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Morris family subseries
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription90
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1942
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- 3 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of photographs of the Dr. Morris family and home at Marine Drive and Boundary Road.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1942
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Morris family subseries
- Physical Description
- 3 photographs
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1992-08
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of photographs of the Dr. Morris family and home at Marine Drive and Boundary Road.
- History
- Wesley Gardiner Morris was born in Summerside Prince Edward Island in 1884; his wife Laura Maude Weegar was born in Maxville, Ontario in 1886. Wesley graduated from McGill University in 1914, becoming a doctor, and received a gold medal in Chemistry. The couple was married in Maxville, Ontario in 1914 and lived in their first home in Chauvin, Alberta before moving to Burnaby in 1916. They lived on Imperial Street until their new home at 4265 Trafalgar Street (now 4241 Maywood Street) was built. Dr. Wesley Morris practiced medicine at his office at the corner of Kingsway and Sussex in part of Miss George’s Drugstore. During and following the Depression years, Dr. Morris was often paid in kind by his patients or they would pay off their bills by assisting with jobs around the family home. The couple lived in the home on Trafalgar Street raising their six daughters: Margaret, Betty, Dorothy, Jessie, Gertrude and Muriel until the Depression when they were forced to sell their home and move to ‘the ranch’ on Marine Drive. The ranch covered 13 acres of property on either side of Marine Drive from Boundary Road east including a ravine with a creek. Dr. Morris was known for his skill in setting fractures and due to his expertise he was called to an accident in the 1940s at the McMillan Bloedel mill on the Fraser River. Except for Gertrude (Ramage) all of their daughters graduated from Burnaby South High School. Following graduation from high school, Margaret (Sheldon) completed a business course, while both Betty (Purrot) and Dorothy (Johston) became nurses. Jessie (Hunter) joined the R.C.A.F. and after learning Morse code was posted to communications. Gertrude taught piano lessons and later received her real estate license. All of the girls were married in the 1950s and moved away from the property on Marine Drive with the exception of Muriel who was still in high school. Laura suddenly took ill in 1945 and died. Soon after her passing, Wesley purchased a lot at 4648 Marine Drive (DL 175) and built a small two bedroom home for himself and daughter Muriel. The old family home was rented, then sold, and later demolished around 1980. Dr. Wesley Morris died in 1960 and was buried alongside his wife Laura at Ocean View Memorial Cemetery in Burnaby. After her father died, Muriel continued to live in the small house later marrying Tom Di Guistini who settled there with her. Tom died in 1981 just two years before Muriel’s retirement as the secretary of Magee Secondary School in Vancouver. Soon after retirement, Muriel sold their home on Marine Drive and moved to a condominium near Central Park.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of subseries
- PC278
Donald N. Brown subseries
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1925 (date of original)-1995
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of photographs taken by Freeman Donald N. Brown while involved in Burnaby Historical Society activities and textual records pertaining to his career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Also included in the subseries are documents and photographs from his involvement with vari…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1925 (date of original)-1995
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Donald N. Brown subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Accession Number
- BHS1987-03
- BHS2003-04
- BHS1992-20
- BHS1995-09
- BHS2000-10
- BHS1991-41
- BHS2001-12
- BHS2004-01
- BHS2004-12
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of photographs taken by Freeman Donald N. Brown while involved in Burnaby Historical Society activities and textual records pertaining to his career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Also included in the subseries are documents and photographs from his involvement with various community groups including the Oakalla Lands Citizens' Committee, renovations of Burnaby Village Museum, and the restoration of Interurban tram no. 1223.
- History
- Donald Neil "Don" Brown was born in Birmingham, England. In 1922, while still an infant, he and his family moved to Winnipeg, Canada. On September 8, 1939, Don left his Senior Matriculation classes to join the Royal Canadian Engineers. Two weeks later, he eloped with his high school sweetheart, Helen J., just months before he was to be shipped overseas with the 3rd Contingent of Canadian Troops. He served in the army with the Royal Canadian Engineer’s 12th Field Company and saw action in both Sicily and Italy. In 1945, Don returned to obtain his Senior Matriculation and a year of university studies before re-enlisting in the army as a Second Lieutenant. He spent the next two years stationed in Chilliwack with Helen and their first child. In 1947, he left the army to join the ranks of the British Columbia Provincial Police force, embarking on a three-decade long career. His first assignment brought him to Burnaby where he served from 1947-1954, first as a member of the BC Police Department and then as a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. In 1954, Don was transferred to Regina, Saskatchewan and then to Ottawa, Ontario to serve in the Crime Detection Laboratories. He became a qualified Examiner of Questioned Documents and provided expert testimony in handwriting, counterfeiting, graphic arts, and alterations. He attained the rank of first Corporal, and then Sergeant in the RCMP. He was transferred to Vancouver to be the Second in Charge of a new laboratory and head of the Document Section in July, 1963. On December 9, 1967, Helen Brown ran as an independent for the position of Alderman on the Burnaby Council. She was not elected. In May 1970, Don was promoted to Sub-Inspector and transferred to Edmonton to take command of the new Crime Detection Laboratory. By 1972, he was promoted to full Inspector. Transferred back to Vancouver in 1975, Don became the Officer-in-Charge of a new Crime Laboratory and took over the National Police Services pilot project for British Columbia. He was rewarded for this work with a promotion to Superintendent in September 1975. In 1976, after a distinguished 35 years combined service to the armed forces and the police, Don retired and founded his own laboratory to carry on his work in the field of questioned documents. He became a Fellow (Emeritus) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a Life Member (Emeritus) and Past Director of the Canadian Society of Forensic Sciences, a Member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners. After his retirement, Don became involved in local politics and, with the blessing of his wife and six children, joined the Burnaby Voters’ Association as their Secretary. In 1978 he was elected to a two-year term as a Burnaby School Trustee. During the next municipal election in November 1979, he successfully ran for Alderman. Don Brown served Burnaby as Alderman from 1979 to 1985. During this time, Don also became a member of the Community College for the Retired, the Horsemen’s Society and the Burnaby Historical Society. He also gave his support to Arts Council programs and numerous other community functions over the years and author "Why?: The Last Years of the British Columbia Policy 1858-1950" about the BC Provincial Police. In 1991, Don was appointed as Chair of the Burnaby Centennial Committee, dedicating himself to making Burnaby’s Centennial celebration a memorable success. His contributions were always supported by his wife Helen, and their work during the Centennial Year was just one example of the strength of their 66-year partnership. They were both formally recognized for their efforts when they were chosen to receive the Kushiro Cup and named the Citizens of the Year in 1992. Also that year, Don was a recipient of the Canadian 125 Medal and one year later, in March 1993, Donald Brown was awarded Burnaby’s highest honour and was made a Freeman of the City of Burnaby. Don passed away in 2009.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Creator
- Brown, Donald N. "Don"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- PC194, PC241, MSS098, MSS148