"Animals" found 13 records | Heritage Burnaby

Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory571

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1942-1980

Length: 0:06:55

Summary: This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the food sources on the farm including the garden, food animals, berry picking and bears. She also describes what her parents did after giving up the farm, opening sporting good stores on Hastings Street and then in North Vanco…

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the food sources on the farm including the garden, food animals, berry picking and bears. She also describes what her parents did after giving up the farm, opening sporting good stores on Hastings Street and then in North Vancouver.

Date Range: 1942-1980

Length: 0:06:55

Names: Olofson, Axel; GAK Fur Farm

Subjects: Agriculture; Animals - Livestock; Animals - Bears

Geographic Access: Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area

Historic Neighbourhood: Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Westridge Area; Lochdale Area

Interviewer: Bossort, Kathy

Interview Date: October 14, 2015

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.

Biographical Notes: Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.

Total Tracks: 8

Total Length: 1:19:04

Interviewee Name: Olofson, B. Maureen

Interview Location: Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby

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

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track three of interview with Maureen Olofson

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_3.mp3

Knight family photographs

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64501

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1948-1971

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 49 photographs (35 prints : b&w and col. and 14 negatives : b&w)

Scope and Content: Photographs of "the Bird Doctor" Virginia Knight and her husband Milton and their properties, avaries, and pets. File also includes the couple's travel photographs, photograph's of Milton's antique clock and watch collection, and images of Lakeview Aviaries in Burnaby.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1948-1971

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Knight family subseries

Physical Description: 49 photographs (35 prints : b&w and col. and 14 negatives : b&w)

Description Level: File

Record No.: 510-001

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Accession Number: BHS1992-53

Scope and Content: Photographs of "the Bird Doctor" Virginia Knight and her husband Milton and their properties, avaries, and pets. File also includes the couple's travel photographs, photograph's of Milton's antique clock and watch collection, and images of Lakeview Aviaries in Burnaby.

Subjects: Animals - Birds; Animals - Dogs; Occupations - Veterinarians

Names: Knight, Virginia; Knight, Milton; Lakeview Aviaries

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of photographs; Stamp on verso of 510-001 reads: "Woodward's Advertising Photography"; Note on verso of 510-003 reads: "Taken at San Juan Capistrano. The minute you enter the place these pigeons light all over you and they sell you small bags of wheat to feed them." Other notes and date stamp on verso.; Note on verso of 510-010 reads: "Virgie + Sheila Joan (Easton) Mulliner / New Year's Eve / 1970-71"; 510-008, 510-009, 510-011, 510-012: Date stamp on verso reads "Jan 12, 1962"; Note on verso of 510-022 reads: "My little Saw-Whet Owl who was one of my patients. Fully recovered and hand tame."; 510-024 is five small photographs glued to a black paper album page; Handwritten notes on recto of 510-032, describing the clocks in the photograph.