Search Results | Heritage Burnaby

audio amplification set

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact91427

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV021.22.1

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV021.22.1

Description: A large box containing a audio-amp, a wooden triangular prism with a decorative round speaker, and six smaller rectangular boxes. All are made of a light wood, and have different functions.

Object History: This audio-amplifier set was used by Mr. Edward A. Fountain, who was appointed as Civil Defense Coordinator on May 5th, 1952. He also built the wooden boxes which contain each part of the set. The Burnaby Civil Defense Department was established in order to disseminate information guiding the public on how to react in response to the impending threat of nuclear war and Russian bombers. In the early 1950’s, this education centered primarily on evacuation, as members of the public were expected to prepare and essentially fend for themselves in the event of a nuclear attack. These pieces of audio technology are believed to have been used at Civil Defense rallies in Burnaby, which Edward Fountain would have been involved in as the department director. According to Burnaby City Council meeting records, music and defense operation demonstrations were commonplace at such rallies, and are examples of what this set was used for.

Category: 06.Tools & Equipment for Communication

Classification: Telecommunication T&E - - Telecommunication Devices

Object Term: Radio

Colour: Brown

Country Made: Canada

Province Made: British Columbia

Site/City Made: Burnaby

Subjects: Communication Artifacts

Names: Fountain, Edward

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake

Planning Study Area: Windsor Area

Images

badge

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact48258

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV005.13.41

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV005.13.41

Description: Badge, cloth, circular; yellow, green, white, red, blue; scene of mountains, river and field with a yellow bar across bottom with red lettering.

Object History: Scouts Canada

Marks/Labels: "BURNABY LAKE (smaller) DISTRICT", stitching, red

Subjects: Organizations; Organizations - Boys' Societies and Clubs; Personal Symbols; Personal Symbols - Badges

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake

Images

bag of corks

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact1328

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: HV971.37.106

2 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: HV971.37.106

Description: Beige, flour sack-type cloth bag filled with unused corks. Open at top. Stitching along sides. Some stains on cloth.

Object History: This item originates from the Central Park Pharmacy in Burnaby.

Category: 05.Tools & Equipment for Science & Technology

Classification: Chemical T&E

Marks/Labels: no label found

Subjects: Science and Technology Tools and Equipment

Names: Central Park Pharmacy

Geographic Access: Central Park

Historic Neighbourhood: Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Maywood Area

Images

international call codes paper

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact91450

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV021.22.2

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV021.22.2

Description: Paper listing several radio signals used by the Civil Defense department. Paper is creased and yellowing especially around edges and folds.

Object History: This “Ten – Signals” paper was donated alongside the audio-amplification set, belonging to Mr. Edward Fountain. The signals represented on the paper were used in training volunteers in the Burnaby Civil Defence Department, of which Mr. Fountain was named Director/ Coordinator in 1952. The Burnaby Civil Defense Department was established in order to disseminate information guiding the public on how to react in response to the impending threat of nuclear war and Russian bombers. In the early 1950’s, this education centered primarily on evacuation, as members of the public were expected to prepare and essentially fend for themselves in the event of a nuclear attack. Training took place throughout the City of Burnaby and in the surrounding regions, as the Civil Defence departments of several municipalities (namely the City of Vancouver and the City of New Westminster) partnered together in evacuation and recovery training, where the use of instructional training papers such as this would come into play.

Category: 08. Communication Artifacts

Classification: Visual Communication T&E

Object Term: Paperwork

Colour: White

Measurements: height: 28.2 cm width: 22 cm

Subjects: Communication Artifacts

Names: Fountain, Edward

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake

Planning Study Area: Windsor Area

Images

Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4494

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:11:02 min)

Scope and Content: Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to the earning and spending of money, household living arrangements, friends, and recreational activities. Bob describes his small businesses, and how he spent the money he earned. He shares his perspective that the self-sufficiency and practicality o…

1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: Museum Oral Histories series

Subseries: Growing Up in Burnaby subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:11:02 min)

Material Details: Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Bob Lowe Date of interview: May 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total length of all Tracks: 0:43:36

Scope and Content: Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to the earning and spending of money, household living arrangements, friends, and recreational activities. Bob describes his small businesses, and how he spent the money he earned. He shares his perspective that the self-sufficiency and practicality of the people he knew at the time had their origin in the community’s experiences of the First World War. Bob discusses his family’s living arrangements, and how they moved as circumstances required, although they always remained in the same area. Bob recalls his school sporting activities, and the Army Cadets organized in his high school during World War II. He talks of his friends and how they played in the bush, at the millponds, and on Still Creek, and how they could skate on the frozen creek to Burnaby Lake. He describes the hunting and fishing, and the field and water trials for retrievers in the marsh.

History: Recording of an interview with Bob Lowe recording by Tom Gooden in 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.

Creator: Burnaby Village Museum

Subjects: Recreational Activities; Organizations - Boys Societies and Clubs; Wars - World War, 1939-1945; Sports - Skating

Names: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake; Still Creek

Accession Code: BV017.45.6

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Date: 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005

Media Type: Sound Recording

Notes: Title based on contents of item

Audio Tracks

Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 2, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0006_002.mp3

Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 6

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4498

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:05:45 min)

Scope and Content: Track 6: This portion of the recording pertains to Bob’s feelings about Burnaby as a place to live, and continues the subject of change. Bob talks of his property in Burnaby, which he purchased as acreage. He compares the Burnaby of his childhood to that of pioneers such as Tommy Irvine, describing…

1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: Museum Oral Histories series

Subseries: Growing Up in Burnaby subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:05:45 min)

Material Details: Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Bob Lowe Date of interview: May 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total length of all Tracks: 0:43:36

Scope and Content: Track 6: This portion of the recording pertains to Bob’s feelings about Burnaby as a place to live, and continues the subject of change. Bob talks of his property in Burnaby, which he purchased as acreage. He compares the Burnaby of his childhood to that of pioneers such as Tommy Irvine, describing himself as a relative newcomer. He speaks of the preservation of the Deer Lake and Burnaby Lake areas. Bob describes his disorientation in the more newly densified parts of Burnaby, and observes that traffic has increased on Burnaby streets. Bob recalls that he mostly travelled on foot or by bike. He notes that the Neville Transport Company operated the school bus he used as well as the only North-South bus route in Burnaby at that time. He mentions Pacific Stage Lines as a later operator through Burnaby.

History: Recording of an interview with Bob Lowe recording by Tom Gooden in 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.

Creator: Burnaby Village Museum

Subjects: Transportation - Buses; Transportation - Bicycles

Names: Lowe, Robert "Bob"; Irvine, Tom

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake; Deer Lake

Accession Code: BV017.45.6

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Date: 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005

Media Type: Sound Recording

Notes: Tiltle based on cotents of item

Audio Tracks

Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 6, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0006_006.mp3

Interview with Helen Sprott August 10, 1977 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory207

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1900-1908

Length: 0:05:47

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Helen Fanny Sprott's memories of her family's first years of living in Burnaby. She mentions the Hazard House and Mayfield Farms.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Helen Fanny Sprott's memories of her family's first years of living in Burnaby. She mentions the Hazard House and Mayfield Farms.

Date Range: 1900-1908

Photo Info: Sprott sisters sitting together on a long tressle. Helen Sprott is seated on the right, wearing glasses [1906]. Item no. HV978.1.10

Length: 0:05:47

Subjects: Buildings - Residences - Houses

Geographic Access: Canada Way; Burnaby Lake

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Morley-Buckingham Area

Interview Date: August 10, 1977

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with Helen Sprott, August 10, 1977. Major themes discussed are: the Sprott home.

Biographical Notes: Helen Sprott was born in Burnaby on June 22, 1902. Her father, Louis Edgar Sprott and younger brother came out to Burnaby from England, following their older brother Charles F. Sprott. The two younger brothers were in the Merchant Marines together prior to arriving in to Burnaby and learning to farm. Louis Edgar Sprott and Helen Louise F. Nicholls were married June 30, 1900 and stayed at the Haszard House while their own house was being built. By 1902, "the Dovecote" was built and Helen was born. The house was added on to and later renamed "Mayfield Farms." Helen's grandmother and aunt on her mother's side came to live at Mayfield Farms in 1907 or 1908. Helen Sprott was living in Penticton at the time of her death, April 8, 1978 at the age of seventy-five.

Total Tracks: 2

Total Length: 0:08:57

Interviewee Name: Sprott, Helen

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Oral history subseries

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Sprott sisters sitting together on a long tressle. Helen Sprott is seated on the right, wearing glasses [1906]. Item no. HV978.1.10 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track one of interview with Helen Sprott

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS137-019-2/MSS137-019-2_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Joe Sadowski, 2017

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription5115

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: June 16, 2017

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (01:46.06 min)

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Joe Sadowski conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Rebeca Salas, June 16, 2017. Major themes discussed: the history of the Burnaby Park Advisory Association and the Group of Ten, and the ongoing conservation of Burnaby Lake. 00:00 – 3:05: Joe discusses his inv…

1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: Museum Oral Histories series

Subseries: Museum research interviews subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (01:46.06 min)

Material Details: Interviewer: Rebeca Salas Interviewee: Joe Sadowski Date of interview: June 16, 2017 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 1:46:06

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Joe Sadowski conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Rebeca Salas, June 16, 2017. Major themes discussed: the history of the Burnaby Park Advisory Association and the Group of Ten, and the ongoing conservation of Burnaby Lake. 00:00 – 3:05: Joe discusses his involvement with the Association from its early days in the late 1960s. He describes the formation of the group, its original intentions, and its changing focus. 3:05 - 5:54: Joe recalls how the group decided to further their purpose by involving the public, and the rationale behind building a trail system. He explains how the Burnaby Outdoor Education Association was formed and describes its activities. 5:54 – 9:20: Joe relates how the Association was able to access federal funding for the trail. He shares his perspective about local businesses having changed their priorities since that time. 9:20 – 13:31: Joe discusses how the group expanded its base, and why it changed its name to the Burnaby Lake Advisory. He explains how the trail system came to be under the jurisdiction of Metro Parks, and why the name was changed to the Burnaby Lake Park Association. He describes the shift in the group’s composition and responsibilities. 13:31 – 17:06: Rebeca notes that the museum is interested in the reasons for the group coming together in the 1960s. Joe describes how the group’s plans regarding the lake informed their subsequent activities there. He talks about the changing attitude to pollution in the 1970s. 17:06 - 22:05: Joe describes what Burnaby Lake was like in the 1960s. He discusses its importance to migrating birds, and talks about the improvement to Still Creek. 22:05 – 29:48: Joe talks about the big Burnaby Lake Clean Up. He notes that the public’s changing attitudes have made further large clean-ups unnecessary. 29:48 – 32:00: Joe talks about the work of the Eagle Creek Streamkeepers, the Sapperton Fish and Game Club, The Semiahmoo Rod and Gun Club, and the Hyde Creek Watershed Society. He observes that game clubs have broader interests now than sport alone. 32:00 – 37:37: Joe discusses the return of salmon to the lake, the improvement in the quality of water, and the increased numbers of birds. He shares his perspective that the relationship of the public to the lake changed as visitors began to take ownership. 37:37 – 39:30: Joe talks about the importance of leadership in conservation efforts, discussing how Bob Gardner and Elmer Rudolph inspired people to become involved. He describes the positive results of volunteering. 39:30 – 41:48: Asked what he feels has made the biggest difference in improving the health of the lake, Joe describes the change in the attitude of the public and contrasts this new environmental awareness with that of people in other parts of the world. 41:48 – 47:46: Joe discusses the importance of the buffer zone, and of giving students the opportunity to be involved in efforts to remove invasive species and plant native ones. 47:46 – 56:10: Joe talks about the nesting box program. He notes that interacting with wildlife may influence people’s future behavior and describes the experience as cross-cultural. 56:10 – 58:17: Joe discusses the design of the trail around the lake. 58:17 – 1:02:32: Joe mentions the advisory role of Dr. Milton McLaren in the Association’s trail building work. He remarks on the importance to the project of people such as Tony Fabian and John Thomson. Joe also discusses the material used for the trail’s construction. 1:02:32 – 1:10:53: Joe describes the Association’s relationship with the Nature House and the Wildlife Rescue Centre. He recalls the acquisition of the Nature House building. 1:10:53 – 1:19:57: Asked about consultation, Joe describes the design and construction of the trail as the only subject in which the group’s expertise was deferred to. He discusses his concerns about dredging, and mentions the installation of squirrel nesting boxes as a successful enhancement project. 1:19:57 – 1:28:05: Joe talks about how the Burnaby Lake area has changed since he moved to Burnaby in 1964, and mentions some of the detrimental effects of development. He recalls the construction of the original observation tower by Aril Dalsvaag’s students at Burnaby Central Secondary School, talks about the current tower and discusses the success of the Association’s turtle nesting pad. 1:28:05 – 1:34:50: Joe discusses the introduced species in Burnaby Lake, and the efforts to eradicate them. He mentions the work of Bob Gunn, from B.C.I.T., a former student of Bob Gardner. 1:34:50 – 1:49:28: Asked about the substances used to control the mosquito population at Burnaby Lake, Joe voices his concerns about the effects of spraying, noting that the butterfly garden has been negatively affected by it in the past. He describes the origin of the garden. 1:40:28 – 1:46:06: Rebeca summarizes the interview and thanks Joe. Joe describes his hopes for the B.L.P.A. and the future of the lake. He reiterates the importance of preservation and accessibility and remarks on the number and diversity of the visitors.

History: Interviewee: Joe Sadowski is a founding member of the Burnaby Lake Park Association which was formerly named the Burnaby Outdoor Education Association. He has been recognized for his environmental efforts and was awarded the Community Stewardship Star in 2000 and 2004. Interviewer: Rebeca Salas is a MA student in the Department of Geography at Simon Fraser University. Rebeca is interested in the relationship between property and memory. Rebeca is an experienced researcher and oral history interviewer and has conducted several oral histories for Landscapes of Injustice Archive.

Creator: Burnaby Village Museum

Subjects: Environmental Issues; Environmental Issues - Environmental Protection; Geographic Features - Streams; Geographic Features - Natural Waterways; Geographic Features - Parks

Names: Sadowski, Joe; Burnaby Lake Park Association; Sapperton Fish & Game Club

Responsibility: Salas, Rebeca

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake Regional Nature Park; Burnaby Lake

Accession Code: BV018.18.1

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Date: June 16, 2017

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Interview with Joe Sadowski, 2017, June 16, 2017

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2018_0018_0001_001.mp3

Interview with John Kirbyson by Kathy Bossort September 28, 2015 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory559

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1980-2005

Length: 0:14:23

Summary: This portion of the interview is about John Kirbyson’s impression of the dispute between SFU and the City of Burnaby over land use and control on Burnaby Mountain, and Parks Dept. interests in the negotiations and agreement. He talks about how changing public values and perception of safety issues …

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview is about John Kirbyson’s impression of the dispute between SFU and the City of Burnaby over land use and control on Burnaby Mountain, and Parks Dept. interests in the negotiations and agreement. He talks about how changing public values and perception of safety issues affects parks management.

Date Range: 1980-2005

Length: 0:14:23

Names: Simon Fraser University; Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department; Mancinelli, Stephen J. "Steve"

Subjects: Geographic Features - Parks; Planning; Recreational Activities

Geographic Access: Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area; Central Park

Interviewer: Bossort, Kathy

Interview Date: September 28, 2015

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with John Kirbyson conducted by Kathy Bossort. John Kirbyson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about John Kirbyson’s education and career as parks planner for the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, and the development of the 1999 Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area Management Plan. The interview explores how parks management balances environmental and recreational values and safety, and the importance of good guidelines and public input in the parks planning process. John Kirbyson also talks about recreational activities and various developments on Burnaby Mountain in the 1990s, such as the Kamui Mintara sculptures.

Biographical Notes: John Kirbyson was born in Vancouver in 1954, to Arnold and Winnifred Kirbyson. After several years spent in Winnipeg and Calgary, the Kirbyson family moved to Hunter Street in Burnaby in 1969 where John remembers living near the City’s nursery. John earned his BSc degree at SFU in Physical Geography (1973-1978) and then worked for the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services between 1978 and 2005, where he moved from labourer to management positions. Supported by the City, he returned to SFU to earn his Masters degree in the School of Resource and Environment Management in 1991, his thesis being on restoration of Deer Lake. He was Manager of Parks Planning, Design and Development in the 1990s at the time that land on Burnaby Mountain was transferred from SFU to the City of Burnaby, and had the opportunity to direct the development of the first management plan for the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. From 2005 to 2010 John was Manager of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Dept. in Penticton, after which he has worked as an environmental consultant for Lees & Associates Landscape Architects and Planners. He is married to wife Linda and has three children: Linnaea, Jeremy and Colin.

Total Tracks: 7

Total Length: 1:33:43

Interviewee Name: Kirbyson, John W.

Interview Location: John Kirbyson's son's home in Langley

Interviewer Bio: Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track four of interview with John Kirbyson

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-002/MSS196-002_Track_4.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory356

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1931-1955

Length: 0:06:55

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of what it was like in the nineteen-thirties and forties for working people in Burnaby. Bob also discusses the history of Burnaby Lake.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of what it was like in the nineteen-thirties and forties for working people in Burnaby. Bob also discusses the history of Burnaby Lake.

Date Range: 1931-1955

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:06:55

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track four of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_4.mp3

Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory19

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1932-1936

Length: 0:09:26

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's decision to join the Army of the Common Good and its Cooperative (CG Co-op) as well as the South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed. Harry discusses his father's work as caretaker at Central Park and helping to deal with wood cutting per…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's decision to join the Army of the Common Good and its Cooperative (CG Co-op) as well as the South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed. Harry discusses his father's work as caretaker at Central Park and helping to deal with wood cutting permits and land clearing by men who were on script.

Date Range: 1932-1936

Photo Info: Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005

Length: 0:09:26

Names: Central Park

Subjects: Organizations

Geographic Access: Central Park

Historic Neighbourhood: Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: July / August 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.

Total Tracks: 9

Total Length: 1:17:56

Interviewee Name: O'Brien, Harry

Interviewer Bio: Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Oral history subseries

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Web Notes: Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it 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.

Images

Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track two of interview with W.H.

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_2.mp3

postcard

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact84668

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV007.43.1

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV007.43.1

Description: postcard; black and white photograph of entrance arches to Central Park in Burnaby - [192-]. The postcard was published by the Gowen Sutton Company Limited of Vancouver, BC. Stamp in black ink on verso of postcard reads "PUBLISHED BY THE GOWEN SUTTON CO. LTD. VANCOUVER, B.C. / POSTCARD / CORRESPONDENCE_ADDRESS"