Nettie Robertson

Q's: Nettie's full name? Did she have brothers and/or sisters?

Nettie Robertson was one of the oldest resident daughters of Cumberland. Her family history is one of our Village's longest.

James (Sam) Whyte, Nettie's grandfather, was recruited by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in his native Scotland to be the overseerer of the newly opened coal mines of the Union Collieries behind old Chinatown.

James Whyte arrived in 1888 with 3 sons, and daughter Jean to run their household. The remaining 9 family members, including wife Janet immigrated the following year in 1889.

n 1896 Nettie Robertson was born to James Whyte's daughter Mary and her husband George Robertson.

HER FULL NAME/ BROTHERS/ SISTERS

The explosion of 1901 at #6 mine took the lives of many, among which was Nettie's oncle, John Whyte. John was James Whyte's oldest son, his boy's death took a great toll on James. He passed away "a broken man" a year later in 1902.

In 1906, widow Janet Whyte moved from her home on 2557 Dunsmiuir to her daughter Mary and George Robertson's house at 2745 Derwent. This was Nettie's family home.

1914 would bring many changes for Nettie Robertson, of which she handled with the strength of character we could all aspire to. Her father, George passed away. Nettie obtained a diploma from Vancouver Normal School. At age 19, she became the principle family breadwinner. She began teaching at Cumberland Elementary. This was a prelude to existing with the low salaries of the Depression and war and her own self-imposed family obligations. This was also the beginning of a career that would last 42 years, all spent bettering the minds of Cumberland children.

In 1919 Nettie Robertson instituted the Maypole Dance and her cousin, Jessie Stevenson became the first student May Queen.
Janet Whyte, Nettie's grandmother passed away in 1926 at age 88.

After WW2, Cumberland became the first school north of Victoria to run a kindergarten. Nettie was in charge of the pilot project. She ran two daily classes totaling about 60 students a day. She continued teaching kindergarten until her retirement in 1957.

Her many years teaching at our school had the result that with some families she had taught three generations with the grace and dignity that were trademarks of her distinguished career. Our own mayor, Bill Moncrief was a student of hers and, as many others, recalls her as "a sweetheart".

Nettie Robertson Information taken from:
100 Spirited Years, pages; 120, 157, 181, 185, 190.
The Land of Plenty, page 309
Cumberland Heritage, pages; 17, 18, 22, 28, 47, 48, 49, 108,
108, 113, 124, 126, 159, 164, 170, 187, 210, 212, 216.