OWEN, William Arthur (1881-1961), born at Swansea, South Wales on 26 August 1881, served his articles with Benjamin Lawrence, an architect in Newport, South Wales, from 1899 to 1902. He then worked for E.N. Johnston at Newport, 1902-03, and became his business partner 1903-04. Owen came to Canada in June 1904 and settled in Nanaimo where he was employed as draftsman for Western Fuel Co., 1905-08, then as construction engineer for Pacific Coast Coal Mines of South Wellington, 1908-11. He worked as an architect in Nanaimo from 1911 to 1914 and accepted appointment as City Engineer there from 1914-17. During this period, he prepared an illuminated address and scroll for the Duke of Connaught, presented to him upon his arrival in Victoria during an official visit in 1912. A description of this document, designed and illustrated by Owen, was published in The Sun [Vancouver], 5 April 1912, 4.
Owen then became a construction engineer for Canadian Colleries Ltd. at Cumberland in 1917 and practised both engineering and architecture until after 1940. After retiring from Canadian Colleries he continued to practise architecture and designed the Park Royal Hotel, WEST VANCOUVER, B.C. and the senior citizens home at ROYSTON, B.C. He died at Cumberland, B.C. on 14 June 1961 (obituaries in the Comox District Free Press, 21 June 1961, 12; Nanaimo Free Press, 17 June 1961, 8; Province [Vancouver], 26 June 1961, 3; D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 278-9, 513; biography in Nanaimo Free Press, 18 Aug. 1911, 1; biog. 13 March 1914, 1; inf. from Architectural Inst. of British Columbia).
SOUTH WELLINGTON, B.C., twenty-one houses for the Pacific Coast Coal Co., 1908 (list of works in A.I.B.C. Application form)
NANAIMO, B.C., Agricultural Building, 1911 (Nanaimo Free Press, 10 May 1911, 4, t.c.; 18 Sept. 1911, 1, descrip.)
NANAIMO, B.C., S & W Apartments, Fitzwilliam Street, 1910-11 (D. Luxton & V. Vidners, Nanaimo Heritage Gateways, 1986 )
NANAIMO, B.C., Dominion Trust Co. Block, Nicol Street at Victoria Road, a row of six retail stores for A.E. Planta, 1912 (Nanaimo Free Press, 12 Oct. 1912, 3, t.c.; 17 Oct. 1912, 4; list of works in A.I.B.C. Application form)
NANAIMO, B.C., Newcastle Hotel, Comox Road, 1912 (list of works in A.I.B.C. Application form)
KUPER ISLAND, B.C., Industrial School for Indian children, c. 1914 (dwgs. at Indian & Northern Affairs Dept., Ottawa, Technical Services Dept.. File 297)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., a Church Institute building or Parish Hall for Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Penrith Avenue at Third Street, 1919-20 (inf. Heritage B.C., Statement of Significance - Holy Trinity Anglican Church Cumberland B.C., February 2022; dwgs. at BCPA)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., Great War Veterans Meeting Hall, Dunsmuir Avenue, 1920 (The Islander (Cumberland), 15 May 1920, 1, descrip., and p. 6, t.c.)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., a 2 storey Athletic Club for Canadian Colleries Ltd., to be built on land adjacent to City Hall, with an Elizabethan front following on English lines, 1920 (Cumberland Islander, 28 Aug. 1920, 1, detailed descrip.; and 22 Jan. 1921, 1, detailed architectural descrip.; list of works in A.I.B.C. Application form)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., garage and repair shop for A.R. Kierstead and V.W. Fouracre, 1921 (C.R., xxxv, 6 April 1921, 61)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., Cumberland Electric Light Co., new office building, 1922 (Cumberland Islander, 8 April 1922, 4, t.c.)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., 6 detached houses for the Soldiers Housing Scheme, on a tract of land in Cumberland, 1921 (Cumberland Islander, 13 Aug. 1921, 1, descrip.)
COURTENAY, B.C., Elks Lodge Fraternal Hall, 1928 (Cumberland Islander, 21 September 1928, 6)
CUMBERLAND, B.C., Cumberland Outdoor Bowling Green & Clubhouse, 1930 (Cumberland Islander, 21 March 1930, 1, descrip.; and 20 June 1930, 1; and 1 Aug. 1930, 1, descrip.; Courtenay Free Press, 5 Aug. 1930, 1 & 5)
NANAIMO, B.C., Gusola Block, Commercial Street, 1932 (D. Spearing, Heritage Inventory of Downtown Buildings: Nanaimo, 1982, 29, illus.)
VICTORIA, B.C., St. Peter's Anglican Church, St. Peter's Road, Lakehill, 1948 (dwgs. at BCPA, PDP 21)