Narrow Results By
Person / Organization
- British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism 1
- Burnaby Art Gallery 1
- Burnaby Multicultural Society 1
- Burnaby Village Museum 1
- Canada Way Food Market 1
- Canadian Farmworkers Union 1
- Cariboo Hill Secondary School 1
- Chouhan, Raj 1
- Copeland, William J. 1
- C.W. Parker no. 119 Carousel 1
- Fraser Merchants' Association 1
- Grewal, Hardial Singh 1
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription13037
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1990-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- Over 3000 photographs + approx. 100 architectural drawings + technical drawings + 25 videocassettes + 43 video recordings (mp4) + 2 video recordings (m4v) + 56 sound recordings (mp3) + 5 audio cassettes + approx. 2 m. of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a selection of curatorial records created and collected by the Burnaby Village Museum in the course of their work. Records pertain to the village site, exhibits, programs, curatorial projects, outreach and special events. Fonds is arranged in the following series: 1) Museum photo…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- Over 3000 photographs + approx. 100 architectural drawings + technical drawings + 25 videocassettes + 43 video recordings (mp4) + 2 video recordings (m4v) + 56 sound recordings (mp3) + 5 audio cassettes + approx. 2 m. of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a selection of curatorial records created and collected by the Burnaby Village Museum in the course of their work. Records pertain to the village site, exhibits, programs, curatorial projects, outreach and special events. Fonds is arranged in the following series: 1) Museum photographs series 2) Museum film collection series 3) Museum architectural records series 4) Museum Marketing photographs series 5) Museum exhibits series 6) Museum reports series 7) Curatorial Collections adminstrative records series 8) Museum Oral Histories series 9) Jesse Love farmhouse series 10) Bell's Dry Goods series 11) Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker Series series 12) C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel series 13) Royal Bank exhibit series 14) UBC Partnership series 15) Burnaby Community Heritage Commission 125 Video Collection series
- History
- Burnaby Village Museum is an open air museum that represents a typical tram-stop community. Museum interpreters welcome visitors, provide demonstrations and on site programming. The museum’s collection consists of thousands of artifacts, community records as well as several original Burnaby heritage buildings, a 1912 carousel, 1912 B.C. Electric Railway interurban tram, a Chinese Market Garden and Indigenous Learning House and Matriarch's Garden. In 1990, the Corporation of the District of Burnaby assumed the operation and management of Burnaby Village Museum from the Burnaby Village Museum Association. Burnaby Village Museum (formerly named Heritage Village) was originally created by the Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee in 1971 as a commemorative project for British Columbia's Centennial. A concept for an open-air museum was developed near Deer Lake on Districts Lots 79/ 85. The official sod turning for Heritage Village took place on the site on April 11, 1971. In the spring of 1971, a museum director and curator were hired to oversee the development of the project and the acquisition of artifacts with funding from the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Century Park Museum Association (later named Burnaby Village Museum Association) was formed on October 26, 1971 as a governing body for Heritage Village Museum. The museum opened on November 19, 1971 with Mayor Bob Pritte and Canada's Governor General Roland Michener. IN July 1972, the museum opened for it's first public season. The Village was described as depictive of the 1890 to 1920 era of the lower mainland. Since 1990, the site expanded from it’s original four acre size to it's current ten acres. In the 1990s and early 2000s staff and volunteers created exhibits and programs about Burnaby with an emphasis on the 1920s. Since it's 40th anniversary in 2011, the museum has implemented changes to make the museum more interactive and inclusive in telling the story of Burnaby's history.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- X2294
- X5124
- X5125
- BV013.19
- BV017.39
- BV017.45
- BV018.6
- BV018.12
- BV018.14
- BV018.18
- BV018.41
- BV019.2
- BV019.13
- BV019.15
- BV019.18
- BV019.19
- BV019.36
- Bv019.39
- BV019.52
- BV019.61
- BV020.4
- BV020.5
- BV020.12
- BV020.28
- BV020.29
- BV021.5
- BV021.7
- BV021.14
- BV021.17
- BV021.31
- BV022.1
- BV022.2
- BV022.27
- Date
- 1990-2019
- Media Type
- Architectural Drawing
- Moving Images
- Photograph
- Sound Recording
- Technical Drawing
- Textual Record
- Arrangement
- The following series have been arranged into subseries: Exhibits series; Oral History series; Jesse Love farmhouse series; Bell's Dry Goods exhibits series; Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker Series series; C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel series; Royal Bank exhibits series; UBC Partnership series
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Further accruals expected
- For other records pertaining to the history of Burnaby Village Museum see: Don Copan collection; Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee collection; Century Park Museum Association fonds; Don Wrigley fonds
- See Artifacts descriptions for Publications and Newsletters produced by Burnaby Village Museum and Century Park Museum Association
Burnaby's heritage : an inventory of buildings and structures
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5437
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Luxton, Donald, 1954-
- Wolf, Jim
- Edition
- Rev.
- Publication Date
- 2011
- c2007
- Call Number
- 971.133 LUX COPY 1
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Digital Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 0969282893
- Call Number
- 971.133 LUX COPY 1
- Edition
- Rev.
- Author
- Luxton, Donald, 1954-
- Wolf, Jim
- Place of Publication
- Burnaby, B.C.
- Publisher
- City of Burnaby
- Publication Date
- 2011
- c2007
- Physical Description
- 157 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Architecture
- Historic buildings
- Buildings
- Historic sites
- Subjects
- Buildings
- Buildings - Heritage
- Notes
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- 2 copies held: copy 1.
Digital Books
Art-i-facts
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary6724
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Textual Record
- Call Number
- 069.53 CCA
- Place of Publication
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Publisher
- Conservation center for art & historic artifacts
- Publication Date
- 2012
- Physical Description
- 7 p. : ill ; 28 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Museum conservation methods
- Art objects
- Conservation and restoration
- Notes
- "www.ccaha.org" -- back cover
- Copies of the periodical available online at www.ccaha.org under the "news" tab as of 2016.
C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription17810
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [190-] (date of originals) - 2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 238 photographs + 3 audio cassettes + 2 sound recordings (mp3) + 6 videocassettes + 8 video recordings (mp4)
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records created and adminstered by the Burnaby Village Museum pertaining to the history, acquistion, restoration, preservation and documentation of the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel. Series have been arranged into the following subseries: 1) Carousel photographs subseries 2) Caro…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 238 photographs + 3 audio cassettes + 2 sound recordings (mp3) + 6 videocassettes + 8 video recordings (mp4)
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records created and adminstered by the Burnaby Village Museum pertaining to the history, acquistion, restoration, preservation and documentation of the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel. Series have been arranged into the following subseries: 1) Carousel photographs subseries 2) Carousel sound recordings and films subseries
- History
- "The C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel was built in 1912 in Leavenworth Kansas by the Charles Wallace Parker Company. It was the one hundred and nineteenth carousel made by the company and was so named the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel. In 1913 the carousel was sold to Mr. F.K. Leggett of Houston Texas for $5,886.00 and was originally equipped with a steam engine and ""wishbones/grass-hopper/jumping horse"" mechanisms. It toured Texas for two years with the Lone Star Circus until 1915 when the machine was shipped back to the factory. It is believed that the machine was rebuilt by the factory with fancier horses and heavier rounding boards referred to as the “Superior” style. Some of the horses were built around 1917 and some between 1920 and 1922. The factory records consulted do not tell for certain where the machine went between 1915 and 1936, possibly to San Jose, California from 1918 until 1922 and then to San Francisco California, or Tacoma, Washington. Accounts from the family of James W. "Jimmy" Robertson, supervisor of rides for Happyland, tell of him travelling with his wife Dora Robertson to Washington, Oregon and California in the fall of 1935 or early 1936 to pick up a new carousel for Happyland. By May 1936, the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel was in operation in Happlyland inside Hastings Park. The Parker #119 carousel was installed in a pavilion in Happyland which had been built in 1928 by a rival company (Philadelphia Toboggan Company - P.T.C.) and was located next to the "Shoot the Chutes" ride in Hastings Park. Here it remained until Happyland was demolished in 1957. The C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel was then moved to a new small pavilion in Playland until that too was demolished in 1972. From 1972 to 1990, the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel was operated outdoors inside Playland, and was put away each winter. In 1989 it was announced that the carousel would be sold off horse by horse at an auction in New York. Venus Solano and Doug McCallum and other local people came together to save the carousel and formed The Lower Mainland Association of Friends of the Vancouver Carousel (also known as "Friends of the Carousel"). The first directors of the society consisted of, President and Chairman, Venus Solano; Secretary, Doug McCallum; Director, Keith Jamieson and Director, Nina Freid Rhodes. In May 1989, the Friends of the Carousel approached the Burnaby Village Museum Association who agreed to provide a home for the carousel, pending the approval of Burnaby Municipal Council. Don Wrigley who was president of the Burnaby Village Museum Association joined the board of The Friends of the Carousel as a liaison. The Friends of the Carousel first acquired two horses from the carousel, who were named Julius and Belle. These two carousel horses were used in fundraising over the summer of 1990, at which time the carousel was operating again for a short time inside Playland. The carousel horse named Julius was restored by William Dentzel III (a descendant of one of North America’s original carousel manufacturers) and the carousel horse named Belle was partially stripped and repaired. These carousel horses served as before and after examples of restoration. In June 1990 Don Wrigley was elected as president of The Friends of the Carousel and they set about raising the $350,000 to purchase the carousel and begin restoration work. With a lot of hard work, the help of the Government of British Columbia and the support of the Municipality of Burnaby, the carousel was purchased. Funds were also raised by The Friends of the Carousel to pay for the restoration, and Burnaby agreed to build a new pavilion for it as a Centennial project. Keith Jamieson, a carousel expert, was brought in to coordinate the rebuilding project and restoration work. The Centennial Parker Carousel (C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel) and the Don Wrigley Pavilion where the carousel is housed, opened at Burnaby Village Museum on March 25, 1993.
- Accession Code
- BV013.19
- BV019.21
- BV019.39
- BV020.5
- BV020.12
- BV022.2
- X5124
- X5125
- Date
- [190-] (date of originals) - 2012
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- Lower Mainland Association of the Friends of the Vancouver Carousel fonds
- Keith Jamieson fonds
- Faye Diamond fonds
- See also: Burnaby Village Museum artifacts for the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel as well as souvenir memorabilia from Lower Mainland Association of Friends of the Vancouver Carousel
- Arrangement
- Records have been created by various staff members of Burnaby Village Museum during the acquistion and research of the carousel. Some records were compiled together into a collection by subject and arranged according to their general material designations within the Burnaby Village Museum archival collection.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of series
- Further accruals are expected
- Contact Burnaby Village Museum to access sound recordings and moving images
Harry Toy fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20339
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [197-]-2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Harry Toy fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- .5 cm of textual records + 6 photographs + 2 photographs (jpg)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of business records and photographs relating to Harry Toy's store the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants' Association and his family.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Harry Toy fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- .5 cm of textual records + 6 photographs + 2 photographs (jpg)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of business records and photographs relating to Harry Toy's store the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants' Association and his family.
- History
- 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 as 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.
- Creator
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Accession Code
- BV023.25
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [197-]-2023
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Related Material
- See also BV023.16.19 - Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
- For associated artifacts from Canada Way Food Market see Accession BV023.17
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Interview with Harman Pandher
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19609
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada arou…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Harman Pandher Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:45:23 min Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 format for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada around 1968. The interview continues with Harman Pandher providing details about his childhood in Burnaby while occasionally sharing photographs with the interviewer. He provides detailed descriptions of the homes and neighbourhoods while living on Second Street and 15th Avenue and shares his experiences as a South Asian Sikh attending Second Street elementary school, Cariboo Hill Secondary School and Kahlsa School. Pandher recalls some of his family and childhood experiences including, family events and gatherings; participation in school clubs and sports; playing basketball, ball hockey and street hockey with his Punjabi friends and other Burnaby kids; racism that he faced as a Sikh wearing a turban and delivering newspapers for the Vancouver Sun. 37:39 – 52:54 Pandher talks about family and cultural celebrations and traditions within the Sikh community including Vaisakhi, Diwali and celebrations of the birth of Guru Ravidas and Guru Nanak. Pandher conveys that while he was growing up many of these events took place in Vancouver but now they are also celebrated in Burnaby. He recalls events that took place in school while growing up in Burnaby including; his sister wearing a Sari to a fashion show; a visit to a Sikh temple; celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak and outreach to teachers to learn about South Asian culture, games, food and traditions. Pandher also shares his experiences working as a student teacher at Capital Hill Elementary in North Burnaby where he took his class on a tour of the Sikh temple in 2001 and reflects on learning that it is his responsibility to be proactive in educating the public in his own culture while also learning about other communities. 52:55 - 1:19:56 Pandher shares personal experiences of racism and his experiences as a teacher and author. He recalls and reflects on a traumatic experience where he was physically assaulted while shopping at Lougheed Mall and recollects his father carrying around his field hockey stick in his car to defend himself. Pandher reflects on the lack of representation of racialized people like himself within the school curriculum while he was growing up which lead him to become a teacher and an author of children’s literature. Pander provides detailed information on his education and training in becoming a teacher, his love of poetry and literature and how he became an author. Pandher describes some of the works of poetry and literature that he’s written about the Sikh religion, history and culture, growing up as a Sikh Canadian and a non-fiction work about the history of Paldi titled "Welcome to Paldi: A Place for Everyone". Pandher also talks about beginning to record some of his own family stories from relatives. 1:19:57 - 1:29:58 Pandher talks about raising his own family in Burnaby, living as an extended family with his parents, his son’s education and Pandher's experience on the Burnaby School Board (2011-2018) . Pandher shares locations of residences that he and his family have lived before living at their current home on 17th Avenue. Pandher explains that since he was a teacher in Surrey, his son attended Khalsa School as well as public elementary and high school in Surrey but did his extracurricular activities in Burnaby where the family lived. 1:29:56 – 1:41:39 In closing, Harman Pandher reflects and shares what he hopes for younger generations of South Asian Canadians and future generations. Pandher articulates “be who you are, stay true to who you are, maintain your family’s traditions, learn their stories, learn their story and how they got to Burnaby”. He conveys that even though there’s more work to be done eliminating racism completely he sees the importance in volunteering, teaching others about yourself and making an effort to learn all parts of Burnaby and other cultures represented here. Pandher speaks about his concerns of youths falling victim to a lifestyle of drugs and gangs and how it’s important to remove the stigma around mental health issues.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harman Pandher was born in Vancouver in 1976 to parents, Rajinder and Raj Pandher who immigrated to Canada in 1973. A few weeks later after Harman was born, the family moved to Burnaby. While living in Burnaby, Harman Pandher and his sister attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Pandher obtained a master's degree in education from the University of British Columbia and has worked as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. Pandher has been recognized for his efforts in building bridges across communities as the recipient of the 2021 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award. Pandher has served on the Board of the Burnaby Multicultural Society and is co-founder of two noon-profit organizations; “Through SONG” (Seeking Oneness for the Next Generation) “About bringing youth together form diverse backgrounds and using their talent in the community for good causes” and "SACH" (South Asian Community Hub) providing one-stop services for those impacted by alchohol and substance use and mental health issues. Harman Pandher is also the author of two children's books titled, "Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship" and "Once Upon the Golden Temple: A Journey to Sri Harmandir Sahib". Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Writers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Religions
- Religions - Sikhism
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Sports - Basketball
- Sports
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Geographic Access
- 2nd Street
- 15th Avenue
- Accession Code
- BV023.1.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Second Street Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0001_003.mp3Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".
- History
- Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Occupations - Agricultural Labourers
- Migration
- Organizations - Unions
- Rights
- Rights - Human Rights
- Agriculture
- Agriculture - Farms
- Government - Provincial Government
- Government
- Names
- Chouhan, Raj
- British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism
- Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash
- Grewal, Hardial Singh
- Canadian Farmworkers Union
- Hospital Employees Union
- Khalsa Diwan Society
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.4
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3Interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19610
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 4 sound recordings (wav) (186 min., 1 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (186 min., 2 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa and Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview was conducted on January 10, 2023 and January 24, 2023. 00:00 – 08:52 First part of interview…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 4 sound recordings (wav) (186 min., 1 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (186 min., 2 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewers: Kate Petrusa and James Binks Interviewees: Rajinder and Raj Pandher Location of Interview: Love farmhouse, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 10, 2023 and January 24, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 4 Total Length of all Tracks: (3:06:01 min) Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto four separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa and Museum Registrar, James Binks. The interview was conducted on January 10, 2023 and January 24, 2023. 00:00 – 08:52 First part of interview begins on January 10. Rajinder Pander provides information on where he was born and where he grew up and shares details regarding his family and his childhood including; his elementary and high school education and experiences and his involvement and interest in the sport of field hockey. 08:53 – 23:24 Raj Pander provides information on where she was born and shares details regarding her family and education. Raj recalls details of her family life in India including her family farm, her father’s service in the Indian National Army and other ancestor’s involvement in the military. Rajinder assists with the details regarding Raj’s father’s military service and explains how he was highly decelerated for his heroic actions. Rajinder conveys further information in reference to the Sikh Empire. 23:25 – 35:53 Rajinder and Raj share information on their formal education. Raj explains how she learned English and talks about the other spoken languages that her family used while she was growing up. Rajinder and Raj recall how they first met which lead them to marry in 1971. Rajinder provides information about his older brothers who left India before him. He explains how his elder brother, Kirpal Singh Pandher immigrated to Canada in 1970 and provides details on his other brother who lived in Malaysia and England before coming to Canada in 1975. Rajinder conveys how after his brother, Kirpal Singh Pandher arrived in Canada, he lived in Campbell River and worked at the saw mill there. 35:54 – 1:01:38 Rajinder and Raj share their immigration stories including details of; what lead them to immigrate, their immigration route, what they brought with them and where they lived and worked. Rajinder and Raj tell of how they both faced discrimination in finding work that they were qualified for and describe some of the jobs that they worked at before obtaining their Real Estate licences. 1:01:39 – 1:13:09 Rajinder and Raj share information on where they’ve purchase traditional food supplies in Burnaby and Rajinder provides further details on his employment and recalls how they were able to purchase their first home in Burnaby. 1:13:10 - 1:19:33 Rajinder describes how he began writing for the Sikh newsletter “The Western Sikh Samachar”. Rajinder shares how he first started printing small pamphlets of Sikh Cultural history in 1975 and how he’s been volunteering with the National Democratic Party (NDP) since 1973. 1:19:34 - 1:38:24 Second part of interview continues on January 24, 2023. Rajinder provides further information about the Sikh newsletter “The Western Sikh Samachar”, provides an historical summary of the Sikh Empire and the Sikh religion and describes a book that’s he’s written about his culture and the village he lived in India. 1:38:25 - 1:52:24 Raj describes some of the traditional textiles that she’s created including a dury, embroidered cloth (pakha and pakhi) and clothing. Raj shares a story of a train derailment in India in which her father survived. 1:52:25 - 2:14:53 Raj Pandher talks about her father’s letters and diaries, Rajinder talks about receiving a Diamond Jubilee Medal for his community service and they both talk about their daughter Amanjit’s education and career accomplishments. Raj describes her involvement in the community council of her children’s school and both Raj and Rajinder describe their involvement in multicultural education and events that they were involved with in Burnaby and New Westminster. Interviewer lists Rajinder Pandher’s many volunteer awards and accomplishments. 2:14:54 - 2:39:53 Raj and Rajinder describe some of their family photographs as well as personal items from India including decorative arts and textiles. They talk about celebrating their 30 year wedding anniversary and the origin of their Sikh names. Rajinder describes a visit to Paldi in 1977 when the whole family was baptized at the Sikh temple and provides informaton about Hardial Singh Atwal, the first Sikh child born in Canada. Rajinder discusses what he thinks a cookhouse looked like, his friendship with former Mayor William J. Copeland and wages of South Asians working in sawmills. 2:39:54 - 3:06:01 Raj and Rajinder talk about food including where they’ve purchased traditional South Asian foods and what they grow in their home garden. Rajinder provides details about the Burnaby Multicultural Society, talks about South Asian work ethics and housing and shares some of the cultural and religious traditions of Sikhs and celebrations that take place in Vancouver and Burnaby.
- History
- Interviewees biographies: Rajinder Pandher was born five years prior to the Partition of India in the Village of Jhamat, Ludhiana District, Punjab. Raj Pandher was born in 1948 in the Village of Chapar, Ludhiana District, Punjab. Rajinder played field hockey while living in India and is passionate about the sport. Both Rajinder and Raj Pahndher attended college in India and were married in India in 1971. Rajinder Pandher immigrated to Canada in 1972 and his wife, Raj Pandher joined him in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Rajinder Pandher started working at a sawmill in Campbell River but didn't like the work and moved to Vancouver to find better employment opportunties. In 1976, the couple moved to Burnaby and rented until they could buy a home a year later. They raised two children who attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School in Burnaby. Rajinder and Raj Pandher were both very involved with multicultural efforts at their childlren's schools including turban tying and sari demonstrations and Rajinder was a founding member of the Burnaby Multicultural Society. Interviewers biographies: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013. James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Housing
- Employment
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Persons - Volunteers
- Religions - Sikhism
- Migration
- Organizations
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Social Issues - Racism
- Social Issues
- Celebrations
- Sports - Field Hockey
- Names
- Pandher, Raj
- Pandher, Rajinder
- Copeland, William J.
- Pandher, Harman
- Pandher, Amanjit
- Burnaby Multicultural Society
- The Western Sikh Samachar
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Binks, James
- Accession Code
- BV023.1.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcripts available upon request
Audio Tracks
Interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher, [1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023
Interview with Rajinder and Raj Pandher, [1942- 2023] (interview content), interviewed Jan. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0002_003.mp3
Step Back in Time at the Burnaby Village Museum and Carousel
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12339
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2000 (date of original), digitized in 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 videocassette (29 min. , 59 sec.) : VHS, 29 fps, col., sd.
- Scope and Content
- Film titled “Step Back in Time at the Burnaby Village Museum & Carousel” includes narration by Archie Miller. The film opens with historical background regarding land settlement and development in Burnaby supported with historical images. The film then transverses into contemporary images and foota…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 videocassette (29 min. , 59 sec.) : VHS, 29 fps, col., sd.
- Material Details
- Sponsored in part by: The Burnaby Historical Society; Poetry Written by: Don Benson; Voices: Arlie Mason; Tom Worledge
- Scope and Content
- Film titled “Step Back in Time at the Burnaby Village Museum & Carousel” includes narration by Archie Miller. The film opens with historical background regarding land settlement and development in Burnaby supported with historical images. The film then transverses into contemporary images and footage of the Burnaby Village Museum which opened in Burnaby on November 19, 1971 in commemoration of British Columbia joining the confederation of Canada. The film’s title text, “Step Back / In Time / at the Burnaby Village / Museum & Carousel” appears a few minutes past the opening footage. Narration continues throughout the film along with interviews with various staff members and museum interpreters. The film is divided into various segments containing titles in order of appearance: “Deer Lake Park” provides glimpses of and information about Deer Lake Park, its heritage buildings and cultural facilities including The Burnaby Art Gallery, The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Burnaby Village Museum. “A Living Museum” takes you on a tour of some of the museum’s exhibits and programs through the museum’s interpreters. “The Magical Carousel” provides background on the historic C.W. Parker Carousel #119 that was restored and opened on the site in 1993. “Keeping History Alive” speaks to the interpretive, artifact and archival collection of the Burnaby Village Museum with information provided by Curator Colin Stevens, Assistant Curator Steve Turnbull and Assistant Director of Cultural Services, Denis Nokony. “A Step Back in Time” speaks to the various 1920s highlights and features that the museum has to offer. “Something Special / is Always Happening” tells of the annual events that the museum offers to capture the interests of visitors. “A Day at the / Burnaby Village / Museum & Carousel” includes Denis Nokony speaking about the importance of the museum and what it means to visitors and the community.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Publisher
- Voice of the Fraser Productions Inc. 2000
- Subjects
- Recreational Devices - Carousels
- Names
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
- Burnaby Art Gallery
- C.W. Parker no. 119 Carousel
- Responsibility
- Burnaby Village Museum - City of Burnaby
- Accession Code
- BV020.4.29b
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 2000 (date of original), digitized in 2020
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Related Material
- See also: BV020.4.33; BV020.4.36; BV929.4.38
- Notes
- Transcribed title from film content
Images
Video
Step Back in Time at the Burnaby Village Museum and Carousel, 2000 (date of original), digitized in 2020
Step Back in Time at the Burnaby Village Museum and Carousel, 2000 (date of original), digitized in 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2020_0004_0029b_001.mp4