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Interview with Ron Burton by Kathy Bossort November 16, 2015 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory615
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1954-2015
- Length
- 0:08:52
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Ron Burton’s memories about his childhood, education and career. He talks about the sports he enjoyed growing up, getting his first mountain bike in 1980, and first experiences riding on Burnaby Mountain. He also talks about his work as a Burnaby school truste…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Ron Burton’s memories about his childhood, education and career. He talks about the sports he enjoyed growing up, getting his first mountain bike in 1980, and first experiences riding on Burnaby Mountain. He also talks about his work as a Burnaby school trustee.
- Date Range
- 1954-2015
- Length
- 0:08:52
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 16, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Ron Burton conducted by Kathy Bossort. Ron Burton was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the founding, goals, and activities of the Burnaby Mountain Biking Association as told by one of the founders and President of the club, Ron Burton, and about the development of mountain biking and trail construction on Burnaby Mountain, both prior to and after the creation of the conservation area in 1995/96. Ron Burton also talks about his childhood, his work as a Burnaby school trustee, and the sports and recreational activities he has enjoyed on the mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Ron Burton was born in Burnaby in 1954 to Fred and Shirley Burton. He grew up in East Vancouver and attended Hastings Elementary and Gladstone Secondary schools. He worked on the waterfront for Viterra, became a member of the Grain Workers Union and joined the NDP in 1972. He and his wife moved to Burnaby’s Vancouver Heights in 1982 and Forest Grove in 1988. He has served as a Board of Education Trustee in the Burnaby School District since first being elected in 1987, currently serving as Board Chair. Ron is founder and President of the Burnaby Mountain Biking Association and an active rider on Burnaby Mountain since 1988. The Association was founded in 2000, registering as a society in 2005, with the goals to build sustainable trails on Burnaby Mountain, to provide education about trail riding, and to advocate for and improve the image of mountain biking. Under Ron’s leadership the Association has successfully recruited members and formed a cooperative relationship with Burnaby’s Parks staff and with other park trail users.
- Total Tracks
- 6
- Total Length
- 1:01:32
- Interviewee Name
- Burton, Ronald C. "Ron"
- Interview Location
- Meeting room at the Burnaby School District office
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Ron Burton
Track one of interview with Ron Burton
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-010/MSS196-010_Track_1.mp3Interview with Sev Morin by Rod Fowler April 4, 1990 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory542
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1947-1976
- Length
- 00:09:36
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the functions at the “Gai Paree”, including its popularity as a wedding reception venue; how customers circumvented the 1950’s restrictive liquor laws; and the kinds of clubs in Burnaby in the 1950’s
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the functions at the “Gai Paree”, including its popularity as a wedding reception venue; how customers circumvented the 1950’s restrictive liquor laws; and the kinds of clubs in Burnaby in the 1950’s
- Date Range
- 1947-1976
- 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
- 00:09:36
- Names
- Gai Paree Supper Club
- 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
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with Sev Morin
Track six of interview with Sev Morin
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-021/MSS187-021_Track%206.mp3Interview with Shirley Cohn
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19597
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Shirley Cohn Location of Interviews: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Dates: April 14, 2023 and September 6, 2023 Total Number of Tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 67 min., 33 sec. Digital master recording (wav) of second interview (50 min., 36 sec.) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on September 6, 2023: 0:00 – 16:09 Shirley Cohn shares background information about her parents who immigrated to Detroit from Hungary in the 1930’s. Shirley recalls what it was like for her parents being Jewish during World War II and how many of their relations were killed in the Holocaust. Shirley talks about her Jewish Hungarian heritage, what it was like growing up in Detroit, the Jewish community in Detroit and the Jewish holidays and traditions that her family celebrated. Shirley recalls her high school and University education and experiences, starting her career in social work and how she met her future husband, Theodore “Ted” Cohn. 16:10 – 18:27 Shirley shares the story about her father in law, Dr. Daniel E. Cohn who was Harry Houdini’s doctor at the time of his death in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926. Shirley explains that she donated some of Dr. Daniel E. Cohn’s original documents pertaining to this event to the New York Public Library. 18:28 – 26:04 Shirley describes her experiences living and working in London Ontario while her husband was a professor at University of Western Ontario and Shirley worked as a social worker in family services. Shirley recalls experiences of anti-Semitism while living in London. Shirley talks about moving to Burnaby in 1977 after her husband took a job as a professor at Simon Fraser University. Shirley describes her experiences living in Burnaby, raising a family and working as a social worker at Burnaby General Hospital. 26:05 – 26:18 Shirley talks about her interests outside of work, her family’s involvement in the Burquest Jewish Community Association and being a member of Temple Shalom. Shirley conveys information about other Jewish synagogues in Greater Vancouver, describes Reform Judaism at Temple Shalom and some Jewish cultural practices that her family has been involved with. 26:19 – 33:12 Shirley describes her family’s experiences living in the Garden Village nieghbourhood in Burnaby, her involvement sharing Jewish cultural traditions at her children’s school and recalls her children’s experiences attending school in Burnaby. 33:13 – 40:46 Shirley conveys the career paths that her children took and talks about what she likes about living in Burnaby including; the walking and hiking trails, the cultural and art performances and her involvement in local politics. Shirley talks about her and her husband’s involvement in the SFU retirees association and the SFURA walking and hiking group. Shirley reflects on her husband’s academic career, experiences teaching at SFU and the role of the Hillel Jewish Students Association at the Simon Fraser University. Shirley talks about the difficulties of discussing political views about the State of Israel. Shirley describes some traditional Jewish foods, the roles that they play and a local bakery that carries Jewish bake goods. 40:47 – 50:36 Shirley describes her current daily life in Burnaby; working one day a week as a social worker, gardening, her involvement at Temple Shalom and the Jewish Community Centre and how she travels in Burnaby. Shirley recalls the changes that she’s encountered in Burnaby and in her career over the years, shares a story about her husband losing his thesis and describes what Burnaby was like while she was raising her family. Shirley shares what she thinks about the areas of development in Burnaby and conveys the importance of having parks and affordable housing. In closing, Shirley reflects on what is like to be a Jewish person living in Burnaby.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Shirley Tanner was born in Detroit in 1947. Her parents were both Jewish. Her mother fled Hungary as a refugee in 1939, while her father emigrated from there in 1934. Shirley attended public schools in Detroit, and then studied social work at the University of Michigan. After marriage, Shirley and Ted Cohn moved to Ontario where Ted had a faculty appointment at the University of Western Ontario in political science. Six years later they moved to Burnaby for Ted’s teaching position in political science at Simon Fraser University. While living in Burnaby, Shirley took care of a growing family while also practicing social work, mainly at Burnaby Hospital. The family enjoyed Burnaby’s libraries and parks. Shirley helped out at her children’s schools, became a Block Watch captain, and the family joined Burquest Jewish Community Association. The Cohns later became members of Temple Sholom Synagogue in Vancouver, while remaining in Burnaby. Beginning in 2009, Ted started an informal hiking group for retired Simon Fraser University staff. This group has been open to others, so now has a wide variety of members. Shirley has also helped lead hikes in the region. 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
- Recreational Activities - Hiking
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Migration
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Religions - Judaism
- Social Issues - Racism
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Names
- Cohn, Dr. Daniel E.
- Cohn, Shirley
- Cohn, Theodore H. "Ted"
- Burquest
- Hillel Jewish Students Association
- Simon Fraser University
- SFURA walking and hiking group
- Simon Fraser University Retirees Association "SFURA"
- Temple Shalom
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
- Summary, recording and transcript of second interview available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_003.mp3Interview with Steve Mancinelli by Kathy Bossort September 13, 2015 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory547
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1955-1990
- Length
- 0:08:36
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Steve Mancinelli’s early life growing up in the Cascade-Schou District, playing in the bush as a child, fishing at Stoney Creek, tobogganing on Burnaby Mountain, and learning more about nature as an adult. He also talks about the Pavilion area restaurant calle…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Steve Mancinelli’s early life growing up in the Cascade-Schou District, playing in the bush as a child, fishing at Stoney Creek, tobogganing on Burnaby Mountain, and learning more about nature as an adult. He also talks about the Pavilion area restaurant called “The Owl and the Oarsman”.
- Date Range
- 1955-1990
- Length
- 0:08:36
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Cascade-Schou Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- September 13, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Steve Mancinelli conducted by Kathy Bossort. Steve Mancinelli was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the activities of the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society between 1988 and 1997 and its advocacy for the protection of green space on Burnaby Mountain prior to the land transfer from SFU to Burnaby in 1995. Steve Mancinelli also talks about his other environmental and political activities, recreation on Burnaby Mountain, and the value of its natural assets.
- Biographical Notes
- Stephen Mancinelli was born in Vancouver in 1953 to Mario and Joan Mancinelli, one of three sons. The Mancinelli family moved to Burnaby in 1955 to the Cascade-Schou District. Steve attended Schou School (Gr. 1- 7) and Moscrop School (Gr. 8-10), playing as a child in the bush on the future Discovery Park site, before the family moved to Port Coquitlam. Steve moved back to Burnaby when he was 18, married his wife Glenda in 1980, and raised his family of two daughters (Julia and Aimee) in the Capital Hill District, before moving to Coquitlam in 2002. Employed as a sheet metal worker for 25 years, Steve has recently worked as a custodian for Coquitlam School District 43 for 19 years. Steve was one of the founding members of the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, and has also been a member of the Capital Hill Community Association, on the Board of Directors for Burnaby Psychiatric Services, and a Regional Director for the Green Party. Steve took an early interest in organic gardening, planting trees, and finding inventive ways to recycle waste and promote responsible use of the environment. Steve’s experience working on environmental issues was an important asset to the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which formed ca. 1988 to become a key advocate for preserving parkland on Burnaby Mountain. The Society was awarded the City of Burnaby 1998 Environment Award in Communications for its work in preserving the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. In 2001 Steve was awarded an Environmental Star in Community Stewardship for being “active in preserving and enhancing Burnaby’s natural environment for over thirty years”.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:31:42
- Interviewee Name
- Mancinelli, Stephen J. "Steve"
- Interview Location
- Steve Mancinelli's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Steve Mancinelli
Track one of interview with Steve Mancinelli
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-001/MSS196-001_Track_1.mp3Interview with Tony Fabian by Kathy Bossort October 29, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory599
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1860-1995
- Length
- 0:15:57
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s description of the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain, the creation of the Pavilion area in 1957, the history of proposals for how Burnaby Mountain could be used, the land transfer to SFU in 1963, and difficulty accessing the m…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s description of the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain, the creation of the Pavilion area in 1957, the history of proposals for how Burnaby Mountain could be used, the land transfer to SFU in 1963, and difficulty accessing the mountain for recreation prior to 1965. He also talks about the dispute between SFU and the City of Burnaby over land ownership and control.
- Date Range
- 1860-1995
- Length
- 0:15:57
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 29, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Tony Fabian conducted by Kathy Bossort. Tony Fabian was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Tony Fabian’s part in park creation and protection of natural areas in Burnaby, particularly as a member of the Park and Recreation Commission in the 1970s; his childhood and how that contributed to his land ethic; and the history of the uses made of and setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Tony S. Fabian was born in 1934 in north Saskatchewan. At less than a year old Tony, along with his siblings, was removed from his family home and eventually placed with an immigrant farm family. As a child he worked on the farm and witnessed what he considered abusive treatment of the land and farm animals. When he was about 12 years old his adoptive family moved to the BC coast where he went on his own, working for a variety of farmers in Richmond and Delta. At 19 he contracted polio, quit farm work, and found work with the telephone company. In 1956 Tony married, and in 1957 he and his wife moved to a home on Hardwick Street in Burnaby where he still lives. Tony entered civic politics in the 1960s when he objected to development on Hardwick Park and became concerned about the destruction of Burnaby’s natural landscapes. He became a life long advocate for preserving natural areas and helped to create large parks in Burnaby on the foreshore of the Fraser River and on Burrard Inlet. He served as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission 1970-1975, is a long time volunteer with the Burnaby Lake Park Association, and continues to stay current on local and regional environmental issues. In 2008 Tony was presented with the City of Burnaby Environment Award for Community Stewardship.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:43:22
- Interviewee Name
- Fabian, Tony S.
- Interview Location
- Tony Fabian's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Tony Fabian
Track four of interview with Tony Fabian
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-007/MSS196-007_Track_4.mp3Interview 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
- 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
- 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
Track two of interview with Bill Lewarne
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-019/MSS187-019_Track_2.mp3Jean Dickson and James Edward Hall
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36243
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1914]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w copy negative ; 4.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Jean Dickson and James Edward Hall standing in the garden at Fairacres, next to a wooden table full of food and drink.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1914]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Art Gallery subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w copy negative ; 4.5 x 8 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 241-021
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1990-05
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Jean Dickson and James Edward Hall standing in the garden at Fairacres, next to a wooden table full of food and drink.
- Subjects
- Recreational Activities - Picnics
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph 1 b&w copy print accompanying
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Street Address
- 6344 Deer Lake Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
Images
Kindergartners and their mothers
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription52985
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1963 or 1964]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 7.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kindergartners and their mothers sitting outside on the grass on farmland.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1963 or 1964]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Tinkerbell Kindergarten subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 7.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 246-025
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1990-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kindergartners and their mothers sitting outside on the grass on farmland.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note on recto of photograph reads: "63 - 64"
Images
Kindergartners at Stanley Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription53034
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1957 and 1968]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 7.5 cm, mounted on heavy-weight paper 28.5 x 20 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Tinkerbell Cooperative Kindergarten on a field trip to Stanley Park. The kindergartners are all sitting on the grass in the shade, eating ice cream.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1957 and 1968]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Tinkerbell Kindergarten subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 7.5 cm, mounted on heavy-weight paper 28.5 x 20 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 246-041
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1990-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Tinkerbell Cooperative Kindergarten on a field trip to Stanley Park. The kindergartners are all sitting on the grass in the shade, eating ice cream.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Kindergartners blowing soap bubbles
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription52967
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1960
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of kindergartners from the Tinkerbell Cooperative Kindergarten blowing soap bubbles with the help of one of their teachers. They are standing in a field outside in small groups, watching each other blow soap bubbles.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1960
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Tinkerbell Kindergarten subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 246-007
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1990-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of kindergartners from the Tinkerbell Cooperative Kindergarten blowing soap bubbles with the help of one of their teachers. They are standing in a field outside in small groups, watching each other blow soap bubbles.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Stamp on recto of photograph reads: "MAY 60"
- Note on verso of photograph reads: "blowing soap bubbles"
Images
Kitty Hill and Florence Hart boating on Deer Lake
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38771
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill (turned away) and Florence Hart boating on Deer Lake. Written around the border of the photograph is the following: "You would look away just as I took this. Do you remember how cross I was about it?" The boathouse is most likely that belonging to Kitty's father, Claude H…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-090
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill (turned away) and Florence Hart boating on Deer Lake. Written around the border of the photograph is the following: "You would look away just as I took this. Do you remember how cross I was about it?" The boathouse is most likely that belonging to Kitty's father, Claude Hill, on Deer Lake.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Residential - Boathouses
- Recreational Activities - Boating
- Geographic Features - Lakes and Ponds
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Images
Kitty Hill canoeing on Deer Lake
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription39562
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1910
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.8 x 10 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill paddling a canoe on Deer Lake.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1910
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.8 x 10 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-881
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill paddling a canoe on Deer Lake.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Images
Kitty Hill paddling into Claude Hill's boathouse
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription39564
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1910
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.8 x 10.2 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill rowing a boat into the open door of what is most likely her father Claude's boathouse on Deer Lake.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1910
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.8 x 10.2 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-883
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill rowing a boat into the open door of what is most likely her father Claude's boathouse on Deer Lake.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Images
Kitty Hill with canoe paddle
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription39561
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1910
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 9.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill standing on a log in Deer Lake holding a canoe paddle. A canoe can be seen behind her on the water.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1910
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 9.5 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-880
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Kitty Hill standing on a log in Deer Lake holding a canoe paddle. A canoe can be seen behind her on the water.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Images
L. Claude and Kitty Hill boating
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38751
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of L. Claude Hill and his daughter Kitty (centre) with Florence Hart boating on lake.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-070
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of L. Claude Hill and his daughter Kitty (centre) with Florence Hart boating on lake.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Lewis family picnic
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription593
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1910] (date of original), copied 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.4 x 25.3 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Lewis family gathered around a wooden plank tables in the woods to eat a meal. There are food, drinks and dishes on the tables set up in a location surrounded by thick forest underbrush and ferns. The group is composed of a least six children, six women, and five men.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.4 x 25.3 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Lewis family gathered around a wooden plank tables in the woods to eat a meal. There are food, drinks and dishes on the tables set up in a location surrounded by thick forest underbrush and ferns. The group is composed of a least six children, six women, and five men.
- Subjects
- Recreational Activities - Picnics
- Names
- Lewis Family
- Accession Code
- HV977.110.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1910] (date of original), copied 1977
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-07-18
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- An annotation on the back of the copy print of photo reads: "Photograph taken from private collection of Mrs. Ada Groves."
- An annotation on the back of the copy print of photo reads: "Lewis family picnic in Burnaby. 1910."
Images
Lewis family picnic
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19332
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 10.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Lewis family gathered around a wooden plank tables in the woods to eat a meal. There are food, drinks and dishes on the tables set up in a location surrounded by thick forest underbrush and ferns. The group is composed of a least six children, six women, and five men.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 10.5 cm
- Material Details
- areas of the photograph are fading due to over exposure
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Lewis family gathered around a wooden plank tables in the woods to eat a meal. There are food, drinks and dishes on the tables set up in a location surrounded by thick forest underbrush and ferns. The group is composed of a least six children, six women, and five men.
- History
- William and Emma Lewis had nine children and owned a fruit farm on 17th Avenue in Burnaby.
- Subjects
- Recreational Activities - Picnics
- Names
- Lewis Family
- Accession Code
- BV022.32.49
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1910]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-04-04
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Longstaff family picnic
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36419
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1919 or 1920]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 5.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Longstaff family and their friends at a picnic in Central Park. Everyone is dressed mostly in white, and four of the ten are wearing hats.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1919 or 1920]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Kathleen Moore family subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 5.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 266-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1991-33
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Longstaff family and their friends at a picnic in Central Park. Everyone is dressed mostly in white, and four of the ten are wearing hats.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Central Park
- Imperial Street
- Street Address
- 3883 Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Love and Stanley family picnic
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19652
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [191-]
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of members of the Love and Stanley families gathered together for a picnic on a shore of Pitt Lake. The group are seated on logs in a clearing. Esther (Love) Stanley is identified third from left (in hat) and Phoebe (Love) Feedham is identified fourth from the left.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of members of the Love and Stanley families gathered together for a picnic on a shore of Pitt Lake. The group are seated on logs in a clearing. Esther (Love) Stanley is identified third from left (in hat) and Phoebe (Love) Feedham is identified fourth from the left.
- Subjects
- Recreational Activities - Picnics
- Accession Code
- BV022.32.74
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [191-]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-04-04
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Love and Whiting families picnicing under tent
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19312
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [c. 1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of members of the Love and Whiting families gathered together for a meal under a canvas tent. The group is gathered around a long table that is in the middle of the tent. Annie Elizabeth (Love) Whiting is identified as the woman who is holding a young child in her lap, seated at the end …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 11 cm
- Material Details
- Photograph is over exposed, washing out some of the detail
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of members of the Love and Whiting families gathered together for a meal under a canvas tent. The group is gathered around a long table that is in the middle of the tent. Annie Elizabeth (Love) Whiting is identified as the woman who is holding a young child in her lap, seated at the end of the table closest to the stove. A wood stove with pots and a kettle is visible in the foreground. The location is identified as Boundary Bay.
- Accession Code
- BV022.32.29
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [c. 1910]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-04-04
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
- Note in white ink on album page reads: "BOUNDARY BAY?"