In the late Spring of 1936, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee (1886 . 1936) of the City of Vancouver, the Barnsley Challenge Shield was presented to the British Columbia Branch of the The Royal Life Saving Society. It was donated by George Barnsley & Sons Cornish Works of Sheffield, England for the winner of the annual competition of lifesaving and inhalator teams.

Also presented were silver medals, referred to in a letter from George Barnsley as merely a token to the members of the team who succeed in winning the competition for the Barnsley Challenge Shield for twelve months.. These awards were to encourage .teamwork, rather than leaving individuals to flounder for themselves..

Mr. Barnsley mentioned in his letter of July 10, 1936 that he had visited Vancouver several times, the last time being in 1934 with his son and he was impressed by its wonderful location, its progress and the kindness of all those we met . . . so that although thousands of miles from home, one felt at home. Hospitality and friendly team spirit seem to pervade the British Empire, and in that we have the greatest exhibition of the spirit and achievement that teamwork can attain.

The first year of competition (1936), the Shield was won by the Vancouver City Beach Lifeguards, whose Instructor was George Burrows, the supervisor of pools and beaches in Vancouver. The team members were: George Sim, Walter Tyson, Dave Gray, Oscar Orr, Ken Hall and Edward Luckett. The Shield is now awarded annually to the team winning the Pool events at the Lifesaving Society.s Branch Lifeguard Championship.

Click here to view a history of teams awarded the coveted Barnsley Shield