Narrow Results By
Digney Speedway
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark693
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- MacPherson Avenue
- Irmin Street
- Associated Dates
- 1948
- Heritage Value
- Andy Digney built the speedway in South Burnaby in 1948. He was approached by the B.C. Midget Auto Racing Association, who were looking for a good location to race the smaller, racing cars, popular at the time. Digney owned property in the vicinity of present-day Metrotown that was centrally located and easily accessible via the interurban railway. Motorcycles were also raced in the early days of the track. In 1949, when the popularity of midget racing declined, Digney started racing roadsters. However, he struggled to find local drivers, and it was expensive to bring in drivers from elsewhere. In 1951 Digney found a winner: jalopy racing. Local men would buy 1930s cars and strip them down, remove the glass, and weld the doors shut. By early 1952 over forty cars were showing up for jalopy races. By the early 1950s the Speedway was well established, with coverage in the sports pages and on radio. The track closed down in 1958 when Andy retired.
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Alta Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
Images
![What A Ride We Had, [1944] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/494/494-002.JPG?width=280)
What A Ride We Had
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58374
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1944]
- Collection/Fonds
- Steve Jensen fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Photograph shows nine people posing on or near a car. The photograph was taken facing north off Beresford Street, half a block east of Royal Oak Avenue. Identified in the photograph are Molly Jensen (nee Carpenter) who is sitting in the back seat wearing glasses; Ernie Carpenter Jr. in the driver's…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1944]
- Collection/Fonds
- Steve Jensen fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 494-002
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2009-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph shows nine people posing on or near a car. The photograph was taken facing north off Beresford Street, half a block east of Royal Oak Avenue. Identified in the photograph are Molly Jensen (nee Carpenter) who is sitting in the back seat wearing glasses; Ernie Carpenter Jr. in the driver's seat; and their mother Edith Carpenter sitting on the bonnet with her hand on the windshield. The rest are unidentified.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Jensen, Steve
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Royal Oak Avenue
- Beresford Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Alta-Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
Images
![What A Ride We Had, [1944] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/494/494-002.JPG)