Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Presbyterians and Black Sheep
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was given a permit to be built on this site at 121 East 12th Street in 1933. The architect was O. Ormrod. The cost of the building was projected to be $2,500. The first listing of the church in the City Directory was 1934. On October 20, 1944 John Gibson and Dorothy Bissett were married there. In 1950 the Pastor was the Rev. H. A. Berlis.
In 1955 it became a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall and remained so until it was run as the Black Sheep Restaurant from 1976 to 2000. The site is now that of a twelve unit apartment complex.
West side of Black Sheep Restaurant
August 3, 1940 Gladys Christianson and William Downie Jr. (See Blog Post December 22, 2010.) were married in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Their's was a wedding with a very special guest.
Around the time of the wedding William's best friend, Dave Richie, had been part of the crew on the ship Ontario Light. The ship was in Perambucal, Brazil when he became ill. The captain called for a doctor to come from shore, but by the time he arrived on board Dave had died from a kidney ailment.
The day of the wedding William did not yet know of the death of his friend. But he did know that the last time he had seen him Dave had said, "I'll have to dance at your wedding."
Dave's mother, dad, sister Grace, and Dave's dog Punch lived at 17 or 18th and Grand Boulevard. Punch was mostly spaniel, black with a bit of white. Before they left to go to the wedding the family put Punch in the basement.
While Gladys and William were in front of the church at the alter they could hear a scuffling. Then the pastor, Rev. McLean-Bell said, "What do we have here?"
Gladys and William Downie, 1940
Gladys and William looked down and there was Punch between them.
Grace left the wedding and took the dog home, but Punch had done his best to help Dave keep his word. (From research at the North Vancouver Archives and interview with Gladys Downie for the Year 2000 Project, Your House/Our Home.)
Demolition: The building was demolished in the year 2000.
Note: An apartment building was constructed on this site.
Note: An apartment building was constructed on this site.
Photo: Top photo of the Black Sheep Restaurant taken in 2000 by SW.
Wedding photo of Gladys and William Downie Jr.
