More like 'British Columbia Electric Railway Company line car'
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B.C.E.R. Video: Then and now
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5926
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Moving Images
- Accession Code
- BV013.27.21
- Call Number
- 388.46 TRA VR Ver 1
- Place of Publication
- Vancouver
- Publisher
- Transit Museum Society
- Publication Date
- c2004
- Physical Description
- 1 videodisc (128 min, 43 sec.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Street-railroads
- Electric railroads
- Transportation
- Geographic Access
- Vancouver
- Notes
- Original footage shot on 16mm film in the early 1950's by Ken Hodgsen.
- Summary : Historical film footage of Lower Mainland trams on their various routes as well as an excursion train. Film footage is part of the B.C. Transit Centennial and includes a voice over commentary by Frank Horn and Vic Sharman. Frank worked as a motorman on the BC Electric Railway. The trams are shown travelling through Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, North Delta, Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack. The excursion train was filmed in Washington State, U.S.A. The narrators give commentary, describing the routes, landmarks of the past and present, the various kinds of trams and buses seen, drivers’ protocols, and historical information.
- Produced by David Asselin, President, Transit Musem Society
- Cover on verso of DVD case includes photos with description: "Here are three instructors... Vic Sharman, Frank Horne & Don Bellamy for the Downtown Historic Railway (D.H.R.) Who have all had previous experience driving interurbans in the Vancouver area in the 1940's & 1950's"
- Contact Burnaby Village Museum to view video.
Images
Don Wrigley with Interurban 1223
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98008
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Don Wrigley, the President of the Friends of Interurban 1223, posing inside of the trolley car and outside of rusted, pre-restoration car.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-3112
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Don Wrigley, the President of the Friends of Interurban 1223, posing inside of the trolley car and outside of rusted, pre-restoration car.
- Subjects
- Transportation - Electric Railroads
- Transportation - Rail
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a February 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata for 535-3112-1: "Don Wrigley, the President of the Friends of Interurban 1223, and of the Burnaby Historical Society, surveys the gutted interior of the old trolley car."
- Caption from metadata for 535-3112-2: "Don Wrigley, the President of the Friends of Interurban 1223, and of the Burnaby Historical Society, wants to keep the old trolley car in Burnaby."
Images
Fraser rails that glow : [B.C. trolleymen's addenda, vol. 1]
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5928
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV013.27
- Call Number
- 388.46 REU
- Author
- Reuss, David
- Place of Publication
- [Cloverdale, B.C.]
- Publisher
- David Reuss
- Publication Date
- 2003
- Physical Description
- 124 p. : ill. ; 22 x 29 cm
- Inscription
- Verso of the cover: "To the Friends of #1223 who by now have both sides done! Splendid! David E. Reuss" [handwritten in black ink on bottom of the page in the centre]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Electric railroads
- Street-railroads
- Transportation
The motorman and his duties : a handbook of theory and practice for operating electric cars
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5480
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Gutmann, Ludwig
- Edition
- 5th ed., rev. and enl.
- Publication Date
- c2006
- Call Number
- 625.66 GUT
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 9781847287427
- Call Number
- 625.66 GUT
- Edition
- 5th ed., rev. and enl.
- Author
- Gutmann, Ludwig
- Contributor
- Metcalfe, George Richmond
- Place of Publication
- [Los Angeles, Calif. ]
- Publisher
- Periscope Film
- Publication Date
- c2006
- Physical Description
- 177 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Railroad conductors--United States
- Street-railroads
- Electric railroads
- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Transportation
- Notes
- Originally published: Chicago : Windsor & Kenfield Pub. Co., 1903.
- Includes index.
Tram memories : in celebration of the restoration of Interurban 1223
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5863
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
- Publication Date
- c2007
- Call Number
- 388.460971 TRA
fortunate enough to share a seat with Mr.W.H. Rines,
who was a railway maintenance supervisor for many years. And he had along with him one
of several books he has compiled, containing pictures and vital statistics about every tram
the B.C. Electric ever owned. And it was most interesting to note that
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Digital Reference Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Call Number
- 388.460971 TRA
- Author
- McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
- Contributor
- Friends of Interurban 1223
- Place of Publication
- Burnaby
- Publisher
- City of Burnaby
- Publication Date
- c2007
- Printer
- City of Burnaby Printshop
- Physical Description
- 91 p. : ill., map ;,20 cm
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Electric railroads
- Local transit
- Street-railroads
- Transportation
- Geographic Access
- Vancouver
- Name Access
- British Columbia Electric Railway Company
- Notes
- Editor : Pixie McGeachie
Images
Digital Books
Vancouver's glory years : public transit, 1890-1915
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1379
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Conn, Heather
- Ewert, Henry, 1937-
- Publication Date
- c2003
- Call Number
- 388.46 CON COPY 1
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 1552855171
- Call Number
- 388.46 CON COPY 1
- Author
- Conn, Heather
- Ewert, Henry, 1937-
- Place of Publication
- North Vancouver, BC
- Publisher
- Whitecap Books
- Publication Date
- c2003
- Physical Description
- 224 p. : ill. ; 29 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Electric railroads
- Local transit
- Street-railroads
- Transportation
- Geographic Access
- Vancouver
- Notes
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-209) and index.
- 2 copies held: copy 1.
Colin Stevens and Andrew Todd with Interurban 1223
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97362
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2001]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Colin Stevens, the curator of the Burnaby Village Museum, and Andrew Todd, a conservator, talking while standing next to the Interurban tram 1223 that is undergoing restoration work. The streetcar is draped in plastic sheets.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2001]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-2738
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Colin Stevens, the curator of the Burnaby Village Museum, and Andrew Todd, a conservator, talking while standing next to the Interurban tram 1223 that is undergoing restoration work. The streetcar is draped in plastic sheets.
- Names
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a September 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Colin Stevens, the curator of the Burnaby Village Museum, and Andrew Todd, a conservator who's consulting on the move and restoration of the old Interurban streetcar, discuss the plans for the move, which is set to take place next week."
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Street Address
- 4900 Deer Lake Avenue
- 6501 Deer Lake Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
Images
Friends of Interurban 1223 restoration
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96319
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of restoration work done by the Friends of the Interurban on Interurban tram 1223. Photographs depict Dennis Brown and Tom Gooden removing an old seat from the streetcar, and Wes Bennett and Ralph Salasbury working on a wall panel.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-2002
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of restoration work done by the Friends of the Interurban on Interurban tram 1223. Photographs depict Dennis Brown and Tom Gooden removing an old seat from the streetcar, and Wes Bennett and Ralph Salasbury working on a wall panel.
- Subjects
- Transportation - Electric Railroads
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a March 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata for 535-2002-1: "Dennis Brown and Tom Gooden remove one of the old seats from the Interurban Streetcar, being restored by the Friends of the Interurban. The group is still looking for volunteers and funding to help continue the project."
- Caption from metadata for 535-2002-2: "Wes Bennett and Ralph Salasbury work on a wall panel of the old Interurban rail car, being restored by the Friends of the Interurban. The group is still looking for more volunteers and funding to help with the project."
Images
Interurban 1223 restoration
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96668
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2003]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Dennis Brown and Ed Eckley updating Mayor Derek Corrigan on the restoration of the interurban tram 1223. The three men are standing underneath the roof of the trolley, with exposed wiring and lighting.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2003]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-2290
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Dennis Brown and Ed Eckley updating Mayor Derek Corrigan on the restoration of the interurban tram 1223. The three men are standing underneath the roof of the trolley, with exposed wiring and lighting.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a March 2003 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan gets an update on the progress of the restoration of the old Interurban trolley from Dennis Brown, the project manager, and Ed Eckley, who's in charge of fundraising for the restoration."
Images
Interurban 1223 Volunteers Feb. 26, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98462
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- February 26, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 14 photographs (jpgs) on 1 optical disc
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of volunteers working on the restoration of interurban tram 1223.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- February 26, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Series
- Administration series
- Physical Description
- 14 photographs (jpgs) on 1 optical disc
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 633-016
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2020-06
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of volunteers working on the restoration of interurban tram 1223.
- Subjects
- Transportation - Electric Railroads
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Title transcribed from optical disc label
- Street Address
- 6501 Deer Lake Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
Images
Interurban 1231 on the track between Science World and Granville Island
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription2887
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1998 and 2011]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : col. inkjet print ; 20.5 x 25 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of British Columbia Electric Railway Interurban car 1231 "Burnaby Lake Line" on the tram tracks between Science World and Granville Island. The Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway was a heritage electric railway that was in operation between 1998 and 2011 which ran two restored interurba…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : col. inkjet print ; 20.5 x 25 cm
- Material Details
- Inkjet print of a digital image on white photocopy paper.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of British Columbia Electric Railway Interurban car 1231 "Burnaby Lake Line" on the tram tracks between Science World and Granville Island. The Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway was a heritage electric railway that was in operation between 1998 and 2011 which ran two restored interurban trams on the line between Science World and Granville Island. These tracks were formerly used as a frieght railway right-of-way.
- Subjects
- Transportation - Electric Railroads
- Geographic Access
- Vancouver
- Accession Code
- BV012.18.11
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [between 1998 and 2011]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 300
- Scan Date
- 13-Mar-2018
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Pixie McGeachie and Interurban 1223
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96716
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Pixie McGeachie, Burnaby's Citizen of the Year. McGeachie poses in the interurban tram 1223 that is undergoing restoration work, for which McGeachie was an advocate.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-2321
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Pixie McGeachie, Burnaby's Citizen of the Year. McGeachie poses in the interurban tram 1223 that is undergoing restoration work, for which McGeachie was an advocate.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in an April 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Pixie McGeachie is Burnaby's Citizen of the Year, recognizing her drive and dedication to the restoration of the old interurban streetcar, currently underway in a warehouse."
Images
Pixie McGeachie and Interurban 1223
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97741
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Pixie McGeachie and her great-grandson, Landon Dixon, wearing "Friends of the Interurban 1223" fundraising T-shirts. The Interurban tram, gutted and undergoing restoration, is visible in the background.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-3015
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Pixie McGeachie and her great-grandson, Landon Dixon, wearing "Friends of the Interurban 1223" fundraising T-shirts. The Interurban tram, gutted and undergoing restoration, is visible in the background.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a November 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Pixie McGeachie and her great grandson, Landon Dixon, 3, admire each other's new Interurban t-shirts. The shirts, available in adult and kid sizes, are a fundraiser for the restoration of the old Interurban streetcar."
Images
Westcoast Harmony Chorus in Interurban tram 1223
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96208
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2006]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Westcoast Harmony Chorus members Amalie Livera, Gayle Rowden, Jane Lythgo, and Irene Ingraham posing inside of the Interurban tram 1223 at the time that it was undergoing renovations. The Chorus members pose with red scarves and a rose as a promotion for their Valentine…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2006]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-1900
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Westcoast Harmony Chorus members Amalie Livera, Gayle Rowden, Jane Lythgo, and Irene Ingraham posing inside of the Interurban tram 1223 at the time that it was undergoing renovations. The Chorus members pose with red scarves and a rose as a promotion for their Valentine's Day "singagrams."
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a February 2006 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata for 535-1900-1: "Amalie Livera, Gayle Rowden, Jane Lythgo and Irene Ingraham, of the Westcoast Harmony Chorus, warm up for their annual old-fashioned Valentine's Day singagrams at the old Interurban currently being restored in Burnaby."
- Caption from metadata for 535-1900-2: "Amalie Livera, Gayle Rowden, Jane Lythgo and Irene Ingraham, of the Westcoast Harmony Chorus, warm up for their annual old-fashioned Valentine's Day singagrams at the old Interurban currently being restored in Burnaby."
Images
Technology in Burnaby public schools
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97632
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of technology in use at Burnaby public schools. Photographs depict students and a teacher from Burnaby South Secondary, Burnaby North Secondary, and Stoney Creek Community schools with Personal Digital Assistants, computers, and projects designed and made with computer tec…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-2931
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of technology in use at Burnaby public schools. Photographs depict students and a teacher from Burnaby South Secondary, Burnaby North Secondary, and Stoney Creek Community schools with Personal Digital Assistants, computers, and projects designed and made with computer technology.
- Subjects
- Persons - Students
- Occupations - Teachers
- Telecommunication Tools and Equipment
- Science and Technology Tools and Equipment
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a January 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata for 535-2931-1: "Steve Fuerderer, a physics teacher at Burnaby South, uses a projector hooked up to a desktop computer to illustrate his lectures."
- Caption from metadata for 535-2931-2: "David Carne, a Grade 11 student at Burnaby South Secondary, uses a Personal Digital Assistant to help him keep track of his class assignments."
- Caption from metadata for 535-2931-3: "Chris Dickson adjusts a character while William Shand lines up the next shot as they work on a stop-animation project in their Grade 9 Media Arts class at Burnaby North Secondary."
- Caption from metadata for 535-2931-4: "Wesley May, 12, a Grade 7 student at Stoney Creek Community School, helped design the school's website."
- Caption from metadata for 535-2931-5: "Ilario Ghilarducci, a Grade 10 student at Burnaby North Secondary, used a computer to design the plans for a frame house he built for a class project."
- Geographic Access
- Hammarskjold Drive
- Rumble Street
- Beaverbrook Crescent
- Street Address
- 751 Hammarskjold Drive
- 5455 Rumble Street
- 2740 Beaverbrook Crescent
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Alta Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Burquitlam (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Parkcrest-Aubrey Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
- Lyndhurst Area
Images
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
- Clothing
- Crafts
- Employment
- Migration
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Occupations - Labourers
- Occupations - Millworkers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Names
- Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
- Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
- Manhas, Ghania Singh
- Singh, Mayo
- Manhas, Kashmir Singh
- Manhas, Sher Singh
- Manhas, Budhan Kaur
- Manhas, Lashman Singh
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.5
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
- Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
- Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3Bob Baillie with City of Burnaby traffic camera
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97478
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Bob Baillie, the supervisor of Traffic Engineering for the City of Burnaby, holding up one of the City's new Autoscope traffic management cameras. Baillie is standing on the pedestrian overpass over Canada Way by the City Hall complex.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2002]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-2817
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Bob Baillie, the supervisor of Traffic Engineering for the City of Burnaby, holding up one of the City's new Autoscope traffic management cameras. Baillie is standing on the pedestrian overpass over Canada Way by the City Hall complex.
- Subjects
- Photographic Tools and Equipment - Camera
- Occupations - Civic Workers
- Public Services - Public Works
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in an October 2002 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Bob Baillie, Burnaby's Supervisor of Traffic Engineering, shows off one of the city's Autoscope traffic management cameras which are being installed at major intersections. The cameras, mounted on light standards, replace the old wire loops that were cut into the pavement."
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
Images
Burnaby RCMP telecommunications
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97115
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs related to the Burnaby RCMP's new digital telecommunications equipment. Photographs depict Burnaby RCMP officer Darren Carr in a police car with a digital portable radio and a dispatcher at work at a desktop computer with two monitors.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-2642
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs related to the Burnaby RCMP's new digital telecommunications equipment. Photographs depict Burnaby RCMP officer Darren Carr in a police car with a digital portable radio and a dispatcher at work at a desktop computer with two monitors.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in an August 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata for 535-2642-1: "Darren Carr, of the Burnaby RCMP, is already equipped with one of the new digital portable radios."
- Caption from metadata for 535-2642-2: "A dispatcher uses a new digital base station."
Images
Gary Gumley
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96818
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Gary Gumley, CEO of Ingenuity Works, with a screen showing the company's "LearningWindow.com" educational web portal site in the background.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-2376
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Gary Gumley, CEO of Ingenuity Works, with a screen showing the company's "LearningWindow.com" educational web portal site in the background.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in an April 2000 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Gary Gumley, CEO and founder of Ingenuity Works, shows off his company's soon-to-be-opened educational web portal site."
Images
Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19347
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (m4a) (118 min., 39 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (115 min., 20 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill and their daughter, Prem Kaur Gill conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep. The interview is conducted in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The three members of the Gill family share the…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (m4a) (118 min., 39 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (115 min., 20 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewers: Anushay Malik, Rajdeep Interviewees: Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill Location of Interview: Gill family residence on Warwick Avenue in Burnaby Interview Date: November 11, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (1:58:39) Digital master recording (m4a) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill and their daughter, Prem Kaur Gill conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep. The interview is conducted in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The three members of the Gill family share their ancestral background, their personal experiences immigrating to Canada, living in Burnaby and working in British Columbia as South Asian immigrants. 00:00 – 27:34 Santokh “Gurmail” Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill share their migration stories and experiences living and working in British Columbia as South Asian immigrants and their eldest child, Prem Kaur Gill shares her own experiences as a child of South Asian immigrants and growing up in British Columbia as a South Asian Canadian. Gurmail Singh Gill was born in the District of Jalandhar and Mohinder Kaur Gill was born in Hoshiapur of the Indian state of Punjab. Gurmail describes how he moved from India to England with his family in 1957, immigrated to Canada from England in 1966, married his wife Mohinder in England in 1968 and brought his family (parents and two siblings) to Canada from England in 1970 and other relatives including his wife’s family in the 1970s and 1980s. Mohinder and Gurmail Gill recollect their arranged marriage in England in 1968, their immigration process and explain how they arrived in Burnaby residing with a cousin at 4649 Georgia Street until they were able to purchase their own home after a few years. Gurmail shares names and connections to the relatives that came to British Columbia before him. Gurmail and Mohinder tell how they lived in the basement of the house and rented out the upper floor to save money. The couple recall what they brought with them when they immigrated to Canada and Mohinder Kaur Gill tells of how before leaving India, she and her mother made a special rajai for her to take with her. Mohinder describes the process of making a rajai (a quilted blanket that was made by hand). Gurmail and Mohinder Gill talk about the challenges that they’ve experienced as new immigrants including not being fluent in English, the cold weather and not having very many family or friends nearby to provide support. They attended the Gurdwara on Ross Street or Akali Singh Sikh Society Gurdwara on Skeena in Vancouver. They explain how there was limited access to grocery stores that supplied Punjabi and Indian spices and other cooking supplies. They talk about how they used a food mill and mortar and pestle to grind their own spices and flour and how Mohinder often made traditional sweets like barfi and laddo and pakoras using pea flour when they couldn’t get Besan flour. 27:35 – 36:11 Gurmail provides more details on his family’s immigration story, including names of relatives, how his six siblings and parents all immigrated to British Columbia in 1970 and how in the early 1970s and mid 1980’s Gurmail and his family sponsored approximately 70 friends and relations from India (including Mohinder’s family) to immigrate to Canada. When Mohinder’s family arrived they lived with them in their house until they were able to purchase property next door and build their own home. Children in the families all attended elementary and high school in Burnaby which now amounts to three generations. 36:12 – 59:28 Gurmail and Mohinder Gill talk about their experiences of racial discrimination. Gurmail recalls members of the South Asian community, Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma, Harinder Mahil and Charan Gill starting the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism. Gurmail tells of how he got involved contributing some of his union dues as a member of CAIMAW (Canadian Association of Industrial Mechanical and Allied Workers Union- Local 15) and as a friend of Charan Gill and Raj Chouhan of the Canadian Farm Workers Union. Gurmail Gill explains how he was a founding member of CAIMAW and treasurer until the union merged with the Canadian Auto Workers Union (in 1991). Mohinder and Gurmail tell of how people from the South Asian community were discouraged from wearing Punjabi dresses or head coverings for fear of being yelled at with racial slurs and how it was often scary to go outside. Many from their community often avoided attending the Akali Singh Gurdwara since a head covering was required and people were afraid of being a target. Gurmail provides details about his work with A1 Steel, how different unions were formed pertaining to various skillsets and jobs per company and how he became a member of CAIMAW Local 15 (foundry workers). Mohinder recollects her experiences as a mother, the daily tasks involved and friends that she made who’d also emigrated from Punjab. Mohinder describes how she designed and sewed many Punjabi dresses using her electric sewing machine and how she learned English by attending adult classes at a church on Commercial Drive. Mohinder and her mother attended the classes for two hours per day for six years at a cost of twelve dollars for ten weeks. Once Mohinder could speak a little English, she started working and was able to practice more. 59:29 – 1:06:08 Mohinder, Gurmail and Prem talk about some of their favourite traditional foods including corn roti and spinach curry and how they grow many of their own vegetables including peppers, eggplant, saag (spinach), onions, garlic, cilantro, zucchini, squash and fenugreek. Mohinder reflects on how access to Punjabi clothing and fabric stores in Vancouver has changed and that ready made food is now more available. Traditional foods were previously made from scratch with women gathering together and cooking for hours and now it’s gotten easier but more expensive and less of a community feel. 1:06:09- 1:55:20 Mohinder and Gurmail Gill discuss and share their perspectives and experiences on raising a family in the past versus today. Gurmail imparts that all of his siblings became educated and secured professional careers while he continued to work in the trades. Prem Kaur Gill shares her own experiences growing up and attending school in Burnaby. Gurmail and Mohinder Gill recall the type of suitcase that they brought with them when they immigrated and how they recently they got rid of it. Gurmail and the group reflect and discuss the confusion with racial identity terms that have been used in this country. They comment that South Asians were referred to as “Hindu” and “East Indian” and Indigenous peoples were referred to as “Indian” and the controversy and racism behind some of these terms. The group discusses the impact of the caste system and other discriminatory experiences and compare their experiences of living in England to living in Canada. Prem comments on how it’s just recently that South Asian customs, celebrations and practices have been recognized and celebrated here in Canada, like Diwali and yoga. They comment on how much of the language, culture and customs have been retained in Surrey where many can still communicate in Punjabi and don’t need to be fluent in English. The group discusses how many South Asians immigrants first lived and worked in Vancouver but with rising property prices many moved to Surrey expanding and establishing a much larger South Asian community with resources. The group discusses and compares the differing travel routes that many of them and their relatives took when immigrating and travelling between India and Canada. The group talks about Rajdeep’s ancestral village in India which is near the Gill village of Firozpur. Gurmail explains the origins and details behind his family name that was changed from “Shergill” to “Gill” and the name “Santokh” from his maternal side.
- History
- Interviewees' biographies: Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill was born in the District of Jalandhar in Punjab, India. Gurmail moved to England with his family in 1957 and immigrated to British Columbia in 1966. Gurmail married his wife, Mohinder Kaur Gill in England in 1968 and she immigrated to British Columbia from England soon after. Gurmail first lived with a cousin in Burnaby before purchasing a home of his own in Burnaby where he raised his family. Gurmail worked in the steel industry and was a member and treasurer of the CAIMAW before the union merged with the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Mohinder Kaur Gill was born in the Hoshiapur in Punjab, India. She married her husband Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill in England in 1968 and immigrated to Burnaby, British Columbia to join her husband. Mohinder and Gurmail Gill have four children, all born in Burnaby. Prem Kaur Gill was born in Burnaby in 1969 and is the eldest child of Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill. Prem grew up and attended school in Burnaby. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Clothing
- Foods
- Indigenous peoples
- Buildings - Religious - Temples
- Food Processing Tools and Equipment
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Migration
- Occupations
- Organizations - Unions
- Responsibility
- Rajdeep
- Malik, Anushay
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcript available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
- Indian Family System Reference notes: Baba = informal way to say grandfather; old man Bibi = informal way to say grandmother; old woman Dada= paternal grandfather Dadi= paternal grandmother Dadke= paternal family members; paternal side (Various spellings might exist for the following terms) Thaiyya= father’s elder brother (uncle) Thaiyyi= father’s elder brother’s wife (aunt) Chacha= father’s younger brother (uncle) Chachi= father’s younger brother’s wife (aunt) Bua= father’s sister (older or younger) (aunt) Phuphar= father’s sister’s husband (uncle) Nana= maternal grandfather Nani= maternal grandmother Nanke/nanka= maternal family members; maternal side Mama= mom’s brother (older or younger) (uncle) Mami= mom’s brother’s wife (aunt) Maasi= mom’s sister (older or younger) (aunt) Maasard= mom’s sister’s husband (uncle)
Audio Tracks
Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0002_002.mp3