In December 1894, Thomas John and Sarah Belle Cook were preparing to celebrate their first Christmas in Sechelt. Sarah was waiting for much needed supplies, ordered from Vancouver, to arrive on the S.S. Comox which sailed three times a week to the Sunshine Coast. There was no wharf yet in Sechelt, and supplies were unloaded onto small boats that were rowed out to the Comox. Due to bad weather, the ship could not stop at Sechelt on the way north nor on the return trip, and it was not until the second return trip on Christmas Eve that she was able to unload supplies.
The Cooks had invited the bachelors in the area to Christmas dinner, so Sarah immediately started her Christmas baking, and the kitchen became so warm she opened the door to let in some fresh air. The delicious smells attracted an unwelcome visitor into the kitchen, a skunk, and Sarah called to Thomas to come and deal with the problem; he did so by shooting it in the kitchen.
The smell was so great they had to throw out all the baking and even remove the doors of the kitchen cupboards to get rid of the smell. In true pioneer spirit Sarah set to and again baked her festive goodies; Christmas dinner was served on time the next day and a good time was had by all despite the lingering odour.
In 1912, Sechelt had a wharf, a school and a hotel and Herbert Whitaker, the hotel owner, sent out his annual Christmas party invitations to Sechelt residents. Vases of narcissi were placed on the dining room tables and the room was lit by overhead gas lamps. The flowers were brought from Vancouver along with another seasonal treat – boxes of mandarin oranges, which cost 35 cents a box in 1912.
The school pupils gave a concert in the hotel sitting room and received presents from Santa, provided by residents’ and loggers’ donations. The evening continued with a dance for parents and pupils.
– Submitted by Ann Watson, Sechelt Community Archives
