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A Family Farm
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14268
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:13:57 min)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land an…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- UBC Partnership series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:13:57 min)
- Material Details
- Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Persons from recorded extracts: Denise Fong; Josephine Chow Music: prod. riddiman Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:13:57 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 one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. 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. 00:00-02:21 The podcast opens with Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introducing themselves and their topic- the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby and the people who have made important contributions to the city’s development. “A Family Farm” talks about Chinese-owned businesses which are family run. “The family-oriented nature of Chinese-owned businesses also extend to many of the early (and current) Chinese-owned farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. When Chinese men first began farming in BC in the 1860s, a lot of them worked as labourers because they weren’t allowed to own land. After World War II many of these farmers were allowed to purchase lots, thanks to the Veterans Land Grant. These grants allowed returning veterans to purchase small parcels of land with government loans. Eventually, these men would start families on the farm, and many Chinese-owned farms became family-operated businesses where every member, male, female, child, and extended relatives were enlisted to work the grounds. And it was hard work, often from dawn to dusk, 6-7 days a week.” 02:23 – 07:50 This portion includes excerpts from Oral History interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) of Hop On Farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. The interview was conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Josephine recalls growing up on the family farm with her six siblings. She tells of how the family pulled together money to purchase twelve acres along Marine Drive in 1951, her family’s background, daily life on the farm , responsibilities on the farm for her and her siblings and of how her mother had to balance working on the farm and providing for a family of ten to twelve people. 07:51 – 08:10 In this portion, hosts comment and reflect on their own experiences. “While it’s likely that a lot of this was done out of necessity and not being able to afford additional paid labourers, having grown up in Chinese households ourselves, we can definitely understand the rationale for these family-operated businesses and how it connects back to the Chinese understanding of family and kinship.” 08:11 – 09:06 In this portion, Rose and Wei provide information on the roots of the Chinese character for family “jia” in mandarin or “gah” in Cantonese. They explain that the term family is composed of two parts: the upper element is like a roof, symbolizing shelter, and the bottom part represents a pig which symbolizes food, whereby the Chinese character for family represents that of a farm. They provide a quote from the writings of Francois de Martin-Donos “In ancient China, the farm is an enterprise, a shelter that insures one food and work. The farm is a place to rely on, but in return, needs to be maintained, including a set of responsibilities. In other words, “family” is the insurance of a stable life.” 09:07 – 10:27 In this portion, the hosts speak about how traditional Chinese thought is heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucius and Confucius philosophy. They explain how Confucius emphasized five sets of human relationships that form the basis for society: ruler and minister, husband and wife, parents and child, sibling and sibling, friend and friend. Of these five, three are familial relationships also known as Filial piety – the respect and care for one’s familial superiors (such as parents, elders, and ancestors). They speak of how this is one of Confucianism’s main teachings and in this respect caring for family members is seen as a moral obligation. In China housing arrangements are in the form of siheyuan”s — a type of residence that featured a courtyard surrounded on all four sides with buildings. These traditionally housed one large extended family if they were wealthy enough. 10:28 – 13:08 In this portion, hosts provide further information on Josephine Chow’s family experience working and living on the “Hop On” family farm through the decades. An excerpt from the interview with Josephine Chow conducted by Denise Fong is included. In this excerpt, Josephine reflects on her past experiences on the farm and her present day experiences of her siblings running the farm. 13:09 -13:56 Final summary, 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
- Agriculture - Farms
- Agriculture
- Gardens - Market Gardens
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Names
- Fong, Denise
- Responsibility
- Wu, Rose
- Yeong, Wei Yan
- Geographic Access
- Marine Drive
- Accession Code
- BV020.28.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 2020
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Big Bend Area
- Related Material
- BV020.28.4; BV020.28.5
- Notes
- Title based contents of sound recording
- See also Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020 - BV020.6.1
- Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
- Why is family important in China? https://medium.com/@francois_dmd/why-is-family-so-important-in-china-1617b13a67
- Burnaby Village Museum - Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong Feb. 7, 2020. BV020.6.1 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12337
- Covered Roots: The History of Vancouver's Chinese Farms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WHS2Uf3JU
- Burnaby Village Museum Shares Chinese-Canadian Farming History This Summer https://westcoastfood.ca/burnaby-village-museum-shares-chinese-canadian-farming-history-this-summer/
- Chinese Market Gardeners in the City of Burnaby BC Continue to Practice Urban Agriculture https://cityfarmer.info/chinese-market-gardeners-in-the-city-of-burnaby-bc-continue-to-practice-urban-agriculture/
- Chinese Market Gardening in BC https://www.bcfoodhistory.ca/chinese-market-gardening-bc/
Images
Audio Tracks
A Family Farm, 2020
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
- 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 recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Grocers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Business Associations
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Toy, Christina
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Babey, Beverley
- Canada Way Food Market
- Fraser Merchants' Association
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.19
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3
Where is your food from?
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14270
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:17:10 min)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of part two in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part two is titled “Where is your food from?" The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- UBC Partnership series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:17:10 min)
- Material Details
- Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Guest: Denise Fong Music: prod. riddiman Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:17:10 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 two in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part two is titled “Where is your food from?" 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. "Where is your food from?" explores contemporary versus historical alternative food movements and how early Chinese farmers in the lower mainland had to be creative in their business tactics in order to survive in a local food system that discriminated against their race. 00:00-02:45 The podcast opens with an audio clip from Harvard University professor and world renowned food journalist and author of "The Ominvore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan. Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introduce themselves and their topic "Where is your food from?" They comment on the global philosophy "Eat local, think global" and question whether this philosphy ignores the struggles faced by local farms operated by immigrant workers back in the day. They comment "Unlike how these alternative food movements are heralded as sustainable, healthy, and even sometimes trendy now in today’s standards, for Chinese farmers, these alternative food movements were necessary for survival against discriminatory practices entrenched in the food system they were servicing." 02:46 - 06:21 This portion provides background on Chinese immigrant farmers and the establishment of "market gardens" or "truck farms". Rose and Wei Yan tell of how up to the 1970s, Chinese farms produced mostly European staples such as potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, corn and cabbage because there was no market for Chinese crops. Many of the Chinese immigrants were forced into farming and other menial jobs due to discriminatory practices that excluded them from other types of employment. The hosts provide a synopsis of Burnaby Bylaw Number 4, created in 1892, "The Chinese and Japanese Exclusion Bylaw" which prohibited any Chinese or Japanese person from working for the Municipality of Burnaby. Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong provides information on Chinese immigrants in Burnaby, how many of them were farmers in the Big Bend area and how hard it was for them to own land due to racial discrimination. Denise also refers to an article in"Harrowsmith" magazine (c.1980s) where thirty five Chinese-Canadians operated farms in Burnaby. 06:22 - 09:24 This portion provides a description of Chinese market farms and vegetable peddling. Background information about the history of market farms, truck farms and vegetable peddling in Burnaby and the lower mainland provided by Denise Fong. 09:24 - 12:03 This portion talks about the policies put in place to create further barriers to Chinese farmers. Denise Fong provides information regarding the civic bylaws that were created to restrict produce sales, fines and fees that were imposed on peddlers, establishment of green grocers, the Chinese Marketing Act, the establishment of organizations to support Chinese farmers including the Chinese Growers Assocation. 12:04 - 15:00 This portion talks about how Chinese-Canadians played important roles in conventional "long" food networks. Denise Fong provides information in how Chinese Canadians participated in the larger food distribution network in British Columbia. Denise shares a story of Chinese-Canadian Cecil Lee and how he introduced the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into British Columbia. 15:01 - 16:29 Final summary regarding the contraditions in our local food system that continue to persist today and how despite the improved status of Chinese-Canadians in British Columbia, cheap, migrant labourers continue to be an overlooked part of our local food system. This portion includes a recorded excerpt from M.L.A. Mabel Elmore regarding Temporary Foreign Workers (presented before the NDP caucous in 2015). 16:29 - 17:22 Credits, thanks and acknowledgements. Special thanks to Duncan McCue and M.LA. Mabel Elmore. Music created by P. Ruderman
- 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. Guest, Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Agriculture - Farms
- Agriculture
- Gardens - Market Gardens
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Responsibility
- Yeong, Wei Yan
- Wu, Rose
- Geographic Access
- Marine Drive
- Accession Code
- BV020.28.4
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 2020
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Big Bend Area
- Related Material
- BV020.28.3; BV020.28.5
- Notes
- Title based contents of sound recording
- For associated video recording of research interview with Denise Fong - see BV020.28.2
- Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
- Lim, S. (2015). Feeding the "Greenest City": Historicizing "Local," Labour, and the Postcolonial Politics of Eating. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 24(1), 78-100. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/26195279
- Mable Elmore’s statement on the plight of temporary foreign workers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF4_js0R-Mo&ab_channel=BCNDPCaucus
- Michael Pollen’s speech at UBC Farm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1n-kRJhPPQ&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=LFSLearningCentre
- Gibb, Natalie & Wittman, Hannah. (2012). Parallel alternatives: Chinese-Canadian farmers and the Metro Vancouver local food movement. Local Environment. 18. 1-19. 10.1080/13549839.2012.714763.
- Yu, J. (2014, March 31). The integration of the Chinese market gardens of southern British Columbia, 1885-1930 [R]. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0228676
- Burnaby Village Museum, Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, 2020. BV020.28.2 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumvideo14276
Images
Audio Tracks
Where is your food from?, 2020
Where is your food from?, 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Sound_Recordings/2020_0028_0004_001.mp3