"English language" found 7 records

Scope and Content: Series consists of a selection of seventeen short films that were produced in 2016 by seventeen participants as part of the Elders Digital Storytelling project also known as "Sharing Our Stories". The films within the fonds are titled: "Vivian's Tapestry"; "Janet's Story"; "Lucky Number: A Tribute…

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection

Series: Elders Digital Storytelling project series

Description Level: Series

Physical Description: 17 video recordings (mp4) (approx. 1 hr., 45 min. ) : digital, 25 fps, col., sd., stereo

Scope and Content: Series consists of a selection of seventeen short films that were produced in 2016 by seventeen participants as part of the Elders Digital Storytelling project also known as "Sharing Our Stories". The films within the fonds are titled: "Vivian's Tapestry"; "Janet's Story"; "Lucky Number: A Tribute to my Sisters"; "My Story"; "It Took a While to Get There"; "A Tribute to Grandma Lamb"; "My Father's Garden"; "Laying Down My Paddle"; "Farmer Boy"; “Hickory Dickory Dock-What is the time on the clock?”; "Dance Me Home"; "Community Hero: Recalling a Strathcona Story"; "Our Journey"; "The Store"; "Alfred's Fountain Pen"; "My Three Gifts" and "The Bet”.

History: The Elders Digital Storytelling project was called "Sharing Our Stories" and was a project completed by SFU Professor David Kaufman and Postdoctoral Scholar Ann Nguyen. The overall goal of the project was to use digital storytelling to encourage communication, socialization and development of English language, media and technology skills for seniors and immigrants. The project asked Burnaby seniors to write a short film about their lives and then to record using video software. Sharing Our Stories became part of a federally funded Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant in 2014 along with AGE-WELL NCE grants and was hosted by the City of Burnaby (BVM) and the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. BVM was given permission to have a copy of some of the films for their collection.

Accession Code: BV016.37

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Date: 2016

Media Type: Moving Images

Arrangement: Item level descriptions are available BV016.37.1 to BV016.37.17

Notes: Title based on contents of series

Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19150

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1950-2022

Collection/Fonds: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 3 sound recordings (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) + 65 photographs + 26 photographs (jpg) + 1 portfolio (15 col. photographs + 12 col. laser prints) + 1 col. laser print + 6 business cards + 1 identification card + 1 booklet

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and his wife, Donna Polos; photographs of Jimmy Chow and his family soon after they immigrated to Canada in the 1950s as well as a sampling of photographs and records documenting Jimmy Chow's career in the film industry. Fonds is arranged…

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 3 sound recordings (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) + 65 photographs + 26 photographs (jpg) + 1 portfolio (15 col. photographs + 12 col. laser prints) + 1 col. laser print + 6 business cards + 1 identification card + 1 booklet

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and his wife, Donna Polos; photographs of Jimmy Chow and his family soon after they immigrated to Canada in the 1950s as well as a sampling of photographs and records documenting Jimmy Chow's career in the film industry. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos interviews series 2) Jimmy Chow family photographs series 3) Property master photographs series 4) Property master records series

History: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow was born in Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China in 1948. In 1950, Jimmy Chow and his mother, Gim Gee Chow (1913-1991) fled China to escape the Communist Revolution and to be reunited with his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow (1906-1990) who’d immigrated to Canada many years earlier. Jimmy’s elder sister Shao-Lin Chow stayed behind in China. Jimmy’s father, Robin Chung Dip Chow immigrated to Canada in 1921 at 14 years of age and was forced to pay the Chinese head tax of $500. In 1950, Jimmy and his mother first fled to Hong Kong before immigrating to Canada and arriving in Vancouver. Jimmy Chow’s birth name is Hipman Chow but when he arrived in Canada, his father indicated that he needed an English name and he was given the name “Jimmy” but retained his birth name “Hipman Chow”. Over the years, Jimmy has also used the name “James H. Chow” and is often credited by this name in the film industry. For the first four years after immigrating, Jimmy and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec where his father had work in hotels and restaurants. While living in Asquith, Saskatchewan Jimmy attended school and began to learn English. In 1954, Jimmy and his parents returned to Vancouver, first living in the area of Strathcona before settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant where they purchased a house located on 15th Avenue east of Main Street. While living in Mount Pleasant, Jimmy attended both elementary and high school. While attending high school, Jimmy began working at the local grocery store where he worked for many years living at home and saving his money. In 1970 while attending Vancouver City College, Jimmy met his future wife Donna Polos. Two years later, they moved in together, married in 1981 and started a family. Jimmy and Donna first lived in North Burnaby before purchasing a house on Victory Street in Burnaby where they raised their three children. Growing up in a traditional Chinese Canadian family, Jimmy was always one who went against the grain. Although his father wanted him to get a business degree, Jimmy had aspirations for a different career path. Through the referral of a friend, he entered the film industry in 1973 working for CBC Vancouver. While working at the CBC, Jimmy gained valuable experience working on the set of the television series The Beachcombers, which launched his career in the film industry. Over a 45 year career, Jimmy worked on over 50 blockbuster movies, historical period films, science fiction films and fantasy films, where he honed in on his expertise as a set decorator, art director and property master. He built an international reputation through working with production companies, prop makers and antique sellers across the globe. As a property master in the film industry, Jimmy Chow has been responsible for designing, managing, and sourcing props for films such as: The BFG, Warcraft: The Beginning, X-Men 2, Fantastic Four, Watchman, Tron: Legacy, Little Women, Seven Years in Tibet, Shanghai Noon, The Shipping News, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Changeling, Man of Steel (Superman), Snow Falling on Cedars, Legends of the Fall, And the Sea Will Tell, Once a Thief and many more. With Jimmy's many years of professional experience in the film industry, he has been a union member of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians...) from July 1979, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science from 2018 and has worked as a guest lecturer in film production at Capilano University and Langara University. He was also a key contributor to the Burnaby Village Museum’s 2014 temporary exhibition Burnaby Makes Movies. Donna Polos was born in Vancouver in 1949 to parents Mayme "May" Helen Tillikana Polos (1931-1977) and Donald James Polos (1926-2017). Donna’s maternal grandparents, Elvi Tienhara and Toiva Tillikana immigrated to Canada from Helsinki, Finland. Donna’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Chimiki Polos emigrated from Ukraine to Argentina and then to Winnipeg. Donna’s paternal grandfather, James "Jimmy" Kostopolus emigrated as an orphan from Sparta Greece at the age of 12 years. In 1908, he first immigrated to the United States where he was denied entry so immigrated to Canada, entering through Halifax at Pier 17. When immigrating, James changed his last name to "Polos". Jimmy Polos arrived in Halifax with only five dollars in his pocket. He lived in Halifax for many years before making his way to Vancouver where he established three restaurants and raised his family. James was the proprietor of three restaurants in Burnaby including; the Home Apple Pie Café (1941-1944) located on East Hastings near Princess Avenue; Jimmy’s Café (1945-1955) located on East Hastings near Hawks Avenue and another restaurant located near 10th Avenue and Alma Street. Donna grew up with her family in Vancouver, first living in the downtown eastside before moving to a home near Joyce Station. Donna attended elementary school and high school while growing up in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station. Donna moved out of her family home at 21 years of age and lived with roommates before moving in with Jimmy Chow in 1972. Donna attended Vancouver City College and the University of British Columbia where she obtained her teaching degree in 1974. Donna first taught at Gilmore Elementary School before being hired to teach at Clinton Elementary School where she taught for nine years. While raising their three children, Donna worked part time teaching in schools in Burnaby. In 1991, after a near death experience, Donna became interested in fine art and took drawing and watercolour painting classes. This experience led her to experimenting with different painting techniques on paper and fabric. In 2008, Donna retired from teaching but continued her art career often working as an Artist in Residence at various schools and exhibiting her work. While living in Burnaby Donna has been politically active with a particular passion for heritage, housing and preserving the natural environment. Donna was instrumental in advocating and petitioning for the establishment of a tree bylaw in Burnaby which was eventually adopted by the City.

Creator: Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"; Polos, Donna

Accession Code: BV022.21; BV023.11

Date: 1950-2022

Media Type: Sound Recording; Photograph; Textual Record; Graphic Material

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds; Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.

Lucky Number: A Tribute to my Sisters

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9672

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 2016

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 video recording (mp4) (9 min., 8 sec.) : digital, 25 fps, col., sd., stereo

Scope and Content: This film by Jadzia Prenosil follows the life of three sisters. They were born, educated and spent the first two decades of their lives in Communist (Czecho) - Slovakia. In August of 1968 the Warsaw Pact forces/Russian Army invaded the country in order to stop the spread of democracy lead by Presid…

1 image 1 video

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection

Series: Elders Digital Storytelling project series

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 video recording (mp4) (9 min., 8 sec.) : digital, 25 fps, col., sd., stereo

Scope and Content: This film by Jadzia Prenosil follows the life of three sisters. They were born, educated and spent the first two decades of their lives in Communist (Czecho) - Slovakia. In August of 1968 the Warsaw Pact forces/Russian Army invaded the country in order to stop the spread of democracy lead by President Dubcek. In fear of repercussions the family decided to leave their homeland. While they pondered over their fate in nearby Vienna, Austria they received an invitation from their aunt who lived in Vancouver. They were granted the status of refugee and were sponsored by the Canadian government. They arrived to Vancouver in October 1968. The film depicts their life in both countries ( Slovakia/Canada ) and tells a story of their strong relationship that spans for over half a century. It is this bond that helped them to overcome the many challenges and traumas they had to face throughout their lives.

History: Jadzia (pron. Ya-dja) Prenosil was born in Trnava, Czecho- Slovakia in 1951. She emigrated to Canada in 1968. After she acquired basic English skills at a night school she entered Grade 11 in Lord Byng High School in Vancouver. She completed her Bachelor degree in French and Spanish at UBC. In order to improve these two languages she spent some time in France to learn French and later travelled across Central and South America. This experience widened her view of the world. She remains an avid explorer, traveller to this day. After travelling and working at different jobs she obtained a teaching degree from SFU. In 1988 she began teaching French and ESL in Killarney Secondary School. For the next thirty years she had worked with refugees from all over the world and developed close friendships with many of them. Her own experience of being once an immigrant herself and learning English as a teenager allowed her to reach out to many students and helped them integrate into Canadian society. In 1991 she moved to an old (1931) character home in North Burnaby where she and her husband live happily to the present day.