Their filing skills may have been lacking, but they were reportedly pretty good at catching mice
While thousands of men and women worked around the clock at the Burrard Dry Dock during the Second World War, so too did the yard’s cats.
It all started when a tabby named Wally was given a bed in the Women’s Building after being brought in to catch mice. She had several kittens, including Vickie (named for the Victory Ships the yard famously produced) and Minnie La Pointe (named for La Pointe Pier Yard).
The exploits of the cats, like the two shown here helping with office filing, are documented in small vignettes throughout the company’s wartime newsletter, the Wallace Shipbuilder.
Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to plan your visit to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards.
Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver, at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley, is open for drop-ins on Tuesday and by appointment Monday and Wednesday-Friday, 12:30-4 p.m. Contact: [email protected]
Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.