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If you use public transit in the Metropolitan Vancouver area, then you’re familiar with The Buzzer. This little publication has been distributed to local transit users for ninety-four uninterrupted years now, making it easily the oldest publication of its kind in North America, maybe even the world.

The Vancouver Historical Society had a delightful evening Thursday, May 27 when Jhenifer Pabillano, who edits The Buzzer and runs a related blog (here), took the audience on a brisk and interesting stroll of the tiny publication from its first issue June 2, 1916 to the present day. That spelling of Jhenifer, by the way, is correct!

She brought along a stack of bound copies of back issues, a treasure trove for transit buffs. There are some gaps, but even so they provided a really interesting glimpse into one corner of our past. At one point the publication even included movie micro-reviews by Clyde Gilmour, whom long-time CBC Radio listeners will fondly recall.

And there were jokes: MOTHER: I sent my boy for two pounds of plums, and he came home with just a pound-and-a-half! Have you checked your scales? GROCER: My scales are fine. Have you checked your boy?

The first issue of The Buzzer didn’t have a name, and a prize of $30 (in 1916 dollars, remember) was offered for the best one. Of the mountain of entries that came in, eleven suggested the present title. The prize was divided among the eleven: $2.73 each.

Part of the charm of the publication for many years was the cartoon work of Bob Banks (example above). He walked into the offices of the B.C. Electric Railway one day in 1954 and said, “I want to do cartoons for The Buzzer.” And they said, “O.K.” His art enlivened the little paper for twenty-two years. Bob died in May of last year, at 86.

They print 60,000 copies every month. Those ninety-four years of back issues are a genuine treasure trove of transit and other local news. Someone suggested they’d make a great book!

Labels: HISTORY, MEDIA, TRANSPORTATION, URBAN SCENE

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Anonymous user said:

jhenifer_pabillano said...

Chuck! I'm so glad you enjoyed the talk and so glad I got to meet you at the meeting! (Hello to you too Daniel: I know you've posted this on behalf of Chuck!)

In case you (and others) are interested, the first issue of the Buzzer can be seen and downloaded here:
http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2008/12/a-holiday-gift-from-me-to-you-the-very-first-buzzer/

One tiny correction though: the prize for the name was actually just $2 for each participant. Here's a really poor photocopy of the second Buzzer issue (it's all we have), which shows the prize allocation and lists the names (and addresses) of all the winners:
http://buzzer.translink.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/1916_07_14.pdf

Also, you can rifle through the Buzzer archives online if you like. Just have a look at the top right hand corner of our Buzzer downloads page on the TransLink website: the issues go back to 1960 thus far (more are being added!).
http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Print-Buzzer.aspx

It was wonderful speaking with the Society. I learned just as much as you did (the fame of Reddy Kilowatt comes to mind :)

Jhenifer

Apr 10, 2011 at 7:26pm