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Building Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription13
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1926-2003
- Collection/Fonds
- Building Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of historical building records from the Building Department.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1926-2003
- Collection/Fonds
- Building Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 48100 05 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 10 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 11 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 12 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 14 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 18 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of historical building records from the Building Department.
- History
- In 2022, responsibility for Major Civic Projects was moved from the Planning and Building Department to the newly-created Lands and Facilities Department.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription29
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1892-2021
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 130m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records generated in the course of municipal business by City Council and the Office of the City Clerk.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1892-2021
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Physical Description
- 130m of textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records generated in the course of municipal business by City Council and the Office of the City Clerk.
- History
- The City of Burnaby covers an area of approximately 98 square kilometers between the cities of Vancouver to the west, and Coquitlam and New Westminster to the east, Burrard Inlet to the north, and the Fraser River to the south. The municipality derived its name from Robert Burnaby, a prominent businessman and advisor to Sir James Douglas, the first Governor of the Crown Colony of British Columbia. Burnaby’s early development was closely tied to the development of the City of New Westminster. New Westminster became British Columbia’s capital in 1859, the year after the British Government proclaimed the establishment of British Columbia. Shortly thereafter, the Royal Engineers began exploring Burnaby to establish military defenses and secure natural resources. This involved the construction of a road linking New Westminster to Burrard Inlet for military purposes, which is present-day North Road. At this time, individuals and families began settling in Burnaby and were largely involved in agricultural and logging activities. Burnaby developed slowly until 1887, when the Canadian Pacific Railway was extended into Vancouver from the Port Moody terminal, causing a dramatic increase in traffic between New Westminster and Vancouver. To meet the new transportation demands, a tramline was built in 1891 connecting the two urban centers along what is now Kingsway. The creation and location of the tramline induced property owners to begin subdividing and selling their lands as early as October 1891. The property taxes the roughly 200 residents paid at this time went directly to the provincial government in Victoria. No local services were provided in turn, which prompted the formation of a committee to petition the provincial government for a municipal charter. As a result, the Corporation of the District of Burnaby was incorporated by letters patent on September 22, 1892. Burnaby’s first Council was elected by acclamation on October 15, 1892 and consisted of Reeve Charles R. Shaw and councillors William Brenchley, Arthur De Windt Hazard, L. Claude Hill, William McDermott, and John Woolard.* The first formal Council election was conducted three months later. Nicolai Shou became the first elected reeve of Burnaby by ballot. Council met at various locations, including the tramline’s power house, private homes, and offices until the first municipal hall was built at Kingsway and Edmonds in 1899. Council is ultimately responsible for the government of the City of Burnaby. The Mayor (formally called “Reeve” prior to 1968) and Council are elected by the residents of Burnaby to represent them in decisions with respect to the provision of public services and facilities. Additionally, the Mayor represents the citizens of Burnaby at various public functions and events. Burnaby was without Council representation during most of the Great Depression and part of the Second World War. Council was disbanded on December 31, 1932 as a result of financial difficulties. The Provincial Government appointed a Commissioner to take over the duties of Reeve and Council beginning in 1933. This system of government was retained until January 1943, when Burnaby residents could once again elect their local government officials. The following individuals have served as Mayor (or Reeve) of Burnaby: Charles R. Shaw 1892 Nicolai C. Schou 1893-1903 Charles F. Sprott 1904-1905 Peter Byrne 1906-1910 John W. Weart 1911-1912 Duncan C. McGregor 1913 Hugh M. Fraser 1914-1918 Thomas Sanderson 1919-1920 Alexander K. McLean 1921-1926; 1928-1929 Charles C. Bell 1927 William L. Burdick 1929 William A. Pritchard 1930-1932 William Tate Wilson 1943-1944 George A. Morrison 1945-1949 William R. Beamish 1950-1953 Charles W. MacSorley 1954-1957 Alan H. Emmott 1958-1968 Robert W. Prittie 1969-1973 Thomas W. Constable 1973-1979 David M. Mercier 1979-1981 William A. Lewarne 1981-1987 William J. Copeland 1987-1996 Douglas P. Drummond 1996-2002 Derek R. Corrigan 2002-2018 Mike Hurley 2018-present The following individuals have served as provincially appointed Commissioners for the Corporation of the District of Burnaby: John Bennett 1933 John Mahony 1933-1934 Hugh M. Fraser 1934-1940* R.S. Gilchrist 1941-1942* B.C. Bracewell 1942* *Richard Bolton was Acting Commissioner for most of 1940-1942. He refused to be a full-fledged Commissioner. Closely associated with the functions of Council is the City Clerk. The Office of the City Clerk is responsible for the statutory duties of the municipal clerk including the preparation and preservation of all minutes books and records of Council business, custody of City bylaws, administrative support to Council and its Committees, preparation of Council and Committee agendas and the conduct of local government elections. The Clerk’s Office is the communications link between Council and other City Departments and the general public, and provides assistance and advice to citizens with respect to Council and Council Committee processes, reporting procedures and decisions. At the time of Burnaby’s incorporation in 1892, the municipal Clerk had the responsibility to attend all meetings of Council, keep all records of Council, prepare and alter voters’ lists, conduct Council elections, collect revenue, as well as having the responsibility to prepare balance sheets and audits. An advertisement in a local newspaper for the appointment of the Clerk dated February 1, 1905 states the “united offices of clerk, collector and assessor” receive a salary of $65.00 per month. Originally the treasurer, assessor and records manager for the corporation, the Clerk eventually became the municipal Council liaison. The primary functions of the City Clerk over time have been the keeping of minutes for the meetings of City Council and related bodies; keeping the records of the City of Burnaby as required by the Local Government Act (formally Municipal Act); keeping all records related to City Council decision making; carrying out correspondence on behalf of Council; assembling voters’ lists and carrying out elections; providing communication, information, and public relations services, including responsibility for civic ceremonies/events, and the municipal archives. The following individuals have served as City Clerk: Alexander Philip 1892–1894 Alfred Smither 1894–1899 F.J.H. Shirley 1899–1901 Arthur De Windt Haszard 1901–1902 Walter J. Walker 1902–1905 Benjamin George Walker 1905–1908 Charles Thomas Saunders 1908–1911 W.M. Griffiths 1911–1912 Arthur G. Moore 1912–1933 Charles Boyer Brown 1933–1959 John H. Shaw 1959–1973* James Hudson 1974–1984 Charles A. Turpin 1984–1995 Debbie R. Comis 1995–2011 Anne Skipsey (Acting) 2011-2012 Maryann Manuel (Acting) 2012-2014 Dennis Back 2014-2018 Kate O'Connell 2018-2020 Blanka Zeinabova 2020-2022 *Deputy City Clerk T. Ward took over many of the Clerk’s duties from 1972 to 1973 due to Shaw’s ill health during these years.
- Formats
- Microforms exist for some records. See series descriptions.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on creators of fonds
Engineering Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription43
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-2014
- Collection/Fonds
- Engineering Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1m of textual records, approximately 2000 cartographic and architecural drawings
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Engineering department including environmental service files, physical plant plans, and administrative records.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-2014
- Collection/Fonds
- Engineering Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 1m of textual records, approximately 2000 cartographic and architecural drawings
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Engineering department including environmental service files, physical plant plans, and administrative records.
- History
- In 2020, responsibility for environmental management transferred to Climate Action and Energy, with Engineering retaining responsibility for geotechnical investigations and graffiti management. In 2022, Engineering became responsible for a consolidated Transportation group that aligns transportation planning and implementation functions. Green Fleet and Equipment also moved from Climate Action and Energy to the Public Works division of the Engineering Department. In 2022, Facilities Management was transferred from Engineering to the newly-created Lands and Facilities Department. James Lota served as General Manager, Engineering from 2021-2022. Jozsef Dioszeghy has served in the role since April 2022.
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Fire Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription47
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1920-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Fire Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records, graphic material, and cartographic material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of news clippings; notes correspondence; and layout and research materials used in the development and creation of the Burnaby Fire Department history entitled “Follow that Fire.” Also consists of administrative records created by the Fire Department related to its management, direct…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1920-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Fire Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records, graphic material, and cartographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of news clippings; notes correspondence; and layout and research materials used in the development and creation of the Burnaby Fire Department history entitled “Follow that Fire.” Also consists of administrative records created by the Fire Department related to its management, direction, coordination, training services, and planning, including daily record books, emergency preparedness pamphlets, a departmental practice manual, procedural directives, scrapbooks, and an orthophoto map (in 63 pieces) of the City of Burnaby.
- History
- Serving the City since 1911, the Burnaby Fire Department is committed to providing timely, professional, and effective fire-related emergency services to save lives, property and the environment. Their dedicated staff serves the City via seven fire stations located strategically across Burnaby. Each of our stations is equipped with up-to-date vehicles and equipment. Their highly skilled and trained team of men and women provide many services, including fire suppression and prevention, investigation, inspection, training, medical, vehicle extrication, technical and other speciality rescues, hazardous materials response and public education services. The following information pertains to the publication "Follow That Fire": Communities have always lived with the threat of fire. Early Burnaby residents banded together to extinguish out-of-control brush fires. In the 1920s, the Municipal Police were responsible for fire-related matters, earning three dollars for attending a fire. Donations to the Vancouver and New Westminster Fire Departments' Benevolent Funds brought the first fire engines to Burnaby's rescue. As the population increased, by-laws were enacted to develop a full-time fire service. Several members saw the value in jotting down recollections of their experiences as Burnaby firemen, which sparked an interest in completing the History of the Burnaby Fire Department. While researching this project, the author was fortunate in being able to draw from the resources of retired chiefs Fred Blake and Lewis Auvache, who were original members of the Department. The Department's progression includes heated and sometimes humorous debates regarding who should be responsible for fire protection, deciding if there was a need for a fire services, and how taxes would be levied to support the service. Photographs throughout the text represent stages of development which include a pictorial record of Burnaby fire trucks from 1923 to the present platform ladder trucks. From its humble beginning as two separate fire departments operating from a converted police horse stable and a water pumping station, the Burnaby Fire Department has developed into a professional organization serving its citizens from six fire stations.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Cartographic Material
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Legal Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription78
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1942-2018
- Collection/Fonds
- Legal Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 30 m of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the City Solicitor and property negotiators in the process of fulfilling their roles as legal counsel and land agents for the City of Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1942-2018
- Collection/Fonds
- Legal Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 30 m of textual records
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the City Solicitor and property negotiators in the process of fulfilling their roles as legal counsel and land agents for the City of Burnaby.
- History
- The City of Burnaby Legal Department was formally established on April 20, 1954, when City Council called for the appointment of a full-time City Solicitor to manage the legal affairs of the City and all its boards and departments. This decision followed a report presented by Councilor Hean on March 8 of that year which listed a number of reasons why such an appointment was necessary and recommended that the City employ a full-time Solicitor and a support staff comprised of an assistant solicitor and a stenographer. Councilor Hean’s report was initially referred to a Committee of Council for further study, but was endorsed by the Committee of the Whole on March 29, 1954, and on August 23, Mr. William L. Stirling was appointed as the first Solicitor for the City of Burnaby. Prior to the development of the City’s Legal Department, it was the practice of City Council to appoint a law firm to act as legal counsel for the Municipality, but the last lawyer on retainer for the City was dismissed on May 17, 1954, because of the imminent creation of a Municipal Legal Department. Initially, the City Solicitor was expected to report to the City Clerk who was Chief Executive Officer for the Municipal government. However, the reporting relationships within the City were altered in 1957 with the adoption of Bylaw No. 3859. Bylaw No. 3859 (the Municipal Manager Bylaw) heralded the appointment of a Municipal Manager who became the administrative head of the City and to whom all departments reported, including the Legal Department. Regardless of the administrative hierarchy within which the Department operated, its mandate has remained quite consistent since its inception. The City of Burnaby Legal Department’s primary functions are: providing legal advice to City Council and other City departments; drafting bylaws; negotiating and drafting contracts involving the City; dealing with claims both by and against the City; and managing legal proceedings involving the City. From 1979 onwards, the Legal Department also acted as the main land agent for the City by managing the acquisition and disposal of land, the leasing of City land and the negotiations of rights of way and other land related agreements. Prior to 1979, this function was the responsibility of the Treasury Department, but after an organizational review in late 1978, Council decided that the Land Agent should act under the authority of the Municipal Solicitor. As a result of fulfilling these two broad roles within the City – that of providing legal services and that of acting as land agents – the Department was renamed the Legal and Lands Department and came to include not only a City Solicitor but also property negotiators and a number of legal assistants. In 2017, City land acquisition and sales were transferred from Legal Services to the newly-established Realty and Lands division of the Public Safety and Community Services Department. In 2018, Legal Services was brought under the new Corporate Services Department. The following individuals have held the role of Municipal Solicitor: William L. Stirling 1954-1983 Patricia Flieger 1983-1998 Bruce Rose 1998-Present May Leung 2015-Present
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Mayor's Office fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1828 (date of original) -2015
- Collection/Fonds
- Mayor's Office fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records and photographic material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the office of the Mayor during the administrations of Robert W. Prittie (1969-1973), Thomas W. Constable (1973-1979), David M. Mercier (1979-1981), William A. Lewarne (1981-1987), William J. Copeland (1987-1996), John Douglas Drummond (1996-2002) and Derek…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1828 (date of original) -2015
- Collection/Fonds
- Mayor's Office fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records and photographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the office of the Mayor during the administrations of Robert W. Prittie (1969-1973), Thomas W. Constable (1973-1979), David M. Mercier (1979-1981), William A. Lewarne (1981-1987), William J. Copeland (1987-1996), John Douglas Drummond (1996-2002) and Derek Corrigan (2002-2018).
- History
- On September 22, 1892, the Corporation of the District of Burnaby was established by letters patent. An integral component of this incorporation was the creation of the office of the Reeve (later called Mayor). The Reeve was to serve as the Head and Chief Executive Officer of Burnaby and was to lead the City Council in the governing of the Corporation. Burnaby’s first Reeve and Council were elected by acclamation on October 15, 1892, with formal elections held by ballot three months later. From 1893 until 1977 the Reeve and Council were elected for one-year terms, but the practice of annual elections was abandoned in favour of two-year terms in 1977. The current practice of holding elections every three years was begun in 1987. Elections of Reeve and Council were suspended altogether in 1933. However, as a financial crisis in the Corporation resulted in the Province intervening and assuming control of the local government. For ten years, Commissioners were appointed by the Provincial Government to manage the affairs of the Municipality, but by January 1943, the situation had been remedied and local elections were once again held. From 1892 until 1968, the Chief Executive Officer in Burnaby was known as “Reeve,” but this nomenclature changed with revisions to the Local Government Act in the latter part of the twentieth century. In 1968, the Province altered the Act and abolished the practice of assigning different titles to the members of Council based on Municipal Classification and introduced "Mayor" and "Alderman" as terms applicable in all Municipalities not just those of a certain size or with a certain number of citizens. From that point on, the CEO of Burnaby has been referred to as the Mayor of the City. Despite these changes in election procedures, naming protocols, and the disruption caused by the financial crisis in the 1930s and 1940s, the roles and responsibilities of the Mayor have remained relatively stable throughout the years. As Head and Chief Executive Officer of the City, the Mayor is responsible for ensuring that the principles of law and good government are enforced in Burnaby. This includes the task of overseeing the conduct of officers and employees and directing the management of municipal business and affairs as well as chairing the meetings of Council and appointing Council Committee members. The Mayor is also charged with the duty of representing the City at public functions, in meetings with visiting dignitaries, and in participating in local community and fundraising events. Initially, the Municipal Clerk assisted the Mayor in his work by handling most correspondence and clerical tasks of the office. Today, however, the Mayor’s office retains its own administrative staff who are responsible for facilitating all schedules and arrangements for the Mayor along with coordinating their internal and external contacts and events. The following individuals have served as Reeve or Mayor of Burnaby: Charles R. Shaw 1892 Nicolai C. Shou 1893-1903 Charles F. Sprott 1904-1905 Peter Byrne 1906-1910 J. W. Weart 1911-1912 D. C. McGregor 1913 Hugh M. Fraser 1914-1918 T. Sanderson 1919-1920 Alexander K. McLean 1921-1926; 1928-1929 Charles C. Bell 1927 W. L. Burdick 1929 W. A. Pritchard 1930-1932 William Tate Wilson 1943-1944 George A. Morrison 1945-1949 William R. Beamish 1950-1953 Charles W. MacSorely 1954-1957 Alan H. Emmott 1958-1968 Robert W. Prittie 1969-1973 Thomas W. Constable 1973-1979 David M. Mercier 1979-1981 William A. Lewarne 1981-1987 William J. Copeland 1987-1996 Douglas P. Drummond 1996-2002 Derek Corrigan 2002-2018 Mike Hurley 2018-present The following individuals have served as provincially appointed Commissioners for the Corporation of the District of Burnaby: John Bennett 1932-1933 John Mahony 1933-1934 Hugh M. Fraser 1934-1940* R. S. Gilchrist 1941* B. C. Bracewell 1942* *Richard Bolton was Acting Commissioner for most of 1940-1942. He refused to be a full-fledged Commissioner.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Planning Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription102
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 71000 10 (add. 2020)
- 71000 20 (add. 2020)
- 71000 30 (add. 2020)
- 71000 40 (add. 2020)
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- History
- The City of Burnaby Planning Department was established on October 9, 1956, when the City Council unanimously carried the motion to create a distinct department to deal with planning issues within the City and appointed Mr. William John Blakely as its head. This decision followed a report and recommendation made by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer which indicated that the role of the Planning Engineer and his staff had quickly expanded to become a separate division within the Engineering Department and that they were functioning as an independent unit in all but name. The proposed separation of the Engineering and Planning departments had been in the works since the early part of 1956 when staff changes and restructuring within the Engineering Department’s Planning Division illustrated the undermanned condition of the Planning Engineer’s office. As a result, Council asked the Chief Administrative Officer to undertake a study examining the feasibility of creating a distinct Planning Department. This report was delivered to Council on July 3, 1956, but was laid over until a Committee of the Council had the opportunity to study the functions of the Planning department to determine the necessity of the proposal. The Committee’s findings were in line with the initial report and the Planning Department was established with a staff of nine (the head Planning Engineer, an Administrative Planner, three Research Planning Assistants, a Draughtsman, a Subdivision Control Clerk, a department Clerk and a Clerk Stenographer). This new department was to offer advice and carry out the work intensive in matters such as zoning and rezoning applications, subdivision control, traffic and transportation planning, and general City planning schemes. Prior to the creation of the Planning Department, a number of bodies within the City had been responsible for fulfilling the functions carried out by this new unit. In the earliest years of the City, the members of Council were responsible for matters of planning and were assisted in their job by the City’s Engineer or any number of hired consultants (e.g. surveyors, cartographers). By 1906, however, the provincial laws surrounding the subdivision process had changed, and local governments were charged with the task of approving all private subdivision plans in their respective Municipalities. In Burnaby, the City Council passed a bylaw decreeing that all subdivision plans were to be submitted to Council for review and the City Engineer was responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. After the first Town Planning Bylaw in 1924 which restricted the type and size of construction that could occur in certain City areas, the Engineering and Building departments were to work together to oversee the enforcement of the Bylaw and the development of City plans. The scope and competence required to carry out this work grew as Burnaby’s population expanded, and in 1930 Council passed the Town Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 1028) that saw the creation of a permanent body – the Town Planning Commission – which was to serve as an advisory body to help direct the planning activities in the City while the actual work continued to be carried out by the Engineering Department. This body was comprised of the Reeve, the Chairman of the School Board, the Chairman of the Park Committee (later, the Board of Parks Commissioners), and six appointed citizens who served three-year terms. Council referred all matters of subdivisions, transportation planning, and rezoning to this Commission, which was later supported in its work by several other special or standing committees such as the Subdivision Committee, the Apartment Committee, the Transportation Committee or the Town Planning Board of Appeal. By 1953, it had become apparent that the advisory committees that were dedicated to these planning issues needed a permanent staff to carry out the work intensive, so a restructuring of the Engineering department resulted in a permanent Planning Engineer’s office being created. The Town Planning Commission continued in its advisory capacity even after the determination came in 1956 to create a separate Planning Department. When Bylaw No. 4473 was passed in 1963, the Town Planning Commission was disbanded in favour of a new Advisory Planning Commission that would turn over all routine matters such as subdivision and rezoning applications to the Planning Department but would offer advice and community input into the more complex planning schemes within the City and act as an intermediary in cases where Council and Planning staff were in disagreement. A new Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 7600) was adopted in 1980 which allowed for even greater community participation in the planning process. The Planning Department was initially responsible to report directly to Council, but in 1957, the administrative structure of Municipal staff changed with the introduction of the Burnaby Municipal Manager Bylaw (No. 3859) and from that point on, the head of the Planning Department held a direct reporting relationship to the Municipal Manager, who in turn was responsible for reporting the activities of the Department to the City Council. Over the years, the internal structure and the scope of responsibilities of the Department have changed during periods of staff reorganizations. Under the larger umbrella of the Planning and Building Department, Planning has come to be comprised of two divisions: the Current Planning Division and the Long Range Planning Division. The functions of the Current Planning Division include rezoning, subdivision, development plan areas, preliminary plan approvals, urban design, heritage planning, and urban trails and bicycle routes. The Long Range Planning Division is responsible for environmental planning concerns, transportation planning, housing, neighbourhood area planning, social planning and planning information services. In 2022, the Planning and Building Department was reorganized to better align functions with delivery of services. The Climate Action and Engery Division moved from Corporate Services to the Planning and Building Department, while Indigenous Relations and Facilities Management moved to Corporate Services and Lands and Facilities, respectively. The position of Director of Planning and Building was changed to General Manager, Planning and Development. The following individuals have served as Planning Engineer and/or Director of the Planning Department and/or General Manager, Planning and Development for the City of Burnaby: William John Blakely 1954-1956 (as Planning Engineer) 1956-1963 (as Head of the Department) Anthony P. Parr 1964-1993 Don G. Stenson 1993-2001 Jack S. Belhouse 2001-2006 Basil Luksun 2006-2012 Lou Pelletier 2012-2019 Edward Kozak 2019-present
- Formats
- Microforms exist for some records. See series descriptions.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Doreen Lawson fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58356
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1950-2002
- Collection/Fonds
- Doreen Lawson fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 cm of textual records + approx. 1000 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created and received by Doreen Lawson during her career as Parks Commissioner (1965-1971), Burnaby City Council member (1972-1985, 1990-1999) and environmental advocate following her retirement from Council in 1999. Records include election campaign materials, congratulat…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1950-2002
- Collection/Fonds
- Doreen Lawson fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 cm of textual records + approx. 1000 photographs
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2003-30
- 2015-15
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created and received by Doreen Lawson during her career as Parks Commissioner (1965-1971), Burnaby City Council member (1972-1985, 1990-1999) and environmental advocate following her retirement from Council in 1999. Records include election campaign materials, congratulatory letters and correspondence, community speeches and slideshow presentations regarding the conservation of Burnaby Lake, the administrative papers of the Burnaby Centennial Rhododendron and Spring Flower Show Society, and photographs of Burnaby waterways and wildlife.
- History
- Doreen Anne Fowler Lawson was born July 8, 1928, to Eva Barnhill and Leonard Fowler. Her parents met in Alberta but decided to move to Vancouver where they got married and Doreen was born. The family moved to the north side of Claude Avenue in Burnaby when Doreen was a few months old. In 1931, they moved to a house with an acre of land directly across the street from their first house.
- When Doreen was six, her family moved to Collingwood, Vancouver, near where her father grew up. This is where her brother Ron was born. The family moved again to County Line in Langley Prairie in 1944, which is where Doreen met Edward Lawson, her future husband. Soon after, they moved to a seven-acre plot in Burquitlam. Ed and Doreen Lawson’s eldest daughter, Linda, was born in 1954. Their second daughter, Wendy, was born in 1959 and their youngest, Lisa, was born in 1961. They lived in the Brentwood area, where all three daughters attended Brentwood Elementary School. Linda went on to Alpha Secondary School.
- In 1945, Doreen began her first of several office jobs, and in the early 1950s she became the first woman to be elected into a vice-president position within the BC Trade Union Congress (now the BC Federation of Labour).
- Doreen Lawson had a long and prolific political career, starting as Parks Commissioner in 1965, and serving as its chair from 1969 to 1971. She was instrumental in the selection and promotion of the rhododendron as the official flower of Burnaby in 1966. In 1971, she was elected to Burnaby City Council and, in 1972, Doreen proposed that Council take action to declare Burnaby Lake a wildlife sanctuary. After a 10-year campaign, she was able to convince Council to declare the park “a nature conservation area.” She put forward a policy of preservation for creeks and streams, as well as a proposal to preserve trees in subdivisions, both of which were adopted by Council. Doreen continued to serve on Council until 1985, during which time she initiated and chaired the Burnaby Information Committee, which designed the present Burnaby logo (and official flower pins) and established the Information Burnaby Newsletter. In 1979 Doreen Lawson won Vancouver Natural History Society’s Frank Sanford Award.
- In 1984, Doreen was elected the first woman president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Doreen ran as a BC Liberal Party candidate in the new Federal Riding of Burnaby in 1979, and from 1985 to 1987, she served as the Executive Director of the British Columbia Liberal Party. As the B.C. Liberal Party Executive Director, her major responsibility was to work with both the Federal and Provincial Associations in implementing riding organizations and fundraising programs in preparation for election time. In the 1980s, Doreen was an active guest lecturer at Burnaby Elementary and High Schools as well as at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Doreen was active in a variety of community clubs and organizations including: the Burnaby Library Board; Greater Vancouver Spinners and Weavers Guild; and Vancouver Natural History Society. She was an executive member of the Burnaby-New Westminster Canada Summer Games; the Burnaby Division of the United Way; Information Burnaby Committee; and the Brentwood Parent Teachers Association; as well as serving as the President of the Burnaby Voters Association from 1988-1990.
- In 1990, Doreen was elected back to Burnaby Council and put forward the rejuvenation of Burnaby Lake which she saw completed before her final year on Council in 1999. Doreen continued to be a strong environmental advocate for the protection and rejuvenation of Burnaby Lake after she retired from council.
- Doreen Lawson died October 11, 2003.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Lawson, Doreen A.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS071, photo catalogue 605, photo catalogue 618
Steve Jensen fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58368
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944-2009
- Collection/Fonds
- Steve Jensen fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs.
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of one image depicting the Naud house in 2009 and one image of Steve Jensen's mother and her family ca. 1944.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944-2009
- Collection/Fonds
- Steve Jensen fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2009-03
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of one image depicting the Naud house in 2009 and one image of Steve Jensen's mother and her family ca. 1944.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Jensen, Steve
- Notes
- Photo catalogue 494
Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription71324
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1995-2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- ca. 4300 photographs : b&w and col.
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of photographs depicting local events, sports, and people in Burnaby and the Lower Mainland that were taken for or collected by the Burnaby NewsLeader newspaper.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1995-2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection
- Physical Description
- ca. 4300 photographs : b&w and col.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2012-11
- 2018-12
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of photographs depicting local events, sports, and people in Burnaby and the Lower Mainland that were taken for or collected by the Burnaby NewsLeader newspaper.
- History
- The Burnaby NewsLeader was established in 1989 and published on Wednesday and Friday. It was awarded Newspaper of the Year by Suburban Newspapers of America in 2009. Burnaby NewsLeader ceased publications in 2015.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Burnaby NewsLeader
- Notes
- Title based on contents of collection
- Photo catalogue 535
Burnaby Outdoor Club fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription71572
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1991-2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Outdoor Club fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 folder textual records + 3 optical discs : CD-ROM
- Scope and Content
- Fonds comprises the Burnaby Outdoor Club's monthly newsletter "Footnotes". The newsletter, started in June 1991, details the events and activities undertaken by the Club and includes information on membership and club development. The fonds includes June 1991 to January 2009 newsletters on paper an…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1991-2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Outdoor Club fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 folder textual records + 3 optical discs : CD-ROM
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Record No.
- MSS162
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2012-12
- 2016-13
- 2018-24
- 2020-17
- Scope and Content
- Fonds comprises the Burnaby Outdoor Club's monthly newsletter "Footnotes". The newsletter, started in June 1991, details the events and activities undertaken by the Club and includes information on membership and club development. The fonds includes June 1991 to January 2009 newsletters on paper and January 2009 to December 2020 in digital form.
- History
- The Burnaby Outdoor Club was formed in 1991 for the purpose of promoting the care and enjoyment of the outdoor environment through hiking, cycling, and skiing, supplemented by a variety of other sports and activities. The Club holds numerous sport and social events throughout the year and the monthly newsletter provides an overview of these events.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- Burnaby Outdoor Club
Yanko family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription74502
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1917-2010
- Collection/Fonds
- Yanko family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 4 albums (1272 photographs : b&w and col.) and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of four photographic albums, two scrapbooks, one guestbook, one recipe notebook, 19 loose photographs, and 1 cm of other textual records pertaining to the Yanko family. Included are photographs depicting the building of the Yanko family home at 7391 Broadway, Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1917-2010
- Collection/Fonds
- Yanko family fonds
- Physical Description
- 4 albums (1272 photographs : b&w and col.) and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2012-09
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of four photographic albums, two scrapbooks, one guestbook, one recipe notebook, 19 loose photographs, and 1 cm of other textual records pertaining to the Yanko family. Included are photographs depicting the building of the Yanko family home at 7391 Broadway, Burnaby.
- History
- Annie D. Basiuk (later Yanko) was born on February 25, 1902, in Sheho, Saskatchewan (formerly Sheho, North West Territories). Daniel "Dan" Yanko was born in Kobyl'nya, Ukraine, in 1887, and immigrated to Canada in May or June of 1905. Dan married Annie D. Basiuk and they had 13 children together. Their son, John Ivan Yanko, was born on the family farm, near Kelliher, Saskatchewan, on June 27, 1923. In grade six, John was pulled out of school to help support the family. Eugenia “Jenny” Haresomovych (later Carman) was born August 8, 1904, in Galecia, Austria. She came to Canada in 1928, when her parents sent her to live with the Austrian consular in Halifax. A year later, she was in The Pas with Albert Edward Carman, with whom she would have three children. Their daughter, Leida Doria "Lillian Doris" Carman, was born in The Pas, Manitoba, on March 24, 1929. Jenny later re-married Joseph Nagy who was born in Hungary in October 3, 1900. Jenny, Joseph, and the children moved to Nelson, British Columbia, where Joseph worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway. At the age of 20, John Ivan Yanko met his future wife, Lillian Doris, while visiting relatives in Burnaby. Lillian received a rail pass because of her dad’s employment with the CPR and, at 14, had gone to visit her godmother in Burnaby. John and Lillian Doris were married on October 16, 1948, in Nelson, British Columbia, and moved into the basement of John’s sister’s house on Union Street. Lillian began working at the downtown Woodward’s store as a cashier in 1948. In 1950, the young couple bought property at 7385 (later renumbered 7391) Broadway in Burnaby and began constructing a house as they could afford it. Knowing she’d be let go if she was pregnant, when Lillian was expecting her first child, Jenny sewed her several versions of the same outfit; they all used the same material, but each was a little bit larger than the last to accommodate her expanding girth. Rhonda, born in 1953, and Charmaine, born in 1955, grew up in the Broadway home. They attended school at Sperling Elementary, and later at Burnaby North High School. Lillian left her job to be a stay-at-home mom when Rhonda was born, but that changed in 1963 when John and Charmaine were in a car accident that left John temporarily unable to work. Joseph Nagy died on April 20, 1962; his wife Jenny passed away on August 14, 1985. Dan died in 1976; his wife Annie died in 1997. John later returned to work, establishing his own tile-setting business and working until age 82. John and Lillian lived out the rest of their married lives on the Broadway property. John passed away in 2010; his wife Lillian Doris passed away in 2011.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Yanko family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS170, photo catalogue 545
Community Heritage Commission Special Project fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription74546
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1994-2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 79 photograph (jpeg) : col., 300ppi ; 43 photograph (tiff) : col., 600ppi ; 48 interviews (wav) : digital sound files.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of project records created by Burnaby's Community Heritage Commission as part of their initiative and mandate.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1994-2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Physical Description
- 79 photograph (jpeg) : col., 300ppi ; 43 photograph (tiff) : col., 600ppi ; 48 interviews (wav) : digital sound files.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Open access
- Accession Number
- 2012-07
- 2009-10
- 2012-30
- 2016-04
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of project records created by Burnaby's Community Heritage Commission as part of their initiative and mandate.
- History
- The History and Heritage Committee was established in 1992 under Burnaby's Centennial Committee. When the Centennial Committee was disbanded on December 31, 1992, the History and Heritage Committee was made a part of the Burnaby Heritage Advisory Committee. It proceeded under its authority until 1995 when it was renamed The Community Heritage Commission (CHC) as a municipal heritage advisory committee by the Burnaby City Council under section 15 of the Heritage Conservation Act. The commission endeavours to provide comprehensive community heritage and history projects and programs to bring together the personal history of citizens and facilitate a wider understanding and appreciation of Burnaby's collective memory. Projects undertaken by Burnaby's Community Heritage Commission include: Burnaby Centennial Anthology: Stories of Early Burnaby; In the Shadow by the Sea: Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village; the Heritage Burnaby website (www.heritageburnaby.ca); Charting Change: An Interactive Atlas; and various oral history projects. These projects fall under the Community Heritage Commission's mandate to provide the citizens of Burnaby and the wider public with access to information about the city and its unique history through publications and online finding aids.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Sound Recording
- Creator
- Community Heritage Commission
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- PC 615, PC 503, MSS198, MSS171, MSS196, and PC 549
St. Helen's Parish fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription77922
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1992-2012
- Collection/Fonds
- St. Helen's Parish fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1.5 cm. of textual records + 1 medallion
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of posters, cards, anniversary programs, a pictorial photo directory, a calendar, a book and a medallion related to St. Helen's Parish. Items in this fonds depict its Centennial Celebrations.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1992-2012
- Collection/Fonds
- St. Helen's Parish fonds
- Physical Description
- 1.5 cm. of textual records + 1 medallion
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2013-10
- 2013-11
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of posters, cards, anniversary programs, a pictorial photo directory, a calendar, a book and a medallion related to St. Helen's Parish. Items in this fonds depict its Centennial Celebrations.
- History
- In the first years of the 20th century, the hill overlooking the city of Vancouver was barely developed. This area, known as Vancouver Heights, commands a magnificent view of the city, the north shore mountains, and the sea. During the first decade, there was just a handful of people willing to brave the inconvenience of living in a remote area to dwell in such splendour. Among them were 10 Catholic families. They dreamt about establishing a Catholic community, a church, and perhaps even a school of their own. They knew it would take hard work and sacrifice to realize their dream. In 1912, the Second Narrows Bridge and several industrial plants were built in this area. Archbishop Neil McNeil, recognizing the potential for greater development, requested aid from Toronto's Catholic Extension Society, to help purchase property at the corner of Pandora and Ingleton to build a small church and home for the priest. The $6000 construction expense was donated by Mr. Justice Kelly, who requested that the church be named Saint Helen in memory of his daughter, Helen. On August 11, 1912, Saint Helen's church was blessed. 12 years later, in 1923, a second dream was realized with the construction of Saint Helen's School. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul would staff the school for over 50 years, dedicating their lives to the education of thousands of children. 1936 began an era of unprecedented growth under the leadership of Msgr. Daniel Carey. In 1948, despite post-war hardships, he was able to inspire his community to build a new school. He then turned his attention to the over-crowded church and, in 1956, to the delight of the parishioners, the new Saint Helen's Church was blessed. By 1973, the demographics of Saint Helen's Parish had experienced a dramatic change. From the Anglo-Irish parishioners of the early years, Saint Helen's was experiencing a huge increase in parishioners of Italian descent. Archbishop James Carney, realizing the need to better serve these immigrants, asked the Scalabrinian Congregation to take the parish under its care. The second era of physical growth and development in the parish would come under the direction of these missionary priests. The 1970s, with Father Joseph Ponti as pastor, would see the construction of a new rectory, a state-of-the-art hall/gymnasium, and a fully renovated school. Father Joe's dream was the construction of a church, with this in mind, he began to purchase the necessary land. Succeeding pastors Father Angelo Calandra and Father Peter Sordi continued to work towards this dream, accumulating land and initiating the process. Father Claudio Holzer, upon assuming the responsibilities of pastor, took a firm hold of the dreams of his predecessors and shaped them into the reality of the new Saint Helen's Church. From the beginning, St. Helen's Parish has been an active community participant in this area of Burnaby and continues to enjoy this participation not only here but in Metro Vancouver as well. On August 11, 2012, St. Helen's Catholic Church and Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary. -Information contributed by M. Tesan has been combined with information from the official website of the church.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- St. Helen's Catholic Church
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS174
South Burnaby Parent Participation Preschool fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription84942
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1957-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- South Burnaby Parent Participation Preschool fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 52 cm. of textual records + 129 photographs (113 photographs : col. negatives, 35 mm ; 12 photographs : col. negatives, 15 mm ; 5 photograph : col., 15 x 10 cm) + 3 moving images (2 film reel (100 ft.) : kodak kodachrome, col., [sd.], 8mm ; 1 film reel (50 ft.) : kodak kodachrome, col., no sound ; 8mm).
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of all records generated by the South Burnaby Parent Participation Preschool between 1957-2001 during their operational functions under the Societies Act.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1957-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- South Burnaby Parent Participation Preschool fonds
- Physical Description
- 52 cm. of textual records + 129 photographs (113 photographs : col. negatives, 35 mm ; 12 photographs : col. negatives, 15 mm ; 5 photograph : col., 15 x 10 cm) + 3 moving images (2 film reel (100 ft.) : kodak kodachrome, col., [sd.], 8mm ; 1 film reel (50 ft.) : kodak kodachrome, col., no sound ; 8mm).
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2014-06
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of all records generated by the South Burnaby Parent Participation Preschool between 1957-2001 during their operational functions under the Societies Act.
- History
- The South Burnaby United Church Cooperative Play group was formed as a society under the Societies Act in September 1954 when a group of parents in Burnaby decided to create a parent participation and cooperative preschool for children age three to five. The preschool was located at the South Burnaby United Church, 7551 Gray Avenue in Burnaby. The society hired early childhood educators, offering preschool classes in the mornings. In 1961, the preschool expanded in offering classes in both mornings and afternoons. In 1959, they changed their name to South Burnaby Cooperative Preschool Group. In the 1970s, they were also known as the South Burnaby Nursery School and The South Burnaby Cooperative Nursery School Group. They later rebranded in the 1980s as the South Burnaby Parent Participation Preschool and were also known as the South Burnaby Preschool. The preschool was based on the following principles in their constitution: a) To promote principles of preschool education in which children through play develop socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually; b) To provide a high standard of preschool education in which children through play develop socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually; c) To encourage and facilitate opportunities for parents to observe and learn about the development, needs and behavior of children; and d) To do everything incidental and necessary to promote and attain the foregoing objects. Presidents of the Society included: Helen Gray (1957-1958); Dorothy Lyeler (1958-1959); G.L. Bancroft; Helen Stone (1959-1960); Carol Jane Gray (1969-1970); Nancy Gordon (1970-1971); Barbara Spitz (1971-1972); Debby Fry (1976-1977); Jill Johneox (1977-1978); Nancy Lewis (1980-1981); Nancy Lewis (1983-1984); Lynda Walsh (1984-1985); Margaret Stevens (1985-1986); Nina Crowe (1987-1988); Carol McRae and Cathy Lauzon (1988-1989); Tracy Sawatzky (1996-1997); Shelley Molarni and Charmaine Calbick (1997-1998); Kathie Owen (1999-2000); and Susie Jackson (2001-2002). The first supervisor was Rhoda Darnbrough (1954-1981). All parents who had children enrolled in the preschool were responsible for the administration and staffing of the preschool under the guidance of a qualified preschool teacher. Parents occupied positions on the executive, assisting in the general administration and helping out in the classroom under the guidance of the supervising teacher. The society was an active member of the Council of Parent Participation Preschools in B.C., which was established in 1960 as The Association of Cooperative Pre School Groups, and adhered to the Council's statements of standards and common practices. Members from the preschool executive sat on the South Burnaby executive of the CPPPBC. Salaries were paid to educators in accordance with the Parent Participation Preschool Teachers' Association. In 1958, the preschool was chosen by the Play Groups Association of BC as an Observation Centre and was selected for many years following. The preschool participated in fundraising activities and was granted Gaming/Casino funding to help purchase supplies and furnishings for their facility. The preschool closed in 2001.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Moving Images
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS181, photo/MI catalogue 563
Mary Forsyth fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription87823
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1893] (date of original) -2004
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary Forsyth fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- Textual records, graphic material and cartographic material
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of material created and collected by Mary Forsyth. Records include correspondence, photographs, a map, presentation notes, and reviews along with research for historical and biographical essays pertaining to pioneering families, organizations, and the geographical area of South Burn…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1893] (date of original) -2004
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary Forsyth fonds
- Physical Description
- Textual records, graphic material and cartographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2014-27
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of material created and collected by Mary Forsyth. Records include correspondence, photographs, a map, presentation notes, and reviews along with research for historical and biographical essays pertaining to pioneering families, organizations, and the geographical area of South Burnaby. One of her major research projects consists of "A Walking Environment for South Burnaby," which also became a proposal to The Corporation of the District of Burnaby. Historical information and photographs pertaining to South Burnaby pioneer families and organizations were compiled from interviews with the intention of publishing a book.
- History
- Mary Gertrude (Bolton) Forsyth was born at her parents' home in Burnaby on March 5, 1923, and was the daughter of Richard Bolton and Gertrude (nee Hern). Mary's father, Richard, immigrated to Canada from Sunderland, England, in 1911. He lived with his brother George in New Westminster prior to purchasing property in South Burnaby in 1916 and built a bungalow located at 859 Marine Drive. Richard Bolton was employed as the municipal treasurer for the Corporation of the District of Burnaby and, in 1919, he returned to Sunderland with three months leave of absence to marry Mary Gertrude Hern, daughter of Captain and Mrs. John Hern. Mary grew up with her parents and sister Nancy in the house that her father built on Marine Drive. She married Lloyd Forsyth in 1946 and they had two children, Diane and Robert. Mary and her husband raised their family in Burnaby and built a house at 855 Marine Drive, on the lot originally purchased by her father, and moved later to a house located at 6457 Marine Drive. In 1964, after her children were grown, Mary completed her teaching degree at Simon Fraser University and went on to teach kindergarten at Nelson Elementary School. While a teacher within the Burnaby School District, Mary was instrumental in adopting ballet as part of the school curriculum. Mary was an active member of the Burnaby Historical Society, participating and leading local events and seminars. She was inspired by the idea of the 'Housewives Holiday', originally initiated by the Vancouver "Y’ S". In February 1960, she was integral in forming a committee in South Burnaby, working alongside Ruth Turner, Faye Treagh, and Dorothy Turnbull. The "Housewives Holiday" committee (a branch of the Clinton-Glenwood Recreation Association) planned several events at Bonsor Hall for Burnaby housewives from October 6 to December 8, 1960. After her retirement from teaching, Mary returned to Simon Fraser University to do further studies and, in 1983, she wrote an essay for an Environmental Education course, titled "A Walking Environment for South Burnaby". The essay was conducted as a feasibility study to provide a walking environment in her community and included a formal essay, a media book, a map, and a slide presentation which was presented to a variety of local community groups. In 1984, Mary was the recipient of the North Fraser Harbour Commission Award to further her work on this project. In October 1986, her essay was adapted as a proposal to The Corporation of the District of Burnaby for a walking and cycling trail system for South Burnaby. Her proposal was taken into consideration by council and was later adopted by the Parks and Recreation Commission. Mary was very much interested in the history of South Burnaby and spent time between 1990 to 2004 conducting research through the Burnaby Historical Society, The City of Burnaby Archives, and several pioneering families who agreed to share their family records and be interviewed. Mary compiled her research into short historical and biographical essays by geographical area, family name, and organization. Mary (Bolton) Forsyth lived her whole life in South Burnaby and was an active and committed member of her community. She died on November 10, 2010.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Cartographic Material
- Creator
- Forsyth, Mary
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 572, MSS185
Small family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription91819
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1922-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Small family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 75 photographs : b&w & col. + 1 plan
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs documenting the transformation of the Burnaby Lake area of Burnaby, B.C. from semi-rural in the 1920s to urbanized in 2016. Photographs depict the land and houses located on the corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street as the property was rezoned and its density quad…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1922-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Small family fonds
- Physical Description
- 75 photographs : b&w & col. + 1 plan
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Open access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2017-01
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs documenting the transformation of the Burnaby Lake area of Burnaby, B.C. from semi-rural in the 1920s to urbanized in 2016. Photographs depict the land and houses located on the corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street as the property was rezoned and its density quadrupled. Fonds also includes photographs of the Small family house being moved to 5496 Dominion Street and the original landscape plan for 5118 Douglas Road.
- History
- In 1915, John W. Roberts and his wife Mary Allen Roberts moved from the United States to Canada along with their daughter, Lauretta. On first moving to Canada, the family lived in a rented house in Vancouver and John worked as a movie projectionist in the city. The couple had three more children, all sons: John A., Edward, and Roland. Circa 1921, John purchased a large parcel of land at the corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street in Burnaby. This parcel encompassed the equivalent of at least six 66-foot lots along the south side of Dominion Street and the same along the north side of Norfolk Street. On their property, a barn and small living quarters were built. The family moved in, raising goats and growing potatoes to supplement their income. They also planted cherry, apple, and pear trees; hazelnut and walnut trees; raspberries; and a large vegetable garden, the fruits of which Mary preserved for year-round use. At this time, agricultural activities were common for families in the area: the Roberts' neighbours kept chickens for personal use and for selling eggs; grew mushrooms for commercial sale; and sold manure from an old buckboard drawn by Clydesdale horses. John built a new house in the middle of the Roberts’ lots on the southwest corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street. The house faced Douglas Road and overlooked a large, well-landscaped front yard to the east and a full-sized, clay tennis court to the north. The family moved into this new house in 1925. When the Roberts ceased raising goats, the barn and original living quarters were reduced to a double-car garage with storage space plus a sawdust-insulated “root cellar”. John also built a house on the northwest corner of the lot at Douglas Road and Dominion Street (3093 Douglas Road), which was purchased by the Hardy family. In 1957, part of this property (3071 Douglas Road) was sold to the Brocklebanks who built a house and lived there. In addition, John built a house at the northwest corner of Douglas Road and Norfolk Street (5106 Douglas Road). The original purchaser of this house is unknown, but in 1949, it was bought by the Meyers family. In 1952 or 1953, the Meyers sold part of this property and the Manahans built a house on it, facing Douglas Road. Several other lots that John owned were also sold off over the years. By the 1950s, John owned only five 66-foot lots from Douglas Road west, along the south side Dominion Street. In 1954, John sold the lot furthest from Douglas Road (5486 Dominion Street) to a builder who built a “ranch-style” house and put it up for sale. John retired from his career as a movie projectionist in the 1950s. He, Mary, and Lauretta retained their US citizenship all their lives, although they never returned to the USA except for brief visits. John A., Edward, and Roland who, as children of US citizens, also had US citizenship, eventually moved to the US, where they remained for the rest of their lives. In 1945, Lauretta married Frederick Small. The couple lived in a rented house in Vancouver for a few years before moving in with John and Mary in Burnaby. The couple had four children: Elizabeth, Kathryn, Charles, and Martin. In 1955, Frederick purchased the rancher at 5486 Dominion Street and the family moved in. The Small children grew up enjoying the freedom of having their grandparent’s large property in addition to their parent’s yard to play in. The back lane that ran between Dominion Street and Norfolk Street was filled with trees and bushes, creating a narrow bit of “forest” to explore. In 1957, John died. Mary died in 1969, as did Frederick. Lauretta was executor for her mother’s and husband’s estates. After much consideration, she decided to sell the house at 5486 Dominion Street and move back into her childhood home. By doing so, she was able to settle her mother’s estate to the satisfaction of her brothers. Elizabeth married and moved away. Over the next few years, the “Roberts” house was home to Lauretta, Kathryn, Charles, and Martin, with the three grown children moving in and out several times during the 1970s. In 1981, Lauretta died. Her children discussed at length how to divide up the property, which consisted of four 66-foot lots, according to her will. None of her children wanted to see the old family house destroyed but the house straddled two lots. They finally decided that if one of them wanted to pay to move the house to sit on one of the lots, the “value” of the house would not enter into the settlement of the estate. Kathryn chose to do this. In 1982, the old house was moved to 5496 Dominion Street and Kathryn continued to live in it. Martin died in 1982. Elizabeth and Charles each inherited one lot and the last lot, which would have gone to Martin, was sold, the funds divided equally between Elizabeth, Kathryn, and Charles. The three lots between 5496 Dominion Street and Douglas Road were subdivided into 33-foot lots and six new houses were built. In 1993, the Meyers property and the Manahan property were subdivided into 33-foot lots facing Norfolk Street and the old houses were torn down and four new houses were built.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Technical Drawing
- Creator
- Small family
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97124
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1892-2018
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- ca. 130 linear feet of textual records 30 linear feet of graphic and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of the Burnaby Historical Society's administrative records and community archives collection.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1892-2018
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Physical Description
- ca. 130 linear feet of textual records 30 linear feet of graphic and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of the Burnaby Historical Society's administrative records and community archives collection.
- History
- The Burnaby Historical Society was founded in 1957. The Historical Society developed a community archives by collecting, compiling and preserving various materials with historical value to the City of Burnaby. It gathered miscellaneous documents, photographs and other items while also soliciting and acquiring entire collections or groups of archival records. In 1991, the Historical Society was provided a permanent space to house their growing collection at the Burnaby Village Museum and they continued to collect and expand their holdings. After the creation of the City of Burnaby Archives in 2001, the Burnaby Historical Society and the City of Burnaby began discussing the possibility of uniting the two collections. In February 2007, an agreement was signed between the two institutions which resulted in the merger of the Society's Community Archives with the City Archives. All records and photographs that had been collected by the Historical Society were transferred into the custody of the City and were moved from the Burnaby Village Museum to the City Archives in the McGill Branch of the Burnaby Public Library. The Burnaby Historical Society disbanded in 2018.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Sound Recording
- Creator
- Burnaby Historical Society
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Gordon Presbyterian Church fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97220
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-1950 (date of originals); 2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Gordon Presbyterian Church fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 9 photograph : col ; 10 x 15 cm.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs created by members of the Gordon Presbyterian Church that depict the Church and district as well as events and activities undertaken by or for church groups. Included in the fonds are photographs taken at the Church's one hundredth anniversary event.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-1950 (date of originals); 2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Gordon Presbyterian Church fonds
- Physical Description
- 9 photograph : col ; 10 x 15 cm.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2013-12
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs created by members of the Gordon Presbyterian Church that depict the Church and district as well as events and activities undertaken by or for church groups. Included in the fonds are photographs taken at the Church's one hundredth anniversary event.
- History
- In November 1911, a small group of people met at Morton Hall on Edmonds Street, Burnaby, to organize a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. David J. Gordon, a student from Westminster Hall Theological College, was in charge. By 1912, a building was erected on two lots and named the Gordon Presbyterian Church. A new sanctuary was built in 1956 and, due to the increase in the congregation, a Christan Education Centre was added in 1974. The longest minister to serve the congregation was Reverend George Philps and his wife Margaret. After 21 years, he retired in 1987. In April of 1988, Reverend Charles Scott began serving. Six months later, a fire broke out in the centre portion of the complex. For many months, while reconstruction continued, worship services were held at the Edmonds Community Centre for the Retired. In 2001, Reverend Cal MacLeod and his wife Robin joined the congregation. Mrs. Marie Douglas, wife of retired minister Reverend R. J. Douglas and mother of missionary to India, Ellen Douglas, started the first Women’s Missionary Auxiliary in 1932. The Ladies Aid Societies were an active force in the Gordon Presbyterian Church. In 1957, the original Ladies Aid became known as the Margaret Hall Circle, named after Margaret Philps’ mother, who had been an active member. For many years, the COC, Explorers and CGIT were very active and Sunday School classes have been in operation since the beginning.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Gordon Presbyterian Church
- Notes
- Title based on content of fonds
- PC 555
Pixie McGeachie collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97228
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1961-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- Pixie McGeachie collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of papers collected by Pixie McGeachie during her tenure as archivist for the Burnaby Historical Society Community Archives, as well her writings.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1961-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- Pixie McGeachie collection
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Record No.
- MSS065
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third-party rights.
- Accession Number
- 2011-04
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of papers collected by Pixie McGeachie during her tenure as archivist for the Burnaby Historical Society Community Archives, as well her writings.
- History
- Doreen "Pixie" McGeachie was a resident of Burnaby for over sixty years. She served as the editor for the Burnaby Examiner newspaper and wrote a column entitled "Burnaby History" for The News. In 1974 she authored her first book titled "Bygones of Burnaby" which was one of the first to develop anecdotal stories about pioneer life in Burnaby. She authored "Burnaby - A Proud Century" in 1992 and in 2002 she wrote a biography of the city's namesake in the book "Land of Promise: Robert Burnaby's letters from Colonial B.C." Pixie also contributed many hours of volunteering; helping to establish Burnaby's first museum Heritage Village in 1971, serving as President of the Burnaby Historical Society from 1991-1993. She served a six year term on Burnaby's Heritage Commission leading the charge to preserve many historic sites throughout the city, and during her twenty years as the Community Archives volunteer archivist for the historical society, she succeeded in gathering thousands of rare and valuable historic photographs and documents which now forms the core of the photograph collection on the Heritage Burnaby website (as these items were donated by the Society to the City Archives in 2007). The City of Burnaby awarded Pixie McGeachie the Kushiro Cup as Citizen of the year in 2002. In 2006 she received a Heritage BC project award for leading the Friends of Interurban 1223 project, and in 2008 Heritage BC recognised her again by presenting her with the Ruby Nobb Award. Pixie McGeachie passed away in August of 2010. On 24 September, 2011, the City of Burnaby dedicated the reading room at the City Archives in honour of Pixie and formally named it the Pixie McGeachie Reading Room in recognition of her years of service to the community.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- McGeachie, Doreen “Pixie”
- Notes
- Title based on collector of subseries
- MSS065