MAD HATTER

 

 

DOUGLAS COLLEGE
MAKES HISTORY

The Douglas College region got a very
special Christmas present this year,
namely the. publication of FRASER
PORT - GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC.

In a gala presentation attended by the
mayors of New Westminster and the
surrounding communities, the first
history book of Canada's greatest river
gateway to the Pacific was launched.

Jacqueline Gresko, editor in chief of
FRASER PORT, and history instructor
at Douglas College, initiated the
project six years ago when she had
students research the Fraser River
Harbour commission's archives. It
soon became apparent that enough
unpublished material was available to
warrant a complete history of the New
Westminster port. The College Board
and the Harbour Commission agreed
fo support the project and thus, two
students, Janet Mill of Douglas College
and Mary Vandermoor of Kwantlen
College found themselves employed
as local historians for the summer. The
book, edited by Jacqueline Gresko
with the assistance of Richard Ho-
ward, is the first history ever published
on any British Columbian Harbour.

FRASER PORT covers the eras of
1858, when gold was first discovered
on the Fraser, through to 1985, by
which time the Port was estimated to
generate more than $5 billion in
economic activity for British Columbia
every year.

Gresko says she feels the most im-
portant research generated by the
project concerned the 1920's and 30's.
“Many people active in this era are still
alive. By interviewing them we were
able to record and preserve much his-
tory that would otherwise be lost for-
ever.”

Gresko, who grew up near the Fraser,
became interested in local history
when, as a highschool student, she
took part in a centennial project to

 

research the origin’s of her Fraser Port
community. Now more than twenty
years later, together with her own
student’s she has compiled a complete
history of Fraser Port, the life blood of
the communities which make up the
Douglas College region.

CREATIVE WRITING
EXPANDS IN SUBURBS

Writers in the suburbs are no longer
feeling isolated and dependent on the
Vancouver core for resources, con-
tacts and creative inspiration. Douglas
College is becoming known as the
lower mainland centre for creative
writing activities.

The recent growth and popularity of
Douglas College creative writing
courses are bringing experienced and
beginning writers out of the woodwork.
Workshops, seminars, poetry and fic-
tion readings, and a one-week writer-
in-residence program offer develop-
ing writers a variety of opportunities fo
get feedback on their work, develop
their skills and knowledge in specific
genres, and make contacts with pub-
lished writers.

Community programmer Lillian
Zimmerman, who organizes speci-
alized non-credit courses in the Crea-
tive Writing and Media Arts field for
Douglas College, says she find the
demand is growing for creative writing
courses.

“The creativity in this area is really
burgeoning,” says Zimmerman.
“There is extraordinary writing talent in
New Westminster, Coquitlam, Maple
Ridge, Burnaby and several of the
other communities in the region, and
many of these people are getting pub-
lished. Newer writers are simply eating
up our courses.”

Zimmerman says Vancouver
residents are also starting to notice the
calibre and quantity of creative writing

 

opportunities at Douglas College, and
many are now making their way out to
the College.

“With the SkyTrain making the trip to
Douglas College only twenty minutes,
which is closer than either UBC or
SFU, along with the range of writing
programs we offer, people in
Vancouver are seeing us as d great
alternative,” says Zimmerman.

Some of the courses will include
“Getting Started: Keeping Going’,
“Using Your Family as a Resource in
Writing’, “Science Fiction and
Fantasy”, “Writing for Children’,
“Shapes of the Short Story” and
“Writing the Romance Novel’.

New courses in the Media Arts field in-
troduce people with writing interest to
“Film and TV Scriptwriting”, “Creating

Television Commercials” and
‘Videopoems: Visualizations — of
Poetry”.

For more information on these or any
other creative writing or media arts
courses, contact Community
Programs and Services.

CAREER PLANNING

Employment can be an_ elusive
commodity - especially if people have
unclear career goals, lack work ex-
perience or are unsure of their stren-
gths and skills. This spring, Douglas
College will help many people find a
career to suit their needs.

Courses in Career Explorations are
being expanded in 1987, helping
people determine where to benefit
from their experience both in and out of
the work place.

Normally only three courses of either
Career Explorations or Career Plan-
ning are offered, but this year special
funding was received from the Expo
Legacy Fund and more classes are
being added.

continued