Gregory, Percy Walter “P.W.”

Percy Walter Gregory “P.W.” was born June 8, 1881 in London, England. He married Mary (Mollie) Freeman in Merritt on December 24, 1911. At the time of their marriage, they were both living in Princeton. He died on June 12, 1953 in the Princeton General Hospital.

He came to Princeton from Merritt in 1908. He opened his office here in April 1914. He was a land surveyor and civil engineer. He laid out the town of Tulameen in 1914.

The first time his name appears in the Similkameen Star is on January 26, 1917. He was advertising his services as a surveyor (of land and mineral claims, underground claims, etc.). He was a civil engineer as well as an insurance agent. He was also the agent for the Allison Subdivision (1917) and the Princeton Properties Ltd. (1930). He was an agent for the Blue Flame Collieries Ltd. (1930). It appears he was also acting as a property manager in July 1930.

His brother-in-law, Wilfred Freeman, worked for him as an assistant and cartographer. Percy Gregory retired in September 1952.

He had mining properties, including at Copper Mountain. He held a Free Miner’s Certificate (No.96285B) . He served on several boards and committees: chairman of the Mines and Mineral Committee (1912); secretary of the Princeton Board of Trade (temporary) 1915; president of the Board of Trade (1931) (and offered his office as a meeting place); chairman (1941) of Princeton and District Citizen’s Committee (Victory War Loan); president (1941) of the Princeton Branch of the Canadian Red Cross; director of Princeton Light and Power Co. from 1931 to 1952. He met with the Allison Flats group in 1950, and from this, emerged the Princeton Ratepayers Association.

He also played badminton.