Credit Due The Steveston Interurban Restoration Society

by Dave Underwood
(Richmond, BC Canada)

I have watched, with interest, the articles written and photo opportunities taken, by Mayor Malcolm Brodie and his ilk telling us how they have rescued the Steveston Interurban Tram from oblivion and how they are now taking credit for it.

As a founding committee member of the Steveston Interurban Restoration Society (SIRS) I feel it is about time some true facts were told, and not the history-changing drivel coming from City Hall.

The Steveston Interurban Restoration Society was formed in 1992. Its aims, as registered with the City of Richmond and the charitable organizations, was to "return Car 1220 to Richmond and restore it to working condition and run it on tracks in Richmond."

In early 1993, after volunteers had spent untold hours scouring B.C. to find an appropriate car, it was relocated from Arrow Transfer on Mitchell Island to land at the corner of No. 1 Road and Bayview Street where the society had arranged a lease from BC Packers. The land was later developed and volunteers were forced to move the tram to its present location behind Steveston Community Centre. This site was negotiated between the society and city council, and city council promised that it would be permanent.
These early days were very difficult as all funds had to be raised by the members from fundraising events, donations and various grants available at the time.

During 1993 and 1994 the society tried repeatedly to get the City of Richmond to see their vision of the tram running again down Railway Avenue to Steveston as a tourist attraction. They also put forward other route suggestions, including the one floated 10 years later by the city to run from Britannia Shipyards to London Farm. Each proposal was flatly turned down.


Over the following years, negotiations took place with the city to include the tram in the new development of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery site. However, I believe that the tram was conveniently forgotten about in the final proposals.

Volunteers spent many thousands of hours restoring the tram and attending heritage events.
Who remembers the speeder rides on Salmon Festival days? That was volunteers from SIRS, not the city, putting these things on.

People donated money to restore a seat in the name of their loved one, many of whom had fond memories of travelling on the trams. I hope the city is going to recognize them and insert the promised plaques. The site was open every weekend for visitors to come and see the progress being made and have a friendly chat with the volunteers on site.

All together, the society raised more than $1,000,000 and had completely restored more than 75 per cent of the tram including a new roof, new end vestibules, restored seats and many other features.

The recent reports in the media abut the tram being in "disrepair for over a decade" are an insult to the many volunteers who have given thousands of hours to restore this wonderful piece of B.C. history. The society was disbanded approximately a year ago when council politics came to the fore and volunteers were forced to give up (but that's another story). Since that time I believe the tram has stagnated.

For those of you that doubt me, check back to old editions of this newspaper where there are many articles and photos of the progress of the tram. And these are all true, not fabricated to score brownie points in the next election.