67 records – page 1 of 4.

A man, woman and child in front of a stone structure

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4402
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1920 and 1940]
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 15.5 x 9.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a man, woman and child posing in front of the remains of a brick structure. There is an opening in the middle and through it you can see an old car with it's door open. The man is wearing a dark suit and vest and hat. The woman is wearing a dark coat and hat. The little boy is wearin…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Series
Jeffers family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 15.5 x 9.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a man, woman and child posing in front of the remains of a brick structure. There is an opening in the middle and through it you can see an old car with it's door open. The man is wearing a dark suit and vest and hat. The woman is wearing a dark coat and hat. The little boy is wearing a light coloured coat and holding a hat. The man and woman could be Albert and Eldora Jeffers.
Accession Code
BV007.20.25
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[between 1920 and 1940]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
13/05/2018
Notes
Title based on content of photograph
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "By the / old oven / I thought / it was very / good"
Images
Less detail

The Canadian mother and child

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary6861
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Couture, Ernest, 1891-1970
Publication Date
1941
Call Number
618 COU
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
BV008.40.5
Call Number
618 COU
Author
Couture, Ernest, 1891-1970
Place of Publication
Ottawa
Publisher
The Hon. Ian A. Mackenzie, Minster of Pensions and National Health
Publication Date
1941
Printer
Edmond Cloutier
Physical Description
231 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Inscription
"Miss. Bricher" [ hand writen in pencil at top of front cover. The "h" may be a "k".]
Library Subject (LOC)
Canada. Department of National Health and Welfare
Obstetrics
Infants--Health and hygiene
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts
Documentary Artifacts - Books
Notes
Published by authority of the Hon. Paul Martin, Minister of Health and Welfare"
Less detail

Child on Antrim Avenue

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38011
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1940] (date of original), copied 1991
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.3 x 3.1 cm print on contact sheet 20.6 x 26.9 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a child outside of 2224 Antrim Avenue (later renumbered 6957 Antrim Avenue).
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1940] (date of original), copied 1991
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Burnaby Image Bank subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 2.3 x 3.1 cm print on contact sheet 20.6 x 26.9 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
370-598
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1999-03
Scope and Content
Photograph of a child outside of 2224 Antrim Avenue (later renumbered 6957 Antrim Avenue).
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
1 b&w copy negative accompanying
Negative has a pink cast
Geographic Access
Antrim Avenue
Street Address
6957 Antrim Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Windsor Area
Images
Less detail

Child on a tricycle

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9546
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[ca. 1940]
Collection/Fonds
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; hand-coloured ; 16.5 cm x 11.5 cm
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of an unidentified toddler-age child of Chinese descent. The child is wearing a yellow, collared, two-piece pant suit and brown, closed-toe shoes. The child is seated on a red and white tricycle in front of a green riser and sky blue backdrop. The flooring has a gray and white patte…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
Series
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; hand-coloured ; 16.5 cm x 11.5 cm
Material Details
On the front lower right corner of the photograph is an embossed print in Chinese characters "[…]" and "MING NGAD"
Scope and Content
Studio portrait of an unidentified toddler-age child of Chinese descent. The child is wearing a yellow, collared, two-piece pant suit and brown, closed-toe shoes. The child is seated on a red and white tricycle in front of a green riser and sky blue backdrop. The flooring has a gray and white pattern.
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Persons - Children
Names
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company
Accession Code
BV017.7.356
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[ca. 1940]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
17-Apr-2018
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

E.W. Martin with parents and child

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15044
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1939 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Elmer Wilson Martin fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 6 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph portrait of Elmer Martin Wilson dressed in a Royal Canadian Air Force uniform and standing with his father, William Henry Martin and mother, Bethia Martin (nee Snell). William Henry Martin is holding a young child. They are standing outside of Hiawatha Lodge, Manatou Saskatchewan.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Elmer Wilson Martin fonds
Series
E.W. Martin military records and photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 6 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph portrait of Elmer Martin Wilson dressed in a Royal Canadian Air Force uniform and standing with his father, William Henry Martin and mother, Bethia Martin (nee Snell). William Henry Martin is holding a young child. They are standing outside of Hiawatha Lodge, Manatou Saskatchewan.
Subjects
Wars - World War, 1939-1945
Clothing - Military Uniforms
Names
Martin, Elmer Wilson
Royal Canadian Air Force
Martin, William Henry
Martin, Bethia "Bertie" Snell
Accession Code
BV019.37.19
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1939 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
February 4, 2021
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
See also BV019.37.16
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "Mr. E.W. Martin / & his mom & Dad"
Images
Less detail

Julie Cho Chan Lee as a child

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4058
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1946 and 1948]
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : b&w ; 1000 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Julie Cho Chan Lee as a child standing on a sidewalk with a fence in the background.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Series
Lee family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff) : b&w ; 1000 dpi
Scope and Content
Photograph of Julie Cho Chan Lee as a child standing on a sidewalk with a fence in the background.
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Persons - Children
Names
Lee, Julie Cho Chan
Accession Code
BV017.24.11
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1946 and 1948]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
1000
Scan Date
01-Oct-2017
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Small child sitting on the grass

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4390
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1940 and 1960]
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 11 x 6.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified young child sitting on the grass beside a small wheelbarrow. The child is wearing polka dot shorts, a white top and is barefoot. There is a wooden fence behind with some flowering plants along the bottom.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Series
Jeffers family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 11 x 6.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified young child sitting on the grass beside a small wheelbarrow. The child is wearing polka dot shorts, a white top and is barefoot. There is a wooden fence behind with some flowering plants along the bottom.
Accession Code
BV007.20.13
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[between 1940 and 1960]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
24/04/2018
Notes
Title based on content of photograph
Images
Less detail

History of Burnaby and vicinity

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary6890
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Green, George, 1872-1955
Publication Date
1947
Call Number
971.133 GRE Copy 2 Ver. 1
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
BV017.17.1
Call Number
971.133 GRE Copy 2 Ver. 1
Author
Green, George, 1872-1955
Place of Publication
[S.l.]
Publisher
[s.n.]
Publication Date
1947
Printer
Shoemaker , McLean & Veitch
Physical Description
233 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.
Inscription
"Presented To my valued fried Rev. D. W. Scott. a former neighbor at Capitol Hill with best wishes of the author George Green Victoria March 1 1947" [handwritten in black ink on page opposing front pastedown] "BMMM-WU SIGNED 1st ED 50.00" [handwritten in pencil on page opposing front pastedown]
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Burnaby (B.C.)
Biography
Name Access
Green, George
Notes
Autographed by author
"By George Green, pioneer resident of Burnaby, and an ex-Councillor. Charter Member of the British Columbia Historical Association, Vancouver Branch, and an Executive Member."
Copy 2 of 2
Images
Digital Books
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

Robert Leonard Love fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20335
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1922-1986
Collection/Fonds
Robert Leonard Love fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
13 cm of textual records + 29 photographs
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of Robert Leonard Love's Royal Canadian Air Force records and vital stats records relating to himself and his wife Margaret along with family photographs. Records are arranged in series: 1) Robert Leonard Love RCAF records series 2) Robert and Margaret Love personal records series 3)…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Robert Leonard Love fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
13 cm of textual records + 29 photographs
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of Robert Leonard Love's Royal Canadian Air Force records and vital stats records relating to himself and his wife Margaret along with family photographs. Records are arranged in series: 1) Robert Leonard Love RCAF records series 2) Robert and Margaret Love personal records series 3) Robert and Margaret Love family photographs series
History
Robert Leonard Love was born in Burnaby in 1922 to parents John "Leonard" Love (1899-1978) and Jenny (Kennedy) Love (1900-1986). Robert was the eldest child of Leonard and Jenny Love and had three younger siblings Catherine "Ruth" (Love) Boruck, Alice (Love) Buckle and Gordon Love. Robert grew up in Burnaby at his family home located at 3205 George Street (later became 6112 Sussex Ave.). Robert joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as a Pilot Officer during World War II. In 1945, after the war, he married Margaret Giles at Lorne Park Anglican Church, Missauga, Ontario. After marrying, Robert and Margaret first lived in Burnaby on Edna Street before moving to East 52nd Street in Vancouver. Between 1940 and 1951, Robert worked as a banker with the Bank of Nova Scotia (except while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II). In 1949, Robert and Margaret welcomed their first child, Robert Mathew "Bob". In 1951, Robert and family moved to Oregon after Robert got work with the First National Bank. Soon after moving to Oregon, Robert and Margaret welcomed their second child Donald Leonard "Don". In 1969 Robert was appointed as Adminstrative Assistant of the First National Bank in Oregon (later became Sea-First National Bank) and moved his family to Port Angeles, Oregon. Robert was later appointed vice president of the Sea-First National Bank. Robert was an active member of the Port Angeles Rotary Club, Downtown Business Association, The Eagles Aerie No. 483, BPOE No. 353 and a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church . Robert died at the age of 60 in Port Angeles in 1983.
Creator
Love, Robert Leonard "Bob"
Responsibility
Love, Robert Leonard "Bob"
Accession Code
BV023.24
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1922-1986
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail

Andrew Johnson subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription4
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1880]-[1940]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
Photographs and drawings
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of photographs and drawings of members of the Johnson family and their home.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1880]-[1940]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Andrew Johnson subseries
Physical Description
Photographs and drawings
Description Level
Subseries
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1990-10
BHS1997-16
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of photographs and drawings of members of the Johnson family and their home.
History
Andrew Martin Johnson was born in Norway in 1861 and immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1886. His wife Margaret Sloane was born in Ireland. Margaret and Andrew Johnson's eldest child, Edward Sloane, was born June 10, 1901 but did not survive infancy. Their second child, Andrew Sloane, was born in 1906. Andrew Martin was a major landowner in Burnaby, at one time owning each of the four corners of Royal Oak and Kingsway and many of the adjacent properties. He made his fortune as a partner in the firm of Atkins & Johnson, a leading transportation company in Vancouver which later became the Mainland Transfer Company. In 1910, Andrew Martin purchased Burnaby's Royal Oak Hotel. He soon acquired the property on the opposite corner to build their family home, called "Glenedward" after their eldest son. He owned and operated the Royal Oak Hotel until his death on September 18, 1934. In 1943 Margaret sold Glenedward. The building has since been converted twice: first into the Royal Oak Funeral Chapel and then into the Johnson House Korean Restaurant. Andrew Sloane Johnson attended Kingsway West School and Britannia High School before earning a Bachelor's of Business Administration at the University of Washington in 1930. He lived at Glenedward until moving to Washington for school.
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Creator
Johnson, Andrew Martin
Notes
Title based on contents of subseries
PC244, PC335
Less detail

Child's birthday party

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4383
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1940 and 1960]
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of ten chidren sitting at a table wearing paper party hats. There is a cake with five candles on it in the middle of the table. The birthday celebration was for a child named "Gail" (seated near the birthday cake). A child to the left of "Gail" is identified as "Derek". Some small kitche…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Series
Jeffers family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of ten chidren sitting at a table wearing paper party hats. There is a cake with five candles on it in the middle of the table. The birthday celebration was for a child named "Gail" (seated near the birthday cake). A child to the left of "Gail" is identified as "Derek". Some small kitchen appliances are visible in the background.
Subjects
Celebrations - Birthdays
Accession Code
BV007.20.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[between 1940 and 1960]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
24/04/2018
Notes
title based on content of photograph
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "Gail. / x Derek / This was Gail's birthday / taken last April"
Images
Less detail

Earl and Adell Philips family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18927
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1939-1969
Collection/Fonds
Earl and Adell Philips family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
22 photographs + 2 p. of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of Earl Gene and Adell Philips and family along with realestate listing slips for homes on Barker Avenue and Spruce Street in Burnaby.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Earl and Adell Philips family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
22 photographs + 2 p. of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of Earl Gene and Adell Philips and family along with realestate listing slips for homes on Barker Avenue and Spruce Street in Burnaby.
History
Earl Gene Philips (1915-1968) was born, Eugene William Phillips in Kamloops, British Columbia and Adell Philips (1915-2022) was born, Lilian Odell Greenwood in Jaffray, British Columbia. The couple met at Mac & Mac Hardware in New Westminster where Earl was working as a salesman and Adell was working as a secretary and bookkeeper. Earl and Adell were married on May 15, 1942 in New Westminster. The couple lived briefly in Mission while Earl was working for the Mackie Brothers and returned to New Westminster where they lived on Queens Avenue while Earl worked for the Nelson Brothers Fisheries. In 1943, their first child, Cory (Linda Anne Phillips) was born followed by; Lorayne (Donna Elaine Phillips) in 1944 and Judith (Diane Elizabeth Phillips) in 1949. In 1949, the family moved to 5877 Barker Avenue, Burnaby and Adell worked for MacDonald Realty as a legal secretary. In 1952, Earl became involved in numerology and changed his name from Eugene William Phillips to Earl Gene Philips (with one “l”). The names of his wife and children were also changed from; Lilian Odell Phillips to Adell Philips, Linda Anne Phillips to Cory Philips, Donna Elaine Phillips to Lorayne Philips and Diane Elizabeth Phillips to Judith Philips. In 1955, their fourth child Lea Philips was born. All four children attended schools in Burnaby including; Nelson Elementary, Kingsway West School, Suncrest Elementary School, Maywood Elementary School, Burnaby South High School, Moscrop Junior High School, Burnaby Central Secondary School and BCIT. In 1969, following the death of Earl (in 1968), Adell and her son, Lea moved from their home on Barker Avenue to a house located at 4085 Spruce Street. Lea lived with his mother Adell until 1978 when he was married. Adell continued to live on Spruce Street until 2021 when she moved to a care home at the age of 106. Adell died in 2022, just 3 weeks shy of her 107th birthday.
Creator
Philips, Adell Greenwood
Philips, Earl Gene
Accession Code
BV022.11
Date
1939-1969
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Arrangement
Family records within fonds were compiled and arranged by Lea, Cora and Judith Philips and arranged and described at item level in the order in which they were donated to Burnaby Village Museum.
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail

Field family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription65767
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1915] - [1969]
Collection/Fonds
Field family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
31 photographs : tiffs ; 600 ppi + 0.5 cm of textual records
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of the Field family and their relatives, including the Sandersons, as well as notes used by Thomas Sanderson in preparation of an address he gave in 1934 titled "The Early Development of Our Lumber Industry with Historical Sketches."
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1915] - [1969]
Collection/Fonds
Field family fonds
Physical Description
31 photographs : tiffs ; 600 ppi + 0.5 cm of textual records
Description Level
Fonds
Accession Number
2010-14
2012-24
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of the Field family and their relatives, including the Sandersons, as well as notes used by Thomas Sanderson in preparation of an address he gave in 1934 titled "The Early Development of Our Lumber Industry with Historical Sketches."
History
William “Willie“ James Field was born to William and Rebecca (Chambers) December of 1881 in England. Laura Tonkin was born to John Charles and Amelia (Johns) February of 1887 in Wales. Her brother, Charles Henry “Harry” was born in 1888. In 1907, Laura Tonkin married Willie James Field. Their first child, Phyllis Laura, was born in 1910. In 1912, the young family of three immigrated to Canada, arriving firstly in Hamilton, Ontario, where Willie James ran a welding business. Both Willie’s youngest brother, Arthur Pearcy, and Laura’s only brother, Charles Henry “Harry”, joined them soon after. The extended family of five then moved west to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. But Arthur Percy soon returned to Hamilton, married Sara Umbach, and had their two children, Arthur and June. Laura and Willie returned to Wales with Phyllis to have their second child, William John “John”, in 1914. War broke out and they were stranded until 1919. Within that time, Harry also returned to England with his bride, Ethyl “Em.” In 1919, the Field and Tonkin families returned to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, before heading out west. Willie James Field or Harry Tonkin owned the Model T-Ford convertible that the extended family travelled west in, arriving in Central Park, Burnaby, around 1921. Amelia and John Charles Tonkin purchased a home on Wilson Avenue where they lived out the rest of their lives. Amelia died on March 6, 1944, at the age of 82. Harry and Em Tonkin bought property on Nelson Avenue and began their family with a son, Roy, who unfortunately, did not survive infancy. He had a sister, Marjorie, born 1927. Willie James and Laura bought property on Patterson Avenue and had two more children: Dorothy, born October 10, 1925, and Robert George, born September 6, 1927. In 1929, June Field was brought out from Ontario as tuberculosis had claimed both her parents. The Mackenzies of Central Park adopted her and she became June Mackenzie at the age of three. Her older brother Arthur stayed in a foster home in Ontario. When June lost both her adoptive parents, Arthur came to Burnaby and he and his sister became a members of the Patterson Avenue Field family. In 1937, Phyllis Field married Gordon John Sanderson, the son of Ellen Jane Garvin and former Burnaby Reeve Thomas Sanderson. William James Field died March 17, 1965, at the age of 83, his wife Laura died in 1968 at the age of 81. William John “John” and Margaret (Begg) Field had their daughter Lorraine in 1941 and Joyce shortly after. Robert George married Edna Schilthelm of Mandy Avenue in Burnaby, and had William George “Bill”, Elizabeth “Betty” Gorrie, Joan Katherine Nash and Susan Carol Hanniford. All live locally, except Joan who lives in Royston.
Media Type
Photograph
Creator
Field family
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Photo catalogue 521, MSS168
Less detail

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19611
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (90 min., 21 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (90 min., 4 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Shushma Datt and her son, Sudhir Datta conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Curator, Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik. 00:00 – 12:47 Interview opens with introductions. Shushma Datt shares information about; where she’s lived in Burnaby sin…
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) (90 min., 21 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (90 min., 4 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik Interviewees: Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta Location of Interview: Spice Radio, Norland Avenue, Burnaby Interview Date: January 20, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:30:21 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 Shushma Datt and her son, Sudhir Datta conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Curator, Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik. 00:00 – 12:47 Interview opens with introductions. Shushma Datt shares information about; where she’s lived in Burnaby since immigrating in 1972 and her arranged marriage which lead her to immigrate to Canada. Datt provides detailed information about her family background in Kenya and her parent’s decision to move their family from Kenya to India in the 1960s and then to England in the 1965. Datt describes her family’s experiences living in Kenya and India in the 1960s and provides some context on the political unrest that happened in Kenya which lead her family to leave. 12:48 - 28:07 Datt talks about her time living in England and shares information on her family life and her employment experiences. Datt conveys an experience from her childhood that inspired her to become a broadcaster and shares her experiences working for the BBC oversees service in England (1965-1972). Datt describes some of the articles that she's written for various publications and the people that she's interviewed. Datt highlights a particular experience about writing a critical review about the controversial design on Jimi Hendrix’s album “Axis: Bold as Love” that depicted Hindu religious iconography. 28:09 – 34:47 Datt and Datta provide further details about Datt's arranged marriage which lead her to immigrate to Canada in 1972 and to work as a broadcaster in Canada. Datt recalls her experiences working as a radio station operator for CHQM, a radio broadcaster for CJVB and starting her own South Asian radio station Rim Jhim in 1987. 34:48 – 40:01 Datt and Datta share information on where they’ve lived in Vancouver and Burnaby. Datt and Datta recall pivotal family life events that impacted their lives in 1974. 40:02 – 45:53 Datt recalls the travel trunks and contents that she and her family brought with them when they left Nairobi. Datt describes the letters that her parents wrote. Datt and Datta describe photos of their family and convey the impacts to their family after two of Datt’s brothers died at 24 years of age. 45:54 – 50:56 Interview continues chronologically from 1974, after Datt’s son, Sudhir Datta was born. Datt describes how she had to work hard to help pay her bills and support her family. Datta describes his childhood growing up as a South Asian child living and attending school in Burnaby (1979-1992). Datt and Datta recall Datt’s graduation ceremony and Datta’s Order of British Columbia awards ceremony. 50:57 – 58:03 Datt and Datta talk about food and cooking and where they’ve shopped for traditional food supplies. Datta explains her family lineage as Hindus who eat meat and how she’s been a vegetarian for over 30 years. Datt and Datta share stories about Datt’s mother Leela Datta. 58:04 – 1:05:38 Both Datt and Datta reflect on what’s it’s been like living as South Asians in Burnaby. Datt conveys the message that she got from her mom, Leela Datta "not to assimilate but to integrate". They both reflect on how the ethnic and cultural diversity of neighbourhoods has changed over time and Datt describes his experiences as a student in Burnaby. 1:05:39 – 1:16:51 Datt and Datta talk about the role of religion in their lives, describe the purpose of Radio Rim Jhim and reflect on how the South Asian community has grown in Metro Vancouver and the disparities created within. They both recall how their lives were threatened and impacted in 1984 following an interview that Datt did with Indira Ghandhi. Datt talks about the origins of her and her son’s surnames. 1:16:52 – 1:26:11 Datt and Datta talk about and reflect on their own experiences of racism and discrimination. Datt talks about Spice Radio’s annual campaign “Raise your hands against Racism”. Datt and Datta provide background on the radio stations Rim Jhim and Spice Radio including; how they got started, their unbiased approach to broadcast content and their experiences in the complex realm of broadcasting a multi-cultural radio station. 1:26:12 – 1:30:04 In closing, Datt and Datta convey what they think that younger generations of South Asian Canadians should understand about the South Asian Community in British Columbia.
History
Interviewees biographies: Shushma Datt was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1946 and is the second eldest of six children. In the 1960s during the unrest in Kenya, her family moved to India. After about nine months of living in India, Datt's family decided to return to Kenya, leaving Datt and her brother to complete their education in India. While living in India, Datt studied at Delhi University and worked at the Indian newspaper. In 1965, Datt, her parents and five siblings decided to leave Kenya and immigrated to England. While living in England, Datt got work as a broadcaster with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) overseas service, producing her first program in 1969. During her time with the BBC, Datt has interviewed many influential artists including Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles as well as the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. In 1972, Datt immigrated to Canada and settled in Burnaby. In late 1973, Datt sponsored her mother who joined her in Burnaby. Datt joined the CJVB radio station in Vancouver working as the Punjabi and Hindi language broadcaster. Datt worked here until 1978 when she started her own radio station, Radio Rim Jhim. In 2005, Datt obtained her own AM radio band license for a multicultural radio station RJ1200 which was later rebranded "Spice Radio". In 2015, Datt launched Spice Radio's annual "Hands Against Racism" campaign which has won awards from the Government of British Columbia and the B.C. Association of Broadcasters. Datt has also been a producer for Omni TV and Shaw TV and was the first woman to obtain a broadcasting license from the Canadian Radio- Television Telecommunications Commission. In 1992, Shushma Datt was awarded the Order of British Columbia and is also the recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. Datt has been listed by the Vancouver Sun newspaper as among the 100 "most influential Indo-Canadians" and has been recognized by the Royal British Columbia Museum as one of the 150 "most influential British Columbians". Sudhir Datta is the only child of Sushma Datt and was born in Burnaby. Datta graduated with a computer science degree from Capilano University in 1995. Datta is the Vice President of Media Broadcasting (founded in 1984) creating television and radio programming for Canada's South Asian Community and has been the General Manager and Program Director of Spice Radio since 2006. Datta is also the author of many articles highlighting the South Asian community in Vancouver. Interviewers biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. Jane Lemke has worked in various museums in the Lower Mainland and has been the Curator at Burnaby Village Museum since 2019. Her educational background includes a Master of Arts degree in History and a Master of Museum Studies degree. Her research focus has been on trauma and memory and its role in shaping Canadian identity. She loves sharing memories and stories of Burnaby with the public. Jane sits on the Council of the BC Museums Association and is the Chair of the BC Museums Association Professional Development and Education Committee.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Migration
Occupations - Broadcasters
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Journalists
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Radio Stations
Religions
Religions - Hinduism
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Datt, Shushma
Datta, Sudhir
Datta, Lila Vati "Leela"
Spice Radio
Rim Jhim
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Lemke, Jane
Accession Code
BV023.1.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta, [1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta, [1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0003_003.mp3
Less detail

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
Less detail

Joseph H.C. Corsbie fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20275
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1941-1988]
Collection/Fonds
Joseph H.C. Corsbie fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
35 photographs + 1.5 cm textual records + 1 map + 1 book
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs and documents relating to Joseph (Joe) Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie during his service with the RCAF during World War II (1942-1945) along with photographs and docments relating to his personal and professional life (. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Joseph H.C. Co…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Joseph H.C. Corsbie fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
35 photographs + 1.5 cm textual records + 1 map + 1 book
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs and documents relating to Joseph (Joe) Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie during his service with the RCAF during World War II (1942-1945) along with photographs and docments relating to his personal and professional life (. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Joseph H.C. Corsbie RCAF records series 2) Joseph H.C. Corsbie personal and professional records series
History
Joseph “Joe” Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie was born in 1913 in Peace River (Doe River) to parents Joseph Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie and Winnifred Ann Mapleton Corsbie. As an adult Joe trained and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a navigator between 1942 and 1945. In 1945, while serving with the RCAF during World War II, Joe was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After World War II, Joe returned to Peace River where he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly serving as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation MLA for one term between 1945 and 1948. In April 1948, Joe Corsbie married Margaret Carr in the Metropolitan United Church in Victoria followed by a reception held at the B.C. Legislature buildings. On their wedding day, the couple were honoured with a hand painted congratulatory certificate signed by members of the B.C. Legislature. In late, 1948, Joe lost the election and moved with his wife Margaret to Black Creek, B.C. to manage a co-op store. In 1949, the couple welcome their first child who they named Margaret after her mother. In 1950, Joe, Margaret and their daughter moved to a home on Charles Street in Burnaby and Joe began working as the General Manager of the Gulf and Fraser Fishermen’s Credit Union. In 1951, Joe and Margaret welcomed their second child, named Josesph after his father and in 1952, Joe, Margaret and family moved to 84 Springer Avenue, Burnaby where they lived until 1989. Between 1959 and 1976, Joe worked as a General Manager for the CU & C Health Services Society (later became Pacific Blue Cross). While working there, he focused on organizing both extended healthcare benefits and dental coverage for employee groups. In 1964, Joe Corsbie was elected to Burnaby Municipal Council and served one term between 1964 and 1968. Joe also served on the Burnaby Parks Commission (after 1968); served on the Board of Directors for Heritage Village, worked for a short period as a temporary curator for Heritage Village, represented the United Church in organizing and building St. Michael’s Care Centre and served on the Board of Director's. Joe Corsbie died in 1992 and his wife Margaret Corsbie died in 2004.
Creator
Corsbie, Joseph Hardcastle-Cumberland "Joe"
Accession Code
BV020.31
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1941-1988]
Media Type
Photograph
Textual Record
Cartographic Material
Arrangement
Arrangement of fonds is based on the original arrangement by donor.
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Less detail

Pioneer Days interviews September 22, 1971 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory266
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1891-1955
Length
0:05:35
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Lillian May (Davies) Jones's memories of her family life during the early days of Burnaby, mentioning her family home as well as the home of Reeve Shaw. Lillian is being interviewed in front of an audience at Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum).
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording includes Lillian May (Davies) Jones's memories of her family life during the early days of Burnaby, mentioning her family home as well as the home of Reeve Shaw. Lillian is being interviewed in front of an audience at Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum).
Date Range
1891-1955
Length
0:05:35
Historic Neighbourhood
East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Second Street Area
Interview Date
September 22, 1971
Scope and Content
Recording is of interviews with Lillian May (Davies) Jones, Ada Evelyn (Lewis) Groves, Lillian Frederica (Lewis) Porter, and Elsie Wilson during the Pioneer Days celebration at Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum) on September 22, 1971. Major themes discussed are: personal memories and occupations of interviewees family members.
Biographical Notes
Lillian May Davies was born June 28, 1891 to George and Rachel (Mills) Davies. She was one of four children. George Davies married Rachel Mills September 12, 1888 in Winnipeg and headed west to make their home. George’s brother Richard Davies had already bought property at the corner of 16th Street and 3rd Avenue (now 12th Avenue) when Rachel and George moved in and built a house next door. George Davies went to work for Gilley Bros. Logging Co. in Burnaby. Lillian May Davies married John Henry Jones on July 29, 1909 at the Methodist Church in Burnaby which had opened only a few weeks before (the Joneses were the first couple to be married there). Their reception was held in the Davies’ family garden. On June 3, 1910, Lillian and John’s first child, Arnold Jones was born. In 1919 they adopted their second child, John Sheldon Jones whose birth parents had died of influenza. John and Lillian built a home on the lot next to Lillian’s parents and lived there for forty-eight years. After her husband’s death in 1956, Lillian moved one lot over and remained living there for over twenty years. Lillian May (Davies) Jones died in Surrey on June 24, 1981 at the age of eighty-nine for over twenty years. Lillian May (Davies) Jones died in Surrey on June 24, 1981 at the age of eighty-nine. Ada Evelyn Lewis was born on September 11, 1899. She was one of nine Lewis children. Ada's father came to Victoria BC from San Francisco. He met his wife in Victoria and moved to New Westminster where he was a typesetter on the first edition of the Columbian newspaper. He continued to work for the Columbian until his retirement. Her family owned the East Burnaby Fruit Farm at 17th Avenue between 2nd and 4th Street where they harvested apples, plums and pears. Ada attended East Burnaby School in 1905 and remembers being a pupil of Miss Draper. Ada E. Lewis married and became Mrs. Ada Evelyn Groves. Lillian Frederica “Lillie” Lewis was born in 1896 to William Henry and Emma (Smith) Lewis at the family farm at 4th Street and 18th Avenue. The family grew to nine, eldest to youngest; Albert, Lizzie, Minnie, Walter, Ernest, Lillie and Evelyn. Lillie’s mother, Emma (Smith) had the distinction of being the first girl of European descent to be born at Fort Victoria. Lillie’s father, William Henry Lewis helped to print the very first edition of the Vancouver Province in 1898. Lillie attended Douglas Road School and remembers being a pupil of Ellen Lister. Lillian Frederica “Lillie” Lewis married Bertie Blaine Porter at Lulu Island on November 7, 1918. They lived in Vancouver for a short time before returning to Burnaby to raise their four children. For most of his working life Bert operated a steam roller for the municipality. Lillian Frederica (Lewis) Porter died May 18, 1988 at the age of ninety-two. Elsie Wilson was born August 16, 1898 to Annie and her second husband William Wilson. Annie’s first husband Samuel W Walmsley died December 20, 1895 at the age of thirty-five, leaving Annie a widow at twenty-seven with two young children Annie age four and Samuel age six. Annie Walmsley married her second husband William Wilson on April 17, 1897. Elsie attended West Burnaby public school (later Kingsway West elementary) and remembers picking raspberries at various Burnaby farms for seven seasons.
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:24:19
Interviewee Name
Jones, Lillian May Davies
Wilson, Elsie
Porter, Lillie Lewis
Groves, Ada Evelyn Lewis
Interview Location
Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Transcript Available
None
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 recording of Pioneer Days interviews

Less detail

B.C. Electric Railway Co. observation car

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4122
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[194-]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 28.3 cm x 66.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a BC Electric Railway Company Observation car, loaded with people, and conducted by Teddy Lyons. The car number is 124, and on the rear end of the car is a sign that reads, "SEEING / VANCOUVER / 2 HOUR TRIP FARE 50c." The photograph was probably taken prior to 10am, as there are sig…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 28.3 cm x 66.7 cm
Material Details
printed on recto, "B.C. ELECTRIC RLY CO OBSERVATION CAR "TEDDY LYONS CONDUCTOR Harry Bullen Photographer. 2608 Granville St. Phone Bay. 8869."
Scope and Content
Photograph of a BC Electric Railway Company Observation car, loaded with people, and conducted by Teddy Lyons. The car number is 124, and on the rear end of the car is a sign that reads, "SEEING / VANCOUVER / 2 HOUR TRIP FARE 50c." The photograph was probably taken prior to 10am, as there are signs hanging on the car by the front that read, "EXTRA TRIP / 7.00 P.M.", "NEXT TRIP / 4 P.M.", NEXT TRIP / 10 A.M.", and "NEXT TRIP / 2 P.M.". Storefronts are visible directly behind the Observation car. One has a window display of photographs and a large awning. The display window has a sign that reads, "HARRY BULLEN," indicating the car is stopped right in front of the photographer's studio for a souvenir photograph. Teddy Lyons is at the front of the car, holding a small child.
Subjects
Transportation - Electric Railroads
Names
British Columbia Electric Railway Company
Lyons, Thadeous Sylvester "Teddy"
Geographic Access
Vancouver
Accession Code
BV017.26.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[194-]
Media Type
Photograph
Photographer
Bullen, Harry Elder
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Less detail

The Bright Spot

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88061
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[between 1940 and 1959] (date of originals), copied [1990]
Collection/Fonds
Mary Forsyth fonds
Description Level
File
Physical Description
24 photographs : b&w copy negatives ; 35 mm
Scope and Content
Photograph negatives and copy prints of the Bright Spot grocery store with members of the Mix family and Dorothy Hillstead.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[between 1940 and 1959] (date of originals), copied [1990]
Collection/Fonds
Mary Forsyth fonds
Physical Description
24 photographs : b&w copy negatives ; 35 mm
Description Level
File
Record No.
572-007
Access Restriction
In Archives only
Reproduction Restriction
No reproduction permitted
Accession Number
2014-27
Scope and Content
Photograph negatives and copy prints of the Bright Spot grocery store with members of the Mix family and Dorothy Hillstead.
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of file
9 b&w copy prints accompanying
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-1 reads: Tom, Daniel, Dorothy and Tina Mix / Dorothy's grad dress
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-2 reads: Tom Mix and father Daniel Mix
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-3 reads: Joanne Mix / youngest child
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-4 reads: Tom Mix
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-5 reads: Riverway West Baptist Mission/ Marine Drive / Bright Spot / Dorothy HIllstead (Mix)
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-6 reads:Harold Mix / cousin Harold Mix, Tom Mix, Rover (dog)
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-7 reads: Tom Mix with father Daniel / Behind Bright Spot
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-8 reads: Dorothy Mix (Hillstead) / Tom Mix
Note in pencil on verso of photograph 572-007-9 reads: Tom and Dorothy
Less detail

67 records – page 1 of 4.