More like 'adze blade'
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Subject
- Advertising Medium - Signs and Signboards 1
- Agriculture 2
- Arts 1
- Arts - Paintings 1
- Buildings - Commercial - Stores 1
- Buildings - Residential - Houses 4
- Clothing - Military Uniforms 1
- Clothing - Uniforms 1
- Documentary Artifacts - Newspapers 1
- Documentary Artifacts - Photographs 1
- Education 2
- Events - May Day 1
Arthur W. Mawbey
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription46259
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1959 and 1964]
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 13.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of World War I veteran Arthur W. Mawbey sitting in front of the Union Jack in uniform during a Remembrance Day observance ceremony. He is smoking a pipe, with one hand resting on his cane, and the other hand holding a white wooden cross with maple leaf resting on it.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1959 and 1964]
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 13.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 480-1147
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2003-02
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of World War I veteran Arthur W. Mawbey sitting in front of the Union Jack in uniform during a Remembrance Day observance ceremony. He is smoking a pipe, with one hand resting on his cane, and the other hand holding a white wooden cross with maple leaf resting on it.
- Subjects
- Persons - Veterans
- Wars - World War, 1914-1918
- Symbols - Flags
- Clothing - Military Uniforms
- Names
- Mawbey, Arthur W.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Central Park Garage Opening
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription55614
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of four men on stage in front of a microphone at what is identified by the caption as the "Central Park Garage Opening." Charles MacSorley is standing to the right, but the others are unknown.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 486-008
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2005-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of four men on stage in front of a microphone at what is identified by the caption as the "Central Park Garage Opening." Charles MacSorley is standing to the right, but the others are unknown.
- Subjects
- Events - Openings
- Persons - Crowds
- Officials - Mayors and Reeves
- Sound Communication Tools and Equipment - Microphones
- Names
- MacSorley, Charles W.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Allan Studios
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Photographer's stamp on verso
- Geographic Access
- Central Park
- Imperial Street
- Street Address
- 3883 Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Charles MacSorley at the Central Park Garage Opening
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription55616
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Reeve Charles MacSorley reaching into a large ballot drum to draw a ticket in front of a crowd gathered at Burnaby's Central Park. Two men are standing on the stage with him; one is in a suit, the other is in a uniform.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 486-010
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2005-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Reeve Charles MacSorley reaching into a large ballot drum to draw a ticket in front of a crowd gathered at Burnaby's Central Park. Two men are standing on the stage with him; one is in a suit, the other is in a uniform.
- Names
- MacSorley, Charles W.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Allan Studios
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photographer's stamp on verso
- Note on verso reads: "Station opening file"
- Geographic Access
- Central Park
- Imperial Street
- Street Address
- 3883 Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Class reunion 1912-22
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97966
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [bewteen 1940 and 1960]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 13 cm x 18 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a school reunion for the class of 1912-1922. Former students, wearing name tags, sit in the desks of a classroom. The school is unidentified.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [bewteen 1940 and 1960]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Easthope family subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 13 cm x 18 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 451-033
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2003-06
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a school reunion for the class of 1912-1922. Former students, wearing name tags, sit in the desks of a classroom. The school is unidentified.
- Subjects
- Persons - Students
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Writing in white on verso of photograph reads: "[illegible] School class 1912-22"
Images
Deer Lake Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34714
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1958
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 15.2 x 19.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crowd of men, women and children at a beach at Deer Lake Park.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1958
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Photographs subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 15.2 x 19.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 117-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crowd of men, women and children at a beach at Deer Lake Park.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- King, Basil
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Stamp on back of photo reads, "Basil King Photo"
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Park
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Deer Lake
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Oakalla Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
Images
Deer Lake Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34715
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1958
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 19.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crowd on a beach and in the water at Deer Lake Park. Cars are parked in the foreground.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1958
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Photographs subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 19.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 117-002
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crowd on a beach and in the water at Deer Lake Park. Cars are parked in the foreground.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- King, Basil
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Park
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Deer Lake
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Oakalla Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
Images
Drawing a ticket at Central Park garage opening
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription55613
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Reeve Charles MacSorley reaching into a large ballot drum to draw a ticket in front of a crowd gathered at Burnaby's Central Park. An unidentified man stands beside him, smiling at the crowd. A caption written on the bottom of the photograph reads: "Drawing a tickett [sic] at Central…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955]
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 486-007
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2005-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Reeve Charles MacSorley reaching into a large ballot drum to draw a ticket in front of a crowd gathered at Burnaby's Central Park. An unidentified man stands beside him, smiling at the crowd. A caption written on the bottom of the photograph reads: "Drawing a tickett [sic] at Central Park garage opening."
- Names
- MacSorley, Charles W.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Allan Studios
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Title based on caption
- Photographer's stamp on verso
- Geographic Access
- Central Park
- Imperial Street
- Street Address
- 3883 Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Exhibition Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51368
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1958
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crowd of people gathered near the entrance to the exhibition park at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver, BC. A banner at the top of the entrance reads "B.C. Centennial Year 1858-1958" and the marquis below the "Exhibition Park" sign reads "Water Follies of 58 / Shri…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1958
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 483-004
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2008-08
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crowd of people gathered near the entrance to the exhibition park at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver, BC. A banner at the top of the entrance reads "B.C. Centennial Year 1858-1958" and the marquis below the "Exhibition Park" sign reads "Water Follies of 58 / Shrine PNE Circus / Horse Racing." None of the people in the photograph are identified.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Johnston, Harold H.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
First prize float
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription55609
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1955
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the first prize float in the Pacific National Exhibition parade, along Hastings Street in Vancouver. The float reads: "Burnaby / BCs Garden of Eden." The Burnaby May Day Queen and her court are seated on the float and a large crowd of spectators can be seen lined up along the street t…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1955
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 486-003
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2005-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the first prize float in the Pacific National Exhibition parade, along Hastings Street in Vancouver. The float reads: "Burnaby / BCs Garden of Eden." The Burnaby May Day Queen and her court are seated on the float and a large crowd of spectators can be seen lined up along the street to watch the parade.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note on recto reads: "P.N.E. Float 1st Prize 1955"
Images
Gordon Presbyterian Church
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35113
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [195-] (date of original), copied 1987
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.9 x 12.2 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the sod for a new Gordon Presbyterian Church being turned. A crowd of men, women and children are standing outside with their heads bowed. A priest, woman and child are standing at the centre of the group near a patch of turned earth. There is snow on the ground.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [195-] (date of original), copied 1987
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Gordon Presbyterian Church subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.9 x 12.2 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 193-014
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1987-02
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the sod for a new Gordon Presbyterian Church being turned. A crowd of men, women and children are standing outside with their heads bowed. A priest, woman and child are standing at the centre of the group near a patch of turned earth. There is snow on the ground.
- Subjects
- Persons - Crowds
- Occupations - Clergy
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Edmonds Street
- Street Address
- 7457 Edmonds Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Richmond Park Area
Images
Hazel Peterson photographs
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription62794
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1880-2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- ca. 60 photographs : b&w and col. -- 2 prints : col. illustrations
- Scope and Content
- File consists of loose photographs of Hazel Peterson (nee Erickson), as well as photographs of her family and parents, Charles and Amanda Erickson, and her husband, Edwin Peterson. Photographs are from all stages of Hazel Peterson's life, including infancy and childhood and later years of her life,…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1880-2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Hazel Peterson subseries
- Physical Description
- ca. 60 photographs : b&w and col. -- 2 prints : col. illustrations
- Material Details
- Some photographs remain in frames or paper covers.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 504-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS2000-08
- Scope and Content
- File consists of loose photographs of Hazel Peterson (nee Erickson), as well as photographs of her family and parents, Charles and Amanda Erickson, and her husband, Edwin Peterson. Photographs are from all stages of Hazel Peterson's life, including infancy and childhood and later years of her life, including a trip to Hawaii in 1982. File includes studio portraits, cartes de visites, postcards, and some illustrations.
- Subjects
- Travel
- Persons - Children
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on content of file
- Note on verso of 504-022 reads: "This was taken several years ago / Your niece / Hazel Petersen (at left)"
- Note on verso of 504-027 reads: "Hazel Erickson Peterson"
- Note on verso of 504-028 reads: "all of us except Ethel" and identifies the siblings in the photo
- Note on verso of 504-029 reads: "not such a bad picture considering" and identifies the people in the photo.
- Note on verso of 504-030 reads: "Agnus McDonald" and "Touch up outline of deer"
- Note on envelope for 504-039:504-041 reads: "Hazel Petersen resided at Dania Home, Burnaby, for 20 years before her death shortly before her 100th birthday."
Interview with Betty Blair by Eric Damer October 17, 2012 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory299
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1940-1959
- Length
- 0:07:48
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's memories of events held at the Church, including her own wedding. She discusses her involvement with the church group Canadian Girls in Training. She also discusses her volunteer years at the Burnaby Hospital and her lif…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's memories of events held at the Church, including her own wedding. She discusses her involvement with the church group Canadian Girls in Training. She also discusses her volunteer years at the Burnaby Hospital and her life when her children were small.
- Date Range
- 1940-1959
- Photo Info
- Graduating class at Burnaby South High School; Betty Warburton is third from the right in the front row, [1942 or 1943]. Item no. BV004.82.5.
- Length
- 0:07:48
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- October 17, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 17, 2012. Major theme discussed: life in Burnaby during the war years.
- Biographical Notes
- Betty Warburton (later Atkinson) (later Blair) was born in 1926 and grew up at three different locations on Frederick Avenue in Burnaby. She went to school in Burnaby; first at Kingsway West for two years, then Nelson Avenue and then Burnaby South High School where she completed senior matriculation. After graduation, Betty worked for a few years in Vancouver before marrying her first husband Don Atkinson and raising their children in Burnaby. Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair has participated in a range of activities from hiking and Girl Guides to volunteer arthritis care. By the nineteen-sixties she had began to learn pottery and take lessons at Mather House in Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 6
- Total Length
- 0:59:03
- Interviewee Name
- Blair, Betty Warburton Atkinson
- Interview Location
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Interviewer Bio
- Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks
Track four of recording of interview with Betty Blair
Track four of recording of interview with Betty Blair
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-003/MSS171-003_Track_4.mp3Interview with Hazel Simnett by Eric Damer October 27, 2012 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory401
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1975
- Length
- 0:08:03
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Hazel Simnett's volunteerism and her political activism. Hazel discusses being an organizer for the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA) and an active supporter of the libraries in Burnaby. She also discusses what it was like to be a student in the elementar…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Hazel Simnett's volunteerism and her political activism. Hazel discusses being an organizer for the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA) and an active supporter of the libraries in Burnaby. She also discusses what it was like to be a student in the elementary school classroom in the nineteen-thirties. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview.
- Date Range
- 1942-1975
- Photo Info
- Hazel Simnett standing in a garden, with a small dog in her arms [194-]. Item no. 549-063.
- Length
- 0:08:03
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- October 27, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Hazel Simnett conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 27, 2012. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview. Major theme discussed: political activism in Burnaby.
- Biographical Notes
- Hazel Simnett was born in Burnaby in 1922 and grew up looking up to her father Frederick Simnett who was very involved in labour and unions. A politically active citizen, Hazel Simnett has supported the Canadian Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the New Democratic Party (NDP). She once ran as a New Democratic Party candidate for Burnaby City Council. In 2006, Hazel Simnett won the Burnaby Local Hero Award for her volunteer work at the New Vista Society where she served as chair for a number of years. She also served as a member of the Burnaby Historical Society and established the Hazel Simnett Endowment with the Burnaby Public Library to bring a collection of books on Canadian history and social issues.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:36:12
- Interviewee Name
- Simnett, Hazel
- Interview Location
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Interviewer Bio
- Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks
Track three of recording of interview with Hazel Simnett
Track three of recording of interview with Hazel Simnett
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-024/MSS171-024_Track_3.mp3Interview with Ken Yip by Eric Damer November 14, 2012 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory426
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1944-1971
- Length
- 0:09:33
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Ken Yip's memories of his father D.T. Yip. Ken tells the story of his father coming to own property in Burnaby and the work that it took to get a market farm going.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Ken Yip's memories of his father D.T. Yip. Ken tells the story of his father coming to own property in Burnaby and the work that it took to get a market farm going.
- Date Range
- 1944-1971
- Length
- 0:09:33
- Names
- Yip, D.T.
- Subjects
- Persons - Veterans
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- November 14, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Ken Yip conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 14, 2012. Major theme discussed: growing up with a family market garden.
- Biographical Notes
- Ken Yip's father purchased property on Byrne Road in the Fraser Arm area of South Burnaby under a special plan granted to veterans of the Second World War, cleared the brush by hand, and enhanced the soil’s productivity to create a market garden. Ken Yip was born in 1949. He and his younger brother grew up at the market garden, helping out. Ken attended Riverside Elementary School, McPherson Park Junior High School and Burnaby South Senior High School where he was in the school band. He continued his studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and pursued a career in biomedical engineering.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:09:22
- Interviewee Name
- Yip, Ken
- Interview Location
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Interviewer Bio
- Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track one of recording of interview with Ken Yip
Track one of recording of interview with Ken Yip
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-030/MSS171-030_Track_1.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory570
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:14:54
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the operation and location of the Olofson’s mink ranch, the challenges of raising mink, and when the family gave up the farm in 1950/51. She describes how she and her sister Anita Lea used a bicycle to go to school.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the operation and location of the Olofson’s mink ranch, the challenges of raising mink, and when the family gave up the farm in 1950/51. She describes how she and her sister Anita Lea used a bicycle to go to school.
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:14:54
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track two of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_2.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory572
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:13:41
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s childhood at her family’s mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain. She describes neighbourhood friends, pets, playing on the farm and in the bush, going to town, and what the mountain looked like
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s childhood at her family’s mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain. She describes neighbourhood friends, pets, playing on the farm and in the bush, going to town, and what the mountain looked like
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:13:41
- Names
- Olofson, Axel
- GAK Fur Farm
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track four of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_4.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory576
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:06:57
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson telling several stories about events she remembers from her childhood on her parents mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain and going to Sperling Avenue School.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson telling several stories about events she remembers from her childhood on her parents mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain and going to Sperling Avenue School.
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:06:57
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track eight of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track eight of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_8.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory476
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1935-1956
- Length
- 00:04:56
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s marriage and move to Burnaby in 1953, and settling at the house near Cliff Avenue United Church in 1956. He talks about his first encounters with volunteering at Ratepayer meetings attended by his father, and in dance and drama activities at s…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s marriage and move to Burnaby in 1953, and settling at the house near Cliff Avenue United Church in 1956. He talks about his first encounters with volunteering at Ratepayer meetings attended by his father, and in dance and drama activities at school.
- Date Range
- 1935-1956
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:04:56
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Education
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lochdale Area
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track five of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track five of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_5.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory477
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:13:27
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the circumstances behind Merrill Gordon’s founding of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club in 1956, his subsequent involvement and role as President of the club for 15 years, and the growth and history of soccer clubs in Burnaby. He also talks about his frien…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the circumstances behind Merrill Gordon’s founding of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club in 1956, his subsequent involvement and role as President of the club for 15 years, and the growth and history of soccer clubs in Burnaby. He also talks about his friend Mark Stockdale who was second president of the club for 16 years and creator of the rose garden on Burnaby Mountain.
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:13:27
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Sports - Soccer
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track six of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_6.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 7
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory478
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:07:05
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s political career and his volunteer work with Cliff Avenue soccer, the Burnaby Mental Health Association, the library board, and the New Vista Society. He talks about his association with Alan Emmott and the founding of the Better Burnaby Commi…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s political career and his volunteer work with Cliff Avenue soccer, the Burnaby Mental Health Association, the library board, and the New Vista Society. He talks about his association with Alan Emmott and the founding of the Better Burnaby Committee (BBC), his election to Burnaby Council in 1972 with BVA, and his membership in and work for the federal NDP
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:07:05
- Names
- Emmott, Alan H
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track seven of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track seven of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_7.mp3