Narrow Results By
Decade
- 2020s
- 2010s 7
- 2000s 153
- 1990s 110
- 1980s 79
- 1970s 213
- 1960s 79
- 1950s 137
- 1940s 61
- 1930s 99
- 1920s 62
- 1910s 53
- 1900s 26
- 1890s 3
- 1880s 9
- 1870s 1
- 1860s 1
- 1850s 1
- 1840s 1
- 1830s 1
- 1820s 1
- 1810s 1
- 1800s 1
- 1790s 1
- 1780s 1
- 1770s 1
- 1760s 1
- 1750s 1
- 1740s 1
- 1730s 1
- 1720s 1
- 1710s 1
- 1700s 1
- 1690s 1
- 1680s 1
- 1670s 1
- 1660s 1
- 1650s 1
- 1640s 1
- 1630s 1
- 1620s 1
- 1610s 1
- 1600s 1
Subject
- Advertising Medium - Signs and Signboards 9
- Agriculture 1
- Agriculture - Farms 3
- Agriculture - Ranches 1
- Animals - Pigs 1
- Buildings - Commercial 5
- Buildings - Commercial - Drugstores 1
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores 15
- Buildings - Commercial - Malls 2
- Buildings - Commercial - Offices 1
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants 11
- Buildings - Commercial - Service Stations 2
Oh! Zhhu Sam
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98681
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 7500 block of Edmonds Street at dusk. The photograph is taken from across Edmonds Street and depicts two commercial buildings: Oh! Zzhu Sam Korean Restaurant and the European Butcher Boy Delicatessen & Grocery. Oh! Zzhu Sam, located at 7506 Edmonds Street, was constructed in 1976.…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 634-028
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2022-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 7500 block of Edmonds Street at dusk. The photograph is taken from across Edmonds Street and depicts two commercial buildings: Oh! Zzhu Sam Korean Restaurant and the European Butcher Boy Delicatessen & Grocery. Oh! Zzhu Sam, located at 7506 Edmonds Street, was constructed in 1976. Residential houses border the restaurant and grocery store, and a bus shelter, municipal garbage can, and the restaurant's illuminated neon sign stand in front of the buildings.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cheung, Nakita
- Notes
- Title taken from the associated blog post
- Associated blog post: https://disappearingburnaby.wordpress.com/2022/07/29/oh-zzhu-sam/
- Geographic Access
- Edmonds Street
- Street Address
- 7506 Edmonds Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Edmonds Area
Images
Trafalgar Market
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98665
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the intersection of Imperial Street and Sussex Avenue at night and in the rain. The photograph shows the Trafalgar Market grocery store (located at 4398 Imperial Street; the building was constructed in 1940) on the corner, with a large display of flowers for sale under the awning in f…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 634-012
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2022-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the intersection of Imperial Street and Sussex Avenue at night and in the rain. The photograph shows the Trafalgar Market grocery store (located at 4398 Imperial Street; the building was constructed in 1940) on the corner, with a large display of flowers for sale under the awning in front of the store. The street and traffic lights are reflected in the puddles on the road, and cars and other businesses are visible along Imperial Street.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Buildings - Commercial - Stores
- Geographic Features - Roads
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cheung, Nakita
- Notes
- Title taken from the associated blog post
- Associated blog post: https://disappearingburnaby.wordpress.com/2022/02/20/imperial-manor-2/
- Geographic Access
- Imperial Street
- Sussex Avenue
- Street Address
- 4398 Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Sussex-Nelson Area
Images
Canadian Food Market
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98666
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of the Canadian Food Market, taken from across Imperial Street at night. The grocery store is located at 4378 Imperial Street and the building was constructed in 1962. A large display of plants and flowers stands in front of the store and is illuminated by bright lights.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 634-013
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2022-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of the Canadian Food Market, taken from across Imperial Street at night. The grocery store is located at 4378 Imperial Street and the building was constructed in 1962. A large display of plants and flowers stands in front of the store and is illuminated by bright lights.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cheung, Nakita
- Notes
- Title taken from the associated blog post
- Associated blog post: https://disappearingburnaby.wordpress.com/2022/02/20/imperial-manor-2/
- Geographic Access
- Imperial Street
- Street Address
- 4378 Imperial Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Sussex-Nelson Area
Images
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
- 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…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- 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: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:17:12 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
- 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
Audio Tracks
Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis, [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
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
On On Wonton House
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98670
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of the On On Wonton House restaurant, located at 5640 Kingsway. The photograph is taken from across Kingsway at night. The building, which was constructed in 1959, is lit up with lights and a bright sign, and several cars are parked in the lot in front of the restaurant.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Disappearing Burnaby collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col.
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 634-017
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2022-14
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of the On On Wonton House restaurant, located at 5640 Kingsway. The photograph is taken from across Kingsway at night. The building, which was constructed in 1959, is lit up with lights and a bright sign, and several cars are parked in the lot in front of the restaurant.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cheung, Nakita
- Notes
- Title taken from the associated blog post
- Associated blog post: https://disappearingburnaby.wordpress.com/2022/06/06/on-on-wonton-house/
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 5640 Kingsway
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Windsor Area
Images
A Taste of History Video series - 2020 subseries
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14272
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- 6 video recordings (mp4)
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of a two part video series "A Taste of History". Part one is titled "A Taste of History - Scraps and Dragons" and part two is titled " A Taste of History - A Pig's Tale". The films were created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates fro…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- UBC Partnership series
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- 6 video recordings (mp4)
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of a two part video series "A Taste of History". Part one is titled "A Taste of History - Scraps and Dragons" and part two is titled " A Taste of History - A Pig's Tale". The films were created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates from the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM). "Scraps and Dragons" provides information on the origins of the Chinese-Canadian culinary dish "chop suey" and tells the story of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants, highlighting the history of the "Dragon Inn" chop suey restaurant owned by Larry Lee. "A Pig's Tale" shares informaton on the history of Chinese pig farms also known as "Piggeries" in Burnaby, highlighting the experiences of Chinese Pig farmers along Douglas Road. Films include versions with English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles.
- History
- In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, UBC interns were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Asia) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and piggeries in Burnaby
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues - Racism
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Agriculture - Farms
- Agriculture - Ranches
- Animals - Pigs
- Regulations
- Accession Code
- BV020.28
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 2020
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Notes
- Title based on contents of subseries
Canada Way Food Market and Toy residence
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20350
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 13 Jun. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Harry Toy fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of Canada Way Food Market building and Toy family residence (above) located at 4694 Canada Way. Blue plastic food crates, store racks and car tires are in the parking area in front of the store. The food market closed in 2010.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Harry Toy fonds
- Series
- Harry Toy photographs series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of Canada Way Food Market building and Toy family residence (above) located at 4694 Canada Way. Blue plastic food crates, store racks and car tires are in the parking area in front of the store. The food market closed in 2010.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Stores
- Names
- Canada Way Food Market
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.25.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 13 Jun. 2023
- Media Type
- Photograph
- 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
- Scan Date
- 2023-06-13
- Photographer
- Petrusa, Kate
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Cash till line up
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription95107
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 27, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of shoppers in the checkout lines at Save-On-Foods grocery store at the Old Orchard Shopping Centre. On the floor are red decals indicating where shoppers should stand to maintain distance from one another. The decals read: "Allow 2M between shoppers".
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 27, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 623-025
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2020-10
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of shoppers in the checkout lines at Save-On-Foods grocery store at the Old Orchard Shopping Centre. On the floor are red decals indicating where shoppers should stand to maintain distance from one another. The decals read: "Allow 2M between shoppers".
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Snowdon, Nick
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Photographer's caption: "Physical distancing signs become common in most stores"
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 4429 Kingsway
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Garden Village Area
Images
Cheap Gas during Covid Pandemic
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription95087
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 27, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Chevron Gas Station sign advertising gas for 85.9 cents per litre. The Chevron station is located at 6138 Kingsway.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 27, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 623-006
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2020-10
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Chevron Gas Station sign advertising gas for 85.9 cents per litre. The Chevron station is located at 6138 Kingsway.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Asbia, Cher
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Photographer's caption: "Huge drop in gas prices for a few weeks only"
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 6138 Kingsway
- Planning Study Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
Images
Cigarette price sign inside of Canada Way Food Market
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20349
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 13 Jun. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Harry Toy fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpg) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of cigarette price display sign hanging from ceiling inside of the Canada Way Food Market located at 4694 Canada Way, Burnaby. Boxes are visible beneath the sign. The food market closed in 2010.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Harry Toy fonds
- Series
- Harry Toy photographs series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpg) : col.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of cigarette price display sign hanging from ceiling inside of the Canada Way Food Market located at 4694 Canada Way, Burnaby. Boxes are visible beneath the sign. The food market closed in 2010.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Stores
- Names
- Canada Way Food Market
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.25.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 13 Jun. 2023
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Related Material
- BV023.16.19 - Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
- BV023.17.3 - Cigarette price display sign
- For associated artifacts from Canada Way Food Market see Accession BV023.17
- Scan Date
- 2023-06-13
- Photographer
- Petrusa, Kate
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- The sign was donated to the Burnaby Village Museum in 2023
Images
COVID-19 signage in Super Valu store
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15358
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 6 May 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpg)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of COVID-19 signage inside the Greystone Super Valu grocery store located on Burnwood Drive in Burnaby. The sign on pink paper between store aisles reads: "This Walkway Closed for Physical distancing".
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpg)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of COVID-19 signage inside the Greystone Super Valu grocery store located on Burnwood Drive in Burnaby. The sign on pink paper between store aisles reads: "This Walkway Closed for Physical distancing".
- Subjects
- Advertising Medium - Signs and Signboards
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Pandemics - COVID-19
- Names
- Super Valu
- Geographic Access
- Burnwood Drive
- Street Address
- 1601 Burnwood Drive
- Accession Code
- BV021.2.20
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 6 May 2020
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Sperling-Broadway Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Crystal Mall
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription95119
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- March 25, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of an empty food court at Crystal Mall. All tables are closed off with caution tape and the restaurants are closed.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- March 25, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 623-037
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2020-10
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of an empty food court at Crystal Mall. All tables are closed off with caution tape and the restaurants are closed.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Malls
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cheung, Ray
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 4500 Kingsway
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14762
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 27 Oct. 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (61 min., 56 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Kate Petrusa, Burnaby Village Museum assistant curator. The webinar is titled "Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food" and is presented by Denise Fong, Planning Assistant for the City of Bu…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (61 min., 56 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Material Details
- Presenter: Denise Fong
- Host: Kate Petrusa
- Date of Presentation: October 27 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Total Number of tracks: 1
- Total Length of all tracks:61 min., 56 sec.
- Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Kate Petrusa, Burnaby Village Museum assistant curator. The webinar is titled "Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food" and is presented by Denise Fong, Planning Assistant for the City of Burnaby. The zoom webinar is the seventh in a collection of seven "Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker series" webinars that were presented and made available to the public between September 29 and October 27, 2020. The live webinar and recording was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. In this webinar, Denise Fong talks about how Chinese Canadians have played a key role in supplying food to Burnaby’s community through their participation in the local market gardening, green grocer, and restaurant industries. The presentation is supported with historical maps, photographs, documents, census records and stories from recent research on the 1960s-1970s period in Burnaby’s Big Bend and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. In her presentation, Denise also talks about the history of Chinese Immigration in Canada including the political circumstances and legal barriers that Chinese migrants faced in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Denise highlights specific Chinese Canadian family farms in Burnaby including; the Jung family farm located on 5460 Douglas Road operated by Jung Chong and his wife Jung Gee Shee; "Hop On Farms" located on Marine Drive, operated by Chan Kow Hong, Sui Ha Hong and family; the Tong Yip Farm located on Byrne Road operated by D.T. "George" Yip and his wife, Yip Chow Won Tai. Denise also highlights her recent research regarding Chinese Canadian corner stores and green grocers in Burnaby including; The Lee Kee grocery store located at 3824 East Hastings Street, owned and operated by Yow Lee Ko and his wife Say Jan Chan; the Burnaby Market located at 3942 East Hastings Street, owned and operated by Chin Yin Wong; the Quon Bros. located at 3702 East Hastings Street.; Y. Hoy Produce Co. located at 4092 East Hastings Street operated by Hoy Yen; Louie's Food Basket located at 5886 South East Marine Drive operated by Hoy Bew Louie, his wife Poy Yee and later by thier son Bing Louie and Tommy's Market located in Burnaby's Edmonds neighbourhood, operated by Tommy Chu. Denise also provides a detailed history of Tommy Chu and family who owned and operated Tommy's Market. Denise tells of how in the early 1970s, Chinese grocers in the lower mainland came together and formed the Lower Mainland Independent Grocers Association and Lower Mainland Grocers Co-Op. The organization was formed to protect the rights and promote businesses of independent grocers. In closing, Denise explains how her research of Chinese Canadian history in Burnaby continues and by the end of the project, the information will be made accessible in the form of a publication.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Agriculture - Farms
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Fong, Denise
- Jung, Chung Chong
- Tommy's Produce
- Lee Kee Grocery
- Louie's Food Basket
- Louie, Hoy Bew
- Jung, Gee Shee
- Hong, Chan Kow
- Hong, Sui Ha
- Yip, D.T. "George"
- Yip, Chow Won Tai
- Ko, Yow Lee
- Ko, Chan Say Jan
- Burnaby Market
- Wong, Chin Yin
- Quon Bros.
- Y. Hoy Produce Co.
- Yen, Hoy
- Louie, Poy Yee
- Louie, Bing
- Chu, Tommy
- Chu, Sharon
- Chu, Calvin
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Geographic Access
- Hastings Street
- Accession Code
- BV020.29.7
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 27 Oct. 2020
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Big Bend Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of video recording
- Video recording was edited for publication on Heritage Burnaby. Original mp4 video recording (BV020.29.7.1) is 72 min., 14 sec.
Images
Video
Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food, 27 Oct. 2020
Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food, 27 Oct. 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2020_0029_0007_002.mp4
Essential Workers’ Tribute
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription95129
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 27, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a window of the Burnaby RCMP Detachment decorated with red and purple paper hearts. The photograph was taken at night, illuminating the office inside.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 27, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 623-047
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2020-10
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a window of the Burnaby RCMP Detachment decorated with red and purple paper hearts. The photograph was taken at night, illuminating the office inside.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Offices
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Jerome, Ron
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Street Address
- 6335 Deer Lake Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
Images
The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14760
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 20 Oct. 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (62 min., 01 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum's Kate Petrusa. The webinar is titled "The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby" and is presented by UBC students, Debbie Liang; Joty Gill; Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong.…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (62 min., 01 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Material Details
- Presenters: Debbie Liang; Joty Gill; Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong
- Host: Kate Petrusa
- Date of Presentation: October 20 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Total Number of tracks: 1
- Total Length of all tracks:62 min., 01 sec.
- Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum's Kate Petrusa. The webinar is titled "The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby" and is presented by UBC students, Debbie Liang; Joty Gill; Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong. The zoom webinar is the fifth in a collection of seven "Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker series" webinars that were presented and made available to the public between September 29 and October 27, 2020. The live webinar and recording was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. In this webinar, the four UBC students, present their research on Chinese Canadian involvement in food and farming in early Burnaby. The students were participants in a joint partnership between Burnaby Village Museum and the UBC iniative for student teaching and research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC), the UBC Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM), the UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC Go Global and UBC St. John's College (SJC). In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, the interns were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Asia) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and Piggeries in Burnaby. Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong (students in the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems) created a three episode podcast series "Back to the Roots" which delved into the topics of family-operated farming businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism. The webinar begins with Joty Gill and Debbie Liang talking about their project, “A Taste of History Film Series”. They describe their research and challenges in the development of their two films “Scraps and Dragons” and “A Pig's Tale”. Debbie and Joty support their presentation with slides including excerpts from their films. Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong talk about their project which consisted of a three episode podcast series titled "Back to the Roots" which delved into the topics of family-operated farming businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism. They describe their research, challenges and highlights which resulted in the three podcasts “A Family Farm”; “Where is your food from?” and “Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM”. Rose and Wei Yan support their presentation with slides including excerpts from their podcasts. At the close of their presentation the students reflect on the importance of sharing personal aspects of Chinese Canadian History and answer questions from webinar participants.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Agriculture - Farms
- Agriculture
- Gardens - Market Gardens
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Accession Code
- BV020.29.5
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 20 Oct. 2020
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Notes
- Title based on contents of video recording
- Video recording was edited for publication on Heritage Burnaby. Original mp4 video recording (BV020.29.5.1) is 72 min., 25 sec.
Images
Video
The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby, 20 Oct. 2020
The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby, 20 Oct. 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2020_0029_0005_002.mp4Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Grocers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Business Associations
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Toy, Christina
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Babey, Beverley
- Canada Way Food Market
- Fraser Merchants' Association
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.19
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3Interview with Jenny Siormanolakis
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19635
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (87 min.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (86 min., 51 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jenny (Eugenia) Siormanolakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks on July 26 2023. 00:00-12:02 Interview opens with introductions. Jenny Siormanolakis shares details about her parents Eugene and Europe Siormanola…
- 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
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (87 min.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (86 min., 51 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Jenny (Eugenia) Siormanolakis Location of Interview: Prado Cafe, 4321 Still Creek Dr., Burnaby Interview Date: July 26, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:26:60 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Ambient sound from cafe in background of interview
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jenny (Eugenia) Siormanolakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks on July 26 2023. 00:00-12:02 Interview opens with introductions. Jenny Siormanolakis shares details about her parents Eugene and Europe Siormanolakis who were both born in Greece and immigrated to Vancouver. Jenny provides details about the history of Romana Pizza restaurant including; the restaurant partners, the various locations, her father’s work ethics of running the restaurant and the staff who worked there. Jenny provides details about her father's life, his ancestral background and family relations which lead him to immigrate to Vancouver. Jenny shares childhood memories of helping out in her parents’ restaurant and later working there. 12:03 – 26:41 Jenny describes various food dishes that have been on the menu of Romana Pizza and Steak House and Romana Pizza, how they've evolved over time, how her father learned to cook traditional Greek food and develop his own recipes and where he sourced his restaurant food supplies. Jenny conveys how they used social media to advertise the restaurant, describes the election pizza poll that Romana Pizza held during the federal and provincial elections and a baby poll that was held at the restaurant to guess the weight of her and her sister’s babies. 26:42 – 31:47 Jenny talks about her marriage and recollects how she got married in a civil ceremony at Romana Pizza. Jenny talks about her family life while her family was running the restaurant, their decision to sell the restaurant and describes the last days of running the restaurant. 31:48 – 46:33 Jenny conveys the background story of her business “Granpa J’s”. Jenny describes how her uncle Jimmy Voulides, created his own seasoning salt product and after he died in 2003, Jenny and her sister Nora purchased the business. Jenny describes how they developed their business, created new products, their struggles and how they became successful. Jenny describes how their products have been developed from family recipes and recalls how the actor Ryan Reynold’s helped their products become even more successful overnight. 46:34 – 55:38 Jenny talks about different community festivals and events that she’s been involved with including; Greek Day on Broadway (Vancouver) and the Hats Off Day event in North Burnaby. Jenny shares the background history of Greek Day in Vancouver and information about other Greek community events. Jenny talks about the importance of bringing the community together and the importance of knowing the history of your ancestors and where they came from. 55:39 - 1:04:35 Jenny talks about her involvement with the Greek community newspaper “Gnome” and provides details about; the former creator and editor Kostas Karatsikis, the newspaper's content, it's importance in the Greek community and the distribution. Jenny describes some of the articles that she’s written for the Gnome newspaper. 1:04:36 - 1:14:12 Jenny describes some pivotal moments that occurred over the years at Romana Pizza including; placing second in the Vancouver Sun newspaper contest for Best Pizza (1986) and having members of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team frequent their restaurant. Jenny conveys how the restaurant benefited from having a website and using social media as a marketing tools. 1:14:13 - 1:22:42 Jenny talks about her involvement with Kolanki Group West, Euro Find foods and her passion for Greek food and other European foods. Jenny describes some traditional Greek recipes, family recipes, talks about marketing Grandpa J's products and reflects on the menu of Romana Pizza. 1:22:43 - 1:26:51 Jenny reflects on the role of the Greek community, how food plays a roll, the future of the Greek community in Vancouver and Burnaby and the importance of engaging the younger generation. In closing Jenny provides a quote from an article that she wrote “Forgive the mistakes of the past, let it go and realize that we are all equals...”.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Eugenia "Jenny" Siormanolakis is the daughter of Eugene and Europe Siormanolakis. Jenny’s father, Eugene Siormanolakis immigrated to Canada from Greece in the late 1960’s and her mother Europe Siormanolakis immigrated in 1973. In April 1973, her father and five partners opened the restaurant “Romana Pizza and Steak House” (later renamed "Romana Pizza") located at 4660 Hastings Street in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood. Jenny and her sister Eleanora Iliakis spent much of their childhood in the family owned restaurant and also worked at the restaurant as they become older. Jenny’s parents continued to own and operate the restaurant until 2014 when they decided to retire from the business. In 2004, an opportunity arose for Jenny and her sister Eleanora to buy their recently deceased uncle’s business Grandpa J’s Seasoning Inc. They launched their business of “Grandpa J’s” seasoning first selling to local restaurants and eventually adapted their product line to include other Greek seasoning products which they developed from their own recipes. They expanded their clientele to include retail outlets and in 2020, they got a boost to their sales when actor Ryan Reynolds promoted their seasoing product "Vancity Grind" on Instagram. Since launching their business they have been featured in many culinary and business publications and were nominated in 2022 as finalists for Product of the Year by BC Food and Beverage. Jenny is extremely passionate about food, her Greek heritage and is an advocate for food security for children and seniors and mental health. 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
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Businesses
- Elections
- Foods
- Migration
- Occupations - Entrepreneurs
- Persons - Greek Canadians
- Names
- Gnome Publications
- Iliakis, Eleonara Siormanolakis
- Karatsikis, Kostas "George"
- Siormanolakis, Eugenia "Jenny"
- Nikolaidis, "Eleni"
- Nikolaidis, Stelios
- Romana Pizza
- Siormanolakis, Eugene
- Siormanolakis, Europe
- Voulides, Demetrios "Jimmy"
- Responsibility
- Binks, James
- Geographic Access
- Hastings Street
- Street Address
- 4660 Hastings Street
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.13
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Jenny Siormanolakis, [1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023
Interview with Jenny Siormanolakis, [1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0013_003.mp3Interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19346
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1600-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Oct. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (111 min., 51 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (111 min., 51 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar discusses and provides in…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (111 min., 51 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (111 min., 51 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewers: Anushay Malik, Rajdeep Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Nadeem Parmar Location of Interview: Residence of Nadeem Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: October 7, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:51:51 min Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two 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 Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar discusses and provides information on; his ancestral background, his education, his employment background, his experiences of racial discrimmination as a South Asian immigrant, saw mills established by South Asian relations in Paldi (Vancouver Island), in North Vancouver and Burnaby, family relations in the South Asian Canadian community and in regions in Punjab, the caste system, his literary works, locations of family homes in Burnaby, the architectural design of his house, personal stories and anecdotal information as a South Asian Canadian living and working in Canada. 00:00 – 01:45 The framework and purpose of the interview is explained to interviewee Nadeem Parmar by interviewers Rajdeep and Anushay Malik. The interviewers explain how the information from this interview can be drawn on for Burnaby Village Museum’s future exhibits and also how researchers will learn more about the history of the South Asian community in Burnaby through residents’ stories. Interview begins with Nadeem providing his full name "Kulwant Singh Parmar". He clarifies that his name was given to him by his grandfather who was a civil engineer and that his father also worked as a civil engineer. Nadeem expresses that he was born with a “silver spoon in his mouth” as a descendent of his maternal grandfather who was a successful landlord. Nadeem explains that when the Partition of India came into effect, (1947) he was 11 years old. He and his family left the partitioned side, his native village was located in Punjab and his forefathers were located in Rajasthan. 3:20 – 4:57 Nadeem explains further about his forefathers who came from Rajasthan. He shares information about his ancestor on his father’s side, named Vijay Singh who was friends with Emperor Jahangir. When fighting began against Jahangir he left the area to head to the middle of central India, then to the Punjab area with small states. As a clan, as a Parmar, he conveys there were about eleven or twelve villages with the same name. Interviewer, Anushay helps Nadeem to clarify the time period of this information. Nadeem refers to the time period being similar to the epic historical film “Moghal-e-Azam” and Anushay confirms the time period being the 1600s when they left Rajasthan. 4:58 – 10:59 Interviewer Anushay asks Nadeem to about his migration to Canada. Nadeem conveys that his first ancestor on his in-laws side of the family migrated around 1889. Further discussion ensues about reading Punjabi and how interviewer Rajdeep can read Punjabi and that she comes from the village of "Lakhpur" in Punjab. Rajdeep notes that “Lakhpur” is near "Phagwara". Nadeem clarifies that his village is "Panchat" and this family used to live in "Phagwara". and Nadeem and Rajdeep compare their familiarity and memories of the area. Nadeem conveys some of his comments in Punjabi and then changes to English. Nadeem recollects when the Japanese bombarded Shillong, he was around seven years old and attended missionary school. The only languages that were taught were English and Persian. Nadeem conveys that his mother had hopes of Nadeem becoming an army officer and moving up the ranks but Nadeem wasn’t interested. Nadeem attended college, graduated with a Bachelor of Science, BSC with Physics and Chemistry, followed by another Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and finally a degree in his favourite subject in the language of Urdu. He completed these degrees in Punjab in Doaba College, Jalandher. Nadeem recollects how he started teaching but wasn’t getting paid very well. When he was at college, with encouragement from his professor, Veer Pankalia [sic] he began writing poetry and short plays. His professor also introduced him to a famous poet of Punjab, Mila Ram Offa [sic] and he gave him the name of Nadeem. Nadeem explains the meaning of the name “Nadeem” “…the one who know about it, inside out…” even though we generally think of the meaning being “friend” it’s not just about friend. 11:00 -24:48 Nadeem provides background information on how he ended up marrying his future wife who was born in India and immigrated to Canada with her family. Nadeem explains how the marriage was arranged through family relations that were already established in Punjab over a century ago. One of his wife’s ancestors, head of the family called “baniye” (traders) immigrated to Canada in [1899]. This relation returned to Punjab where he had nephews, the youngest of the nephews was Nadeem’s father (Lashman Singh Manhas) in law’s father (Sher Singh Manhas). He expresses that his wife’s ancestor couldn’t bring Nadeem’s father in law’s father since he was only 12 or 13 years old but he brought three of the nephews back to Canada with him. The nephews were named, Pola Singh, Ginaya Singh and Doman Singh (also named Dolmans). He describes how the group left India but it took them two to three years before they arrived in Canada. The group travelled to Burma, Indonesia and Hong Kong before landing in San Francisco. From San Francisco they walked and worked on the rail line before entering Canada and arriving in Grand Forks. The men got work on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and eventually made their way to the lower mainland. Nadeem conveys that the younger brother of Ginaya Singh, Maya Singh joined the others in Canada taking the same route, arriving in Bridal Falls where they were working at a saw mill and in CP rail construction. He describes Maya Singh as business minded and since he was too young to work in the mill, he began working as a cook and then began growing potatoes on land that he leased from a Dutch land owner. The local mill at Bridal Falls was facing bankruptcy and Maya Singh arranged to lease the mill, eventually buying it. From there the group moved their business to Strawberry Hill in Surrey and when the sale of logs declined, they moved over to Vancouver Island and established a sawmill with Doman Singh in the community of Paldi (originally known as Mayo Lumber) near Duncan. He explains further how the South Asian community helped each other like they did back home. He clarifies that his father in law’s father is the youngest cousin of Ginaya and Doman Singh and when he died, his father in law’s younger brother started Kashmir Lumber. Eventually his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) and the rest of the whole family including cousins and nephews were sponsored by their relations and immigrated to Canada. Nadeem explains how in 1959, his brother in law returned home to Punjab to get married, bringing his family with him. He tells of how during this time period, a marriage was arranged by his parents for him to marry his future wife. Nadeem recollects how this came to be. Nadeem and his wife Surjeet married in Punjab in December 1960, Nadeem was 24 years old and his wife was 18 years old. 24:49 – 39:42 Nadeem describes how he obtained his teaching degree from Ramgarhia College in Phagwara (located in the Kapurhtala district of Punjab) and after a disagreement with a teacher at home, he decided to go to England. He explains how he joined his brother who had moved to England and was working as a labourer. Nadeem tells of the difficulties he faced applying for a teaching job in England and how he had to go back to school to help with his English pronunciation. Nadeem explains that after taking this course, he got work teaching Grade two students which he felt was below his qualifications (he mentions that while living in Punjab, he was a Secondary School teacher) and the pay was very low. He discovered that his brother was making more money working as a labourer so Nadeem became discouraged and quit. When Nadeem couldn’t find work as a labourer, his brother advised him to shave off his beard. Nadeem conveys how difficult it was for him to shave off his beard and how once he was clean shaven he got work as a sweeper in a factory. He shares his experience of working in the factory and of how with his former education he got himself promoted to a more technical position. With encouragement from his employer, Nadeem enrolled in technical courses which lead to him obtaining an HNC Engineering Degree. He completed the course work in two years, obtaining skills in microwave communication becoming the senior test engineer at the factory. While working in this position, Nadeem shares how he suffered discrimination when he was passed over for a senior chief engineer position at the factory by a less educated and experienced employee. 39:43 – 53:38 Nadeem recollects how things changed for him in the 1970s. It began with his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) passing away in 1970 while he and his family were living on 18th Street in Burnaby. His father in law had been working at the saw mill, Kashmir Lumber Company in North Vancouver that was owned by his father in law’s younger brother (Kashmir Singh Manhas). The mill had burnt down and many of the workers lost everything. Nadeem confides that during this time, his wife was suffering from depression and wanted to be with her mother back in Canada now that her father had passed away. Nadeem emphasizes how his wife’s family (over 300 relatives) in Canada often get together every year on July 1st in Paldi near Duncan. In 1972, Nadeem arrived in Canada on his own to find work but was unsuccessful so he and his wife made plans to move to Uganda where he was offered a job. In 1973, when his visa didn’t come through for Uganda, Nadeem, his wife and two children decided to come to Canada. Nadeem describes that after several unsuccessful experiences to find skilled work in Canada, he eventually found work at Canadian National Telecommunications. During this time, Nadeem and his family lived with his father in law’s family at 5216 Pandora Street in Burnaby and in 1974, Nadeem purchased a house at 131 Fell Avenue in Burnaby. Nadeem provides further details of when the families lived at these different addresses and how in 1983 he had a house built on Woodsworth Street where he is still living now. He conveys some of the history of the lot where his current house resides including details on the lot subdivision, lot ownership and the cost of building his new house. Nadeem tells of how he designed his home with help from his son who was working as an apprentice with architect Arthur Erikson at the time. He describes the architectural interior as an open concept design, in an “L” shape in honour of his father “Lakhmir Singh”. Nadeem shares information on his mother’s name which was Jamna (prior to her marriage) and became Davinder Kaur after she was married. (Note: Jamna was her name before marriage. Traditionally after a woman is married, her husband’s family changes her first name because she is now considered a part of a new family). 53:39 – 58:56 Nadeem provides information on his career working as CNCP technician working with CPIC systems and how he was promoted to a new position. Nadeem inserts a quote from a Punjabi poem which he translates to English as “Somebody asked the blind people. What do you need? He said, do you need two eyes?, he said, what else do I need?”. Nadeem conveys how in 1986 his mother passed away so he went back home to the village of Lakhpur where his father and younger brother were living. His father and younger brother were on their own and in 1986 they decided to demolish the family home. He explains that there’s a college there now and that a library was built at this location in the name of his grandfather. 58:57 – 1:04:38 Nadeem shares how he suffered a heart attack in 1990 during the marriage ceremony of his son in Williams Lake. Nadeem talks about the complicated relations of the South Asian families and the saw mill owners in Paldi and comments on the problems with the caste system that provokes discrimination within the South Asian community. Nadeem refers to disputes that arose amongst mill owners and investors that included Kapoor Singh Siddoo, Mayo Singh, Gurdial Singh Teja and Ginaya Singh which caused problems amongst his family and also lead to Kapoor Singh selling his portion of the mill. Nadeem spells “Ginaya” Singh’s name and explains that this name is the nickname for “Krishna”. Nadeem provides his insight into the joint ownership of the saw mills located in Paldi and how the the joint ownership was dissolved in 1952. Nadeem clarifies that Ginaya Singh also left Paldi and that Ginaya Singh’s wife is his mother in law’s aunt and that he also moved to Burnaby. Nadeem explains the proper name spelling of mill owner “Mayo Singh” and that the correct spelling is actually “Mayan Singh” but he changed it to “Mayo” when it was mis-pronounced. Nadeem also comments on the problems that he encountered in 1970 on the pronunciation of his own name while living in England and at one point his employer referred to him as “Paul”. 1:04:39 – 1:18:50 Nadeem relays that when he emigrated from India and to Canada that he carried his personal possessions in a small suitcase made from cardboard since the weight limit on the airplane was just three pounds. He conveys that many of his relations have all suffered from heart problems including Ginaya Singh and his children. Nadeem shares that Ginaya Singh’s three sons all lived in Burnaby. Nadeem conveys that many South Asians lived in Burnaby and many worked at saw mills in North Vancouver and in the L&K sawmill near Pemberton. Nadeem explains further about the how the disagreements came to be between Mayo Singh and Kapoor Singh. He describes how each had a different business strategy in harvesting lumber and that there were feuds amongst the families. Nadeem provides further details on the root of the family feuds. Nadeem provides definitions for certain Punjabi terms that he’s using including “Mehta”(meaning lowest class of farmers, foreigner as well head as a title given to people of a clan living in the area) and ‘Panchat”, the name of his family village that was built and founded by five brothers and one nephew (Panj- meaning five and the sound “cht” meaning six). Nadeem explains that these terms were given to people from his own clan living in the area because it was small. Nadeem explains further about status that is based on money and the Punjabi terms “Parsu”, “Parsa” and “Pasaram” that are often used to describe a person. When you are poor the term “Parsu” is used and when you become rich the term “Pasaram” is used. Nadeem refers to Mayo Singh as a Pasaram as the second most successful millner in British Columbia, second to Frederick John Hart. Nadeem mentions that Ginaya Singh, elder brother to Mayo Singh helped provide the finances to start the mill and when there was a disagreement, Ginaya Singh left the mill business, moved his family to Burnaby and began working in insurance. Nadeem shares the sad story of Ginaya Singh’s sudden death (in 1953). Nadeem states that many of the people who left the mills at Paldi went to work at the Kapoor Mill in Burnaby and some relocated to the Interior of British Columbia. Nadeem mentions that his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) was able to purchase a house on 18th Street in along with other residences that he bought with his hard earned money working in the farms and mills, 16 hours per day, seven days a week. 1:18:51 – 1:32:04 Nadeem explains why he thinks that most South Asian people worked in the mills in the earlier days. Nadeem conveys that since Sikh men wore beards and turbans they encountered discrimination and were unable to get work in the business community. Nadeem shares his own personal experiences of wearing a turban and the discrimination he’s encountered while living in Scotland and Canada. Nadeem mentions that a defense committee was formed to protect the Gurdwaras and people’s homes from being vandalized due to racial discrimination. Nadeem describes some of the troubles that he’s encountered in his own neighbourhood when he had to call the police. Nadeem shares a personal experience just after 9/11 where he was the target of racial discrimination in the parking lot of Burnaby Lake. Nadeem emphasizes that he has experienced many incidents of racial discrimination, especially in the workplace and that this was not unusual for him. 1:32:05 – 1:36:19 Nadeem talks about his interest in writing and his many literary works including 12 novels that he’s written in Punjabi. Nadeem highlights a few books that he’s written including a book titled “Rape” and another one titled “Sponsorship” which conveys the complex nature of people immigrating to Canada. Nadeem mentions a particular book about AIDS, titled “Wide Net” that he’s been trying to get published. Nadeem speaks to the challenges and high costs of trying to get his works published. Nadeem provides a brief synopsis of his book “Wide Net”. Nadeem relays that this is a personal account of a gay couple that he knew where one of the partners died of AIDS and that the couple gave Nadeem permission to tell their tragic story. 1:36:20 – 1:51:51 Nadeem talks about his children and compares their experiences to his own as a South Asian immigrant. Nadeems talks about the accomplishments of his son, his daughter and grandchildren including their education and careers. Nadeem says that his children are well educated and well established in their careers. Nadeem’s children attended Capitol Hill Elementary School and North Burnaby High School in Burnaby. Nadeem shares specifics of his son’s career history. Nadeem expresses that he still considers Canada to be the best country for opportunities and that he prefers to live in Burnaby rather than Surrey and shares some personal anecdotes. Nadeem lists some local places that he’s shopped for South Asian groceries and spices rather than travelling to Surrey. He mentions shopping at Kelly Douglas, stores in Chinatown, small grocers on Capitol Hill, Patel’s on Commercial Drive and Main Street. As an aside Nadeem mentions that he worked as a security guard and the wages that he earned. Nadeem comments that he has been awarded various certificates and certifications from his education and career over the years, including a Bachelor of Science. The interviewers further express their interest in seeing the cardboard case that Nadeem brought with him when immigrating to Canada. In closing Nadeem states that his favourite food from back home was kheer (rice pudding).
- History
- Interviewee biography: Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar was born June 9, 1936, Chuck 138 in Lyalpur (India before 1947) to parents Lakhmir Singh Parmar and Davinder Kaur Jamana Parmar. Nadeem grew up in the village of Panchat in the northern region of Punjab, India. Nadeem married his wife Surjeet in Punjab in 1960. After marrying the couple immigrated to England where Nadeem was already working. While living in England, Nadeem and Surjeet had two children. After Surjeet's father died in Canada in 1972, Nadeem, Surjeet and their two children immgrated to Canada, joining Surjeet's family who were living in Burnaby. After Nadeem immigrated to Burnaby in 1973 he worked various jobs before working with CN/CP Telecommunications. Nadeem holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Teaching from Punjab University and a diploma from the London Board of Education (L.B.E.) and a P.Eng. from Lancaster. He has seven books published in Punjabi, three in Urdu and is published in eight anthologies. He is fluent in Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindi. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
- Buildings - Industrial - Factories
- Education
- Employment
- Industries - Logging/lumber
- Migration
- Occupations - Engineers
- Occupations - Millworkers
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Writers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Names
- Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
- Kapoor Sawmills Limited
- Siddoo, Kapoor Singh
- Teja, Gurdial Singh
- Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
- Manhas, Ghania Singh
- Singh, Mayo
- Manhas, Kashmir Singh
- Manhas, Sher Singh
- Manhas, Budhan Kaur
- Manhas, Lashman Singh
- Responsibility
- Malik, Anushay
- Rajdeep
- Geographic Access
- Woodsworth Street
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1600-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Oct. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Capitol Hill Area
- Related Material
- See also BV022.29.5 - Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
- Interview is conducted in English with various segments of discussion in Punjabi
- Transcript of interview available upon request
Audio Tracks
Interview with Kalwant Singh
Interview with Kalwant Singh
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0001_003.mp3Interview with Lizette Pappas
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20334
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) (137 min., 12 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (137 min., 12 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Lizette Pappas conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 7, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:41:04 Lizette provides details on her family background in Greece, recalls her early childhood in Naxos, her families’ migrati…
- 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) (137 min., 12 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (137 min., 12 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Lizette Pappas Location of Interview: Fraser Wilson Room, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 7, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:17:12 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 Lizette Pappas conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 7, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:41:04 Lizette provides details on her family background in Greece, recalls her early childhood in Naxos, her families’ migration to Canada and their experiences as new immigrants living in Penticton. Lizette shares information about her husband including his Greek origins, his migration story, and how they met as well as information about their careers and raising their family in Burnaby. 41:05 – 01:10:52 Lizette talks about living in Penticton and helping out in the family restaurant business. Lizette describes some of the challenges that they faced and describes some of the foods that they served and reflects on what it means to be a Greek immigrant in British Columbia. 01:10:53– 01:36:32 Lizette talks about her life in Burnaby, her involvement with the Ladies Philoptochos Society, a back to your roots group, the Hellenic Community, the importance of sharing Greek culture, traditions and food with the younger generation and her experiences celebrating Greek culture while attending university. 01:36:33 – 01:54:39 Lizette talks more about her families’ life in Penticton as Greek immigrants, their experiences and accomplishments, her experiences visiting Greece after immigrating to Canada and her husbands’ experiences living in Greece. 01:54:40 – 02:03:59 Lizette reflects on the impacts of COVID in the restaurant industry, community building and urban development in Burnaby and makes comparisons to communities in Greece. 02:04:00 – 02:17:14 Talks about the origin of her name, shares the story of how her name evolved over time after she immigrated to Canada and shares examples of some of the traditional family names that have been passed down through generations.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Lizette Pappas was born in Apeiranthos on the island of Naxos in Greece in 1948 to parents Florio Vassilakakis and Paraskevi Vassilakis. In 1956, Lizette immigrated to Canada with her parents and her two older brothers. With the help of Lizette’s uncle, her family settled in Penticton and in 1958, Lizette’s younger sister was born. Lizette’s birth name was Elisa Vassilakakis but when she immigrated to Canada she was given the first name “Alice” on her immigration documents. Soon after, when she was enrolled in elementary school, her aunt suggested that she use the name “Lizette” instead of “Alice” and Lizette became the first name she’s continued to use since. While living in Penticton, Lizette’s parents first worked doing manual labour in the fruit industry before buying their own restaurant in 1968. Lizette obtained her teaching degree from the University of British Columbia. In 1972, Lizette met her future husband Basile Pappas and they were married in 1975. After marrying, Lizette and her husband settled in the Brentwood area of Burnaby and began raising their two children. Lizette, her husband and children moved back to Penticton in late 1979 to join her family running two restaurants and a nightclub. After a number of years, Lizette, her husband and two children returned to their home in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Lizette has worked as a teacher with the Vancouver School Board and has been involved with various organizations including “Back to our Roots” and “Philoptochos Ladies Society”. 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
- Religions
- Organizations - Women's Societies and Clubs
- Persons - Greek Canadians
- Migration
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Names
- Pappas, Elisa Alice "Lizette" Vassilakakis
- Vassilakakis, Florio
- Vassilakis, Paraskevi
- Love, John Agapitos
- Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society
- Hellenic Community of Vancouver
- Responsibility
- Binks, James
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.20
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcript available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Lizette Pappas, [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023
Interview with Lizette Pappas, [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0020_004.mp3
Joey Restaurant
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription95118
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 1, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a sign perched on a decorative tree trunk in the foyer of Joey Burnaby. The sign contains information for patrons on food delivery and pickup.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 1, 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 623-036
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2020-10
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a sign perched on a decorative tree trunk in the foyer of Joey Burnaby. The sign contains information for patrons on food delivery and pickup.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cheung, Ray
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Photographer's caption: "Most restaurants were only open for take-away"
- Geographic Access
- Rosser Avenue
- Street Address
- 1901 Rosser Avenue
- Planning Study Area
- Willingdon Heights Area
Images
