"History isn’t a myth-making discipline, it’s a myth-busting discipline ..."

Sir Richard Evans FBA

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Notes about MacBryer property

About the property on the south side of 96th Avenue between 272nd Street and the cemetery.

The original house was probably built ca. 1920 by carpenter Alexander Thomson MacBryer (or McBryer) for himself, his wife Helen and three sons Alexander Ainslie, George and William.

Alexander Sr., was born in Scotland and migrated in 1910 to Manitoba with his first wife Catherine and their newborn son Alexander Jr.  Catherine died in 1911.

In 1912 Alex Sr. married Helen. In November 1914 Alex Sr. joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The family then lived in Vancouver where son George was born in 1915. Not certain when and where William was born.

After the Fist World War ended the family moved to Whonnock where they lived until 1958 when the couple and son William moved to a place near Gibson. By that time Alexander Jr, and George had moved away. AT drowned near Gibson in 1961. Helen died in 1964 in Vancouver, George died in a plane crash near Alert Bay in 1966. Alex Jr. in Maple Ridge in 1989. William also rests at the Maple Ridge cemetery.