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Interview with Betty Blair by Eric Damer October 17, 2012 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory299
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1940-1959
- Length
- 0:07:48
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's memories of events held at the Church, including her own wedding. She discusses her involvement with the church group Canadian Girls in Training. She also discusses her volunteer years at the Burnaby Hospital and her lif…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's memories of events held at the Church, including her own wedding. She discusses her involvement with the church group Canadian Girls in Training. She also discusses her volunteer years at the Burnaby Hospital and her life when her children were small.
- Date Range
- 1940-1959
- Photo Info
- Graduating class at Burnaby South High School; Betty Warburton is third from the right in the front row, [1942 or 1943]. Item no. BV004.82.5.
- Length
- 0:07:48
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- October 17, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 17, 2012. Major theme discussed: life in Burnaby during the war years.
- Biographical Notes
- Betty Warburton (later Atkinson) (later Blair) was born in 1926 and grew up at three different locations on Frederick Avenue in Burnaby. She went to school in Burnaby; first at Kingsway West for two years, then Nelson Avenue and then Burnaby South High School where she completed senior matriculation. After graduation, Betty worked for a few years in Vancouver before marrying her first husband Don Atkinson and raising their children in Burnaby. Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair has participated in a range of activities from hiking and Girl Guides to volunteer arthritis care. By the nineteen-sixties she had began to learn pottery and take lessons at Mather House in Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 6
- Total Length
- 0:59:03
- Interviewee Name
- Blair, Betty Warburton Atkinson
- Interview Location
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Interviewer Bio
- Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks
Track four of recording of interview with Betty Blair
Track four of recording of interview with Betty Blair
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-003/MSS171-003_Track_4.mp3Interview with Hazel Simnett by Eric Damer October 27, 2012 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory401
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1975
- Length
- 0:08:03
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Hazel Simnett's volunteerism and her political activism. Hazel discusses being an organizer for the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA) and an active supporter of the libraries in Burnaby. She also discusses what it was like to be a student in the elementar…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Hazel Simnett's volunteerism and her political activism. Hazel discusses being an organizer for the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA) and an active supporter of the libraries in Burnaby. She also discusses what it was like to be a student in the elementary school classroom in the nineteen-thirties. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview.
- Date Range
- 1942-1975
- Photo Info
- Hazel Simnett standing in a garden, with a small dog in her arms [194-]. Item no. 549-063.
- Length
- 0:08:03
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- October 27, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Hazel Simnett conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 27, 2012. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview. Major theme discussed: political activism in Burnaby.
- Biographical Notes
- Hazel Simnett was born in Burnaby in 1922 and grew up looking up to her father Frederick Simnett who was very involved in labour and unions. A politically active citizen, Hazel Simnett has supported the Canadian Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the New Democratic Party (NDP). She once ran as a New Democratic Party candidate for Burnaby City Council. In 2006, Hazel Simnett won the Burnaby Local Hero Award for her volunteer work at the New Vista Society where she served as chair for a number of years. She also served as a member of the Burnaby Historical Society and established the Hazel Simnett Endowment with the Burnaby Public Library to bring a collection of books on Canadian history and social issues.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:36:12
- Interviewee Name
- Simnett, Hazel
- Interview Location
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Interviewer Bio
- Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks
Track three of recording of interview with Hazel Simnett
Track three of recording of interview with Hazel Simnett
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-024/MSS171-024_Track_3.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory476
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1935-1956
- Length
- 00:04:56
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s marriage and move to Burnaby in 1953, and settling at the house near Cliff Avenue United Church in 1956. He talks about his first encounters with volunteering at Ratepayer meetings attended by his father, and in dance and drama activities at s…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s marriage and move to Burnaby in 1953, and settling at the house near Cliff Avenue United Church in 1956. He talks about his first encounters with volunteering at Ratepayer meetings attended by his father, and in dance and drama activities at school.
- Date Range
- 1935-1956
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:04:56
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Education
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lochdale Area
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- 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 five of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track five of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_5.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory477
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:13:27
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the circumstances behind Merrill Gordon’s founding of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club in 1956, his subsequent involvement and role as President of the club for 15 years, and the growth and history of soccer clubs in Burnaby. He also talks about his frien…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the circumstances behind Merrill Gordon’s founding of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club in 1956, his subsequent involvement and role as President of the club for 15 years, and the growth and history of soccer clubs in Burnaby. He also talks about his friend Mark Stockdale who was second president of the club for 16 years and creator of the rose garden on Burnaby Mountain.
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:13:27
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Sports - Soccer
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- 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 Merrill Gordon
Track six of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_6.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 7
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory478
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:07:05
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s political career and his volunteer work with Cliff Avenue soccer, the Burnaby Mental Health Association, the library board, and the New Vista Society. He talks about his association with Alan Emmott and the founding of the Better Burnaby Commi…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s political career and his volunteer work with Cliff Avenue soccer, the Burnaby Mental Health Association, the library board, and the New Vista Society. He talks about his association with Alan Emmott and the founding of the Better Burnaby Committee (BBC), his election to Burnaby Council in 1972 with BVA, and his membership in and work for the federal NDP
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:07:05
- Names
- Emmott, Alan H
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- 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 seven of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track seven of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_7.mp3Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory479
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:10:17
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s founding and operation of the youth soccer exchange with Washington State, and the importance of soccer to the community. He discusses the problem of isolation between north and south Burnaby, planned development in Burnaby, and the contributi…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s founding and operation of the youth soccer exchange with Washington State, and the importance of soccer to the community. He discusses the problem of isolation between north and south Burnaby, planned development in Burnaby, and the contributions of Ratepayer groups and volunteers
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:10:17
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- 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 eight of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track eight of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_8.mp31927 Buick Ambulance
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1161
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1927]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1927 Buick with a cross sign on top of the windshield and "AMBULANCE" written at the bottom of the windshield and identified as the "third" ambulance (the Wagner family operated this ambulance service as well as Dexter Cabs).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6.5 cm
- Material Details
- inscribed in blue ballpoint pen, verso, t., stamped, u.l. "678"
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1927 Buick with a cross sign on top of the windshield and "AMBULANCE" written at the bottom of the windshield and identified as the "third" ambulance (the Wagner family operated this ambulance service as well as Dexter Cabs).
- Accession Code
- BV992.45.49
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- [after 1927]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 01-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note on verso of photograph reads: "1927 Buick/ 3rd Ambulance"
Images
Buick ambulance
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1148
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1934]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1934 Buick being used as an ambulance with its side doors open to reveal a gurney placed inside beside the driver's seat (the Wagner family operated this ambulance service as well as Dexter Cabs).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 cm
- Material Details
- .
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1934 Buick being used as an ambulance with its side doors open to reveal a gurney placed inside beside the driver's seat (the Wagner family operated this ambulance service as well as Dexter Cabs).
- Accession Code
- BV992.45.39
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- [after 1934]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 01-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note on verso of photograph reads: "Buick Ambulance"
Images
Dodge ambulance
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1160
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1940]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 5.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1940 Dodge station wagon that was used as an ambulance (the Wagner family operated this ambulance service as well as Dexter Cabs).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 5.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1940 Dodge station wagon that was used as an ambulance (the Wagner family operated this ambulance service as well as Dexter Cabs).
- Accession Code
- BV992.45.50
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- [after 1940]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 01-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note on verso of photograph reads: "1940/ Dodge/ Ambulance"
Images
Hupmobile ambulance
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1146
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1929]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1929 Hupmobile with a medic cross over the windshield and "AMBULANCE" written just above the hood parked at Fred Charles' Garage. Other cars from the late 1920's are parked on either side of the ambulance.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a 1929 Hupmobile with a medic cross over the windshield and "AMBULANCE" written just above the hood parked at Fred Charles' Garage. Other cars from the late 1920's are parked on either side of the ambulance.
- Accession Code
- BV992.45.37
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- [after 1929]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 01-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note in blue pen on verso of photograph reads: "1929 Hupmobile/ 2nd Ambulance"
- Note in pencil on verso of photograph reads: "FRED CHARLES' GARAGE"
Images
Plymouth taxi and ambulance
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1156
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1936]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a man standing with one foot on the running board of a 1936 Plymouth which was used as a Dexter Cab and an ambulance.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a man standing with one foot on the running board of a 1936 Plymouth which was used as a Dexter Cab and an ambulance.
- Accession Code
- BV992.45.47
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- [after 1936]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 01-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note on verso of photograph reads: "1936 Plymouth/ Taxi + Ambulance"
Images
Child on a tricycle
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9546
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [ca. 1940]
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; hand-coloured ; 16.5 cm x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Studio portrait of an unidentified toddler-age child of Chinese descent. The child is wearing a yellow, collared, two-piece pant suit and brown, closed-toe shoes. The child is seated on a red and white tricycle in front of a green riser and sky blue backdrop. The flooring has a gray and white patte…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; hand-coloured ; 16.5 cm x 11.5 cm
- Material Details
- On the front lower right corner of the photograph is an embossed print in Chinese characters "[…]" and "MING NGAD"
- Scope and Content
- Studio portrait of an unidentified toddler-age child of Chinese descent. The child is wearing a yellow, collared, two-piece pant suit and brown, closed-toe shoes. The child is seated on a red and white tricycle in front of a green riser and sky blue backdrop. The flooring has a gray and white pattern.
- Accession Code
- BV017.7.356
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [ca. 1940]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 17-Apr-2018
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Fred Boruck with Boruck and Love children
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20393
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1955 and 1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Robert Leonard Love fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 13 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Fred Boruck with his three children and his nephews outside the home of Margaret and Robert Leonard Love in Lincoln City, Oregon. Children are identified left to right as; Allen Boruck, Paul (or Carl) Boruck, Donald Love, Bob Love and Carl (or Paul) Boruck. Three of the children are w…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Robert Leonard Love fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 13 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Fred Boruck with his three children and his nephews outside the home of Margaret and Robert Leonard Love in Lincoln City, Oregon. Children are identified left to right as; Allen Boruck, Paul (or Carl) Boruck, Donald Love, Bob Love and Carl (or Paul) Boruck. Three of the children are wearing Cowichan style sweaters.
- Subjects
- Persons - Children
- Persons - Families
- Names
- Love, Robert Mathew "Bob"
- Love, Donald Leonard
- Boruck, Frederick
- Boruck, Carl
- Boruck, Paul
- Boruck, Allen
- Accession Code
- BV023.24.40
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [between 1955 and 1958]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-12-05
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Annotation on verso of photograph reads: "Lincoln City"
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19194
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1950]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 4.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two year old Jimmy Chow created for Jimmy's immigration documents when he immigrated to Canada.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 4.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two year old Jimmy Chow created for Jimmy's immigration documents when he immigrated to Canada.
- Names
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.40
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1950]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Handwritten notes in blue ink are written in Traditional Chinese on verso of photograph. Notes translated to English and transliterated into Mandarin pinyin read: " "Hipman" (Jimmy Chow's Chinese name), age of two and a half"
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow in Stanley Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19187
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 8.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Jimmy Chow standing outside in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Tall trees are visible behind him.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 8.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Jimmy Chow standing outside in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Tall trees are visible behind him.
- Names
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.33
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1958]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow on rocking horse
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19193
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 12 Apr. 1954
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 12 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow with his father playing on a rocking horse inside a room. A couch and table with a plant on top are visible behind.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 12 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow with his father playing on a rocking horse inside a room. A couch and table with a plant on top are visible behind.
- Names
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.39
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 12 Apr. 1954
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "To - Jimmy / from - Raymond / April 12/1954."
- Stamp on verso of photograph reads: "MAY 1954"
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow posing in suit
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19196
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1954]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 7 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph proof of young Jimmy Chow dressed in a suit and posing in the Thams Studio in Saskatoon.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 7 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph proof of young Jimmy Chow dressed in a suit and posing in the Thams Studio in Saskatoon.
- Names
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.42
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [1954]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Photographer
- Thams Studio
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Text reading "PROOF" punched through surface of photograph
- Red ink stamped on verso of photograph reads: "Photo Proofs / these proofs are the props / of Thams Studio and must / be returned. You under- / stand of course, that these are merely rough / proofs. At best they are merely rough / proofs. At best they only hint at te beauty of the finished photographs....
- Notes in pencil on verso of photograph reads: "36045 / 12"
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow with his cousins
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19185
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1950]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow (left) with his two young cousins seated together on a circular riser in the photograph studio of photographer Chen Kwong in Quebec City.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow (left) with his two young cousins seated together on a circular riser in the photograph studio of photographer Chen Kwong in Quebec City.
- Names
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.31
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [1950]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Photographer
- Kwong, Chen
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Embossment on lower edge of photograph reads: "CHEN KWONG"
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow with his father
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19190
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 24 Aug. 1954
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow with his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow outside of a cafe in Asquith, Saskatchewan.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow with his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow outside of a cafe in Asquith, Saskatchewan.
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.36
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 24 Aug. 1954
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Stamp in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "AUG / 24 /1954"
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow with his father
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19191
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 24 Aug. 1954
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow standing outside of a cafe in Asquith, Saskatchewan. His father, Robin Chung Dip Chow is looking through the door of the cafe.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of young Jimmy Chow standing outside of a cafe in Asquith, Saskatchewan. His father, Robin Chung Dip Chow is looking through the door of the cafe.
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.37
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 24 Aug. 1954
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-03-03
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Stamp in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "AUG / 24 /1954"
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.