Michael Wakeling has just won a four-pack of tickets to next week’s BC Lions clash with the Edmonton Eskimos after he sent The News this trivia question about his city:
Why is there a “Road” in Richmond named after General Currie (and also a school district and neighbourhood park)?
“In 1919, when the first General Currie School was named, Sir Arthur Currie was one of the most famous Canadians alive. He was not from Richmond nor does he seem to have had any connections here, but he was well known. He was born in Ontario and moved to British Columbia, at one time working as a teacher on Vancouver Island. In 1914 when World War I broke out he went to Europe as head of a Canadian battalion, having served in the militia in Victoria. Because of his ability he rose in the ranks to become a Lieutenant-General and the commander of the Canadian Corps. General Currie Road was probably named around the same time as the school, 1919. The park was originally just the 1.5 acres around the original one-room school (still-standing), but in the 1980’s as the City acquired land around this location to expand park space, it retained the original name.
Dan Farrell
Records analyst
City of Richmond Archives
Every week The News will post a reader’s question and find an expert in the community to provide the answer. If you’re question is picked, you may be in line for a set of BC Lions tickets. If you have a trivia question about Richmond, email [email protected] and write “Question of the Week” in the subject line.
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