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![Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023 thumbnail](/media/Hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_001.JPG?width=280)
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
![Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023 thumbnail](/media/Hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_001.JPG)
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.mp3Burnaby Image Bank subseries
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64462
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910] (date of original) -1993
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- Photographs and other material
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's Image Bank project records. Records include: Image Bank database and backups in a variety of formats; 813 photographs collected by Simon Fraser University Archives staff; eleven screened negatives from the Burnaby Image Bank that were us…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910] (date of original) -1993
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- Photographs and other material
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Access Restriction
- Open Access
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- BHS2004-13
- BHS2001-15
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's Image Bank project records. Records include: Image Bank database and backups in a variety of formats; 813 photographs collected by Simon Fraser University Archives staff; eleven screened negatives from the Burnaby Image Bank that were used for the publication "Burnaby: A Cultural Inventory and Resource Guide"; and one VHS tape and DVD access copy of "Burnaby's Photographic Family Album / Burnaby Image Bank Collection / Volume 1 / 1992" which was created by the Committee for public viewing and purchase. The collection of photographs for the Image Bank project were gathered from various donors to commemorate the Centennial of the City of Burnaby. All photographs were collected from Burnaby families' personal albums by Simon Fraser University Archives staff during 1991 with a focus on the history of the people and the landscape of Burnaby. Photographs were collected from every decade for every neighbourhood in effort to describe the City's evolving ethnic, cultural and physical landscape. In March 1992, 20 of these images were selected by a jury for their aesthetic quality and displayed at the Bennett Library Gallery at Simon Fraser University for the "Images of Burnaby" exhibition. This exhibit travelled to various locations between 1992-1993 within Burnaby and Douglas College in New Westminster. The entire 800+ collection was made available for public purchase and viewing on video cassette. As well, each Burnaby school and each branch of the Burnaby Public Library received their own VHS copy for information and research purposes. The "Image Bank" video collection was buried alongside the video "Images and Voices of Burnaby" in the City of Burnaby's time capsule, mounted at City Hall in 1992.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Moving Images
- Creator
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee
- Notes
- Title based on contents of subseries
- PC 370, MSS131, MSS088, MI577
Burnaby Mountain Oral History project series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription89215
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2015-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 18 interviews (wav) : digital sound files
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project records which were created under the direction of the Community Heritage Commission. The series consists of interviews with 23 people interviewed during 18 sessions which were conducted between September 2015 and January 2016. The purpose of …
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2015-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 interviews (wav) : digital sound files
- Description Level
- Series
- Accession Number
- 2016-04
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project records which were created under the direction of the Community Heritage Commission. The series consists of interviews with 23 people interviewed during 18 sessions which were conducted between September 2015 and January 2016. The purpose of the project was to explore the history of the Burnaby Mountain area which includes the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and Centennial Pavilion area, Simon Fraser University, the Trans Mountain tank farm, neighbourhoods such as Lochdale, Forest Hills, and Forest Grove, and watersheds such as the Stoney Creek watershed. A diverse group was interviewed who covered a wide range of topics such as recreation and other uses made of the mountain, the history of setting aside and managing parkland on the mountain, the mountain as home, and values assigned to the natural features of the mountain. The people interviewed included past and present employees of Burnaby's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department; retired Burnaby city planning staff; retired Simon Fraser University professors; members of the Burnaby Mountain Biking Association, Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, and the Stoney Creek Environment Committee; people who lived or live in adjacent neighbourhoods and have memories of the mountain from the 1930s onwards; past and present city council members and citizen representatives on the Parks Commission. The interviews range from 1 to 2 1/2 hours in length and cover a time period primarily between 1930 and 2015.
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of series
Burnaby Image Bank records
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88275
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1992
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 videocassettes : Fuji KCA-60 U-Matic H521E SP, 8 data casettes : TEAC CT-600N, and 1 computer disk : 9 cm x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of audio/visual versions of the Burnaby Image Bank photographs and records compiled in a variety of formats and include the Burnaby Image Bank database, scanned image files and backups. These photographs were collected by the City of Burnaby and the Simon Fraser University Archives d…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1992
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 videocassettes : Fuji KCA-60 U-Matic H521E SP, 8 data casettes : TEAC CT-600N, and 1 computer disk : 9 cm x 9 cm
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 370-814
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- File consists of audio/visual versions of the Burnaby Image Bank photographs and records compiled in a variety of formats and include the Burnaby Image Bank database, scanned image files and backups. These photographs were collected by the City of Burnaby and the Simon Fraser University Archives during their preparations for Burnaby's Centennial celebrations in 1992. The collection was transferred to Video Home System format (VHS) for public purchase and viewing.
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
- Label on computer disk reads: "Burnaby Image Bank data base (use FileMaker Pro for Windows)"
- 370-814-1 label reads: "Bby IMage Bank SFU Archivces Video Imaging Project Back Up Tape 1"
- Six of eight cassettes are all labelled "Bby Image Bank SFU Archives". Individual cassettes further labelled: "Video / Adobe Photograph PICT Images Frame 011-812 Tape 1 of 1 [format information]", "Video 1 / Video F/X! Compressed Rendered Images Pgm 1 to 81: Frames 011-812 Tape 1 of 3 [format information]", "Video 2 / Video F/X! Compressed Rendered Images Pgm 01 to 81: Frames 001-812 Tape 2 of 2", "Video 3 / Video F/X! Compressed Rendered Images Pgm 01 to 81: Frames 001-812 Tape 2 of 3", "Backup / ImpressIt JPEG Compressed Scanned Images Frames 001-812", and "Backup / ImpressIt JPEG Compressed Scanned Images Frames 001-812". Two remaining data cassettes are unlabelled and presumed blank.
Centennial Oral History project series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88274
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1990-1992
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records and 10 audio cassettes
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records from the Simon Fraser University (SFU)/Burnaby Centennial Committee Oral History project including transcripts and sound recordings of eleven interviews.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1990-1992
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records and 10 audio cassettes
- Description Level
- Series
- Access Restriction
- Open Access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2014-28
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records from the Simon Fraser University (SFU)/Burnaby Centennial Committee Oral History project including transcripts and sound recordings of eleven interviews.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of series
- 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.
- MSS187
- Centennial Oral History project series
Elders Digital Storytelling project series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10595
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection
- 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…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Film and Video collection
- 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
Oral history subseries
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64783
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1969-1989
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- 4 boxes of audio/visual materials
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of oral history tapes created from interviews with early Burnaby residents. Interviews appear to have been conducted by both Burnaby Village Museum staff and Burnaby Historical Society members. Subseries also includes oral history tapes conducted by history students while atte…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1969-1989
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Physical Description
- 4 boxes of audio/visual materials
- Material Details
- Audio cassette tapes and 30 magnetic tape reels
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of oral history tapes created from interviews with early Burnaby residents. Interviews appear to have been conducted by both Burnaby Village Museum staff and Burnaby Historical Society members. Subseries also includes oral history tapes conducted by history students while attending Simon Fraser University. A number of the SFU tapes are titled either "Burnaby in the Thirties" or "Local History Tapes."
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- MSS137, 100-13-01:100-13-25
- Paper finding aids accompany this series
- Interviews were digitized in 2010 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 and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.