Former New Westminster mayor Helen Sparkes remembers growing up on the other side of the Fraser River and coming across the Pattullo Bridge to "town," where the shopping, social events and community services were all found in the Royal City.
In those days, before the Port Mann Bridge was built, New West's downtown was the place to be on weekends, when teens would meet at the roller skating rink and everyone would enjoy the theatres, shopping and social events.
It was at a dance that Sparkes met her husband, Fred Sparkes, who was born and raised in New Westminster, and they've put down deep roots here since getting married in 1960.
The couple bought their first house in the Massey Victory Heights neighbourhood, back when it was known as "Snob Hill" because of the number of doctors, lawyers and other professionals who owned property in the area.
Today, the Sparkes are in their second home in that neighbourhood, on Mott Crescent, which they bought in 1977.
"It's been a good area, and we love it," Sparkes said. "People come over and when they see it they say, 'Oh, what a pretty little street.'" Having young kids when they moved in, Sparkes said the neighbourhood was a great place for youngsters to grow up, and little has changed. Her granddaughter,
Meya, also enjoys visiting and playing with the neighbourhood kids.
"It was a lively street, and it is again now," Sparkes said.
While Fred spent his career as principal at a few different schools - Richard McBride, Lord Tweedsmuir and F.W. Howay - Helen was a junior high school girls' physical education teacher in the Surrey school district before serving as a New Westminster city councillor from 1988 to '96, and then as mayor from '97 to 2002.
The experience with the city was "fantastic," she said.
One of the initiatives she is most proud of in regards to her term in office is in being instrumental in getting the Fraser River Discovery Centre going by securing the building that the centre now occupies.
"I think that's a wonderful asset for the city as well as the river," she said. "It's such a part of our history, I mean, the whole history of New West is based on the river."
Today, the Sparkes enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, three of whom are former Salmonbellies lacrosse players, and continue to enjoy being a part of their community.
Fred is the captain of the Hyack Anvil battery, and Helen has twice fought to keep the 143-yearold local May Day celebrations going.
"There's just so much history in this city," she said.
