St. John Ambulance will reach a major milestone in Powell River this Saturday, June 25, as the organization celebrates 100 years in the community.
The Powell River branch was officially launched in the summer of 1911 by A.W. (George) Clapp, a Welsh immigrant. A copy still exists of his original letter to London, England seeking the authority to practice the movement in Powell River.
His grandson, Victoria resident Frank Clapp, vividly remembers his grandfather’s involvement in St. John Ambulance. “He got his ticket in 1889,” said Frank. “He was active in first aid until the day he died.”
At the age of 89, Frank visited Powell River this past March to donate some of his grandfather’s citations and medals to Powell River Historical Museum and Archives. He will return this weekend for a celebration commemorating his grandfather and the organization he brought to this community 100 years ago.
Branch volunteer Heather Farrell-Sketchley said she couldn’t be more excited about Frank’s visit and the upcoming open house. She and branch manager Marie Rumley have been planning the festivities since 2008.
“In doing research three years ago [for our national celebration of 125 years], we realized that we started here in 1911,” said Farrell-Sketchley. “We decided that in 2011 we were going to celebrate our 100th anniversary.”
A grand ceremony is planned at 1 pm on Saturday, June 25 at the Townsite training centre. The afternoon will commence with a piped processional of honoured guests including City of Powell River Mayor Stewart Alsgard, Frank, and many of his family members. The RCMP will don their red serge for the event and the Powell River Community Band will play on the landscaped back lawn.
“Frank is going to be giving a presentation for about 15 or 20 minutes,” said Rumley. “He’ll talk about his grandfather and the connection with his family.”
Rumley said she expected Frank to deliver some exciting news at the event. After viewing his research and doing some digging of her own, Rumley said she believes that the Powell River branch was the first chapter of St. John Ambulance in British Columbia.
In a telephone interview with the Peak, Frank said he found out that the first classes in Powell River under the St. John Ambulance banner were held in July 1911, two months before classes began taking place in Victoria that September.
“There weren’t any [branches in BC] prior to Powell River that I know of, but I’ve got more to search,” he said. “It’s rather difficult to be positive of that.”
Following Frank’s speech, guests will be invited to explore the displays inside. Memorabilia and photo collages from the branch’s entire existence will be set up in the training centre. Also on display will be the post, an ambulance stocked with first aid supplies. The vehicle serves as the branch’s mobile supply centre at events throughout the year.
St. John Ambulance is instrumental in providing first aid services at events around the community, as well as providing first aid training from classrooms in its Townsite location. The organization currently has four teachers in Powell River, offering courses from level one up to level three.
“We’re not the only training agency, but we’re the oldest, we’re the largest, and we’re probably one of the best ones,” said Farrell-Sketchley. “Our standards are basically international. We go beyond Canada; we go worldwide.”
St. John Ambulance originally began with brigades, but the organization started selling first aid supplies in recent years to help offset training and building costs. “Any profit made from kits and courses goes directly back into the brigade. St. John Ambulance is the oldest not-for-profit organization in the world,” she said.
“A lot of young people especially like taking a look around the post and seeing what’s inside it,” said Farrell-Sketchley. “We’re very lucky that we have something as well equipped as that. A lot of times, some brigades don’t even have a vehicle.”
Farrell-Sketchley said she considers the branch very lucky to have the facilities it does, crediting former constable Wayne Mossman for securing the chapter’s current location. “When the fire hall moved out of here, he nabbed the building and turned it into a training centre,” she said.
She also added that volunteer Art Van der Est was instrumental in preserving the organization until it could move into its permanent home. “Until we got the centre, he would teach in schools and he even taught small classes out of his house sometimes.
“He had a camper and he would equip it and go to all of the ball tournaments and overnight events,” she said.
Rumley echoed this praise, also giving credit to Clarence Dalzell. “It was those key people that kept St. John’s going until we got the structure and training centre,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them, it may have died and just fizzled out.”
She commended Farrell-Sketchley for her years of service as well, including her recent work organizing this event. “She’s everything that St. John Ambulance stands for,” Rumley said. “She’s it, because she is a volunteer, she is an instructor, and she’s also a serving sister of the order. How much more would you want?”
While many important volunteers have come and gone at the Powell River branch of St. John Ambulance, the very first was A.W. Clapp. Saturday’s ceremony is centred around his contributions. Frank said the event would be somewhat of a family reunion for the Clapp family as relatives from as far away as Toronto will be in attendance.
Interested readers are invited to join Frank, his family, and St. John Ambulance volunteers at the 100th anniversary open house at 5907 Arbutus Avenue. For more information, readers can contact the branch at 604.483.2250.
