Kathryn Shoemaker was born January 10, 1943 in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is the illustrator of over forty books for children, including Seeking Refuge by Irene N. Watts (2016), My Animal Friends by R. David Stephens (2002), Floyd Flamingo and His Flock of Friends by Tiffany Stone (2004), Jenny’s Neighbours by Richard Thompson (1987) and Los Ninos Alfabeticos by Lourdes Ayala (1995). She is also the author of four of her illustrated books, including Creative Christmas (1978). In addition, she illustrates educational materials, cards, posters and calendars for publishers, businesses and other groups.

Shoemaker earned a B.A., Magna Cum Laude, from Immaculate Heart College, and later attended the University of British Columbia (UBC) to earn a Master of Arts in Children's Literature (2006) and a PhD in Language and Literacy Education (2014). She studied art at the Otis Art Institute, Occidental College and the Chouinards Art Institute. Since 1996, she has been an instructor of classes on illustration at institutions such as UBC, SFU, Langara, Kwantlen, and the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. In 2009, Shoemaker began teaching undergraduate and graduate courses on illustration, children’s literature, and Canadian children's literature, with a specialty in picturebooks and graphic novels, in the Library Archival and Information Studies programs and Language Literacy and Education programs at UBC.

Shoemaker's works have received numerous awards and accolades including the Western Canada Jewish Book Prize in 2018 and the Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature in 2017 for Seeking Refuge (by Irene N. Watts), and numerous nominations for the Chocolate Lily Award since 2006. In 2018, Shoemaker received the Alumni UBC Faculty Community Service Award for her role as an "advocate for reading and excellence in children’s literature" including her illustrations, writing, and development of teaching and learning materials.

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation was established in 1917. It is a union that represents public school teachers in the province.

For details on Inouye Family, see authority records of the following Inouye family members:
Morikawa, Jitsuo
Inouye, Hatsuno
Inouye, Beverly
Inouye, Zennosuke

When British Columbia joined the Confederation in 1871, it was with the promise of a railway connecting it to the rest of Canada within 10 years. By 1881, however, very little of the railway had been completed. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company was incorporated on February 16, 1881 to take over construction of the transcontinental railroad. They were granted land for railway use as well as other development and were given a new deadline: 1891.

Thomas Kingston Fleming was born on March 2nd 1926 in Sardis, British Columbia to Philip and Marjorie Fleming. He had two brothers, Frank and Peter Fleming. He attended Victoria College and University of British Columbia, where he earned his degree in Commerce. Fleming was an entrepreneur, founder of Vintage Consultants, creator of the Kaatza Foundation, and had a long career with Balfour Forest Products. He was a trained chartered accountant, a supporter of education, and an amateur historian of British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada.

Hanne Wassermann Walker was born on May 13, 1893 to Jewish parents Rudolf Herrmann (23 February 1846-31 May 1922) and Hedwig Herrmann née Heller (3 January 1863-28 December 1940) in Vienna, Austria. Her father worked as an architect for the city and her mother did not work outside the home, instead looking after Hanne and her one other daughter, Elizabeth Fischer née Herrmann (11 December 1887- 1981).

As a teenager, Hanne studied at Hermine Brabbée’s Civic School for Girls, a private school which would have offered an education for people pursuing jobs in the commercial or trade sectors rather than for those planning to get a traditional university degree. She went on to study at the “Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt für Photographie und Reproduktionsverfahren” (Teaching and Research Institute for Photography and Reproduction Processes) in Vienna from 1912-1914. Here Hanne studied such subjects as portrait photography, freehand drawing, chemistry, commercial/business math and writing, and more. Hanne would go on to become a prolific amateur photographer, however, her true calling was in the field of health and fitness.

After completion of her studies in photography and graphic reproduction, Hanne attended the Röntgen Institute, Vienna's first x-ray institute, where she learned about human anatomy and physical wellness. She completed her time there around 1917. During this period, Hanne married Dr. Gustav Wassermann, however their union was short-lived; the couple wed in July 1914 and in January 1915 Gustav died from a heart-related condition.

Hanne pioneered a series of stretches and exercises for women she called The Hanne Wassermann Method, which she described as a form of gymnastics. She focused not only on physical “improvements” but also the psychology of fitness, describing her method as “The First Psychologically Based Gymnastic System with Movement Control”. She documented these routines through written publications and extensive photo series. Her exercises were designed to help practitioners lose weight, tone figures, and reduce the “effect of age” while also improving one’s overall mental and physical wellbeing. She was also a proponent of winter sports, physical education for children, and swimming lessons, the latter which she also taught.

Hanne worked as a personal trainer, teacher, and fitness advocate at a time when the concepts of physical culture and education were only just beginning to take hold on a wider scale. She opened a school (“Gymnastikschule”) in Vienna, taught at an upscale resort in Italy, worked as a personal trainer, and sought to advance her philosophy and fitness techniques through lectures, books, pamphlets, and newspaper/magazine articles. These works featured titles like: “Daily Gymnastics”, “Everywoman The Sculptor of Her Own Body”, “Nice on the Outside, Ugly on the Inside”, and “Movement and Figure Control”. Her list of friends and clients was comprised of some the most elite members of Austrian/European society during the interwar period, including Princess Helen of Greece, Princess Marguerita of Aosta, Baron Louis Rothschild, and actress Hedy Lamarr.

During the summer, Hanne often traveled throughout Europe – travels she documented with her camera. Much of the resulting photographs depict the landscapes and architecture of Austria, France, Italy, and Greece. Hanne spent lots of time on the Italian islands of Brioni (which later became part of Croatia). Brioni had long been a popular travel destination for the upper classes of Europe, especially Vienna, and it was to here that Hanne brought her physical fitness method in the summertime, offering her classes and swimming lessons at the Hotel Brioni.

Featured in many of Hanne’s travel photographs from between 1926 and 1938 is a man who appears to have been her boyfriend/lover. However, his name is not identified on any of the photographs in this fonds, nor do there appear to be letters or other records that shed light on his identity and relationship with Hanne. Around 1934, Hanne met her future husband George Dickson Walker (19 July 1889-11 July 1981). George was a Presbyterian minister with a background in psychology. It is unclear from the records in this fonds exactly how they met or what the early years of their relationship were like, however, George did visit Austria occasionally as a tourist and it may have been during one of these trips that he and Hanne met. George, who was born in Northern Ireland, was living and working in Manchester, England, in 1934. He moved with his wife, Rachel, and daughter, Norah, to the Channel Islands in 1936; according to U.S. immigration paperwork filled out by George years later, in 1936 his wife deserted him. (He lost track of them when Germany occupied the Channel Islands in 1940, although according to correspondence with his brother years later, George appears to have had some knowledge of his daughter’s life after the war.)

Following Nazi Germany’s 1938 annexation of Austria, Hanne and her family began making preparations to emigrate from Europe. However, she did not depart immediately from Austria. Hanne traveled, worked, and lived in other parts of Europe (Britain and Italy in particular) during this time. It was not until December 1939 that Hanne left England for New York, followed shortly afterwards by her mother and George. Hanne’s journey to the U.S. was made possible thanks in part to her friend and client Marie Louise Wanamaker, a Philadelphia department store heiress who wrote letters on Hanne’s behalf and helped her navigate the American immigration system.

For the next three years, Hanne worked as a fitness instructor and lecturer at various hotels and studios across the country, making La Jolla, California, her temporary home. During this time she also developed a product called the “Wassermann Rescue Sling,” which was designed to more safely lift and transport injured bodies in the event of a disaster or military attack; she offered training courses on the sling’s use and issued “Modern Rescue & Transportation” certificates to successful participants.

On June 15, 1943, Hanne married George in Los Angeles and the two relocated to British Columbia, ultimately settling on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet, first in North Vancouver and then in West Vancouver. They resided here for the rest of their lives. Hanne taught private fitness classes to some of Vancouver’s wealthiest and most influential citizens, although she did not share with them stories or details of her earlier life in Europe. In addition to fitness classes, Hanne also provided some physiotherapy services such as massages.

During her 43 years in British Columbia, Hanne was a prolific amateur photographer, documenting her life with George (which included several pet dogs over the years) and much of the travel they did together. (Both were avid campers.) Hanne’s landscape photography captures many B.C. lakes and mountains during the mid-20th century. The subjects of her portrait photography include members of the Koerner, Prentice, Molnar, and other Vancouver families, as well as George and friends of theirs. In addition to photography, Hanne was also a talented sculptor.

Hanne died May 28, 1986 at the age of 93.

Jim McDowell is a veteran British Columbia historian. His first career was teaching, which took him into classrooms from northern California to Seattle, New York City, and Vancouver. He taught elementary school in California and Washington, worked as an inner-city education consultant in Harlem and Brooklyn, and educated teachers at Simon Fraser University. McDowell also worked for 20 years as a freelance writer and independent reporter; he wrote hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles for Canadian and U.S. publications.

McDowell has four published books: Peace Conspiracy: The Story of Warrior-Businessman Yoshiro Fujimura (McBo, Irvine, CA 1993), a partial biography of a once obscure Japanese naval commander; Hamatsa: The Enigma of Cannibalism on the Pacific Northwest Coast (Ronsdale, Vancouver, BC 1997), an investigation of the existence of cannibalism among early Northwest Coast Native people; Father August Brabant: Saviour or Scourge? by Ronsdale, which presents a thorough, unvarnished biography of the first Catholic missionary to work on Vancouver Island during the colonial period; and Josè Maria Narvaez: The Forgotten Explorer (Arthur H. Clark, Spokane, WA 1998), the first full life story of the Spanish-Mexican navigator.

Marie Louise Wanamaker Munn was a friend and former client of Hanne Wassermann Walker, whom she helped immigrate to the U.S. in 1939.

AFB was born in London, England and raised in Montreal, Quebec. During WWII, he joined the Royal Canadian Armed Forces and served overseas as part of the Bomber Command. After the war, he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal and subsequently got a job with Cominco Ltd. (currently Teck) in Trail, British Columbia. The job at Cominco involved transfers that took AFB to Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver, where he would live until the end of his life at South Granville Park Lodge.

Alan Francis Brooks was born on August 20th, 1917 in London, England and was raised in Montréal, Quebec. He would go on to join the Royal Canadian Armed Forces and serve overseas with the Bomber Command during WWII. After the war, he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering at McGill University in Montréal, which led to a job with mining company Cominco Ltd. (currently known as Teck Resources Ltd.) in Trail, British Columbia. The facility he worked at had a large smelter that used a significant amount of power, causing him to become attentive to cheap power alternatives. As such, Alan was highly interested in hydroelectric projects being undertaken in the Pacific Northwest, especially the Columbia River Treaty and the Columbia Basin Project. In pursuit of the former, he dedicated time outside of work to actively following local news coverage of the treaty and filling twenty-six scrapbooks with newspaper clippings detailing its development.

Alan’s job with Cominco also prompted transfers that would take him to Montréal, Calgary, and Vancouver, where he would eventually settle down and retire. In retirement, he spent his time photographing nature, continuing his lifetime hobby of collecting stamps, and becoming a member of the Golden Agers Hiking Club as well as the philatelic group The 21 Club. He remained in Vancouver until the end of his life at the South Granville Park Lodge retirement facility. Alan passed away on November 26th, 2015 at the age of 98, surrounded by family. He was predeceased by his first wife Audrey Holmes Brooks and his second wife Muriel Floud Brooks and he is survived by his daughters Carolyn and Louise and grandchildren Ryan, Brendan, and Alexa.

Edward Nudelman is a Seattle-based rare books dealer. Since 1980 his company, Nudelman Rare Books, has sold out-of-print rare books with a focus on English and American literature, illustrated 19th and 20th century books, and the art and poetry of the Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite periods. He has been a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America since 1983.

In addition to his work as a bookseller, Nudelman is also a poet. His first poetry collection ("What Looks Like An Elephant") was published in 2011.

Nudelman studied chemistry and zoology at the University of Washington. He worked as a cancer research scientist until his retirement in 2012.

The Pro-Choice Action Network (Pro-CAN) was formed in 1987 under the name B.C. Coalition for Abortion Clinics (BCCAC) with the mission of securing safe, fully-funded, high-quality abortion services for women. With the support of the labour movement, women’s health groups, student groups, the United Church, and health care professionals, BCCAC opened Everywoman’s Health Centre in November 1988. Although it was illegal for freestanding clinics to offer abortion services at that time, the centre remained open and continues to function today as an abortion and sexual health clinic in Vancouver, B.C.

After establishing the Everywoman’s Health Centre, BCCAC broadened their mandate to begin lobbying and advocating for: full government funding of reproductive health services, including surgical and medical abortion services; the defeat of all laws that criminalize abortion or impede women’s rights or access to choice; enforcement and protection of the Access to Abortion Services Act; provision for universal and federally-guaranteed access to abortion in all regions of Canada; the availability of safe, affordable, and effective contraception; and comprehensive sex education in schools.

In 1995, the Coalition began publishing their quarterly newsletter, The Pro-Choice Press, as a way to further its aims and reach the public. A few years later, in 1998, its name was officially changed to Pro-Choice Action Network. Despite the name change, the group continued to build a broad-based political movement and advocate for public education on women’s right to choice. It also established mutually productive relationships with clinics, hospitals, health care professionals, pro-choice groups, women’s groups, and various local, provincial, and national governmental agencies.

Around the same time in the late 1990s, Pro-CAN found itself increasingly focused on national issues. After the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League (CARAL) disbanded in 2004, the Board realized a new national group was needed to replace its efforts. The need was filled when Joyce Arthur of Pro-CAN led the formation of a new national group known as the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC-CDAC). As the years went on, the Network found itself becoming relatively inactive due to a lack of need for a provincial pro-choice group in British Columbia. As such, Pro-CAN made the decision to close its doors in January 2009 with the assurance that ARCC would take up the mantle on provincial issues as needed.

The B.C. Coalition for Abortion Clinics (BCCAC) was formed in 1987 with the mission of securing safe, fully-funded, high-quality abortion services for women. With the support of the labour movement, women’s health groups, student groups, the United Church, and health care professionals, BCCAC opened Everywoman’s Health Centre in November 1988. Although it was illegal for freestanding clinics to offer abortion services at that time, the centre remained open and continues to function today as an abortion and sexual health clinic in Vancouver, B.C.

After establishing the Everywoman’s Health Centre, BCCAC broadened their mandate to begin lobbying and advocating for: full government funding of reproductive health services, including surgical and medical abortion services; the defeat of all laws that criminalize abortion or impede women’s rights or access to choice; enforcement and protection of the Access to Abortion Services Act; provision for universal and federally-guaranteed access to abortion in all regions of Canada; the availability of safe, affordable, and effective contraception; and comprehensive sex education in schools.

In 1995, the Coalition began publishing their quarterly newsletter, The Pro-Choice Press, as a way to further its aims and reach the public. A few years later, in 1998, its name was officially changed to Pro-Choice Action Network (Pro-CAN). Despite the name change, the group continued to build a broad-based political movement and advocate for public education on women’s right to choice. It also established mutually productive relationships with clinics, hospitals, health care professionals, pro-choice groups, women’s groups, and various local, provincial, and national governmental agencies.

Around the same time in the late 1990s, Pro-CAN found itself increasingly focused on national issues. After the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League (CARAL) disbanded in 2004, the Board realized a new national group was needed to replace its efforts. The need was filled when Joyce Arthur of Pro-CAN led the formation of a new national group known as the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC-CDAC). As the years went on, the Network found itself becoming relatively inactive due to a lack of need for a provincial pro-choice group in British Columbia. As such, Pro-CAN made the decision to close its doors in January 2009 with the assurance that ARCC would take up the mantle on provincial issues as needed.