140 records – page 5 of 7.

George Searby Buxton by a cabin

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64638
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1911]
Collection/Fonds
Buxton Family collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Burnaby pioneer George Searby Buxton standing in front of a cabin. George Buxton was born in England and was a carpenter by trade. He and his wife Mary Isabel (nee Nattriss) moved to Canada between 1911 and 1913 and had five children: Clara Violet (1910-1913), Mary (1900-?), Alic…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1911]
Collection/Fonds
Buxton Family collection
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
Description Level
Item
Record No.
513-010
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2010-05
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Burnaby pioneer George Searby Buxton standing in front of a cabin. George Buxton was born in England and was a carpenter by trade. He and his wife Mary Isabel (nee Nattriss) moved to Canada between 1911 and 1913 and had five children: Clara Violet (1910-1913), Mary (1900-?), Alice Clarissa (Clissie) (1902-?), Bernard (1897-1972) and Leopold (1893-1951).
In 1911, George built the Buxton family home on what is now Buxton Street in Burnaby. The Buxton house remains a heritage landmark to this day. This cabin may have been his residence during the period of construction on the house.
Subjects
Buildings - Residential - Cabins
Names
Buxton, George Searby
Media Type
Photograph
Geographic Access
Buxton Street
Street Address
4807 Buxton Street
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Marlborough Area
Images
Less detail

George Searby Buxton Clearing Land

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64598
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1911]
Collection/Fonds
Buxton Family collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Burnaby pioneer George Searby Buxton clearing land on which he built his family home in Burnaby. George Buxton was born in England and was a carpenter by trade. He and his wife Mary Isabel (nee Nattriss) moved to Canada between 1911 and 1913 and had five children: Clara Violet (1…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1911]
Collection/Fonds
Buxton Family collection
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
Description Level
Item
Record No.
513-001
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2010-05
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Burnaby pioneer George Searby Buxton clearing land on which he built his family home in Burnaby. George Buxton was born in England and was a carpenter by trade. He and his wife Mary Isabel (nee Nattriss) moved to Canada between 1911 and 1913 and had five children: Clara Violet (1910-1913), Mary (1900-?), Alice Clarissa (Clissie) (1902-?), Bernard (1897-1972) and Leopold (1893-1951).. The Buxton house remains a heritage landmark in Burnaby to this day.
Subjects
Land Clearing
Names
Buxton, George Searby
Media Type
Photograph
Geographic Access
Buxton Street
Street Address
4807 Buxton Street
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Marlborough Area
Images
Less detail

George Searby Buxton in front of house

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64600
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1911] (date of original), digitized 2010
Collection/Fonds
Buxton Family collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpeg) : sepia ; 96 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Burnaby pioneer George Searby Buxton in front of the house he was building in Burnaby. George Buxton was born in England and was a carpenter by trade. He and his wife Mary Isabel (nee Nattriss) moved to Canada between 1911 and 1913 and had five children: Clara Violet (1910-1913), Ma…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1911] (date of original), digitized 2010
Collection/Fonds
Buxton Family collection
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpeg) : sepia ; 96 dpi
Description Level
Item
Record No.
513-002
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
2010-05
Scope and Content
Photograph of Burnaby pioneer George Searby Buxton in front of the house he was building in Burnaby. George Buxton was born in England and was a carpenter by trade. He and his wife Mary Isabel (nee Nattriss) moved to Canada between 1911 and 1913 and had five children: Clara Violet (1910-1913), Mary (1900-?), Alice Clarissa (Clissie) (1902-?), Bernard (1897-1972) and Leopold (1893-1951). The Buxton house remains a heritage landmark in Burnaby to this day.
Subjects
Construction
Buildings - Residential - Houses
Buildings - Heritage
Names
Buxton, George Searby
Media Type
Photograph
Geographic Access
Buxton Street
Street Address
4807 Buxton Street
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Marlborough Area
Images
Less detail

Grace Woodward Zala

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36576
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[between 1914 and 1918]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 10 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of Grace Woodward Zala, R.N. She was a Burnaby nursing sister in W.W.I., wife of Victor Zala (married on August 21, 1914 in Victoria); the daughter of Herbert Woodward (Sea Captain) and Julia Ann Woodward; and sister of Maude, Harriet and Beatrice Woodward. Grace was born in England in…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[between 1914 and 1918]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Photographs subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 10 cm print
Description Level
Item
Record No.
300-001
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1992-41
Scope and Content
Photograph of Grace Woodward Zala, R.N. She was a Burnaby nursing sister in W.W.I., wife of Victor Zala (married on August 21, 1914 in Victoria); the daughter of Herbert Woodward (Sea Captain) and Julia Ann Woodward; and sister of Maude, Harriet and Beatrice Woodward. Grace was born in England in 1871. She and her family came to Canada from Liverpool on the Parisian in 1888. Grace died on Galiano in 1959. She had no children. Grace went overseas in WWI to work with the British Red Cross Society and the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
Subjects
Occupations - Nurses
Wars - World War, 1914-1918
Occupations - Clergy
Clothing - Uniforms
Names
Zala, Grace Woodward
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Harold Edward Winch collection

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3638
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1914]-2003
Collection/Fonds
Harold Edward Winch collection
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
approx. 23 cm of textual records + approx. 600 photographs (b&w + col.)
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records relating to Harold Edward Winch's family life and political career. It includes photographs of Winch's parents, family, and wife Jessie, as well as photographs, correspondence and other textual records from Harold's political work and experiences, a travel diary, gues…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Harold Edward Winch collection
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
approx. 23 cm of textual records + approx. 600 photographs (b&w + col.)
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records relating to Harold Edward Winch's family life and political career. It includes photographs of Winch's parents, family, and wife Jessie, as well as photographs, correspondence and other textual records from Harold's political work and experiences, a travel diary, guest books, and certificates. The collection includes a number of Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and New Democratic Party newspapers. The collection also includes records relating to Winch's death, such as obituaries, memorials, articles, and a guest book. Finally, the collection includes a small number of records relating to Winch's father, Ernie Winch, and his own political career. The collection has been arranged into five series: 1) Harold E. Winch biographical records (1933-2003) 2) Harold E. Winch photographs series (1914-[ca. 1990]) 3) Harold E. Winch political photograph album and records series ([1937]-1993) 4) Harold E. Winch personal records series (1949-1993) 5) Harold E. Winch newspaper collection series (1936-1986)
History
Harold Edward Winch (June 18, 1907-February 1, 1993) was born in Loughton, Essex, England to Ernest “Ernie” Edward Winch (March 22, 1879-January 11, 1957) and his wife Linda Marian (nee Hendy). Harold was the eldest of six children; the others were Eileen, Charlie, Grace, Alan, and Eric. Ernest moved to BC in 1909, followed by Linda, Harold, and Eileen in 1910. The remaining children were born in BC. Ernie, a brick mason, built the family a series of homes in the Lower Mainland as the family moved around for a number of years, living in Burnaby, White Rock, Mission, and Vancouver before finally settling back in Burnaby. Ernie Winch joined the Social Democratic Party of Canada in 1911 and became secretary of the party in 1913, and was heavily involved in trade unions and the labour and socialist movements. He helped re-establish the Socialist Party of Canada (BC) in 1932, which soon merged with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). Ernie was a CCF MLA in Burnaby from 1933 until his death in 1957, following which his son-in-law Cedric Cox (husband of Eileen) won the seat in a byelection. Ernie was particularly interested in institutions, including jails, mental hospitals, and industrial schools, and founded the New Vista Society in 1943 to provide a live-in rehabilitation program to women with psychiatric problems. The organization later expanded to focus on low-cost housing for seniors, and an apartment complex was built for this purpose in Burnaby. Both Ernie and Harold were lifelong members of the New Vista Society board of trustees. Harold Winch trained as an electrician, but also followed his father into politics, serving as a CCF MLA in Vancouver East from 1933 to 1953 – Ernie and Harold were two of the first seven CCF MLAs. The Winches set a Guinness world record for the longest father-and-son parliamentary tenure. Like his father, Harold was also highly involved in the labour movement, and acted as a liaison between workers and government during the Depression, particularly during the relief camp strike in Vancouver in 1935 which precipitated the On to Ottawa trek. He was the leader of the BC CCF from 1938 to 1953, and Leader of the Opposition from 1941 to 1953. In 1953, Harold stepped down from provincial politics to enter the federal arena, and served as a CCF MP for Vancouver East from 1953 to 1961, when the CCF became the New Democratic Party (NDP); Harold continued to serve as an NDP MP from 1961 to 1972, when he retired for health reasons. In federal office, Harold remained dedicated to the working class and humanitarian causes, issuing reports on subject such as unemployment, veterans’ rights, low-cost housing for seniors, animal welfare, drug addiction, and mental health concerns. Harold earned honorary law degrees from both UBC (1973) and SFU (1974). He was involved in numerous humanitarian and other organizations and his roles included president and treasurer of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association; co-founder of the Immigrant Services Society of Vancouver; director of the Boag Foundation; and lifelong member of the Association for Protection of Fur Bearing Animals. Harold married Dorothy Ada Hutchinson (December 1, 1907-October 24, 1974) on May 11, 1929. They had three children: Donald, Gerald ("Jerry"), and Shirley. Following Dorothy’s death, Harold married Jessie Margaret Mendels (nee Sweezey) (June 29, 1913-May 9, 2006) on May 19, 1981. Jessie grew up in Grand Forks, BC, and her family moved to Vancouver when she was in high school. Her first husband was George Edward Mendels (November 2, 1905-September 2, 1978). She had no children. Jessie served as a St. John’s ambulance driver during World War II. She was also active in the CCF and NDP parties in BC, having been Provincial Secretary for the CCF in the 1940s, a vice-president of the party in the 1950s, and Provincial Secretary for the NDP in the 1960s. Like Harold, she later served as a director of the Boag Foundation. Jessie traveled widely throughout her life. The collection contains a small number of Jessie’s photographs. Harold Winch died in White Rock, where he and Jessie had retired, on February 1, 1993.
Responsibility
Winch, Harold Edward
Accession Code
BV013.12
Date
[1914]-2003
Media Type
Textual Record
Photograph
Arrangement
Records within fonds have been arranged by subject and format.
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail

Hastings Grove Store

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4780
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1912
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.7 x 8.9 cm ; copy print
Scope and Content
Photograph of group of eight men and women and dog beside bus on boardwalk in front of Hastings Grove Store building. Boardwalk continues into the distance with forest on either side on the left hand side of the photograph.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.7 x 8.9 cm ; copy print
Material Details
"Columbian files 1971" written on verso in black pen. "The Hastings Grove store and 'bus terminal, showing garage. Built in 1912. Shows the first / bus. Photo taken July, 1912, by James William Phillips. Lady in white: Mrs […]ers Jane / Leghead, first store-keeper, lady with white blouse and black skirt, Mrs. J. Vicary then of / Sperling Avenue, now of London, England. At front of car, J. Vicary sales agent for the / Hastings Grove property, at steering-wheel. Jack Holmes 'bus driver, now of Vancouver Heights, / lady with dog and man at left, landseekers, and at extreme right Samuel Frederick [...]. / (Planking of Curtis Street done in 1912.)" on typewritten label on front of photograph.
Scope and Content
Photograph of group of eight men and women and dog beside bus on boardwalk in front of Hastings Grove Store building. Boardwalk continues into the distance with forest on either side on the left hand side of the photograph.
History
Part of a set of photographs from the Columbian Newspaper, which operated out of New Westminster under this name starting in 1900 until its dissolution in 1988. Photographs found in the collection of the Burnaby Village are dated 1971.
Names
Hastings Grove Store
Accession Code
BV018.19.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1912
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
24-04-2018
Photographer
Phillips, James William "Jim"
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Home furniture making : for amateur wood workers, manual training schools and students

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1823
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Raeth, G. A. (George Adolph)
Publication Date
c1910
Call Number
749 RAE
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
HV983.74.1
Call Number
749 RAE
Author
Raeth, G. A. (George Adolph)
Place of Publication
Chicago
Publisher
Frederick J. Drake & Co.
Publication Date
c1910
Physical Description
241 p. : ill. ; 18 cm.
Inscription
"D. Leuedale [underlined] Pioneer Mine B.C. [underlined] From England to Vancouver" [Handwritten in pencil on front flyleaf]
Library Subject (LOC)
Furniture making
Furniture
Notes
Author's full name : Raeth, G. A. (George Adolph)
Less detail

Interview with Alfred Bingham June 10, 1975 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory58
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1892-1919
Length
0:07:22
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of his first years in the Lochdale district of Burnaby, including his first job building a sawmill on Burnaby Lake.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of his first years in the Lochdale district of Burnaby, including his first job building a sawmill on Burnaby Lake.
Date Range
1892-1919
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:07:22
Subjects
Occupations - Lumberjacks
Buildings - Industrial - Sawmills
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
June 10, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Alfred Bingham by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, Pioneers, and the Co-operative Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
1:57:27
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
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
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 one of interview with Alfred Bingham

Less detail

Interview with Alfred Bingham June 10, 1975 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory59
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1919-1920
Length
0:08:28
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of the fires in Burnaby during his first year of marriage to Ada.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of the fires in Burnaby during his first year of marriage to Ada.
Date Range
1919-1920
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:08:28
Subjects
Natural Phenomena - Fires
Geographic Access
Burnaby Lake Interurban line
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
June 10, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Alfred Bingham by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, Pioneers, and the Co-operative Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
1:57:27
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
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
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 two of interview with Alfred Bingham

Less detail

Interview with Alfred Bingham June 10, 1975 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory60
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1917-1935
Length
0:08:22
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of tree felling in Burnaby.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of tree felling in Burnaby.
Date Range
1917-1935
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:08:22
Subjects
Occupations - Lumberjacks
Plants - Trees
Geographic Access
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
June 10, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Alfred Bingham by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, Pioneers, and the Co-operative Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
1:57:27
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
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
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 three of interview with Alfred Bingham

Less detail

Interview with Alfred Bingham June 10, 1975 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory61
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1912-1926
Length
0:07:17
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's employment from 1912 to 1926, including his years at Balentine Pier.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's employment from 1912 to 1926, including his years at Balentine Pier.
Date Range
1912-1926
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:07:17
Subjects
Occupations - Labourers
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
June 10, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Alfred Bingham by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, Pioneers, and the Co-operative Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
1:57:27
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
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
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 four of interview with Alfred Bingham

Less detail

Interview with Allan Nixon by Rod Fowler February 21, 1990 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory464
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1911-1990
Length
00:05:22
Summary
This portion of the interview is about how Al Nixon began collecting and saving photographs, records and stories about the history of the Burnaby Fire Department in the mid 1980's. Finding the first scrapbook of photographs lead to other discoveries that placed the beginning of the Burnaby Fire Dep…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about how Al Nixon began collecting and saving photographs, records and stories about the history of the Burnaby Fire Department in the mid 1980's. Finding the first scrapbook of photographs lead to other discoveries that placed the beginning of the Burnaby Fire Department in 1911.
Date Range
1911-1990
Length
00:05:22
Subjects
Public Services - Fire Protection
Documentary Artifacts - Photographs
Interviewer
Fowler, Rod
Interview Date
February 21, 1990
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Al Nixon, conducted by Rod Fowler. Al Nixon 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 the history and operations of the Burnaby Fire Department from its beginning in 1911 to 1990, and Al Nixon’s stories about the various ways photographs, records and artifacts about the department were collected and saved. The interview takes place while looking at photographs, but the information is clear nonetheless (His photographs have been deposited in the Burnaby Archives). Al Nixon also talks about his father's career as a firefighter, and about his Douglas grandparents and their home “The Gables” [Seven Gables] and neighbourhood in Burquitlam. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Al Nixon was born in New Westminster Feb. 8, 1936, the son of Provincial Fire Marshal Basil Nixon (1904-1975) and Agnes Douglas (1909-?). His mother’s family immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1922 and lived in a large ca. 1900 home in Burquitlam at 9957 Sullivan Road called “Seven Gables” (recently demolished). His grandfather Thomas Douglas, a Coquitlam Councillor and Socialist, was murdered in 1934 in his North Road service station. Al Nixon began his career as a firefighter with the Burnaby Fire Department in 1957, eventually becoming Deputy Fire Chief Operations in 1987 and Fire Chief in 1991, before retiring in 1993. In the mid 1980's Al Nixon became interested in the department’s history after finding a photograph scrapbook at one of the firehalls. It was in very bad condition but he recognized its value and began a project to collect and save photographs, artifacts and stories about the Burnaby Fire Department, a 6 month project that turned into years. The photographs and information gathered by Al Nixon became part of Douglas Penn’s book “Follow that Fire: the history of the Burnaby Fire Department”.
Total Tracks
8
Total Length
0:43:35
Interviewee Name
Nixon, Al
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.
Audio Tracks
Less detail

Interview with Charles B. Brown May 21, 1975 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory27
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1909-1938
Length
00:07:15
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Charles Boyer Brown's early days working at Burnaby's Municipal Hall, first as an office boy.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Charles Boyer Brown's early days working at Burnaby's Municipal Hall, first as an office boy.
Date Range
1909-1938
Photo Info
Charles Boyer Brown, by photographer Nicholas Rossmo [1950]. Item no. 307-008
Length
00:07:15
Subjects
Occupations - Civic Workers
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 one of interview with Charles B. Brown

Less detail

Interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and Dr Violet Eagles 10-Jun-75 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory41
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1899-1919
Length
0:07:22
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Dr Blythe Alfred Eagles memories of growing up in New Westminster and visiting Burnaby with family. Dr Violet Evelyn (Dunbar) Eagles mentions when and where she was born.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Dr Blythe Alfred Eagles memories of growing up in New Westminster and visiting Burnaby with family. Dr Violet Evelyn (Dunbar) Eagles mentions when and where she was born.
Date Range
1899-1919
Photo Info
Mrs. Dunbar, Dr. Blythe Eagles and Dr. Violet (Dunbar) Eagles, June 1967. Item no. 404-002
Length
0:07:22
Subjects
Agriculture - Fruit and Berries
Geographic Access
Douglas Road
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
10-Jun-75
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and his wife Dr Violet Eagles by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury (and Ross S. McLeod) June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, the War Years and Burnaby Lake District. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Blythe's paternal grandparents, Charles and Maude Eagles immigrated to New Westminster in 1887. Their son Jack married Amelia Jane Johnston, and Blythe Eagles was born in New Westminster in 1902. In 1918 Blythe enrolled at the University of British Columbia, and took a Physiology class with eight other top students - his future wife, Violet Dunbar was the lone woman in the class. Blythe graduated in 1922, winning the Governor General's Gold Medal as top student. He received his MA in 1924 and his PhD in 1926 from the University of Toronto. He then completed his post-doctoral study at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, England. In 1933 Dr. Eagles became head of the Department of Dairying (1936-1955), Chairman of the Division of Animal Science (1955-1967), and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture (in 1949 until his retirement in 1967). In 1968 he received an Honourary Doctor of Science Award from UBC Blythe was also one of the first appointments to the Burnaby Town Planning Commission. Violet Evelyn Dunbar was born September 29, 1899 in Ontario, the eldest child of John and Mary (Tompson) Dunbar. Violet attained her BA in 1921 and MA in 1922 from the University of British Columbia. In 1922 she attended the Provincial Normal School and within six months had a teaching certificate and taught at Lord Hudson School in 1923. In September 1923 she was awarded a two-year scholarship to the University of Toronto, where she joined Blythe in the Bio-Chemistry Department. She received a second MA and a PhD in 1929. Her graduate studies entailed research in pure proteins and enzymes related to the commercial production of cheese. Through this work she was recognized as one of the leading enzyme chemists in the country, being a senior lab instructor of biochemistry. Violet was one of the founders of the Burnaby Council of Women and active member of the International Council of Women. Blythe and Violet Eagles purchased property at Deer Lake in 1929 and began construction of their home shortly before their marriage on June 25, 1930. The Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles Estate is a unique expression of the talents and tastes of both the Eagles and Frank Ebenezer Buck (1875-1970) who was head of the Horticultural Department and the Campus Landscape Architect at U.B.C. and established the plan for the Eagles garden while Blythe selected many of the plantings. The Eagles themselves designed the house as a romantic cottage inspired by the British Arts and Crafts style. Violet was an enthusiastic amateur gardener, maintaining and continually developing the garden. The Eagles were active volunteers in the local community as well as at UBC. When Simon Fraser University opened in Burnaby, they became well-known for entertaining dignitaries and special guests of the university in their lavish garden. After Violet's death in 1993, the estate was sold to the City of Burnaby. The funds were used to establish a Chair in Agriculture at the University of British Columbia in their memory.
Total Tracks
11
Total Length
1:24:01
Interviewee Name
Eagles, Dr. Blythe
Eagles, Dr. Violet
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
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 one of interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and Dr Violet Eagles

Less detail

Interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and Dr Violet Eagles 10-Jun-75 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory42
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1896-1912
Length
0:04:13
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Dr Blythe Alfred Eagles and Dr Violet Evelyn (Dunbar) Eagles' thoughts on the Boom years, the houses and development at Deer Lake and the south slope of Vancouver and developments in transportation.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Dr Blythe Alfred Eagles and Dr Violet Evelyn (Dunbar) Eagles' thoughts on the Boom years, the houses and development at Deer Lake and the south slope of Vancouver and developments in transportation.
Date Range
1896-1912
Photo Info
Mrs. Dunbar, Dr. Blythe Eagles and Dr. Violet (Dunbar) Eagles, June 1967. Item no. 404-002
Length
0:04:13
Subjects
Agriculture - Fruit and Berries
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
10-Jun-75
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and his wife Dr Violet Eagles by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury (and Ross S. McLeod) June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, the War Years and Burnaby Lake District. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Blythe's paternal grandparents, Charles and Maude Eagles immigrated to New Westminster in 1887. Their son Jack married Amelia Jane Johnston, and Blythe Eagles was born in New Westminster in 1902. In 1918 Blythe enrolled at the University of British Columbia, and took a Physiology class with eight other top students - his future wife, Violet Dunbar was the lone woman in the class. Blythe graduated in 1922, winning the Governor General's Gold Medal as top student. He received his MA in 1924 and his PhD in 1926 from the University of Toronto. He then completed his post-doctoral study at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, England. In 1933 Dr. Eagles became head of the Department of Dairying (1936-1955), Chairman of the Division of Animal Science (1955-1967), and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture (in 1949 until his retirement in 1967). In 1968 he received an Honourary Doctor of Science Award from UBC Blythe was also one of the first appointments to the Burnaby Town Planning Commission. Violet Evelyn Dunbar was born September 29, 1899 in Ontario, the eldest child of John and Mary (Tompson) Dunbar. Violet attained her BA in 1921 and MA in 1922 from the University of British Columbia. In 1922 she attended the Provincial Normal School and within six months had a teaching certificate and taught at Lord Hudson School in 1923. In September 1923 she was awarded a two-year scholarship to the University of Toronto, where she joined Blythe in the Bio-Chemistry Department. She received a second MA and a PhD in 1929. Her graduate studies entailed research in pure proteins and enzymes related to the commercial production of cheese. Through this work she was recognized as one of the leading enzyme chemists in the country, being a senior lab instructor of biochemistry. Violet was one of the founders of the Burnaby Council of Women and active member of the International Council of Women. Blythe and Violet Eagles purchased property at Deer Lake in 1929 and began construction of their home shortly before their marriage on June 25, 1930. The Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles Estate is a unique expression of the talents and tastes of both the Eagles and Frank Ebenezer Buck (1875-1970) who was head of the Horticultural Department and the Campus Landscape Architect at U.B.C. and established the plan for the Eagles garden while Blythe selected many of the plantings. The Eagles themselves designed the house as a romantic cottage inspired by the British Arts and Crafts style. Violet was an enthusiastic amateur gardener, maintaining and continually developing the garden. The Eagles were active volunteers in the local community as well as at UBC. When Simon Fraser University opened in Burnaby, they became well-known for entertaining dignitaries and special guests of the university in their lavish garden. After Violet's death in 1993, the estate was sold to the City of Burnaby. The funds were used to establish a Chair in Agriculture at the University of British Columbia in their memory.
Total Tracks
11
Total Length
1:24:01
Interviewee Name
Eagles, Dr. Blythe
Eagles, Dr. Violet
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
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 two of interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and Dr Violet Eagles

Less detail

Interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and Dr Violet Eagles 10-Jun-75 - Track 6

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory46
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1912-1933
Length
0:07:49
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Dr Blythe Alfred Eagles and Dr Violet Evelyn (Dunbar) Eagles' thoughts on the distinct areas of Burnaby, municipal planning decisions and the municipal politics of the time.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Dr Blythe Alfred Eagles and Dr Violet Evelyn (Dunbar) Eagles' thoughts on the distinct areas of Burnaby, municipal planning decisions and the municipal politics of the time.
Date Range
1912-1933
Photo Info
Mrs. Dunbar, Dr. Blythe Eagles and Dr. Violet (Dunbar) Eagles, June 1967. Item no. 404-002
Length
0:07:49
Subjects
Public Services - Municipal Services
Planning
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
10-Jun-75
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and his wife Dr Violet Eagles by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury (and Ross S. McLeod) June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, the War Years and Burnaby Lake District. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Blythe's paternal grandparents, Charles and Maude Eagles immigrated to New Westminster in 1887. Their son Jack married Amelia Jane Johnston, and Blythe Eagles was born in New Westminster in 1902. In 1918 Blythe enrolled at the University of British Columbia, and took a Physiology class with eight other top students - his future wife, Violet Dunbar was the lone woman in the class. Blythe graduated in 1922, winning the Governor General's Gold Medal as top student. He received his MA in 1924 and his PhD in 1926 from the University of Toronto. He then completed his post-doctoral study at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, England. In 1933 Dr. Eagles became head of the Department of Dairying (1936-1955), Chairman of the Division of Animal Science (1955-1967), and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture (in 1949 until his retirement in 1967). In 1968 he received an Honourary Doctor of Science Award from UBC Blythe was also one of the first appointments to the Burnaby Town Planning Commission. Violet Evelyn Dunbar was born September 29, 1899 in Ontario, the eldest child of John and Mary (Tompson) Dunbar. Violet attained her BA in 1921 and MA in 1922 from the University of British Columbia. In 1922 she attended the Provincial Normal School and within six months had a teaching certificate and taught at Lord Hudson School in 1923. In September 1923 she was awarded a two-year scholarship to the University of Toronto, where she joined Blythe in the Bio-Chemistry Department. She received a second MA and a PhD in 1929. Her graduate studies entailed research in pure proteins and enzymes related to the commercial production of cheese. Through this work she was recognized as one of the leading enzyme chemists in the country, being a senior lab instructor of biochemistry. Violet was one of the founders of the Burnaby Council of Women and active member of the International Council of Women. Blythe and Violet Eagles purchased property at Deer Lake in 1929 and began construction of their home shortly before their marriage on June 25, 1930. The Drs. Blythe and Violet Eagles Estate is a unique expression of the talents and tastes of both the Eagles and Frank Ebenezer Buck (1875-1970) who was head of the Horticultural Department and the Campus Landscape Architect at U.B.C. and established the plan for the Eagles garden while Blythe selected many of the plantings. The Eagles themselves designed the house as a romantic cottage inspired by the British Arts and Crafts style. Violet was an enthusiastic amateur gardener, maintaining and continually developing the garden. The Eagles were active volunteers in the local community as well as at UBC. When Simon Fraser University opened in Burnaby, they became well-known for entertaining dignitaries and special guests of the university in their lavish garden. After Violet's death in 1993, the estate was sold to the City of Burnaby. The funds were used to establish a Chair in Agriculture at the University of British Columbia in their memory.
Total Tracks
11
Total Length
1:24:01
Interviewee Name
Eagles, Dr. Blythe
Eagles, Dr. Violet
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
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 six of interview with Dr Blythe Eagles and Dr Violet Eagles

Less detail

Interview with Les Francis by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory327
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1914-1949
Length
0:09:28
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's early years. He begins by mentioning his school days and moves into a detailed account of working with the municipality of Burnaby in the Hall and in the Stores.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's early years. He begins by mentioning his school days and moves into a detailed account of working with the municipality of Burnaby in the Hall and in the Stores.
Date Range
1914-1949
Photo Info
Les Francis (far right) receiving a Burnaby Long Service Award at the Gai Paree Supper Club, 1964. Item no. 485-070.
Length
0:09:28
Subjects
Occupations - Civic Workers
Public Services - Public Works
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
October 16, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Les Francis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 16, 2012. Major theme discussed: the role of the municipal worker in the nineteen-thirties through the war years.
Biographical Notes
Les Francis was born in London, England, in 1914 and came with his family to Burnaby in 1919. Except for a few years away on special projects, Les has lived in Burnaby ever since. After attending Kingsway West Elementary and Burnaby South High Schools, Les joined the municipal work force. He first worked as a clerk in 1930 and later joined the Engineering Department where he spent his career maintaining and extending the municipal water system. Les Francis retired in 1979 as the City of Burnaby's Work's Superintendent.
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:43:18
Interviewee Name
Francis, Les
Interview Location
Interviewee's residence
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
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Les Francis

Less detail

Interview with Sev Morin by Rod Fowler April 4, 1990 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory541
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1913-1990
Length
00:01:47
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Sev Morin’s parent’s origins in France and immigration to Canada, a somewhat confusing explanation of Sev Morin’s parentage, and his work with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh FN.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Sev Morin’s parent’s origins in France and immigration to Canada, a somewhat confusing explanation of Sev Morin’s parentage, and his work with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh FN.
Date Range
1913-1990
Photo Info
Sev Morin (left) of Severin's in Burnaby (formerly the Gai Paree) hosting a gala New Year's celebration, 1979. Item no. 480-712
Length
00:01:47
Interviewer
Fowler, Rod
Interview Date
April 4, 1990
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Severin "Sev" Morin, conducted by Rod Fowler. Sev Morin 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 Sev Morin’s banquet hall, restaurant and night club business on Kingsway, originally named the “Gai Paree Supper Club” (1947-1976) and later “Severin’s” (1976-1985) and “Diego’s” (1985-1994), its function as a Burnaby landmark, and the entertainment and political people he met through his business. He also describes his many volunteer activities in Burnaby, including member of the SFU Senate, Rotary Club, Variety Club and Telethon, fund raising for Burnaby Hospital, and tourism related groups, and his political work for the federal Liberal party. He talks about his parents’ origins, the lives of his brothers Rudy and Rene, and the family’s involvement in establishing the “Gai Paree”. He also shares his views about the business and cultural development of Burnaby. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Severin “Sev” Rene Morin was born September 21, 1927, in Bonneville, Alberta, to Rene Pierre Morin (1878-1963) and Anne Marie (nee Lachiver) Morin (1886-1956). Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Morin and their son Rene Francois (1905-1954) immigrated to Edmonton, Alberta, from France in 1913, where Rene Pierre Morin worked for the C.N.R. and a second son Adolphe “Rudy” Ferdinand (1922-1969) was born, followed by their third son Severin. In 1943, after R.P. Morin retired, the family moved to Burnaby to a house on Sperling Avenue. Sometime earlier the two older Morin brothers found work in Trail at the smelter and developed musical careers. In 1946/47 the Morin family purchased property on Kingsway and built a banquet hall, the “Gai Paree Supper Club”. Sev and Rudy Morin managed the club and Rene F. Morin moved to Burnaby to join them with his band. The supper club, with its live music and dance floor, became a popular meeting place and wedding venue, eventually expanding into a restaurant and nightclub in the 1970s. The “Gai Paree” was renamed “Severin’s” in 1976 and “Diego’s” in 1985, closing finally in 1994. Sev Morin’s business life included three record stores which he owned with his friend Jack Cullen. Through these businesses Sev Morin was well known in the entertainment and hospitality industry. He and his restaurant also hosted political and social events that made the restaurant a community landmark. Sev Morin contributed many volunteer hours to community and charitable organizations, including an appointment to the SFU Senate, fundraising for the Burnaby Hospital, Director of the Variety Club and Rotary Club, and consultant for a variety of tourism related ventures. He also was active in the federal Liberal Party. Sev Morin and his wife Pauline married in 1950 and had three children. Sev Morin died at age 86 on March 28, 2014.
Total Tracks
10
Total Length
00:56:44
Interviewee Name
Morin, Severin "Sev"
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
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Interview with Toki Miyashita by Rod Fowler February 27, 1990 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory516
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1900-1946
Length
00:07:05
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Toki Miyashita’s family’s internment during WWII, and her Oikawa grandparent’s immigration to BC and settlement on Lion and Don Islands at the mouth of the Fraser River. She describes how the family was moved to the internment camp “The Orchard” in New Denver,…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Toki Miyashita’s family’s internment during WWII, and her Oikawa grandparent’s immigration to BC and settlement on Lion and Don Islands at the mouth of the Fraser River. She describes how the family was moved to the internment camp “The Orchard” in New Denver, but managed to find a place to live outside the camp where her grandmother grew a large garden from seeds brought in the seams of her clothing. She notes that the Lion Islands were named Oikawa-shima by the Japanese settlers.
Date Range
1900-1946
Length
00:07:05
Subjects
Wars - World War, 1939-1945
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Interviewer
Fowler, Rod
Interview Date
February 27, 1990
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Toki Miyashita, conducted by Rod Fowler. Toki Miyashita 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 Toki Miyashita’s family’s internment during WWII, her awakening interest in Japanese culture after the war, her subsequent interest in teaching others about Japanese crafts and arts, and becoming a helpful intermediary between Burnaby and visitors from Japan. The interview explores her interest in the Ainu of Japan and their possible link to the aboriginals of BC, her impressions of the Ainu carver Nuburi Toko, and her involvement in the events surrounding the creation of the sculpture “Playground of the Gods” for Burnaby Mountain. The interview also contains interesting details about the art of Japanese flower-arranging. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Toki Miyashita was born in Richmond B.C., ca. 1935, at the Nelson Brothers “fishery”, a second generation Canadian descended from the Oikawa family who settled on Don and Lion Islands (Oikawa-shima). In 1942 the Japanese Canadians in BC were forcibly moved from the coast and their belongings confiscated. Toki Miyashita, her parents, two brothers, and grandparents were first taken to Hastings Park where her father was separated from the family to work in road camps, and the rest of the family were interned in New Denver. Her resourceful grandmother moved the family to land outside the internment camp, growing a large garden from seeds brought with her. In 1946 the family moved to Kamloops and in 1958, after finishing high school, Toki Miyashita moved to Montreal to be with relatives and a small Japanese community. At this time she became interested in Japanese culture and took a Japanese language course at age 22. She learned about Japanese flower-arranging (Ikebana), paper folding (Origami), silk doll making (from a Russian Jew), and how to wear a kimono. She began demonstrating these arts in schools and to other groups, which she continued doing when she, her husband and two young children moved to Burnaby in 1969. Toki Miyashita has been called an unpaid “ambassador” of Japanese culture to the Lower Mainland. She has acted as liaison between Burnaby and her sister city Kushiro in Japan, which involved her in the creation of the Ainu sculpture “Playground of the Gods” on Burnaby Mountain for Burnaby’s Centennial. Toki Miyashita is a recognized Master in Ikebana Sogetsu, a school of flower-arranging, and has served on the board of the Vancouver Ikebana Association. She also served on Burnaby’s Family Court in the 1980s.
Total Tracks
11
Total Length
01:34:10
Interviewee Name
Miyashita, Toki
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.
Audio Tracks

Track one of interview with Toki Miyashita

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Interview with William A. Lewarne by Rod Fowler March 14, 1990 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory442
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1893-1944
Length
00:05:35
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Bill Lewarne’s parents’ history (Ethel Leer and Alfred Lewarne) and growing up in South Burnaby.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Bill Lewarne’s parents’ history (Ethel Leer and Alfred Lewarne) and growing up in South Burnaby.
Date Range
1893-1944
Photo Info
Burnaby Alderman, Bill (William) Lewarne, [1973]. Item no. 231-012
Length
00:05:35
Names
Lewarne, Ethel Leer
Subjects
Recreational Activities
Persons - Children
Historic Neighbourhood
Alta-Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Sussex-Nelson Area
Interviewer
Fowler, Rod
Interview Date
March 14, 1990
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with former Mayor William “Bill” Lewarne, conducted by Rod Fowler. Bill Lewarne 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 Bill Lewarne’s business and political careers, and memories of growing up in South Burnaby in the 1930s. Bill Lewarne talks about his parent’s origins, his family and community struggles during the Depression, the interurban, his education, war service, and joining his father's business. He describes the start, operation and expansion of the family ice cream business, and how business life compared to political life. The interview explores the role of politics in community affairs, his political activities, the history of the BVA, and his involvement in various community organizations. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track, expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
William Alfred “Bill” Lewarne was born in Burnaby in 1926 to Ethel Cecilia Leer (1899- ) and Alfred Lewarne (1893-1962). The family, Ethel, Alfred and their three children Patricia, Beverley and William, moved to a house on Nelson Avenue in Alta Vista in 1931. Ethel still lived in the family home in 1990. Bill Lewarne attended Nelson Avenue School and South Burnaby High School (1932-1944). His father Alfred worked at Colony Farms as a dairy inspector and then for the Port of Vancouver Dairy before being laid off early in the Depression. The family struggled until in 1936 Alfred started his own ice cream business. After graduation Bill was in the army for two years, taking a refrigeration course under the veteran’s training benefit, before joining his father’s business. Three generations of the family operated the successful company, expanding from wholesale, retail and distribution of ice cream products into refrigerated warehouses and the wholesale ice business, until the business was sold to its competitor Dairyland in 1989. Bill Lewarne entered politics in 1965, first with the Nonpartisan Association (NPA) and then as a founder of the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA). He served as an alderman on Burnaby Council 1973-1975 and 1977-1981 and as Mayor 1981-1987. In 1979 he ran for provincial office for the Social Credit Party against Rosemary Brown but lost. Bill Lewarne married June Lawrence and they had three children Robert, Leslie and Janice. He was active in many organizations: Burnaby/Willingdon Liberal Association, Seton Villa, Irish Fusileers of Canada, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion, and the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, and continued to be active on the Board of the BCA. Bill Lewarne died in 1995.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
1:34:40
Interviewee Name
Lewarne, William A. "Bill"
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 business computerization 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 two of interview with Bill Lewarne

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140 records – page 5 of 7.