Edmonds School subseries
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription41
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1916] (date of origial)-1979
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records and other materials
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of photographs depicting Edmonds School, including its students, staff, and surrounding area, as well as a collection of records related to a research project in which students interviewed former Edmonds School students.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1916] (date of origial)-1979
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Edmonds School subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records and other materials
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Accession Number
- BHS1988-07
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of photographs depicting Edmonds School, including its students, staff, and surrounding area, as well as a collection of records related to a research project in which students interviewed former Edmonds School students.
- History
- Edmonds School traces its history back to the opening of the first school in Burnaby in 1894. The "Burnaby school" was a typical one-room school house constructed on a small site on the opposite side of Canada Way (then named Douglas Road) and 18th Avenue. In 1896, when West Burnaby School, was built the school was renamed the "East Burnaby School." By 1908, the original small school house and its little playground became too small to contain the growing number of school-aged children living in the area. That year the Municipality of Burnaby and the Burnaby School Board funded a new four room school to house 75 students on the present site facing Edmonds Street. This building was known for many years as the old "gray school" because of its drab paint colour. In 1913, a four-room addition completed this school which was then renamed the "Edmonds Street School." In 1922, the school was was expanded with a new four-room "bungalow" building on the Douglas Road side of the property. By 1925, four more rooms were added to house the student population of this rapidly growing district, which peaked at 580 by 1930. After World War II, the old school was designated as a junior high school and in 1949, the present building was opened on an expanded site. By 1953 and 1955 the school received more additions to accommodate a student enrolment that had expanded to thirteen hundred students. The original gray building was demolished in 1956 and the bungalow building, which had served for many years as the elementary school, was destroyed by fire in 1989. The school was later rebuilt as Edmonds Community School.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Sound Recording
- Creator
- Edmonds Community School
- Notes
- Title based on contents of subseries
- PC207, MSS036
Mary Forsyth fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription87823
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1893] (date of original) -2004
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary Forsyth fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- Textual records, graphic material and cartographic material
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of material created and collected by Mary Forsyth. Records include correspondence, photographs, a map, presentation notes, and reviews along with research for historical and biographical essays pertaining to pioneering families, organizations, and the geographical area of South Burn…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1893] (date of original) -2004
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary Forsyth fonds
- Physical Description
- Textual records, graphic material and cartographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2014-27
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of material created and collected by Mary Forsyth. Records include correspondence, photographs, a map, presentation notes, and reviews along with research for historical and biographical essays pertaining to pioneering families, organizations, and the geographical area of South Burnaby. One of her major research projects consists of "A Walking Environment for South Burnaby," which also became a proposal to The Corporation of the District of Burnaby. Historical information and photographs pertaining to South Burnaby pioneer families and organizations were compiled from interviews with the intention of publishing a book.
- History
- Mary Gertrude (Bolton) Forsyth was born at her parents' home in Burnaby on March 5, 1923, and was the daughter of Richard Bolton and Gertrude (nee Hern). Mary's father, Richard, immigrated to Canada from Sunderland, England, in 1911. He lived with his brother George in New Westminster prior to purchasing property in South Burnaby in 1916 and built a bungalow located at 859 Marine Drive. Richard Bolton was employed as the municipal treasurer for the Corporation of the District of Burnaby and, in 1919, he returned to Sunderland with three months leave of absence to marry Mary Gertrude Hern, daughter of Captain and Mrs. John Hern. Mary grew up with her parents and sister Nancy in the house that her father built on Marine Drive. She married Lloyd Forsyth in 1946 and they had two children, Diane and Robert. Mary and her husband raised their family in Burnaby and built a house at 855 Marine Drive, on the lot originally purchased by her father, and moved later to a house located at 6457 Marine Drive. In 1964, after her children were grown, Mary completed her teaching degree at Simon Fraser University and went on to teach kindergarten at Nelson Elementary School. While a teacher within the Burnaby School District, Mary was instrumental in adopting ballet as part of the school curriculum. Mary was an active member of the Burnaby Historical Society, participating and leading local events and seminars. She was inspired by the idea of the 'Housewives Holiday', originally initiated by the Vancouver "Y’ S". In February 1960, she was integral in forming a committee in South Burnaby, working alongside Ruth Turner, Faye Treagh, and Dorothy Turnbull. The "Housewives Holiday" committee (a branch of the Clinton-Glenwood Recreation Association) planned several events at Bonsor Hall for Burnaby housewives from October 6 to December 8, 1960. After her retirement from teaching, Mary returned to Simon Fraser University to do further studies and, in 1983, she wrote an essay for an Environmental Education course, titled "A Walking Environment for South Burnaby". The essay was conducted as a feasibility study to provide a walking environment in her community and included a formal essay, a media book, a map, and a slide presentation which was presented to a variety of local community groups. In 1984, Mary was the recipient of the North Fraser Harbour Commission Award to further her work on this project. In October 1986, her essay was adapted as a proposal to The Corporation of the District of Burnaby for a walking and cycling trail system for South Burnaby. Her proposal was taken into consideration by council and was later adopted by the Parks and Recreation Commission. Mary was very much interested in the history of South Burnaby and spent time between 1990 to 2004 conducting research through the Burnaby Historical Society, The City of Burnaby Archives, and several pioneering families who agreed to share their family records and be interviewed. Mary compiled her research into short historical and biographical essays by geographical area, family name, and organization. Mary (Bolton) Forsyth lived her whole life in South Burnaby and was an active and committed member of her community. She died on November 10, 2010.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Cartographic Material
- Creator
- Forsyth, Mary
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 572, MSS185