46 records – page 1 of 3.

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
Clothing
Crafts
Employment
Migration
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Labourers
Occupations - Millworkers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Names
Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
Manhas, Ghania Singh
Singh, Mayo
Manhas, Kashmir Singh
Manhas, Sher Singh
Manhas, Budhan Kaur
Manhas, Lashman Singh
Accession Code
BV022.29.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3
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Glairly Isabel McKay

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription396
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[189-]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7.62 x 15.24 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a baby in a lace trimmed dress taken in a photographic studio. She is sitting on a wicker couch with cushions with embroidering of hollies. The inscription identifies the baby as Glairly Isabel McKay when she was 4.5 months old.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7.62 x 15.24 cm
Material Details
embossed on the card mount, recto, l.r. "F.K. SHAVER/ PALACE PHOTO-CAR"
inscribed in black ink, verso, t. "Iso [sp?]/ Glairly Isabel McKay/ 4.1/2 months old when this was/ taken"
Photograph is printed on an oval shaped paper and mounted on a card supplied by the photo studio. There is a decorative embossing around the photograph as well as a crest on l.l. corner
Scope and Content
Photograph of a baby in a lace trimmed dress taken in a photographic studio. She is sitting on a wicker couch with cushions with embroidering of hollies. The inscription identifies the baby as Glairly Isabel McKay when she was 4.5 months old.
Names
McKay, Glairly Isabel
Accession Code
HV983.42.136
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[189-]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-11-28
Photographer
Shaver, F.K.
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Portrait of Jackie and Dorothy Young

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4407
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[191-]
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 14 x 10 cm mounted on mattboard 22.5 x 15.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph studio portrait of Jackie and Dorothy Young. Jackie is standing beside Dorothy wearing a light colour jacket and short pants. Jackie has black socks and shoes. Dorothy is sitting down on a small chair and is wearing a white dress and has two white ribbons on her braids. Studio portrait …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Series
Jeffers family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 14 x 10 cm mounted on mattboard 22.5 x 15.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph studio portrait of Jackie and Dorothy Young. Jackie is standing beside Dorothy wearing a light colour jacket and short pants. Jackie has black socks and shoes. Dorothy is sitting down on a small chair and is wearing a white dress and has two white ribbons on her braids. Studio portrait was taken in Nova Scotia.
Accession Code
BV007.20.30
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[191-]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
300
Scan Date
13/05/2018
Photographer
Pridham, Carl W.
Notes
Title based on content of photograph
The picture is mounted on a matted frame.
Photographer's stamp on bottom reads: "Carl W. Pridham. Amherst N.S."
Note in black ink on verso of matte reads: "Jackie Young 6 year 4 months / Dorothy Young 2 year 8 months "
Images
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Baby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription384
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[189-]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.35 x 10.16 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a baby wearing a lace trimmed dress. The baby is sitting on a sofa with cushions at her back. A person's hand is visible, holding up the baby. The inscription on the cardmount of the photograph identifies the baby as Berla or Bertha E. Beallie (sp?) at age 9 months. She was 23.5 lbs.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.35 x 10.16 cm
Material Details
printed on the card mount, recto, l.l. "HART'S,", l.r. "WATERTOWN, N. Y."
inscribed in pencil on the card mount, verso, t. "Berla [or Bertha] E. Beallie [sp?]/ 9months/ 23 1/2 lbs"
The photograph is mounted on a card supplied by the photo studio. The edges of the card are coloured gold
Scope and Content
Photograph of a baby wearing a lace trimmed dress. The baby is sitting on a sofa with cushions at her back. A person's hand is visible, holding up the baby. The inscription on the cardmount of the photograph identifies the baby as Berla or Bertha E. Beallie (sp?) at age 9 months. She was 23.5 lbs.
Subjects
Persons - Children
Names
Beallie, Bertha
Accession Code
HV983.42.124
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[189-]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-11-21
Scale
100
Photographer
Hart's Studio
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Baby Janice Bower

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription5601
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
March 1950 (date of original), copied [2016]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of little girl, identified as Janice Bower, aged about 18 months. Child is seated with legs stretched out in front of her. She wears a gold necklace with pendant, white dress, and white leather booties.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of little girl, identified as Janice Bower, aged about 18 months. Child is seated with legs stretched out in front of her. She wears a gold necklace with pendant, white dress, and white leather booties.
Subjects
Persons - Children
Names
Flintroy, Janice Bower
Accession Code
BV015.40.34
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
March 1950 (date of original), copied [2016]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
300
Scan Date
09-Sep-18
Notes
Title based on annotations on digital file name
Digital image created from orginal photograph by donor
Images
Less detail

Baby Thomas Ramsay Shankie

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4173
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[02 Feb 1921] (date of original), copied [2016]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff)
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of baby Thomas Ramsay Shankie lying on a white blanket. He is wearing a christening gown. The edges of the image are blurred.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff)
Material Details
Handwritten text on front reads: "Thomas Ramsay Shankie / Hunter / 6 months - Feb 2nd 1921".
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of baby Thomas Ramsay Shankie lying on a white blanket. He is wearing a christening gown. The edges of the image are blurred.
Subjects
Persons - Children
Names
Shankie, Thomas Ramsay Hunter, 1920-1996
Accession Code
BV016.43.72
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[02 Feb 1921] (date of original), copied [2016]
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph.
Image is from a binder of family history. Binder 3, fruit illustrations on cover, "Family Tree Photos".
Digital image created from orginal photograph by donor
Images
Less detail

Burnaby's best baby contest

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16735
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
16 Sep. 1984
Collection/Fonds
Century Park Museum Association fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified participant in the Best Baby in Burnaby Contest seated on the lap of her mother/caregiver.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Century Park Museum Association fonds
Series
Heritage Village Museum presentation and programming series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified participant in the Best Baby in Burnaby Contest seated on the lap of her mother/caregiver.
History
The first contest for Burnaby's Best Baby was held in September 1930. It was sponsored by the Burnaby Broadcast newspaper, with arrangements made by the Victorian Order of Nurses and judging by the Medical Health Officer and School Board doctor. The first winner was Lois Smith, who was presented with the Broadcast Trophy. A few years earlier, in 1922, a province wide "Better Babies Contest" was held at the New Westminster Exhibition. The babies were judged on their health, nutrition and physical form. Margaret Louise Lovell of Vancouver was the first prize winner of a five dollar coin. Burnaby's own Catherine Corker was another provincial winner in the nineteen twenties. In the early nineteen eighties, Burnaby Village Museum revived the contest as "Burnaby's Better Baby Contest" . The contest was run annually by Burnaby Village Museum until 1994 and was also known as "Burnaby's Best Baby Contest" and "Best Baby in Burnaby". The contest was limited to Burnaby residents who were twelve months and younger.
Subjects
Events - Competitions
Names
Burnaby Village Museum
Accession Code
BV020.5.1820
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
16 Sep. 1984
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Burnaby's best baby contest

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16737
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
16 Sep. 1984
Collection/Fonds
Century Park Museum Association fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified participant in the Best Baby in Burnaby Contest seated together with two unidentified women. The baby is wearing a jumper with a sailboat embroidered on the bib and is seated on the lap of their mother/caregiver.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Century Park Museum Association fonds
Series
Heritage Village Museum presentation and programming series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified participant in the Best Baby in Burnaby Contest seated together with two unidentified women. The baby is wearing a jumper with a sailboat embroidered on the bib and is seated on the lap of their mother/caregiver.
History
The first contest for Burnaby's Best Baby was held in September 1930. It was sponsored by the Burnaby Broadcast newspaper, with arrangements made by the Victorian Order of Nurses and judging by the Medical Health Officer and School Board doctor. The first winner was Lois Smith, who was presented with the Broadcast Trophy. A few years earlier, in 1922, a province wide "Better Babies Contest" was held at the New Westminster Exhibition. The babies were judged on their health, nutrition and physical form. Margaret Louise Lovell of Vancouver was the first prize winner of a five dollar coin. Burnaby's own Catherine Corker was another provincial winner in the nineteen twenties. In the early nineteen eighties, Burnaby Village Museum revived the contest as "Burnaby's Better Baby Contest" . The contest was run annually by Burnaby Village Museum until 1994 and was also known as "Burnaby's Best Baby Contest" and "Best Baby in Burnaby". The contest was limited to Burnaby residents who were twelve months and younger.
Subjects
Events - Competitions
Persons - Black Canadians
Names
Burnaby Village Museum
Accession Code
BV020.5.1823
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
16 Sep. 1984
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Burnaby's best baby contest

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16738
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
16 Sep. 1984
Collection/Fonds
Century Park Museum Association fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified participant in the Best Baby in Burnaby Contest interacting with people inside the Burnaby Village Museum Ice Cream Parlour. The baby is being held by their mother/caregiver while Burnaby Village Museum Operations Coordinator, Gilda Heath holds the baby's hand. An unid…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Century Park Museum Association fonds
Series
Heritage Village Museum presentation and programming series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.5 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified participant in the Best Baby in Burnaby Contest interacting with people inside the Burnaby Village Museum Ice Cream Parlour. The baby is being held by their mother/caregiver while Burnaby Village Museum Operations Coordinator, Gilda Heath holds the baby's hand. An unidentified person with their back to the camera is looking on from the left.
History
The first contest for Burnaby's Best Baby was held in September 1930. It was sponsored by the Burnaby Broadcast newspaper, with arrangements made by the Victorian Order of Nurses and judging by the Medical Health Officer and School Board doctor. The first winner was Lois Smith, who was presented with the Broadcast Trophy. A few years earlier, in 1922, a province wide "Better Babies Contest" was held at the New Westminster Exhibition. The babies were judged on their health, nutrition and physical form. Margaret Louise Lovell of Vancouver was the first prize winner of a five dollar coin. Burnaby's own Catherine Corker was another provincial winner in the nineteen twenties. In the early nineteen eighties, Burnaby Village Museum revived the contest as "Burnaby's Better Baby Contest" . The contest was run annually by Burnaby Village Museum until 1994 and was also known as "Burnaby's Best Baby Contest" and "Best Baby in Burnaby". The contest was limited to Burnaby residents who were twelve months and younger.
Subjects
Events - Competitions
Names
Burnaby Village Museum
Accession Code
BV020.5.1822
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
16 Sep. 1984
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Catherine Mary Corner

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription908
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1928 or 1929]
Collection/Fonds
E.W. Bateman family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 13.8 x 8.8 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Catherine Mary Corner (later becoming Mrs. Levins), as a baby. She is wearing a white smock, socks and strapped shoes. Her mother was Edna Bateman Corner, eldest daughter of Edwin W. Bateman, the builder of the Elworth house at the Burnaby Village Museum.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
E.W. Bateman family fonds
Series
Bateman family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 13.8 x 8.8 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Catherine Mary Corner (later becoming Mrs. Levins), as a baby. She is wearing a white smock, socks and strapped shoes. Her mother was Edna Bateman Corner, eldest daughter of Edwin W. Bateman, the builder of the Elworth house at the Burnaby Village Museum.
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts - Postcards
Names
Levins, Catherine Mary Corner
Accession Code
HV975.120.10
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1928 or 1929]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-13
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Notes on verso of postcard read: "18 months" and "Cartherine M. Corner"
Images
Less detail

China Travel Service coupon

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14787
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
22 Apr. 1977
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 p. (ticket)
Scope and Content
Item consists of one "China Travel Service (H.K.) Ltd. Service Coupon" made out to Mr. K.C. Lee. Verso of ticket reads: "A. "Service ticket coupons cover railway tickets and baggage transfer (2 pices) and service charges from Kowloon railway station to Lowu, Shumchun to Kwangchow and taxi fares bet…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Series
Cecil Lee business records series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 p. (ticket)
Material Details
Text on ticket in both English and Chinese
Scope and Content
Item consists of one "China Travel Service (H.K.) Ltd. Service Coupon" made out to Mr. K.C. Lee. Verso of ticket reads: "A. "Service ticket coupons cover railway tickets and baggage transfer (2 pices) and service charges from Kowloon railway station to Lowu, Shumchun to Kwangchow and taxi fares between railway station and hotel at Kwangchhow on arrival and departure. / B. These coupons are valid within five months from date of issue..."
Subjects
Exchange Medium - Tickets
Exchange Medium - Coupons
Accession Code
BV019.6.137
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
22 Apr. 1977
Media Type
Textual Record
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
22-Oct-2020
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on content of item
Item is part of a scrapbook album created by Cecil Lee
Images
Less detail

Florence Hart Godwin fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14283
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1893-1923 (date of original), copied 1976
Collection/Fonds
Florence Hart Godwin fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photograph albums (60 photographs)
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographic reproductions of two photograph albums. One album was owned and created by Florence Hart Godwin and the other by Florence Hart Godwin's mother, Alice Hart (nee Chapman). The albums consist of photographs of the Hart family and members of the Chapman family while they …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Florence Hart Godwin fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photograph albums (60 photographs)
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographic reproductions of two photograph albums. One album was owned and created by Florence Hart Godwin and the other by Florence Hart Godwin's mother, Alice Hart (nee Chapman). The albums consist of photographs of the Hart family and members of the Chapman family while they had residences in New Westminster, Deer Lake and Kerrisdale along with time spent at Pitt Lake, Mayne Island, Stanley Park and Victoria. Albums are described at file level and album pages are described at item level.
History
Florence Elizabeth Hart Godwin was born in New Westminster in 1898 to parents, Frederick John Hart (1884- 1945) and Alice Hart (nee Chapman) (1885-1935). Alice and Frederick Hart were married in Yale in 1895 and had five children, Kingsley (1897-1916), Florence (1898-1999), Alice Fredricka “Freda” (1903-1905), Edwyna Jane (1907-1997) and Frederick John “Jack” (1908-2001). Alice Hart (nee Chapman) was the daughter of Edward Chapman and Jane Chapman (nee Isbell) born in Birmingham England and Frederick John Hart was born in Trinity, Newfoundland. Florence’s father Frederick J. Hart owned a successful real estate business in New Westminster from 1891. His real estate company managed many of the property sales in the lower mainland including Burnaby and he was involved with a number of economic development companies in the area. Frederick also served as alderman with the City of New Westminster. In June 1905, the family was heartbroken by the sudden death of Florence's younger sister Freda who died at age two of meningitis. In that same year, Frederick purchased 13 acres of land abutting the north east end of Deer Lake and built a small summer house "Avalon". Florence, her siblings and mother spent the summer months on the lake. Her father, Frederick worked in New Westminster during the week and joined them on the weekends. In 1910, Florence’s father built a larger permanent family residence at this location also named "Avalon". Mr. Frank W. Macey designed the house which is now the home of “Hart House” restaurant. While living in Burnaby, the family attended St. Alban’s Church and Florence was taught by Miss Harriet Woodward who had a small private school inside her home. Florence later attended Douglas Road school before being placed in Crofton House School in Vancouver. The Hart children found many playmates on the lake, including members of the Hill and Peers families. During World War One, in December of 1916, Florence's brother, Kingsley Hart was killed while serving overseas. This tragedy devastated Florence's parents and prompted them to sell "Avalon" in 1917 and move to Kerrisdale in Vancouver. In August 1922, Florence married Harold Ward Godwin at St. Mary's Church in Kerrisdale and they moved into their own home in Burnaby. That same year, Florence joined the auxiliary to the Victorian Order of Nurses. Florence made rounds as a nurse travelling from home to home on a bicycle. Florence and Harold had one child, Elizabeth Joy Hart (1929-1978) who later married Robert Carl Freyman (1925-2011) and worked as a nurse. In 1950, Florence was awarded a life membership to the V.O.N. along with her husband, making them the only husband and wife in Canada to be accorded this honour. By 1973, Florence had served more than 50 years as a member of the Board of the V.O.N. in Burnaby. In that same year, Florence was presented a life membership by the I.O.D.E. for her many contributions to the work of the organization.
Creator
Godwin, Florence Hart
Accession Code
HV976.168
HV976.169
Date
1893-1923 (date of original), copied 1976
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
60 b&w copy prints + negatives accompanying
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Frances Waplington

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription5084
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1915]
Collection/Fonds
Waplington family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 8.5 x 5.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of young Frances Waplington at age 21 months. Frances is wearing a hat and standing against a wall or fence. Frances is the eldest daughter of Jack and Sarah Waplington.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Waplington family fonds
Series
Waplington and Fleming families album series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 8.5 x 5.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of young Frances Waplington at age 21 months. Frances is wearing a hat and standing against a wall or fence. Frances is the eldest daughter of Jack and Sarah Waplington.
Subjects
Persons - Children
Names
Fleming, Frances "Fanny" Waplington
Accession Code
BV016.46.57
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1915]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-01-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Handwritten text on back of photograph reads: "Fa [illegible] Waplington / 21 mos. May 24th/15."
Photograph is part of Photograph album BV016.46.52
Images
Less detail

Healthcare workers outside of Burnaby General Hospital

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14753
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
12 May 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg) : col. ; 144 dpi.
Scope and Content
Panorama photograph of Burnaby General Hospital with healthcare workers standing out in front holding heart posters. This was part of the salute to health care workers event at Burnaby General Hospital.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg) : col. ; 144 dpi.
Scope and Content
Panorama photograph of Burnaby General Hospital with healthcare workers standing out in front holding heart posters. This was part of the salute to health care workers event at Burnaby General Hospital.
History
Photograph was taken by Richard Liu on May 12, 2020 around 7:00pm. Richard helped organize a 'stick-tap' to salute front line health care workers at the Burnaby Hospital. The Vancouer Canuck's mascot "Fin", Mayor of Burnaby Mike Hurley, MLA Anne Kang and MLA Katrina Chen, MP Peter Juilan, the RCMP Chief, the Fire Chief and Transit Police Chief were in attendance. These 'salutes' to health care workers were common in April and May during the earliest and most uncertain months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many local neighbourhoods across Burnaby, the Lower Mainland and the Province began regularly gathering at 7:00pm to bang pots and pans, honk horns, and generally celebrate and acknowledge the work of health care professionals. The presence of "Fin" was added because the Vancouver Canuck and NHL were not playing, so Fin was available to make the rounds. His visits were often surprises. Fin played the Canucks goal horn through the Fin Mobile roof speakers, with green and blue flashing lights. Fin visited six hospitals, as well as Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
Subjects
Buildings - Civic - Hospitals
Occupations - Nurses
Occupations - Physicians
Public Services - Health Services
Pandemics - COVID-19
Names
Burnaby General Hospital
Geographic Access
Ingleton Avenue
Street Address
3880 Ingleton Avenue
Accession Code
BV020.18.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
12 May 2020
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Cascade-Schou Area
Photographer
Liu, Richard
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Healthcare workers with Vancouver Canucks mascot "Fin"

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14754
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
12 May 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg) : col. ; 144 dpi.
Scope and Content
Photograph of three healthcare workers posing with Vancouver Canucks mascot "Fin the Whale" outside of the Burnaby General Hospital. The three healthcare workers are are wearing scrubs and masks covering their mouths and noses and standing in front of the Canucks "FIN Mobile".
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg) : col. ; 144 dpi.
Scope and Content
Photograph of three healthcare workers posing with Vancouver Canucks mascot "Fin the Whale" outside of the Burnaby General Hospital. The three healthcare workers are are wearing scrubs and masks covering their mouths and noses and standing in front of the Canucks "FIN Mobile".
History
Photograph was taken by Richard Liu on May 12, 2020 around 7:00pm. Richard helped organize a 'stick-tap' to salute front line health care workers at the Burnaby Hospital. The Vancouer Canuck's mascot "Fin", Mayor of Burnaby Mike Hurley, MLA Anne Kang and MLA Katrina Chen, MP Peter Juilan, the RCMP Chief, the Fire Chief and Transit Police Chief were in attendance. These 'salutes' to health care workers were common in April and May during the earliest and most uncertain months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many local neighbourhoods across Burnaby, the Lower Mainland and the Province began regularly gathering at 7:00pm to bang pots and pans, honk horns, and generally celebrate and acknowledge the work of health care professionals. The presence of "Fin" was added because the Vancouver Canuck and NHL were not playing, so Fin was available to make the rounds. His visits were often surprises. Fin played the Canucks goal horn through the Fin Mobile roof speakers, with green and blue flashing lights. Fin visited six hospitals, as well as Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
Subjects
Buildings - Civic - Hospitals
Public Services - Health Services
Occupations - Fire Fighters
Occupations - Nurses
Occupations - Physicians
Pandemics - COVID-19
Names
Burnaby General Hospital
Vancouver Canucks
Geographic Access
Ingleton Avenue
Street Address
3880 Ingleton Avenue
Accession Code
BV020.18.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
12 May 2020
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Cascade-Schou Area
Photographer
Liu, Richard
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Ina and baby Linda Stanley

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription5598
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1950 and1952] (date of original), copied [2016]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of mother and child. Mother's left arm, showing wedding band on left hand, holds up the child. Ina Esther Stanley on left looking at her daughter Linda Shankie Hanlon seated on table on the right. Linda appears to be about 8 months old.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of mother and child. Mother's left arm, showing wedding band on left hand, holds up the child. Ina Esther Stanley on left looking at her daughter Linda Shankie Hanlon seated on table on the right. Linda appears to be about 8 months old.
Names
Shankie, Ina Esther Stanley
Hanlon, Linda Shankie
Accession Code
BV015.40.31
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1950 and1952] (date of original), copied [2016]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
300
Scan Date
09-Sep-18
Notes
Title based on annotations on digital file name
Digital image created from orginal photograph by donor
Images
Less detail

Interview with Maninder Arora

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19351
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (67 min., 25 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (66 min., 45 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Maninder Arora conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Museum Registrar James Binks. 0:00 – 07:33 Interview opens with introductions. Maninder Arora shares her immigration story and how she came to emigrate from India to Canada…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (67 min., 25 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (66 min., 45 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Anushay Malik Co interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Maninder Arora Location of Interview: In Burnaby at the home of Maninder Arora Interview Date: December 7, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: (01:07:25) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Maninder Arora conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Museum Registrar James Binks. 0:00 – 07:33 Interview opens with introductions. Maninder Arora shares her immigration story and how she came to emigrate from India to Canada at 16 years of age with her mother, her older sister (18 yrs) and her younger brother (11 yrs) in 1974. Maninder explains how her sister immigrated first after marrying a South Asian Canadian and subsequently was able to sponsor members of her family to immigrate about one year later. Arora describes what life was like for her and her family in the northern part of Punjab in India prior to immigration to Canada. Arora describes her family composition with her being the second youngest of eight children and how at the time of immigrating, four of her elder siblings (three sisters and one brother) stayed behind. 07:34 – 16:23 As a new immigrant to Canada at the age of 16 years of age, Maninder Arora recalls the many challenges that she faced. Maninder describes how she attended Vancouver Technical School and then worked at a restaurant on Friday nights and weekends. She recollects how she got her first job through the Sikh community from the Akali Singh Sikh Gurdwara on Fraser Street. Maninder recalls that during the first five months in Canada, Maninder, her mother, sister and brother lived with her elder sister, her husband and child before finding a place of their own. Arora recalls where her family shopped for traditional Indian spices and foods. 16:24 – 25:50 Maninder Arora describes the next home that her family moved to and how she and her brother attended David Thompson Secondary School. Maninder explains that she dropped out of school in Grade 12 to go to work full time to help her family repay the debt that they owed for their immigration expenses. Around 1981, her mother was able to purchase a house at Marine Drive and Ross Street and her mother got work at the same restaurant that Maninder was working. Maninder shares and reflects on a disturbing encounter of racism that she and her older sister faced while taking local transit. 25:51 – 34:17 Maninder Arora talks about her past work experience. Maninder describes how with the help of her sister, she began working as a nurses' aide at care homes and private hospitals. Maninder reflects on how she intended to get a job in a unionized care home where she can make a better living wage. Maninder describes some of the places that she worked before obtaining certification as a nurse’s aide from Kwantlen College. 34;18 – 51:15 Maninder Arora describes the events that led to her marrying her future husband in 1986 and how it wasn’t an easy decision for her. Maninder describes where she and her family lived after her marriage and how her hard work led her to obtaining full time employment as a nurses' aide in Richmond. 51:16 - 56:16 Maninder Arora tells of how she decided to move to Burnaby where her sister and extended family were living. Maninder recalls what lead to her decision to move from Surrey to Burnaby in 1992. 56:17 - 1:04:23 Maninder Arora shares some experiences of her life in Burnaby. Maninder further reflects on her decisions for moving to Burnaby including providing what she thought would be a safer environment and education for her children. Maninder conveys how racism is still very much prevalent in society and recounts a personal encounter that she experienced while shopping for shoes at Metrotown. 1:04:24 – 1:06:45 The interviewer asks Maninder Arora what she would like to see conveyed as a message for younger people in an upcoming exhibit at Burnaby Village Museum on South Asian history. Maninder conveys that she would like all Canadian citizens living in Burnaby to make the environment better by not littering, living peacefully together and not causing people grief or struggle for nothing, “Be kind to each other”. In closing Arora shares the transportation route she took when emigrating from India to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Maninder Arora was born in the northern part of Punjab, India. Her sister immigrated to Canada in 1974 after marrying a South Asian Canadian. In 1975, after her father died, her sister was able to bring her mother, her 11 year old brother and Maninder at 16 years of age. After arriving in British Columbia, they first lived with her sister and family before finding a place of their own. Maninder attended Vancouver Technical School and later David Thompson Secondary School and worked in a restaurant on weekends to help her family out. Maninder and her family were members of the Sikh community and attended Akali Singh Sikh Gurdwara on Fraser Street. Maninder left school in Grade 12 to work full time to help her family repay the debt that they owed for their immigration expenses. In the early 1980’s Maninder’s family moved to a house near Marine Drive and Ross Street that her mother was able to purchase. With the help of her sister, Maninder got work as a nurses’ aide at care homes and private hospitals which eventually led her to obtaining certification from Kwantlen College. Maninder married in 1986 and had two children while living in Richmond. Around 1992, she moved from Surrey to Burnaby to be closer to her sister and to provide as safer environment for her children. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. 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
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations
Occupations - Nurses
Migration
Names
Arora, Maninder
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV022.29.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Maninder Arora, [1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022

Interview with Maninder Arora, [1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0006_003.mp3
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Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19611
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (90 min., 21 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (90 min., 4 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Shushma Datt and her son, Sudhir Datta conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Curator, Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik. 00:00 – 12:47 Interview opens with introductions. Shushma Datt shares information about; where she’s lived in Burnaby sin…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (90 min., 21 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (90 min., 4 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik Interviewees: Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta Location of Interview: Spice Radio, Norland Avenue, Burnaby Interview Date: January 20, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:30:21 Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Shushma Datt and her son, Sudhir Datta conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Curator, Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik. 00:00 – 12:47 Interview opens with introductions. Shushma Datt shares information about; where she’s lived in Burnaby since immigrating in 1972 and her arranged marriage which lead her to immigrate to Canada. Datt provides detailed information about her family background in Kenya and her parent’s decision to move their family from Kenya to India in the 1960s and then to England in the 1965. Datt describes her family’s experiences living in Kenya and India in the 1960s and provides some context on the political unrest that happened in Kenya which lead her family to leave. 12:48 - 28:07 Datt talks about her time living in England and shares information on her family life and her employment experiences. Datt conveys an experience from her childhood that inspired her to become a broadcaster and shares her experiences working for the BBC oversees service in England (1965-1972). Datt describes some of the articles that she's written for various publications and the people that she's interviewed. Datt highlights a particular experience about writing a critical review about the controversial design on Jimi Hendrix’s album “Axis: Bold as Love” that depicted Hindu religious iconography. 28:09 – 34:47 Datt and Datta provide further details about Datt's arranged marriage which lead her to immigrate to Canada in 1972 and to work as a broadcaster in Canada. Datt recalls her experiences working as a radio station operator for CHQM, a radio broadcaster for CJVB and starting her own South Asian radio station Rim Jhim in 1987. 34:48 – 40:01 Datt and Datta share information on where they’ve lived in Vancouver and Burnaby. Datt and Datta recall pivotal family life events that impacted their lives in 1974. 40:02 – 45:53 Datt recalls the travel trunks and contents that she and her family brought with them when they left Nairobi. Datt describes the letters that her parents wrote. Datt and Datta describe photos of their family and convey the impacts to their family after two of Datt’s brothers died at 24 years of age. 45:54 – 50:56 Interview continues chronologically from 1974, after Datt’s son, Sudhir Datta was born. Datt describes how she had to work hard to help pay her bills and support her family. Datta describes his childhood growing up as a South Asian child living and attending school in Burnaby (1979-1992). Datt and Datta recall Datt’s graduation ceremony and Datta’s Order of British Columbia awards ceremony. 50:57 – 58:03 Datt and Datta talk about food and cooking and where they’ve shopped for traditional food supplies. Datta explains her family lineage as Hindus who eat meat and how she’s been a vegetarian for over 30 years. Datt and Datta share stories about Datt’s mother Leela Datta. 58:04 – 1:05:38 Both Datt and Datta reflect on what’s it’s been like living as South Asians in Burnaby. Datt conveys the message that she got from her mom, Leela Datta "not to assimilate but to integrate". They both reflect on how the ethnic and cultural diversity of neighbourhoods has changed over time and Datt describes his experiences as a student in Burnaby. 1:05:39 – 1:16:51 Datt and Datta talk about the role of religion in their lives, describe the purpose of Radio Rim Jhim and reflect on how the South Asian community has grown in Metro Vancouver and the disparities created within. They both recall how their lives were threatened and impacted in 1984 following an interview that Datt did with Indira Ghandhi. Datt talks about the origins of her and her son’s surnames. 1:16:52 – 1:26:11 Datt and Datta talk about and reflect on their own experiences of racism and discrimination. Datt talks about Spice Radio’s annual campaign “Raise your hands against Racism”. Datt and Datta provide background on the radio stations Rim Jhim and Spice Radio including; how they got started, their unbiased approach to broadcast content and their experiences in the complex realm of broadcasting a multi-cultural radio station. 1:26:12 – 1:30:04 In closing, Datt and Datta convey what they think that younger generations of South Asian Canadians should understand about the South Asian Community in British Columbia.
History
Interviewees biographies: Shushma Datt was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1946 and is the second eldest of six children. In the 1960s during the unrest in Kenya, her family moved to India. After about nine months of living in India, Datt's family decided to return to Kenya, leaving Datt and her brother to complete their education in India. While living in India, Datt studied at Delhi University and worked at the Indian newspaper. In 1965, Datt, her parents and five siblings decided to leave Kenya and immigrated to England. While living in England, Datt got work as a broadcaster with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) overseas service, producing her first program in 1969. During her time with the BBC, Datt has interviewed many influential artists including Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles as well as the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. In 1972, Datt immigrated to Canada and settled in Burnaby. In late 1973, Datt sponsored her mother who joined her in Burnaby. Datt joined the CJVB radio station in Vancouver working as the Punjabi and Hindi language broadcaster. Datt worked here until 1978 when she started her own radio station, Radio Rim Jhim. In 2005, Datt obtained her own AM radio band license for a multicultural radio station RJ1200 which was later rebranded "Spice Radio". In 2015, Datt launched Spice Radio's annual "Hands Against Racism" campaign which has won awards from the Government of British Columbia and the B.C. Association of Broadcasters. Datt has also been a producer for Omni TV and Shaw TV and was the first woman to obtain a broadcasting license from the Canadian Radio- Television Telecommunications Commission. In 1992, Shushma Datt was awarded the Order of British Columbia and is also the recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. Datt has been listed by the Vancouver Sun newspaper as among the 100 "most influential Indo-Canadians" and has been recognized by the Royal British Columbia Museum as one of the 150 "most influential British Columbians". Sudhir Datta is the only child of Sushma Datt and was born in Burnaby. Datta graduated with a computer science degree from Capilano University in 1995. Datta is the Vice President of Media Broadcasting (founded in 1984) creating television and radio programming for Canada's South Asian Community and has been the General Manager and Program Director of Spice Radio since 2006. Datta is also the author of many articles highlighting the South Asian community in Vancouver. Interviewers biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. Jane Lemke has worked in various museums in the Lower Mainland and has been the Curator at Burnaby Village Museum since 2019. Her educational background includes a Master of Arts degree in History and a Master of Museum Studies degree. Her research focus has been on trauma and memory and its role in shaping Canadian identity. She loves sharing memories and stories of Burnaby with the public. Jane sits on the Council of the BC Museums Association and is the Chair of the BC Museums Association Professional Development and Education Committee.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Migration
Occupations - Broadcasters
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Journalists
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Radio Stations
Religions
Religions - Hinduism
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Datt, Shushma
Datta, Sudhir
Datta, Lila Vati "Leela"
Spice Radio
Rim Jhim
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Lemke, Jane
Accession Code
BV023.1.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta, [1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta, [1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0003_003.mp3
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Margaret Mary Hulme

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3019
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
14 Dec. 1911
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 13.4 x 8.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of a woman seated beside a side table, and holding a baby sitting on a cushion on the side table. The woman is in a white high neck blouse wih long dark skirt. The baby is wearing a lace trimmed skirt and dark coloured shoes. An annotation on the back of the photograph reads: …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 13.4 x 8.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of a woman seated beside a side table, and holding a baby sitting on a cushion on the side table. The woman is in a white high neck blouse wih long dark skirt. The baby is wearing a lace trimmed skirt and dark coloured shoes. An annotation on the back of the photograph reads: "Margaret Mary Hulme, age 5 months / photo taken December 14th 1911 / With all Best Wishes for 1912." Printed on the back of the postcard paper: "C. F. Wiggins, 63 Talbot Rd., Blackpool."
Subjects
Persons - Children
Names
Hulme, Margaret Mary
Accession Code
HV984.51.49
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
14 Dec. 1911
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-10-10
Photographer
Wiggins, C.F.
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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Mary England fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12234
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1915-1934 (date of originals), copied 2020
Collection/Fonds
Mary England fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
5 photographs (tiffs) : b&w ; 600 dpi
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a small collection of photographs documenting the life of Mary England (nee Gooding). Photographs include the house of Mary and Alfred England on Royal Oak Avenue; Mary England's house on Griffiths Avenue and of Mary and Alfred England ca. 1915.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Mary England fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
5 photographs (tiffs) : b&w ; 600 dpi
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a small collection of photographs documenting the life of Mary England (nee Gooding). Photographs include the house of Mary and Alfred England on Royal Oak Avenue; Mary England's house on Griffiths Avenue and of Mary and Alfred England ca. 1915.
History
Mary England was born to parents Robert and Mary (nee Morgan) Gooding in Wales on March 30, 1879. Mary and her brother Robert Nathaniel Gooding came to Canada from the U.K. in 1905. While living in Canada, Mary met and married Alfred Henry England. The couple lived in a house on Hornby Street in Vancouver which they ran as a boarding house. In 1914, Mary and Alfred moved to a house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue and Victory Street in Burnaby (house number changed to7353 after 1958). Alfred worked in the composing room at the Vancouver Province until his untimely death in October 1917. Mary continued to reside in their home on Royal Oak until 1930 when she built and moved into a house on Griffiths Avenue in Burnaby. Mary was employed as an office clerk with the Municipality of the District of Burnaby. Mary England was an active member of the community including becoming the first president of the West Burnaby auxiliary of the Victorian Order of Nurses between 1915 and 1917 and a founding member of the Burnaby Civic Employees Union in 1919. She often spoke out about issues that impacted female workers, and felt that the wages for the inside workers, many of whom were women, were inadequate. Often on England’s motions, the Union from time to time brought to Council concerns about the treatment of women, including behaviour of managers in the general office, suspension of a young woman for her choice of clothes, and in 1931, health issues that warranted “accommodation…for the ladies in the Hall.” Mary served as president of the union from 1922-1923 and held leadership roles in the New Westminster Trades and Labour Council. Mary served as union secretary until 1934, after losing her position as municipal employee during the Great Depression. She and the union tried to fight her dismissal, but to no avail as they were told that the reasons were purely economic. The union honoured her with a Life time membership at St. Alban's Hall a few months later. Mary died in Burnaby in 1959 at the age of 79 years.
Responsibility
England, Mary
Accession Code
BV020.9
Date
1915-1934 (date of originals), copied 2020
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
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