McGILL BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1899-1915

Abstract

In the late years of Queen Victoria's reign, Vancouver was the epitome of colonial and naval traditions, the blending of enterprise and wilderness. Montreal, in contrast, was a representation of Victorian Gothic and commerce. One young British Columbian put it this way: "The Montreal of today - that iron-grey majestic old city of the 19th century - stands out in marked contrast to the Vancouver of today - the dashing and ambitious city of the twentieth century. In the one we see remembrance of a past fraught with all the events of changing regimes - we see not only the stability and security, but also some of the lethargy which centuries of gradual advance have produced. In the other we see men' brimming over with enthusiasm, ready to trust to the future implicitly, and tied down by no musty traditions." An unexpected link between these two quite different cities was forged by the establishment of McGill University College at Vancouver.