Here is a photo commemorating the first letter ever mailed by street letter box in North Vancouver, at Fifth and Lonsdale, in 1910. Mayor W.H. May and Alderman W.J. Irwin are shown placing letters into the box.
Mayor May was originally a butcher before establishing himself in real estate and then local politics. He was first elected as an alderman in 1893, and in 1909 became the City of North Vancouver’s second mayor.
In his time in office he saw the installation of tram cars, street lamps, and telephone lines, as well as the mail service to North Vancouver.
Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to plan your visit to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards.
Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver, at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley, is open for drop-ins on Monday and by appointment Tuesday-Friday, 12:30-4 p.m. Contact: [email protected]
Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.
