J. S. Matthews
Encyclopedia
Vanier Park
Vanier Park is a municipal park located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the Vancouver Museum, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the City of Vancouver Archives, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.-History:...
, Vancouver, Canada.
Born in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Matthews lived for a time in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
before settling in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in 1898. He was an officer with the Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles Sixth Regiment
158th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion, CEF
The 158th Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in that city. After sailing to England in November 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 1st Reserve Battalion on...
, a Freemason, and was named Kitsilano
Kitsilano
Kitsilano is an upmarket neighbourhood on the West Side of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Known colloquially as "Kits", this neighborhood is home to many yuppies, young families and students as well as yoga studios, organic markets, cafes and Vancouver's Greektown. The primary...
"Citizen of the Year" in 1959.
Collecting
For decades he collected and catalogued artifacts, solicited donations, interviewed early inhabitants of the young city, and wrote historical narratives. In total, Matthews compiled 40 publications related to Vancouver's history.
Gerry McGeer
Gerald Grattan McGeer was a lawyer, populist politician, and monetary reform advocate in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
over ownership of the collection. The archives did not find a permanent home in his lifetime, but were given to the city with the condition of a dedicated building in his will within one year after his death in 1970.
Legacy
His efforts and legacy have been memorialized in the Major Matthews Building, home of the City of Vancouver Archives. When it opened in 1972, it was the first building in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
built specifically as a city archive.
The archives building, located at 1150 Chestnut Street, is a semi-underground modern structure in Vanier Park
Vanier Park
Vanier Park is a municipal park located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the Vancouver Museum, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the City of Vancouver Archives, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.-History:...
, designed by Bill Leithead.
The City of Vancouver Archives serves the repository for historical records generated by the City of Vancouver, including the Mayor's Office, the Parks Board, the Board of Police Commissioners, the Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver Police Department
The Vancouver Police Department is the police force for the City of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.VPD was the first Canadian police force...
, and the Office of the City Clerk. It also contains numerous collections from private donors, businesses, and community groups. The archives are part of the City Clerk's Department.
During the 1930s Matthews undertook to publish a collection of reminiscences and photographs under the title Early Vancouver. The publication was planned in seven volumes but only two reached print before city council intervened to prevent further un-mandated expenditure on book-publishing. Copies of Vol. I and II are in circulation and turn up in rare books and antiquarian shops and websites. The other five volumes are preserved in manuscript form at the City Archives.
