1903 August – The Board of Works approved a request “for a 3-plank sidewalk on Woodland Drive between Bismark and Grant Streets.i
1903 November – Charles Stockwell wrote to the Board asking to have Woodland Drive ditched from Bismark to Charles. The request was referred to the Engineer. ii
1904 May – N. Yarko and T.E. Knapp wrote to the Board of Works “asking that Woodland Drive to be opened from tramline to southeast corner of Block 40.” The Board agreed to blow out the stumps and rough grade.iii
September 1904 — “Frederick and George Rumble, who are going to build on the corner of Woodland Drive and Barnard ask for a wagon road, which it was decided to build.”iv
1905 April — T.E. Shook asked that Woodland Drive be opened between Venables and Barnard. Referred to the Engineer for a report.v
April 1905 — The following acquisitions from Appropriations were approved by the Board of Works: vi
Ward 3 Grading Victoria Drive $1,000
Ward 4 Grading Cotton Drive $ 260
Ward 4 Grading Woodland Drive $ 260
Ward 4 Grading Bismark Street $ 200
1905 May – “$525 buys a corner on Woodland Drive, 150×127; fine soil, nice view, easy to clear.”vii
1905 June – Appropriation #48: Woodland Drive “to level, ditch and surface grade for 1600’ from Venables to Bismark.” Estimate $200, actual $91.78.viii
1905 July – Appropriation #12 ordered Woodland Drive to be graded from Grant Street to 6th Avenue with an estimate of $1,400. Between July 1905 and November 1906 costs of $1,035.73 in labour and $104 in materials were expended. ix
1905 — In early July the Board “recommended that stumps in lanes and roads between Woodland Drive and Cotton Drive in Ward 4 be taken out and roads made passable, referred to chain gang.”x
1905 November — N.P. Bowen called attention to the bad condition of the roadway on Woodland Drive between Parker Street and Venables Street. The Engineer reported that “an appropriation has been made for this work and part of it has been done and there is about $260 on hand to the credit of the appropriation but in order to do the work at this time of year it will be necessary to dig a quantity of soft boggy material and replace same with good earth and the cost of this would far exceed the money available for the purpose. Nonetheless, it seems the Board ordered the work to be done. xi
In November, Charles Stockwell wrote to the Board asking to have Woodland Drive ditched from Bismark to Charles. The request was referred to the Engineer. xii
A representative of Western Land Co. wrote to the Board of Works: “As I am building four houses on Woodland Drive, corner of Harris Street at present and there being no way of access to this property whatsoever, I am petitioning your honourable body to improve the street here around.” xiii
1906 February — The Board of Works approved the following for future estimates:
Woodland, Venables to William, rock, $1,000
Woodland, Graveley to Grant, grade, $500. The work order for this was issued on 6th February and the work, including removal of stumps, was completed on 31st May. xiv
1906 March — The Board of Works resolved to ask for $30,000 for Street Improvements in the following year’s estimates as follows:
Woodland, Venables to William, rock, $1,000
Woodland, Graveley to Grant, grade, $500
Woodland Drive, Venables to Barnard, grade, $300. This work was completed between 21st May and 25th October. xv
1906 March – Woodland was cleared and graded between Grant and 6th Avenue. The work was completed on 15th March. xvi
1906 May -– The Board recommended that Second Avenue be opened from Cotton to Woodland for $300; that First be opened from Woodland to Clark for $765; and that Woodland Drive be graded from Barnard to Venables.xvii
1906 June – The Board recommended that Woodland Drive be rocked from Venables to William for $1,000. Appropriation #312 was dated 19 June 1906. Between 3rd July and October the Engineer spent $348.22 and $709.75 in materials.xviii
1907 February — A representative of Western Land Co. wrote to the Board of Works: “As I am building four houses on Woodland Drive, corner of Harris Street at present and there being no way of access to this property whatsoever, I am petitioning your honourable body to improve the street here around.” That month, a 3-plank sidewalk was laid on the east side of Woodland between Harris and Barnard Streets. George Freeman was the foreman and the work was completed on 13th March.xix
1907 April — A resident wrote to the Board of Works: “I would like to have a three plank sidewalk on the northeast side of Woodland Drive extending from Venables to Parker Street … to avoid injuries … to children.” In fact, a 3-plank sidewalk was laid that month on the east side of Woodland between Venables and a point 180’ south. The work was completed on 2nd May.xx
1907 June – A 3-plank sidewalk was laid on the east side of Woodland Drive between Grant and Bismark. The work was completed on 28th June. xxi
Also in June, five residents petitioned the Board to “request a plank sidewalk be constructed from Woodland Drive down the north side of William Street, then along the east side of McLean Drive to Napier Street. At present some of us in order to reach the road have to cross over other men’s property at a great inconvenience to them and us.” xxii
1907 August – Woodland Drive was ditched and leveled between Venables and Bismark. The work was completed on 10th Jun 1908, xxiii
1907 October — Board of Works Approved 3-plank sidewalks for the following (with estimated costs): xxiv
Woodland Drive – Graveley to First $53
1908 June – Woodland Drive was rocked between Grant and William. The work was completed on 21st August. xxv
1909 April – Woodland was cleared from 6th Avenue to 12th Avenue. The work was completed on 10th November. xxvi
1909 July – 6’ concrete sidewalk proposed for both sides of Woodland Drive between Hastings and Grant. Cost $8,854.50 with city paying $1,792.98 under By Laws 563 and 624.xxvii
1912 June – 6” concrete curbs proposed for both sides of Woodland Drive between Venables and Bismark Street at a cost of $2,522.62 with the city paying $966.88.xxviii
1913 December – 6’ concrete sidewalk proposed for both sides of Woodland Drive between Hastings and Grant at a cost of $11,629.27 with the city paying $2,974.16.xxix
i Board of Works Minutes 30 July 1903 and 6 Aug 1903, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
ii Board of Works Minutes 12 Nov 1903, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
iii Board of Work Minutes 19 May 1904, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
iv “World”, 1904 Sep 16, p.6
v Board of Works Minutes, 6 Apr 1905, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
vi Board of Works Minutes, 19 Apr 1905, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
vii These from an ad by Dow, Fraser & Co in Vancouver Daily World 9 May 1905, p.3
viii Appropriation 48 accounting, CVA, Series 356, Street Improvements 1905-1906, 134-D-5
ix Appropriation 12 accounting, CVA, Series 356, Street Improvements 1905-1906, 134-D-5
x Board of Works Minutes, 6 Jul 1905, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
xi Board of Works Minutes, 9 Nov 1905 and 16 Nov 1905, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
xii Board of Works Minutes 12 Nov 1903, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
xiii Letter dated 19 Jan 1907, CVA, Series 342, Board of Works, Letters Reported 12 Feb 1907, 129-A-5 File 2
xiv Board of Works Minutes, 13 Feb 1906, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2; WO 548, 6 Feb 1906, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xv Board of Works Minutes, 6 Mar 1906, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2; WO 779, 21 Mar 1906, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xvi WO 585, 1 Mar 1906, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xvii Board of Works Minutes, 5 May 1906, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2
xviii Board of Works Minutes, 5 Jun 1906, CVA, MCR-36 Roll 2; Appropriation 312 accounting, CVA, Series 356, Street Improvements 1905-1906, 134-D-5; WO 915, 3 Jul 1906, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xix Letter dated 19 Jan 1907, CVA, Series 342, Board of Works, Letters Reported 12 Feb 1907, 129-A-5 File 2; WO 1223, 21 Feb 1907, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xx Henry Grosse (?) to Board of Works dated 10 Mar 1907, CVA, Series 342, Board of Works, Letters Reported 9th April 1907, 129-A-5 File 6; WO 1369, 18 Apr 1907, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xxi WO 1457, 14 Jun 1907, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xxii Petition to Board of Works dated 17 June 1907, CVA, Series 342, Board of Works, Letters Reported 2nd July 1907, 129-A-5 File 12
xxiii WO 1552, 12 Aug 1907, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xxiv CVA, Board of Works Minutes, 5 Oct 1907
xxv WO 2272, 6 Jun 1908, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xxvi WO 2996, 23 Apr 1909, CVA, Series 356, Record of Work Orders 1906-1910, 128-B-2
xxvii Schedule published 7 July 1909, CVA, Series 356, Proposed Local Improvements, 134-A-2 File 1
xxviii Schedule published 28 Jun 1912, CVA, Series 356, Proposed Local Improvements, 134-A-2 File 1
xxix Schedule published 12 Dec 1913, CVA, Series 356, proposed Local Improvements, 134-A-2 File 1
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