My Mother, the Captain

The family heritage of The Kitsilano Showboat.

2 minutes 10 seconds

By Barry Leinbach

Barry Leinbach grew up on the stage of The Kitsilano Showboat alongside his mother, Bea. Bea has been known as "The Captain" for almost all of the 40-some years she was the on-stage and behind-the-scenes forced behind this venue for community dancer, singers and musicians. On the stage modeled after the famous movie set, son Barry talks about growing up with The Captain.

The Stairs

A definitive moment in a school staircase.

2 minutes 09 seconds

by Paul Livingston

Paul lived in Kitsilano for the first 10 years of his life. He says this about growing up in Kits in the '60s: "Kits was a beautiful place to live until I was about five. Then, the hippies moved in. The neighborhood became very colourful and noisy. Mixed in with families like mine, were the free-spirted transients. These were exciting times for many. but for me—a conservatively-raised kid—they were turbulent, troublesome times. I went to Henry Hudson Elementary and I was having a rough time of it myself. "Shortly before he and his sister and their family moved to Burnaby, an incident happened that has stayed with him ever since. He visited his old school and brings us inside to re-live the moment with him.

Lulu

A little bit of my wonderful life in Kits

2 minutes 35 seconds

by Linda Milburn

Linda has lived in a baby-blue heritage duplex in Kitsilano for almost 30 years. To her family and close friends, she's Lulu. To a few in the neighbourhood, she's "Two Dog Red."
Her front porch now faces into the alley but at one time, before Cornwall Street was developed, her porch looked out onto Kits Beach.

She takes us from her front porch, to her back garden and out for a walk by her favourite "haunts" with her two long-haired chihuahuas, Rudi and Lucy Mae.