This Week in History, 1920: Teddy Lyons delights kids from the B.C. Electric observation car

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News This Week in History, 1920: Teddy Lyons delights kids from the B.C. Electric observation car The good natured streetcar conductor was a Vancouver favourite for decades Author of the article: By John Mackie Published Sep 12, 2026 Last updated 1 hour ago 4 minute read Join the conversation Sept. 18, 1950. Parting was sad for Teddy Lyons (left) when the skipper of Vancouver's famed B.C. Electric observation car took it for its last run. Since 1909, the red, open-air car has been familiar to the city every summer and in its 40 years carried 1.5 million people. On the last ride were, beside Teddy, Alderman Alex Fisher, Alderman Archie Proctor, and B.C. Electric president, A.E. 'Dal' Grauer. Province photo files PHOTO BY PROVINCE PHOTO FILES Article content When streetcars plied Vancouver streets, one of the most popular tourist attractions was the B.C. Electric observation car. Article content From late May until the end of September, people would clamber aboard the open-air streetcar, which had no roof. Article content Article content You often see panorama photos of people riding in the observation car. The conductors had a deal with photographer Harry Bullens: Early in the ride the observation car would stop in front of his studio, the conductors would point out some feature on a building, they would look up, and Bullens would take their photo. Article content Article content Some stories say the passengers didn’t know their photo was being taken. But they may have — many are smiling toward the camera. By the time they finished their two-hour tour, Bullens had printed photos that were sold as souvenirs. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content There were two conductors on the service, Dick Gardner and Teddy Lyons. Lyons was the famous one, telling jokes and stories about the city through a bullhorn. Article content He interacted with people on the street, and was a huge favourite with Vancouver’s children. Article content On Sept. 12, 1920, The Vancouver Sun published a story by a tourist who took the observation car. They didn’t write about the sights they saw touring the city, they wrote about an “unknown…