In 1936, the Jubilee Fountain was installed in the Lost Lagoon to commemorate the city’s 100th anniversary. It was purchased from the 1934 World Fair in Chicago, which called great controversy due to the price tag of $33, 000 in the midst of the Great Depression. However, the mayor was persistent and the lake was drained temporarily to erect the landmark. Chief Electrical Engineer, Robert Harold Williams with Hume and Rumble Ltd. electrical contractors personally supervised the work. Seventy piles were driven into the mud and a concrete mat was laid on that. The fountain was built upon this mat. The construction was rushed and completed within a month. All the material was used and all special equipment were built. Also, other than the equipment being built in Canada, the pumps were constructed in Vancouver and union labourers were employed. The landmark also coincided with the city’s Golden Jubilee anniversary celebrations in 1936, and gave the mayor “a miracle of engineering”.
written and posted by Z.T
Mayor McGeer, the mayor that pushed the landmark's completion.