Taurus #298 History
The start of the Taurus Club – Unit #298 began with Ray Slattery when he was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in the early part of 1946. He raised $25 and when the first 25 members signed up, they settled on the name.
Army, Navy and Air Force (ANAF) Veterans’ Club
The start of the Taurus Club – Unit #298 began with Ray Slattery when he was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in the early part of 1946. At the time, he had obtained leave from the RCAF prior to his discharge from same and was beginning his return to the Vancouver Police force.
It was reported that on his way home one day, he stopped at ANAF Veterans Unit #68 at 3rd and Main for a beer. While there he thought about starting a club for Vancouver Police members who had been discharged from the military. He made several enquiries but received little information. He subsequently joined Unit #68 and later met George Stiles. They both became interested in starting a club for police.
In 1947, while Ray was still with Unit #68, he was invited to attend a ANAF Veterans Convention. While there, he questioned the process to start a new club. It required 25 members, would cost $25 and a name would be required. Upon returning to Vancouver and with the help of George, they set up a table at the Morgue (today’s Police Museum) and sought applications for membership.
With the first 25 members signed up, and having raised the requisite $25, Ray thought about a name. His zodiacal sign being Taurus, Latin for bull – and police of the time being referred to as bulls – the decision was made!
Upon submission of the proposed constitution and by-laws for the club, it was stated “a member at the time of submitting his (sic) application and being accepted thereof as a member must be an employee of the City of Vancouver under the jurisdiction of the Board of Police Commissioners or a former member of the City of Vancouver Police Force and had to be an ex-service person.”
On May 5, 1948, Taurus Unit #298 was granted their charter with the constitution and by-laws accepted by the ANAF Veterans Dominion Command.
The first meetings were held at Unit #68, which at the time was housed in an old apartment building, and chaired by Comrade Ray Slattery. The next year, Comrade Ian Morrison was elected Chair, and the meetings were moved to Unit #26 (Fraser & 43rd Avenue), until the #298 facility was acquired.
The first home of #298 was an old store on Main Street, where the present club games room is located. Members demolished the store’s interior, but before the renovations started, the debris was set afire (by person[s] unknown), destroying the entire building. After the fire, Jack Diamond (businessman and owner of BC’s largest meat packing firm) and Jack Cornett (Last Reeve of South Vancouver, City Alderman, Park Commissioner and Mayor 1941-1946) loaned the club $7000 to rebuild at its present location.
Sergeant Ray Slattery joined the Vancouver Police on January 2, 1931, and served until January 19, 1965. His service with the RCAF Provost Corps started on April 2, 1941, and he was discharged as a corporal in May 1945. He was president of the ANAF Veterans’ Club – Taurus #298 in 1948.