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Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Grocers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Business Associations
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Toy, Christina
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Babey, Beverley
- Canada Way Food Market
- Fraser Merchants' Association
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.19
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3Interview with Edward Apps by Rod Fowler February 22, 1990 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory456
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1918-1950
- Length
- 00:05:30
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Ed Apps’ brief overview of the changes in Burnaby since he arrived in 1946, where he grew up in England, his war service, and the reasons that he and his wife Margaret immigrated to Canada from England
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Ed Apps’ brief overview of the changes in Burnaby since he arrived in 1946, where he grew up in England, his war service, and the reasons that he and his wife Margaret immigrated to Canada from England
- Date Range
- 1918-1950
- Length
- 00:05:30
- Subjects
- Migration
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- February 22, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Edward Apps, conducted by Rod Fowler. Ed Apps 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 Ed Apps involvement in community groups, particularly his work in seniors organizations lobbying for seniors’ housing since his retirement, and views about the role of Rate Payer groups, unions and politics in the development of North and South Burnaby. He also talks about his origin in England, his war service, arrival with his wife Margaret in Burnaby in 1946, his work with the Burnaby School Board and for the local union, the location of some of the older schools, the history of his house, and briefly about his wife and children. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Edward Apps was born in 1918 in London, England, and grew up in Kent and Essex. In WWII he flew the third glider to land in Normandy on June 6th, 1944. He and his wife Margaret Hope (1915-1985) immigrated to British Columbia in 1946, joining his wife’s parents, who had immigrated earlier in 1939, in Burnaby Heights in North Burnaby. He worked for the Burnaby School Board as Foreman Painter, and served on CUPE Local 379 Executive, until his retirement in 1982. In 1948 Ed Apps bought his first lot, for $150.00, in the 4700 block on Georgia Street, building houses there and in the 4100 block before buying his present home, a ca.1900 farm building, in the same area in 1954. North Burnaby was “bush country and orchards” in the 1950s; his two sons played in the ravines; and the family used the tram system on Hastings and Boundary Road for transportation. Development of municipal services seemed slower in North than South Burnaby, and Ed Apps remembers the strong role Rate Payers groups had in creating local services and lobbying Municipal Council for provide services. After retirement Ed Apps became involved in several local and provincial seniors organizations, advocating for better housing, including serving on the Executives of the Network of Burnaby Seniors and the Council of Senior Citizens Organization, and was active in the provincial Seniors Research and Resource and CMHC Housing Committee. He also served on the Centennial Committee of Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 0:56:50
- Interviewee Name
- Apps, Ed
- 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.
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Ed Apps
Track two of interview with Ed Apps
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-015/MSS187-015_Track_2.mp3
Division XIII at Kingsway West School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1373
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1922
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 10 x 15.5 cm, mounted on card 20 x 25 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Division XIII at Kingsway West School, sitting and standing in four rows in front of the school building. Standing in the back row (from left) are; Ernie Hughes, Alastair Grant, Melville McHale, Arthur Yeates, Bernard Dermott, Freddy Lloyd, Albert Walker, Leslie Watson, Reggie Coe and…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 10 x 15.5 cm, mounted on card 20 x 25 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Division XIII at Kingsway West School, sitting and standing in four rows in front of the school building. Standing in the back row (from left) are; Ernie Hughes, Alastair Grant, Melville McHale, Arthur Yeates, Bernard Dermott, Freddy Lloyd, Albert Walker, Leslie Watson, Reggie Coe and Robert McIntosh. Standing in the second row; Virginia Brown, Jean Griffiths, Sylvia Wright, Doreen Gravestock, Laura Chamberlain, Florence Brown, Mabel Gill and Peggy Chisholm. Sitting in the third row; Edna Mayhew, Viola Higgins, [Doreen Fenton], Verna Campbell, Eileen Oben, Hazel King, Mary McLean, Beulah Macmillan, Mandie Everett and [Doreen Fenton]. Sitting in the fourth row; Grant Armour, Arthur James, Freddy Eaglestone, Antony Hedger, Albert Savage, Jack Grocott, John Harding, Wilbert Hamilton, Frank Bailey, Jack Dalziel and Hugh Wilson. Sitting on the wood ground in the front row are; Roy Birtch, Eric Dogley, Gordon Taylor and Herbert Coe. Their teacher, Miss Annie Forrest is not pictured.
- Names
- Kingsway West School
- Hughes, Ernest
- Grant, Alastair
- McHale, Melville
- Yeates, Arthur
- Dermott, Bernard
- Lloyd, Freddy
- Walker, Albert
- Watson, Leslie
- Coe, Reggie
- McIntosh, Robert
- Brown, Virginia
- Griffiths, Jean
- Wright, Sylvia
- Gravestock, Doreen
- Chamberlain, Laura
- Bevan, Florence Brown
- Gill, Mabel
- Chisholm, Peggy
- Mayhew, Edna
- Higgins, Viola
- Fenton, Doreen
- Potkins, Verna Campbell
- Oben, Eileen
- King, Hazel
- McLean, Mary
- Kennedy, Beulah MacMillan
- Everett, Mandie
- Armour, Grant
- James, Arthur
- Eaglestone, Freddy
- Hedger, Anthony
- Savage, Albert
- Grocott, Jack
- Harding, James
- Hamilton, Wilbert
- Bailey, Frank
- Dalziel, Jack
- Wilson, Hugh
- Birtch, Roy
- Dogley, Eric
- Taylor, Gordon
- Coe, Herbert
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 4800 Kingsway
- Accession Code
- BV999.2.63
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1922
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 08-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photographer identifies photograph as no. 66
- Note in pencil on recto of photograph reads: "1922"
- Note in black ink on verso of card mount reads: "Div. XIII. Kingsway West School. Sept. - Oct. 1922 / 1st Top row. (Left to right) Ernie Hughes, Alastair Grant, Melville McHale, Arthur Yeates, Bernard Dermott, Freddy Lloyd, Albert Walker, Leslie Watson, Reggie Coe, Robert McIntosh / 2nd row. (left to right), Virginia Brown, Jean Griffiths, Sylvia Wright, Doreen Gravestock, Laura Chamberlain, Florence Brown, Mabel Gill, Peggy Chisholm / 3rd row. (left to right). Edna Mayhew, Viola Higgins, Doreen Fenton, Verna Campbell, Eileen Oben, Hazel King, Mary Mc.Lean, Beulah Macmillan, Mandie Everett, Doreen Fenton / 4th. row. (Left to right) Grant Armour, Arthur James, Freddy Eaglestone, Antony Hedger, Albert Savage, Jack Grocott, John Harding, Wilbert Hamilton, Frank Bailey, Jack Dalziel, Hugh Wilson / 5th row (Left to right). Roy Birtch, Eric Dogley, Gordon Taylor, Herbert Coe. / A. T. Forrest. (Teacher)"
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