Zaharoff, Victor “Vic”

From connections and dates (but no proof), it appears that Victor Zaharoff was the son of William Zaharoff (an electrician at Allenby and Hedley). If this supposition is correct, then the Zaharoff family was living in Coalmont in 1921 and had a child (girl) in December 1921.

In 1924, Victor Zaharoff was in Grade 3 at Hedley School.

His father(?) was killed in an industrial accident (see: Zaharoff, William) in Hedley and it appears the family moved to New Westminster to be closer to family.

The Princeton Star reported, in July 1935, that Victor Zaharoff had arrived from Vancouver as an assistant to S.M. Nechiefman, who was an electrician and contractor in Princeton at that time.

Zaharoff was still living in Princeton in March 1939 when he completed the electrical installations at the Capitol Theatre during the renovations as the theatre.

On April 20, 1939, the first of many advertisements (April 1939-November 1940) appeared in the Similkameen Star: “Vic Zaharoff Estimates Free – Guaranteed Satisfaction Wiring Electrical Repairs Fixtures.” Interestingly, in his June 6, 1940 advertisement, he added: “I wish to bring to the attention of the public I have no business connections of any kind with S.M. Nechiefman.”

Vic Zaharoff won the contract to erect a power line in Westbank, BC, in September 1940, a 50 kilowatt diesel powered electrical unit. Until this time, Westbank had no electricity.

David Neon Ltd. (owned by Victor David) of Vancouver, BC, appointed Victor Zaharoff as the “District Sales and Service Representative for Neon Out Door Advertising” in November 1940.

In January 1941, he donated $10.00 to the Spitfire Fund in Princeton but by May 29, he was described in the Similkameen Star as being “of Vancouver” and having been a former “local electrician.”

He had a Similkameen Star subscription, March 1942. Address: Princeton.