11 records – page 1 of 1.

booklet

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact19156
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Accession Code
HV977.17.5
Description
"Pass Canada!"; bifold binding with three staples; 12 pages; second edition 1929. "Cover reads: "Pass Canada! / TO Nations as well as to individuals comes at / some challenging moment the mandate to / fulfil their mission. To us it seems that Canada / stands at the Open Door of Opportunity.../ ....The world calls to her for bread. ? Her's is the hour ...Let her rise up in / all the magnificent power of her natural re- /sources and lead the nations of the world along the paths of peace / Time's Sentry cries : "PASS CANADA! / A Short series of suggestions on the / way out of the present problems / of unemployment of men / and land / By Mrs. Jack Hawkshaw (First Edition Copyrighted 1922)".
Object History
From the collection of Mabel Edith Honor (McClean) Hawkshaw author and publisher of the "Burnaby Post" (1922-1937). She wrote articles for city dailies under the pen name of Percy Egerton Sterling.
Category
08. Communication Artifacts
Classification
Documentary Artifacts - - Literary Works
Object Term
Serial
Country Made
Canada
Province Made
British Columbia
Title
Pass Canada!
Author
Hawkshaw, Mabel Edith Honor McClean
Publication Date
1929
Subjects
Migration
Employment
Social Issues
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Hawkshaw, Mabel Edith Honor McClean
Images
Documents
Less detail

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…
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
1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".
History
Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Agricultural Labourers
Migration
Organizations - Unions
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Government - Provincial Government
Government
Names
Chouhan, Raj
British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism
Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash
Grewal, Hardial Singh
Canadian Farmworkers Union
Hospital Employees Union
Khalsa Diwan Society
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Accession Code
BV022.29.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19605
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1984-2023 (interview content), interviewed 5 Jun. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) (47 min., 26 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (47 min., 27 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra interviewed by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 – 00:04:31 The interview opens with introductions and biographical details about Jag Nagra. The interviewer shares information about Jag Nagra…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) (47 min., 26 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (47 min., 27 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: June 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 47:27
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra interviewed by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 – 00:04:31 The interview opens with introductions and biographical details about Jag Nagra. The interviewer shares information about Jag Nagra’s art career and the many art projects and commissions that Jag has worked on. Jag shares information about her parents, providing details about their immigration to British Columbia from Punjab and the places that Jag and her family have lived over the years. 00:04:32 – 00:12:38 Jag talks about what inspired her to become interested in art, her art education and how her artistic practice and expression have developed over time. Jag describes how she first started in graphic design, how she’s become more involved in public art and her experience working in design. Jag touches on her experiences of being a South Asian growing up and living in a predominantly white neighbourhood and provides information about her parents, Avatar Singh Nagra and Rajwant Kaur Nagra and their migration to Canada. 00:12:39 – 00:20:03 Jag talks about her inspiration in creating her work, her involvement with the revitalization of the Punjabi Market in Vancouver, the Punjabi Market Collective and other public art projects that she’s been involved with focusing on the South Asian community and LGBTQ+ issues. 00:20:04 – 00:41:09 Jag talks about her involvement with the Burnaby Village Museum’s exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. The interviewer and Jag take a walk throughout the exhibit while Jag describes the art work that she created for the exhibit and her creative process. Jag reflects on her own experiences being involved in the exhibit. 00:41:10 – 00:47:27 Jag talks about her own experiences as a South Asian Queer artist reflecting on her experiences within the art community. In closing Jag reflects on the impacts of the exhibit that celebrates South Asian culture in Burnaby.
History
Interviewee biography: Jagandeep "Jag" Nagra is a queer Panjabi Visual Artist passionate about community development, making art accessible and ending stigma against LGBTQ+ people within the South Asian community. Nagra has worked with clients such as the Vancouver Canucks, Tim Hortons and Microsoft and is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Punjabi Market Collective. She is featured in the internationally acclaimed, award wining LGBTQ documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows. Her artworks are part of the Museum of Vancouver’s permanent collection and have been commissioned for the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit "Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby". Interviewer biography: 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
Migration
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Persons - LGBTQ+
Occupations - Artists
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues - Discrimination
Names
Nagra, Jagandeep "Jag"
Responsibility
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.16.9
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1984-2023 (interview content), interviewed 5 Jun. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Less detail

Interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19603
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (93 min., 7 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (92 min., 57 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, founders of Vancouver Sath conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview is taking place at the Burnaby Village Museum's exhibit "Truths not Often Told: Being South Asian in…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (93 min., 7 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (92 min., 57 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: May 29, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:33:07 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together into one track and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, founders of Vancouver Sath conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview is taking place at the Burnaby Village Museum's exhibit "Truths not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby". The interview focuses on the history of "Vancouver Sath" as well as literary works created by Hundal and Binning and the Punjabi literary magazine "Watno Dur" and "Watan". 00:00 - 13:30 Interview opens with brief introductions and information on Sadhu Binning, Sukhwant Hundal and Vancouver Sath provided by the interviewer, James Binks. Interviewees Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal describe how they met and what they were focused on prior to the formation of the organization Vancouver Sath. Binning briefly describes how he became involved as a writer in the literary world and recalls how he published his first poem in an Indian literary magazine in 1972. Hundal describes how he immigrated to Canada from Punjab in 1975, the various industries that he worked in as a new immigrant and his interest in literature with a focus on social issues. Hundel describes how he developed a relationship with Sadhu Binning after his short story was published in "Watno Dur" literary magazine which in turn lead to his involvement with the Punjabi Literary Association and becoming co-editor of "Watnu Dur". 13:31 – 27:44 Hundal provides more background on his life as a South Asian immigrant, working in sawmills and completing a diploma in Power and Process Engineering and how he first became interested in literature while living in India. Binning and Hundal both share their insights into the formation of Vancouver Sath and provide details on their involvement with the Punjabi literary publication “Watnu Dur”. Binning describes how the inspiration for the formation of the Vancouver Sath organization came from India and that Binning, Hundal and some other members of the Punjabi Literary Association decided to form their own group where they could have more informal discussions around social, political and literary issues. 27:45 – 43:31 Binning describes how the political issues that were happening in Punjab between 1978 and 1983 influenced discussions in the South Asian community whereas prior to 1978 there was more focus on local issues that new immigrants were facing. Binning conveys how their work with Vancouver Sath endeavored to focus more on local issues and Hundal conveys how they made the decision to begin producing theatrical works rather than just written works to reach a wider audience. Hundal and Binning share names of the people that were involved with Vancouver Sath and describe some of the early plays that they performed. Binning describes the foundations of the organization where they worked together as a collective making decisions in producing and performing the works with Binning and Hundal taking on the responsibility for the written work. They talk about their first paid experience being invited to perform a few of their plays at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. 43:32 – 55:17 Hundal and Binning describe how they continued to support themselves financially since they weren’t making money from Vancouver Sath. Binning and Hundal provide further details on how their collective worked with the process of writing the plays and presenting and discussing details with the Vancouver Sath community before performing to an audience. Hundal talks about the transition that the magazine “Watno Dur” took in 1986 which lead to renaming it “Watan”. Hundal and Binning discuss how in 1992 and 1993 they decided to try to get more young people involved and began publishing a magazine in English called “Ankur”. They describe the content and list some of the authors who contributed to the magazine. 55:18 – 1:20:12 Hundal and Binning provide background details on the author of “Maluka”, Sadhu Singh Dhami and describe the details that lead them to translating the book into Punjabi, touring with the author and adapting the novel into a play which Vancouver Sath performed. Binning and Hundal describe and discuss other plays that Vancouver Sath performed including some plays that were recorded and broadcast over local radio stations. 1:20:13 – 1:32:57 Binning and Hundal reflect on what lead Vancouver Sath to discontinue theatrical performances in the mid 1990’s. Binning and Hundal state how they are both still very involved in publishing literary works but no longer perform theatrical works. Binning and Hundal describe some of their literary works and projects that they’ve been involved in and also reflect on and describe the current theatre scene in the South Asian community. Hundal conveys that even though they no longer call themselves “Vancouver Sath” they continue to enjoy working as a collective discussing literary works and ideas.
History
Interviewees' biographies: Dr. Sadhu Binning was born on May 10, 1947 to mother Gurmej Kaur and father Jeet Singh Binning. Due to lack of proper records management in India at the time of his birth, it is believed that he was actually born sometime in December of 1947. He grew up alongside two brothers and one sister in a village located in Kapurthala, Punjab. Dr. Binning attended secondary school in the nearby city of Phagwara, Punjab although he did not complete his education here. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed reading both Punjabi and Hindi novels and learned how to read Urdu as well. Dr. Binning’s uncle, Dhana Singh immigrated to Canada in 1933 and returned to India in 1953. When Dhana Singh returned to Canada in 1957, he sponsored Dr. Binning’s father, Jeet Singh Binning to immigrate. Dhana Singh co-owned a few saw mills in British Columbia and also worked in the truck driving industry. Dr. Binning remembers that some people who had lived in Canada would visit their village and that they appeared to be strong and healthy and looked happy. He also noticed that they would eat meat, so whenever they would visit there would be meat available. In 1967, when he was nineteen and a half years old, Dr. Binning immigrated Canada to join his father. He recalls his father and uncle and a friend arriving at the airport to pick him up. During his first few days, Dr. Binning made the decision to remove his turban and beard upon receiving advice from his uncle. Dr. Binning first obtained work on a farm in Abbotsford, working alongside his mother. While working, Dr. Binning also attended English classes in Vancouver. Dr. Binning’s Uncle Dhana Singh worked in a Vancouver saw mill and tried to help find work for his nephew but was unsuccessful. Dr. Binning soon found work at a saw mill in Avola and worked there until the end of the summer until a friend helped find him work in a saw mill in North Vancouver. During his free time, he enjoyed camping with friends. In 1970, Dr. Binning left the saw mill after obtaining a job at the post office. The post office offered lower wages than working at the mill but Dr. Binning believed that he would become more educated working here. While working as a postman, Dr. Binning recalls facing a lot of discrimination and racism and was often referred to as a ‘Paki’ multiple times a day. In 1973, Dr. Binning married Jagish Sihota. Sadhu and Jagdish originated from nearby villages in India and met each other in Canada. Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for thirty years until her retirement. While working, she also looked after the household and their son and daughter. Jagdish also handwrote a magazine, “Watno Dur" (English translation: ‘away from homeland’) which was distributed in the community. In 1976, Dr. Binning became the editor of the magazine and the name was later changed to “Watan’ as they had accepted their new homeland of Canada. While working at the post office, Dr. Binning also attended night school starting in eighth grade. After receiving his high school diploma, he was accepted to Simon Fraser University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology and in 1986 he obtained a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University. While attending university, Dr. Binning was very active within the community and wanted to work to improve society. He first thought that he would return to India to contribute and improve rights in his homeland but upon seeing the prevalence of the movements in Canada, he realized that work needed to be done here too. In 1983, Dr. Binning became a founding member and contributor to a theatrical collective known as “Vancouver Sath”. The theatrical group produced plays that represented societal issues and were invited to perform at multiple conferences throughout British Columbia and Canada. The group focused and acknowledged the many issues in Punjab and in Canada. One of the plays that the group produced focused on the exploitation of Punjabi women who worked on farms in Canada. Dr. Binning continued to be involved as an integral member of Vancouver Sath until 1995. Over the years, Dr. Binning has strongly lobbied for Punjabi language education and between 1988 and 2008 he worked as Punjabi instructor at the University of British Columbia. He first worked as a teaching assistant at UBC under Dr. Harjot Oberoi and due to low wages, he simultaneously worked at the Post Office. In 2019, Dr. Binning received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UBC in recognition of his work. Since 1973, Dr. Binning has lived in Burnaby and has resided in the same home that he and his wife purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips. Suhkwant Hundal is a founding member in the group known as Vancouver Sath and has spent a lot of time in Burnaby rehearsing and writing plays. Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal co-wrote the Vancouver Sath's first play, "Picket-Line" and many others. This play was staged in November 1984. He's authored and edited pieces for the various newsletters and magazines including "Watno Dur" and "Watan". Through the 1980's and early 1990's Hundal has been active in South Asian advocacy in Burnaby and the Lower Mainland. In his retirement years, Hundal has been a lecturer on Punjabi language at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Asian Studies. Interviewer biography: 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
Occupations - Writers
Organizations
Organizations - Unions
Migration
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Performances - Dramatic Performances
Social Issues
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Vancouver Sath
Binning, Dr. Sadhu
Hundal, Sukhwant
Dhami, Sadhu Singh
Pritam, Amrita
Rampuri, Gurcharan
Tut, Mukhan
Thobani, Sunera
Hoss Mushroom Farm
Deol, Jeevan
Dulai, Phinder
Dhillon, Sital
Bhangoo, Bhavna
Rai, Gurmail
Punjabi Lekhak Manch
Di Awaz, Samay
Johal, Balinder
Sara, Amanpal
United Farm Workers Union
Canadian Farmworkers Union
Responsibility
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.16.7
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, 1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023

Interview with Sadhu Binning and Sukhwant Hundal, 1967-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0007_003.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19604
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 6 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 7 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 - 00:13:30 Interview opens with introductions. Samuel (Sam) and Angela Nalliah provide biographical details including their p…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 6 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 7 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah Location of Interview: Nalliah family home Interview Date: May 29, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 68 min., 6 sec. Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph information: Ruth (Angela) Nalliah with husband Samuel Nalliah WARNING: Some of the content discussed in this interview (00:40:58 – 00:57:31) regarding the Tamil genocide may be upsetting to some people.
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks. 00:00:00 - 00:13:30 Interview opens with introductions. Samuel (Sam) and Angela Nalliah provide biographical details including their parentage, place of birth (Sri Lanka), spoken language and education. Sam Nalliah shares details on his education while living in Sri Lanka, his later education in Wales where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and his migration to Halifax in 1978 after obtaining a job at Dalhousie University as a systems analyst. Sam conveys how he decided to relocate from Halifax to Vancouver in 1986 and started his employment with BC Tel. Angela Nalliah shares details on her education and employment after immigrating to Canada from Sri Lanka in 1986. Angela conveys how she first lived in Ottawa, moved to Toronto in 1989 where she began working for TD bank and moved to Vancouver in 1999. 00:13:31 – 00:20:03 Sam Nalliah talks about how he and his wife Angela first met and married in 1999 and moved to Vancouver. Sam shares information on where his other family members immigrated to and why he decided to immigrate to Canada. Angela shares information on other members of her family who immigrated to Canada before her and how her uncle sponsored them all to come. 00:20:04 – 00:29:30 Sam provides further details regarding his family make up including; his first wife, his daughters (born in 1983 and 1985), his step daughter (born in 1991) and his youngest daughter (born in 2000). Sam tells how he worked as a Systems and Operations Manager at Shaughnessy Hospital and later at BC Hydro. Sam provides locations of homes that they lived in Burnaby and Vancouver. Sam and Angela describe what they liked about living in Burnaby, where their daughter attended school and where they did their shopping. 00:29:31 – 00:32:11 Angela talks about working for Prospera Credit Union from 2003 after TD bank downsized. Sam describes how they rented out their house in Vancouver and lived in a rental home in Burnaby that was owned by the City of Burnaby. Sam and Angela recollect the time period that they lived in Burnaby and Vancouver before deciding to move to Surrey in 2015. 00:32:12 – 00:35:59 Sam and Angela provide details regarding their daughter’s post-secondary education and careers. Angela talks about her social activities, volunteer work and involvement with the Thamil Cultural Society of British Columbia, the Women’s Network as well as the Westminster Bible Chapel Church in Burnaby and the Green Timbers Evangelical Covenant Church in Surrey. 00:36:00 – 00:40:57 Sam recalls hearing Prime Minster Pierre Elliott Trudeau speak about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms at Dalhousie University and the effect that his speech made on him. Sam talks about joining the National Democratic Party when Peter Julian was elected as a Member of Parliament for Burnaby. 00:40:58 – 00:57:31 (WARNING: Some of the content discussed in this portion of the interview may be upsetting to some people) Sam and Angela speak about their involvement with the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC). Angela describes the brutal violence that she witnessed while living in Sri Lanka during the Anti-Tamil state sponsored genocide in the 1980’s. Sam and Angela recollect and discuss their views and actions pertaining to the MV Sun Sea incident where a Thai cargo ship carrying Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to British Columbia were identified as terrorists by the Canadian Government and held in detention facilities. 00:57:32 – 01:08:07 Sam reflects on what he likes about Burnaby. Angela and Sam talk about Hindu temples attended by many Tamil and Sri Lankan people living in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Angela talks about the many cultural events and celebrations that are celebrated within the Tamil and Sri Lankan community including the Pongal Festival. Angela and Sam reflect on how grateful they are to be residents of Canada.
History
Interviewees biographies: Samuel (Sam) Nalliah was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka in 1949. Sam immigrated to Halifax in 1977 after obtaining a position as a systems analyst at Dalhousie University. In 1986, Sam sponsored his parents to come to Canada. In 1986, after being introduced to the milder weather in Victoria, Sam decided to move to British Columbia. He moved to Burnaby in 1990 and began working for BC Tel in Burnaby. Following his job at BC Tel, Sam worked as a Systems and Operations Manager at Shaughnessy Hospital and later at BC Hydro. Ruth (Angela) Nalliah was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka in 1964 and immigrated to Canada in 1986. As a Tamil living in Sri Lanka in the 1980’s Angela witnessed first hand the brutal violence during the Anti-Tamil state sponsored genocide. In 1986 Angela was relieved to be able to immigrate to Canada after being sponsored by her uncle. Angela first lived and worked in Ottawa and Toronto before marrying Samuel Nalliah in Ottawa in 1999 and the couple moved to Burnaby. Angela worked for TD bank in both Toronto and Vancouver until it downsized in 2003 and she began working for Prospero Credit Union. While living in Burnaby, Angela attended the Westminster Bible Chapel and after moving to Surrey she became a member of the Green Timbers Evangelical Covenant Church. Sam and Angela Nalliah have four daughters and since moving to British Columbia they’ve lived in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey. Both Sam and Angela are involved with the Tamil Cultural Association of British Columbia and the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) as well as participates in Sri Lankan and Tamil community cultural events. Interviewer biography: 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
Education
Events - Festivals
Government
Government - Federal Government
Migration
Occupations
Organizations - Political Parties
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions
Religions - Christianity
Religions - Hinduism
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues - Discrimination
Names
Nalliah, Ruth "Angela"
Nalliah, Samuel "Sam"
Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC)
Westminster Bible Chapel
Thamil Cultural Society of British Columbia (TCSBC)
Responsibility
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.16.8
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah, 1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023

Interview with Samuel Nalliah and Ruth (Angela) Nalliah, 1949-2023 (interview content), interviewed 29 May 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0008_003.mp3
Less detail

Interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19608
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1970-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Jul. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (84 min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (62 min., 3 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. 00:00:00 – 00:05:26 Gurvinder “Gurv” Sihra and brother Harvinder “Harv’ Sihra introduce themselves, providing details on …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (84 min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (62 min., 3 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Rajdeep Interviewees: "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 8, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:02:03 min Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph credit: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. 00:00:00 – 00:05:26 Gurvinder “Gurv” Sihra and brother Harvinder “Harv’ Sihra introduce themselves, providing details on where they were born and grew up (in Burnaby), names of their parents and provide details on their family history. They describe how their grandparents and other relatives continued to live in Punjab after their father and mother immigrated to Canada in the 1970’s, recall the reasons their parents decided to immigrate and details of their lives before and after arriving in Canada. 00:05:27 – 00:06:46 Gurvinder and Harvinder describe some of their experiences travelling through Vancouver airport and compare their experiences with their mother’s own experiences. Gurvinder and Harvinder describe the layout of the airport and how customs and immigration has changed over time. 00:06:47 – 00:09:21 Gurvinder and Harvinder provide details about their mother, Parveen Sihra. They share information regarding her education in India and how she was unable to get work related to her degree in biology after immigrating to Canada. They convey how she worked in the Burnaby City Hall cafeteria in the 1990’s and how she worked part time in order to take care of her children. They share how their parents were proud Canadians participating in events inside and outside the South Asian community and were both fluent in English but often spoke Punjabi at home. 00:09:22 – 00:16:06 Gurvinder and Harvinder recall their childhood experiences growing up in Burnaby. They talk about the sports that they were involved with including hockey and Taekwondo, family vacations spent travelling to India and their experiences attending Marlborough Elementary School and Moscrop Secondary School.They describe how they first became interested in watching wrestling and trying it out on their own in their family home. Gurvinder and Harvinder recall their own experiences of discrimination while growing up and playing sports. 00:16:07 – 00:27:37 Gurvinder and Harvinder reflect and recall events that lead them to their dream of becoming professional wrestlers. They talk about pivotal events including attending their first live wresting event at GM Place with their father in 1996, beginning their training in Calgary in 2004, travelling across the country to participate in minor wrestling events, wrestling in Rogers Arena in 2017 and 2020 and getting their first call to join WWE. They talk about the support that they’ve had along the way to getting them where they are today and comment on why they want to be wrestlers in the WWE. 00:27:38 – 00:29:25 Gurvinder and Harvinder provide background information on their various wrestling personas and names in the world of professional wrestling including the Singh Brothers and the Bollywood Boyz. 00:29:26 – 00:38:43 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their experiences wrestling in India and the support and expectations of family members in becoming successful. Gurvinder and Harvinder recall and reflect on the experience of being fired from the WWE when cutbacks were made during the COVID pandemic. 00:38:44 – 00:42:53 Gurvinder and Harvinder describe what a day in their lives looks like now. They talk about how they’re still very passionate and focused on their wrestling careers and describe their experiences of having support and enthusiasm from fans and their parents. They talk about travelling across the country to particpate in different wrestling events. 00:42:54 – 00:47:18 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their training regimen including exercise and diet and describe areas in Burnaby where they like to train in gyms and the outdoors. 00:47:19 – 00:49:49 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about neighbourhoods in Burnaby including Metrotown and Deer Lake and how they’ve seen them change over the years. 00:49:50 – 00:54:27 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their highest and lowest points in their wrestling careers, highlighting specific events. They talk about the physical stamina it takes for wrestling and compare their sport with the sport of Kabaddi (a contact team sport between two teams originating in India). 00:54:28 – 00:59:01 Gurvinder and Harvinder reflect on what toughness means to them, and what keeps them motivated to do what they do. 00:59:02 – 01:01:31 Gurvinder and Harvinder impart their words of wisdom to younger kids in chasing their passions and dreams and talk about their favourite Bollywood films and actors.
History
Interviewees' biographies: The Bollywood Boyz are a Canadian professional wrestling tag team composed of brothers Gurvinder "Gurv" Sihra (born in 1984) and Harvinder "Harv" Sihra (born in 1987). The pair are best known for their time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where Gurvinder and Harvinder performed under the ring names Sunil Singh and Samir Singh. They were both born and raised in Burnaby by their parents Harjeet and Parveen Sihra and attended Moscrop Secondary School. Gurvinder graduated from Douglas College where he studied criminology and has worked in loss prevention and has a third degree black belt in Taekwondo. Harvinder attended Douglas College with studies in history and has worked as a model and an actor. Both Gurvinder and Harvinder Sihra are Sikhs. Interviewer biography: Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Migration
Pandemics - COVID-19
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Sports
Sports - Martial Arts
Sports - Wrestling
Sports - Ice Hockey
Travel
Names
The Bollywood Boyz
Sihra, Guvinder "Gurv"
Sihra, Harvinder "Harv"
Sihra, Harjeet
Sihra, Parveen
World Wrestling Entertainment "WWE"
Moscrop Secondary School
Marlborough Elementary School
Metrotown
Responsibility
Rajdeep
Geographic Access
Deer Lake Park
Accession Code
BV023.16.12
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1970-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Jul. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Photographer
World Wrestling Entertainment "WWE"
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
Images
Audio Tracks
Less detail

Rooted : Chinese Canadian stories in Burnaby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7646
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
2023
Call Number
971.133 ROO
- inatory legislation by Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments that targeted Chinese Canadians by limiting opportunities to live, work and raise families in Canada. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned almost all migration from China and remained in place until 1947. Publishing this book
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Digital Resource
ISBN
978-0-9689849-2-5
Call Number
971.133 ROO
Contributor
Fong, Denise
Lemke, Jane
Codd, Lisa
Place of Publication
Burnaby
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2023
Printer
Metropolitan Fine Printers
Physical Description
203 p. : ill. ; 30.5 cm
Library Subject (LOC)
Chinese Canadians--British Columbia--Burnaby--History
Race discrimination -- Canada
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Families
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Notes
There are two versions of the book: English and Simplified Chinese (left, below) and the other in English and Traditional Chinese (right, below).
From the late 1800s to the present day, Chinese Canadians have made Burnaby into a more vibrant and livable city. Rooted: Chinese Canadian Stories in Burnaby brings together a collection of diverse stories and photographs from the community, celebrating the legacy and contributions of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community spanning over a century. This coffee-table book features oral histories and interviews with descendants of multigenerational family farms, green grocers, corner stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Also included are archival research and community perspectives on anti-Asian racism, community activism, courage, and resilience.
The publication has been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the Government of Canada in 1923. This federal legislation followed decades of discriminatory legislation by Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments that targeted Chinese Canadians by limiting opportunities to live, work and raise families in Canada. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned almost all migration from China and remained in place until 1947. Publishing this book in 2023 is an effort by the City of Burnaby to recognize the impact of discriminatory legislation on Chinese Canadians in our community, including discriminatory bylaws and practices implemented by Burnaby’s early municipal government.
Edited by Denise Fong (Lead Researcher), Jane Lemke (Burnaby Village Museum Curator) and Lisa Codd (City of Burnaby Heritage Planner).
Images
Digital Books
Less detail

A Pig's Tale

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14365
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
Oct. 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 video recordings (mp4) (5 min., 28 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo, subtitles
Scope and Content
Item consists of part two in a two part video series "A Taste of History" created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates from the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM). Part two is titled "A Pig's Tale". The film highlights the history o…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
A Taste of History Video series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 video recordings (mp4) (5 min., 28 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo, subtitles
Material Details
Script: Debbie Liang; Joty Gill Narration: Joty Gill Editor: Debbie Liang Subtitles: English; Simplified Chinese; Traditional Chinese Video Appearances: Kathy Lee; Eleanor Lee Illustrations and Animations: Debbie Liang Photos, Images & B-roll: Piggery photo, image courtesy of Elwin Xie; Douglas Road: City of Burnaby Archives, 477-841; Canada Way, City of Burnaby Archives, 556-522, photo by Peg Campbell; Red pig by Debbie Liang; Piglets sleeping, image courtesy of RoyBuri from pixabay, free to use; Chinese Zodiac, image courtesy of RoofOfAllLight from wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license; Pictograph for Home by Debbie Liang; Pigs lying down, image courtesy of Elwin Xie; Council minutes all from heritageburnaby.com; Cleanliness illustration set by Debbie Liang; "The Heathen Chinese in British Columbia" from Library and Archives Canada; Laundryman spitting from Daily News, Prince Rupert in 1911; Slicer on counter at Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co., Burnaby Village Museum BV017.7.290; Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. Store front, Burnaby Village Museum BV017.7.191; Medical Practices Disagreement illustration by Debbie Liang; Butchering pig, image courtesy of Elwin Xie; Chinatown brolls, courtesy of Food2 group from UBC's 2019 ACAM 390 Class; Black Rotary telephone beside ball pen on white printed paper, image courtesy of Pixabay from pexels.com, free to use; Burnaby Lake on a cloudy day, image courtesy of Flying Pegunin from wikipedia; The Vancouver Sun May 4, 1921 from newspapers.com; Vancouver Daily May 3, 1921 from newspapers.com; Reduce number of pigs illustration by Debbie Liang; Black and white photo of piggery, image courtesy of Elwin Xie; 2019 Piggery illustration by Debbie Liang Music and Sound Effects: "Acoustic Mediation 2" from audionautix; Pig Grunting sounds from Kiddopedia Animasl, Creative Commons 0; "Piano moment" & "November" from bensound.com; "Ding sound effect" from freesoundlibrary; Wuxia2_Guzheng_Pipa by PeriTune http://peritune.com; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Video adapted from 2019 BVM intern project by Debbie Liang and Marcela Gomez Special thanks to: UBC: Joanna Yang, Jenny Lu, Denise Fong, Henry Yu; BVM: Kate Petrusa, Amy Wilson Changes to music may have been made for the purposes of this video
Scope and Content
Item consists of part two in a two part video series "A Taste of History" created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates from the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM). Part two is titled "A Pig's Tale". The film highlights the history of Chinese pig farms also known as "Piggeries" in Burnaby. The film tells the story of how many of these farms were established by Chinese immigrants along Douglas Road (now Canada Way) between the 1890s and 1920s; the importance of the pig in the Chinese Culture as well as a way for Chinese immigrants to make a living and the racism and discriminatory bylaws that the Chinese pig farmers suffered that finally led to the closure of many of these farms. Content references three documented piggery ranches along Douglas Road: Ah Sam; Young Chung and Hop Hin Yen. The films are supported with voice over in english, subtitles, animation along with historical photographs. One version of the film is supported with subtitles in English while two other versions of the film are supported with subtitles in Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
History
In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, University of British Columbia student interns with the Burnaby Village Museum Chinese Canadian History in Burnaby project were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Aisa) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and piggeries in Burnaby.
Creator
Liang, Debbie
Debbie Liang
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Regulations
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Agriculture - Ranches
Animals - Pigs
Names
Liang, Debbie
Gill, Joty
Burnaby Village Museum
University of British Columbia
Xie, Elwin
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company
Ah Sam
Young Chung
Hop Hin Yen
Responsibility
University of British Columbia
UBC Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies
Burnaby Village Museum
Geographic Access
Douglas Road
Canada Way
Accession Code
BV020.28.7
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
Oct. 2020
Media Type
Moving Images
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Notes
Transcribed title
Images
Video
Less detail

A Taste of History Video series - 2020 subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14272
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
6 video recordings (mp4)
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of a two part video series "A Taste of History". Part one is titled "A Taste of History - Scraps and Dragons" and part two is titled " A Taste of History - A Pig's Tale". The films were created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates fro…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
A Taste of History Video series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
6 video recordings (mp4)
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of a two part video series "A Taste of History". Part one is titled "A Taste of History - Scraps and Dragons" and part two is titled " A Taste of History - A Pig's Tale". The films were created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates from the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM). "Scraps and Dragons" provides information on the origins of the Chinese-Canadian culinary dish "chop suey" and tells the story of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants, highlighting the history of the "Dragon Inn" chop suey restaurant owned by Larry Lee. "A Pig's Tale" shares informaton on the history of Chinese pig farms also known as "Piggeries" in Burnaby, highlighting the experiences of Chinese Pig farmers along Douglas Road. Films include versions with English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles.
History
In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, UBC interns were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Asia) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and piggeries in Burnaby
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues - Discrimination
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Agriculture - Farms
Agriculture - Ranches
Animals - Pigs
Regulations
Names
Liang, Debbie
Gill, Joty
Burnaby Village Museum
University of British Columbia
Accession Code
BV020.28
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Moving Images
Notes
Title based on contents of subseries
Less detail

The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14760
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
20 Oct. 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (62 min., 01 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
Scope and Content
Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum's Kate Petrusa. The webinar is titled "The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby" and is presented by UBC students, Debbie Liang; Joty Gill; Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong.…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker Series series
Subseries
Neighbourhood Speaker Series - Fall 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (62 min., 01 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
Material Details
Presenters: Debbie Liang; Joty Gill; Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong
Host: Kate Petrusa
Date of Presentation: October 20 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Total Number of tracks: 1
Total Length of all tracks:62 min., 01 sec.
Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
Scope and Content
Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum's Kate Petrusa. The webinar is titled "The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby" and is presented by UBC students, Debbie Liang; Joty Gill; Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong. The zoom webinar is the fifth in a collection of seven "Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker series" webinars that were presented and made available to the public between September 29 and October 27, 2020. The live webinar and recording was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. In this webinar, the four UBC students, present their research on Chinese Canadian involvement in food and farming in early Burnaby. The students were participants in a joint partnership between Burnaby Village Museum and the UBC iniative for student teaching and research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC), the UBC Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM), the UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC Go Global and UBC St. John's College (SJC). In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, the interns were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Asia) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and Piggeries in Burnaby. Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong (students in the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems) created a three episode podcast series "Back to the Roots" which delved into the topics of family-operated farming businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism. The webinar begins with Joty Gill and Debbie Liang talking about their project, “A Taste of History Film Series”. They describe their research and challenges in the development of their two films “Scraps and Dragons” and “A Pig's Tale”. Debbie and Joty support their presentation with slides including excerpts from their films. Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong talk about their project which consisted of a three episode podcast series titled "Back to the Roots" which delved into the topics of family-operated farming businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism. They describe their research, challenges and highlights which resulted in the three podcasts “A Family Farm”; “Where is your food from?” and “Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM”. Rose and Wei Yan support their presentation with slides including excerpts from their podcasts. At the close of their presentation the students reflect on the importance of sharing personal aspects of Chinese Canadian History and answer questions from webinar participants.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Agriculture
Gardens - Market Gardens
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Names
Wu, Rose
Yeong, Wei Yan
Fong, Denise
University of British Columbia
Burnaby Village Museum
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Accession Code
BV020.29.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
20 Oct. 2020
Media Type
Moving Images
Notes
Title based on contents of video recording
Video recording was edited for publication on Heritage Burnaby. Original mp4 video recording (BV020.29.5.1) is 72 min., 25 sec.
Images
Video

The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby, 20 Oct. 2020

The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby, 20 Oct. 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2020_0029_0005_002.mp4
Less detail

Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14274
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:16:19 min)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part three in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts where the hosts Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, "Dig up the roots of the past to unearth the foundations of the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby." This episode three is titled "Chinese Herbalist Shops and …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:16:19 min)
Material Details
Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Persons from recorded extracts: Denise Fong; Josephine Chow; Julie Lee Guest: Dr. John Yang Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:16:19 min Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part three in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts where the hosts Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, "Dig up the roots of the past to unearth the foundations of the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby." This episode three is titled "Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM". The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. 00:00 - 01:34 Podcast opens with an introduction to this episode in the podcast series. 01:35 - 03:43 This portion of the podcast consists of segments of pre-recorded interviews between Denise Fong and Chinese-Canadians Julie Lee and Josephine Chow who grew up in Burnaby. Josephine and Jule recall visiting herbalist shops in Vancouver's Chinatown during the nineteen fifties and sixties. Due to the lack of herbalist shops in the Burnaby community during that time, it was common for a Chinese farming family to travel to Vancouver’s Chinatown in order to obtain herbal prescriptions or dried goods. Julie speaks briefly about what the type of Traditional Chinese medical care and advice her mother and family received. Josephine Chow tells of a female Chinese doctor from Vancouver, Madeline Chung who was responsible for delivering a lot of Chinese babies including Josephine and describes how her mother would take members of the family to the herbalist in Vancouver's Chinatown. 03:44 - 04:44 In this portion, the hosts tell of how aside from its medicinal purposes, herbalist shops also have a major socio-cultural significance to the Chinese community. The hosts describe the traditional layout of Chinese herblist shops, with a table set up for the game Ma Jong in the back and a seating area where customers could chat while waiting and be served tea. The hosts provide an example of the "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co." herbalist shop in Victoria that was open between 1905 and 1967 and of how the shop and contents are now part of a permanent exhibit at the Burnaby Village Museum. 04:45 - 09:21 In this portion, the hosts describe "Traditional Chinese Medicine" also known as "TCM". In order to better understand the importance of TCM in Chinese culture, and specifically to Chinese-Canadian immigrants, the hosts interview Dr John Yang, the chairperson and program director of Kwantlen Polytechnic University's TCM program. Holding a PHD in TCM before migrating with his family to Canada, Dr Yang came here 30 years ago and immediately started his journey as a TCM practitioner at his home basement in Burnaby. Dr. Yang tells of how he worked with the lobbying group, ATCMA (The British Columbia Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioners) to help legitimize TCM as a recognized form of medical health care. In 1996, the Canadian government finally approved the legitimization of TCM in Canada, where one is required to take a licensing exam before they’re allowed to start their practices in Canada. 09:22 - 15:17 In this portion of the podcast, Dr. Yang and hosts describe how Traditional Chinese Medicine and treatments differ from Western medicine, how TCM is a way of life and regularly incorporated into recipes and diets, the lack of social acceptance and the import of Chinese medicinal herbs and misconceptions. 15:18 - 16:19 Conclusion, credits and acknowledgements.
History
Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Public Services - Health Services
Names
Lee, Julie Cho Chan
Chow, Josephine
Fong, Denise
Yang, Dr. John
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company
Burnaby Village Museum
Responsibility
Wu, Rose
Yeong, Wei Yan
Accession Code
BV020.28.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
BV020.28.3; BV020.28.4
Notes
Title based contents of sound recording
See also Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020 - BV020.6.1; Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020 - BV020.6.2
For associated video recording of research interview with Dr. John Yang - see BV020.28.1
Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
B.C. to recognize doctors of Chinese medicine: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/b-c-to-recognize-doctors-of-chinese-medicine-1.396806
B.C. takes steps to legitimize traditional Chinese medicine: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/bc-takes-steps-to-legitimize-traditional-chinese-medicine/article18428851/
Traditional Chinese medicine moves into the mainstream https://www.straight.com/life/415386/traditional-chinese-medicine-moves-mainstream
Burnaby Village Museum - Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong Feb. 7, 2020. BV020.6.1 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12337
Burnaby Village Museum, Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong Feb. 6, 2020. BV020.6.2 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12338
Images
Audio Tracks

Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM, 2020

Less detail

11 records – page 1 of 1.