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Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12338
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:53:46 min.)
- Scope and Content
- Recording consists of an interview with Julie Lee conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Julie Lee shares information about her mother, Suey Ying Jung's (Laura's) experiences growing up as a Chinese Canadian on a farm in Burnaby during the 1920s and 1930s. She also shares some …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Chinese Canadians in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:53:46 min.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Julie Lee Location of Interview: Home of Julie and Cecil Lee Interview Date: February 6, 2020 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 00:53:46
- Scope and Content
- Recording consists of an interview with Julie Lee conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Julie Lee shares information about her mother, Suey Ying Jung's (Laura's) experiences growing up as a Chinese Canadian on a farm in Burnaby during the 1920s and 1930s. She also shares some information about her father Puy Yuen Chan. 0:00- 01:47 Julie Lee provides background information on her families’ connection to Burnaby and conveys how her maternal grandparents farmed a five acre lot at Still Creek and Douglas Road. Her grandparents grew vegetable produce and operated a piggery at this location. Her mother, Suey Ying Jung (Laura) was the middle child between two older sisters, Maida and Annie and her two younger brothers Gordon and Harry. They were all born at home and educated at Edmonds Elementary School. 01:48- 11:47 Julie provides some background information about her mother, the friendships she made growing up, when she got married and places that she lived. She tells of her mother marrying in 1942 at age 30 years, moving to Fraser Mills and then onto Maillardville in 1958. There was easy access to the Interurban tram so her mother was able to have a social life with others in Vancouver’s Chinatown. She says that many of the only existing photographs of the family living on the farm at Still Creek and Douglas Road can be attributed to her mother’s friend Lil Mau [sic] who owned a camera. The farm was sold around 1949 when her grandparents moved to East Vancouver. While operating the farm, her grandparents only hired Chinese workers who spoke the same language and ate the same foods as them. Despite this, her grandparents made friends with the Collin’s family who assisted them in adjusting to the Canadian way of life. Julie tells that her mother’s sister Maida and brother in law lived with them at Fraser Mills. Her mother’s sister Maida had nine children so Julie’s mother helped her in raising them. 11:48 – 16:53 - Julie talks about racial prejudice towards the Chinese in Burnaby during the 1920s and 1930s. She says that for the most part, her mother’s family had a very insular life on the farm and mainly socialized only within the Chinese community. Julie tells of how she recently became aware of a memoir “The Way it Was”, written by Burnaby resident, Fannie Waplington. The memoir is held as part of the Burnaby Village Museum collection. In the memoir, Fannie Waplington tells of how she was forbidden from visiting Julie’s mother on their farm due to her ethnic background. Julie conveys that it seems like it was a missed friendship for both her mother and Fannie. 16:54 – 22:30 Julie describes what school life was like for her mother and what she may have done outside of school. Her mother attended Edmonds School in the 1920s up to Grade 7 or Grade 8. Julie explains that Asian girls were never offered the opportunity to pursue higher education while her mother’s brothers continued with their education attending Vancouver Technical School. Her mother continued to work on the farm until she was married cooking for workers and helping her mother. Outside of school, she may have helped with looking after nieces and nephews, played cards and mahjong. She says that her mother continued to play cards with her own children and was a skilled knitter into her 80s. 22:31 – 30: 53 Julie tells of what she knows about the Chinese workers on the farm and Fraser Mills and what they did on the weekends. She figures that many may have played card games to pass the time and at Fraser Mills gambling occurred. Fishing was a highlight for her father and she recalls him fishing sturgeon. Single workers may have gone into Vancouver on the weekends. Julie says that her parents had a hobby farm while living at Fraser Mills and that they grew enough garlic to sell in Chinatown. She thinks that before living at Fraser Mills, her mother must have went to Chinatown quite a bit, assisting with banking and enjoying a social life. Julie shares that her father, Puy Yuen Chan came to Canada from China at twelve years of age but working as a shingle packer, he never learned to speak English. She figures that her parents must have met at Fraser Mills while her mother was visiting her sister Maida. 30:54 – 37:33 Julie describes her mother as the cook, caregiver and the “one man show”. She says that her mother enjoyed cooking traditional Chinese recipes. Julie talks of her own cooking and gardening skills which she may have inherited from her parents including her large patch of garlic. 37:34- 40:23- Julie is asked as to whether her mother attended Chinese school and says that she had some Chinese schooling. She could read and write a little but didn’t attend a formal school as far as she knows. Julie shares some background information on her own husband Cecil, who grew up in East Vancouver. She shares that Cecil’s family went back to China from 1931 until 1939 when they returned to Queensborough. Cecil attended Chinese school in New Westminster. 40:24 – 42:19 Julie speaks briefly about what type of medical care her mother and her family had. She relates that all births took place at home and they accessed a Chinese herbalist in Chinatown. Hospitals were accessed in 1950s—1960s. The family did use Western doctors that were insured under the medical system. She recalls growing up and having to drink a particular herbal brew at least once a month to stay well. 42:20- 46:47 Julie describes how her parents stayed connected with their families in China. She says that her mother’s family didn’t stay in touch with relatives in China and that her uncles rejected anything to do with the past. On her father’s side they maintained a connection with cousins. She recalls that her father, Puy Yuen Chan supported some of his relatives back home in China and stayed in touch with some. Her mother, Laura travelled to China in 1991 and 1992 and connected with some relations on Julie’s father’s side. 46:48- 53:46 In this segment, Julie speaks of her mother’s character being very self-assured, independent and goal oriented. She feels that her mother valued being surrounded by her family and friends and felt very comfortable growing up in Burnaby and with the relationships that she had. She feels that her mother adapted to her roles being the last of four children on the farm and that she was very self-sufficient and determined.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Julie Lee (nee Chan) is the daughter of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) and Puy Yuen Chan. Her mother's family owned and operated a vegetable and piggery farm on Douglas Road near Still Creek in the early 1900s. Their farm was located in front of the Douglas Road interurban tram station. Her mother had two older sisters named Maida and Annie and two younger brothers Harry and Gordon. Her mother was born in 1912 and left the farm for Fraser Mills when she was married in 1942. Julie grew up with her parents and siblings on the Fraser Mills site during the 1940s and 1950s. 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
- Names
- Lee, Julie Cho Chan
- Chan, Puy Yuen
- Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"
- Wong, Suey Fong "Maida" Jung
- Jung, Suey Cheung "Harry"
- Jung, Suey Yook "Gordon"
- Jung, Gee Shee
- Jung, Chung Chong
- Jong, Suey Kin "Annie" Jung
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Douglas Road
- Accession Code
- BV020.6.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Related Material
- See also BV018.16.1
- Scan Resolution
- 1000
- Scan Date
- 01-Oct-2017
- Scale
- 96
- Notes
- Title based on contents of interview
- Photograph info: Suey Ying (Laura) with produce baskets [between 1940 and 1942]. BV017.24.27
Images
Audio Tracks
Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020, [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020
Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020, [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2020_0006_0002_001.mp3Interview with Kanwal Singh Neel
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19607
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1973-2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jul. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (50 min., 32 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 30 fps
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kanwal Singh Neel conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. The interview was conducted and recorded on the Zoom platform. 00:00 – 00:06:47 Kanwal shares some of the mentors that influenced him in his life, education and …
- 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 video recording (mp4) (50 min., 32 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 30 fps
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Rajdeep Interviewee: Kanwal Singh Neel Interview Date: July 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 50 min., 32 sec. Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kanwal Singh Neel conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. The interview was conducted and recorded on the Zoom platform. 00:00 – 00:06:47 Kanwal shares some of the mentors that influenced him in his life, education and career, how his three-year grandson has been an inspiration and how important it is to educate yourself in different ways. 00:06:48 - 00:19:02 Kanwal talks about the diversity in the schools that he’s encountered over the years as a student and as an educator and shares his experiences getting hired as an educator on public television and being known as "the math guy". 00:19:03 - 00:46:39 Kanwal talks about the “Friends of Simon” tutoring out-reach program and his involvement. 00:26:40 - 00:30:24 Kanwal shares his experiences officiating the Canada Summer Games, the Harry Jerome Track Classic, the Commonwealth Games and other world class sporting events. 00:30:25 - 00:38:58 Kanwal describes a typical day while working at Simon Fraser University as Associate Director of Professional Programs, as a sports official and his involvement with Friends of Simon. Kanwal speaks about the importance of finding a balance between staying connected, finding your purpose and carrying on the passions that you enjoy. Kanwal talks about some of his favourite places in Burnaby including Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Mountain, Deer Lake and Central Park. 00:38:59 - 00:43:31 Kanwal talks about the changes that he’s seen in the lower mainland over his life time including; diminishing agricultural land, the fishing industry, public transportation, housing and retail infrastructure and homelessness. 00:43:32 - 00:50:32 Kanwal talks about his involvement with the Punjabi Cultural Association, the introduction of Punjabi language courses in public schools and his involvement in a Bhangra event. Kanwal imparts a final message to youth of today emphasizing the importance of, building relationships, giving back to your community, learning through education and being respectful of your own journey and others.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Kanwal Singh Neel was born in Mombasa, Kenya in 1953 and immigrated with his family to Canada in 1969. For the first few weeks after immigrating the family stayed at the Sikh Temple on Second Avenue before moving into a house which they rented. Kanwal attended Kitsilano Secondary School and later transferred to Steveston High School when his family moved to Richmond. In 1972, Kanwal and friends formed a bhangra group "Punjab Cultural Association" and in 1974 they performed at the World Exposition in Spokane, Washington. The group performed at various venues including the Pacific National Exhibition and other cities in the Province. In 1973, Kanwal was an officiate during the Canada Summer Games at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Kanwal obtained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from University of British Columbia in computer science and mathematics and got his first teaching job in 1977. In 1978, he was an officiate of the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta. Over the next ten years he devoted himself to becoming an educator and during this time he became more involved with the B.C. Math Teachers Association. Kanwal and his wife Nancy married in 1982 and have two daughters. In the early 1990's, Kanwal joined Simon Fraser University as a faculty associate to work, train and mentor student teachers. Kanwal became President of the B.C. Math Teachers Association and travelled throughout the province to help solve issues being faced by students. In 1993, he co-hosted a TV show "Math Shop" on The Knowledge Network and he later co-authored a textbook series titled "Math Makes Sense". Kanwal continued to advance his knowledge in the field of mathematics obtaining a Doctorate from Simon Fraser University in 2008. Kanwal developed his doctoral work in Haida Gwaii, studying the mathematics that the Haida peoples used in day to day life, applying the applications and integrating the mathematics concepts with their cultural knowledge. Kanwal also worked with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation and the Stó:lō Nation in helping to develop resources for them. Kanwal has been recognized with various awards and honours including being awarded an honorary doctorate by Kwantlen Polytechnic University and in 2017 as an inductee in the Sports Wall of Fame in Richmond for his outstanding contribution to amateur sport as an International Athletics Official. Since retirement, Kanwal continues to be involved in a project at Simon Fraser University "Friends of Simon" where university students go out and mentor and tutor immigrant and refugee children from South Asia and Africa and other countries. Interviewer biography: Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Education
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Sports
- Events - Competitions
- Housing
- Performances
- Names
- Neel, Kanwal Singh
- Simon Fraser University
- Friends of Simon
- Canada Summer Games
- Swangard Stadium
- Punjabi Cultural Association
- Responsibility
- Rajdeep
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Central Park
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.11
- Date
- [1973-2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jul. 2023
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Images
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4532
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:11:13 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to Ken’s university education and jobs, his activities as a youth with friends and in school, his parents’ backgrounds, and the family’s religious practices. Ken relates how his friends came to him, knowing how busy he was on the farm, and how he spen…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:11:13 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Ken Yip Date of interview: May 9, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 5 Total length of all Tracks: 0:62:00
- Scope and Content
- Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to Ken’s university education and jobs, his activities as a youth with friends and in school, his parents’ backgrounds, and the family’s religious practices. Ken relates how his friends came to him, knowing how busy he was on the farm, and how he spent the spare time he had. He describes going as far as Washington State and Mission to watch car racing with friends when he was older. Ken speaks of his family as nominally Buddhist through his mother, who was from China. He recalls that, despite this, he and his brother were bused to Sunday school at a church near Joffre Ave. He talks of the activities and trips the church had for the children, whom, because of the distance, he didn’t see otherwise. He describes travelling with the school band, their fundraising, and their billeting arrangements.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Ken Yip recording by Tom Gooden on May 9, 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1950s and 60s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Names
- Yip, Ken
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.5
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 2, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 2, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0005_002.mp3Interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19603
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (93 min., 7 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (92 min., 57 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, founders of Vancouver Sath conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview is taking place at the Burnaby Village Museum's exhibit "Truths not Often Told: Being South Asian in…
- 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
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (93 min., 7 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (92 min., 57 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: May 29, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:33:07 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together into one track and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, founders of Vancouver Sath conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview is taking place at the Burnaby Village Museum's exhibit "Truths not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby". The interview focuses on the history of "Vancouver Sath" as well as literary works created by Hundal and Binning and the Punjabi literary magazine "Watno Dur" and "Watan". 00:00 - 13:30 Interview opens with brief introductions and information on Sadhu Binning, Sukhwant Hundal and Vancouver Sath provided by the interviewer, James Binks. Interviewees Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal describe how they met and what they were focused on prior to the formation of the organization Vancouver Sath. Binning briefly describes how he became involved as a writer in the literary world and recalls how he published his first poem in an Indian literary magazine in 1972. Hundal describes how he immigrated to Canada from Punjab in 1975, the various industries that he worked in as a new immigrant and his interest in literature with a focus on social issues. Hundel describes how he developed a relationship with Sadhu Binning after his short story was published in "Watno Dur" literary magazine which in turn lead to his involvement with the Punjabi Literary Association and becoming co-editor of "Watnu Dur". 13:31 – 27:44 Hundal provides more background on his life as a South Asian immigrant, working in sawmills and completing a diploma in Power and Process Engineering and how he first became interested in literature while living in India. Binning and Hundal both share their insights into the formation of Vancouver Sath and provide details on their involvement with the Punjabi literary publication “Watnu Dur”. Binning describes how the inspiration for the formation of the Vancouver Sath organization came from India and that Binning, Hundal and some other members of the Punjabi Literary Association decided to form their own group where they could have more informal discussions around social, political and literary issues. 27:45 – 43:31 Binning describes how the political issues that were happening in Punjab between 1978 and 1983 influenced discussions in the South Asian community whereas prior to 1978 there was more focus on local issues that new immigrants were facing. Binning conveys how their work with Vancouver Sath endeavored to focus more on local issues and Hundal conveys how they made the decision to begin producing theatrical works rather than just written works to reach a wider audience. Hundal and Binning share names of the people that were involved with Vancouver Sath and describe some of the early plays that they performed. Binning describes the foundations of the organization where they worked together as a collective making decisions in producing and performing the works with Binning and Hundal taking on the responsibility for the written work. They talk about their first paid experience being invited to perform a few of their plays at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. 43:32 – 55:17 Hundal and Binning describe how they continued to support themselves financially since they weren’t making money from Vancouver Sath. Binning and Hundal provide further details on how their collective worked with the process of writing the plays and presenting and discussing details with the Vancouver Sath community before performing to an audience. Hundal talks about the transition that the magazine “Watno Dur” took in 1986 which lead to renaming it “Watan”. Hundal and Binning discuss how in 1992 and 1993 they decided to try to get more young people involved and began publishing a magazine in English called “Ankur”. They describe the content and list some of the authors who contributed to the magazine. 55:18 – 1:20:12 Hundal and Binning provide background details on the author of “Maluka”, Sadhu Singh Dhami and describe the details that lead them to translating the book into Punjabi, touring with the author and adapting the novel into a play which Vancouver Sath performed. Binning and Hundal describe and discuss other plays that Vancouver Sath performed including some plays that were recorded and broadcast over local radio stations. 1:20:13 – 1:32:57 Binning and Hundal reflect on what lead Vancouver Sath to discontinue theatrical performances in the mid 1990’s. Binning and Hundal state how they are both still very involved in publishing literary works but no longer perform theatrical works. Binning and Hundal describe some of their literary works and projects that they’ve been involved in and also reflect on and describe the current theatre scene in the South Asian community. Hundal conveys that even though they no longer call themselves “Vancouver Sath” they continue to enjoy working as a collective discussing literary works and ideas.
- History
- Interviewees' biographies: Dr. Sadhu Binning was born on May 10, 1947 to mother Gurmej Kaur and father Jeet Singh Binning. Due to lack of proper records management in India at the time of his birth, it is believed that he was actually born sometime in December of 1947. He grew up alongside two brothers and one sister in a village located in Kapurthala, Punjab. Dr. Binning attended secondary school in the nearby city of Phagwara, Punjab although he did not complete his education here. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed reading both Punjabi and Hindi novels and learned how to read Urdu as well. Dr. Binning’s uncle, Dhana Singh immigrated to Canada in 1933 and returned to India in 1953. When Dhana Singh returned to Canada in 1957, he sponsored Dr. Binning’s father, Jeet Singh Binning to immigrate. Dhana Singh co-owned a few saw mills in British Columbia and also worked in the truck driving industry. Dr. Binning remembers that some people who had lived in Canada would visit their village and that they appeared to be strong and healthy and looked happy. He also noticed that they would eat meat, so whenever they would visit there would be meat available. In 1967, when he was nineteen and a half years old, Dr. Binning immigrated Canada to join his father. He recalls his father and uncle and a friend arriving at the airport to pick him up. During his first few days, Dr. Binning made the decision to remove his turban and beard upon receiving advice from his uncle. Dr. Binning first obtained work on a farm in Abbotsford, working alongside his mother. While working, Dr. Binning also attended English classes in Vancouver. Dr. Binning’s Uncle Dhana Singh worked in a Vancouver saw mill and tried to help find work for his nephew but was unsuccessful. Dr. Binning soon found work at a saw mill in Avola and worked there until the end of the summer until a friend helped find him work in a saw mill in North Vancouver. During his free time, he enjoyed camping with friends. In 1970, Dr. Binning left the saw mill after obtaining a job at the post office. The post office offered lower wages than working at the mill but Dr. Binning believed that he would become more educated working here. While working as a postman, Dr. Binning recalls facing a lot of discrimination and racism and was often referred to as a ‘Paki’ multiple times a day. In 1973, Dr. Binning married Jagish Sihota. Sadhu and Jagdish originated from nearby villages in India and met each other in Canada. Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for thirty years until her retirement. While working, she also looked after the household and their son and daughter. Jagdish also handwrote a magazine, “Watno Dur" (English translation: ‘away from homeland’) which was distributed in the community. In 1976, Dr. Binning became the editor of the magazine and the name was later changed to “Watan’ as they had accepted their new homeland of Canada. While working at the post office, Dr. Binning also attended night school starting in eighth grade. After receiving his high school diploma, he was accepted to Simon Fraser University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology and in 1986 he obtained a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University. While attending university, Dr. Binning was very active within the community and wanted to work to improve society. He first thought that he would return to India to contribute and improve rights in his homeland but upon seeing the prevalence of the movements in Canada, he realized that work needed to be done here too. In 1983, Dr. Binning became a founding member and contributor to a theatrical collective known as “Vancouver Sath”. The theatrical group produced plays that represented societal issues and were invited to perform at multiple conferences throughout British Columbia and Canada. The group focused and acknowledged the many issues in Punjab and in Canada. One of the plays that the group produced focused on the exploitation of Punjabi women who worked on farms in Canada. Dr. Binning continued to be involved as an integral member of Vancouver Sath until 1995. Over the years, Dr. Binning has strongly lobbied for Punjabi language education and between 1988 and 2008 he worked as Punjabi instructor at the University of British Columbia. He first worked as a teaching assistant at UBC under Dr. Harjot Oberoi and due to low wages, he simultaneously worked at the Post Office. In 2019, Dr. Binning received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UBC in recognition of his work. Since 1973, Dr. Binning has lived in Burnaby and has resided in the same home that he and his wife purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips. Suhkwant Hundal is a founding member in the group known as Vancouver Sath and has spent a lot of time in Burnaby rehearsing and writing plays. Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal co-wrote the Vancouver Sath's first play, "Picket-Line" and many others. This play was staged in November 1984. He's authored and edited pieces for the various newsletters and magazines including "Watno Dur" and "Watan". Through the 1980's and early 1990's Hundal has been active in South Asian advocacy in Burnaby and the Lower Mainland. In his retirement years, Hundal has been a lecturer on Punjabi language at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Asian Studies. Interviewer biography: James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Occupations - Writers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Unions
- Migration
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Performances - Dramatic Performances
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Names
- Vancouver Sath
- Binning, Dr. Sadhu
- Hundal, Sukhwant
- Dhami, Sadhu Singh
- Pritam, Amrita
- Rampuri, Gurcharan
- Tut, Mukhan
- Thobani, Sunera
- Hoss Mushroom Farm
- Deol, Jeevan
- Dulai, Phinder
- Dhillon, Sital
- Bhangoo, Bhavna
- Rai, Gurmail
- Punjabi Lekhak Manch
- Di Awaz, Samay
- Johal, Balinder
- Sara, Amanpal
- United Farm Workers Union
- Canadian Farmworkers Union
- Responsibility
- Binks, James
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.7
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on request
Audio Tracks
Interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, 1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, 1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0007_003.mp3Jesse Love farmhouse series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9782
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1893-1970] (date of originals), copied 1988-1998, predominant 1988-2000
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- approx. 84 cm of textual records + approx. 1,910 photographs + approx. 100 architectural drawings + 3 audio cassettes + 1 videocassette
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records involved in the purchase, moving, restoration, research, conservation and exhibiting of the Love family farmhouse by Burnaby Village Museum. Records have been arranged into the following subseries: 1) Love farmhouse conservation work files subseries 2) Love farmhouse re…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Jesse Love farmhouse series
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- approx. 84 cm of textual records + approx. 1,910 photographs + approx. 100 architectural drawings + 3 audio cassettes + 1 videocassette
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records involved in the purchase, moving, restoration, research, conservation and exhibiting of the Love family farmhouse by Burnaby Village Museum. Records have been arranged into the following subseries: 1) Love farmhouse conservation work files subseries 2) Love farmhouse restoration photographs subseries 3) Love farmhouse curatorial files subseries 4) Love farmouse research files subseries 5) Love family photographs 6) Love farmhouse Oral History subseries 7) Love farmhouse architectural drawings subseries
- History
- Jesse Love was born in Swindon, England in 1847 and left England to work on a dairy farm in the Toronto area. While working on the farm in Toronto, he met Martha Leonard who he married in 1879. Martha was born on February 3, 1858 in Bedfordshire, England and had come to Canada with her parents George and Ann Leonard. While living in Toronto, Jesse and Martha had two children, George born March 22, 1880 and Annie Elizabeth on August 24, 1881. About one year after Annie was born, the Love family moved to North Dakota to grow wheat. While living there, they had two more children, Henry who was born August 24, 1883 and Edith Minnie born October 9, 1885. The family decided to move further west after hearing about the fairer weather conditions from Martha’s father, George Leonard, who had settled in Vancouver in 1885. On May 23, 1887, Jesse, Martha and their four children arrived in Vancouver after travelling across Canada from Winnipeg on the first transcontinental train. The Loves made their home in Vancouver while Jesse helped clear land on Granville Street. Their fifth child, Thomas Robert was born on September 17, 1887 and soon after, the family moved to Lulu Island in Richmond where they lived growing vegetables and selling them to Vancouver hotels. While living and farming on Lulu island, the couple had two more girls, Martha (Dot or Dorothy) born on December 17, 1889 and Sarah Marie, born February 8, 1892. On October 6, 1893 an agreement was signed by Jesse Love to purchase 14.52 acres of land from Joseph C. Armstrong. The acreage covered the north east section of District Lot 25 within the newly incorporated District of the Municipality of Burnaby. It was here where the original Love house was built (between October 1893 and April 15, 1894) by Jesse Love with the help of local builder George Salt and father in law, George Leonard. The house consisted of an entrance hall, dining room, lean to kitchen, master bedroom and three bedrooms upstairs. A road was constructed and named Cumberland in 1905 and ran from District Lot 25 through to District Lot 11. The address for the Love home was 1390 Cumberland Road and in the early 1960’s the address was renumbered 7651 Cumberland Street. On the land surrounding the house, Jesse Love planted an orchard along with strawberries and raspberries which he sold at the Fraser Valley Market, T.S. Anandale’s Grocery Store in New Westminster and to hotels around Vancouver. Jesse Love served on the Burnaby School Board and also as a District Councillor in 1901 and from 1904-1907. While living in the house, Jesse and Martha had four more children, Phoebe Leonard, born April 15, 1894, Esther, born August 28, 1896, John Leonard, born June 7, 1899 and Hannah Victoria (also known as Girlie) who was born May 12, 1902. As the family grew to eleven children, additions along with some substantial remodelling in the craftsman style took place. In about 1898, a north wing addition was added to include a parlour with two windows, the construction of two more bedrooms and the relocation of the stair case to the North West wall. In 1903 the front door moved to the north elevation, a front porch was extended along the east wall and a summer lean to kitchen was added to the west elevation. Between 1905 and 1910, a tin embossed ceiling was installed along with an addition of the main kitchen which included a pantry, bathtub and a back porch. In about 1912, five craftsman style windows replaced the original pioneer tent style, the front verandah was enlarged to wrap around the south and east elevations, a back door was installed in the kitchen to access the verandah and wood shingle siding and brackets were added to the exterior. In 1918, at the age of 31 years, Robert Love fell ill due to an influenza epidemic and died on November 23, 1918. Following their son’s death, Martha Love became weak and on August 24, 1920, she passed away. By this time, Jesse had sold off a large percentage of his land and his youngest daughter, Girlie decided to stay on to live and care for him. Since the house was too large for just the two of them, Jesse invited any other children to return and share the residence. For a while his son, George and his wife joined them until 1925, followed by his daughter Sarah Parker (nee Love), her husband William and their three children, Albert, Bill and Elsie. The house remained pretty unchanged until 1928 after Jesse Love died of pneumonia (March 10, 1928) and the house was purchased by Sarah and her husband William Parker who continued to live there with their children. The master bedroom wall on the main floor opened up to the dining room, the kitchen pantry and bathtub converted to an alcove with a marble counter and enlarged window and sink while the bathroom was moved to the upstairs and the furnace and coolers were installed in the crawl space under the kitchen. A hot water tank was installed in the house in 1966. Sarah continued to live in the house until a little while after her husband William died in 1961. She sold the house to her daughter Elsie and husband John Hughes in 1966, who lived in the house along with their son Brent, until August 23, 1971. Mahbir Molchan Papan and his wife Geraldine Papan bought the house August 23, 1971 and by 1982, the house was sold to Nirmal Singh Singha and Narinder Singha. The Papans continued to rent the house from Nirmal Singh Singha and Narinder Singha until the late 1980s. In 1988, the house was scheduled for demolition with the remaining property to be subdivided. Fortunately, a neighbour, Mr. Harvey Elder recognized the farmhouse's historical significance and contacted the Burnaby Historical Society. Following this event, the owners agreed to donate the building to the Burnaby Village Museum (under the Century Park Museum Association) who financed the move of the house from Cumberland Street to the museum site. Heritage planner and architect, Robert Lemon provided guidance for the project. Prior to the move, the two porches were removed and demolished while the kitchen and roof were both separated from the main house. The kitchen and roof of the house were transported to Burnaby Village Museum on May 20, 1988 by Nickel Bros. House Moving company, while the main frame of the house completed its transportation to the museum near the end of May 1988 (due to low overhead wires). The house was moved down Cumberland Street to 10th Avenue, up Canada Way to Sperling and set on temporary footings near Hart House. Robert Lemon oversaw structural improvements such as, upgrading floor joists and creating new foundations to replace the original timber foundation of the farmhouse. The restoration went through several phases of work between 1988 until it opened in November 1998. Restoration began on both the interior and exterior features to be interpreted from the period of 1925. On November 23, 1992, the building was designated a heritage building under Heritage Designation Bylaw 1992, Bylaw Number 9807. In 1993, the architecture firm of Brian G. Hart Associates was appointed for the design and construction supervision of the restoration project. Plans were created for a foundation on the museum site in 1989 and the farmhouse was eventually settled on a permanent foundation behind the Burnaby Village Museum administration building in 1993 along with the reattachment of the roof. The kitchen section was reattached to the main house in 1994 along with skirting around the foundation and the reshingling of the exterior. In 1996, the tin ceiling was removed to make way for the installation of the internal electrical system along with sprinklers, ceiling heating and fire break gyprock. The dining room ceiling joists were consolidated, a pantry and bathroom were added to the kitchen, the downstairs bedroom wall was opened and filled, the dining and kitchen doorways were widened. In 1997, a wheelchair ramp was installed along with a concrete sidewalk, stair rails, cement pads at the base of the stairs and a gravel sink for any excess water. Interior work included painting of the kitchen, restoration and furnishing of the kitchen pantry, insulation of the house floor to protect from rodents along with the reconstruction of the kitchen and house chimneys. The registrar worked together with the curator and conservator and was tasked with a large research project on the house including the family contacts and family history, property information, plans, photographs, artifacts, furnishings, stories etc. all organized in files for easy retrieval. A great deal of research and conservation was undertaken in order to make the interior of the house authentic to the time period as possible. One of the biggest projects was selecting and obtaining wall coverings since much of the original wallpaper was incomplete and poor condition. The conservator and registrar were lucky enough to locate a few samples of the original paper and engage the Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpaper Company of Benica, California to reproduce replica designs for free. The City of Burnaby now has its own series “Burnaby Village Papers” produced by this company which are titled “Burnaby Wall”; “Burnaby Border” and “Burnaby Ceiling”. All three of these wallpaper designs have been used in the Love farm house and are also commercially available through the Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpaper Company. In 1997, restoration of the kitchen was completed and opened to the public. After the completion of the dining room, main floor bedroom and parlour, the Love farmhouse exhibit opened on November 29, 1998 with an open invitation to the public and extended members of the Love family. Officials including the Mayor, Doug Drummond and Love family members were all present to cut the ribbon for the special event.
- Accession Code
- BV018.41; BV020.5
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Date
- [1893-1970] (date of originals), copied 1988-1998, predominant 1988-2000
- Arrangement
- The majority of the records within series and subseries were arranged by a staff members of Burnaby Village Museum who worked on the historical research and restoration of the house. Other photographs documenting the move and further restoration work were added later and included in the arrangment by format and subject.
- Notes
- Title based on content of series
- Jesse Love farmhouse is described as an Artifact under BV988.33.1
- Some records within this collection have restricted access and are subject to FIPPA
- Accessions BV018.41 and BV020.5 form this fonds
Pacific Pin Club show
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96922
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2001]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Dan Pederson viewing some of his pin collection with a magnifying glass, at the Pacific Pin Club's show and sale at the Capitol Hill Community Hall.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2001]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-2477
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Dan Pederson viewing some of his pin collection with a magnifying glass, at the Pacific Pin Club's show and sale at the Capitol Hill Community Hall.
- Subjects
- Adornment - Lapel Pins
- Exhibitions
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a May 2001 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Dan Pederson takes a closer look at some of the 3,000 pins in his collection, at the Pacific Pin Club's first public show and sale at the Capitol Hill Community Centre. Pederson says he started collecting pins in 1984, at the Los Angeles Olympics and he's travelled to various competitions like the Commonwealth, Pan Am and Canada Games to amass his collection. "I like to trade with the actual athletes," he says. "Every pin has a story." The Pin Club has about 44 members from Vancouver Island to Alberta. It started when collectors, who started accumulating pins during Expo 86, started getting together to compare and trade their finds. The club meets monthly."
- Geographic Access
- Howard Avenue
- Street Address
- 361 Howard Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
The road less travelled : TransLink's improbable journey from 1999 to 2008
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1380
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Wales, Trevor
- Publication Date
- c2008
- Call Number
- 388.409711 WAL
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 9780981044101
- 0981044107
- Call Number
- 388.409711 WAL
- Author
- Wales, Trevor
- Contributor
- Prittie, Heather
- Pabillano, Jhenifer
- Webb, Patricia G. (Patricia Grace), 1959-
- Harcourt, Michael, 1943-
- Place of Publication
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Publisher
- Translink
- Publication Date
- c2008
- Physical Description
- 87 p. : col. ill., col. maps ; 28 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Local transit
- Transportation
- Subjects
- Transportation
Winter Olympics arcade game
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96119
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2003]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of an employee of the "Our Time to Shine" 2010 Community Tour demonstrating a snowboarding arcade game at Metrotown, to promote Vancouver's bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2003]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 535-1822
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of an employee of the "Our Time to Shine" 2010 Community Tour demonstrating a snowboarding arcade game at Metrotown, to promote Vancouver's bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Names
- Metrotown
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a January 2003 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata: "Jordan Humphries, of the "Our Time to Shine" 2010 Community Tour, tries out the snowboarding arcade game, one of the displays at Burnaby's Metrotown Centre to promote Vancouver's bid for the Winter Olympics. The Tour is traveling throughout the province until April."
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 4700 Kingsway
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Annual Summer Bus Trip
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98449
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- June 24, 2000
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 14 photographs : inkjet prints on paper ; 9.5 cm x 12.5 cm and 3 photographs : col. ; 10 cm x 15 cm
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of the Burnaby Historical Society annual summer bus trip, held on Saturday, June 24, 2000. The trip included stops at Fort Langley, Travellers Hotel, 5 Corners, and Clayburn. Interspersed between the photographs are slips of paper containing photograph captions and decor…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- June 24, 2000
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Series
- Administration series
- Physical Description
- 14 photographs : inkjet prints on paper ; 9.5 cm x 12.5 cm and 3 photographs : col. ; 10 cm x 15 cm
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 633-004
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2020-06
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of the Burnaby Historical Society annual summer bus trip, held on Saturday, June 24, 2000. The trip included stops at Fort Langley, Travellers Hotel, 5 Corners, and Clayburn. Interspersed between the photographs are slips of paper containing photograph captions and decorated with clipart images.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Photographs and captions were originally contained in a photograph album and removed by Archives staff for preservation purposes. Original order of photographs within the album is maintained.
- Most photographs in file have note on verso identifying individuals depicted
Images
Interview with Shirley Cohn
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19597
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Shirley Cohn Location of Interviews: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Dates: April 14, 2023 and September 6, 2023 Total Number of Tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 67 min., 33 sec. Digital master recording (wav) recording of second interview (50 min., 36 sec.) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on September 6, 2023: 0:00 – 16:09 Shirley Cohn shares background information about her parents who immigrated to Detroit from Hungary in the 1930’s. Shirley recalls what it was like for her parents being Jewish during World War II and how many of their relations were killed in the Holocaust. Shirley talks about her Jewish Hungarian heritage, what it was like growing up in Detroit, the Jewish community in Detroit and the Jewish holidays and traditions that her family celebrated. Shirley recalls her high school and University education and experiences, starting her career in social work and how she met her future husband, Theodore “Ted” Cohn. 16:10 – 18:27 Shirley shares the story about her father in law, Dr. Daniel E. Cohn who was Harry Houdini’s doctor at the time of his death in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926. Shirley explains that she donated some of Dr. Daniel E. Cohn’s original documents pertaining to this event to the New York Public Library. 18:28 – 26:04 Shirley describes her experiences living and working in London Ontario while her husband was a professor at University of Western Ontario and Shirley worked as a social worker in family services. Shirley recalls experiences of anti-Semitism while living in London. Shirley talks about moving to Burnaby in 1977 after her husband took a job as a professor at Simon Fraser University. Shirley describes her experiences living in Burnaby, raising a family and working as a social worker at Burnaby General Hospital. 26:05 – 26:18 Shirley talks about her interests outside of work, her family’s involvement in the Burquest Jewish Community Association and being a member of Temple Shalom. Shirley conveys information about other Jewish synagogues in Greater Vancouver, describes Reform Judaism at Temple Shalom and some Jewish cultural practices that her family has been involved with. 26:19 – 33:12 Shirley describes her family’s experiences living in the Garden Village nieghbourhood in Burnaby, her involvement sharing Jewish cultural traditions at her children’s school and recalls her children’s experiences attending school in Burnaby. 33:13 – 40:46 Shirley conveys the career paths that her children took and talks about what she likes about living in Burnaby including; the walking and hiking trails, the cultural and art performances and her involvement in local politics. Shirley talks about her and her husband’s involvement in the SFU retirees association and the SFURA walking and hiking group. Shirley reflects on her husband’s academic career, experiences teaching at SFU and the role of the Hillel Jewish Students Association at the Simon Fraser University. Shirley talks about the difficulties of discussing political views about the State of Israel. Shirley describes some traditional Jewish foods, the roles that they play and a local bakery that carries Jewish bake goods. 40:47 – 50:36 Shirley describes her current daily life in Burnaby; working one day a week as a social worker, gardening, her involvement at Temple Shalom and the Jewish Community Centre and how she travels in Burnaby. Shirley recalls the changes that she’s encountered in Burnaby and in her career over the years, shares a story about her husband losing his thesis and describes what Burnaby was like while she was raising her family. Shirley shares what she thinks about the areas of development in Burnaby and conveys the importance of having parks and affordable housing. In closing, Shirley reflects on what is like to be a Jewish person living in Burnaby.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Shirley Tanner was born in Detroit in 1947. Her parents were both Jewish. Her mother fled Hungary as a refugee in 1939, while her father emigrated from there in 1934. Shirley attended public schools in Detroit, and then studied social work at the University of Michigan. After marriage, Shirley and Ted Cohn moved to Ontario where Ted had a faculty appointment at the University of Western Ontario in political science. Six years later they moved to Burnaby for Ted’s teaching position in political science at Simon Fraser University. While living in Burnaby, Shirley took care of a growing family while also practicing social work, mainly at Burnaby Hospital. The family enjoyed Burnaby’s libraries and parks. Shirley helped out at her children’s schools, became a Block Watch captain, and the family joined Burquest Jewish Community Association. The Cohns later became members of Temple Sholom Synagogue in Vancouver, while remaining in Burnaby. Beginning in 2009, Ted started an informal hiking group for retired Simon Fraser University staff. This group has been open to others, so now has a wide variety of members. Shirley has also helped lead hikes in the region. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Recreational Activities - Hiking
- Organizations
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Migration
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Religions - Judaism
- Social Issues - Racism
- Social Issues
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Names
- Cohn, Dr. Daniel E.
- Cohn, Shirley
- Cohn, Theodore H. "Ted"
- Burquest
- Hillel Jewish Students Association
- Simon Fraser University
- SFURA walking and hiking group
- Simon Fraser University Retirees Association "SFURA"
- Temple Shalom
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
- Summary, recording and transcript of second interview available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_003.mp3