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Scope and Content: Subseries consists of an essay written by Fred Blake entitled "Growing Up in North Burnaby," a hand-drawn map of Gilmore School, an RCAF pamphlet, an Emergency Rescue Training Pocket Manual and a Handbook for Auxiliary Firemen.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1942- [1997]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Fred Blake subseries

Physical Description: Textual records

Description Level: Subseries

Accession Number: BHS2003-15; BHS2005-01

Scope and Content: Subseries consists of an essay written by Fred Blake entitled "Growing Up in North Burnaby," a hand-drawn map of Gilmore School, an RCAF pamphlet, an Emergency Rescue Training Pocket Manual and a Handbook for Auxiliary Firemen.

History: Thomas Blake and his wife Gertrude came to Burnaby in 1921 with their three children: Thomas "Tom", Susie and Frederick "Fred" (b. 1912). They lived at 4456 Pandora street, owning that lot and the adjoining 66 foot lot on the west. The Municipality cleared a trail, later putting down a one-plank sidewalk and bringing in a half-inch water line for the family. The Blake family lived in two wall tents for a few years while they cleared their land and built their house. In 1921 at the age of nine, Fred Blake attended Gilmore School where he learned about different woods and how to use hand tools. In 1927, he attended North Burnaby High School in a commercial course were he learned typing, shorthand, book-keeping a commercial law. Throughout his teenage years, Fred worked at Armour Photo Finishing, developing rolls of film and collecting and delivering the films and finished prints. Thomas Blake worked part-time for the Burnaby Advertiser and part-time for the Vancouver Sun to pay his way through university and become a Burnaby school teacher. In 1927, at the age of sixteen, Fred began his firefighting career as a volunteer, with the first major fire of his career taking place December 31, 1927 at the 4600 block of Albert Street. He continued as a volunteer until 1934 when he went to the logging camps as a steam fireman in the Queen Charlotte Islands and on the coast. In the early 1930s, Fred was a member of the Army of the Common Good, and with the falling crew cut second growth timber on Capitol Hill for firewood to be shared with other members. The Army also produced over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth who were near starvation from lack of adequate relief funds from the municipality. The Army was in operations for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. During this time, while on Relief (now welfare) Fred also worked for the municipality on the two projects of the clearing of Confederation Park and the clearing of Lougheed Highway. Fred re-joined the Burnaby fire department on April 1, 1939, as a paid member at No. 1 Hall. He came up through the ranks to become Training Officer for the department in 1949 and full time training officer with the rank of District Chief in 1952. Fred was promoted to Assistant Chief in 1966. He retired from service March 1, 1972.

Media Type: Textual Record

Creator: Blake, Fredrick "Fred"

Notes: MSS150; Title based on contents and creator of subseries

Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4648

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1908-1975

Collection/Fonds: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) wh…

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) while the shop was in operation at 1620 Government Street in the 1940s. Some of the records are written in English while a portion are written in Cantonese and haven't been translated. Most of the photographs document the content of the original shop at the time of aquistion in 1975. Some photographs of unidentified people may be related to the owner or proprietor of the shop. A collection of other photographs document various Chinese Canadian organizations that were in operation in Victoria. Records are arranged into the following series: 1) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. photographs series 2) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series

History: The Chinese Herbalist shop "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" operated in Victoria, BC from about 1905 until [1968]. The meaning of "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" can be translated as "Collection, Life, Source, Alive, Shop" although many interpretations can be taken since each Chinese character can have several meanings. Contents of the shop were purchased by the Burnaby Village Museum in 1975 and reassembled as a permanent display in the Burnaby Village Museum. The shop’s original owner was Ng Chee Fong who opened the shop ca.1905. In 1921, Ng returned to Hong Kong and sold the business to Lam Yuen and Wong Ying who were from Vancouver. Lam Yuen and Wong Ying employed Lum Chuck Yue to operate the shop. Lum Chuck Yue had formerly operated a small herbal counter in a Chinese apothecary store on the south side of Fisgard Street, Victoria. In 1924 Lam Yuen and Wong Ying purchased Wah Sun & Co. from Lee S. Yew and Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. moved into the Wah Sun premises at 1620 Government Street in the Lee Block . The furnishings and fixtures of both stores were combined, with the more elaborate fixtures from WSYWK remaining as part of the public part of the shop and the plainer fixtures of Wah Sun moved into the workroom and basement. In the 1930s Lum Chuck Yue took over the business and became the proprietor. In about 1934, Tan Yi Tang purchased the business and the shop reopened as Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. following renovations with Lum Yew Jong as the shop's proprietor. Lum Yew Jong continued to operate the shop until his death in 1967 at the age of 68 years. Following Lum’s death, the property and contents of the shop were purchased by Mr. J. Watson Marles, a local owner operator of an antique store at 1714 Government Street. The shop and contents went through a few more private owners including Rodney Pain before it was purchased by the Heritage Village Museum in 1975 with funds made available by the Vancouver Foundation and the Province of British Columbia. Contents of the original shop were reasembled in a reconstructed building as a permanent display on site at the Burnaby Village Museum.

Creator: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company

Accession Code: HV975.5; BV985.5331; BV017.7

Access Restriction: Restricted access

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Date: 1908-1975

Media Type: Photograph; Textual Record; Cartographic Material; Architectural Drawing

Related Material: See also Artifacts under Accessions HV975.5; BV985.5331 and BV017.7

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds

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Burnaby fire department : the formative years (draft)

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5867

Fred Blake subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription65815

Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4648

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Burnaby fire department : the formative years (draft)

Fred Blake subseries

Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.