Pictures

This excerpt from the minutes of the Club's first meeting on August 31, 1916 reads: "The first subject under consideration was a name for the club and after considerable discussion and the fact that we would be liable to obtain more assistance from Pt. Grey Municipality than from the City Council, the motion of Mr. Fogg which was seconded by Mr. Grant that the club be called the Jericho Amateur Swimming Club was unanimously carried."

Tennis was first mentioned in the minutes of the board meeting on March 27, 1917 when a motion was approved to form "a Tennis Section amongst the members of the swimming club and that lady members be admitted to tennis on payment of a fee of $2.50 per season." This photo taken in 1917 shows Club members with their wives and children.

In 1925, the Club's by-laws were revised and the name Jericho Tennis Club came into use for the first time. Messrs. Baldwin, Downs, Fogg, Hawkins, & McLindon signed the Club's application for incorporation as a Society in February 1926. The Certificate of Incorporation was issued on February 24, 1926. At the Annual Meeting on March 9, 1926 two extraordinary resolutions were passed, one to "borrow $4000 by issue of debenture bonds", repayable by May 1, 1932, and a second to set aside a sum of $6 (or amount to be decided upon by the directors) from the annual fees of Voting and Lady members for "such period of years as will be required" for repayment of said debenture bonds." This photograph was taken on May 24, 1926 as part of the official opening ceremonies.

This photo, dated May 24, 1926 was part of a series taken by Stuart Thompson for the official opening of the Club. Visible in the foreground is the continuation of Wallace Street which at that time went right through to the beach. It wasn't until 1952 that the City of Vancouver deeded this land to Jericho Tennis Club at no cost, but with the proviso that there would be a public right of way to the beach.

Prior to 1926, the "clubhouse" was a small hut with men's and women's changing rooms and a common room between where members could make tea. The 1926 clubhouse was opened on Monday, May 24, 1926 by Brenton S. Brown, Honorary President, and Point Grey Reeve J.A. Paton, Honorary Vice President. The Vancouver Province described it as, "One of the best of its kind in the city, having been built at a cost of nearly $6000. In addition to the various dressing rooms for ladies and gentlemen and other up-to-the minute accommodation, there is a well equipped lounge with a most attractive pressed brick fireplace." This photograph shows the new clubhouse, which opened onto the tennis courts.

At the Club's annual meeting on October 28, 1959, it was reported that the first stage of the development for a new clubhouse and swimming pool was complete, that a $50,000 loan had been secured, and that additional funding might include a mortgage of $75,000 plus $50,000 from the sale of membership certificates. The construction started In January 1960 and the new clubhouse was opened on June 18, 1960. The swimming pool was opened shortly afterwards on July 9, 1960.

By the 1980's it was clear that the 1960 clubhouse would need to be either renovated or rebuilt. But Club members could not agree on which option to choose. As the 1991's Annual Report stated, Jericho was "a club divided." Finally in June of 1996 members voted to rebuild the clubhouse. The old clubhouse was torn down in September of 1997 and the new clubhouse opened August, 1998.

Two squash courts and a games room were added to the clubhouse in 1962, thus transforming Jericho Tennis Club from a seasonal tennis and swimming club into a year-round facility. Construction started in August and, after some delays, the new squash courts and games room were officially opened on December 1, 1962 at a cost of $36,000.

Indoor winter tennis began at the Jericho Tennis Club in December of 1971 when the first tennis bubble in BC was raised over Courts 1 and 2. The bubble proved so popular that in May of 1972, less than a year after the first installation, members voted to enlarge it by adding an extension panel at a cost of $45,000. The expanded bubble, covering four courts, was installed in October 1973.

The money to build a permanent pier was raised by the members of the Club's Junior and Ladies Committees who organized fundraising dances and bridge teas. The new pier and summer float, built at a cost of $713, became the focus of a new "swimming section," attracting many new members despite the bad economic times of the Great Depression.

Jericho Tennis Club has recognized 15 members who helped build the Club through foresight, dedication and exceptional service. Their work contributed to real change and continues to inspire members to move the Club forward. A display panel recognizing them is located in the Main Lobby of the clubhouse.

The first such member to be recognized was Henry Fogg (pictured here), who was elected Secretary at the founding meeting of the Club in 1917, a position he held until 1930. He is named repeatedly in the Club's records and in newspaper articles for his work in developing the Club's rules, recording meetings, handling correspondence, leading membership and fundraising drives, and representing the Club to other organizations. He alone of the "founding eight" was still a member in 1925, and a year later he was one of five signatories on the 1926 Certificate of Incorporation.

The Club has recognized seven members for their contribution of long and meritorious service. A display panel recognizing them is located just inside the front door of the clubhouse.

The first recipient of this award was Betty Braidwood (pictured here) in recognition of her service from 1960 to 1999. She worked tirelessly for the Club, putting her skill as a professional dietician to use in the kitchen soon after she joined, and later as a member of the Social Committee "in the days when member volunteers did everything." Betty went on to serve nine terms on the Board. When she was elected Jericho's first woman president in 1976, Jack Wasserman reported in the Sun "that a Jericho member had been heard to say that the club was going from racquet to ruin." Betty was an active tennis player and bowler and her lively presence at the Club helped to establish and maintain the atmosphere that made "life in the old clubhouse so much fun."

Recognition will be given to members who have won national tennis championships in the open, junior or senior categories or who are ranked in top 10 in the Open category as recognized by Tennis Canada and/or who have represented Canada in the Davis or Federation Cup.

Many of the Club's champions are no longer members, but John Picken (pictured here) is different. John's parents joined the Club in the 1950's and John became a junior member in the late 1960's. John has won 19 national titles at the junior, open and senior levels in both singles and doubles, has played on Canada's Davis Cup team, and has traveled to over 40 countries to play tennis. Today John is Jericho's Head Tennis Professional. John, his wife and their children are all active participants in tennis and squash as members of the Club today.

Recognition will be given to members who have won national squash championships in any category, singles or doubles, or who have ranked in the top 10 nationally in the open singles categories and/or who have officially represented Canada in an international event such as Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Games, or World Squash Championship.

Jane Cartmel, née Dixon (pictured here), joined the Club in 1968 and has made an extraordinary contribution to squash development at Jericho and to the province. She was named to the Canadian women's team at the 1976 World Squash Championships in Australia. In 1977, Jane won the Canadian and US national softball championships and was selected to play in the Bancroft Open Singles Championships, one of the top 16 women in the world. In 1975, Jane was awarded BCSRA's Jack Larsen Trophy for her "all-round contribution to and the development of squash in BC", the first woman to receive this honour. In 1977, she won the Ernie Rodgers Trophy for the "best record in national and international competition." Returning to squash after the birth of her three children, she took up doubles squash, winning the Canadian National Mixed in 1993 and the Ladies Doubles in 1994, both in the Masters' division.

Gordon (Cokie) Shields is still considered UBC's all-time multi-talented athlete. From 1923 to 1930, he was a campus and national tennis star, a UBC football hero and a top track & field, rugby, soccer and badminton player. He was Jericho Tennis Club champion in 1927 and 1929 and ranked in the top 10 in Canada in 1927 and 1928. The only photo we have of him is this rugby photo from the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. Cokie Shields moved to Timmins, Ontario in the 1930's and died there in 1956 as a result of injuries suffered in a mining accident some 10 years earlier.

Caroline Deacon and Doug Cameron often played together but are shown in this 1936 press clipping with Caroline's photo inset over another one of Doug. This clipping is the only image we have of either player. Caroline was ranked in the top 10 in Canada six times in the 1930's including one year at No. 1. She was national champion in 1934 and played at Wimbledon in 1935 with doubles partner and arch-rival Eleanor Young of Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club. Caroline was a Club member from the mid-1930's to at least 1949 when she was named an honorary director. Doug was Club champion in 1932 and was ranked in the top 10 in Canada four times in the 1930's including one year at No. 1. He was named to the Davis Cup team in 1938 and was on the Jericho Board of Directors from 1934-1937, the last two years serving as Vice-President.