Monday, May 16, 2011

Queens and Artists

On East 3rd Avenue and Victoria Drive there is an elementary school - Queen Victoria Elementary School.


In 2007 the children of this school got involved with raising funds to help build a borehole in a town in Africa. This is the Water Project.

In appreciation for the students' hard work a well known graffiti artist came in and painted a few walls on the outside of the school.

Some of the artwork looks like it was done by children and that is because it was. The artist left room for some of the children to put their own touch on the masterpiece.

What a great thing to do! Not only are the children helping those less fortunate but they are being rewarded for it in such a unique way. Years from now when these artists are grown with their own children they may be able to bring them here and show the young ones what their parents had a part of.


Friday I mentioned a bit about the influence the Scots have had on Vancouver. While I show you more photos of the yard at Queen Victoria School and other miscellaneous images, I will tell you a bit more about Scots and this city.

Looking back at 1905. B.C. Electric built a station at what is now West 41 Avenue. The MacKinnons were a young Scottish couple that lived in the area and the company's general manager asked Mrs. MacKinnon to name the new station. Mrs. MacKinnon's old family home in Gairloch, Scotland was named Kerrydale and she chose to name the station, Kerrisdale. (Kerrydale means little seat of the fairies.)

James Cooper Keith was not only a native of Aberdeen he was also the manager of Vancouver's first Bank of British Columbia branch. He went on to become president of the Board of Trade as well as reeve of North Vancouver. Keith Road in North Vancouver is named after him.

A Liberal M.P. for New Westminster who later became a senator, Senator Tom Reid originally came to Surrey from Scotland. He gave the municipality land that is now Bear Creek Park.

Chinatown Lion's Club began holding an annual Burns dinner - haggis with sweet and sour sauce. Hmmm. Trying to figure out  how that would taste.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

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