In the late 1940s, Deep Cove played host to a lot of regattas and speed boat races.
Wilfred Fawcett was a teen at the time and often made the trek from his home in Vancouver to watch the action on the water.
He also regularly attended the Saturday night dances held at a local hall. They played swing music, including Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Fawcett was a fan.
An amateur musician at the time, he went on to play clarinet semi professionally, but gave it up to get a steady gig as an insurance salesman to support his family.
Deep Cove became part of his official sales territory, which started at Grand Boulevard. After years of working and playing in Deep Cove, Wilfred moved to the area with his wife Marge and their two kids in 1970. Their Cove Cliff home cost $60,000. The house was 10 years old when they moved in, and although it seems low relative to today’s house prices, it was not cheap for the time.
“Deep Cove in those days was (made up of) little settlements. There was a settlement around Panorama, then there was Cove Cliff, CliffMont, Strathcona, and the new sub-division in the Dollarton area,” recalls Wilfred. “The beach houses weren’t all that favoured because it took a lot to keep them up because of the shoreline, it was quite difficult. Now those lots are worth about $2 million.”
The family enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities. “In my earlier days as a youth I used to hike and ski all over Seymour. It was just a lovely place,” says Wilfred.
As teens, his kids would row over to Belcarra and sometimes party with their friends on a nearby little island.
“The provincial police in those days would yell to the kids to get off the island and the kids would just laugh at them. They finally got the marine unit out there and the kids just scattered,” recalls Wilfred with a laugh. “They weren’t hurting anyone. There was no vandalism.”
Now 85, Wilfred lives at Cedar Springs retirement residence, and is a member of the Deep Cove Old Time Jazz Band. His wife is at Evergreen and he visits her often.
When asked what his favourite part of living in Deep Cove has been he answers quickly: “I think it was the people. It was just a lovely place to raise a family. It was just great.”
