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Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Grocers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Business Associations
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Toy, Christina
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Babey, Beverley
- Canada Way Food Market
- Fraser Merchants' Association
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.19
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3May Day Queen and Princess Burnaby
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3548
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1925
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 25 x 34 cm mounted on paper 29 x 36.5 cm on matt 38.5 x 46.5 cm in frame 49 x 57.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Burnaby May Queen and Princess Burnaby sitting with their suite at a photographic studio. Identified on the photograph's cardboard frame are; (back row, left to right) Jessie Gunzeon, Eileen Jacques, Margaret McCallum, Louise Lister, Lucretia Adair, and Nellie Mitchell. Seated, l…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 25 x 34 cm mounted on paper 29 x 36.5 cm on matt 38.5 x 46.5 cm in frame 49 x 57.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Burnaby May Queen and Princess Burnaby sitting with their suite at a photographic studio. Identified on the photograph's cardboard frame are; (back row, left to right) Jessie Gunzeon, Eileen Jacques, Margaret McCallum, Louise Lister, Lucretia Adair, and Nellie Mitchell. Seated, left to right: Ruth Bearn, "Burnaby May Queen 1925," and Agness Kilgour, "Princess Burnaby 1925."
- Subjects
- Events - May Day
- Names
- Weatherby, Lucretia Hazel Adair
- Whittaker, Ruth Lavinia Bearn
- McFarlane, "Agness" Nancy Galbraith McNeill Kilgour
- Anderson, Jessie Gunzeon
- Jeffers, Eileen Mary Jacques
- Lister, Louise
- McCallum, Margaret
- McLellan, Nellie Mitchell
- Accession Code
- BV985.5404.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 1925
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
May Queen and her Maids of Honour
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20596
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- May 1925
- Collection/Fonds
- David Geoffrey Llewellyn collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of May Queen, Ruth Bearn and her Maids of Honour for Burnaby's First May Day 1925. May Queen and Maids of Honour are all dressed in white and are identified from left to right as: Margaret McCallum, Jessie Gunzeon, Ruth Bearn and Eileen Jacques.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- David Geoffrey Llewellyn collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of May Queen, Ruth Bearn and her Maids of Honour for Burnaby's First May Day 1925. May Queen and Maids of Honour are all dressed in white and are identified from left to right as: Margaret McCallum, Jessie Gunzeon, Ruth Bearn and Eileen Jacques.
- History
- Burnaby's first May Day celebration took place on Saturday May 23, 1925 in Central Park. The May Queen and her court were chosen by "lot" in Burnaby Muncipal Council chambers with candidates submitted from Burnaby's public and high schools. Names were placed in a silk hat and Burnaby Reeve Alexander K. McLean drew the successful candidates. Ruth Bearn from Riverway West School was chosen as queen and Agness Kilgour from North Burnaby High School was chosen as Princess Burnaby. Candidates chosen for the Queen's court included First Maid of honour, Jessie Gungeon (Kingsway West School); Second Maid of Honour, Margaret McCallum (Schou Street School) and Third Maid of Honour, Eileen Jacques (Armstrong Avenue School). Candidates chosen for the Princess Burnaby court included, First Maid of Honour, Nellie Mitchell (North Burnaby High School); Second Maid of Honour, Lucretia Adair (South Burnaby High School) and Third Maid of Honour, Louis Lister (South Burnaby High School). Frank Harcourt (Riverway East School) was selected as Earl Marshal; Leo Rowley (Douglas Road School) was selected as First Page; Bertie Telford (Schou Street School) was selected as Second Page; Victor Bennett (Capitol Hill School) was selected as First Herald and James Clogg (Edmonds Street School) was selected as Second Herald.
- Subjects
- Events - May Day
- Names
- Whittaker, Ruth Lavinia Bearn
- Anderson, Jessie Gunzeon
- Jeffers, Eileen Mary Jacques
- McCallum, Margaret
- Accession Code
- BV995.8.27
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- May 1925
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of photograph album BV995.8.1, pasted to page 8
- Script in white on bottom edge of photograph reads: "Burnaby's First May Day 1925_#15_Stride Photo"
- Note in white on album page reads: "MAY QUEEN AND HER MAIDS OF HONOUR / MARGARET MCCALLUM + JESSIE GUNGION + RUTH BEARN + EILEEN JACQUES"
Images
The Royal Party procession
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20598
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- May 1925
- Collection/Fonds
- David Geoffrey Llewellyn collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 9.5 x 15.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Royal party of Burnaby's first May Day celebration. May Queen Suite and other attendants are in a procession at the first May Day celebration in Burnaby in 1925. The procession is being led by May Queen Ruth Bearn and escort followed by Jessie Gunzeon, Margaret McCallum, Agness K…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- David Geoffrey Llewellyn collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 9.5 x 15.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Royal party of Burnaby's first May Day celebration. May Queen Suite and other attendants are in a procession at the first May Day celebration in Burnaby in 1925. The procession is being led by May Queen Ruth Bearn and escort followed by Jessie Gunzeon, Margaret McCallum, Agness Kilgour, Nellie Mitchell, Lucretia Adair and Louise Lister. Each girl in the suite is holding a flower basket and escorted by a man in a suit and matching hats. A flag flying in the back and a water tower can be seen from behind the procession.
- History
- Burnaby's first May Day celebration took place on Saturday May 23, 1925 in Central Park. The May Queen and her court were chosen by "lot" in Burnaby Muncipal Council chambers with candidates submitted from Burnaby's public and high schools. Names were placed in a silk hat and Burnaby Reeve Alexander K. McLean drew the successful candidates. Ruth Bearn from Riverway West School was chosen as queen and Agness Kilgour from North Burnaby High School was chosen as Princess Burnaby. Candidates chosen for the Queen's court included First Maid of honour, Jessie Gungeon (Kingsway West School); Second Maid of Honour, Margaret McCallum (Schou Street School) and Third Maid of Honour, Eileen Jacques (Armstrong Avenue School). Candidates chosen for the Princess Burnaby court included, First Maid of Honour, Nellie Mitchell (North Burnaby High School); Second Maid of Honour, Lucretia Adair (South Burnaby High School) and Third Maid of Honour, Louis Lister (South Burnaby High School). Frank Harcourt (Riverway East School) was selected as Earl Marshal; Leo Rowley (Douglas Road School) was selected as First Page; Bertie Telford (Schou Street School) was selected as Second Page; Victor Bennett (Capitol Hill School) was selected as First Herald and James Clogg (Edmonds Street School) was selected as Second Herald.
- Subjects
- Events - May Day
- Names
- McFarlane, "Agness" Nancy Galbraith McNeill Kilgour
- Whittaker, Ruth Lavinia Bearn
- Anderson, Jessie Gunzeon
- McCallum, Margaret
- Lister, Louise
- McLellan, Nellie Mitchell
- Weatherby, Lucretia Hazel Adair
- Accession Code
- BV995.8.29
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- May 1925
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Photographer
- Stride, Charles Edgar
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of photograph album BV995.8.1, pasted to page 10
- Script in white on bottom edge of photograph reads: "Stride Photo"
- Note in white ink on page of album reads: "THE ROYAL PARTY" / ARRIVAL AT THE GROUNDS"