A New Westminster residential block during the
1940s, 50s and 60s, it seems to us, would be a relatively stable community. We think
it would be one where, because most people tended to stay put for years and
years, a community would have formed. Such communities, even when their members
with the passage of time disperse, continue to have a sort of “neighbourhood
memory” of events that were, by their nature, unusual or surprising. In our
research into the MacLauchlan Murders, we are hoping to access what remains of that
“neighbourhood memory.”
In 1966 the residents of the 900 Block of Fifth
Street in New Westminster would be such a community and we believe there is a neighbourhood
memory remaining. All the residents of the 900 Block, having been closer or
more distant neighbours of Dr Robert Henry and Margaret Anne “Nan” MacLauchlan who
had lived at 912 Fifth Street before they had been killed, were representative
of New Westminster as it was then – a compact, rather heterogeneous city so far
as occupations were concerned.
Of the 21 occupied residences listed in the 1966
City Directory, 14 were headed by what might be described as the managerial or
professional class. These residents included J W Burns (a manager at the BC Distillery, who with his wife
Margaret, resided at 901), G D Grant
(a manager at Allan Knight Mfg and his wife Helen living at 902), Dr Derek Watson (a UBC professor with his
wife Gladys at 905), M A Renton (a
psych nurse at 916), Dave Mercer (a
police officer and his wife Doris at 919), Peter
Meehan (Deputy Chief of Police at 921), K O Macgowan (a Vice President and Director at W M Mercer Ltd, with
his wife Audrey at 922), Dr E F Weir
(a physician and his wife Juanita at 923), J
E Hanna (a teacher and his wife Cathy at 930), R G D Hawes (another teacher and his wife Claire at 931), W H Main (proprietor of the Click Shop
and his wife Lucy at 932), H D L Mercer
(Burnaby’s Deputy Assessor and his wife Margaret at 933), J A Rines (President of Rines Agencies and his wife Shirley at 937),
and L F McQuarrie (a master mariner
and his wife at 939).
The remaining seven occupied residences in the 900
Block were the homes of people working as clerks or trades people, and included
John Reid (a CPR pipefitter and his
wife Nancy at 906), D A T Cooper (a
projectionist and his wife Violet at 907), Ken
Vogt (a parcel clerk at Woodwards and his wife Donna at 910), Gottleib Lippert (a mechanic and his
wife Daisy at 915), R L Guppy
(occupation unlisted, however his daughter Rosiland topped the RCH nursing
class in 1968; at 917), R N Lee
(occupation unlisted, at 920), and Angus
MacLean (likely retired, at 936)
Two residences were vacant – 912 and 925. The first,
of course, had been where the MacLauchlans lived; the second has no information
attached to it.
To a degree we have already accessed some parts of
the “neighbourhood memory,” mentioned above. From a descendant of one of the
very close neighbours of the MacLauchlans, we have already received information
about the couple. The source’s parents lived right next door and had a ringside
view of the events of December 22, 1965 when the couple’s home was raided by a
swarm of police, and the MacLauchlans were charged with trafficking. This
informant went on to write us a letter in which she described how previously
her father had watched for at least several weeks how the doctor would take a
daily stroll down the street, circle the block and, in the alley, meet a man. A
package would be exchanged and each person would continue on his way.
We believe that are other people out there, former
residents of the 900 Block of Fifth Street or their descendants, who may have
similar or corroborating tales. We would very much like to hear from you. Feel
free to make use of our contact information provided on the home page of this
website.
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