138 records – page 4 of 7.

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: 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”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
Clothing
Crafts
Employment
Migration
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Labourers
Occupations - Millworkers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Names
Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
Manhas, Ghania Singh
Singh, Mayo
Manhas, Kashmir Singh
Manhas, Sher Singh
Manhas, Budhan Kaur
Manhas, Lashman Singh
Accession Code
BV022.29.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3
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Interview with Norman Dowad

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19638
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) (61 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (61 min., 37 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Norman Dowad conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on August 14, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:14:38 Norm shares biographical information about himself and background information on the Dowad family. Norm conveys information …
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 recording (wav) (61 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (61 min., 37 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Norman Dowad Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: August 14, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:14:37 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 Norman Dowad conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on August 14, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:14:38 Norm shares biographical information about himself and background information on the Dowad family. Norm conveys information about his grandfather Samuel Dowad's immigration to Canada and his father Wilfred Dowad's military service and successes as a property developer. 00:14:39 – 00:17:26 Norm provides background information on his mother’s side of the family. 00:17:27 – 00:31:36 Norm talks about his childhood, growing up in the Deer Lake neighbourhood, his early education in Burnaby and sports that he played. 00:31:37 – 00:39:59 Norm talks about his educational experiences attending Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and Osgoode Hall law school and information regarding his law career. 00:40:00 – 00:45:03 Norm reflects on his childhood growing up in Burnaby and on his experiences and relationships as a student and in his career as a lawyer. 00:45:04 – 01:01:37 Norm talks about his siblings and shares information about family property development projects as well as career and business successes. In closing he talks about research that he’s done through Archives Canada on his grandfather Sam Dowad and father Wilfred Dowad.
History
Interviewee biography: Norm Dowad was born in Burnaby, December 1948 to parents Wilfred “Wilf” (1925-2011) and Cherry Dowad. His father, Wilfred (1925-2011) was born in Winnipeg to parents Samuel “Sam” (Salim in Arabic) Esper Dowad (1895-1969) and Martha (Shaheen) Dowad (1894-1955). Sam and Martha Dowad were both born in a province of the Ottoman Empire which is now present day Lebanon. In 1912, while trying to immigrate to Canada, several of Sam’s relatives including his mother died tragically as steerage passengers on the ill fated Titanic. In 1913, at the age of 18 years, Sam immigrated to Canada to join other family members who'd already arrived here safely. As a new immigrant in Canada, Sam worked with other Labanese immigrants in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the United States. In December 1921, Sam's wife, Martha immigrated to Canada arriving by ship in St. John, New Brunswick. Sam and Martha established their home in Winnipeg where they began to start a family. Their first two children died in infancy and son Wilfred was born in 1925 and daughter Kathleen was born in 1926. While living in Winnipeg, Sam worked as a grocer and in the 1930’s he got work as a farmer in a nearby town. In 1943, Wilf joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCVNR) and served as a gunner on merchant ships during World War II. In 1945, while Wilf was away serving, his parents, Sam and Martha moved to Burnaby. After discharge in 1945, Wilf joined his parents in Burnaby, began working at Fraser Mills and commenced his studies in construction and drafting. In 1949, with his father’s help Wilf acquired a lot next door to his parents’ home and built his first apartment block. After Martha died in 1954, Sam moved to Kelowna where he bought an orchard. Sam remarried in 1957 to Naomi “Mamie” (David) Dowad (1899-1978) who was also from a Lebanese family. Sam and Mamie lived in Kelowna until the mid 1960s when they moved to White Rock. While living in Burnaby, Wilf met and married Cherry Piggott and the couple had six children; Norm, Bruce, Michael, Kathie, Phil and Tom. In 1955, Wilfred Dowad established "W. Dowad Ltd." and over the years he was successful in developing and subdividing land to build housing and commercial developments in Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver. Wilf was the first president of the Burnaby Winter club and was an active member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce holding office at the local, provincial and national level. In 1970, Wilf purchased 238 acres of land bordering the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh River and relocated there the following year. While living in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Wilf became actively engaged in local business and community affairs. Wilf was later remarried to Grethe Dowad and he died in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh in 2011.Wilf's six children are the sole owners of "W.Dowad Ltd." and his daughter, Kathie Smillie is the president and CEO. While growing up in Burnaby, Norm Dowad attended Schou Street School, Douglas Road School, Kensington School and graduated from Burnaby Central Secondary School. Following graduation from high school, Norm attended Simon Fraser University for one year, travelled in Europe, attended University of British Columbia and obtained his law degree from Osgoode Hall at York University. Norman has been practicing law for 49 years and has his own law practice that he operates out of Vancouver. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Education
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Migration
Sports
Sports - Football
Wars - World War, 1939-1945
Names
Dowad, Norman W. "Norm"
Dowad, Samuel Esper "Sam"
Dowad, Wilfred "Wilf"
Dowad, Naomi "Mamie" David
Dowad, Martha Elias Shaheen
Dowad, Kathleen "Kay"
Rideout, Dr. John Anthony
Burnaby Central Secondary School
Douglas Road School
W. Dowad Limited
Responsibility
Damer, Eric
Geographic Access
Buckingham Avenue
Deer Lake
Street Address
5533 Buckingham Avenue
Accession Code
BV023.16.16
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Morley-Buckingham Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Norman Dowad, [1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023

Interview with Norman Dowad, [1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0016_002.mp3
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Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12337
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:43:19 min.)
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong at the Burnaby Village Museum. Josephine describes her family history and recollects her childhood experiences in 1950s and 60s while growing with her family on their "Hop On" farm in Burnaby. …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Chinese Canadians in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:43:19 min.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Josephine Chow Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: February 7, 2020 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 00:43:19
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong at the Burnaby Village Museum. Josephine describes her family history and recollects her childhood experiences in 1950s and 60s while growing with her family on their "Hop On" farm in Burnaby. The farm is situated in the Big Bend area along Marine Drive and is still in operation today. 0:00-08:45 Josephine Chow provides some historical background on the history of “Hop On Farm” and her family in British Columbia. She tells of how her grandfather Gay Tim Hong and three partners pooled money together to purchase twelve acres on Marine Drive in 1951. Prior to this, most of them farmed on the ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation Reserve for 20-30 years. It all began when her great grandfather Sui Wing Hong, first came to Canada from China and slowly brought over her grandfather, father and other members of the family. Her grandfather, Gay Tim Hong went back and forth between Canada and China at least four times since he and her grandmother had four children including her father, who was born in 1931. Her father came to Canada at 10 years of age to live with his father. Josephine’s great grandfather came to Vancouver from Zhongshan county in Canton Province (also known as Guangdong). 8:46- 14:20 Josephine provides the names of her siblings from the eldest to the youngest; Pauline, Josephine (herself), Catherine, Noreen, Gary, Darlene and Marlene. She describes what life was like on the farm with her parents working from sunrise to sunset. The family farmed vegetable produce taking orders from local stores in the lower mainland. Often the children helped their parents with the orders starting at eight or nine years of age. Other workers on the farm travelled by bus from Vancouver’s Chinatown. She also tells of how her father was an animal lover and raised chickens, pigeons, geese, koy, goldfish and dogs. 14: 21 – 16:56 Josephine describes what Burnaby was like during the time that she grew up in the late 1950s. She explains that Burnaby was very quiet with nothing being open on Sundays. On the farm, she and her siblings would entertain themselves by playing games like soccer, baseball and kick ball or also by catching frogs, snails, caterpillars and ladybugs. There were neighbours living on Marine Drive and almost every house had someone who we went to the same elementary school. The neighbourhood children would often come to play with them on their farm. 16:56- 26:47 Josephine describes how when they were young there were farms all around them and how on Sunday drives with her father, they would go to feed horses or look at the cows. Josephine shares that her elder sister Pauline was the only one born in China and how when she first arrived that she lived on the ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations Reserve with their parents before they moved to Burnaby. Josephine recollects that most of her friends were farmer’s kids from the neighbourhood but while in school, she had more Caucasian friends. Josephine and her siblings attended Glenwood Elementary on Marine Drive and later Junior Secondary at McPherson Park (grades 8-10) and Burnaby South Senior Secondary (grades 11-12. ). She shares some of her experiences while attending school. She said that there were about a dozen Asians in school with her, mostly from farming families in the “Flats”. 26:48- 30:45 Josephine describes what life was like for her and her siblings after school. They often helped on the farm when they got home, usually taking care of orders for green onions. Her mother made dinner and did all of the cooking for family and workers on the farm as well as working in the fields. Her father did all of the grocery shopping in Vancouver’s Chinatown two or three times per week where he purchased meat and fish. She says that her grandfather, often travelled by bus every Saturday or Sunday to meet up with friends in Chinatown. Extracurricular activities for her and her siblings included volley ball and soccer as long as it didn’t interfere with their work schedule on the farm. 30:46- 37:03 Josephine describes what occurred while living at home, the food they ate, shopping and attending Chinese school. Her mother cooked only Chinese food, she didn’t know how to cook “Western food”. For school lunches, the kids made their own sandwiches. She tells of a Chinese language school arranged by Mrs. Joe [sic] who lived on Gilley Road and was Canadian born Chinese. Mrs. Joe [sic] also arranged an English class for farmer’s wives on Tuesday nights in which her mother attended. Josephine recollects learning Mandarin from Mrs. Joe [sic] a few days a week after her regular school. Chinese school took place at Riverway School on Meadow Avenue in Burnaby. Mrs. Joe also taught them a lot about Chinese culture including Kung Fu, Chinese Dance and Chinese brush painting. 37:04- 39:39 Josephine describes Medical Care for her and her family in the 1950s and 1960s. She tells of a female Chinese doctor in Vancouver, Dr. Madeline Chung. Dr. Chung was responsible for delivering a lot of Chinese babies including Josephine. The family also visited herbalists in Vancouver Chinatown. They would often buy herbs for colds etc. Josephine also tells of how her parents stayed in touch with family in China by writing letters. Her mother’s family, including her parents and siblings were still in China while most of her father’s family were here in Canada. 39:40- 43:19 – In closing, Josephine shares how life is much busier now and of how she misses the quietness of her days growing up. She briefly describes her life on the family farm now and how different it is from when her parents worked the farm. She explains how farming methods have changed and how they don’t have to work as hard as her parents did.
History
Interviewee biography: Josephine Chow (nee Hong) is the second eldest child of Chan Kow Hong and Sui Ha Hong. In 1925, Josephine's grandfather, Gay Tim Hong immigrated to Canada from Zhongshan county in Canton Province (also known as Guangdong). In 1952, her father, Chan Kow Hong joined his father, Gay Tim Hong and by 1953, he established "Hop On Farms" in the Big Bend area of Burnaby near Marine Drive. Josephine grew up on the farm with her parents and six siblings; Pauline, Catherine, Norine, Gary, Darlene and Marlene. In 1969, Josephine's elder sister Pauline and her husband Jack Chan took over the family farm and in 1972 their father and grandfather moved to Kamloops to open a restaurant. As an adult, Josephine worked in several different areas including owning and running her own Aesthetics business. Josephine eventually retired and returned to the farm to assist her siblings. The farm is still in operation. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Education
Buildings - Schools
First Nations reserves - British Columbia
Names
Chow, Josephine
Glenwood Elementary School
McPherson Park Junior Secondary School
ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)
Responsibility
Fong, Denise
Geographic Access
Byrne Road
Accession Code
BV020.6.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Big Bend Area
Related Material
See also BV017.36*
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
12/3/2017
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of interview
Photograph info: Gary Hong and Chan Kow Hong harvesting celery at Hop-On Farms [1969]. BV017.36.4
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020, [1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020, [1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2020_0006_0001_001.mp3
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Open meeting with William Pritchard and Norman Penner July / August 1973 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory78
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1890-1919
Length
0:09:30
Summary
This portion of the meeting pertains to William Pritchards' speech and his experiences at the trial for the Winnipeg General Strike as well as his stories of his early childhood and his father's socialist leanings.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the meeting pertains to William Pritchards' speech and his experiences at the trial for the Winnipeg General Strike as well as his stories of his early childhood and his father's socialist leanings.
Date Range
1890-1919
Photo Info
William A. Pritchard, Burnaby Reeve 1930-1932 and council member 1928-1930. Item no. 459-016
Length
0:09:30
Subjects
Protests and Demonstrations - Strikes
Interview Date
July / August 1973
Scope and Content
Recording is of a open meeting with William Pritchard and writer Norman Penner. Norman Penner is the editor of the book "Winnipeg 1919" about the strike from the striker's perspective. William Pritchard wrote the speech that was included in the book. Audience members were invited to ask Pritchard questions. Major theme discussed is: The Winnipeg General Strike. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
William "Bill" Arthur Pritchard was born on April 3, 1888 in Salford, England, the son of a miner and factory worker. In May 1911, Bill moved to British Columbia and within a week of arriving became an active member of the Socialist Party of Canada. From 1914 to 1917, he served as editor of the Western Clarion – the SPC newspaper. He became such a well-known socialist figure that when he travelled to Winnipeg to participate in the General Strike in 1919, he was one of only seven people arrested and imprisoned for his participation in the event despite the fact that he was in no way directly involved in its planning nor development. In 1922, Bill and his family settled in North Burnaby in the Capitol Hill District. Almost immediately after his arrival, Bill began to advocate for change and a planned development scheme for the municipality. Pritchard ran successfully for the position of Reeve and held the post until the end of 1932. One of Reeve Pritchard’s highest priorities while in office was to attempt to provide work for as many unemployed as possible all the while trying to elicit more support from the provincial and federal governments. Bill was a strong advocate of the belief that relief work should be focused on projects that would see a comprehensive development scheme for Burnaby – including planned sewers, roads and water supply. Despite Bill's best efforts, however, Burnaby was forced into receivership and at the end of 1932, a Provincial Commission stepped in to take over the governance of the city. Reeve Pritchard, having done all he could as a champion of the unemployed, stepped down as Reeve but left behind an undeniable legacy of courage and determination. He was rewarded for his enormous contributions to the city in 1975 when he was chosen to be made a Freeman of Burnaby. William Pritchard died on October 23, 1981. Norman Penner was born in Winnipeg in 1921 to Rose and Jacob Penner and brother to Roland, Ruth and Walter. Their father Jacob was a leading member of the Communist Party and popular Winnipeg Alderman. Norman graduated from high school in 1937 but did not begin university until much later, preferring to begin his adult life from 1938 to 1941 as a full-time officer of the Winnipeg branch of the Communist Party of Canada. From 1941 to 1946 he served with the Canadian Army which included two-and-a-half years of overseas combat duty. On his return to Canada in 1947 he again returned to his duties as a full-time officer with the communist Labour-Progressive Party (formed in 1941 after the Canadian Communist Party was officially banned). After the abortive Hungarian revolution in 1956, Norman Penner resigned from the party and instead worked as a self-employed manufacturer’s sales representative until 1971. In 1964 he decided to go back to school part time and graduated with a BA from the University of Toronto in 1969. He took an MA in 1971 and a PhD in 1975 from the same institution. Penner was hired as a lecturer at York University's Glendon College in 1972 and soon became a professor, continuing to teach until 1995. He wrote extensively on the Canadian left. Penner edited and introduced "Winnipeg 1919: The Strikers' Own History of the Winnipeg General Strike" in 1973, published "The Canadian Left: A Critical Analysis" in 1977 and contributed three chapters to as well as editing "Keeping Canada Together Means Changing Our Thinking" in 1978. He published "Canadian Communism: The Stalin Years and Beyond" in 1988 and "From Protest to Power: Social Democracy in Canada 1900 to Present" in 1992 as well as numerous articles, reviews and book chapters. Norman Penner was married to Norma Lipes for sixty-seven years. The couple had four children: Steve (Mary Ellen Marus); Joyce (Herman Parsons); Gary (Marlene Kadar); and Bob (Shaena Lambert). Norman Penner died April 16, 2009 at the age of eighty-eight.
Total Tracks
7
Total Length
1:03:00
Interviewee Name
Pritchard, William A.
Penner, Norman
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track one of open meeting with William Pritchard and Norman Penner

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Open meeting with William Pritchard and Norman Penner July / August 1973 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory82
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1688-1919
Length
0:08:51
Summary
This portion of the meeting pertains to William Pritchard's thoughts on Socialism and Revolution in their various incantations. He also discusses the political leanings of the arrested Winnipeg Strikers.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the meeting pertains to William Pritchard's thoughts on Socialism and Revolution in their various incantations. He also discusses the political leanings of the arrested Winnipeg Strikers.
Date Range
1688-1919
Photo Info
William A. Pritchard, Burnaby Reeve 1930-1932 and council member 1928-1930. Item no. 459-016
Length
0:08:51
Names
Woodsworth, James Shaver
Subjects
Political Theories
Interview Date
July / August 1973
Scope and Content
Recording is of a open meeting with William Pritchard and writer Norman Penner. Norman Penner is the editor of the book "Winnipeg 1919" about the strike from the striker's perspective. William Pritchard wrote the speech that was included in the book. Audience members were invited to ask Pritchard questions. Major theme discussed is: The Winnipeg General Strike. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
William "Bill" Arthur Pritchard was born on April 3, 1888 in Salford, England, the son of a miner and factory worker. In May 1911, Bill moved to British Columbia and within a week of arriving became an active member of the Socialist Party of Canada. From 1914 to 1917, he served as editor of the Western Clarion – the SPC newspaper. He became such a well-known socialist figure that when he travelled to Winnipeg to participate in the General Strike in 1919, he was one of only seven people arrested and imprisoned for his participation in the event despite the fact that he was in no way directly involved in its planning nor development. In 1922, Bill and his family settled in North Burnaby in the Capitol Hill District. Almost immediately after his arrival, Bill began to advocate for change and a planned development scheme for the municipality. Pritchard ran successfully for the position of Reeve and held the post until the end of 1932. One of Reeve Pritchard’s highest priorities while in office was to attempt to provide work for as many unemployed as possible all the while trying to elicit more support from the provincial and federal governments. Bill was a strong advocate of the belief that relief work should be focused on projects that would see a comprehensive development scheme for Burnaby – including planned sewers, roads and water supply. Despite Bill's best efforts, however, Burnaby was forced into receivership and at the end of 1932, a Provincial Commission stepped in to take over the governance of the city. Reeve Pritchard, having done all he could as a champion of the unemployed, stepped down as Reeve but left behind an undeniable legacy of courage and determination. He was rewarded for his enormous contributions to the city in 1975 when he was chosen to be made a Freeman of Burnaby. William Pritchard died on October 23, 1981. Norman Penner was born in Winnipeg in 1921 to Rose and Jacob Penner and brother to Roland, Ruth and Walter. Their father Jacob was a leading member of the Communist Party and popular Winnipeg Alderman. Norman graduated from high school in 1937 but did not begin university until much later, preferring to begin his adult life from 1938 to 1941 as a full-time officer of the Winnipeg branch of the Communist Party of Canada. From 1941 to 1946 he served with the Canadian Army which included two-and-a-half years of overseas combat duty. On his return to Canada in 1947 he again returned to his duties as a full-time officer with the communist Labour-Progressive Party (formed in 1941 after the Canadian Communist Party was officially banned). After the abortive Hungarian revolution in 1956, Norman Penner resigned from the party and instead worked as a self-employed manufacturer’s sales representative until 1971. In 1964 he decided to go back to school part time and graduated with a BA from the University of Toronto in 1969. He took an MA in 1971 and a PhD in 1975 from the same institution. Penner was hired as a lecturer at York University's Glendon College in 1972 and soon became a professor, continuing to teach until 1995. He wrote extensively on the Canadian left. Penner edited and introduced "Winnipeg 1919: The Strikers' Own History of the Winnipeg General Strike" in 1973, published "The Canadian Left: A Critical Analysis" in 1977 and contributed three chapters to as well as editing "Keeping Canada Together Means Changing Our Thinking" in 1978. He published "Canadian Communism: The Stalin Years and Beyond" in 1988 and "From Protest to Power: Social Democracy in Canada 1900 to Present" in 1992 as well as numerous articles, reviews and book chapters. Norman Penner was married to Norma Lipes for sixty-seven years. The couple had four children: Steve (Mary Ellen Marus); Joyce (Herman Parsons); Gary (Marlene Kadar); and Bob (Shaena Lambert). Norman Penner died April 16, 2009 at the age of eighty-eight.
Total Tracks
7
Total Length
1:03:00
Interviewee Name
Pritchard, William A.
Penner, Norman
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track five of open meeting with William Pritchard and Norman Penner

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Ernest Winch fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64651
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1898-1961
Collection/Fonds
Ernest Winch fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
15 cm of textual records and 31 photographs
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs, political leaflets, postcards, publications, correspondence and a scrapbook documenting the political careers of Ernest and Harold Winch.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1898-1961
Collection/Fonds
Ernest Winch fonds
Physical Description
15 cm of textual records and 31 photographs
Description Level
Fonds
Accession Number
2010-06
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs, political leaflets, postcards, publications, correspondence and a scrapbook documenting the political careers of Ernest and Harold Winch.
History
Ernest Edward (Ernie) Winch was born at Harlow, Essex, England on March 22, 1879. Ernest was one of seven children; Walter, Albert, Alfred, Horace, Ernest, Emma and Caroline (Carrie). In 1898, when he was 19 years old, Ernest immigrated to Canada with his friend Jack Holttum to work on a farm in Saskatchewan. Ernest’s brother Alfred followed soon after and together the Winch brothers worked in British Columbia, then in Australia. Unfortunately the country was at the height of a heavy drought and so Ernest returned to Harlow and followed in his father's footsteps, apprenticing as a bricklayer. In 1905 Ernest Winch met and married Australian born Linda Marian Hendy. While in England they had Harold, born June 18, 1907, and Eileen, born in 1908. Ernest sailed back to Canada alone in 1910, his young family following him months later. He quickly became a member of the Bricklayers and Masons International Union No. 1, Vancouver Branch. Ernest began studying socialism in 1910 and joined the Social-Democratic Party of Canada in 1911. The Burnaby local of the Social-Democratic Party nominated Ernest Winch as a candidate for School Trustee in 1914. He received seven votes. In 1915 he and his eldest son Harold left the rest of the family at their home in White Rock and went to Mission to establish a homestead. While living in the Dewdney area, he organized a small Social-Democratic group in Mission and became its Secretary. However, he did not stay long in Dewdney. In the summer of 1918, Ernest left the Social-Democratic Party to join the Socialist Party. Once back in Burnaby, now 38 years old and looking for a way to support his family, Ernest answered a call for new workers from the Longshoremen’s Union. He joined the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Auxiliary and soon was elected its Secretary. By 1917, he was a part of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council, serving as its President by 1918. In 1919, he joined the B.C. Loggers Union (later the Lumber-Workers Industrial Unit), serving as Secretary. Ernest endorsed both the Vancouver General Strike in 1918 and the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was active in his support of the One Big Union (O.B.U). After two and a half years, Ernest left the ILA and rejoined the Longshoremen’s Union along with his former O.B.U. brother, William A. Pritchard. Soon after, a strike broke out and its unsuccessful end caused Winch to go back to bricklaying. By this time, the four youngest Winch children had been born: Charlie, Grace, Alan and Eric. Ernest re-founded the Socialist Party of Canada (British Columbia) in 1932 and, with it, joined the new Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. In the 1933 provincial election he, his son Harold Winch, and five others became the first CCF Members of Legislative Assembly. As a CCF MLA for Burnaby, Ernest became a resolute advocate for immediate reform, exposing abuses and inadequacies in BC's social welfare and correctional institutions (including Oakalla) and taking a special interest in the problems of the aged. One of his many notable contributions was the creation of the New Vista Society, first developed to ease the problem of overcrowding in mental hospitals at the time. Ernest Winch held his seat in the legislature continuously until his death on January 11, 1957. One of his legacies left to the people of Burnaby are the New Vista Society senior citizens homes. He also founded the New Westminster branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.). Ernest and Linda’s eldest son Harold Edward, an electrician by trade, married Dorothy Ada Hutchinson on May 11, 1929. At 26 years old, he was elected CCF MLA for Vancouver East (in 1933) and became provincial party leader by 1938, serving as leader of the Opposition from 1941 to 1953. When the CCF was defeated in the controversial election of 1953, which saw W.A.C. Bennet come to power, Harold abandoned provincial politics for the House of Commons, where he represented Vancouver East until his retirement in 1972.
Media Type
Textual Record
Photograph
Creator
Winch, Ernest "Ernie"
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
MSS129, photo catalogue 514
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William Holmes fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10416
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1841]-1994
Collection/Fonds
William Holmes fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w + 6 photographs : col. + 5 p. textual records + 1 newspaper clipping
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the William Holmes family, family grave markers in cemetery in Ireland along with original correspondence, land title certificates and a newspaper clipping. Fonds is arranged in series: 1) William Holmes family photographs series 2) William Holmes family…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
William Holmes fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w + 6 photographs : col. + 5 p. textual records + 1 newspaper clipping
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the William Holmes family, family grave markers in cemetery in Ireland along with original correspondence, land title certificates and a newspaper clipping. Fonds is arranged in series: 1) William Holmes family photographs series 2) William Holmes family records series 3) Holmes family cemetery photographs series
History
William Holmes was the first non-Indigenous resident of Burnaby and was born in Kilkenny Ireland January 4, 1812. In 1833, at the age of 20 yrs, William Holmes immigrated to Canada from Ireland in with his parents, Joseph and Jane (McCullough) Holmes and ten other family members including two of his married brothers and their wives, two sisters with their husbands and two unmarried brothers. This was the first group of thirteen to leave Ireland and set up homesteads in Canada near the shores of Lake Huron. The family settled on land concessions in Huron County, Ontario about 14 km southeast of Goderich. The area in Huron County was first founded in 1832 by John and Samuel Holmes and the community was known as Holmes Hill before becoming Holmesville [ca. 1850]. In 1837, William Holmes is noted as owning Lot 23, Concession IX, Goderich Twp. Much of the village of Holmesville grew up around the five road concession near the border of his brother’s farm so William decided to open a store. The Holmesville post office opened on March 1, 1855 and William was appointed the first post master which he operated until May 1857. William met and married Mary Richardson in 1841 and the couple had three daughters: Jane (1844-1926) (married Charles Studdert Finlaison in New Westminster in 1863); Anne Maria (Annie) (1846-192?) (married John Gunther Jennings in New Westminster in 1865 and married Robert Johnson in New Westminster in 1877) and Elizabeth (1848-1934) (married Thomas Carrington of Lakes District in 1867). William’s wife, Mary (Richardson) Holmes died in Holmesville sometime between 1848 and 1853. Following the death of his first wife, Mary, William married Charlotte McCullough (McCulloch). The couple had four daughters; Arabella Charlotte Amelia (1854-1943) (married Arthur Robert Green in 1887); Laura (1855-1867); Arabella Henrietta (1857-1929) (married Clark Wesley Gillanders in 1880) and Mary (1863-1864). During the late 1850s, William became aware of the gold rush and opportunities opening up in British Columbia so left for the west coast in 1858 at the age of 46 yrs. In preparation for his move to the west coast of Canada, William obtained a letter of introduction from top government officials of Canada. William Holmes arrived in British Columbia in 1859. Upon arriving, he first worked running pack trains from Harrison Mills to Lillooet. After earning some money, he decided to re-invest it in land. His first pre-emption of land occurred on January 21, 1860 for 160 acres situated on North Road from the Military Camp to Burrard Inlet and distancing 25 chains south of the Brunette River and 20 chains south of the river with the land extending in a westerly direction. On March 17, 1860, Holmes received a Crown Grant for this and other land in the immediate area totalling 415 acres of which was known as Lot No. 1, Group 1, Rural Land, New Westminster District. The balance of land was situated on the east side of the Brunette River – Lot 13, with 344 2/3 acres of which he made an application to purchase on June 26, 1860, and a Crown Grant dated March 16, 1861 covering 86 acres. Holmes also pre-empted land in Port Moody and Pitt Meadows in 1860 and 1861. The name of “Brunette River” is officially attributed to William Holmes who referred to the river as “Brunette” due to it’s dark colour originating from the peat lands above the lake. Following his purchase of property, he sent for his wife Charlotte, their three daughters and her three step daughters (from William’s first marriage). Charlotte and the six children made the long trip to B.C. by ship and rail, crossing the Isthmus of Darien at Panama. They arrived in B.C. in October 1861 and moved into a one room log cabin built by William. The cabin stood on the North Road at the foot of Sapperton, on a bluff overlooking the Brunette River. Eventually the family moved to a larger dwelling but the original cabin remained on the site until the 1890s when it was burned after being used as a sick house. Mr. Holmes was instrumental in organizing the first Orange Lodge in British Columbia. He was a prominent Orangeman who joined the order in 1840 and was the first master in the order of the City of New Westminster when the Lodge No. 1150 was established there. Charlotte Holmes died in New Westminster in 1893 at the age of 70 years and William Holmes died in New Westminster September 11, 1907 at the age of 95 years.
Responsibility
Holmes, William
Accession Code
HV971.46
BV997.50
Date
[1841]-1994
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Related Material
See also: Reference file: Persons - Holmes, William
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
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Esther Love Stanley fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18841
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1896-[2015] (dates of originals)
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photograph albums + 3 photographs + 128 photographs (tiffs & jpgs) + 1 cm textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of original photograph albums created by Esther (Love) Stanley as well as a collection of digital reproductions of photographs, documents and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Love, Stanley and Shankie families.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 photograph albums + 3 photographs + 128 photographs (tiffs & jpgs) + 1 cm textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of original photograph albums created by Esther (Love) Stanley as well as a collection of digital reproductions of photographs, documents and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Love, Stanley and Shankie families.
History
Esther Love Stanley was born in Burnaby in 1896 to parents Jesse Love (1847-1928) and Martha Leonard (1858-1920). Esther's father, Jesse Love was born in Swindon, England and left England to work on a dairy farm in the Toronto area. While working on the farm in Toronto, Jesse met Martha Leonard and they married in 1879. While living in Toronto, Jesse and Martha had two children, George (1880-1974) and Annie Elizabeth (1881-1957). About one year after Annie was born, the Love family moved to North Dakota to grow wheat. While living there, they had two more children, Henry (1883-1956) and Edith Minnie (1885-1976). The family decided to move further west after hearing about the fairer weather conditions from Martha’s father, George Leonard, who had settled in Vancouver in 1885. On May 23, 1887, Jesse, Martha and their four children arrived in Vancouver after travelling across Canada from Winnipeg on the first transcontinental train. Soon after their fifth child, Thomas Robert (1887-1918) was born, the family moved to Lulu Island in Richmond where they lived growing vegetables and selling them to Vancouver hotels. While living and farming on Lulu island, the couple had two more children Martha (Dot or Dorothy) (1889-1972) and Sarah Marie (1892-1978). In October 1893, Jesse Love purchased land in District Lot 25, Burnaby and built a house between 1893 and 1894. A road was constructed and named Cumberland in 1905 and the address for the Love home was 1390 Cumberland Road (after 1960- 7651 Cumberland). While living in the house, Jesse and Martha had four more children, Phoebe Leonard (1894-1991), Esther (1896-1991), John Leonard (1899-1978) and Hannah Victoria (also known as Girlie) (1902-1976). Frank Charles “Stan” Stanley was born in London, England in 1891. Frank “Stan” Stanley is the youngest son of John Stanley and Mary (Conquest) Stanley. John and Mary had eleven children: Conquest John “Con”, George, Alice, Mary, Nelly, Mabel Annie, Percy William, Henry James, Ada Elizabeth, Arthur Ewart and Frank Charles. In 1912, Frank Charles Stanley immigrated to Canada. Frank Stanley served in the 29th Battalion (nicknamed Tobin's Tigers) during the First World War. He received a Military Medal for bravery while serving as lieutenant. Esther Love and Frank “Stan” Stanley maintained a relationship through letter writing during the First World War and in 1921 after he returned, they were married at St. Alban’s Church in Burnaby. Frank and Esther Stanley (nee Love) had four children, Mary Frances (Pearson) (d. 1986), Ina Esther (Shankie) (1924-2017), Frank Conquest and Joyce (Warner). Frank Charles “Stan” Stanley ran a service station on St. John's Street in Port Moody for many years and also served as mayor of Port Moody in the 1940s. Frank Charles Stanley died in 1975 and Esther Love Stanley died in 1991. In 1947, Ina Esther Stanley married Thomas Ramsay “Ram” Shankie (1920-1996). Ina and Thomas Ramsay Shankie had four children; David Shankie (b. 1951), Linda Shankie (Hanlon), Susan Shankie (Weston) and Kathryn Shankie. The family lived at 5351 Kalyk Avenue in Burnaby (later 3676 Kalyk Avenue). Thomas Ramsay Shankie is the son of Thomas Shankie (1872-1959) and Bertha Janet Shankie (nee Gray) (1891-1965). Thomas Shankie (Sr.) immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1905. In 1919 Thomas Shankie married Bertha Janet Gray at Henderson Presbyterian Church in West Burnaby. Thomas was the church organist and choir master of the church. Once married, the couple moved to a house located at 3718 Barker Avenue (later became 5515 Barker Avenue). Thomas and Bertha Shankie had two children, Thomas Ramsay Shankie (1920-1996) and Janet Isabella Shankie (Bower) (1923-2014). Around the age of 46 years, Thomas Shankie joined a gym and bought a bicycle to improve his health. By 1955 at the age of 83 years, Thomas Shankie had logged over two hundred thousand miles since buying his first bicycle. His motto was "ride a bicycle if you want to stay young and live long". Thomas also competed in many cycling races. Janet Isabella Shankie Bower (1923-2014) married Charles Franklin "Frank" Bower (1914-2004) in 1947. Janet and Frank Bower had two children; Gordon Franklin Bower (1951-2003) and Janet (Flintroy).
Creator
Stanley, Esther Love
Accession Code
BV015.40
BV016.43
BV022.32
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1896-[2015] (dates of originals)
Media Type
Photograph
Arrangement
Creator as well as descendants maintained original photograph albums along with digital copies of original family records. A selection of digital copies and originals were preserved in the order in which they were maintained and are reflected in the archival descriptions. When original photograph albums were acquired in 2022, some digital surrogates were deaccesioned.
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
See also Love family fonds
Items of ephemera are described as artifacts in the Burnaby Village Museum artifact collection.
Less detail

Interview with John Mallory June 24, 1975 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory118
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1903-1929
Length
0:10:02
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to John Mallory's early life and his first years in Burnaby dealing with delinquency of mortgage payments on his home. He also begins to discuss his political involvement with the labour movement.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to John Mallory's early life and his first years in Burnaby dealing with delinquency of mortgage payments on his home. He also begins to discuss his political involvement with the labour movement.
Date Range
1903-1929
Length
0:10:02
Subjects
Buildings - Residences - Houses
Geographic Access
11th Avenue
15th Street
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
June 24, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with John Mallory by Simon Fraser University (SFU) masters student Bettina Bradbury June 24, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression and the Unemployment movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
John Audrey Mallory was born in Carman, Manitoba on January 10, 1903 to John and Bertha Nina (Rodgers) Mallory. The Mallory family moved to Deep Creek, British Columbia for a time before arriving in New Westminster. John Audrey Mallory married Janet Ellis Morice on November 15, 1924. John Mallory helped to build a mill at Powell River where he played baseball before he moved to Burnaby in the late 1920s. He built a house at 11th Avenue and 13th Street. He later moved to 1851 4th Street, working a few months out of the year as a construction foreman. He also worked renovating various mills. Towards the end of the thirties, he had established his own heating and plumbing business. John Mallory was very active in the labour movement, beginning with the Independent Labour Party which was renamed the Independent Labour Party Socialists, then the Socialist Party of Canada. He joined the Workers' Unity League (WUL) and their affiliates the Unemployed Workers Association at this time as well. Together with fellow organizers, John fixed up the Edmonds Hall and held fundraising parties for the Unemployment movement. Seen by others as an agitator, John organized countless strike movements, protests and demonstrations in his capacity as an organizer for the Workers' Unity League. John left the Socialist Party of Canada due to what he saw as their intolerance with other parts of the working class movement to join the Communist Party of Canada. He was later expelled from the Communist Party for "Trotskist leanings." Bertha Nina (Rodgers) Mallory died May 20, 1964 at the age of eighty-two. Her husband John Mallory died April 1, 1966 at the age of ninety-four. John Audrey Mallory died July 7, 1981 at the age of seventy-eight.
Total Tracks
13
Total Length
1:56:06
Interviewee Name
Mallory, John
Interviewer Bio
Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Audio Tracks

Track one of interview with John Mallory

Less detail

Jesse Love farmhouse series

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9782
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1893-1970] (date of originals), copied 1988-1998, predominant 1988-2000
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Series
Physical Description
approx. 84 cm of textual records + approx. 1,910 photographs + approx. 100 architectural drawings + 3 audio cassettes + 1 videocassette
Scope and Content
Series consists of records involved in the purchase, moving, restoration, research, conservation and exhibiting of the Love family farmhouse by Burnaby Village Museum. Records have been arranged into the following subseries: 1) Love farmhouse conservation work files subseries 2) Love farmhouse re…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Jesse Love farmhouse series
Description Level
Series
Physical Description
approx. 84 cm of textual records + approx. 1,910 photographs + approx. 100 architectural drawings + 3 audio cassettes + 1 videocassette
Scope and Content
Series consists of records involved in the purchase, moving, restoration, research, conservation and exhibiting of the Love family farmhouse by Burnaby Village Museum. Records have been arranged into the following subseries: 1) Love farmhouse conservation work files subseries 2) Love farmhouse restoration photographs subseries 3) Love farmhouse curatorial files subseries 4) Love farmouse research files subseries 5) Love family photographs 6) Love farmhouse Oral History subseries 7) Love farmhouse architectural drawings subseries
History
Jesse Love was born in Swindon, England in 1847 and left England to work on a dairy farm in the Toronto area. While working on the farm in Toronto, he met Martha Leonard who he married in 1879. Martha was born on February 3, 1858 in Bedfordshire, England and had come to Canada with her parents George and Ann Leonard. While living in Toronto, Jesse and Martha had two children, George born March 22, 1880 and Annie Elizabeth on August 24, 1881. About one year after Annie was born, the Love family moved to North Dakota to grow wheat. While living there, they had two more children, Henry who was born August 24, 1883 and Edith Minnie born October 9, 1885. The family decided to move further west after hearing about the fairer weather conditions from Martha’s father, George Leonard, who had settled in Vancouver in 1885. On May 23, 1887, Jesse, Martha and their four children arrived in Vancouver after travelling across Canada from Winnipeg on the first transcontinental train. The Loves made their home in Vancouver while Jesse helped clear land on Granville Street. Their fifth child, Thomas Robert was born on September 17, 1887 and soon after, the family moved to Lulu Island in Richmond where they lived growing vegetables and selling them to Vancouver hotels. While living and farming on Lulu island, the couple had two more girls, Martha (Dot or Dorothy) born on December 17, 1889 and Sarah Marie, born February 8, 1892. On October 6, 1893 an agreement was signed by Jesse Love to purchase 14.52 acres of land from Joseph C. Armstrong. The acreage covered the north east section of District Lot 25 within the newly incorporated District of the Municipality of Burnaby. It was here where the original Love house was built (between October 1893 and April 15, 1894) by Jesse Love with the help of local builder George Salt and father in law, George Leonard. The house consisted of an entrance hall, dining room, lean to kitchen, master bedroom and three bedrooms upstairs. A road was constructed and named Cumberland in 1905 and ran from District Lot 25 through to District Lot 11. The address for the Love home was 1390 Cumberland Road and in the early 1960’s the address was renumbered 7651 Cumberland Street. On the land surrounding the house, Jesse Love planted an orchard along with strawberries and raspberries which he sold at the Fraser Valley Market, T.S. Anandale’s Grocery Store in New Westminster and to hotels around Vancouver. Jesse Love served on the Burnaby School Board and also as a District Councillor in 1901 and from 1904-1907. While living in the house, Jesse and Martha had four more children, Phoebe Leonard, born April 15, 1894, Esther, born August 28, 1896, John Leonard, born June 7, 1899 and Hannah Victoria (also known as Girlie) who was born May 12, 1902. As the family grew to eleven children, additions along with some substantial remodelling in the craftsman style took place. In about 1898, a north wing addition was added to include a parlour with two windows, the construction of two more bedrooms and the relocation of the stair case to the North West wall. In 1903 the front door moved to the north elevation, a front porch was extended along the east wall and a summer lean to kitchen was added to the west elevation. Between 1905 and 1910, a tin embossed ceiling was installed along with an addition of the main kitchen which included a pantry, bathtub and a back porch. In about 1912, five craftsman style windows replaced the original pioneer tent style, the front verandah was enlarged to wrap around the south and east elevations, a back door was installed in the kitchen to access the verandah and wood shingle siding and brackets were added to the exterior. In 1918, at the age of 31 years, Robert Love fell ill due to an influenza epidemic and died on November 23, 1918. Following their son’s death, Martha Love became weak and on August 24, 1920, she passed away. By this time, Jesse had sold off a large percentage of his land and his youngest daughter, Girlie decided to stay on to live and care for him. Since the house was too large for just the two of them, Jesse invited any other children to return and share the residence. For a while his son, George and his wife joined them until 1925, followed by his daughter Sarah Parker (nee Love), her husband William and their three children, Albert, Bill and Elsie. The house remained pretty unchanged until 1928 after Jesse Love died of pneumonia (March 10, 1928) and the house was purchased by Sarah and her husband William Parker who continued to live there with their children. The master bedroom wall on the main floor opened up to the dining room, the kitchen pantry and bathtub converted to an alcove with a marble counter and enlarged window and sink while the bathroom was moved to the upstairs and the furnace and coolers were installed in the crawl space under the kitchen. A hot water tank was installed in the house in 1966. Sarah continued to live in the house until a little while after her husband William died in 1961. She sold the house to her daughter Elsie and husband John Hughes in 1966, who lived in the house along with their son Brent, until August 23, 1971. Mahbir Molchan Papan and his wife Geraldine Papan bought the house August 23, 1971 and by 1982, the house was sold to Nirmal Singh Singha and Narinder Singha. The Papans continued to rent the house from Nirmal Singh Singha and Narinder Singha until the late 1980s. In 1988, the house was scheduled for demolition with the remaining property to be subdivided. Fortunately, a neighbour, Mr. Harvey Elder recognized the farmhouse's historical significance and contacted the Burnaby Historical Society. Following this event, the owners agreed to donate the building to the Burnaby Village Museum (under the Century Park Museum Association) who financed the move of the house from Cumberland Street to the museum site. Heritage planner and architect, Robert Lemon provided guidance for the project. Prior to the move, the two porches were removed and demolished while the kitchen and roof were both separated from the main house. The kitchen and roof of the house were transported to Burnaby Village Museum on May 20, 1988 by Nickel Bros. House Moving company, while the main frame of the house completed its transportation to the museum near the end of May 1988 (due to low overhead wires). The house was moved down Cumberland Street to 10th Avenue, up Canada Way to Sperling and set on temporary footings near Hart House. Robert Lemon oversaw structural improvements such as, upgrading floor joists and creating new foundations to replace the original timber foundation of the farmhouse. The restoration went through several phases of work between 1988 until it opened in November 1998. Restoration began on both the interior and exterior features to be interpreted from the period of 1925. On November 23, 1992, the building was designated a heritage building under Heritage Designation Bylaw 1992, Bylaw Number 9807. In 1993, the architecture firm of Brian G. Hart Associates was appointed for the design and construction supervision of the restoration project. Plans were created for a foundation on the museum site in 1989 and the farmhouse was eventually settled on a permanent foundation behind the Burnaby Village Museum administration building in 1993 along with the reattachment of the roof. The kitchen section was reattached to the main house in 1994 along with skirting around the foundation and the reshingling of the exterior. In 1996, the tin ceiling was removed to make way for the installation of the internal electrical system along with sprinklers, ceiling heating and fire break gyprock. The dining room ceiling joists were consolidated, a pantry and bathroom were added to the kitchen, the downstairs bedroom wall was opened and filled, the dining and kitchen doorways were widened. In 1997, a wheelchair ramp was installed along with a concrete sidewalk, stair rails, cement pads at the base of the stairs and a gravel sink for any excess water. Interior work included painting of the kitchen, restoration and furnishing of the kitchen pantry, insulation of the house floor to protect from rodents along with the reconstruction of the kitchen and house chimneys. The registrar worked together with the curator and conservator and was tasked with a large research project on the house including the family contacts and family history, property information, plans, photographs, artifacts, furnishings, stories etc. all organized in files for easy retrieval. A great deal of research and conservation was undertaken in order to make the interior of the house authentic to the time period as possible. One of the biggest projects was selecting and obtaining wall coverings since much of the original wallpaper was incomplete and poor condition. The conservator and registrar were lucky enough to locate a few samples of the original paper and engage the Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpaper Company of Benica, California to reproduce replica designs for free. The City of Burnaby now has its own series “Burnaby Village Papers” produced by this company which are titled “Burnaby Wall”; “Burnaby Border” and “Burnaby Ceiling”. All three of these wallpaper designs have been used in the Love farm house and are also commercially available through the Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpaper Company. In 1997, restoration of the kitchen was completed and opened to the public. After the completion of the dining room, main floor bedroom and parlour, the Love farmhouse exhibit opened on November 29, 1998 with an open invitation to the public and extended members of the Love family. Officials including the Mayor, Doug Drummond and Love family members were all present to cut the ribbon for the special event.
Accession Code
BV018.41; BV020.5
Access Restriction
Restricted access
Date
[1893-1970] (date of originals), copied 1988-1998, predominant 1988-2000
Media Type
Textual Record
Architectural Drawing
Sound Recording
Moving Images
Photograph
Arrangement
The majority of the records within series and subseries were arranged by a staff members of Burnaby Village Museum who worked on the historical research and restoration of the house. Other photographs documenting the move and further restoration work were added later and included in the arrangment by format and subject.
Notes
Title based on content of series
Jesse Love farmhouse is described as an Artifact under BV988.33.1
Some records within this collection have restricted access and are subject to FIPPA
Accessions BV018.41 and BV020.5 form this fonds
Less detail

Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory251
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1865-1919
Length
0:10:18
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's essay entitled Stump Rangers, a listing of early settlers that includes addresses and short descriptions, essays on Confederation Park, land clearing and on Burnaby's first Council meeting.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's essay entitled Stump Rangers, a listing of early settlers that includes addresses and short descriptions, essays on Confederation Park, land clearing and on Burnaby's first Council meeting.
Date Range
1865-1919
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:10:18
Subjects
Geographic Features - Parks
Officials - Aldermen and Councillors
Land Clearing
Scope and Content
Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
12
Total Length
1:38:06
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Transcript Available
MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings

Less detail

Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory253
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1903-1940
Length
0:09:46
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's descriptions of road construction in Burnaby, including the names of the settlers and logging companies involved in their construction. Alfred discusses the changes that took place during World War I, along with municipal Relief work that he t…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's descriptions of road construction in Burnaby, including the names of the settlers and logging companies involved in their construction. Alfred discusses the changes that took place during World War I, along with municipal Relief work that he took part in at Burnaby Mountain. Alfred also discusses early schools and mentions his wife, Ada Bingham.
Date Range
1903-1940
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:09:46
Subjects
Construction - Road Construction
Land Clearing
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Scope and Content
Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
12
Total Length
1:38:06
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Transcript Available
MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings

Less detail

Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory254
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1892-1955
Length
0:07:38
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's reading of an essay written by Captain Thomas S. Guns describing the Lozells district, as well as quoting single sentences of various other writers on the topic of Deer Lake and the Burnaby Lake District. Alfred mentions the first schools of B…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's reading of an essay written by Captain Thomas S. Guns describing the Lozells district, as well as quoting single sentences of various other writers on the topic of Deer Lake and the Burnaby Lake District. Alfred mentions the first schools of Burnaby Lake and the "pleasure walk" along Douglas Road, from Vancouver to New Westminster.
Date Range
1892-1955
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:07:38
Historic Neighbourhood
Lozells (Historic Neighbourhood)
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Scope and Content
Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
12
Total Length
1:38:06
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Transcript Available
MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track four of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings

Less detail

Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 8

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory258
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1892-1963
Length
0:07:05
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's continuation of reading his series of short stories. He reads; "THE RUM RUNNERS AND BOOTLEG WHISKY IN BURNABY" and "BURNABY. NORTH. SOUTH. EAST? AND WEST 1892---1943" both written in 1963.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's continuation of reading his series of short stories. He reads; "THE RUM RUNNERS AND BOOTLEG WHISKY IN BURNABY" and "BURNABY. NORTH. SOUTH. EAST? AND WEST 1892---1943" both written in 1963.
Date Range
1892-1963
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:07:05
Names
Hawthorn, Mary
Scope and Content
Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
12
Total Length
1:38:06
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Transcript Available
MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track eight of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings

Less detail

E.W. Bateman family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15157
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1857]-[195-]
Collection/Fonds
E.W. Bateman family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
63 photographs + 6 cm of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of the family of Edwin Wettenhall Bateman and residences including Elworth house, along with letters written by Colin Rhodes Fox during World War II. Fonds is arranged into the following series: 1) Bateman family photographs series 2) Bateman family World War II lette…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
E.W. Bateman family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
63 photographs + 6 cm of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of the family of Edwin Wettenhall Bateman and residences including Elworth house, along with letters written by Colin Rhodes Fox during World War II. Fonds is arranged into the following series: 1) Bateman family photographs series 2) Bateman family World War II letters series
History
Edwin Wettenhall "E.W." Bateman was born in 1859 in Sandbach, Cheshire, to James and Caroline Mary Wettenhall Bateman (their home in Sandbach was called Elworth Cottage). When he was twenty-one, E.W. Bateman immigrated to Manitoba, Canada where he met Catherine “Cassie” Dale, daughter of George and Sarah Gillon Dale. They were married in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba on November 9, 1886. Edwin and Cassie had seven children, the eldest Edna Caroline Annie (Corner) (1889-1969); George Edwin (1890-? ); Mamie (McWilliams) (1892-1979); Marianne “May” Bateman (1894-1990); Warren Stafford (1896-1954); Jessie (Fox Kemp) (1899-1978) and John Carey (1901-1945). Catherine “Cassie” (Dale) Bateman died in Portage La Prairie in 1909. After Cassie's death, Edwin was transferred to Vancouver by the Canadian Pacific Railway where he married Cassie’s younger sister Mary Dale (1896-1935). Edwin moved his six of his seven children to Vancouver (not including George). Edwin and Mary (Dale) Bateman first lived at 7th and Balsam Street in Vancouver and in 1920, they decided to move to the quieter atmosphere of the Burnaby Lake- Deer Lake area. By this time Edwin Wettenhall Bateman was a retired CPR executive. He moved his wife and daughter Marianne “May” Bateman to Deer Lake and commissioned architect, Enoch Evans to build 'Elworth' house (named after Edwin’s family home in Sandbach, Chesire). The house was completed by contractor William Dodson in 1922 and located at the site of what would become Heritage Village and later, Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Avenue. The Batemans lived at this location for thirteen years before moving back to Vancouver in May of 1935. Mary Dale Bateman died in July 1935 and sometime after, Edwin W. Bateman married Dora Coulton. Edwin W. Bateman died in 1957 at the age of 98. Edna Caroline Bateman married Raymond Westley Corner in 1920 and had a daughter named Catherine Mary (Levins). Edna and Raymond lived in Kelowna. George Bateman married Louise Agness Birss in January 1910 and continued to live in Manitoba. Mamie Dale Bateman married George Lloyd McWilliams in 1915. The couple had two children, Warren Finley McWilliams and Bruce McWilliams. Mamie and George McWilliams lived with their family on Douglas Road across the road from Elworth house in Burnaby. Warren McWilliams was on North Atlantic convoy duty during World War I from 1942 to 1944. Warren McWilliams died in 2004. Warren Stafford Bateman married Norah Withington in Burnaby in 1924; Winifred Dare Webster in Burnaby in 1932 and Dorothy Margaret Buchanan in New Westminster in 1949. Warren and Winnifred “Winnie” Webster celebrated their marriage at Elworth house in 1932. Warren served in World War I. Jessie Madeline Bateman married Ernest Denby Fox (1900-1945) in 1921. Jessie and Ernest Fox had three children, Colin Rhodes Fox (1921-2005); Mary “Betty” (Gludo) and Allan Fox. Jessie and Ernest Fox operated a small logging company near Powell River, B.C. Sometime after the death of her first husband, Ernest Denby Fox, Jessie married James Kemp. The youngest child of Edwin and Cassie, John “Carey” Bateman married Sophia Spak (1899-1977) in 1925. On September 10, 1939, the day that Canada declared war on Germany, Colin Rhodes Fox (eldest son of Jessie and Ernest Fox) enlisted in the army at the age of 18 years. Colin initially served in an anti-aircraft unit, but was soon transferred to the Field Artillery. During his service overseas, Colin wrote letters to family members including his aunt May Bateman who was living in Burnaby. Colin went through basic artillery training in Edmonton before heading overseas to the United Kingdom with his unit, the 13th Field Regiment , 44th Canadian Field Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery and later the 78th Canadian Field Battery in Germany and Holland . Colin was wounded on June 8, 1944 (two days after D-Day) but returned to serve in Holland and Germany until the war ended. Colin suffered bullet and shrapnel wounds while laying communication cable from the Normandy beachhead. In 1946, Colin married Susan Streika (Striha) of Pitt Meadows and he began a thirty five year career in the B.C. Telephone Company on Vancouver Island. Colin and Susan had three children; Gary, Elaine and Irene. Colin Rhodes Fox died in 2005. The E.W. Bateman house, "Elworth" is a heritage building on the site of the Burnaby Village Museum. The site is an important cultural feature for the interpretation of Burnaby’s heritage to the public. The E.W. Bateman House was purchased by Burnaby in 1970 and became the focal point for the development of the Museum. Both the interior and exterior of the house have been restored and interpreted to the date of original construction, including recreated room interiors and period furnishings.
Creator
Fox, Colin Rhodes
Bateman, Caroline Mary Wettenhall
Accession Code
HV974.22
HV974.90
HV975.120
HV976.37
HV979.32
BV985.1003
BV986.21
BV992.29
BV994.22
BV004.28
BV004.84
BV020.27
Date
[1857]-[195-]
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Related Material
See also: Interview with Marianne May Bateman February 22, 1978 - Tracks 1-4. City of Burnaby Archives Item No. MSS137-014-1
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail

Gladys Killip subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58418
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1904-1998
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
Textual records and graphic material
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of papers pertaining to the Killip family, primarily Gladys Killip's personal activism in the municipality of Burnaby and the causes she supported. Subseries also includes photographs of the Burnaby Council of Women taken during Gladys Killip's time as Publicity Co-Chairwoman du…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1904-1998
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Gladys Killip subseries
Physical Description
Textual records and graphic material
Description Level
Subseries
Accession Number
BHS1996-12
BHS1998-11
BHS2000-02
BHS2007-04
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of papers pertaining to the Killip family, primarily Gladys Killip's personal activism in the municipality of Burnaby and the causes she supported. Subseries also includes photographs of the Burnaby Council of Women taken during Gladys Killip's time as Publicity Co-Chairwoman during the 1967 Centennial Celebration festivity "100 Years of Progress in Women's Activities, Arts and Crafts" .
History
Gladys M. Yeomans married Alfred Charles “Charlie” Killip in St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church in Vancouver on August 16, 1947. They spent their honeymoon together at the Sunset Inn at Qualicum Beach. The Killips lived in the same house in South Burnaby for the greater part of their married lives. Their address began as 729 Marshall, changed to 729 Hazelmere Street in 1951 (due to bylaw 3133) and again to 7763 Hazelmere Street (due to 1958/1959 street re-numbering). The Killips were activists within Burnaby, writing letters to their member of Council when they felt that the citizens of Burnaby were not being treated fairly. An example of this is when they led the protest against Pacific Stage Lines for reducing its service on the Grandview Highway by making fewer stops and by changing its route. Gladys led their delegation to Council in June of 1964. Gladys was also involved in the activities of the Valley View Players and in Burnaby Little Theatre activities. She was part of the cast of “Crime at Blossoms” in 1951 and held a membership card from 1952 to 1959 for the Valley View Players Club. Among other roles, she was one of the principle actors in “You Can’t Take it With You” and “In the Shadow of the Glen” both performed in 1957. Gladys was the Burnaby Council of Women Publicity Co-Chairwoman. In this capacity she helped to organize such events as the "100 Years of Progress in Women's Activities, Arts and Crafts" for the Centennial Celebration in 1967 (the Burnaby Diamond Jubilee). She was also a founding member of the Century Park Museum Association, which created under the auspices of the Burnaby Centennial '71 Committee, to administer Burnaby's Centennial '71 Commemorative Project, Heritage Village. Both Gladys and Charles Killip were active members of the Monarchist League of Canada. Gladys’ hobby started with a small silver spoon commemorating King George VI taking the throne in 1936. Her collection includes items commemorating every Royal from Prince Edward, Queen Victoria's father, to a cup commemorating one of Prince Williams recent birthdays. Gladys opened the Silver Spoon collectors shop in Burnaby in 1974 and operated it until 1980 when she and her husband Charlie retired to Qualicum Beach and opened Chilham Village Antiques and Collectables in 1984. The Killips earned a Silver Badge of Service from the Monarchist League of Canada in 1992 for their significant contribution to the League’s work. As of November 2010, Ms. Gladys Yeomans’ collection of British Royal family memorabilia has grown so large, that she has countless of mugs, spoons, plates, t-shirts and pieces of poetry, filling a room in her basement and upstairs in her home in Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Media Type
Textual Record
Photograph
Creator
Killip, Gladys M. Yeomans
Killip, Alfred Charles “Charlie”
Notes
Title based on contents of subseries
PC497, MSS125, MSS081, MSS085
Less detail

Grieve family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription66379
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1908-1966
Collection/Fonds
Grieve family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
14 cm. of textual records and 15 b&w prints.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of publications, correspondence and photographs pertaining to the Grieve family of North Burnaby.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1908-1966
Collection/Fonds
Grieve family fonds
Physical Description
14 cm. of textual records and 15 b&w prints.
Description Level
Fonds
Accession Number
2011-04
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of publications, correspondence and photographs pertaining to the Grieve family of North Burnaby.
History
William Ewart “Bill” Grieve was born at Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan (then the North-West Territories), on August 15, 1885. He was the eldest child of John and Flora Grieve. Bill attended school at Qu’Appelle until he was 12 years old and went to work at a furniture store. In October of 1902, at the age of 17, he moved to the Okanagan and worked on a Kettle Valley Railroad construction camp for four years. Bill enlisted at Kamloops in 1915 and served overseas as a member of the 72nd Seaforth Battalion. He was wounded at the Battle of Lens in August of 1917 and was invalided home in November of 1917. On April 14, 1920, William Ewart “Bill” Grieve married Christine. Bill’s ill health sent them to California for a year but by April of 1923, they had returned to Canada and bought a house at 3925 Triumph Street in North Burnaby. Bill worked as manager of the Used Car Department of Johnston Motors Ltd in Vancouver for the next twenty years. He retired in 1946 and opened his own used car business at 4507 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. Christine Grieve was a life-long member of the Women’s Missionary Society of the United Church of Canada. Christine and Bill had two sons, Kenneth Ewart “Ken” and William Ronald “Ronald.” Ken was born about 1922. By 1928, he was in grade three at Gilmore Avenue School and by 1948, he was at the University of British Columbia. Ken died prior to March of 2006. Ronald was born about 1929 and was 13 years old during World War II. Like his older brother before him, he attended the University of British Columbia. He later married and had children, one of whom was Catherine E. “Cathy” Grieve (later Linowski). Ronald died April 7, 1970, at the age of 41. Bill served as president of the North Burnaby Liberal Association for four years and was liberal candidate for the Burnaby Provincial riding at the General Election in 1937. He also served on the Burnaby School Board from 1943 to 1957 consecutively. Bill died April 1, 1969 at the age of 83.
Media Type
Textual Record
Creator
Grieve, William Ewart "Bill"
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
MSS155, photo catalogue 523
Less detail

Hawkshaw family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19354
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1888-1976, predominant 1931-1939
Collection/Fonds
Hawkshaw family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
1 album (284 photographs) + 19 photographs + 17.5 cm of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of family photographs including a photograph album created by Crichton Hawkshaw, correspendence, reports and literary works created by and belonging to Mabel Hawkshaw and a series of photographs documenting special events in Burnaby including, Burnaby's first May Day in 1925 and a v…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Hawkshaw family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
1 album (284 photographs) + 19 photographs + 17.5 cm of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of family photographs including a photograph album created by Crichton Hawkshaw, correspendence, reports and literary works created by and belonging to Mabel Hawkshaw and a series of photographs documenting special events in Burnaby including, Burnaby's first May Day in 1925 and a visit to Burnaby by Governor-General Lord Willingon in 1928. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Hawkshaw family photographs series 2) Mabel Hawkshaw records series 3) Burnaby events photographs series
History
Mabel Edith Honor McClean Hawkshaw (1886-1946) was born in Wexford, Ireland to parents, Washington Gilliland McClean and Honor Delamore McClean (nee Thomas). Mabel's parents had four children; Charles Gilliland McClean; Elsie (Rae); Evangeline Mai (Goff) and Mabel Honor (Hawkshaw). Mabel emigrated from Ireland to Canada with her family in 1903 and the family moved to Vancouver in 1905. In 1909, Mabel married John Edward “Jack” Hawkshaw. Mabel and Jack Hawkshaw had three children; Richard “Crichton” Gilliand Hawkshaw (1912-1972); Edward Delamere “Dal” Burrington Hawkshaw (1914-1988) and Merton Cedric “Cedric” Perry Hawkshaw (1924-2008). Prior to her marriage in 1909, Mabel Hawkshaw worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway in Revelstoke. Mabel was founder and publisher of the “Burnaby Post” newspaper (1922-1937) and wrote articles for city dailies and magazines under the pen name “Percy Egerton Sterling”. Mabel also worked as the first female bank teller in Canada and was the first female censor of motion pictures in British Columbia (1928-1946) and also worked as an assistant advertising manager of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Among other accomplishments, Mabel was the chairperson of the committee for Burnaby's first May Day event in 1925, was active as a leader in the Girl Guides, a member of several women's clubs, a speaker on matters of education and film production in Vancouver and Victoria and was also a member of the Juvenile Court in Burnaby and the I.O.D.E. At time of her death in 1946, Mabel was living on West 57th Street, Vancouver. John Edward “Jack” Hawkshaw (1881-1934) who was born in Glanworth Ontario to Captain William Stearne Hawkshaw and Elizabeth Merton Hawkshaw (nee Shore). Jack came to Vancouver in 1900 and soon after arriving, Jack moved to the Yukon where he worked for the Canadian Bank of Commerce serving in Dawson and White Horse. He returned to Vancouver in 1904 and joined the newly-organized Northern Bank. In 1906, Jack became a bank manager in New Westminster and later was manager in New Westminster for the Northern Crown Bank. Jack resigned from the bank in 1914 to fight in World War I and moved his family to Calgary where he began his military training. In 1915, Jack was stricken with polio which left him crippled in one leg barring him from active service. In the 1920’s, he worked as a treasurer for the Royal City Canning Co. and Cunningham Trapp Hardware Company. In 1933, Jack worked as an accountant treasurer for the Crane Shipyards. Jack Hawkshaw was a member of the Canadian Credit Men’s Association of Burnaby and the Kiwanis Club of New Westminster. In May 1934, Mabel and Jack purchased property on Lasqueti Island with a sheep ranch. One month after purchasing the property Jack Hawkshaw died tragically in an accident on the island when he was thrown from a horse drawn carriage with his ten year old son Cedric. Cedric survived the accident but his father died on the dock on Lasqueti Island. The family dog, Dixie also died after she swam after the fishing boat carrying Jack Hawkshaw’s body and Cedric to the mainland for medical attention. John and Mabel’s first home was located at 309 Pine Street in New Westminster. In 1920, the family relocated to 763 Wedgewood, Burnaby (later renumbered 7743 Wedgewood Street) where they lived until 1931. In 1932, the Hawkshaw family moved to Vancouver where they resided in different locations until after the death of Jack Hawkshaw. Mabel continued to operate the sheep ranch on Lasquesti after Jack died in 1934, with a succession of tenants until Mabel’s death in 1946. In 1936, Mabel moved back to Burnaby for a few years, residing at 5590 Douglas Road in 1936 and 3908 Deer Lake Avenue in 1937 (Heritage home known as the R.F. Anderson House). In 1938 Mabel moved back to Vancouver where she lived until her death in 1946. Richard “Crichton” Gilliland Hawkshaw (1912-1972) married Ivy Ina Hawkshaw (nee Hughes) (1913-1987) at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Vancouver in 1939. Crichton enlisted with the Canadian military and trained at Shilo and Sarcee military bases. Following his military training, Crichton got work as an operator in the mill at Britannia Beach mine where he worked between 1938 and 1949. Crichton and Ivy Hawkshaw lived at Britannia Beach during the time he worked there. Ivy and Crichton had two sons, Bruce and Dick Hawkshaw. After Britannia Beach, the family lived in Abbotsford and Chilliwack before moving to North Vancouver. Prior to his death in 1972, Crichton Hawkshaw worked as an auditor for the Government of British Columbia in the Internal Revenue Department. Crichton was a member of Abbotsford Masonic Lodge No. 70, past patron of the Order of the Eastern Star, member of the North Shore Shrine Club and Upper Fraser Valley Shrine Club and Gizeh Shrine Temple. He was also a devoted fan and supporter of the B.C. Lions football team. Edward Delamere “Dal” Burrington Hawkshaw (1914-1988) married Barbara Walters Fry (1913-2001) in 1940. The couple had three children; Nancy Susan, Peter Burrington and John Edward (who died in infancy). Dal Hawkshaw worked as a financial consultant with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. In his free time, Dal served on the board of the Goodwill Enterprises for the Handicapped, the Victoria Symphony Society and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Dal was the first honorary treasurer of the University of Victoria and served on the advisory council and as a trustee of the British Columbia Institute of Technology. In 1985, Dal Hawkshaw was named an honorary citizen of British Columbia. Merton "Cedric" Perry Hawkshaw (1924-2008) married Carol Violet (Worrall) Hawkshaw (1923-1985) in 1947 (Carol remarried later to Jack Madsen). The couple had three children, Frances Jacqueline (b. 1948) and Geraldine Lucy (b.1952), and Barry (b.1957). ). Cedric was a member of the Old Boys Association of St. Georges School, served in the Navy (DEMS) and was a proud veteran of WWII. When the war ended he saved enough money to purchase a home in Burnaby on acreage which he sold soon after and relocated to Armstrong Street, Burnaby. Cedric worked for his father in law at William Worrall furniture. After the company closed in 1959, he worked in the furniture department at T. Eaton Co., West Vancouver. Cedric retired at a young age to run and live on the Hawkshaw Ranch on Lasqueti Island where he spent many years before returning to the mainland due to health issues. He lived at George Derby Veterans Centre for 17 years. While living at George Derby, Cedric was involved in Arts and Crafts, creating works in ceramic and textiles.
Creator
Hawkshaw, Richard Crichton Gilliland "Crichton"
Hawkshaw, Mabel Edith Honor McClean
Accession Code
HV977.17
HV982.25
BV996.6
Date
1888-1976, predominant 1931-1939
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Arrangement
Arrangement is based on the order in which records were compiled by creators and donors.
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail

Hill family and Vidal family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82116
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1850-1983]
Collection/Fonds
Hill family and Vidal family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
255 photographs : b&w and sepia and 9.5 cm of textual records : ill. (some col.)
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs and textual records from the Vidal and Hill family. Textual records include handwritten family trees, typed and handwritten biographical information of the Jones, Wright, Hyde, Vidal, and Hill families, copies of photographic prints, published works by J. H. Vidal and …
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1850-1983]
Collection/Fonds
Hill family and Vidal family fonds
Physical Description
255 photographs : b&w and sepia and 9.5 cm of textual records : ill. (some col.)
Description Level
Fonds
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Accession Number
2013-03
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs and textual records from the Vidal and Hill family. Textual records include handwritten family trees, typed and handwritten biographical information of the Jones, Wright, Hyde, Vidal, and Hill families, copies of photographic prints, published works by J. H. Vidal and William Cowper, newspaper clippings, and a New Testament.
History
Minard Gerald “Gerry” Hill was born in Burnaby on July 31, 1893, to Marian (nee Berkeley) and Bernard Richard Hill. Marian was born in London, England. Bernard Hill, born in Bengal, India, in 1858 to Sir Richard Hill and Jane Ann (nee Rollinson) where his father worked for the East Indian Railway, was one of the early inhabitants of Burnaby. Despite their years of training as engineers, Bernard, along with his brother, Louis Claude Hill, became strawberry farmers and owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and halfway around Deer Lake. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. Bernard also served as a Burnaby trustee and as councilor of Burnaby in 1904, 1905, 1906, and 1909. Bernard and Marian had four children: A. Claude (born in England around 1885, married Marion “Mamie”), Frank L., Winnifred “Winnie” L., and Gerry. Gerry attended Miss Harriet Woodward’s kindergarten class, and went on to Edmonds School with Miss Ellen Lister as his teacher. He later went to Central High School in New Westminster, often on horseback. Gerry served in World War I, signing his recruitment papers on November 9, 1914. When he returned home, he worked felling trees, then as an apprentice surveyor and finally as a carpenter. His father, Bernard, died in Burnaby on March 27, 1939, at the age of 80. Bernard's brother, Louis, was one of the first members elected to the Burnaby council and served in 1892, 1893, 1894, and again from 1909-1910. Louis, born in 1860, married Annie Sarah Kendrick (born in 1896) and they moved to the Burnaby Lake area in the early 1890s. Together they had one child, Katherine “Kitty” Maude, born in 1898. The first Hill family home, “Brookfield,” was sold around 1907 and the family moved to their new home, “Broadview,” which was also built in the vicinity of Deer Lake. Kitty, their only child, married William “Bob” John Peers in 1925 and they went on to have three children: Robert C.K., Barbara (later Barbara Jeffrey), and Anne (later Anne Latham). Charlotte Elizabeth Vidal was born in 1897 in the United States to Louisa Sophia (nee Jones) and Herbert P. Vidal. Louisa Vidal (1871-1943) was a descendent of Jones of Exeter of England and the House of Llanio Cardigan of Wales. Herbert Vidal (1868-1934)’s father was Alexander Vidal (1819-1906). Alexander Vidal, born in Brocknell, England, immigrated to Upper Canada in 1835 and later served as a senator of Canada from 1873 to 1906. He married Catherine Louisa Wright, the daughter of Capt. William Elliot Wright. Both of Charlotte’s parents, Louisa and Herbert, were born in Ontario. Charlotte Vidal was sister to Dorothy Kate and Alexander E. E. Vidal. Gerry Hill (aged 27) and Charlotte E. Vidal (aged 23) married on September 28, 1920, in Vancouver. Gerry built a house for him and his wife about a thousand feet from his parents’ home. He also bought property at Yellow Point on Vancouver Island around this time. By the early 1930s, Gerry had moved to Yellow Point permanently and begun building the Yellow Point Lodge. Gerry and Charlotte bore three children: David, Lesley C. (born in 1929), and Gerald. Gerry was later remarried to Elizabeth (nee Holen) and had one child: Richard Grant McEwan Hill, born in Ladysmith. Lesley married M. Clarke and had two boys: Roy and Graham. She later married B. Durban and had four boys: Patrick, Michael, Gary, and Grant. Charlotte died on February 11, 1984, at the age of 87. Gerry died on January 30, 1988, in Ladysmith at the age of 93.
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Creator
Hill Family
Vidal family
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Photo catalogue 550, MSS176
Less detail

Interview with Alfred Bingham June 10, 1975 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory58
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1892-1919
Length
0:07:22
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of his first years in the Lochdale district of Burnaby, including his first job building a sawmill on Burnaby Lake.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of his first years in the Lochdale district of Burnaby, including his first job building a sawmill on Burnaby Lake.
Date Range
1892-1919
Photo Info
Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
Length
0:07:22
Subjects
Occupations - Lumberjacks
Buildings - Industrial - Sawmills
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
June 10, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Alfred Bingham by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, Pioneers, and the Co-operative Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
1:57:27
Interviewee Name
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
Interviewer Bio
Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks

Track one of interview with Alfred Bingham

Less detail

138 records – page 4 of 7.