Digney Speedway
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark693
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- MacPherson Avenue
- Irmin Street
- Associated Dates
- 1948
- Heritage Value
- Andy Digney built the speedway in South Burnaby in 1948. He was approached by the B.C. Midget Auto Racing Association, who were looking for a good location to race the smaller, racing cars, popular at the time. Digney owned property in the vicinity of present-day Metrotown that was centrally located and easily accessible via the interurban railway. Motorcycles were also raced in the early days of the track. In 1949, when the popularity of midget racing declined, Digney started racing roadsters. However, he struggled to find local drivers, and it was expensive to bring in drivers from elsewhere. In 1951 Digney found a winner: jalopy racing. Local men would buy 1930s cars and strip them down, remove the glass, and weld the doors shut. By early 1952 over forty cars were showing up for jalopy races. By the early 1950s the Speedway was well established, with coverage in the sports pages and on radio. The track closed down in 1958 when Andy retired.
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Alta Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
Images
Fire fighters at a car accident
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription96197
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2006]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Burnaby fire fighters assisting in the aftermath of an automobile accident that occurred when a driver lost control and hit two cars in the parking lot of the Metrotown Mazda at Kingsway and Imperial.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [2006]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (tiff) : col.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 535-1894
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of Burnaby fire fighters assisting in the aftermath of an automobile accident that occurred when a driver lost control and hit two cars in the parking lot of the Metrotown Mazda at Kingsway and Imperial.
- Subjects
- Occupations - Fire Fighters
- Accidents - Automobile Accidents
- Buildings - Commercial - Automobile Dealerships
- Names
- Burnaby Fire Department
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Bartel, Mario
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Collected by editorial for use in a January 2006 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
- Caption from metadata for 535-1894-1: "Burnaby firefighters prepare the driver of a Lexus that lost control at Kingsway and Imperial and smashed into two cars on the lot at Metrotown Mazda for transport to hospital on Thursday."
- Caption from metadata for 535-1894-2: "A Burnaby firefighter works to secure a Lexus that lost control at Kingsway and Imperial on Thursday, smashing into two brand new Mazdas on the lot at Metrotown Mazda. The driver of the Lexus was transported to hospital with undertermined minor injuries."
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area