Primary collections & fonds
- Vancouver Maritime Museum collection (AM335)
- St. Roch Preservation Society fonds (AM990)
The St. Roch Preservation Society was incorporated in 1955. Its purpose was to assist and promote means to preserve the RCMP vessel St. Roch. The fonds consists of correspondence, reports and clippings of the St. Roch Preservation Society.
- Vancouver Maritime Museum St. Roch restoration collection (CVAN Add. MSS. 1041)
The collection consists of material relating to the restoration of the St. Roch. The collection includes Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development records relating to the reconstruction of the superstructure, 1944; development restoration detail drawings, 1958; and miscellaneous drawings and site plans, 1927-1971.
- Vancouver Museums and Planetarium Association fonds (AM336)
- Major Matthews collection (AM54)
- City of Vancouver fonds.
The St. Roch and Vancouver Maritime Museum appear in many series of this fonds.
Secondary collections & fonds
- Rebecca Watson fonds (AM338),
Series S5 – Civic affairs – Vancouver Civic Museum Board records (AM338-S5). Series consists of records gathered by Watson when she was the chairman of the Vancouver Civic Museum Board. Series includes Board’s annual reports, and records relating to the preservation of the R.C.M.P. schooner “St. Roch”.
- Wilson family fonds (AM362), Series S1 – Alphabetical subject files on Halford David Wilson’s civic affairs, File: St. Roch : [RCMP ship], 1964 (AM362-S1–).
- Harold Merilees fonds (AM426), File: St. Roch Preservation Society (AM426–)
- Frank Appelbe fonds (AM1661)
The fonds consists of Appelbe’s photographs of aerial views of the west side of Vancouver and the West End; and views of the RCMP vessel St. Roch …
- Gladys Ridler fonds (AM851)
The fonds consists of poems, short stories, correspondence, and a photograph of Gladys Ridler; letters, poems and other material concerning Captain Henry Larsen and the St. Roch …
- Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation fonds (VPK)
- City of Vancouver Archives pamphlet collection (AM1519)
- City of Vancouver Archives documentary art collection (AM1562)
- City publications collection
- City of Vancouver Archives library collection
- City of Vancouver Archives postcard collection (AM1052)
- City of Vancouver Archives technical and cartographic drawing collection (AM1594)
- British Columbia Centennial Committee fonds (AM178)
CoV Archives also includes many photographs in various collections and fonds.
Jack Mitchell fonds 157
Born in England, Jack Mitchell started at Burrard as an office boy in 1919 for $1.07 a day. His work included laying out planking for the St. Roch, passing rivets, working in the riveting office, bolting up, electricians’ and welders’ helper, working with the docking crew and in the mould loft and joiners’ shop. In 1933 he and his stepfather founded a salmon cannery, and later worked on riverboats on The Yukon. He married Florence, an amateur artist, and had two children, a daughter Sandra and a son Bill.
In 1939 he returned to work for Burrard, becoming foreman dockmaster in 1966, retiring in 1970. His many interests included soccer, the Masons, and learning Spanish. He was also a keen amateur inventor, and after retirement served with Canadian Executive Services Overseas.
North Vancouver Museum and Archives also includes many photographs in various collections and fonds.
Matthew T. Davie fonds 105
See : Binder 1. — 1927-1946. — 3 folders.
Folder 2 includes “Outline Description of a Design for an Auxiliary Schooner for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Arctic Sub-District” (the “St. Roch“).
Oral History Program of North Vancouver Museum and Archives fonds 201
Norman D. Whyte Interview
August 23, 2011. Inventory No 201-15.
Norman talks about how he became a ship designer. He worked in England, moved to Quebec and later Vancouver. He discusses the demise of the Canadian shipbuilding industry and talks about a typical day as the head of Mechanical Engineering Division. He also discusses the differences between working in 1974, the 1980s and now with technological changes.
Ron Jermana Interview
September 16, 2011. Inventory No 201-9.
Ron Jermana, the last foreman of the Pipe Shop, talks about his activities there as well as at the copper shop. He describes his work day as an apprentice and the people he worked with and talks about the early 1980s when Burrard Dry Dock was building ships in prefabricated units including plumbing and electrical systems. He describes the layout of the Pipe Shop and the different lunchrooms for different departments and compares Burrard Drydock Shipyard with Vancouver Shipyard, where he moved to in 1989. Ron also describes working with copper and recounts working on the local freighter the “Queen of Prince Rupert” in the early 1970s, as well as working on the “Pierre Radisson”, one of the icebreakers. Ron recalls the period when he worked at Bel Air Shipyards and his feelings about returning to Burrard Dry Dock again. The interview was conducted by Eric Jamieson.