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Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".
History
Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Agricultural Labourers
Migration
Organizations - Unions
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Government - Provincial Government
Government
Names
Chouhan, Raj
British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism
Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash
Grewal, Hardial Singh
Canadian Farmworkers Union
Hospital Employees Union
Khalsa Diwan Society
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Accession Code
BV022.29.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3
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Family and political photograph album

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3654
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1914-1977
Collection/Fonds
Harold Edward Winch collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 album (ca. 85 photographs)
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph album containing ca. 85 photographs, including both personal and work-related subjects such as the Winch family and homes, and Winch's political work and travels. Also included are some textual records relating to Winch's political work.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Harold Edward Winch collection
Series
Harold E. Winch photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 album (ca. 85 photographs)
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph album containing ca. 85 photographs, including both personal and work-related subjects such as the Winch family and homes, and Winch's political work and travels. Also included are some textual records relating to Winch's political work.
Subjects
Government - Federal Government
Government - Provincial Government
Names
Winch, Harold Edward
Winch, Linda Marian Hendy
Winch, Grace
Winch, Eileen
Winch, Ernest "Ernie"
Winch, Eric
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation "CCF"
New Democratic Party
Douglas, Tommy
MacInnis, Grace
Accession Code
BV013.12.11
Date
1914-1977
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
A selection of photographs from scrapbook have been described at item level (BV013.12.36 to BV015.35.117)
Images
Documents

2013_0012_0011_001_Combined

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Interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19604
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 6 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 7 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 - 00:13:30 Interview opens with introductions. Samuel (Sam) and Angela Nalliah provide biographical details including their p…
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
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 6 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 7 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah Location of Interview: Nalliah family home Interview Date: May 29, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 68 min., 6 sec. Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph information: Ruth (Angela) Nalliah with husband Samuel Nalliah WARNING: Some of the content discussed in this interview (00:40:58 – 00:57:31) regarding the Tamil genocide may be upsetting to some people.
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 - 00:13:30 Interview opens with introductions. Samuel (Sam) and Angela Nalliah provide biographical details including their parentage, place of birth (Sri Lanka), spoken language and education. Sam Nalliah shares details on his education while living in Sri Lanka, his later education in Wales where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and his migration to Halifax in 1978 after obtaining a job at Dalhousie University as a systems analyst. Sam conveys how he decided to relocate from Halifax to Vancouver in 1986 and started his employment with BC Tel. Angela Nalliah shares details on her education and employment after immigrating to Canada from Sri Lanka in 1986. Angela conveys how she first lived in Ottawa, moved to Toronto in 1989 where she began working for TD bank and moved to Vancouver in 1999. 00:13:31 – 00:20:03 Sam Nalliah talks about how he and his wife Angela first met and married in 1999 and moved to Vancouver. Sam shares information on where his other family members immigrated to and why he decided to immigrate to Canada. Angela shares information on other members of her family who immigrated to Canada before her and how her uncle sponsored them all to come. 00:20:04 – 00:29:30 Sam provides further details regarding his family make up including; his first wife, his daughters (born in 1983 and 1985), his step daughter (born in 1991) and his youngest daughter (born in 2000). Sam tells how he worked as a Systems and Operations Manager at Shaughnessy Hospital and later at BC Hydro. Sam provides locations of homes that they lived in Burnaby and Vancouver. Sam and Angela describe what they liked about living in Burnaby, where their daughter attended school and where they did their shopping. 00:29:31 – 00:32:11 Angela talks about working for Prospera Credit Union from 2003 after TD bank downsized. Sam describes how they rented out their house in Vancouver and lived in a rental home in Burnaby that was owned by the City of Burnaby. Sam and Angela recollect the time period that they lived in Burnaby and Vancouver before deciding to move to Surrey in 2015. 00:32:12 – 00:35:59 Sam and Angela provide details regarding their daughter’s post-secondary education and careers. Angela talks about her social activities, volunteer work and involvement with the Thamil Cultural Society of British Columbia, the Women’s Network as well as the Westminster Bible Chapel Church in Burnaby and the Green Timbers Evangelical Covenant Church in Surrey. 00:36:00 – 00:40:57 Sam recalls hearing Prime Minster Pierre Elliott Trudeau speak about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms at Dalhousie University and the effect that his speech made on him. Sam talks about joining the National Democratic Party when Peter Julian was elected as a Member of Parliament for Burnaby. 00:40:58 – 00:57:31 (WARNING: Some of the content discussed in this portion of the interview may be upsetting to some people) Sam and Angela speak about their involvement with the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC). Angela describes the brutal violence that she witnessed while living in Sri Lanka during the Anti-Tamil state sponsored genocide in the 1980’s. Sam and Angela recollect and discuss their views and actions pertaining to the MV Sun Sea incident where a Thai cargo ship carrying Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to British Columbia were identified as terrorists by the Canadian Government and held in detention facilities. 00:57:32 – 01:08:07 Sam reflects on what he likes about Burnaby. Angela and Sam talk about Hindu temples attended by many Tamil and Sri Lankan people living in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Angela talks about the many cultural events and celebrations that are celebrated within the Tamil and Sri Lankan community including the Pongal Festival. Angela and Sam reflect on how grateful they are to be residents of Canada.
History
Interviewees biographies: Samuel (Sam) Nalliah was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka in 1949. Sam immigrated to Halifax in 1977 after obtaining a position as a systems analyst at Dalhousie University. In 1986, Sam sponsored his parents to come to Canada. In 1986, after being introduced to the milder weather in Victoria, Sam decided to move to British Columbia. He moved to Burnaby in 1990 and began working for BC Tel in Burnaby. Following his job at BC Tel, Sam worked as a Systems and Operations Manager at Shaughnessy Hospital and later at BC Hydro. Ruth (Angela) Nalliah was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka in 1964 and immigrated to Canada in 1986. As a Tamil living in Sri Lanka in the 1980’s Angela witnessed first hand the brutal violence during the Anti-Tamil state sponsored genocide. In 1986 Angela was relieved to be able to immigrate to Canada after being sponsored by her uncle. Angela first lived and worked in Ottawa and Toronto before marrying Samuel Nalliah in Ottawa in 1999 and the couple moved to Burnaby. Angela worked for TD bank in both Toronto and Vancouver until it downsized in 2003 and she began working for Prospero Credit Union. While living in Burnaby, Angela attended the Westminster Bible Chapel and after moving to Surrey she became a member of the Green Timbers Evangelical Covenant Church. Sam and Angela Nalliah have four daughters and since moving to British Columbia they’ve lived in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey. Both Sam and Angela are involved with the Tamil Cultural Association of British Columbia and the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) as well as participates in Sri Lankan and Tamil community cultural events. Interviewer biography: James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Events - Festivals
Government
Government - Federal Government
Migration
Occupations
Organizations - Political Parties
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions
Religions - Christianity
Religions - Hinduism
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues - Discrimination
Names
Nalliah, Ruth "Angela"
Nalliah, Samuel "Sam"
Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC)
Westminster Bible Chapel
Thamil Cultural Society of British Columbia (TCSBC)
Responsibility
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.16.8
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah, 1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023

Interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah, 1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0008_003.mp3
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Div 1 Gilmore Avenue School

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription22
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
17 Mar. 1920
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 11.1 x 16.2 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Division One class at Gilmore Avenue School (this information is written on a blackboard at the rear of the classroom). A male teacher is standing beside the blackboard and the class is seated at their desks (each desk is attached to the back of the chair in the front). There are …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 11.1 x 16.2 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Division One class at Gilmore Avenue School (this information is written on a blackboard at the rear of the classroom). A male teacher is standing beside the blackboard and the class is seated at their desks (each desk is attached to the back of the chair in the front). There are 21 girls and 14 boys. The boys are dressed in sweaters or rough sports jackets, baggy trousers, and open-necked shirts. Their hair is generally moppish, or parted. The girls are generally wearing sweaters and wide skirts, with several wearing necklaces. Most have long hair, pulled back and tied, or parted and hanging. Identified: (3rd row of desks, 5th from left) Mary Warren; (1st row of desks, 4th from left) Lena Horne (later Lena McManus). Mary Warren was the daughter of John H. Warren and Mary W. Warren (nee Slaven) who settled in Burnaby and built a house on Union Street in 1912. Mary Warren later became Mary Anthony when she married Bill Anthony. The teacher may be Stanley Griffiths. A blackboard on the left of the picture has math problems written on it. Above, a row of prints hang, among the ones identifiable are Shakespeare and the Fathers of Confederation. The room is lit by dangling electric bulbs. Inscribed on the negative, lower left of the print: "272." An annotation in pencil on the back of the photograph reads, "Mr. Tom Browning." In 1912 Gilmore Ave. School was only a tent as blasting and clearing was being carried out. Later that year, a four-room building was completed and pupils moved in. By 1914, another four rooms were added to meet increased enrolment. Four rooms were added again in 1922, and four rooms and an auditorium were added in 1929. The school was renovated in 1954 and 1955. A library was added in 1964 and six more rooms were built in 1967. The school was named after Hugh B. Gilmour, but an error by a municipal clerk in 1912 changed the spelling to Gilmore.
Subjects
Buildings - Schools
Occupations - Teachers
Furniture
Persons - Black Canadians
Names
Gilmore Avenue School
Geographic Access
Gilmore Avenue
Street Address
50 Gilmore Avenue
Accession Code
HV971.23.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
17 Mar. 1920
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Willingdon Heights Area
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-03-21
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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B.C. Parliament Building in Victoria

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1527
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[ca. 1920]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 9 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia located in Victoria. There are people standing on the steps to the front entrance. There is a sign on the lawn in front of the parliament buliding that reads, "PLEASE KEEP OFF THE GRASS."
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 9 cm
Material Details
stamped on verso, t. "159"
Scope and Content
Photograph of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia located in Victoria. There are people standing on the steps to the front entrance. There is a sign on the lawn in front of the parliament buliding that reads, "PLEASE KEEP OFF THE GRASS."
Subjects
Government - Provincial Government
Geographic Access
Victoria
Accession Code
BV985.5899.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[ca. 1920]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2024-02-27
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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Interview with Charles B. Brown May 21, 1975 - Track 8

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory34
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1928-1945
Length
0:06:03
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Charles Boyer Brown's experiences with tax sales and a description of how they functioned.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Charles Boyer Brown's experiences with tax sales and a description of how they functioned.
Date Range
1928-1945
Photo Info
Charles Boyer Brown, by photographer Nicholas Rossmo [1950]. Item no. 307-008
Length
0:06:03
Subjects
Government - Local Government
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
May 21, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Charles B. Brown by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury May 21, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, the Commissioner and municipal politics in general. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Charles Boyer Brown was born on June 16, 1894 in the town of Ongar, Essex, England. He came to Canada as a young child with his parents Jean and Percy Brown. In 1903, the family settled in New Westminster and by 1911, Charles had joined the Burnaby municipal staff working as an office boy. The outbreak of World War One interrupted Charlie’s career as he immediately enlisted with the Royal Engineers and served from 1915 to 1918. While overseas he met and married Lillian Bernice Bryan and they returned to Canada together after the war and Charles resumed his position in municipal administration. For a short time, Charles was appointed as the Municipal Assessor, but in 1927 he became the Assistant Municipal Clerk. In 1933, Charles was made Municipal Clerk, a post he held until he retired in 1959. Charles has also been credited with playing a significant role in administering the city while it was under the rule of the provincial commission from 1932-1942. Recognized for his expertise in civic affairs, Charles was appointed by the provincial government to a committee formed to review and revise the Municipal Act. He was also a member of the BC Municipal Officers’ Association from its formation in 1936 and was made its chair in 1953. While these civic duties occupied much of his time, Charles still managed to participate as a volunteer on many sport and youth clubs in the city and served as the secretary for the Kingsway Rotary Club. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Burnaby, both paid and volunteer, Charles was presented with the Gold Key award in 1959, the same year he finally retired from municipal administration. During Charles’ lifetime, many changes took place in the Municipality that he loved. He saw Burnaby grow in population and progress and he could be proud of the significant part he played in that growth and development. Charles Brown died on August 11, 1981.
Total Tracks
8
Total Length
0:58:01
Interviewee Name
Brown, Charles B. "Charlie"
Interview Location
Walker Avenue
Interviewer Bio
Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track eight of interview with Charles B. Brown

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Interview with Kay Zimmerman by Rod Fowler [February] 1990 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory530
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1920-1990
Length
00:07:37
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Burnaby growing from “a dreamy little community” with little business to transact in council, to a municipality providing many more services and planning for and supporting industrial, commercial and residential growth. She talks about the first malls at Brent…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Burnaby growing from “a dreamy little community” with little business to transact in council, to a municipality providing many more services and planning for and supporting industrial, commercial and residential growth. She talks about the first malls at Brentwood and Lougheed, the George Derby lands, and the return of Oakalla Prison lands to Burnaby.
Date Range
1920-1990
Photo Info
Kay Zimmerman, [1973]. Item no. 231-021
Length
00:07:37
Subjects
Government - Local Government
Taxes
Public Services
Interviewer
Fowler, Rod
Interview Date
[February] 1990
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Kay Zimmerman, conducted by Rod Fowler. Kay Zimmerman 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 mainly about Kay Zimmerman’s political activities in Burnaby and her description of her Lochdale neighbourhood in the 1960s. She provides an excellent overview of the municipal political groups and important political issues in Burnaby from 1960 to 1980. She tells the story about an early and successful political action that convinced her that an individual can make a difference. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Kathleen “Kay” Zimmerman, her husband Gordon and their young son Rick moved to Burnaby from Vancouver in 1960 to a house on Curtis Avenue near Duthie Street (a second son Bruce was born in Burnaby). Kay Zimmerman worked 12 years at Royal Columbian Hospital in the admitting office, then 4 years (1974-1979) as special assistant to Senator Ray Perrault, followed by work as a judge on the Citizenship Court before retiring. Gordon Zimmerman worked at the Shell Refinery. A member of the Liberal Party and political activist before arriving in Burnaby, Kay Zimmerman continued her involvement in national and local politics. She campaigned for Ray Perrault during the Trudeau years, and was a founder and active member of the Burnaby Voters Association (BVA). Her political activities encompassed 30 years that saw major changes in Burnaby, including the building of SFU, creation of Heritage Village, an awakening environmental sensibility, and a dramatic increase in population and development in Burnaby.
Total Tracks
10
Total Length
01:04:36
Interviewee Name
Zimmerman, Kay
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
Series
Centennial Oral History project series
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 four of interview with Kay Zimmerman

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Harding and Yasue Yasui

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15218
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1926] (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harding and Yasue "Margaret" Yasui seated on the steps of their home on the site of the Nichols Chemical Plant.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harding and Yasue "Margaret" Yasui seated on the steps of their home on the site of the Nichols Chemical Plant.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Yasui, Harding
Nichols Chemical Company Limited
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.38
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1926] (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Date of photograph [1926] based on birth dates of Yasue "Margaret"- born 1921 and Harding Yasui- born July 1923
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui.
Images
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Harding and Yasue Yasui in the family car

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15214
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1926] (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harding Yasui and his sister Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) in the family's 1918 Dodge touring sedan. Harding is seated in the driver's seat and Yasue "Margaret" is seated in the back seat.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harding Yasui and his sister Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) in the family's 1918 Dodge touring sedan. Harding is seated in the driver's seat and Yasue "Margaret" is seated in the back seat.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Transportation - Automobiles
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Yasui, Harding
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.35
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1926] (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui
Images
Less detail

Harding and Yasue Yasui in the family car

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15215
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1926] (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harding Yasui and his sister Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) in the family's 1918 Dodge touring sedan. Harding is in the driver's seat and his sister Yasue "Margaret" is beside him.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Harding Yasui and his sister Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) in the family's 1918 Dodge touring sedan. Harding is in the driver's seat and his sister Yasue "Margaret" is beside him.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Transportation - Automobiles
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Yasui, Harding
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.36
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1926] (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
See page 128 of book "In the Shadow by the Sea - Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village". Caption with photograph reads: "Yasue and Harding Yasui in their family's 1918 Dodge car, 1926"
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui.
Images
Less detail

Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19602
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pe…
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
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewees: Ellen and Bill Schwartz Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: May 15, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:08:52 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph information: Bill and Ellen Schwartz.
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pennsylvania the 1970s. Bill and Ellen explain how in the 1970s, they were discouraged about the current politics in the United States under the Nixon administration and how they were inspired by the “back to the land” ideals, rejecting materialism and wanting an alternative lifestyle. With these ideals in mind, they recall how in 1972 they and a few other friends decided to leave the United States, move to British Columbia with the goal of buying land in the Okanagan or Kootenay region and starting a new lifestyle for themselves. Bill and Ellen recollect how they purchased 20 acres of land in Galena Bay in the Kootenays and how they lived in the area off and on until the early 1980s. They describe how they cleared three acres of land, built a cabin, put in a garden, chicken coop and honey bees. With the challenges of the isolated location and no access to electricity they explain how they decided that they had to live elsewhere in order to make a living. Ellen talks about working as a special education teacher in Revelstoke and Slocan and how Bill obtained his teaching certificate while they lived in Nelson. Bill and Ellen describe themselves as environmentalists and of how they both became active Provincial environmentalists during the construction of the Revelstoke Dam. Bill talks about getting work with the “Energy Van” program talking about energy conservation, renewable energy and recycling. They explain how after their first child was born in 1980, they returned to Galena Bay for about a year and a half until Bill was offered a job with the Department of Energy Conservation which lead them to move to Vancouver. 16:48 – 22:46 Bill and Ellen describe their first few years of living in Vancouver and at University of British Columbia while Ellen completed her master’s degree in creative writing. During this time, they had their second child. They recall how in 1988 how they purchased a house in Burnaby, selecting to live in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. They talk about the benefits of the neighbourhood including; a French immersion school for their children, proximity to the trails around Deer Lake and having transit close by. 22:47 – 33:55 Bill and Ellen talk about their consulting business “Polestar Communications”. A Burnaby based communications consulting firm composed of three people, Ellen and Bill and colleague Richard Banner. They describe how their business got started and some of the projects that they’ve worked on including; BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program, financial literacy curriculum that was introduced in B.C. schools and reports for the Province of British Columbia. Ellen and Bill convey how Bill has been a very active member with the City of Burnaby Environment Committee, the Steering Committee to develop a sustainable environmental strategy for Burnaby, how he’s been awarded for his contributions in coaching youth sports and other areas in which they have both volunteered. 33:56 – 43:07 Ellen describes how she got started in writing educational resources about the environment and how since she completed grad school in 1984, she’s published nineteen books. Ellen conveys how her first book was published and sold to the Province of British Columbia as part of the B.C. educational curriculum on the environment. Ellen talks about some of the children’s books that she’s written and published with themes including; social justice, the labour movement and racism in sports. Ellen describes some of her books and the research that she’s done. 43:08 – 51:04 Ellen and Bill Schwartz reflect on what they like about living in Burnaby. They talk about the benefits of their neighbourhood including; performances at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival, the Burnaby Art Gallery and Deer Lake as well as having access to parks and community centres in Burnaby. 51:05-56:36 Bill and Ellen reflect on their involvement in the Jewish community, considering themselves non-secular Jews. Ellen talks about how they were involved with “Burquest” a Jewish Community Association and how they often observe some of the Jewish holidays including Hanukah and traditions including the Jewish coming of age ritual, bar mitzvah (masc.) and bat mistvah (fem.). Ellen mentions her involvement with the “Jone Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s book Award” where she acts a judge and her involvement with the Jewish Book festival and that she is a recipient of the Jewish Book award. 56:37 – 1:08:53 Bill and Ellen reflect on their 35 years living in Burnaby and how they’ve seen it change. They talk about the increased development and density in the city, how they are troubled by a lack of low income housing, the benefits and importance of public transportation and preservation of green space including Burnaby parks.
History
Interviewees' biographies: Ellen Schwartz was born in Washington, DC, (1950) but grew up in New Jersey. She attended the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to a farm in Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband Bill Schwartz. Bill Schwartz grew up in and around Philadelphia (b. 1947), and attended Pennsylvania State University. After travelling, and discouraged with life in eastern America, he and Ellen decided that British Columbia held better prospects. Bill and Ellen quit their jobs in 1972 and moved to the Kootenay region where they adopted a “back to the land” lifestyle, a very new experience for both of them. After eight years of modest success, and occasional work in nearby towns, they opted to return to Vancouver where Bill had work and where they could raise a family more easily. They rented in Vancouver for a few years before moving to family housing at UBC, while Ellen studied creative writing. Bill founded a communications and writing company, and in 1988 they purchased a home in Burnaby. Ellen launched a new career as a writer, mainly for children young adults. Both were active in their careers, raising a family, and participating in local social and political activities. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Environmental Issues
Environmental Issues - Environmental Protection
Geographic Features
Geographic Features - Parks
Housing
Occupations
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Writers
Persons - Volunteers
Persons - Jewish Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Religions
Religions - Judaism
Names
Schwartz, William "Bill"
Schwartz, Ellen
City of Burnaby
Polestar Communications
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Responsibility
Damer, Eric
Accession Code
BV023.16.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Lake Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023

Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_003.mp3
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Interview with Howe Lee, 2019

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10266
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
February 20, 2019
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (01:18:41 min)
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Howe Lee conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong. Mr. Lee describes growing up in Armstrong in the 1930s and 1940s, leaving to attend university, and becoming a teacher in Burnaby. He discusses his community involvement and the creation of the Chinese Canadian Militar…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Chinese Canadians in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (01:18:41 min)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Howe Lee Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: February 20, 2019 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 1:18:41
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Howe Lee conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong. Mr. Lee describes growing up in Armstrong in the 1930s and 1940s, leaving to attend university, and becoming a teacher in Burnaby. He discusses his community involvement and the creation of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society. 00:00 – 20:39: Mr. Lee describes his family’s origins in China. Denise shows him a photograph of Armstrong and he uses it to show the location of his family’s property and other landmarks. He talks about his family’s life in Armstrong, their farm’s place in the Chinese produce supply system of the time, and the presence and life of Chinese people in British Columbia generally. Mr. Lee also relates how the Interior Vegetable Marketing Board’s policies affected the farm and his future prospects. 20:39 – 32:40: This portion of the recording pertains to Mr. Lee’s involvement with the Chinese Cultural Centre and how he developed an interest in commemorating and honouring Chinese pioneers and military veterans. He recalls his education in Armstrong and at U.B.C. and the community of Chinese students which first drew him to Vancouver’s Chinatown. 32:40 – 51:24: Mr. Lee describes his family and the Chinese community in Armstrong, using the photo to show the locations of the businesses. He recalls his involvement with youth groups, particularly the Cadets, and with local sports, noting that he faced very little discrimination there. Denise asks about the family’s farm and Mr. Lee identifies the family’s house in a drawing. 51:24 – 1:02:18: This portion of the recording pertains to Mr. Lee’s education and career. He describes his enjoyment of being a leader in various groups and activities, and his interest in the local Chinese community. He explains the structure and operation of the cadets and shares his perspective of its value in leadership training. 1:02:18 – 1:18:46: Mr. Lee recalls how he became involved with veterans and with the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver. He talks about bringing his parents to Burnaby to live. Mr. Lee describes how he persuaded some veterans to reorganize their group under the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada. He discusses the importance of documenting and passing on the legacy of the Chinese veterans’ contribution and tells how he convinced some of them to create The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society. Mr. Lee relates how his involvement with the local society led to involvement with a national group.
History
Howe Lee has worked in education, business, military and within the community. He has taught Science and Mathematics in several Burnaby Secondary Schools and was head of the Science Department and Edmonds Secondary School. Lee was appointed Honorary Colonel in 2012. He has been active within the Chinese-Canadian community including working with the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, Vancouver Chinatown Memorial Square, Asian Heriage Month Society and the Chinatown Revitalization. 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
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Persons - Veterans
Names
Lee, Howe
Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society
Responsibility
Fong, Denise
Accession Code
BV019.15.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
February 20, 2019
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Interview with Howe Lee, 2019, February 20, 2019

Less detail

Interview with Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19605
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1984-2023 (interview content), interviewed 5 Jun. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) (47 min., 26 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (47 min., 27 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra interviewed by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 – 00:04:31 The interview opens with introductions and biographical details about Jag Nagra. The interviewer shares information about Jag Nagra…
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 recording (wav) (47 min., 26 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (47 min., 27 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: June 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 47:27
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra interviewed by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 – 00:04:31 The interview opens with introductions and biographical details about Jag Nagra. The interviewer shares information about Jag Nagra’s art career and the many art projects and commissions that Jag has worked on. Jag shares information about her parents, providing details about their immigration to British Columbia from Punjab and the places that Jag and her family have lived over the years. 00:04:32 – 00:12:38 Jag talks about what inspired her to become interested in art, her art education and how her artistic practice and expression have developed over time. Jag describes how she first started in graphic design, how she’s become more involved in public art and her experience working in design. Jag touches on her experiences of being a South Asian growing up and living in a predominantly white neighbourhood and provides information about her parents, Avatar Singh Nagra and Rajwant Kaur Nagra and their migration to Canada. 00:12:39 – 00:20:03 Jag talks about her inspiration in creating her work, her involvement with the revitalization of the Punjabi Market in Vancouver, the Punjabi Market Collective and other public art projects that she’s been involved with focusing on the South Asian community and LGBTQ+ issues. 00:20:04 – 00:41:09 Jag talks about her involvement with the Burnaby Village Museum’s exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. The interviewer and Jag take a walk throughout the exhibit while Jag describes the art work that she created for the exhibit and her creative process. Jag reflects on her own experiences being involved in the exhibit. 00:41:10 – 00:47:27 Jag talks about her own experiences as a South Asian Queer artist reflecting on her experiences within the art community. In closing Jag reflects on the impacts of the exhibit that celebrates South Asian culture in Burnaby.
History
Interviewee biography: Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra is a queer Panjabi Visual Artist passionate about community development, making art accessible and ending stigma against LGBTQ+ people within the South Asian community. Nagra has worked with clients such as the Vancouver Canucks, Tim Hortons and Microsoft and is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Punjabi Market Collective. She is featured in the internationally acclaimed, award wining LGBTQ documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows. Her artworks are part of the Museum of Vancouver’s permanent collection and have been commissioned for the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit "Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby". Interviewer biography: James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Migration
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Persons - LGBTQ+
Occupations - Artists
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues - Discrimination
Names
Nagra, Jagandeep "Jag"
Responsibility
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.16.9
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1984-2023 (interview content), interviewed 5 Jun. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Less detail

Interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19610
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
4 sound recordings (wav) (186 min., 1 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (186 min., 2 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa and Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview was conducted on January 10, 2023 and January 24, 2023. 00:00 – 08:52 First part of interview…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
4 sound recordings (wav) (186 min., 1 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (186 min., 2 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Kate Petrusa and James Binks Interviewees: Rajinder and Raj Pandher Location of Interview: Love farmhouse, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 10, 2023 and January 24, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 4 Total Length of all Tracks: (3:06:01 min) Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto four separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa and Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview was conducted on January 10, 2023 and January 24, 2023. 00:00 – 08:52 First part of interview begins on January 10. Rajinder Pander provides information on where he was born and where he grew up and shares details regarding his family and his childhood including; his elementary and high school education and experiences and his involvement and interest in the sport of field hockey. 08:53 – 23:24 Raj Pander provides information on where she was born and shares details regarding her family and education. Raj recalls details of her family life in India including her family farm, her father’s service in the Indian National Army and other ancestor’s involvement in the military. Rajinder assists with the details regarding Raj’s father’s military service and explains how he was highly decelerated for his heroic actions. Rajinder conveys further information in reference to the Sikh Empire. 23:25 – 35:53 Rajinder and Raj share information on their formal education. Raj explains how she learned English and talks about the other spoken languages that her family used while she was growing up. Rajinder and Raj recall how they first met which lead them to marry in 1971. Rajinder provides information about his older brothers who left India before him. He explains how his elder brother, Kirpal Singh Pandher immigrated to Canada in 1970 and provides details on his other brother who lived in Malaysia and England before coming to Canada in 1975. Rajinder conveys how after his brother, Kirpal Singh Pandher arrived in Canada, he lived in Campbell River and worked at the saw mill there. 35:54 – 1:01:38 Rajinder and Raj share their immigration stories including details of; what lead them to immigrate, their immigration route, what they brought with them and where they lived and worked. Rajinder and Raj tell of how they both faced discrimination in finding work that they were qualified for and describe some of the jobs that they worked at before obtaining their Real Estate licences. 1:01:39 – 1:13:09 Rajinder and Raj share information on where they’ve purchase traditional food supplies in Burnaby and Rajinder provides further details on his employment and recalls how they were able to purchase their first home in Burnaby. 1:13:10 - 1:19:33 Rajinder describes how he began writing for the Sikh newsletter “The Western Sikh Samachar”. Rajinder shares how he first started printing small pamphlets of Sikh Cultural history in 1975 and how he’s been volunteering with the National Democratic Party (NDP) since 1973. 1:19:34 - 1:38:24 Second part of interview continues on January 24, 2023. Rajinder provides further information about the Sikh newsletter “The Western Sikh Samachar”, provides an historical summary of the Sikh Empire and the Sikh religion and describes a book that’s he’s written about his culture and the village he lived in India. 1:38:25 - 1:52:24 Raj describes some of the traditional textiles that she’s created including a dury, embroidered cloth (pakha and pakhi) and clothing. Raj shares a story of a train derailment in India in which her father survived. 1:52:25 - 2:14:53 Raj Pandher talks about her father’s letters and diaries, Rajinder talks about receiving a Diamond Jubilee Medal for his community service and they both talk about their daughter Amanjit’s education and career accomplishments. Raj describes her involvement in the community council of her children’s school and both Raj and Rajinder describe their involvement in multicultural education and events that they were involved with in Burnaby and New Westminster. Interviewer lists Rajinder Pandher’s many volunteer awards and accomplishments. 2:14:54 - 2:39:53 Raj and Rajinder describe some of their family photographs as well as personal items from India including decorative arts and textiles. They talk about celebrating their 30 year wedding anniversary and the origin of their Sikh names. Rajinder describes a visit to Paldi in 1977 when the whole family was baptized at the Sikh temple and provides informaton about Hardial Singh Atwal, the first Sikh child born in Canada. Rajinder discusses what he thinks a cookhouse looked like, his friendship with former Mayor William J. Copeland and wages of South Asians working in sawmills. 2:39:54 - 3:06:01 Raj and Rajinder talk about food including where they’ve purchased traditional South Asian foods and what they grow in their home garden. Rajinder provides details about the Burnaby Multicultural Society, talks about South Asian work ethics and housing and shares some of the cultural and religious traditions of Sikhs and celebrations that take place in Vancouver and Burnaby.
History
Interviewees biographies: Rajinder Pandher was born five years prior to the Partition of India in the Village of Jhamat, Ludhiana District, Punjab. Raj Pandher was born in 1948 in the Village of Chapar, Ludhiana District, Punjab. Rajinder played field hockey while living in India and is passionate about the sport. Both Rajinder and Raj Pahndher attended college in India and were married in India in 1971. Rajinder Pandher immigrated to Canada in 1972 and his wife, Raj Pandher joined him in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Rajinder Pandher started working at a sawmill in Campbell River but didn't like the work and moved to Vancouver to find better employment opportunties. In 1976, the couple moved to Burnaby and rented until they could buy a home a year later. They raised two children who attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School in Burnaby. Rajinder and Raj Pandher were both very involved with multicultural efforts at their childlren's schools including turban tying and sari demonstrations and Rajinder was a founding member of the Burnaby Multicultural Society. Interviewers biographies: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013. James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Housing
Employment
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Persons - Volunteers
Religions - Sikhism
Migration
Organizations
Organizations - Societies and Clubs
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues
Celebrations
Sports - Field Hockey
Names
Pandher, Raj
Pandher, Rajinder
Copeland, William J.
Pandher, Harman
Pandher, Amanjit
Burnaby Multicultural Society
The Western Sikh Samachar
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.1.2
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcripts available upon request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher, [1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023

Interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher, [1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0002_003.mp3
Less detail

Sukegoro, Harding and Yasue Yasui with family car

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15217
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1927] (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Sukegoro Yasui with his daughter, Yasue and son, Harding with their 1918 Dodge sedan. Mr. Yasui is standing next to the car and his children are standing on ther running board. The car is parked on the side of a bridge with a wooden railing.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Sukegoro Yasui with his daughter, Yasue and son, Harding with their 1918 Dodge sedan. Mr. Yasui is standing next to the car and his children are standing on ther running board. The car is parked on the side of a bridge with a wooden railing.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Transportation - Automobiles
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Yasui, Harding
Yasui, Sukegoro
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.37
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1927] (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
See page 129 of book "In the Shadow by the Sea - Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village". Caption with photograph reads: "Mr. Sukegoro Yasui with Yasue and Harding by their 1918 Dodge car, 1926"
Date of photograph [1927] based on birth dates of Yasue "Margaret"- born 1921 and Harding Yasui- born July 1923
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui.
Images
Less detail

Tane, Sukegoro, Yasue and Harding Yasui

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15212
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1926 (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Tane (Hirata) Yasui and Sukegoro Yasui with their daughter, Yasue Margaret and son Harding Yasui. The family are seated on a log with a tall grass and bushes behind them.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Tane (Hirata) Yasui and Sukegoro Yasui with their daughter, Yasue Margaret and son Harding Yasui. The family are seated on a log with a tall grass and bushes behind them.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Yasui, Harding
Yasui, Tane Hirata
Yasui, Sukegoro
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.32
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1926 (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
See page 126 of book "In the Shadow by the Sea - Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village". Caption with photograph reads: "Mrs. Lane Yasui, Yasue, Harding and Mr. Sekagoro Yasui, 1926.
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui.
Images
Less detail

Yasue and Harding Yasui

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15216
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1924] (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) and her brother Harding Yasui on the site of the Nichols Chemical Company plant. Yasue is standing next to her brother who is seated on the grass beside her. A fence is visible behind them.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) and her brother Harding Yasui on the site of the Nichols Chemical Company plant. Yasue is standing next to her brother who is seated on the grass beside her. A fence is visible behind them.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Nichols Chemical Company Limited
Yasui, Harding
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.34
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1924] (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
See page 127 of book "In the Shadow by the Sea - Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village". Caption with photograph reads: "Yasueand Harding Yasui, 1923"
Date of photograph [1924] based on birth dates of Yasue "Margaret"- born 1921 and Harding Yasui- born July 1923
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui
Images
Less detail

Yasue Yasui

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15213
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1923] (date of original), copied 2004
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of young Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) standing on a wooden bridge on the site of the Nichols Chemical Company plant.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
In the Shadow by the Sea collection
Series
Yasui family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of young Yasue "Margaret" Yasui (Matsumura) standing on a wooden bridge on the site of the Nichols Chemical Company plant.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Persons - Children
Names
Matsumura, Yasue Yasui "Margaret"
Nichols Chemical Company Limited
Geographic Access
Burrard Inlet
Accession Code
BV019.32.33
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1923] (date of original), copied 2004
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
See page 127 of book "In the Shadow by the Sea - Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village". Caption with photograph reads: "Yasue Yasui, 1926"
Date of photograph [1924] based on birth dates of Yasue "Margaret"- born 1921 and Harding Yasui- born July 1923
In the Shadow by the Sea spells Sukegoro's wife's name as "Lane" (Harata) Yasui, obits for Sukegoro Yasui and his wife use the spelling "Tane" Hirata Yasui.
Images
Less detail

Alfred's Fountain Pen

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9684
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2016
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (3 min., 40 sec.) : digital, 25 fps, col., sd., stereo
Scope and Content
The video depicts the challenges of film maker Alfred Woo’s physical, social, and cultural transformation to a foreign country. Sentimentally prior to departing Hong Kong in 1954, Alfred was presented a fountain pen by some of his grade two classmates, a souvenir that he has cherished all these yea…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection
Series
Elders Digital Storytelling project series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (3 min., 40 sec.) : digital, 25 fps, col., sd., stereo
Scope and Content
The video depicts the challenges of film maker Alfred Woo’s physical, social, and cultural transformation to a foreign country. Sentimentally prior to departing Hong Kong in 1954, Alfred was presented a fountain pen by some of his grade two classmates, a souvenir that he has cherished all these years despite losing contact with them long ago. In his seniority, he muses poignantly about the symbolism of this writing instrument and shares his wonderment about the destiny of these childhood benefactors.
History
Immigrating from Hong Kong to Canada as a child, Alfred Woo easily assimilated into the Canadian way of life at an early age and has enjoyed the best of both worlds. A law graduate, his professional career included service as a Crown Counsel, securities administrator, corporate executive, and as private practitioner. He also served in the Canadian Army (Reserve Force) as a legal officer and an artillery officer before being honorably discharged at the rank of Major. A Burnaby resident for over 30 years, and now retired, he continues to volunteer helping seniors, a community service club, and a veterans group.
Creator
Woo, Alfred
Other Title Information
title supplied by film maker
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Names
Woo, Alfred
Accession Code
BV016.37.15
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
2016
Media Type
Moving Images
Notes
Transcribed title
Images
Video
Less detail

Certificate of Canadian Citizenship issued to Quon Lip Lee

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16718
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
6 Oct. 1966
Collection/Fonds
Quon Lip Lee fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship issued to Quon Lip Lee on October 6, 1966. The back of the certificate includes vitial information including date of birth, marital status and date of issue.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Quon Lip Lee fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship issued to Quon Lip Lee on October 6, 1966. The back of the certificate includes vitial information including date of birth, marital status and date of issue.
Creator
Government of Canada
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Documentary Artifacts - Certificates
Names
Lee, Quon Lip
Accession Code
BV021.18.2
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
6 Oct. 1966
Media Type
Textual Record
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
April 8, 2021
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Images
Less detail

100 records – page 1 of 5.