Allow me to introduce myself in a roundabout way and why I am plying pen to paper.
I am a born and bred Ladner resident, graduating from "Delta High," the only high school in Delta at the time. Back then students were bussed in from the outer reaches of Chewasin, East Delta, North Delta and Sunbury.
Yes, Tsawwassen was spelled Chewasin until well after the George Massey Tunnel opened in 1959, but that's another story.
A relative of mine, thrice removed, was a signatory to a petition of 50 landowners to the lieutenant governor of British Columbia to create the Corporation Of Delta in 1879.
I am at present a chartered mediator, facilitating settlements between parties embroiled in civil disputes in the Supreme Court of B.C. This is my way of advising you I am not a writer in any sense of the word, although I might be able to offer a unique perspective (perhaps overstated) of the past and present Delta. Some might recall I spent a decade on municipal council, from 1980 to 1990.
From my youth I recall reading the Ladner Optimist (not a misprint) as a community weekly paper replete with good news stories of people and their activities. In recent times I've heard increasing comments by others and musings by me the "Optimist" has become decidedly "pessimistic."
In past years the columnist I enjoyed most was the irreplaceable Edgar Dunning and his "Ramblings" about Delta life. Not with any stretch of the imagination could I or anyone else replace Edgar, who was a professional writer, past owner of the Optimist and an unparalleled historian of early Delta. He wrote with humour and an "optimistic" flavour.
I will simply be one of six guest columnists offering commentary. I have some longevity in this community with insights perhaps not shared by recent residents.
Delta has a unique heritage born out of the farming and fishing industries, still existing, but suffering under the weight of legislation and population growth.
I am one of a dwindling few who remember Ladner and Delta as it existed prior to the opening of the George Massey Tunnel in 1959. The 1956 census confirmed Delta's population at 8,696 and then some 20 years later Delta's population was in excess of 70,000 residents.
The headline in the Feb. 16, 1956 edition of the Optimist read: "Tunnel site an insult to intelligence." It was a reference to a statement by a Surrey councillor and there were other comments suggesting the proposal was a "tunnel to nowhere."
The tunnel crossing was the most significant event in Delta's transportation history, fundamentally altering its farming and commercial businesses along with rapid social changes.
Prior to 1959, Ladner businesses provided full services, including two car dealerships, a theatre, bowling alley, and stores supplying clothing, home furnishings and appliances. The Fraser River was a significant boundary impeding north-south traffic via a sometimes unreliable and restrictive ferry service.
Barring writer's block, I'll offer more views on Delta next time.
And good night to you, Henry.
