The History of the
Lynn Valley School Bell
The Lynn Valley School Bell rang 4 times a day
for 5 days each week from 1912
until c.1955, a total of 43 years sounding a
clear tone heard all over Lynn Valley.
This steel bell came from a CPR steam locomotive
wrecked in the Vancouver Freight Yard
and was placed on the roof of the third
Lynn Valley School in 1912 and
the fourth school from 1920 to c1950.
During that time the bell was pulled off the roof
and smashed by 4 local boys as a Halloween prank.
The bell was welded at Wallace’s Shipyard and
returned to the school cupola.
It was later removed and placed on top of the
Memorial Cairn now located in
Pioneer Square, Lynn Valley.
Vandals succeeded in removing the bell and
buried it in a bank at Lynn Canyon.
It was rescued unheralded by the Parks Department
in 1999 and taken into custody by the RCMP.
It was kindly restored by them before officially handing
over the bell on September 13, 1999.
