Call it 'Capilano'... an obvious and most-fitting name for the new course and club.

In a CNR telegram sent from Toronto on January 6, 1936, and addressed to British Pacific Properties manager John Anderson, A.J.T. Taylor wrote:

“CONSIDERING NAME CAPILANO GOLF CLUB ADVISE WHETHER ACCEPTABLE STOP INSTRUCT (Company director) DARLING PREPARE TRANSFER GOLF COURSE TO SEPARATE COMPANY TO BE INCORPORATED WHO WILL THEN ISSUE ORDINARY SHARES TO PROPERTIES DEBENTURES TO OTHERS WHEN NECESSARY.”

This was the first time ‘Capilano’ had been suggested as the name of the new golf course. Subsequent correspondence reveals Anderson was not impressed with the name. However, after being advised by Taylor to have the name ‘Capilano Golf Club’ registered, Anderson demurred. In a night telegram to London, he wrote:

“REGISTRAR HAS RESERVED NAME CAPILANO CLUB FOR FORTY DAYS STOP AM DOUBTFUL ADVISABILITY USING THAT NAME AS IT HAS TOO MUCH LOCAL AND COMMON FLAVOUR STOP WILL THINK OF OTHER SUGGESTIONS.”

This was followed immediately by a letter to London:

“Dear Mr. Taylor:
Darling has reserved the above name (Capilano) with the registrar for forty days. However, I am doubtful of the advisability of using that name as it is associated with too many other things here, such as Capilano Suspension Bridge and Picnic Grounds, Capilano beer, Capilano Road and a host of other names and I don’t think the name is good enough for a golf course that will be one of the finest in Canada. I will send you some suggestions.
Yours sincerely,
John Anderson”

The British Pacific Properties’ manager followed this with another letter asking that the name ‘Hollyburn Heights’ be considered for the Properties’ land and ‘Hollyburn Golf and Country Club’ for the golf course.

There is no record of a reply from Taylor for either of these rather plaintive missives, but there is ample evidence of how this difference of opinion was resolved. Taylor’s will was done, as so often was the case, and it was left to posterity to judge whether or not ‘Capilano Golf and Country Club’ has too much local and common flavour for those who patronize it.