Our History

On September 13, 1903, the Vancouver Stage Employees Branch #1 of the Pacific Northwest Association of Theatrical Stage Employees was organized under the jurisdiction of the IATSE. At a meeting of this Association on April 10, 1904, its members made an application for a charter and forwarded it to New York, enclosing a fee of three dollars. On July 16, 1904, New York granted the charter. The original 14 signatories were: Wm. Dodd, H.W. Russell, A. McDonald, H. Taylor, Jas. J. Barr, J.A. Smith, F. Woodworth, C.M. Prately, F.K. Blackstone, G.G. Robertson, Wm. Seif, Wallace Coff, J. Hood, and H. Spear. (The last four men had to add their names to the charter at the following meeting as they were working during the original meeting.)

A member paid dues of twenty five cents per month in September 13, 1903, although the local increased dues to fifty cents a month only six months later. In the first half of th e century, members worked in the Vancouver Opera House, Empress Theatre, and a number of movie and vaudeville houses: Strand, Capital, Orpheum, and Vogue. Of these theatres, only the Orpheum and Vogue still stand today.

With the one hundredth anniversary of its charter in 2004, Local 118 has been an integral part of Vancouver's performing arts almost since Vancouver's inception. Local 118 has established a tradition of excellence that it will continue as it enters its second century.
 

The venues in which Local 118 works today include:

• The Arts Club Theatre Company's three venues:
  the Granville Island Stage, the New Revue Stage, and The Stanley Theatre.

• The Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

• The Vancouver Civic Theatres

  • The Queen Elizabeth Theatre and the Queen Elizabeth Playhouse.

  • The Orpheum.

• The Richmond Gateway Theatre

• The Pacific National Exhibition

• BC Place

Local 118's clients are a who's who of the Vancouver Arts and Entertainment Scene. In addition to the preceding theatres, we provide skilled technical labour to Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver Playhouse, Ballet BC, Vancouver Recital Society, and scores of visiting productions, such as Mamma Mia and Les Miserables. The Local regularly provides local crew for touring rock productions at the Pacific Coliseum, BC Place and elsewhere. Local 118 was the technical labour supplier for Expo 86, and continues to be the technical labour supplier for the Pacific National Exhibition.
 

History Compiled by Al Baratelli and Martin Elfert