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Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory652
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1934-1990
- Length
- 0:15:30
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about her father’s chicken farm. She describes the farm buildings, other animals on the farm, and how her father operated the chicken farm, especially his approach to keeping the chickens disease free. She also talks about cutting down the …
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about her father’s chicken farm. She describes the farm buildings, other animals on the farm, and how her father operated the chicken farm, especially his approach to keeping the chickens disease free. She also talks about cutting down the alder at the back of the property for the chicken run, and building rock walls and a driveway with rocks taken off the property. She also describes how the property was subdivided in the 1980s.
- Date Range
- 1934-1990
- Length
- 0:15:30
- Subjects
- Occupations - Farmers
- Animals - Poultry
- Geographic Access
- Curtis Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lochdale Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- January 13, 2016
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
- Total Tracks
- 14
- Total Length
- 2:35:58
- Interviewee Name
- Seim, Reidun
- Interview Location
- Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Reidun Seim
Track three of interview with Reidun Seim
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-017/MSS196-017_Track_3.mp3
Burnaby North High School class
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36899
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1935 (date of original), copied 1992
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.7 x 12.6 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Burnaby North High School matriculating class.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1935 (date of original), copied 1992
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Centennial Anthology subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.7 x 12.6 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 315-357
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1994-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Burnaby North High School matriculating class.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Pandora Street
- Street Address
- 4375 Pandora Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
Burnaby North High School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36683
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1937 (date of original), copied 1992
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6.2 x 9.8 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of Burnaby North High School.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1937 (date of original), copied 1992
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Centennial Anthology subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6.2 x 9.8 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 315-038
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1994-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the exterior of Burnaby North High School.
- Subjects
- Occupations - Teachers
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Pandora Street
- Street Address
- 4375 Pandora Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
![Class at Burnaby North High School, [1938] (date of original), digitally copied 2012 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/540/549-002.jpg?width=280)
Class at Burnaby North High School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription76885
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1938] (date of original), digitally copied 2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col. ; 300ppi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Elsie Brown-John's grade nine class at Burnaby North High School. Elsie Brown-John (later Ansdell) is standing in the bottom row, three in from the left.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1938] (date of original), digitally copied 2012
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : col. ; 300ppi
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 549-002
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2012-30
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Elsie Brown-John's grade nine class at Burnaby North High School. Elsie Brown-John (later Ansdell) is standing in the bottom row, three in from the left.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Pandora Street
- Street Address
- 4375 Pandora Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
![Class at Burnaby North High School, [1938] (date of original), digitally copied 2012 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/540/549-002.jpg)
Clarion annual
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7594
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV021.25.1
- Call Number
- 373.71 BUR 1938
- Place of Publication
- Burnaby, B.C.
- Publisher
- Students of Burnaby North High School
- Publication Date
- 1938
- Physical Description
- 52 p. : ill. ; 24 cm
- Inscription
- There are various signatures on pages 26, 27, and 52
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Schools--British Columbia--Burnaby
- School yearbooks
- Object History
- The donor and her siblings attended North Burnaby High School (decades after 1938), and the donors parents lived in the Burnaby Heights area from 1963-1993. Their father passed in 2002 and their mother in 2010. The yearbook formerly belonged to the donors parents, though it is not known how they obtained it as the parents did not attend Burnaby North for high school.
Burnaby North High School report card
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription17527
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1939-1940
- Collection/Fonds
- Dorothy Atkinson fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 p.
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a Burnaby North High School report card for Dorothy Mallett, Division III, Grade XI, signed by school principal George B. Carpenter, teacher D.R. McLean and one of her parents.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Dorothy Atkinson fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 p.
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a Burnaby North High School report card for Dorothy Mallett, Division III, Grade XI, signed by school principal George B. Carpenter, teacher D.R. McLean and one of her parents.
- Subjects
- Documentary Artifacts - Certificates
- Accession Code
- BV021.28.12
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FIPPA
- Date
- 1939-1940
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2021-10-04
- Notes
- Title based contents of item
The Clarion
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription65831
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- December 1941
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 p. (newsprint)
- Scope and Content
- Item is an issue of "The Clarion," Burnaby North High School newspaper.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- December 1941
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Ephemera subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 p. (newsprint)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 42688
- Accession Number
- BHS1986-43
- Scope and Content
- Item is an issue of "The Clarion," Burnaby North High School newspaper.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Transcribed title
Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory570
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:14:54
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the operation and location of the Olofson’s mink ranch, the challenges of raising mink, and when the family gave up the farm in 1950/51. She describes how she and her sister Anita Lea used a bicycle to go to school.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the operation and location of the Olofson’s mink ranch, the challenges of raising mink, and when the family gave up the farm in 1950/51. She describes how she and her sister Anita Lea used a bicycle to go to school.
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:14:54
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track two of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_2.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory571
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1980
- Length
- 0:06:55
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the food sources on the farm including the garden, food animals, berry picking and bears. She also describes what her parents did after giving up the farm, opening sporting good stores on Hastings Street and then in North Vanco…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the food sources on the farm including the garden, food animals, berry picking and bears. She also describes what her parents did after giving up the farm, opening sporting good stores on Hastings Street and then in North Vancouver.
- Date Range
- 1942-1980
- Length
- 0:06:55
- Names
- Olofson, Axel
- GAK Fur Farm
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Lochdale Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track three of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_3.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory572
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:13:41
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s childhood at her family’s mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain. She describes neighbourhood friends, pets, playing on the farm and in the bush, going to town, and what the mountain looked like
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s childhood at her family’s mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain. She describes neighbourhood friends, pets, playing on the farm and in the bush, going to town, and what the mountain looked like
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:13:41
- Names
- Olofson, Axel
- GAK Fur Farm
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track four of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_4.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory576
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:06:57
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson telling several stories about events she remembers from her childhood on her parents mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain and going to Sperling Avenue School.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson telling several stories about events she remembers from her childhood on her parents mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain and going to Sperling Avenue School.
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:06:57
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track eight of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track eight of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_8.mp3Three One-Act Plays programme
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64870
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 programme
- Scope and Content
- Item is a programme for Burnaby North High School's production of three one-act plays: 'The Boy Comes Home', 'Little Darling' and 'The Florist Shop' performed at the Gilmore School Auditorium.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1944
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- School files subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 programme
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 42040
- Accession Number
- BHS1992-57
- Scope and Content
- Item is a programme for Burnaby North High School's production of three one-act plays: 'The Boy Comes Home', 'Little Darling' and 'The Florist Shop' performed at the Gilmore School Auditorium.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
![George B. Carpenter, [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/370/370-134.jpg?width=280)
George B. Carpenter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37546
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.8 x 2.6 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George B. Carpenter, principal of Burnaby North High School, at Confederation Park for a school track meet or other function. In the background is the track and a fence with two young women sitting on it.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.8 x 2.6 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-134
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George B. Carpenter, principal of Burnaby North High School, at Confederation Park for a school track meet or other function. In the background is the track and a fence with two young women sitting on it.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Geographic Access
- Confederation Park
- Willingdon Avenue
- Street Address
- 250 Willingdon Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
![George B. Carpenter, [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/370/370-134.jpg)
![George B. Carpenter, [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/370/370-135.jpg?width=280)
George B. Carpenter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37547
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.6 x 3.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George B. Carpenter, principal of Burnaby North High School, seated at his desk in his office. The school was built in 1922 and later became Rosser Avenue Elementary School.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.6 x 3.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-135
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George B. Carpenter, principal of Burnaby North High School, seated at his desk in his office. The school was built in 1922 and later became Rosser Avenue Elementary School.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Geographic Access
- Pandora Street
- Street Address
- 4375 Pandora Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
![George B. Carpenter, [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/370/370-135.jpg)
![George B. Carpenter, [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/370/370-136.jpg?width=280)
George B. Carpenter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37548
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.7 x 4.7 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George B. Carpenter, principal of Burnaby North High School, in front of the second Burnaby North High School built ca. 1945 on the south end of the 200 block of Willingdon Avenue.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.7 x 4.7 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-136
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George B. Carpenter, principal of Burnaby North High School, in front of the second Burnaby North High School built ca. 1945 on the south end of the 200 block of Willingdon Avenue.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Schools
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Geographic Access
- Willingdon Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
![George B. Carpenter, [between 1945 and 1949] (date of original), copied 1991 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/370/370-136.jpg)
Sidewalks on Willingdon Avenue and Albert Street to Serve the New Burnaby North High School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport49563
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 49177
- Meeting Date
- 14-Jan-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 49177
- Meeting Date
- 14-Jan-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Sidewalks Around the New Burnaby North High School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport49530
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 49219
- Meeting Date
- 11-Feb-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 49219
- Meeting Date
- 11-Feb-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
School Board Estimates - Burnaby North High School, Edmonds Street School and Rosser Avenue School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport49502
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 49249
- Meeting Date
- 4-Mar-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 49249
- Meeting Date
- 4-Mar-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Opening of the New Burnaby North High School
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport53110
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 69192
- Meeting Date
- 7-Oct-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 69192
- Meeting Date
- 7-Oct-1946
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Laurence J. Peter family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88409
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Laurence J. Peter family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 p. of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one Share Certificate for the Lochdale Co Operative Association.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Laurence J. Peter family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 p. of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Accession Number
- 2013-29
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one Share Certificate for the Lochdale Co Operative Association.
- History
- In 1941, Laurence J. Peter began his career as an industrial arts teacher at Lord Tweedsmeer High School in Cloverdale, after an illness kept him out of World War II. It was here that he met his future wife, Nancy M. Bailey, who was the vice principal of the school. The couple married in 1943 and made their way to Burnaby in 1947 after purchasing a one-acre lot in Burnaby from Mr. Wright for $1,000. When the couple purchased this lot, Nancy was teaching English at Burnaby South High School, while Laurence was teaching Woodwork at New Haven Borstal Home for Boys in the Provincial Corrections system. The lot was located in the historic neighbourhood of Lozell’s at 7229 Lougheed Highway and was renumbered to 7449 Lougheed in 1958. Laurence and Nancy had four children, two boys (John and Ted) and two girls (Alice and Margaret). When they first purchased the lot, they built a small house where they lived with their eldest son, John, until the completion of a larger house in 1949. Their second son, Ted, was born a few weeks before the completion of the larger house and was brought into the new home from the hospital. Their daughters were born over the next few years. Laurence and Nancy had built the larger house using a technique of peeled plywood core logs. Laurence and his cousin, Hewton Peter, who owned the lot next door, designed and built a machine to build exterior walls for their houses using plywood cores. In 1947, plywood cores were turned (peeled) down to six inches in diameter and then discarded to be chipped for the pulp industry. To build the house, the cores were splined together and stood on end making a vertical log house. Only three houses were ever built using their invention. The three-bedroom, one-bathroom house was completed in October 1949. The exterior of the house was never painted, just brushed with linseed oil. The traffic of the Lougheed Highway was not heard inside the house due to the six-inch walls and was very economical to heat in the snowy winters of the 1950s. Over the years, the couple worked on finishing the interior of the house, which included an intricately carved eight-foot-wide oak mantelpiece carved by Laurence. Parts of the mantel were reclaimed from the demolished old Hotel Vancouver and cobblestones reclaimed from the interurban tracks were used for the fireplace and stonework around the property. The family raised goats for milk and chickens for eggs and maintained a large vegetable garden and fruit trees on the property. When the goats and chickens were not needed anymore, Laurence slaughtered them for meat which they stored in a freezer at the Lochdale Co-operative until they were ready to consume them. The family was actively involved in the Burnaby community with Laurence and Nancy taking part in local politics and community activities and their children participating in Boy Scouts and Girl Guides and music lessons. All four children graduated from Burnaby North High School, and in 1970, Ted and Alice completed their studies at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). They worked at local jobs in the community, including building the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Laurence moved on to take a position as a Mental Health Coordinator (Special Counselor) in the Vancouver School System, and in 1959, Nancy joined the staff at the newly opened Burnaby Central Senior Secondary School as a math teacher, later becoming the head of the Mathematics Department. The couple continued their education at summer school at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where Nancy completed her Master's Degree in 1964 and Laurence his Doctoral degree in 1963. Laurence joined the faculty of the University of British Columbia in 1965 and later received the WSU Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980. The couple separated in 1965 and Laurence moved to California in 1966 to teach at the University of Southern California. Laurence became widely famous in 1969, after the publication of his bestselling book, "The Peter Principle," which has been translated into more than 38 languages. Following this publication, he went on to author eight more books and published several texts in the field of ‘Prescriptive Teaching’. He died on January 12, 1990, at the age of 70 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, and is honoured with a plaque as part of the Literary Landmarks program of the Vancouver Public Library located at the Metro Theatre, 1370 Marine Drive. Nancy continued to teach at Burnaby South, until her retirement in 1978 after 30 years as head of the Mathematics Department at Burnaby Central. She was an active member of the Burnaby Historical Society for many years. She passed away in Nanaimo near her family on April 21, 2013, at the age of 97.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- Peter, Laurence J.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS186-001