B13: Aliceville Traditional Cache

John A. Webster was one of New Westminster’s pioneer merchants, a director of the Canada Southern Railway; promoter of the Central Park tramline (now the Skytrain Expo line), and a large land-owner in and around New Westminster. He also owned property in Gastown when Gassy Jack was still pouring drinks.  Webster's Mews is named after John Webster.

In 1874 Webster received a crown grant of 160 acres of land on the eastern side of the North Road beside Burrard Inlet. This was a beauty spot.  Giant maples threw shade over a wide green sward and the fresh tang of the evergreen forest which hemmed in the open clearing at the end of the road mingled with the salt sea breezes. In the centre of it all was a pleasant, sandy beach with calm tides. It was a perfect spot for yachting and swimming under conditions that excluded the general public.  Isolated yet close at hand from the city, it was natural that here many picnic parties should enjoy the leisure in a pleasing contrast to the turbid and swirling Fraser river beside New Westminster. 

Mr. Webster, the opulent landowner, built a hotel to house his guests. A second hotel appeared on the west side of North Road. Its owner was John Johnston of New Westminster.  The Lower Mainland's first resort community for the rich was born. 

Families came to spend months at a time, guests at either of the up-to-date hotels or to camp in the individual cabins along the shore.  Webster's youngest daughter, Alice, quickly became the belle of the camp.  

Mrs. Webster decided that a railway station was desirable for the yet unnamed spot and, Mr. Webster took his daughter when he called on his old acquaintance, H.H. Abbott, the railway superintendent to ask the favour. Abbott agreed that while local traffic might not warrant the stopping of the transcontinental express, a flag station was not out of place.  When asked if he had a preference on the name of the whistle stop, Mr. Webster picked up his daughter and asked that it be named after her.  Aliceville became the chosen name of the resort.

The photos above depict Alice and older sister Madeliene on the pier down the hill from the Johnsonville Hotel. The second is a portrait of Alice taken in 1889.  The photo below shows the population of Aliceville during its heyday when Aliceville was on the map.

Aliceville didn't last long. The train traffic became extreme and loud. The tracks themselves cut through much of the pristine forest and beach. This was not conducive to quiet, resort vacations.  By the 1940s, the entire community was abandoned and demolished. There is nothing left of Aliceville with the exception of the remains of a few flower gardens.  

The Trans Canada Trail now runs through the back yards of the two hotels. The cache is along the trail.  There is no need to bushwhack or to pick through ivy.

The only legal parking is located at the Reed Point Marina. Parking is $3 an hour which should be long enough to find the cache. Please note that Suncor Energy Rd to the west is a private road.

Enjoy your walk.