Building 13 was in a sorry state in 1974. It was already 34 years old, every window of the castle-like structure was smashed and there was no running water aside from when the rain dripped through holes in the roof.
A wrecking ball had already seen to the demise of the other old Royal Canadian Air Force buildings on Jericho Beach, but some dinghy sailors, mostly from the nearby University of British Columbia and Vikings Sailing clubs, thought that, with its sandy beaches where wind was a frequent guest, it would be a perfect place to have an ocean-based recreation centre for naturally-powered craft.
The Jericho Sailing Centre celebrated its 40th anniversary this past Saturday — a day that had its fair share of wind and pouring rain, the latter of which seemed to never touch general manager Mike Cotter in his shorts, sandals and shirt printed with surfboards. Cotter was never in one place too long, dashing about from announcing the bands on the stage to christening one of the new rescue boats used by the Jericho Rescue
Team Program (“With sparking B.C. apple juice. We don’t break the rules here,” he said with a laugh).
Cotter’s favourite story of the day actually had to do with breaking the rules. He pointed to a blue flag with a white symbol waving in the wind. It was one of two flags flown at the Habitat Forum in 1976 at Jericho Beach until two 12-year-old boys scooted up the poles and stole them. Cotter found this out when one of them dropped by the centre 10 years ago to confess and return one of the flags.
“He said, ‘I’m going to keep one for myself but here’s the other, you should have it.’ So this is the first time it’s been hoisted since 1976,” said Cotter.
Thousands launch their paddles and sails at the Jericho Sailing Centre every year; impressive numbers considering only half-a-dozen kayaks were stored there 30 years ago.
Vancouver’s first airport, the Jericho Beach Air Station, once occupied the area nine years before the city bought land at Sea Island to build Vancouver International. Before that, it was home to the Jericho Beach Golf and Country Club which, built in 1892, was the province’s first golf course. Prior to that, it was an old-growth forest that was cleared by businessman Jeremiah Rogers. The cove was known as Jerry’s Cove and, over time, shortened to its current name of “Jericho.”
Forty years after its birth, the Jericho Sailing Centre maintains the goals of its founders: giving people an affordable and accessible way to enjoy the ocean. A single membership is less than $100 for the year and includes such benefits as unlimited launching, a members only lounge, along with change rooms and — one of the most important perks if you’re on and in Canadian waters — “endless hot showers.”
