History

1911 to 1967 Early Years

The Salvation Army on the North Shore started out in the Hall above the meat Market on Lonsdale as a church “North Vancouver Citadel Corps”.

After a difficult beginning which saw the Corps unofficered in 1913 and eventually closed, it re-opened on June 30, 1921 in it’s new home at 126 West 2nd Street, adjacent to the St. Alice Hotel.

In September 1944, the Citadel was relocated again to 543 West Lonsdale in a building just below 6th Street.

Major Winnifred Fitch, during her second appointment to North Vancouver in 1955 had the initial vision to build a new hall and she set up a “building fund” and encouraged people to give. Fundraising for the new hall continued through the tenure of 7 Corps Officers from 1959 to 1965. In 1961, Captain Betty Kerr prepared for the possibility of a new hall by organizing the surveying of the land and by obtaining support from local residents for the facility. It was during the appointment of Captain and Mrs. Newbury in 1965, that the vision became a reality. The key turning ceremony of the new hall on the southwest corner of 12th and Lonsdale was held on the weekend of February 11th and 12th, 1967.

Not a lot is known about the early years of the North Shore Salvation Army at this point, but we are doing further research and will update our website as more is known. Many members of the community have grandparents or relatives who were members of The North Shore Salvation Army during the early years and we are appealing to those of you who have information to submit photos and/or stories (photos will be scanned and returned, if you wish).

These are some things that we do know about the early years from 1911 to 1967:
In 1925, a children's camp opened – Camp Sunrise in Sechelt – which still brightens the lives of people all ages today.

During the Depression era, The Army in Vancouver and Canada, sheltered and fed thousands who had fallen on hard times. In World War II, The Salvation Army sent countless care packages overseas and provided moral support to families at home. On the home front at the end of the war, Salvationists at Canadian ports welcomed the ‘war brides’ of Canadian servicemen. We assume that the North Shore Salvation Army was involved with these same efforts.

The Army's brass band lifted lonely spirits. The roads would be temporarily closed, and the brass bands would march down Lonsdale, escorted by police, and hold “Open Air” meetings at Victoria Park. The Open Air meetings were held in early years, and after many years hiatus recommenced in 1975.

League of Mercy
From the beginning days of The North Shore Salvation Army, the League of Mercy was comprised of dedicated volunteers, both men and women, who made regular visits to homes and institutions to give cheerful companionship, spiritual uplift, a listening ear, and solice to the ill and lonely. Letters were written, telephone calls made, friends and families of the ill were contacted. In numerous ways the League of Mercy members showed their concern for those who might otherwise be forgotten. During the Christmas season special treats and programs were provided for people who were shut-in. Rarely did this work reach the headlines, but it did reach the hearts of hundreds of North Shore residents who in their hours of stress and need found caring friends. We received many letters of thanks from family members who were grateful for the League of Mercy’s visits to their loved ones.

The Home League
The original Home League was an outreach of the Salvation Army’s Women’s Ministries, and was based upon the four components of worship, fellowship, education and service. In recent years the Home League became less relevant, as women began to work outside the home and as the community’s needs changed. Over the years, other things became important to women. A small sampling of today’s Women’s programs include: Women’s Breakfast Club, Women’s Camp, Senior Women’s Camp, and Women’s Music Therapy Programs.

Other Services
In the early years, the North Shore Salvation Army could link people in the community to resources offered by other branches of the Salvation Army in the Greater Vancouver area. This is one of the beautiful things about the Salvation Army: since inception we have had the resources of our many affiliated groups to draw upon. Some of the earlier groups included:

Grace Hospital
Home for unwed mothers
Home for women and children fleeing domestic abuse
Men’s social service centres
Hostel for homeless men
Camp Sunrise (from 1925 to present – camps for senior adults, men, women, mom and tots, teens, kids, and music camps – located at Gibsons)
Men’s addiction rehab centres
Correctional services
Home for delinquent boys

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