If early newspaper coverage is any indication, no other annual event has galvanized the community — and generated headlines — in the way that May Day has.
With New Westminster's 153rd May Day celebration approaching, we decided to dip into newspapers past to see what was being said about May Day in history.
The vast amount of coverage we discovered makes it clear that a comprehensive overview of May Day history would be the task for a full-length book. But a sampling of news stories from past community newspapers provides some interesting glimpses into this Royal City tradition.
Mainland Guardian: May 3, 1884
From the arrival of the queen's carriage to the grand ball in the evening, it was clear that May Day was every inch a royal occasion. The new May Queen, Miss Mamie Wise, received her crown of flowers from her predecessor with these words, as quoted in the Mainland Guardian:
"Sweet sister Queen: I receive the crown at your hands with due humility, and hope to perform my duties so that my subjects may regard me with affection. Although new to the position I am inspired by the wish to emulate you and bring my reign to the same happy conclusion. My faithful guards have always distinguished themselves in the performance of good works, and I am sure will aid me in making this a happy May-Day. To my loving subjects at my period of life I look for help, and I now command that nothing but kindness and love be observable on the faces of those present. We do honor to the bright May-Day by gladness and mirth, and hail the approach of summer with smiles. Hyacks, lead the way to the May-pole that my subjects may join the revels."
New Westminster Daily News: May 7, 1910
It just doesn't get any better than this giant headline in this edition of the New Westminster Daily News some 113 years ago this week.
"CORONATION OF MAY QUEEN PERFORMED BEFORE VAST THRONG," the paper trumpeted, as Mary Keary was crowned the 40th sovereign in the city.
Mary was joined by maids of honor Noel Armstrong, Mary Malins, Jean Runcie and Mabel Atherton as thousands of local children took part in the fun, according to the paper — including the "scores of pretty little girls" who performed the maypole dance.
In Mary's speech as May Queen, she shared her pride and gratitude at being chosen.
"I sincerely hope to be worthy of the long line of queens who year after year have been crowned from this throne, first erected in 1870," her speech read, in part. "She who was acclaimed as queen that day could hardly have dreamed that today, forty years later, those who in this city would do honor to the Queen of May would be so many. And I look around today on the happy, happy faces of my loyal subjects, I am inspired to be in thought and work and deed a very queen among you."
New Westminster News: May 2, 1914
Another bold banner headline greeted readers 109 years ago this week: "QUEEN EVA GREETED BY LOYAL SUBJECTS."
The writer of the subheads that day could barely contain the excitement: "Greatest May Day celebration ever held in history of the city — thousands from near and far attend the exercises and witness the crowning of the May Queen — splendid street parade."
Eva Atkinson was crowned May Queen, and every school in the city was represented in the folk and Maypole dancing. Fred W. Howay School took first prize in the folk dancing, and Queensboro School captured first (and the Judge Howay banner) in the Maypole dancing.
The May Day proceedings wound up with a grand ball at the agricultural building in Queen's Park.
"From 10:15 to an hour past mid night the hall was crowded, the National Anthem winding up what was undoubtedly the most enjoyable May Day ever celebrated in the Royal City," the News reported.
May Day tradition lives on: 2023 event set for May 27
The New Westminster May Day Community Association is bringing the revelry back to Queen's Park Stadium on Saturday, May 27 — the 153rd celebration in the city's history, and undoubtedly a subject for community newspaper coverage in 2023. Stay tuned.
New Westminster is a city full of history — and that history includes a variety of community newspapers over its many decades.
In this weekly series, we're taking a look back at the headlines from some of those newspapers, shining a spotlight each week on a notable news story, person or moment from this week in New West history.
Watch for it online every Thursday.
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Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
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