The first PNE was in 1910, and, not surprising, a lot of things have changed since then. Some things will be missed and others not so much. Here are 10 things you won’t be seeing this year.
From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History
1. A brill trolley bus
Unless it’s taken out of a transit museum, you won’t be taking a brill trolley bus to the fair. In 1974, Angus McIntyre was riding on the back of a brill trolley bus that was detoured for the PNE parade at Hastings and Commercial. “There wasn’t always a switch or wire for these maneuvers, so we rode the rear bumper, held onto to a retriever with one hand, and pulled both poles down with the other,” says Angus, adding that this was done while travelling at speeds of up to 30 km/hr.
2. A Prize Home under $1 Million
The first PNE prize home was valued at $5,000 and raffled off in 1934. The winner, Leonard Frewin, a 27-year-old delivery driver, was in love with Ethel Leitch, 25, but was too poor to marry her. The house changed all that. In 2022, the home which still exists, is assessed at $1.8 million. The next house was raffled in 1952, and except for the years 1967 and 1968 when the PNE experimented with gold bars, there has been a house raffled off every year since.
3. Sideshows
Sideshows were once a huge part of the PNE, especially in the 1940s and 50s. You could pay to see the bearded lady, the man with alligator skin, the four-legged woman or little people on parade. If that wasn’t enough, there were girlie revues, palm readers, Siamese twins, and a man with vitiligo (a skin condition that causes white patches).
4. Inspector Vance’s Crime Lab
In 1934, Inspector John F.C.B. Vance of the Vancouver Police Department, who was once known as the “Sherlock Holmes of Canada,” packed up part of his laboratory and took it on the road. The slogan that Depression year was “Forward British Columbia—Prosperity Beckons” and Vance’s display of “scientific apparatus for crime detection” was insured for a whopping $10,000.
5. Dal Richards
Dal Richards was known as “Vancouver’s King of Swing.” He was born in 1918 and raised in Marpole. Richard’s 11-piece dance band played at the Hotel Vancouver for 25 years, and his radio show Dal’s Place aired for more than two decades. Richards played his 75th PNE—a 17-day-run in 2014. It was his last. He died in December 2015 at age 97.
6. Babes in the Woods
The Babes in the Woods was the name given to the skeletons of two little boys found in Stanley Park in 1953. Unbelievably, their tiny skulls were put on exhibition at the PNE and later at the Vancouver Police Museum. Their murders are still unsolved, but in February 2022 we learned that their were Derek D’Alton, 7 and his six-year-old brother David.
7. Miss PNE
That’s right, the PNE had beauty queens—43 in fact. The last one hung up her crown in 1991. Personally, I’m not sorry to seem them go, but have to admit that CBC’s then 17-year-old Gloria Macarenko does make a cute title holder.
8. A Parade
The first parade was in 1910, and the last—at least along the route that traversed Georgia, Granville and Hastings Streets—was in 1995. Pictured in 1938 is the Sheet Metal Workers Local 280 rocket on a float. A replica is on permanent display at the south end of the Cambie Street Bridge.
9. Sky Glider
The Sky Glider was a ride introduced to the PNE in 1970 and was a crowd favourite for 15 years. It carried passengers in gondola chairs suspended from a steel cable in a 7-minute one-way trip. The ride ran almost the full length of the fairgrounds, from the entrance to the roller coaster to a station near the old Showmart Building exhibit hall. If you’re wondering where it went, you can check it out at Mount Seymour—it’s been the Brockton Chair since 1988.
10. Elvis Presley and Empire Stadium
We had Elvis Presley. It’s true. He only performed three shows outside of the US—Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In August 1957, more than 26,000 fans paid $3.75 each to see him at Empire Stadium, which was constructed in 1954 for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It was home to the BC Lions football team from 1954 to 1982, then demolished in 1993.
When I first put this story together, the Challenger Map was #2 on the list. Happy to hear that nine of the 196 panels that were restored for the 2010 Olympics and will be on display in the Livestock Building this year. The rest of the map is stored in an Air Canada hangar at YVR.
© All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Eve Lazarus.
18 comments on “Ten Things You Won’t See at the PNE This Year”
The history of the PNE is fascinating. Love the photos and story. The times kept changing the landscape of the PNE and here we are in 2021. Unfortunately, memories cant pay bills and the city needs to let it go. Losing millions of dollars, etc. Can you imagine any sort of Fair in the U.S. not having a roller coaster, closing for two full days in the middle of it, and no real shows or events to see. The property needs to be sold, everything(Pacific Coliseum too) except for the Empire Fields and a little parking/concession for the athletes and their supporters.
I’m thrilled to hear the Challenger Map might be resurrected permanently! That is quite a marvelous piece of BC history. Oh the memories of the PNE. I still have some of the tickets stapled to a few of my report cards from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Each elementary student received one at the end of each school year. It was 40 years ago I went on the roller coaster for the first and last time. Have you been on it? Yikes. I thought I’d slip out and crash to my death and it was extremely bumpy! My boy friend (now my husband) persuaded me to try it out! My favourite ride of all time was the carousel which is now at the Burnaby Village Museum; nice and sedate and low key.
Never! I’m scared of heights. Still getting over my ride on the Ferris wheel 20 years ago when we got stuck up at the top and my six-year-old daughter had to calm me down. Love the carousel.
Wow only $36 in todays money to see Elvis, love the old bus’s. Board in the front, leave at the rear. Now ppl too lazy to even tap the bar walk all the way to the front keeping folks in the rain. The prize home still a big draw but the fair buildings are so poorly kept up and washroom line ups long I would never go again cept to see my friends the Parsons who have Jimmy’s Lunch and have fed fairgoers since 1934 I believe. Bob and Lee. The parade was a must as one could BCLion players and other local celebrities inc Dal who’s band is missed.
Sideshows, Vance’s display always shocked. Demolition Derbys abd the Forestry logging shows were fun.
As for that roller its not the first. Took me 30 years before I could force open my eyes going down that first hill.
Was Gloria Mackarenko not Miss PNE in 1978?
Oh nice call John! Went hunting for a photo and found one from 1978 of 17-year-old Gloria Macarenko which has now been added to the post.
Thanks for this list, Eve. I am a terrible snob so I have to wear a disguise when I go to the PNE. I blend in with the riff-raff and waste my money with the worst of them. Before I go home and remove my disguise, I visit the roller coaster. Quietly standing near, I admire her pedigree, bursting with civic pride that she is ours. I would really miss the PNE if it disappeared. In fact, I mourn the loss of the PNE parade to this day.
When I was a kid the parade was a family event it seemed everyone went to. Often hard to get a good view if you came late. Kids sat on the curbs and I did too, marvelling at the floats and bands and clowns and performers. Such great memories..
I loved the PNE as a kid and went there a lot in the late 1950s and through the 60s. I remember my Father (1957-58) playing Saxophone in one of those bands that wandered the grounds there during Fare time.
After reading these fun and much loved memories, I still would like to know all the reasons we have stopped the PNE and the PARADE. Too expensive? There must be a way.
I loved going to the PNE as a child. There was a Media Day, where all the kids of employees of the Sun and Province got to take their kids and get a bit of a break. I think it included a hot dog and pop, a couple of rides and the Entrance fee. A big savings for our family with 5 kids. I think the sideshows went a bit beyond the 50’s. I recall seeing them in the early 60’s.
The PNE was an annual must when I was growing up. I am old enough to remember the Shoot the Chute and the military displays. I have ridden the roller coaster from the beginning and loved it! The Pure Foods Building was a highlight, would could resist those warm Fisher Scones dripping with butter and jam. The smell of frying onions and candy floss, the barkers shouting to the crowed hawking their wares. But for me, that all time greatest was the legendary Beatles concert at Empire Stadium Aug 22 1964, what an experience that was!! I miss the PNE of old and the opening day parade, but tempus fugit – I have not attended for years.
I used to live on Dundas Street and, as such, spent many hours at the PNE. We used to get free entry passes with our report cards at the end of the school year.
Address on Dundas ? Mine 3851!
It’s on the blog post – 2812
I don’t remember all of these as i was a kid but the ones i do … such great memories!!! I wasn’t allowed on the rollercoaster and my dad let us kids run free and we picked a meeting spot lol … guess who found me and was waiting at the exit of tge roller coaster lol it was worth it though … lol
Who remembers having to pay to use the toilets? We use to climb under the stall door. I too miss the way the pne use to be.I can’t be bothered to go anymore.Just seems like a rip_off nowadays
Oh how I looked forward to going to the PNE. Getting the tickets with our final report card.
Watching the parade on TV. To a kid it was the greatest place on earth. I wish the Federal Government would take it over and rebuild it. Bring back the parade and all the fun activities and entertainment for families.
Thanks for the memories.