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Burnaby South High School Cenotaph & Memorial Tennis Courts
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark547
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- This memorial comprises a cenotaph and three tennis courts: the former a monument of British Columbia granite inscribed with the names of fifty-one students of Burnaby South High School who lost their lives in the Second World War; and the latter a living memorial to these former students.
- Associated Dates
- 1948
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- Southoaks Crescent
- Associated Dates
- 1948
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 9807
- Enactment Date
- 23/11/1992
- Description
- This memorial comprises a cenotaph and three tennis courts: the former a monument of British Columbia granite inscribed with the names of fifty-one students of Burnaby South High School who lost their lives in the Second World War; and the latter a living memorial to these former students.
- Heritage Value
- This memorial is important for its spiritual, symbolic, and cultural associations for the former students of Burnaby South High School, and for all youth in the community. The cenotaph is of personal significance to the families of those who lost their lives. The unusual combination of cenotaph and living memorial - the tennis courts - represents a rare statement of a community's commitment to not allow the sacrifice of its youth to be forgotten by providing an active facility which draw people to the place on a regular basis rather than just on occasions of remembrance. As such it is an important symbol of a humanitarian ethic. In combination with the Kingsway East School, now rehabilitated as the Alan Emmott Centre, this memorial represents a valuable haven of green-space and recreation in the high-density urban development that now surrounds it.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the Burnaby South High School Cenotaph & Memorial Tennis Courts include the: - location of the cenotaph adjacent to the living memorial - spatial association of this memorial and the remaining school building - physical fabric of both the granite monument and the tennis courts
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Kingsway-Beresford Area
- Function
- Primary Current--Public Feature
- Primary Historic--Public Feature
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D. No. 016-367-154 Legal Description: Lot 1, District Lot 96, Group 1 New Westminster District, Plan 86581
- Boundaries
- Burnaby South High School Cenotaph & Memorial Tennis Courts is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6650 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby.
- Area
- 6,070.00
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Landscape Feature
- Structure
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Documentation
- Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
- Street Address
- 6650 Southoaks Crescent
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
Children on Victory in Europe Day
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37715
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1945 (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.2 x 3.2 cm print on contact sheet 20.6 x 26.1 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of children on V.E. Day (Victory in Europe Day). The Johnson children and Bobby Ellis (far right) are holding flags (Union Jacks and another) on the 2900 block of Silver Avenue (later renumbered as the 6100 block). The street and Ford Motor plant are visible in the background.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1945 (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.2 x 3.2 cm print on contact sheet 20.6 x 26.1 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-303
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of children on V.E. Day (Victory in Europe Day). The Johnson children and Bobby Ellis (far right) are holding flags (Union Jacks and another) on the 2900 block of Silver Avenue (later renumbered as the 6100 block). The street and Ford Motor plant are visible in the background.
- Subjects
- Celebrations
- Animals - Dogs
- Symbols - Flags
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Negative has a pink cast
- Geographic Access
- Silver Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
![Girl Guide troop, [1940] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/001/045-001.jpg?width=280)
Girl Guide troop
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34554
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.2 x 25.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Girl Guide troop in uniform outside. The group includes girls and leaders, and the girl standing in the centre is holding a flag.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Photographs subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.2 x 25.2 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 045-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Girl Guide troop in uniform outside. The group includes girls and leaders, and the girl standing in the centre is holding a flag.
- Names
- Girl Guides of Canada
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Girl Guide troop, [1940] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/001/045-001.jpg)
Graduation records
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82734
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1930-1941]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two envelopes and one dictionary. One envelope is empty and is addressed to: "To Whom it May Concern" and is from: "Hugh M. Fraser High School / 2350 Kingsway / New Westminster, BC". It most likely contained the reference letter from May 12, 1941 written by the principal of Hugh M.…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1930-1941]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- MSS167-013
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two envelopes and one dictionary. One envelope is empty and is addressed to: "To Whom it May Concern" and is from: "Hugh M. Fraser High School / 2350 Kingsway / New Westminster, BC". It most likely contained the reference letter from May 12, 1941 written by the principal of Hugh M. Fraser Senior and Junior High Schools. The second envelope is addressed to "Miss Hazel Simnett / 4019 Kingsway / New Westminster, BC" from the Department of Education in Victoria, BC. It contains the reference letter as discussed previously, a University Entrance Examination certificate, a High School Graduation certificate from Burnaby South High School, a Grade Twelve Examination Junior Matriculation certificate and a purple and gold ribbon. The dictionary is a Nelson's "Highroads" English Dictionary. Inside an inscription reads: "Hazel Simnett / 4019 Kingsway / Burnaby / BSHS / Hazel Simnett / Kingsway West School".
- Subjects
- Personal Symbols - Certificates
- Names
- Simnett, Hazel
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
- Simnett personal papers series
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Garden Village Area
Personal material
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82732
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910-1978]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 9 paintings : colour print, 2 photographs : b&w, and 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of application for a driver's license, Kingsway Driving School report card, driver's examination receipt and a letter addressed to Hazel Simnett from the Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada. Also included is an immigration inspection card of Fred Simnett aboard the S.S. Lake Champlai…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910-1978]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 9 paintings : colour print, 2 photographs : b&w, and 1 folder of textual records
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- MSS167-008
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- Scope and Content
- File consists of application for a driver's license, Kingsway Driving School report card, driver's examination receipt and a letter addressed to Hazel Simnett from the Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada. Also included is an immigration inspection card of Fred Simnett aboard the S.S. Lake Champlain from Liverpool and a letter from the Office of the Mayor addressed to Mary Ann Simnett for her ninetieth birthday. Also included is a photograph (see item 559-001). Also included are newsclippings regarding Robert Burnaby and the "Bygones of Burnaby" book, a programme of the Robert Burnaby Commemorative Dinner, a photocopy of "The Argus" (Burnaby South High School's newspaper) from 1938, a programme from Madys Pridmore Brown's Variety Programme, "The Buzzer" Volume 40 Issue 16 advertising Vancouver street cars, New Vista Society certificate addressed to Hazel Simnett, an envelope of Fenwick Lansdowne bird prints from 1957 and a print of the Royal Family found in a cardboard envelope postmarked 1972.
- Subjects
- Arts - Paintings
- Documentary Artifacts - Newspapers
- Documentary Artifacts - Photographs
- Performances - Concerts
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Personal Symbols - Certificates
- Transportation
- Persons - Royalty
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Graphic Material
- Notes
- Title based on note accompanying file on folder ; The Argue was stapled together
- Simnett personal papers series
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Alta-Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
![Raising the flag, [between 1939 and 1947] (date of original), copied 2014 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/580/581-006.jpg?width=280)
Raising the flag
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88400
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1939 and 1947] (date of original), copied 2014
- Collection/Fonds
- James Massey family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 600 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of James Massey as he raises the Union Jack flag up the flag pole in Robert Burnaby Park. James Massey was the caretaker of the park from 1933 until 1947 and raised the flag on all public holidays.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1939 and 1947] (date of original), copied 2014
- Collection/Fonds
- James Massey family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 600 dpi
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 581-006
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2014-34
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of James Massey as he raises the Union Jack flag up the flag pole in Robert Burnaby Park. James Massey was the caretaker of the park from 1933 until 1947 and raised the flag on all public holidays.
- Subjects
- Symbols - Flags
- Names
- Massey, James
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lakeview-Mayfield Area
Images
![Raising the flag, [between 1939 and 1947] (date of original), copied 2014 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/580/581-006.jpg)
Robert C.K. Peers
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38729
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Robert Peers at Oak Bay High School in Victoria, BC, holding two trophies.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-048
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Robert Peers at Oak Bay High School in Victoria, BC, holding two trophies.
- Subjects
- Personal Symbols - Trophies
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Robert Peers and trophies
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38717
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 7 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Robert C.K. Peers posing in front of six trophies, three of which are identified as the Anscomb Trophy, the Murdoch Cup and the Aggregate Cup.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 7 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-036
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Robert C.K. Peers posing in front of six trophies, three of which are identified as the Anscomb Trophy, the Murdoch Cup and the Aggregate Cup.
- Subjects
- Personal Symbols - Trophies
- Names
- Peers, Robert C.K.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Swim team with trophy, [1943] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/477/477-034.jpg?width=280)
Swim team with trophy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38715
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1943]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of five young people in swimming outfits and three men in suits posing in front of a trophy. Robert C.K. Peers is standing on the far right, he was a member of the Oak Bay High Swim Team.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1943]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-034
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of five young people in swimming outfits and three men in suits posing in front of a trophy. Robert C.K. Peers is standing on the far right, he was a member of the Oak Bay High Swim Team.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Gibson, Wilfred
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Swim team with trophy, [1943] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/477/477-034.jpg)
![Valleyview Community Centre May Queen, [1940] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/001/009-016.jpg?width=280)
Valleyview Community Centre May Queen
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34081
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.1 x 12.8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Valleyview Community Centre May Queen and her suite dressed in white with sashes and standing outside on a stage. The Queen is wearing a crown and holding a bouquet of flowers.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1940]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Photographs subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.1 x 12.8 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 009-016
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Valleyview Community Centre May Queen and her suite dressed in white with sashes and standing outside on a stage. The Queen is wearing a crown and holding a bouquet of flowers.
- Subjects
- Events - May Day
- Symbols - Flags
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4949 Canada Way
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
Images
![Valleyview Community Centre May Queen, [1940] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/001/009-016.jpg)
![Willie James Field with a trophy, [194-] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/513/521-007.jpg?width=280)
Willie James Field with a trophy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription65774
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [194-]
- Collection/Fonds
- Field family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) ; 600 ppi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Willie James Field standing in the centre, accepting a Lawn Bowling trophy with his fellow Burnaby Lawn Bowling Club teammates.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [194-]
- Collection/Fonds
- Field family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) ; 600 ppi
- Material Details
- Item is a scan of a photograph
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 521-007
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2010-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Willie James Field standing in the centre, accepting a Lawn Bowling trophy with his fellow Burnaby Lawn Bowling Club teammates.
- Subjects
- Personal Symbols - Trophies
- Organizations
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Willie James Field with a trophy, [194-] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/513/521-007.jpg)
Inkwells to Internet: A History of Burnaby Schools
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7551
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Digital Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 978-0-9781979-2-6
- Call Number
- 371 CAR
- Place of Publication
- Burnaby
- Publisher
- City of Burnaby
- Publication Date
- 2020
- Physical Description
- vii, 35 p. : ill. ; 29 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Burnaby (B.C.)--History
- Schools--British Columbia--Burnaby
- Subjects
- Education
- Notes
- "Includes index"
- A history of the Burnaby school district and individual school buildings in Burnaby, BC, between 1893 and 2013.
- The “First Nations cemetery” described on page 109 in Mary Johnson’s recollections was originally written as “Indian” and may refer to the Khalsa Diwan Society’s Sikh cremations at the Vancouver Cemetery.
Images
Digital Books
Rooted : Chinese Canadian stories in Burnaby
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7646
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Digital Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Digital Resource
- ISBN
- 978-0-9689849-2-5
- Call Number
- 971.133 ROO
- Contributor
- Fong, Denise
- Lemke, Jane
- Codd, Lisa
- Place of Publication
- Burnaby
- Publisher
- City of Burnaby
- Publication Date
- 2023
- Printer
- Metropolitan Fine Printers
- Physical Description
- 203 p. : ill. ; 30.5 cm
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Chinese Canadians--British Columbia--Burnaby--History
- Race discrimination -- Canada
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Agriculture
- Agriculture - Farms
- Persons - Families
- Rights
- Rights - Human Rights
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Notes
- There are two versions of the book: English and Simplified Chinese (left, below) and the other in English and Traditional Chinese (right, below).
- From the late 1800s to the present day, Chinese Canadians have made Burnaby into a more vibrant and livable city. Rooted: Chinese Canadian Stories in Burnaby brings together a collection of diverse stories and photographs from the community, celebrating the legacy and contributions of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community spanning over a century. This coffee-table book features oral histories and interviews with descendants of multigenerational family farms, green grocers, corner stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Also included are archival research and community perspectives on anti-Asian racism, community activism, courage, and resilience.
- The publication has been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the Government of Canada in 1923. This federal legislation followed decades of discriminatory legislation by Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments that targeted Chinese Canadians by limiting opportunities to live, work and raise families in Canada. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned almost all migration from China and remained in place until 1947. Publishing this book in 2023 is an effort by the City of Burnaby to recognize the impact of discriminatory legislation on Chinese Canadians in our community, including discriminatory bylaws and practices implemented by Burnaby’s early municipal government.
- Edited by Denise Fong (Lead Researcher), Jane Lemke (Burnaby Village Museum Curator) and Lisa Codd (City of Burnaby Heritage Planner).
Images
Digital Books
A Family Farm
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14268
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:13:57 min)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land an…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- UBC Partnership series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:13:57 min)
- Material Details
- Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Persons from recorded extracts: Denise Fong; Josephine Chow Music: prod. riddiman Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:13:57 min Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. 00:00-02:21 The podcast opens with Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introducing themselves and their topic- the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby and the people who have made important contributions to the city’s development. “A Family Farm” talks about Chinese-owned businesses which are family run. “The family-oriented nature of Chinese-owned businesses also extend to many of the early (and current) Chinese-owned farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. When Chinese men first began farming in BC in the 1860s, a lot of them worked as labourers because they weren’t allowed to own land. After World War II many of these farmers were allowed to purchase lots, thanks to the Veterans Land Grant. These grants allowed returning veterans to purchase small parcels of land with government loans. Eventually, these men would start families on the farm, and many Chinese-owned farms became family-operated businesses where every member, male, female, child, and extended relatives were enlisted to work the grounds. And it was hard work, often from dawn to dusk, 6-7 days a week.” 02:23 – 07:50 This portion includes excerpts from Oral History interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) of Hop On Farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. The interview was conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Josephine recalls growing up on the family farm with her six siblings. She tells of how the family pulled together money to purchase twelve acres along Marine Drive in 1951, her family’s background, daily life on the farm , responsibilities on the farm for her and her siblings and of how her mother had to balance working on the farm and providing for a family of ten to twelve people. 07:51 – 08:10 In this portion, hosts comment and reflect on their own experiences. “While it’s likely that a lot of this was done out of necessity and not being able to afford additional paid labourers, having grown up in Chinese households ourselves, we can definitely understand the rationale for these family-operated businesses and how it connects back to the Chinese understanding of family and kinship.” 08:11 – 09:06 In this portion, Rose and Wei provide information on the roots of the Chinese character for family “jia” in mandarin or “gah” in Cantonese. They explain that the term family is composed of two parts: the upper element is like a roof, symbolizing shelter, and the bottom part represents a pig which symbolizes food, whereby the Chinese character for family represents that of a farm. They provide a quote from the writings of Francois de Martin-Donos “In ancient China, the farm is an enterprise, a shelter that insures one food and work. The farm is a place to rely on, but in return, needs to be maintained, including a set of responsibilities. In other words, “family” is the insurance of a stable life.” 09:07 – 10:27 In this portion, the hosts speak about how traditional Chinese thought is heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucius and Confucius philosophy. They explain how Confucius emphasized five sets of human relationships that form the basis for society: ruler and minister, husband and wife, parents and child, sibling and sibling, friend and friend. Of these five, three are familial relationships also known as Filial piety – the respect and care for one’s familial superiors (such as parents, elders, and ancestors). They speak of how this is one of Confucianism’s main teachings and in this respect caring for family members is seen as a moral obligation. In China housing arrangements are in the form of siheyuan”s — a type of residence that featured a courtyard surrounded on all four sides with buildings. These traditionally housed one large extended family if they were wealthy enough. 10:28 – 13:08 In this portion, hosts provide further information on Josephine Chow’s family experience working and living on the “Hop On” family farm through the decades. An excerpt from the interview with Josephine Chow conducted by Denise Fong is included. In this excerpt, Josephine reflects on her past experiences on the farm and her present day experiences of her siblings running the farm. 13:09 -13:56 Final summary, credits and acknowledgements.
- History
- Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Agriculture - Farms
- Agriculture
- Gardens - Market Gardens
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Names
- Fong, Denise
- Responsibility
- Wu, Rose
- Yeong, Wei Yan
- Geographic Access
- Marine Drive
- Accession Code
- BV020.28.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 2020
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Big Bend Area
- Related Material
- BV020.28.4; BV020.28.5
- Notes
- Title based contents of sound recording
- See also Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020 - BV020.6.1
- Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
- Why is family important in China? https://medium.com/@francois_dmd/why-is-family-so-important-in-china-1617b13a67
- Burnaby Village Museum - Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong Feb. 7, 2020. BV020.6.1 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12337
- Covered Roots: The History of Vancouver's Chinese Farms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WHS2Uf3JU
- Burnaby Village Museum Shares Chinese-Canadian Farming History This Summer https://westcoastfood.ca/burnaby-village-museum-shares-chinese-canadian-farming-history-this-summer/
- Chinese Market Gardeners in the City of Burnaby BC Continue to Practice Urban Agriculture https://cityfarmer.info/chinese-market-gardeners-in-the-city-of-burnaby-bc-continue-to-practice-urban-agriculture/
- Chinese Market Gardening in BC https://www.bcfoodhistory.ca/chinese-market-gardening-bc/
Images
Audio Tracks
A Family Farm, 2020