Scott Wheatley is looking back at the history of the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce.
Wheatley, the executive director for the Chamber, has been researching his organization’s 72-year history in an effort to compile a list of past presidents.
“The Cloverdale Chamber is one of the oldest Chambers in the area and we don’t know our history,” he said.
Wheatley said he’s “found a lot of interesting history” along the way. And the list of presidents have a lot of recognizable names—including Verna Hassall, the first woman to be president of the Chamber.
He even came across an ad from the ’60s asking: “But is Cloverdale Immunized? Against Unhealthy Sanitation.” (See picture).
SEE ALSO: Transit Urgently Needed in Campbell Heights, says Cloverdale Chamber director
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale Chamber calls off vote to join Vancouver Board of Trade
“Back in the ’60s, there was a real battle over the future of the Cloverdale sewage system,” explained Wheatley. “Because, back then, everything was on septic tanks and they wanted to get a sewer system put in.”
He said people were getting sick because of the septic system, so residents were asked to vote on an upcoming bylaw to determine whether or not Cloverdale would get a sewer system built.
Wheatley also found that about every 10 years or so there have been minor battles with the other Chambers in the area over boundaries.
(Today that would mean both the Surrey Board of Trade and the South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce. But historically, there were five local boards of trade, with three of the five—the North Surrey Board of Trade, the Newton Chamber of Commerce, and the Guildford chamber—voting to amalgamate in 1964.)
“I’ve found old letters. Most of them have been between Cloverdale and White Rock, just little minor border skirmishes.”
Wheatley also found the Cloverdale Chamber ran many events in the past.
“Prior to the BIA [created in ‘95], the Cloverdale Chamber ran a lot of events that are now BIA events,” he said. “We used to run the Bed Races and other sorts of things.”
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale man turns old bed racer into chicken coop
The Cloverdale Chamber began in 1949 as the Cloverdale Board of Trade. Wheatley said he’s not sure who the first president was, either Edgar Daniel Eastabrook or Robin Mamieson.
“I’m not positive because I have signatures on documents, but there’s nothing specifying who was president or who was secretary.”
Wheatley is hoping people will reach out to the Chamber if they have any info that would help fill out, or correct, his list of past presidents.
Wheatley can be reached by calling 604-574-9802, or by emailing info@cloverdalechamber.ca.
List of past presidents of the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce:
2020-2021: Tyler Dennis
2019-2020: Rebbecca Smith
2018-2019: Brian Leong
2017-2018: Marian Maletta
2016-2017: Marian Maletta
2015-2016: John Gibeau
2014-2015: John Gibeau
2013-2014: Brian Young
2012-2013: Addison Hubert
2011-2012: Brian Young
2010-2011: Brian Young
2009-2010:Brian Young
2008-2009: Bruno Zappone
2007-2008: Ben Wevers
2006-2007: Ben Wevers
2005-2006: — unknown, possibly Earle Fraser
2004-2005: Ben Wevers
2003-2004: Ben Wevers
2002-2003: Ben Wevers
2001-2002: Bill Reid
2000-2001: Bruno Zappone
1999-2000: —
1998-1999: —
1997-1998: —
1996-1997: Ann Sharkey
1995-1996: Ann Sharkey
1994-1995: Ann Sharkey
1993-1994: Bob Rollinson
1992-1993: —
1991-1992: John Lewis
1990-1991: — Either Dave McCormack or Bonnie McKinnon
1989-1990: Bonnie McKinnon
1988-1989: Bonnie McKinnon
1987-1988: Rees Hugh
1986-1987: Dave McCormack
1985-1986: —
1984-1985: Dave McCormack
1983-1984: Peggy Drew
1982-1983: Michael J. Cook
1981-1982: David James Rowland
1980-1981: —
1979-1980: Fred Swindells
1978-1979: Fred Swindells
1977-1978: Ron McKinnon
1976-1977: Ron McKinnon
1975-1976: Orville Nielson
1974-1975: Orville Nielson
1973-1974: —
1972-1973: Jim Rhodes
1971-1972: Art Hinchliffe
1970-1971: — Either Barry Leach or Derek Leach
1969-1970: Robert Heatherington
1968-1969: Bob McMurray
1967-1968: Bob McMurray
1966-1967: — Either Alf Tishman or Bill Pekonen
1965-1966: Doug Nott
1964-1965: C.J. Smalley
1963-1964: Alan Dann
1962-1963: Herald Read
1961-1962: Verna Hassall
1960-1961: Oswald Crawford
1959-1960: W.C. Wood
1958-1959: George Scott
1957-1958: Jim Stinson
1956-1957: —
1955-1956: Frank McKinnon
1954-1955: Frank McKinnon
1953-1954: Art Bourassa
1952-1953: —
1951-1952: —
1950-1951: —
1949-1950: —
1949: — Either Edgar Daniel Eastabrook or Robin Mamieson
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Cloverdalelocal businessLocal history
