Dugald Campbell Patterson 1860-1931
Pioneer of British Columbia, Civil Engineer, Builder and Author

One of British Columbia’s most prominent citizens, Dugald Campbell Patterson is known in the City of Burnaby as the pioneer who gave the Edmonds District its name. After settling there in 1894, Mr. Patterson served as its first postmaster in 1909, co-founded Central Park, and was elected a school trustee in 1912.

His other legacies include Patterson Avenue, which he originally built as a trail, and a simple wooden platform stop that he constructed on the BC Electric Railway, that today serves thousands of commuters as Patterson SkyTrain Station.

Dugald Campbell Patterson was born in Partick, Scotland on January 2, 1860. His parents were John Murdoch Paterson, of Rutherglen, and Margaret Purdon of Partick. He was educated in Glasgow and became a ship joiner. Upon his arrival in Canada on July 1, 1884, he promptly added a second “t” to the spelling of his last name. Dugald married Frances Mabel Webb in Victoria, BC. See the biography of Frances Mabel (Webb) Patterson.

Dugald Campbell Patterson was employed at Armstrong, Morrison & Company, where he oversaw the building of the Fraser River Bridge at New Westminster. Shortly thereafter, in 1903, he established Vulcan Iron Works of New Westminster, a business that grew to become one of the most important operations of its kind on the Canadian Coast. After leaving this business to his eldest son, Charles Bruce Patterson, Dugald started his own insurance company.

In 1930, as he neared the twilight of his life, Dugald authored and published a book of poetry. Dugald Campbell Patterson died on June 25, 1931 having made many significant contributions to municipal development, industry and the arts.

Biography by Raymond Reitsma, family historian.