"British Columbia" found 583 records

Interview with Betty Blair by Eric Damer October 17, 2012 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory298

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1933-1959

Length: 0:09:42

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's involvement in Field Hockey as a member of the Women's League. She also discusses her earlier involvement in Girl Guides.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's involvement in Field Hockey as a member of the Women's League. She also discusses her earlier involvement in Girl Guides.

Date Range: 1933-1959

Photo Info: Graduating class at Burnaby South High School; Betty Warburton is third from the right in the front row, [1942 or 1943]. Item no. BV004.82.5.

Length: 0:09:42

Names: Girl Guides

Subjects: Sports - Field Hockey

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 17, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 17, 2012. Major theme discussed: life in Burnaby during the war years.

Biographical Notes: Betty Warburton (later Atkinson) (later Blair) was born in 1926 and grew up at three different locations on Frederick Avenue in Burnaby. She went to school in Burnaby; first at Kingsway West for two years, then Nelson Avenue and then Burnaby South High School where she completed senior matriculation. After graduation, Betty worked for a few years in Vancouver before marrying her first husband Don Atkinson and raising their children in Burnaby. Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair has participated in a range of activities from hiking and Girl Guides to volunteer arthritis care. By the nineteen-sixties she had began to learn pottery and take lessons at Mather House in Burnaby.

Total Tracks: 6

Total Length: 0:59:03

Interviewee Name: Blair, Betty Warburton Atkinson

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Graduating class at Burnaby South High School; Betty Warburton is third from the right in the front row, [1942 or 1943]. Item no. BV004.82.5. thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of interview with Betty Blair

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-003/MSS171-003_Track_3.mp3

Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20395

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recordings (wav) (41 min., 57 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (41 min., 57 sec.)

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Georgia Chronakis and her son Alex Chronakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 8, 2023. 00:00:00 - 00:08:39 Georgia and her son share biographical details about Georgia and her husband Louis Chronak…

1 document 1 audio

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) (41 min., 57 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (41 min., 57 sec.)

Material Details: Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Alex Chronakis and Georgia Chronakis Location of Interview: Fraser Wilson Room, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 8, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 41:57 Digital master recordings (wav) were converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Georgia Chronakis and her son Alex Chronakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 8, 2023. 00:00:00 - 00:08:39 Georgia and her son share biographical details about Georgia and her husband Louis Chronakis, including their Greek background, migration to Canada, marriage, children, Louis’ career as a mechanic and gas station owner and owning restaurants in White Rock and Burnaby. 00:08:40 - 00:13:59 Georgia and her son Alex recall the great memories of owning and operating their restaurant Mionas Taverna and share details of their family life in Burnaby and White Rock. 00:14:00 - 00:19:15 Alex and Georgia talk about Louis Chronakis' work experience and how he became involved in the restaurant business. They share their experiences of operating Minoas Taverna including their opening in 1986. 00:19:16 - 00:36:59 Alex and Georgia describe some of the foods that were on the menu of Minoas Taverna, the design of the restaurant, the Minoan history that it’s based on, memories of running the restaurant and why they decided to close. 00:37:00 – 00:41:52 Alex talks about his involvement with Greek festivals in Vancouver and Alex and Georgia reflect on their life in the future now that the restaurant has closed.

History: Interviewees biographies: Georgia Giannias Chronakis was born in Selassia, Sparta, Greece in 1941 and when she was sixteen years of age she moved to Athens. In 1964 Georgia immigrated to Canada and lived in Montreal before moving to Vancouver a few years later. In 1966, while living in Vancouver, she met and married Ilias "Louis" Chronakis who was born in Crete, Greece. Soon after marrying, Georgia and Louis Chronakis bought a house located at 3823 Kingsway and welcomed their first child, Anna. Four years later, Georgia and Louis moved to White Rock but continued to own their house on Kingsway and rented it out. While living in White Rock, they had three more children named Virginia, Alex and Ellie. Louis was a trained mechanic working independently and for various companies including CP Air, BC Ferries and Esso before deciding to get into the restaurant business. He partnered with another businessman to open a Mr. Mike's franchise and later a cafe and Greek restaurant in White Rock. In 1986, Georgia, Louis and family moved back to Burnaby and moved into a house on Sandall Street and began converting their former home on Kingsway into a restaurant which they named Minoas Greek Taverna (Minoas Taverna). They opened the restaurant on May 1, 1986, just one day before Expo '86 was opened. In 2023, after 37 years of running their restaurant they sold their business but continued to own the land and building on Kingsway. Alex Chronakis is the son of Georgia and Louis Chronakis and was born in 1972. Alex has spent time working with his family running their restaurant and has been involved in the Greek Day Festival in Vancouver. Interviewer biography: James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.

Creator: Burnaby Village Museum

Subjects: Foods; Occupations; Occupations - Entrepreneurs; Occupations - Mechanics; Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants; Buildings - Commercial - Service Stations; Migration; Persons - Greek Canadians

Names: Chronakis, Alex; Chronakis, Georgia Giannias; Minoas Taverna; Chronakis, Ilias "Louis"

Geographic Access: Kingsway; Smith Avenue

Street Address: 3823 Kingsway

Accession Code: BV023.16.21

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023

Media Type: Sound Recording

Notes: Title based on contents of item; Transcription available

Documents

2023_0016_0021_003

Audio Tracks

Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis, [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0021_002.mp3

Interview with Kay Jackson by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory346

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1935-1956

Length: 0:10:23

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Kay (O'Cook) Jackson's memories of growing up in Burnaby. She mentions her parents' Radio Repair Shop on Kingsway and talks about different activities she would take part in with her friends. Kay also speaks fondly of Burnaby South High School and of her fi…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Kay (O'Cook) Jackson's memories of growing up in Burnaby. She mentions her parents' Radio Repair Shop on Kingsway and talks about different activities she would take part in with her friends. Kay also speaks fondly of Burnaby South High School and of her first years in the work force.

Date Range: 1935-1956

Photo Info: Burnaby South High School class, Kay O'Cook (later Jackson) is in the middle row, third from the right, [1952]. Item no. 549-038.

Length: 0:10:23

Subjects: Buildings - Commercial - Stores

Historic Neighbourhood: Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 16, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Kay (O'Cook) Jackson conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 16, 2012. Major themes discussed are: growing up in Burnaby and volunteering at the Burnaby Hospital.

Biographical Notes: Fred O'Cook operated a radio repair shop on Kingsway near McKay Avenue in Burnaby. In 1935, his daughter, Kay O'Cook (later Jackson) was born. Kay attended Kingsway West Elementary School and then Burnaby South High School. After graduating, she worked at Sears for a few years; in Vancouver and then in Burnaby when the new Sears department store opened on Kingsway. Kay (O'Cook) Jackson met her husband, Michigan-born Don Jackson through mutual friends. After their marriage, Don Jackson emigrated to Canada, and he and Kay bought a new house in Cascade Heights near Burnaby Hospital where they raised their three daughters.

Total Tracks: 3

Total Length: 0:34:36

Interviewee Name: Jackson, Kay O'Cook

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Burnaby South High School class, Kay O'Cook (later Jackson) is in the middle row, third from the right, [1952]. Item no. 549-038. thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Kay Jackson

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-014/MSS171-014_Track_1.mp3

Education records of Rhoda Jeffers

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4618

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1935-1956]

Collection/Fonds: Rhoda Jeffers fonds

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content: File consists of various reports and certifications from the Department of Education in reference to Rhoda Jeffers teaching experience and education. The records include a Province of British Columbia Department of Education, "Student's Record Book / Summer School / of Education"; two High School A…

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Rhoda Jeffers fonds

Series: Rhoda Jeffers education and personal records series

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content: File consists of various reports and certifications from the Department of Education in reference to Rhoda Jeffers teaching experience and education. The records include a Province of British Columbia Department of Education, "Student's Record Book / Summer School / of Education"; two High School Assistant Commercial Teacher’s Examination report; two Department of Education, Inspector of SchoolsTeacher reports while she was teaching in School District No. 76 (Agassiz); A signed transcript from the Canadian Education Association re: a bursary from Imperial Oil Ltd. for work as an exchange teacher [ca. 1952] and a handwritten note listing programs to complete for education purposes.

Names: Jeffers, Rhoda Mae

Accession Code: BV007.20.37

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Date: [1935-1956]

Media Type: Textual Record

Notes: Title based on content of file

Digney Family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85415

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1936-19[61]

Collection/Fonds: Digney Family fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w + 1 film reel : col. ; 16mm + 7 optical discs (DVDs) + 1 portable drive

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of a reel of film (digitized into four segments) created by Andy Digney; a panorama photograph of the Digney Pee-Wee Bowling League from 1958 or 1959; and 18 film segments on DVD that were originally created by Andy Digney between 1934 and 1961 and digitized by his grandson Paul Dign…

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1936-19[61]

Collection/Fonds: Digney Family fonds

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w + 1 film reel : col. ; 16mm + 7 optical discs (DVDs) + 1 portable drive

Description Level: Fonds

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of a reel of film (digitized into four segments) created by Andy Digney; a panorama photograph of the Digney Pee-Wee Bowling League from 1958 or 1959; and 18 film segments on DVD that were originally created by Andy Digney between 1934 and 1961 and digitized by his grandson Paul Digney in 2012. The 16mm film is divided into the following segments: the Oak Theatre in 1936 (construction and opening); the Royal Visit (from the King and Queen) in 1939; Burnaby Sports and May Day events (ca. 1937); and the Labour parade (ca. 1935). The 18 film segments contain footage of the Digney family at their home in Brandon, Manitoba, and Burnaby; views of the Oak Theatre and Digney Speedway in operation; and their travels throughout British Columbia and abroad. The 18 film segments are described at the item level and titled: Andy's first film; Brandon, Manitoba; Burnaby and Digney recreational events; Trip to Kamloops; Burnaby; Burnaby, Vancouver and the north shore; Galiano Island, Oak Theatre and Calgary; Travels to Ontario, Quebec and England; Travels to England #2; Travels to England #3; Parades; Digney family in Burnaby; Paul Digney and family; Digney family and the Oak Theatre gardens; Digney family at Bonsor Avenue and family outings; Building and opening the Digney Speedway; Digney family travel the praries; and San Francisco Trip.

History: Andy Digney was born in London, England, on July 27, 1886. His given names were Andrew Charles. In 1905, he immigrated with his elder brother to Raymore, Saskatchewan, and worked on a farm. In 1914, he met and married Alice Swan and in 1920 they had their one and only child, Ernest ('Dig'). The young family lived in Beatty, Saskatchewan, where they ran a small general store with a pool hall over the top. Andy sold the store and they moved to Carberry, Manitoba, where Andy worked selling lightning rods and hanging wallpaper. At this time, he met and formed a partnership with someone who owned a hand cranked move projector and in the evenings, he and his wife traveled to church halls in neighbouring towns, showing movies. Eventually, Digney purchased his own movie projector and opened a small theatre in Carberry. He worked odd jobs during the daytime and projected movies in his small theatre at night. Eventually he made enough money to move to Brandon, Manitoba, where he purchased a restaurant, which he turned into a theatre with living quarters above. Andy called the theatre 'The Oak' since the mighty oak was strong and stood forever. After starting the first Oak Theatre in Brandon, Manitoba, when talking pictures came along, Andy Digney, his wife Alice and son Ernest ('Dig') moved to Burnaby in 1935 and chose the site of their new theatre and home at the corner of Kingsway and Marlborough. The Oak Theatre - which opened on August 4, 1937 - was hailed as an artistic masterpiece for its ultra modern white stucco exterior, floodlights and pink-and-green neon marquee. The interior featured a mirrored ceiling, fireplace, and aquarium and had a colour scheme of orchid, royal blue, silver and black. Andy was a very involved member of the Burnaby community, becoming the founding president of the Lion's club and the chairman of the committee raising money for war bonds during World War II. In 1944, Andy suffered a severe heart attack, forcing him to retire, so in 1945, he sold the theatre to Odeon Theatres of Canada who continued to operate at this location until 1968 when competition forced its closure and demolition. Andy and his family relocated to a home on Bonsor Avenue on 3/4 acres where he spent much of his time cultivating a lovely garden. In about 1946, Andy was approached by the B.C. Midget Auto Racing Association [original name retained for historical accuracy], who were looking for a good location to race the smaller racing cars popular at the time. Andy was interested and purchased 10 acres of property located near the corner of Irmin Street and MacPherson Avenue and built a race track. The Digney Speedway opened on July 8, 1948, with stands that had capacity of holding 4500 people. In 1949, when the popularity of this kind of racing declined, Digney started racing roadsters. However, he struggled to find local drivers, and it was expensive to bring in drivers from elsewhere. In 1951, Digney found a winner: jalopy racing. Local men would buy 1930s cars and strip them down, remove the glass, and weld the doors shut. By early 1952 over 40 cars were showing up for jalopy races. By the early 1950s, the Speedway was well established, with coverage in the sports pages and on radio. Andy's son Dig worked at the race track but moved away with his wife in 1951 to work in Seattle. Dig and his wife Joyce, along with their two young sons, Paul and Bruce, returned to Burnaby in 1953, moving into a 550-square-foot apartment located above the Digney Speedway restrooms. In 1954, Simpson Sears built a large store on Kingsway and their parking lot came up to the back garden of the family home on Bonsor Avenue. Andy thought of building small stores on his property but in the end decided to build a bowling alley, clearing out his beautiful garden. The Digney Bowl opened on August 19, 1955, and Andy, Alice, Dig, and Joyce all worked at both the Speedway and the bowling alley. In 1956, Andy decided to finally retire and sold the bowling alley and home to his son Dig, which he paid for over time. Dig and his family moved into the house on Bonsor Avenue and ran the bowling alley until their son Bruce took over in 1980. Andy Digney died in 1964 while travelling with his wife in England. Alice died on June 3, 1982, and Dig died on November 27, 2009.

Media Type: Moving Images

Photographer: Digney, Andy

Creator: Digney family

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds; Photo/MI catalogue 562

Interview with Georgina Nicholson by Eric Damer November 2, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory367

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1936-2012

Length: 0:11:19

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Georgina Nicholson's parents' early years of marriage as well as her own childhood in Burnaby. Georgina discusses recreational activities that she took part in as a young person as well as the culture at school.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Georgina Nicholson's parents' early years of marriage as well as her own childhood in Burnaby. Georgina discusses recreational activities that she took part in as a young person as well as the culture at school.

Date Range: 1936-2012

Length: 0:11:19

Subjects: Recreational Activities; Geographic Features - Parks

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 2, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Georgina Nicholson conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 2, 2012. Major theme discussed: the life of a teenager in the nineteen-sixties.

Biographical Notes: Georgina Nicholson's parents were married in 1929 and moved into their house in North Burnaby. Georgina Nicholson was born in 1948 and grew up playing in neighbourhood parks. Georgina went to Rosser Avenue Elementary, Alpha and Burnaby Heights Junior Secondary, and North Burnaby High Schools. She later studied at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and pursued a career as a laboratory technologist.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:38:20

Interviewee Name: Nicholson, Georgina

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Georgina Nicholson

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-019/MSS171-019_Track_1.mp3

Eagles family papers

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription65639

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1936-1990

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Scope and Content: File consists of miscellaneous documents such as receipts from gas for the Burnaby Lake Garage, Port of Vancouver brochures, a banquet invitation from British Columbia Historical Association and a photocopied article entitled "Tribute to Dr. and Mrs. Blythe Eagles" by Evelyn Salisbury.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1936-1990

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Eagles family subseries

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Description Level: File

Record No.: MSS055-048

Accession Number: BHS1995-03

Scope and Content: File consists of miscellaneous documents such as receipts from gas for the Burnaby Lake Garage, Port of Vancouver brochures, a banquet invitation from British Columbia Historical Association and a photocopied article entitled "Tribute to Dr. and Mrs. Blythe Eagles" by Evelyn Salisbury.

Media Type: Textual Record

Notes: Title based on contents of file

Harold E. Winch newspaper collection series

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3643

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1936-1986

Collection/Fonds: Harold Edward Winch collection

Description Level: Series

Physical Description: 7 files of newspapers

Scope and Content: Series consists of issues of the following Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and New Democratic Party (NDP) newspapers: The Commonwealth (1936); The Federationist (1936, 1943); CCF News (1946-1947, 1954); CCF News - for British Columbia and Yukon (1954); The British Columbian (1960); The D…

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Harold Edward Winch collection

Series: Harold E. Winch newspaper collection series

Description Level: Series

Physical Description: 7 files of newspapers

Scope and Content: Series consists of issues of the following Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and New Democratic Party (NDP) newspapers: The Commonwealth (1936); The Federationist (1936, 1943); CCF News (1946-1947, 1954); CCF News - for British Columbia and Yukon (1954); The British Columbian (1960); The Democrat (1966-1969); and Democrat (1972-1986).

Names: Winch, Harold Edward

Accession Code: BV013.12

Date: 1936-1986

Media Type: Textual Record

Notes: Title based on contents of series

Interview with Richard Liu

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20283

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1936-2023] (interview content), interviewed 11 Sep. 2023

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 3 sound recordings (wav) (153 min., 33 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (152 min., 59 sec.)

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Richard Liu conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 11, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:26:39 Richard Liu shares biographical information about himself and his family in China. He talks about his family being forced…

1 document 1 audio

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: 3 sound recordings (wav) (153 min., 33 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (152 min., 59 sec.)

Material Details: Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Richard Liu Location of Interview: Love farmhouse at Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: September 11, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:33:33 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto three separate audio tracks, edited and merged together into one track and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Richard Liu conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 11, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:26:39 Richard Liu shares biographical information about himself and his family in China. He talks about his family being forced out by the communist regime in the early ‘50s and their experiences immigrating to Hong Kong, Europe and Canada. 00:26:40 - 00:32:59 Richard talks about his parents’ experiences living in Toronto, Victoria and Burnaby and shares some of his father’s business accomplishments including establishing the first direct flight to Beijing in 1987 and the first sister city between China and Canada. 00:33:00 – 01:13:59 Richard talks about living in Burnaby and his educational experiences at Thomas More Collegiate. He recalls his experience of travelling to North Korea in 1988 and being a student at Peking University in Beijing during the student-led demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. 01:14:00 – 01:26:16 Richard talks about his education and reflects on how his experiences in Beijing influenced his education and career choices including working in the Prime Minister’s office on trade missions to China and talks about the importance of leaning French. 01:26:17 – 01:48:35 Richard shares his memories and experiences of; being on the Canadian Paralympic Committee during the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games in China, supporting Rick Hansen during his visit to China for the 25th anniversary of the Man in Motion World Tour and working with Team Canada in China for the 2022 Olympic Games. 01:48:36 – 01:52:22 Richard talks about his life in Burnaby after moving back from China in 2014 and the changes he’s noticed since being away. Richard talks about his involvement with St. John Ambulance, his role as the Honorary Brigade Division President and his role as Heritage Commissioner for the City of Burnaby. 02:14:32 – 02:29:27 Richard talks about his investiture to the Order of Saint John in 2023 and reflects on the accomplishments of his great uncle Dr. Shin-Shu Liu (China’s first Ambassador to Canada). 02:29:28 – 02:32:59 In closing Richard imparts some words of wisdom for future generations.

History: Interviewee biography: Richard N. Liu was born in 1970 in Toronto and raised in British Columbia. Richard's family has distinguished Canada-China ties for three generations. His Great-Uncle, Dr. Liu Shih-shun, was China's first Ambassador to Canada in 1942 and his father, Dr. Liu Dun-ren, built relations in education, culture and tourism for three decades including establishing the first Twin Sister City between Canada and China with Victoria and Suzhou in 1980. Richard's maternal great-grandfather, Dr. Wu Han-chi (1872-1913) played an active role in uprisings that shaped the future of modern China, was an elected member of the lower house of the first formal parliament in 1913 and was assassinated on political grounds. Dr. Wu's daughter, Dr. Wu Chi-mei served Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was elected as a Guangzhou City Councillor and visited Vancouver in 1929 and 1932. After graduating from St. Thomas More Collegiate in Vancouver, Richard Liu moved to China to begin his studies at Peking University but in 1989, following the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre, he was evacuated from China and returned to Canada. While back in Canada, Liu completed a BA in East Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia and in 1993, he returned to China to continue his Chinese studies at Peking University and continued to live in China for twenty years. In 2008, Richard worked as Team Canada’s Attaché for the Paralympic Summer Games that took place in Beijing. In 2014, Liu returned to Canada and made his home in Burnaby with his wife and two children. In 2022, Liu returned to Beijing to serve as Mission Staff member for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics. Richard has also played a leading role with the Terry Fox Run, Special Olympics and Rick Hansen's visit to Beijing in 2011. Liu’s areas of expertize include; public relations, diplomacy, major events organization and education. Liu works as an advisor in East Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia and is a MA Candidate at Peking University. Richard founded the Canadian Alumni Network that connects over 16,000 alumni in China who’ve attended Canada's post-secondary institutions. Liu has been a commissioner with the City of Burnaby’s Heritage Commission (2018-2023) and sits on various boards advising companies and organizations on a variety of sectors pertaining to Asia. In 2019, Liu was appointed the Honorary Brigade Division President for St. John Ambulance and was among 13 UBC Alumni to be recognized and awarded the 2018-2019 UBC Alumni Builder Award “For his service, dedication, and contribution to UBC and its alumni community. For his long record of service fostering connections with alumni and students in Beijing and Asia as well as dedication to mentoring students in the Faculty of Arts.” On June 24 2023, Richard was formally invested into the Order of St. John, one of five national orders in the Canadian Honours System. 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: Persons - Chinese Canadians; Migration; Officials; Education; Protests and Demonstrations; Social Issues; Social Issues - Racism; Sports; Travel; Religions - Christianity

Names: Canadian Paralympic Committee; Chak, Dr. Po Tin; Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC; Liu, Richard N.; Liu, Dr. Dun-ren; Liu, Dr. Shih-Shun; Gigli, Beniamino; Hansen, Richard Marvin "Rick"; Olympic Games; Paralympic Games; Peking University; St. John Ambulance; St. Thomas More Collegiate; Tiananmen Square; University of British Columbia

Responsibility: Fong, Denise

Accession Code: BV023.16.17

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1936-2023] (interview content), interviewed 11 Sep. 2023

Media Type: Sound Recording

Notes: Title based on contents of item; transcription available

Documents

2023_0016_0017_006

Audio Tracks

Interview with Richard Liu, [1936-2023] (interview content), interviewed 11 Sep. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0017_004.mp3

Interview with Aili Topalian by Eric Damer October 11, 2012 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory422

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1937-1979

Length: 0:10:15

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Aili (Rintanen) Topalian's memories of her early life in Burnaby. Aili discusses family friends, Maplewood flats in North Vancovuer, the waterfront at Burrard Inlet, owning Bantam Roosters and an Alsatian dog. She mentions some of the more challenging aspec…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Aili (Rintanen) Topalian's memories of her early life in Burnaby. Aili discusses family friends, Maplewood flats in North Vancovuer, the waterfront at Burrard Inlet, owning Bantam Roosters and an Alsatian dog. She mentions some of the more challenging aspects of Crabtown.

Date Range: 1937-1979

Photo Info: Aili Rintanen (later Topalian) holding cat, next to her sister who has a rooster in her arms, [1937]. Item no. 337-003.

Length: 0:10:15

Geographic Access: Burrard Inlet

Historic Neighbourhood: Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 11, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Aili (Rintanen) Topalian conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 11, 2012. Major theme discussed: growing up in Crabtown.

Biographical Notes: Aili Rintanen (later Topalian) came to British Columbia in 1936 from a homestead near Burnt Lake, Alberta. After a few months in Vancouver and then a Burnaby apartment, the Rintanens moved to a house on the Burrard Inlet. The family lived over the water, in a house built on a deck, secured to the top of pilings that were sunk deep into the sand. Aili's mother Aune Rintanen found work at a fish and chip shop in downtown Vancouver and her father Gus Rintanen worked in a nearby mill. Aili and her sister Trudi (later Tuomi), attended school in Burnaby. For nine years the Rintanens created a home for themselves in an area now called Crabtown, although no one living there called it that.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:39:00

Interviewee Name: Topalian, Aili Rintanen

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Aili Rintanen (later Topalian) holding cat, next to her sister who has a rooster in her arms, [1937]. Item no. 337-003. thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track four of recording of interview with Aili Topalian

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-028/MSS171-028_Track_4.mp3

Interview with Eddy Wood by Eric Damer September 24, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory423

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1937-1975

Length: 0:09:15

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Eddy Wood's memories of the Regent Fish Market. Eddy describes how his family came to own Regent Fish Market and what it was like to grow up with a family-owned business in Vancouver Heights.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Eddy Wood's memories of the Regent Fish Market. Eddy describes how his family came to own Regent Fish Market and what it was like to grow up with a family-owned business in Vancouver Heights.

Date Range: 1937-1975

Length: 0:09:15

Subjects: Buildings - Commercial - Stores

Historic Neighbourhood: Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: September 24, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Eddy Wood conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, September 24, 2012. Major themes discussed are: Regent Fish Market and the Vancouver Heights business district.

Biographical Notes: Eddy Wood was born in 1943 and grew up working in various shops in the Vancouver Heights area of Burnaby. Eddy's father, also Eddy Wood, bought the Regent Fish Market in 1947 or 1948. When the senior Eddy Wood died in 1960, his wife took over the fish market and ran it for the next fifteen years. Their son Eddy then stepped in and continued with the family business. Through this, the Wood family was able to run the Regent Fish Market for over fifty years. Eddy Wood recalls the busy nature of the business in the post-war period, the role of the streetcar in bringing customers to the area and the preferences of the local customers. Vancouver Heights merchants joined together to form the North Burnaby Merchants in 1954. During Eddy Wood's tenure, the North Burnaby Merchants created “Hats Off Day” and organized to fight the Provincial Department of Highways’ plan to remove street level parking along Hastings Street.

Total Tracks: 3

Total Length: 0:29:32

Interviewee Name: Wood, Eddy

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Eddy Wood

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-029/MSS171-029_Track_1.mp3

Grieve family correspondence

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription66378

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1937-1966

Collection/Fonds: Grieve family fonds

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Scope and Content: File consists of correspondence pertaining to the Grieve family. Included in the file is correspondence from Canada's twelfth Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and from British Columbia's twenty-second Premier, T. D. Pattullo.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1937-1966

Collection/Fonds: Grieve family fonds

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Description Level: File

Record No.: MSS155-005

Accession Number: 2011-04

Scope and Content: File consists of correspondence pertaining to the Grieve family. Included in the file is correspondence from Canada's twelfth Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and from British Columbia's twenty-second Premier, T. D. Pattullo.

Media Type: Textual Record

Notes: Title based on contents of file

Political clippings, publications

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3659

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1937-1984]

Collection/Fonds: Harold Edward Winch collection

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Scope and Content: File consists of newspaper clippings and publications by the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) in British Columbia.

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Harold Edward Winch collection

Series: Harold E. Winch political photograph album and records series

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Scope and Content: File consists of newspaper clippings and publications by the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) in British Columbia.

Names: Winch, Harold Edward

Accession Code: BV013.12.16

Date: [1937-1984]

Media Type: Textual Record

Notes: Title based on contents of file

Knight family subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64497

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1938-1982

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Subseries

Physical Description: Textual records and photgraphs

Scope and Content: Subseries consists of newspaper clippings, manuals on health and training of talking birds, correspondence and photographs pertaining to "Bird Doctor" Virginia Knight and her husband Milton, the owners of Lakeview Aviaries in Burnaby.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1938-1982

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Knight family subseries

Physical Description: Textual records and photgraphs

Description Level: Subseries

Accession Number: BHS1992-53

Scope and Content: Subseries consists of newspaper clippings, manuals on health and training of talking birds, correspondence and photographs pertaining to "Bird Doctor" Virginia Knight and her husband Milton, the owners of Lakeview Aviaries in Burnaby.

History: Milton "Milt" Waller Knight was born in Canada circa 1904. His wife Virginia Harrington was born in Duluth, Minnesota circa 1905 and lived most of her life in Canada. Virginia was the first person in British Columbia to breed budgies when she began in 1932 and by 1939 she and her husband created the first crested budgie in the world. By 1942, Virginia was also housing two-hundred and fifty birds at the home of her mother, Mrs. N.M. Herington, which was located at 1775 West 13th Avenue in Burnaby. Milton and Virginia Knight moved into their own home during the war years but, as they could not get their large aviary moved, they were forced to sell their crested birds. When they started up in their birds again, they obtained some of their crested back. By 1948 they had created two types of crested: those with a miniature cockatiel crest and those with a crest like a crested canary. By 1950 they had created the crested in over twelve colours of budgie, including cobalt and yellow-wing greens. The Knights lived together at 3718 Sperling Avenue (later renumbered 5255 Sperling Avenue) and opened Lakeview Aviaries on their one acre property at Deer Lake where Virginia specialized in budgies (Budgerigars) and bred the first albino in Canada and the first crested variety in the world. She kept Java rice birds, button quail, red factor canaries, cockatiels, finches, love birds and twelve varieties of budgerigar. She was a member of the British Columbia Budgerigar and Foreign Bird Society. The facilities at Lakeview Aviaries included two heated aviary cages and three outdoor flight cages constructed by Milton. Lakeview housed the only "hospital" facilities in the city for cage birds, which featured an electrically heated, thermostatically controlled hospital cage. Virginia, known in the community as “the Bird Doctor” nursed many sick birds back to health free of charge for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or SPCA. The Knights often donated their trained birds to sick and injured children, for Virginia believed, “Budgies do wonders for the kiddies. They make them forget their troubles and of course a happy mental outlook is a definite aid to better physical health.” The couple’s personal pets included eight different types of parrot, three talking budgies, a dancing bare-eyes cockatoo, three talking cockatiel, and “Hoppy” her pet owl. By 1952, they had a toucan and a macaw as pets. In later years, they added two small dogs. By 1965, Milton had over 25 years of service as a truck driver at the Vancouver Service Department. He was also an avid collector of antique watches and clocks. He reconditioned the timepieces, systematically restoring them to their original condition. He was a member of the National Association of Clock and Watch Collectors. Milt also treasured old music boxes and restored their large metal discs and rolls to “as new” condition. Milton Knight died March 7, 1966 at 62 years of age. Virginia Knight lived alone at 5755 Sperling Avenue after her husband’s death and continued her work at the Lakeview Aviary where she “doctored 700-800 [birds] a year free of charge (except medicine) and gave SPCA donations up to $1000 a year.” Virginia Knight passed away November 10, 1987 at 82 years of age.

Media Type: Textual Record; Photograph

Creator: Knight, Milton; Knight, Virginia

Notes: MSS117, PC510; Title based on contents and creator of subseries

Political photographs

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3649

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1938-1990], predominant 1938-1953

Collection/Fonds: Harold Edward Winch collection

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 35 photographs : b&w + col. prints + slides

Scope and Content: File consists of photographs relating to Winch's political career, including professional portraits of Harold Winch, tourist photographs of Ottawa, and photographs of Winch with New Democratic Party (NDP) colleagues Dave Barrett (Premier of British Columbia, 1972-1975; also served as MLA and MP) an…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Harold Edward Winch collection

Series: Harold E. Winch photographs series

Description Level: File

Physical Description: 35 photographs : b&w + col. prints + slides

Scope and Content: File consists of photographs relating to Winch's political career, including professional portraits of Harold Winch, tourist photographs of Ottawa, and photographs of Winch with New Democratic Party (NDP) colleagues Dave Barrett (Premier of British Columbia, 1972-1975; also served as MLA and MP) and Dave Stupich (served as MLA and MP). Includes a photograph taken by photographer Ken McAllister of members of the CCF (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) standing outside of the British Columbia Legislature [ca. 1941].

Subjects: Government - Federal Government

Names: Winch, Harold Edward; New Democratic Party

Accession Code: BV013.12.6

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Date: [1938-1990], predominant 1938-1953

Media Type: Photograph

Scan Resolution: 600

Scan Date: 2023-04-14

Photographer: McAllister, Kenneth "Ken"

Notes: Title based on contents of file; Annotation in blue ink on recto of photograph of CCF members [ca. 1941] includes names of people identified; "Arthur Tuenue, Colin Cameron, Laura Jamieson, Grant MacNeil / Wallis Lefeaux, Sam Guthrie, Bernard Webber, / Front: Bert Herridge, Grace MacInnis, Bert Gargrave, Harold Winch, Gretchen Steeves, Len Shepherd, Ernie Winch"

Images

Political photographs, [1938-1990], predominant 1938-1953 thumbnail

Herbert Yee Law family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18929

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1938-1959] (date of originals), 2017-2019 (date of duplication)

Collection/Fonds: Herbert Yee Law family fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 4 photographs (tiffs + jpgs)

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of a collection of photographs of Herbert Yee Law, United Fruit Growers, his farm on Marine Drive and a scanned copy of a survey plan of District Lots 163, 162, 157, 158 and 165.

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Herbert Yee Law family fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 4 photographs (tiffs + jpgs)

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of a collection of photographs of Herbert Yee Law, United Fruit Growers, his farm on Marine Drive and a scanned copy of a survey plan of District Lots 163, 162, 157, 158 and 165.

History: Herbert (Yee) Law was born in New Westminster British Columbia in 1916. Between 1938 and 1945, Yee Law worked for the United Fraser Growers Limited in Vancouver. The company was a wholesaler that purchased produce from Chinese farmers. In 1948 Yee Law purchased land from another Chinese family along Marine Drive in the Big Bend Area of Burnaby. From this location, Yee Law operated a Chinese market garden. Yee Law and his wife Jean had five daughters who attended schools in the area including Riverway West School, McPherson Park School and Burnaby South High School. In 1954, Yee Law continued to live in the area but left his farm to work for a plastic bag company on Annacis Island. Herbert (Yee) Law died in 2003.

Creator: Law, Yee "Herbert"

Accession Code: BV017.40; BV019.11

Date: [1938-1959] (date of originals), 2017-2019 (date of duplication)

Media Type: Photograph; Cartographic Material

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds

Interview with Elsie Ansdell by Eric Damer September 18, 2012 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory289

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-2012

Length: 0:07:05

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Elsie (Brown-John) Ansdell's early years of marriage while also a member of the work force. She talks about her own children; their early years spent in South Burnaby.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Elsie (Brown-John) Ansdell's early years of marriage while also a member of the work force. She talks about her own children; their early years spent in South Burnaby.

Date Range: 1939-2012

Photo Info: Elsie Brown-John (bottom, far right) with her class at Kitchener Street School, [1936]. Item no. 549-001.

Length: 0:07:05

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: September 18, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with early Burnaby resident Elsie (Brown-John) Ansdell conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, September 18, 2012. Major themes discussed are: settling in Burnaby and the early years of the Brown-John family.

Biographical Notes: Elsie (Brown-John) Ansdell’s father, a trained carpenter and cabinet maker, Victor Brown-John came to Canada from Wales in 1910. He cleared three lots at Napier and Gilmore Streets and built a two-roomed house. In 1912, he was joined by his wife and two eldest sons, Victor and Archie. Twin boys, Frank and Roy, were born in 1914 in the Burnaby home and their fifth son, Clive, was born in 1915. From 1916 to 1919 Victor John-Brown left Burnaby to serve overseas. Elsie Brown-John (later Ansdell) was born in 1921. Her younger brother, Gwyn "Jerry" was born in 1923. In 1925 Victor Brown-John suffered a fatal accident while working as a longshoreman in Northern British Columbia. Elsie attended Kitchener Elementary and North Burnaby High School. She married during the Second World War and moved to South Burnaby to raise her family whilst continuing to work in various department stores both in Vancouver and Burnaby.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 33:02

Interviewee Name: Ansdell, Elsie Brown-John

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Elsie Brown-John (bottom, far right) with her class at Kitchener Street School, [1936]. Item no. 549-001. thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of interview with Elsie Ansdell

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-001/MSS171-001_Track_3.mp3

Interview with Betty Blair by Eric Damer October 17, 2012 - Track 6

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory301

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-2012

Length: 0:10:46

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's memories of popular culture activities that she has enjoyed. Betty discusses listening to the radio, singing around the piano and going out to the theatre as a girl. She also mentions her more recent pottery practice.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair's memories of popular culture activities that she has enjoyed. Betty discusses listening to the radio, singing around the piano and going out to the theatre as a girl. She also mentions her more recent pottery practice.

Date Range: 1939-2012

Photo Info: Graduating class at Burnaby South High School; Betty Warburton is third from the right in the front row, [1942 or 1943]. Item no. BV004.82.5.

Length: 0:10:46

Subjects: Recreational Activities

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 17, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 17, 2012. Major theme discussed: life in Burnaby during the war years.

Biographical Notes: Betty Warburton (later Atkinson) (later Blair) was born in 1926 and grew up at three different locations on Frederick Avenue in Burnaby. She went to school in Burnaby; first at Kingsway West for two years, then Nelson Avenue and then Burnaby South High School where she completed senior matriculation. After graduation, Betty worked for a few years in Vancouver before marrying her first husband Don Atkinson and raising their children in Burnaby. Betty (Warburton) (Atkinson) Blair has participated in a range of activities from hiking and Girl Guides to volunteer arthritis care. By the nineteen-sixties she had began to learn pottery and take lessons at Mather House in Burnaby.

Total Tracks: 6

Total Length: 0:59:03

Interviewee Name: Blair, Betty Warburton Atkinson

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track six of recording of interview with Betty Blair

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-003/MSS171-003_Track_6.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory354

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-2012

Length: 0:09:13

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of the development of property Burnaby. He discusses houses being built by his father, grandfather and himself; this includes the property that he and his wife bought in 1961. Bob also discusses the rise of the automobile.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of the development of property Burnaby. He discusses houses being built by his father, grandfather and himself; this includes the property that he and his wife bought in 1961. Bob also discusses the rise of the automobile.

Date Range: 1939-2012

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:09:13

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Transportation - Automobiles

Planning Study Area: Government Road Area

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_2.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory355

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-1972

Length: 0:10:04

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of growing up in Burnaby. He discusses transportation in Burnaby, including the first cars in his family. Bob talks about recreational activities available to Burnaby residents in the late nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-fo…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of growing up in Burnaby. He discusses transportation in Burnaby, including the first cars in his family. Bob talks about recreational activities available to Burnaby residents in the late nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-forties, as well as changes that he has seen from his time growing up to the time of raising his own children.

Date Range: 1939-1972

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:10:04

Subjects: Transportation - Buses; Transportation - Automobiles; Agriculture - Farms

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_3.mp3

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Interview with Betty Blair by Eric Damer October 17, 2012 - Track 3

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Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis

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Interview with Kay Jackson by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 1

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Education records of Rhoda Jeffers

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Interview with Georgina Nicholson by Eric Damer November 2, 2012 - Track 1

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Eagles family papers

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Interview with Aili Topalian by Eric Damer October 11, 2012 - Track 4

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Interview with Eddy Wood by Eric Damer September 24, 2012 - Track 1

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Interview with Elsie Ansdell by Eric Damer September 18, 2012 - Track 3

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