There are many places in New Westminster where you can readily imagine the current surrounding scene as it was many decades ago.
With a little research, you will be able to “see” the past all around you – to watch historical events take place – to be there while it all happened.
At the latest Victoria Day in Queen’s Park stadium for the annual salute to the current Queen and Queen Victoria, the game of lacrosse was recognized for its history and heritage. It was noted that an early game, perhaps the first played locally, might have occurred right there at the site of today’s stadium.
This possibility certainly spurred on a couple in attendance to think about where they were and what the earlier times could have been like. What could they have seen taking place? How far could they have seen as the area was probably heavily forested? What new things would they have seen added to the landscape?
This is a location we have used frequently on walking tours where the main historical topic and focus might be something like: At a sporting event in the stadium; Off to the Provincial Exhibition; May Day in the stadium; the fire at the Provincial Exhibition; Fun at the Midway; Streetcars, the railroad and Queen’s Park; and there have been many others on many themes.
You can, while standing in the stadium, imagine a streetcar rolling along 1st Street to drop off car after car, hundreds and, at time, thousands, of spectators from all over to take in a lacrosse game, a horse race, a rodeo, a Scottish Highland games, or a large gathering linked to a prominent fraternal group.
There were times in the local lacrosse history when a championship game taking place on this stadium site drew about 15,000 spectators to fill the stands and line the fences, cheering loud and long as the local team beat the opposition handily to win the cherished cup. For many years, the record daily ridership on the early transit system was achieved after transporting a huge number of fans to a lacrosse game in the stadium in Queen’s Park.
Another gathering which drew huge numbers of citizens to the park to witness a group at the stadium was during the First World War when the park was the location of assembling, outfitting, some basic training, and so on for troops preparing to go overseas to join the conflict that was taking place there. In the park, we can see photographs of parading troops, lines of soldiers coming and going on long training marches around the region. There are along images of enormous groups of men in the stadium area formed up in long lines for inspection.
This is a prominent site in the city, linked closely to the community’s history. With a little imagination and information you “see” it all around you.
