Henry John Cambie
Encyclopedia
Henry John Cambie was a Canadian surveyor
, civil engineer
, and a notable figure in the completion of that country's transcontinental railway. He was also a notable pioneer resident of Vancouver.
Cambie was educated in England
, and emigrated to the Province of Canada
as a youth, where he learned to be a surveyor. In 1852, he found employment with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, moving to the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR) seven years later. With the Confederation
of Canada in 1867, the CPR was contracted to build a transcontinental railway, which would link the new country and the adjacent colonies and territories of British North America
. With the expansion of the railway into British Columbia, Cambie found himself as the chief surveyor for the CPR in the province. In this capacity, Cambie argued for a route through the Fraser Canyon
, terminating at the small logging community of Granville on Burrard Inlet
. He was convinced of the superiority of this route over the alternatives of Howe Sound
and Bute Inlet
after a trip down the canyon to Granville in 1874.
Cambie's views prevailed, and in 1876, he was made chief surveyor of the CPR's Pacific Division, a position he would hold for the next four years, following which he was promoted to chief engineer. His work completed, in 1887 Cambie settled in Vancouver
, which had been incorporated as the successor to Granville the previous year. As he recalled in a later interview:
The area
of which Cambie spoke is now located near the centre of downtown Vancouver, in one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the country, and the site of Cambie's home is now the location of Vancouver's tallest building, the Living Shangri-La
.
Cambie was a prominent citizen of the nascent city, and was an important advocate for the development of its infrastructure. He was also instrumental in building Christ Church Cathedral, the major Anglican church in downtown Vancouver, where he was a key figure for over forty years (a memorial plaque commemorating him can be found inside the church). In this and other developments, Cambie's connections with the CPR — and especially, its president, William Van Horne — were crucial to his success, since the company owned much of the land around Vancouver. Cambie remained employed by the CPR, only retiring in 1921.
Cambie died in Vancouver in 1928 at the age of 91.
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, and a notable figure in the completion of that country's transcontinental railway. He was also a notable pioneer resident of Vancouver.
Cambie was educated in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and emigrated to the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
as a youth, where he learned to be a surveyor. In 1852, he found employment with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, moving to the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) seven years later. With the Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
of Canada in 1867, the CPR was contracted to build a transcontinental railway, which would link the new country and the adjacent colonies and territories of British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
. With the expansion of the railway into British Columbia, Cambie found himself as the chief surveyor for the CPR in the province. In this capacity, Cambie argued for a route through the Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
, terminating at the small logging community of Granville on Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
. He was convinced of the superiority of this route over the alternatives of Howe Sound
Howe Sound
Howe Sound is a roughly triangular sound, actually a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver.-Geography:Howe Sound's mouth at the Strait of Georgia is situated between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. The sound is triangular shaped, open on its southeast towards the...
and Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is 80 km long from its head at the mouths of the Homathko and Southgate Rivers to the continental headlands at its mouth, where it is nearly blocked by Stuart Island, and it averages about 4 km in width...
after a trip down the canyon to Granville in 1874.
Cambie's views prevailed, and in 1876, he was made chief surveyor of the CPR's Pacific Division, a position he would hold for the next four years, following which he was promoted to chief engineer. His work completed, in 1887 Cambie settled in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, which had been incorporated as the successor to Granville the previous year. As he recalled in a later interview:
-
- "In May 1887, much to the amusement of my friends, I went out into the country and purchased two lots at the corner of Georgia and Thurlow streets. I could not, however, induce the city to clear a track so I could reach my property until near the end of that year, when I at once started building and moved out there in 1888. I had to lay the first sidewalk on Georgia at my own expense, as the city would not do it, and when I got the telephone the company dunned me for more than a year to pay for the poles from Granville StreetGranville StreetGranville Street is a major street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and part of Highway 99.-Location:Granville Street runs generally north-south through the centre of Vancouver, passing through several neighbourhoods and commercial areas, differing appreciably in their land value and the...
down to my place, as they told me that no one else in that generation would ever go to live west of Granville Street."
- "In May 1887, much to the amusement of my friends, I went out into the country and purchased two lots at the corner of Georgia and Thurlow streets. I could not, however, induce the city to clear a track so I could reach my property until near the end of that year, when I at once started building and moved out there in 1888. I had to lay the first sidewalk on Georgia at my own expense, as the city would not do it, and when I got the telephone the company dunned me for more than a year to pay for the poles from Granville Street
The area
West End, Vancouver
The West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is on the downtown peninsula neighbouring Stanley Park and the areas of Yaletown, Coal Harbour and the downtown financial and central business districts....
of which Cambie spoke is now located near the centre of downtown Vancouver, in one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the country, and the site of Cambie's home is now the location of Vancouver's tallest building, the Living Shangri-La
Living Shangri-La (Vancouver)
Living Shangri-la is a mixed-use skyscraper in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is the tallest building in both Metro Vancouver and British Columbia. The 62-storey Shangri-La tower contains a 5-star hotel and its offices on the first 15-floors, with condominium apartment units...
.
Cambie was a prominent citizen of the nascent city, and was an important advocate for the development of its infrastructure. He was also instrumental in building Christ Church Cathedral, the major Anglican church in downtown Vancouver, where he was a key figure for over forty years (a memorial plaque commemorating him can be found inside the church). In this and other developments, Cambie's connections with the CPR — and especially, its president, William Van Horne — were crucial to his success, since the company owned much of the land around Vancouver. Cambie remained employed by the CPR, only retiring in 1921.
Cambie died in Vancouver in 1928 at the age of 91.
Legacy
The following are named for him:- Cambie StreetCambie StreetCambie Street is a street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is named for Henry John Cambie, chief surveyor of the Canadian Pacific Railway's western division ....
, a major north-south thoroughfare in Vancouver, as well as the Cambie Street BridgeCambie Street BridgeThe Cambie Bridge is a six-lane symmetric, precast, varying-depth-post tension-box girder bridge spanning False Creek in Vancouver, British Columbia. The current bridge opened in 1985, but is the third bridge at the same location...
. - Cambie Road, a major east-west thoroughfare in Richmond, British ColumbiaRichmond, British ColumbiaRichmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
. - H.J. Cambie Secondary School in Richmond.
- Cambie, a CPR station located just northeast of Sicamous, British ColumbiaSicamous, British ColumbiaSicamous, British Columbia is a town in British Columbia located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway at the Highway 97A junction of Mara Lake and the Shuswap Lake system. It is known as a popular all season tourist destination attracting visitors from throughout Canada and around the world...
.
External links
- Living Stones: A Centennial History of Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1889-1989, by Neale Adams.
- A brief account of Cambie's life from The History of Metropolitan Vancouver.
- Vancouver Courier article on Cambie as a pioneer resident of the city.
- Info. from BC Geographical Names online.