John McIntyre (1879 – 1937)
Contributed by Townsite Heritage Society 2020
A notable figure that has left a legacy clearly visible in the architecture of Powell River’s Historic District, is the architect John McIntyre. He was a resident architect employed by the Powell River Company and designed the majority of the town’s early public buildings and residences.
John McIntyre was born in Stranraer, Scotland on January 31, 1879. He worked as an architect in Edinburgh and was in charge of the architectural department of the Scottish District War Office. Eventually, McIntyre moved to British Columbia in 1910 and opened an office in Vancouver. His office closed in 1913 due to the economy collapse; he was then in charge of the design and construction department for both Point Grey and Burnaby.
It is in 1915 that he joined the Powell River Company as architect and engineer, working during the War at the hydroelectric installation in Kingcome Inlet, and was also Townsite Manager from 1919 to 1935. Some of John McIntyre’s notable designs in Powell River are the houses on Manager’s Row, Dwight Hall, the original Brooks School, Memorial Park, the Sally Scanlon Lodge and the Bank of Montreal (some of which are no longer standing). He also designed the numerous residential buildings creating what is known as the “New Town."
One of John McIntyre’s greatest accomplishments was designing Dwight Hall; a lavish ballroom with a sprung dance floor and community performance venue. At the time, some said that Dwight Hall was the most beautiful small-town community hall in the province.
As an individual, John was outgoing, charming and hospitable; he was actually known as “Mr. Powell River” and was elected Powell River’s first Good Citizen in 1944. John retired from the Company in 1952 and was quite ill until he passed away on June 21, 1957, at the age of 78, in Powell River.