Mathers’ Vignette

by Mr. A.H. Glenesk, First Principal of
Capilano College

A dream became a reality - a college
which deserved the name "Capilano"! It
was not just the historical significance of
the name, but the continuous striving for
recognition, acceptance, success,
acclaim; and in fact, the impact and the
distinctive role of Capilano College
which captivated my imagination.

Capilano College had its beginnings only
ten years ago. Historically it now claims
a corner in the education of a community
of people on the Lower Mainland of B.C.
Now, only one or two are employed by
the college who were present to move
books out of basement rooms in West
Vaneouver Secondary School when we
registered an overflow of students in
September, 1968. The present College
Council now only has one member who
served during the long hot summer of
1968. The Council thought that the
three School Districts would enrol 400
students in August. Great excitement
and assurance of _ headlines’ were
guaranteed when not 400, 500 or 600 but
746 students registered. Capilano had no
books, no buildings and only one full-time
faculty person - yet it wanted to be
recognized for what it was. Most of all
it wanted to be accepted - accepted by
the academic community of B.C.
Success was never a problem but working
at it has always been a challenge.
Striving for success as a college has been
continuous.

No one ever doubted that success by
whatever definition is used was just
around the corner. The dream for land
and buildings, for dollars and for quality
programs were seen to be like the
proverbial "hare" in next year's budget,
in next year's capacity to succeed, in the

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eapability of the Ministry or the Council
to produce, or the Administration, or the
Faculty or the Support staff to support.

The honeymoon was soon over! Acclaim
of students and their ability to perform
academically and in the work force soon
made the college what it is today. Of
course it can be argued that everyone
had a part - and indeed they did.

I remember the traffic problems on
Mathers, the neighbours complaining at
my door about the loud music at the
College dances, the fire marshall trying
to contain himself as we erected not one
or two but nine separate buildings on the
Mathers Site. I remember the police
coming and going at all hours of the
night and weekends too as alarms were
set off and as personnel traded keys
which unlocked just about every door
around West Vancouver’ Secondary
School. Iremember the secondary school
students tripping in to try out our
cigarette machine, and the pot-smoking
joints one could smell up and down the
corridors.

I recall the break-ins and problem-
related mix-ups of equipment shared by
the Secondary School and in the College.

The College was almost too successful.
We had to find land - but at $100,000 an
acre in 1972, who wanted us. We were
seen by some as a Rah-Rah College, by
others as a "tax shelter" institution
bringing no relief to overburdened
residential properties on the North Shore
and Howe Sound. Then there were the
traffie patterns to be considered. "No
way!" said some to using Capilano Road
as a College freeway. Seventy-five
acres adjacent to Nancy Green Way was
out of the question! We thought the
solution was near when we discovered
the Queen Elizabeth was available for