.

Edgar ran away from home in 1883 and joined a firm of builders in 1884. He spent 5 years learning the building trade.

On April 4, 1889, he left for Liverpool on the S.S. Sarnia for Halifax as an apprentice to Mr Joseph Franklin. He arrived in Halifax on the 14th, took a train to Vancouver, and arrived in Vancouver on the 22nd.

On March 7, 1890, he left for Squamish from Vancouver at age 19 with his friends Harry Judd and A.J. (Bert) Crysler and their friend Drummond. They left in a sailboat that Crysler and Judd had made. He pre-empted on an island in the Squamish River, now known as Baynes Island (in the area of an Indian graveyard).

In 1892, Edgar left Squamish to become a carpenter in Vancouver. During his time he placed long firm beams in the Christ Church Cathedral.

In 1893, he established Baynes and Horie Construction Company with William Horie. The office was in the Baynes house at 634 East Georgia. They would build many of the early buildings on Water and Cordova Streets and more schools than any other contractor in the province. His company also got a contract to erect Entrance Island Lighthouse near Nanaimo (paid $2308).

On April 15, 1899, he married Margaret Anderson McAlpine in First Presbyterian Church at Gore and Hastings. She was born at Lindsay, Ontario in 1874 and came to BC in 1889.

In 1901, he took a trip back to England to see his family. His first two children, Doris Lillian (Mrs Ewart Woolliams) and Jean Hetty (Mrs Alan King) were born between 1901 and 1905.

In 1906, Edgar organized and became president of Port Haney Brick Company. His family moved from West Pender to Fairview (1200 West Broadway) to a house he had built. His other children, Ted and Margaret (Mrs Harry Cannon) were born here.

By 1907, Baynes and Will Horie owned Hany Brick Co. which would continue to run for 70 years (the only brick company in BC to do so). They supplied drain tile for the Fraser Valley and partition tile for the larger buildings in the province. It ceased production in July 1977.

Baynes and Horie built the factory building for Canadian Carbonated Co. from 1909 to 1910. In 1913, he built Grosvenor Hotel (840 Howe). He had to take over ownership himself during the depression that preceded World War I. He was the largest shareholder and operated it until his death. His family continued to manage it until 1973 when it was sold to Dutch family interests.

In 1925, he built the Douglas Lodge on Stewart Lake at Fort St. James and operated it for many years.

In 1946, Edgar was involved in a scandal where $28,000 was missing from the books at Grosvenor Hotel. Baynes charged his accountant Frederick Denis Whyte with theft. Whyte accused his employer of ordering him to "fix the books".

He died at age 86 in 1956. Mrs Baynes donated the house at 1200 West Broadway to the YMCA. The gift included 100 feet of land on Broadway and 125 feet on Alder. The YCMA bought an additional 50 feet on Broadway in 1968 for $28,000. This was used as a home for teenage girls and a cooperative for single parents. It was also Vancouver's first Indian center (1963), a day center housing Dutch immigrant families, and as a temporary main YWCA headquarter. The terms of the gift was that the YWCA had to keep the house for 20 years. It was used. In 1977 the house sold for $650,000. The money was used to help finance YWCA programs.

Mrs Baynes died in 1967. She had been living in the Arbutus Private Hosital.

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