2 records – page 1 of 1.

Donald Copan collection

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3618
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1971
Collection/Fonds
Donald Copan collection
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 cm of textual records + 3 architectural drawings + 17 photographs + 1 scrapbook album (727 photographs + ephemera)
Scope and Content
Collection consists of material collected and created by Donald Copan while he was an active member of the Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee and as founding President of the Century Park Museum Association. The fonds includes a scrabpook album of photographs and ephemera documenting the Burnaby Cent…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Donald Copan collection
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 cm of textual records + 3 architectural drawings + 17 photographs + 1 scrapbook album (727 photographs + ephemera)
Scope and Content
Collection consists of material collected and created by Donald Copan while he was an active member of the Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee and as founding President of the Century Park Museum Association. The fonds includes a scrabpook album of photographs and ephemera documenting the Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee's involvement in celebrating British Columbia's Centenary of Confederation between January and December 1971 including Burnaby's Commemorative Project - Heritage Village (Burnaby Village Museum); plans and reports regarding the creation of Heritage Village and a small collection of records regarding British Columbia Summer Games that Burnaby hosted in 1984 and 1997 as well as a small collection of photographs of a wedding taking place at Willingdon Heights United Church. Fonds is arranged into three series: 1) Copan album series 2) Heritage Village project series 3) Copan family photograph series 4) B.C. Summer Games series
History
Donald "Don" A. Copan was born in Victoria B.C. in 1928 and moved with his family to East Vancouver in the mid nineteen thirties. Don graduated from Britannia High School in the nineteen forties and graduated from the BC Provincial Normal School in 1948. In 1952, Don married Barbara Thomson. The couple moved to Highlawn Drive in 1954 where they raised their two sons Angus and Todd. Don and his family were active members of the Willingdon Heights United Church. Don's teaching career began at Westridge Elementary School. He worked in Burnaby as an educator, including serving as the Principal of Twelfth Avenue Elementary School and retired from teaching in 1983. He served on the 1958 and 1971 Burnaby Centennial Committees and was the founding President of the Century Park Museum Association (the non-profit society that operated the Heritage Village Museum from 1971 to 1989, now Burnaby Village Museum). Don served on the Executive of the Century Park Museum Association (CPMA) every year of the organization's existence. Don's wife Barbara Copan was also active in the CPMA, as a volunteer with a focus on the gift shop. In 1982, Don became Burnaby's first "Citizen of the Year" and was awarded the Kushiro cup for his volunteerism. Don was also involved in many other community organizations in the 1970s, including serving as President of the Burnaby Region, Boy Scouts (1975), and as a community resource person of the Board of Burnaby Big Brothers Association. He was Chairman of the Burnaby Family Court for seven years and Chairman of the Lower Mainland Family Court Committee for four years. He was also President of the Burnaby Teachers' Association circa 1974. Barbara Copan died in October 2017 and Don died in June 2020.
Responsibility
Copan, Donald Angus "Don"
Accession Code
BV005.54
BV021.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
1971
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Architectural Drawing
Related Material
Donald Wrigley fonds; Century Park Museum Association fonds; Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee collection
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Ephemera from scrapbook is described separately with the Burnaby Village Museum Artifacts collection
Some photographs have been "Closed" due to poor quality and duplication in content
For other records regarding the history of Heritage Village Museum see also: Century Park Museum Association fonds; Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee collection and Burnaby Village Museum fonds
See also B.C. Summer Games artifacts BV021.4.1 to BV021.4.12 & BV021.4.21; BV021.4.25; BV021.4.26
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Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19279
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1984]
Collection/Fonds
Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photographs : col.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two photographs of actors from Vancouver Sath performing in the play "Maluka" at Sexsmith Elementary School.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photographs : col.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two photographs of actors from Vancouver Sath performing in the play "Maluka" at Sexsmith Elementary School.
History
Dr. Sadhu Binning was born on May 10, 1947 to mother Gurmej Kaur and father Jeet Singh Binning. Due to lack of proper records management in India at the time of his birth, it is believed that he was actually born sometime in December of 1947. He grew up alongside two brothers and one sister in a village located in Kapurthala, Punjab. Dr. Binning attended secondary school in the nearby city of Phagwara, Punjab although he did not complete his education here. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed reading both Punjabi and Hindi novels and learned how to read Urdu as well. Dr. Binning’s uncle, Dhana Singh immigrated to Canada in 1933 and returned to India in 1953. When Dhana Singh returned to Canada in 1957, he sponsored Dr. Binning’s father, Jeet Singh Binning to immigrate. Dhana Singh co-owned a few saw mills in British Columbia and also worked in the truck driving industry. Dr. Binning remembers that some people who had lived in Canada would visit their village and that they appeared to be strong and healthy and looked happy. He also noticed that they would eat meat, so whenever they would visit there would be meat available. In 1967, when he was nineteen and a half years old, Dr. Binning immigrated Canada to join his father. He recalls his father and uncle and a friend arriving at the airport to pick him up. During his first few days, Dr. Binning made the decision to remove his turban and beard upon receiving advice from his uncle. Dr. Binning first obtained work on a farm in Abbotsford, working alongside his mother. While working, Dr. Binning also attended English classes in Vancouver. Dr. Binning’s Uncle Dhana Singh worked in a Vancouver saw mill and tried to help find work for his nephew but was unsuccessful. Dr. Binning soon found work at a saw mill in Avola and worked there until the end of the summer until a friend helped find him work in a saw mill in North Vancouver. During his free time, he enjoyed camping with friends. In 1970, Dr. Binning left the saw mill after obtaining a job at the post office. The post office offered lower wages than working at the mill but Dr. Binning believed that he would become more educated working here. While working as a postman, Dr. Binning recalls facing a lot of discrimination and racism and was often referred to as a ‘Paki’ multiple times a day. In 1973, Dr. Binning married Jagish Sihota. Sadhu and Jagdish originated from nearby villages in India and met each other in Canada. Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for thirty years until her retirement. While working, she also looked after the household and their son and daughter. Jagdish also handwrote a magazine, “Watno Dur’ (English translation: ‘away from homeland’) which was distributed in the community. In 1976, Dr. Binning became the editor of the magazine and the name was later changed to “Watan’ as they had accepted their new homeland of Canada. While working at the post office, Dr. Binning also attended night school starting in eighth grade. After receiving his high school diploma, he was accepted to Simon Fraser University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology and in 1986 he obtained a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University. While attending university, Dr. Binning was very active within the community and wanted to work to improve society. He first thought that he would return to India to contribute and improve rights in his homeland but upon seeing the prevalence of the movements in Canada, he realized that work needed to be done here too. In 1983, Dr. Binning became a founding member and contributor to a theatrical collective known as “Vancouver Sath”. The theatrical group produced plays that represented societal issues and were invited to perform at multiple conferences throughout British Columbia and Canada. The group focused and acknowledged the many issues in Punjab and in Canada. One of the plays that the group produced focused on the exploitation of Punjabi women who worked on farms in Canada. Dr. Binning continued to be involved as an integral member of Vancouver Sath until 1995. Over the years, Dr. Binning has strongly lobbied for Punjabi language education and between 1988 and 2008 he worked as Punjabi instructor at the University of British Columbia. He first worked as a teaching assistant at UBC under Dr. Harjot Oberoi and due to low wages, he simultaneously worked at the Post Office. In 2019, Dr. Binning received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UBC in recognition of his work. Since 1973, Dr. Binning has lived in Burnaby and has resided in the same home that he and his wife purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips.
Creator
Binning, Dr. Sadhu
Accession Code
BV023.7
Date
[1984]
Media Type
Photograph
Related Material
See also artifacts descriptions for related materials re: Vancouver Sath and Watan magazine: BV023.7.1 to BV023.7.16
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
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