11 records – page 1 of 1.

Inkwells to Internet: A History of Burnaby Schools

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7551
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Carter, David
Cooke, Rosemary
Pride, Harry, 1925-
White, Janet
Yip, Gail
Publication Date
2020
Call Number
371 CAR
to accommodate the increase in population. At this point in Burnaby’s population explosion, many children of WW II veterans were entering grade 8, requiring the construction of several Junior High Schools over the next ten years, including McPherson, Alpha, Moscrop, Kensington and Cariboo Hill. There was no
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Reference Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
978-0-9781979-2-6
Call Number
371 CAR
Author
Carter, David
Cooke, Rosemary
Pride, Harry, 1925-
White, Janet
Yip, Gail
Place of Publication
Burnaby
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2020
Physical Description
vii, 35 p. : ill. ; 29 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Schools--British Columbia--Burnaby
Subjects
Education
Notes
"Includes index"
A history of the Burnaby school district and individual school buildings in Burnaby, BC, between 1893 and 2013.
The “First Nations cemetery” described on page 109 in Mary Johnson’s recollections was originally written as “Indian” and may refer to the Khalsa Diwan Society’s Sikh cremations at the Vancouver Cemetery.
Images
Digital Books
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Chinese Canadian history in Burnaby resource guide

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7608
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
[2022]
Call Number
971.1 CHI
and European miners. RBCM d-08746 �Chinese railroad workers played a key role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). From 1881 to 1885, over 17,000 Chinese railroad workers were recruited to complete the western portion of the railway, which connected British Columbia to Nova Scotia across
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Digital Resource
Accession Code
BV022.8.1
Call Number
971.1 CHI
Contributor
City of Burnaby
Place of Publication
Burnaby, BC
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
[2022]
Physical Description
36 p. ; ill. (some col.), maps, ports
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Burnaby (B.C.)--Social Life and Customs
Chinese Canadians--British Columbia--Burnaby--History
Chinese--British Columbia--History
Pharmacy--Canada
Pharmacy--United States
Pharmaceutical museums
Directories
Object History
Chinese Canadians have contributed to Burnaby’s growth for over a century. The long and intertwining histories between Chinese Canadians, Indigenous people and other communities have shaped the founding of Burnaby and British Columbia. This resource guide was created because their life experiences and important contributions to Burnaby’s development are not widely known.
Images
Digital Books
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Interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19346
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1600-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Oct. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (111 min., 51 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (111 min., 51 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar discusses and provides in…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (111 min., 51 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (111 min., 51 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Anushay Malik, Rajdeep Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Nadeem Parmar Location of Interview: Residence of Nadeem Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: October 7, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:51:51 min Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar discusses and provides information on; his ancestral background, his education, his employment background, his experiences of racial discrimmination as a South Asian immigrant, saw mills established by South Asian relations in Paldi (Vancouver Island), in North Vancouver and Burnaby, family relations in the South Asian Canadian community and in regions in Punjab, the caste system, his literary works, locations of family homes in Burnaby, the architectural design of his house, personal stories and anecdotal information as a South Asian Canadian living and working in Canada. 00:00 – 01:45 The framework and purpose of the interview is explained to interviewee Nadeem Parmar by interviewers Rajdeep and Anushay Malik. The interviewers explain how the information from this interview can be drawn on for Burnaby Village Museum’s future exhibits and also how researchers will learn more about the history of the South Asian community in Burnaby through residents’ stories. Interview begins with Nadeem providing his full name "Kulwant Singh Parmar". He clarifies that his name was given to him by his grandfather who was a civil engineer and that his father also worked as a civil engineer. Nadeem expresses that he was born with a “silver spoon in his mouth” as a descendent of his maternal grandfather who was a successful landlord. Nadeem explains that when the Partition of India came into effect, (1947) he was 11 years old. He and his family left the partitioned side, his native village was located in Punjab and his forefathers were located in Rajasthan. 3:20 – 4:57 Nadeem explains further about his forefathers who came from Rajasthan. He shares information about his ancestor on his father’s side, named Vijay Singh who was friends with Emperor Jahangir. When fighting began against Jahangir he left the area to head to the middle of central India, then to the Punjab area with small states. As a clan, as a Parmar, he conveys there were about eleven or twelve villages with the same name. Interviewer, Anushay helps Nadeem to clarify the time period of this information. Nadeem refers to the time period being similar to the epic historical film “Moghal-e-Azam” and Anushay confirms the time period being the 1600s when they left Rajasthan. 4:58 – 10:59 Interviewer Anushay asks Nadeem to about his migration to Canada. Nadeem conveys that his first ancestor on his in-laws side of the family migrated around 1889. Further discussion ensues about reading Punjabi and how interviewer Rajdeep can read Punjabi and that she comes from the village of "Lakhpur" in Punjab. Rajdeep notes that “Lakhpur” is near "Phagwara". Nadeem clarifies that his village is "Panchat" and this family used to live in "Phagwara". and Nadeem and Rajdeep compare their familiarity and memories of the area. Nadeem conveys some of his comments in Punjabi and then changes to English. Nadeem recollects when the Japanese bombarded Shillong, he was around seven years old and attended missionary school. The only languages that were taught were English and Persian. Nadeem conveys that his mother had hopes of Nadeem becoming an army officer and moving up the ranks but Nadeem wasn’t interested. Nadeem attended college, graduated with a Bachelor of Science, BSC with Physics and Chemistry, followed by another Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and finally a degree in his favourite subject in the language of Urdu. He completed these degrees in Punjab in Doaba College, Jalandher. Nadeem recollects how he started teaching but wasn’t getting paid very well. When he was at college, with encouragement from his professor, Veer Pankalia [sic] he began writing poetry and short plays. His professor also introduced him to a famous poet of Punjab, Mila Ram Offa [sic] and he gave him the name of Nadeem. Nadeem explains the meaning of the name “Nadeem” “…the one who know about it, inside out…” even though we generally think of the meaning being “friend” it’s not just about friend. 11:00 -24:48 Nadeem provides background information on how he ended up marrying his future wife who was born in India and immigrated to Canada with her family. Nadeem explains how the marriage was arranged through family relations that were already established in Punjab over a century ago. One of his wife’s ancestors, head of the family called “baniye” (traders) immigrated to Canada in [1899]. This relation returned to Punjab where he had nephews, the youngest of the nephews was Nadeem’s father (Lashman Singh Manhas) in law’s father (Sher Singh Manhas). He expresses that his wife’s ancestor couldn’t bring Nadeem’s father in law’s father since he was only 12 or 13 years old but he brought three of the nephews back to Canada with him. The nephews were named, Pola Singh, Ginaya Singh and Doman Singh (also named Dolmans). He describes how the group left India but it took them two to three years before they arrived in Canada. The group travelled to Burma, Indonesia and Hong Kong before landing in San Francisco. From San Francisco they walked and worked on the rail line before entering Canada and arriving in Grand Forks. The men got work on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and eventually made their way to the lower mainland. Nadeem conveys that the younger brother of Ginaya Singh, Maya Singh joined the others in Canada taking the same route, arriving in Bridal Falls where they were working at a saw mill and in CP rail construction. He describes Maya Singh as business minded and since he was too young to work in the mill, he began working as a cook and then began growing potatoes on land that he leased from a Dutch land owner. The local mill at Bridal Falls was facing bankruptcy and Maya Singh arranged to lease the mill, eventually buying it. From there the group moved their business to Strawberry Hill in Surrey and when the sale of logs declined, they moved over to Vancouver Island and established a sawmill with Doman Singh in the community of Paldi (originally known as Mayo Lumber) near Duncan. He explains further how the South Asian community helped each other like they did back home. He clarifies that his father in law’s father is the youngest cousin of Ginaya and Doman Singh and when he died, his father in law’s younger brother started Kashmir Lumber. Eventually his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) and the rest of the whole family including cousins and nephews were sponsored by their relations and immigrated to Canada. Nadeem explains how in 1959, his brother in law returned home to Punjab to get married, bringing his family with him. He tells of how during this time period, a marriage was arranged by his parents for him to marry his future wife. Nadeem recollects how this came to be. Nadeem and his wife Surjeet married in Punjab in December 1960, Nadeem was 24 years old and his wife was 18 years old. 24:49 – 39:42 Nadeem describes how he obtained his teaching degree from Ramgarhia College in Phagwara (located in the Kapurhtala district of Punjab) and after a disagreement with a teacher at home, he decided to go to England. He explains how he joined his brother who had moved to England and was working as a labourer. Nadeem tells of the difficulties he faced applying for a teaching job in England and how he had to go back to school to help with his English pronunciation. Nadeem explains that after taking this course, he got work teaching Grade two students which he felt was below his qualifications (he mentions that while living in Punjab, he was a Secondary School teacher) and the pay was very low. He discovered that his brother was making more money working as a labourer so Nadeem became discouraged and quit. When Nadeem couldn’t find work as a labourer, his brother advised him to shave off his beard. Nadeem conveys how difficult it was for him to shave off his beard and how once he was clean shaven he got work as a sweeper in a factory. He shares his experience of working in the factory and of how with his former education he got himself promoted to a more technical position. With encouragement from his employer, Nadeem enrolled in technical courses which lead to him obtaining an HNC Engineering Degree. He completed the course work in two years, obtaining skills in microwave communication becoming the senior test engineer at the factory. While working in this position, Nadeem shares how he suffered discrimination when he was passed over for a senior chief engineer position at the factory by a less educated and experienced employee. 39:43 – 53:38 Nadeem recollects how things changed for him in the 1970s. It began with his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) passing away in 1970 while he and his family were living on 18th Street in Burnaby. His father in law had been working at the saw mill, Kashmir Lumber Company in North Vancouver that was owned by his father in law’s younger brother (Kashmir Singh Manhas). The mill had burnt down and many of the workers lost everything. Nadeem confides that during this time, his wife was suffering from depression and wanted to be with her mother back in Canada now that her father had passed away. Nadeem emphasizes how his wife’s family (over 300 relatives) in Canada often get together every year on July 1st in Paldi near Duncan. In 1972, Nadeem arrived in Canada on his own to find work but was unsuccessful so he and his wife made plans to move to Uganda where he was offered a job. In 1973, when his visa didn’t come through for Uganda, Nadeem, his wife and two children decided to come to Canada. Nadeem describes that after several unsuccessful experiences to find skilled work in Canada, he eventually found work at Canadian National Telecommunications. During this time, Nadeem and his family lived with his father in law’s family at 5216 Pandora Street in Burnaby and in 1974, Nadeem purchased a house at 131 Fell Avenue in Burnaby. Nadeem provides further details of when the families lived at these different addresses and how in 1983 he had a house built on Woodsworth Street where he is still living now. He conveys some of the history of the lot where his current house resides including details on the lot subdivision, lot ownership and the cost of building his new house. Nadeem tells of how he designed his home with help from his son who was working as an apprentice with architect Arthur Erikson at the time. He describes the architectural interior as an open concept design, in an “L” shape in honour of his father “Lakhmir Singh”. Nadeem shares information on his mother’s name which was Jamna (prior to her marriage) and became Davinder Kaur after she was married. (Note: Jamna was her name before marriage. Traditionally after a woman is married, her husband’s family changes her first name because she is now considered a part of a new family). 53:39 – 58:56 Nadeem provides information on his career working as CNCP technician working with CPIC systems and how he was promoted to a new position. Nadeem inserts a quote from a Punjabi poem which he translates to English as “Somebody asked the blind people. What do you need? He said, do you need two eyes?, he said, what else do I need?”. Nadeem conveys how in 1986 his mother passed away so he went back home to the village of Lakhpur where his father and younger brother were living. His father and younger brother were on their own and in 1986 they decided to demolish the family home. He explains that there’s a college there now and that a library was built at this location in the name of his grandfather. 58:57 – 1:04:38 Nadeem shares how he suffered a heart attack in 1990 during the marriage ceremony of his son in Williams Lake. Nadeem talks about the complicated relations of the South Asian families and the saw mill owners in Paldi and comments on the problems with the caste system that provokes discrimination within the South Asian community. Nadeem refers to disputes that arose amongst mill owners and investors that included Kapoor Singh Siddoo, Mayo Singh, Gurdial Singh Teja and Ginaya Singh which caused problems amongst his family and also lead to Kapoor Singh selling his portion of the mill. Nadeem spells “Ginaya” Singh’s name and explains that this name is the nickname for “Krishna”. Nadeem provides his insight into the joint ownership of the saw mills located in Paldi and how the the joint ownership was dissolved in 1952. Nadeem clarifies that Ginaya Singh also left Paldi and that Ginaya Singh’s wife is his mother in law’s aunt and that he also moved to Burnaby. Nadeem explains the proper name spelling of mill owner “Mayo Singh” and that the correct spelling is actually “Mayan Singh” but he changed it to “Mayo” when it was mis-pronounced. Nadeem also comments on the problems that he encountered in 1970 on the pronunciation of his own name while living in England and at one point his employer referred to him as “Paul”. 1:04:39 – 1:18:50 Nadeem relays that when he emigrated from India and to Canada that he carried his personal possessions in a small suitcase made from cardboard since the weight limit on the airplane was just three pounds. He conveys that many of his relations have all suffered from heart problems including Ginaya Singh and his children. Nadeem shares that Ginaya Singh’s three sons all lived in Burnaby. Nadeem conveys that many South Asians lived in Burnaby and many worked at saw mills in North Vancouver and in the L&K sawmill near Pemberton. Nadeem explains further about the how the disagreements came to be between Mayo Singh and Kapoor Singh. He describes how each had a different business strategy in harvesting lumber and that there were feuds amongst the families. Nadeem provides further details on the root of the family feuds. Nadeem provides definitions for certain Punjabi terms that he’s using including “Mehta”(meaning lowest class of farmers, foreigner as well head as a title given to people of a clan living in the area) and ‘Panchat”, the name of his family village that was built and founded by five brothers and one nephew (Panj- meaning five and the sound “cht” meaning six). Nadeem explains that these terms were given to people from his own clan living in the area because it was small. Nadeem explains further about status that is based on money and the Punjabi terms “Parsu”, “Parsa” and “Pasaram” that are often used to describe a person. When you are poor the term “Parsu” is used and when you become rich the term “Pasaram” is used. Nadeem refers to Mayo Singh as a Pasaram as the second most successful millner in British Columbia, second to Frederick John Hart. Nadeem mentions that Ginaya Singh, elder brother to Mayo Singh helped provide the finances to start the mill and when there was a disagreement, Ginaya Singh left the mill business, moved his family to Burnaby and began working in insurance. Nadeem shares the sad story of Ginaya Singh’s sudden death (in 1953). Nadeem states that many of the people who left the mills at Paldi went to work at the Kapoor Mill in Burnaby and some relocated to the Interior of British Columbia. Nadeem mentions that his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) was able to purchase a house on 18th Street in along with other residences that he bought with his hard earned money working in the farms and mills, 16 hours per day, seven days a week. 1:18:51 – 1:32:04 Nadeem explains why he thinks that most South Asian people worked in the mills in the earlier days. Nadeem conveys that since Sikh men wore beards and turbans they encountered discrimination and were unable to get work in the business community. Nadeem shares his own personal experiences of wearing a turban and the discrimination he’s encountered while living in Scotland and Canada. Nadeem mentions that a defense committee was formed to protect the Gurdwaras and people’s homes from being vandalized due to racial discrimination. Nadeem describes some of the troubles that he’s encountered in his own neighbourhood when he had to call the police. Nadeem shares a personal experience just after 9/11 where he was the target of racial discrimination in the parking lot of Burnaby Lake. Nadeem emphasizes that he has experienced many incidents of racial discrimination, especially in the workplace and that this was not unusual for him. 1:32:05 – 1:36:19 Nadeem talks about his interest in writing and his many literary works including 12 novels that he’s written in Punjabi. Nadeem highlights a few books that he’s written including a book titled “Rape” and another one titled “Sponsorship” which conveys the complex nature of people immigrating to Canada. Nadeem mentions a particular book about AIDS, titled “Wide Net” that he’s been trying to get published. Nadeem speaks to the challenges and high costs of trying to get his works published. Nadeem provides a brief synopsis of his book “Wide Net”. Nadeem relays that this is a personal account of a gay couple that he knew where one of the partners died of AIDS and that the couple gave Nadeem permission to tell their tragic story. 1:36:20 – 1:51:51 Nadeem talks about his children and compares their experiences to his own as a South Asian immigrant. Nadeems talks about the accomplishments of his son, his daughter and grandchildren including their education and careers. Nadeem says that his children are well educated and well established in their careers. Nadeem’s children attended Capitol Hill Elementary School and North Burnaby High School in Burnaby. Nadeem shares specifics of his son’s career history. Nadeem expresses that he still considers Canada to be the best country for opportunities and that he prefers to live in Burnaby rather than Surrey and shares some personal anecdotes. Nadeem lists some local places that he’s shopped for South Asian groceries and spices rather than travelling to Surrey. He mentions shopping at Kelly Douglas, stores in Chinatown, small grocers on Capitol Hill, Patel’s on Commercial Drive and Main Street. As an aside Nadeem mentions that he worked as a security guard and the wages that he earned. Nadeem comments that he has been awarded various certificates and certifications from his education and career over the years, including a Bachelor of Science. The interviewers further express their interest in seeing the cardboard case that Nadeem brought with him when immigrating to Canada. In closing Nadeem states that his favourite food from back home was kheer (rice pudding).
History
Interviewee biography: Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar was born June 9, 1936, Chuck 138 in Lyalpur (India before 1947) to parents Lakhmir Singh Parmar and Davinder Kaur Jamana Parmar. Nadeem grew up in the village of Panchat in the northern region of Punjab, India. Nadeem married his wife Surjeet in Punjab in 1960. After marrying the couple immigrated to England where Nadeem was already working. While living in England, Nadeem and Surjeet had two children. After Surjeet's father died in Canada in 1972, Nadeem, Surjeet and their two children immgrated to Canada, joining Surjeet's family who were living in Burnaby. After Nadeem immigrated to Burnaby in 1973 he worked various jobs before working with CN/CP Telecommunications. Nadeem holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Teaching from Punjab University and a diploma from the London Board of Education (L.B.E.) and a P.Eng. from Lancaster. He has seven books published in Punjabi, three in Urdu and is published in eight anthologies. He is fluent in Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindi. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
Buildings - Industrial - Factories
Education
Employment
Industries - Logging/lumber
Migration
Occupations - Engineers
Occupations - Millworkers
Occupations - Teachers
Occupations - Writers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
Kapoor Sawmills Limited
Siddoo, Kapoor Singh
Teja, Gurdial Singh
Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
Manhas, Ghania Singh
Singh, Mayo
Manhas, Kashmir Singh
Manhas, Sher Singh
Manhas, Budhan Kaur
Manhas, Lashman Singh
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Rajdeep
Geographic Access
Woodsworth Street
Accession Code
BV022.29.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1600-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Oct. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Capitol Hill Area
Related Material
See also BV022.29.5 - Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Interview is conducted in English with various segments of discussion in Punjabi
Transcript of interview available upon request
Audio Tracks
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Turning 50: The History of the Burnaby Village Museum

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18874
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
13 Sep. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (100 min., 5 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
Scope and Content
Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum curator, Jane Lemke. The webinar is titled "Turning 50: The History of the Burnaby Village Museum". The webinar is the first in a series of six webinars presented in partnership by Burnaby Village Museum and …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker Series series
Subseries
Neighbourhood Speaker Series - Fall 2022 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (100 min., 5 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
Material Details
Host: Jane Lemke
Presenters: Deirdre Lott; Richard Lott; John Adams; Jim Wolf
Date of Presentation: Tuesday, September 13, 2022. 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Total Number of tracks: 1
Total Length of all tracks: 100 min., 5 sec.
Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
Original recording of 100 min., 5 sec. was edited to 88 min., 43 sec. for viewing on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum curator, Jane Lemke. The webinar is titled "Turning 50: The History of the Burnaby Village Museum". The webinar is the first in a series of six webinars presented in partnership by Burnaby Village Museum and Burnaby Public Library. The live webinar was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. Community members were invited to participate by bringing questions during the interactive online sessions. In this webinar, Jane Lemke shares photographs and stories about the history of the Burnaby Village Museum as it turns 50 years old. Lemke and past staff talk about the early development of the Museum, large restoration projects throughout the years and recent initiatives to highlight histories of Burnaby's marginalized communities. In a pre-recorded interview, Richard and Deirdre Lott share their experiences as the first director and curator of Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum) when it opened in the 1970s. The interview is supported with photographs of the early days of the museum including original presentation drawings by Rudy Kovach, construction of the village, buildings and exhibits. The couple speak to the challenges of the time period including the acquisition of artifacts to create exhibits within the buildings. John Adams, former curator and executive director of Burnaby Village Museum between 1974 and 1979 shares his story and experiences over the years. John supports his talk with photographs of collections, exhibits, special events and programs during his time at Heritage Village. John talks about the acquisition of buildings and artifacts that were added to the site during his time as curator. Buildings mentioned include, the Village Church and Ofuro that were built on site and Bell’s Dry Goods, Tom Irvine’s house, the Royal Bank that were moved to the site. Artifacts mentioned include, contents purchased from the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. Chinese Herbalist shop in Victoria to support a new exhibit inside Heritage Village, a steam donkey and saw mill equipment from the Anderson Sawmill in Powell River and the appraisal of the Lubbock farm house and buildings considered for acquistion. Jim Wolf shares a slide show of his personal experiences of being involved with the museum in the eighties and nineties. Jim begins his story with first being recruited as a teen volunteer in 1980. He speaks about the mandate that was introduced in 1980 to have a living “outdoor museum” of the lower mainland with a special emphasis on Burnaby with a static portion of the museum supported by collections of genuine Burnaby artifacts. Jim talks about his experiences as a staff member working with collections and exhibits, working as an education assistant helping to facilitate public programs and as a curatorial assistant to help catalogue artifacts. Jim also talks about his involvement with the Burnaby Historical Society, his contribution as a historic researcher in publishing local books on the history of Burnaby as well as his involvement in the Heritage Inventory of Burnaby in 1985 which help lead to the eventual acquisition and restoration of the Love farm house by the Burnaby Village Museum. In the last part of the presentation Jane Lemke speaks about the history of the museum over the last twenty years. Jane highlights some of the changes to the museum including the restoration of the Interurban Tram 1223, free admission to the site that was introduced for the 40th anniversary in 2011 and the renovation of the Chinese Herbalist shop exhibit. Following the presentation, Jane Lemke chats with the presenters about the evolution of the museum over the last 50 years and the group answers questions from the attendees.
History
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. Richard “Dick” Lott was the first director for Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum) when it opened in 1971. Dick worked as a designer for architecture firm, Hopping, Kovach and Grinnell who won the competition for the design of Heritage Village. Dick was hired to manage the project and then became an acting director of Heritage. Dick continued to work as director until the spring of 1972 when he returned to work for Hopping, Kovach, Grinell. Dick worked on various projects including; Museum of Anthropology working with Arthur Erickson; museum designer for the EXPO’86 pavilion and was the head of exhibits to build Science World after EXPO; project manager for the World’s Fair in Spain – Expo ‘92; Vancouver Aquarium (1960s); Communications Museum in Brantford, Ont.; International Science Centre in Amsterdam; National War Museum and his last project working in Hawaii for NASA. Deirdre (Stuckey Norman) Lott was hired in 1971 as the first curator for Heritage Village (now Burnaby Village Museum) working under the direction of Richard Lott. Deirdre was first hired under the Corporation of the District of Burnaby’s Local Initiatives Program (LIP) and was a University of British Columbia graduate student who worked at Museum of Anthropology. Deirdre went on to work in Public Relations and Education in Museums and was the Public Program Coordinator for Museum of Vancouver. Deirdre Norman married Richard Lott in 1976. Deirdre left the Museum of Vancouver after their first child was born. Deirdre continued her career working as a freelance contractor in Continuing Education in Introductory Anthropology. John Adams has a BA in history from UBC and a Masters degree in Museology from the University of Toronto. He worked at Burnaby Village from 1974 to 1979, serving three years as Curator and two years as Executive Director. He then went to the Royal BC Museum as Provincial Museums Advisor before becoming a Manager with the BC Heritage Branch. Since 2000 he has operated Discover the Past, a heritage business in Victoria that specializes in historical research, writing and conducting walking tours and lectures. He also taught museum studies for twenty-eight years at Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. He is the author of seven books, most recently Chinese Victoria: A Long and Difficult Journey. Jim Wolf worked at the Museum starting in 1980, eventually holding many roles within the City of Burnaby and recently retired from his long serving role as the Senior Long Range Planner. He guided the city’s heritage program from 1989 and this year was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by Heritage BC. As a historian and heritage consultant he has authored and contributed to award-winning books on Burnaby, New Westminster and historic architecture. He is currently working on a number of projects including a biography of architect Samuel Maclure and a book documenting the architectural design and construction history of Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, B.C.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Civic - Museums
Names
Lott, Richard
Lott, Deirdre Stuckey Norman
Adams, John
Wolf, Jim
Burnaby Village Museum
Century Park Museum Association
Burnaby Historical Society
Responsibility
Lemke, Jane
Accession Code
BV022.27.1
Date
13 Sep. 2022
Media Type
Moving Images
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Images
Video

Turning 50: The History of the Burnaby Village Museum, 13 Sep. 2022

Turning 50: The History of the Burnaby Village Museum, 13 Sep. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2022_0027_0001_002.mp4
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Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19602
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pe…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewees: Ellen and Bill Schwartz Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: May 15, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:08:52 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph information: Bill and Ellen Schwartz.
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pennsylvania the 1970s. Bill and Ellen explain how in the 1970s, they were discouraged about the current politics in the United States under the Nixon administration and how they were inspired by the “back to the land” ideals, rejecting materialism and wanting an alternative lifestyle. With these ideals in mind, they recall how in 1972 they and a few other friends decided to leave the United States, move to British Columbia with the goal of buying land in the Okanagan or Kootenay region and starting a new lifestyle for themselves. Bill and Ellen recollect how they purchased 20 acres of land in Galena Bay in the Kootenays and how they lived in the area off and on until the early 1980s. They describe how they cleared three acres of land, built a cabin, put in a garden, chicken coop and honey bees. With the challenges of the isolated location and no access to electricity they explain how they decided that they had to live elsewhere in order to make a living. Ellen talks about working as a special education teacher in Revelstoke and Slocan and how Bill obtained his teaching certificate while they lived in Nelson. Bill and Ellen describe themselves as environmentalists and of how they both became active Provincial environmentalists during the construction of the Revelstoke Dam. Bill talks about getting work with the “Energy Van” program talking about energy conservation, renewable energy and recycling. They explain how after their first child was born in 1980, they returned to Galena Bay for about a year and a half until Bill was offered a job with the Department of Energy Conservation which lead them to move to Vancouver. 16:48 – 22:46 Bill and Ellen describe their first few years of living in Vancouver and at University of British Columbia while Ellen completed her master’s degree in creative writing. During this time, they had their second child. They recall how in 1988 how they purchased a house in Burnaby, selecting to live in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. They talk about the benefits of the neighbourhood including; a French immersion school for their children, proximity to the trails around Deer Lake and having transit close by. 22:47 – 33:55 Bill and Ellen talk about their consulting business “Polestar Communications”. A Burnaby based communications consulting firm composed of three people, Ellen and Bill and colleague Richard Banner. They describe how their business got started and some of the projects that they’ve worked on including; BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program, financial literacy curriculum that was introduced in B.C. schools and reports for the Province of British Columbia. Ellen and Bill convey how Bill has been a very active member with the City of Burnaby Environment Committee, the Steering Committee to develop a sustainable environmental strategy for Burnaby, how he’s been awarded for his contributions in coaching youth sports and other areas in which they have both volunteered. 33:56 – 43:07 Ellen describes how she got started in writing educational resources about the environment and how since she completed grad school in 1984, she’s published nineteen books. Ellen conveys how her first book was published and sold to the Province of British Columbia as part of the B.C. educational curriculum on the environment. Ellen talks about some of the children’s books that she’s written and published with themes including; social justice, the labour movement and racism in sports. Ellen describes some of her books and the research that she’s done. 43:08 – 51:04 Ellen and Bill Schwartz reflect on what they like about living in Burnaby. They talk about the benefits of their neighbourhood including; performances at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival, the Burnaby Art Gallery and Deer Lake as well as having access to parks and community centres in Burnaby. 51:05-56:36 Bill and Ellen reflect on their involvement in the Jewish community, considering themselves non-secular Jews. Ellen talks about how they were involved with “Burquest” a Jewish Community Association and how they often observe some of the Jewish holidays including Hanukah and traditions including the Jewish coming of age ritual, bar mitzvah (masc.) and bat mistvah (fem.). Ellen mentions her involvement with the “Jone Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s book Award” where she acts a judge and her involvement with the Jewish Book festival and that she is a recipient of the Jewish Book award. 56:37 – 1:08:53 Bill and Ellen reflect on their 35 years living in Burnaby and how they’ve seen it change. They talk about the increased development and density in the city, how they are troubled by a lack of low income housing, the benefits and importance of public transportation and preservation of green space including Burnaby parks.
History
Interviewees' biographies: Ellen Schwartz was born in Washington, DC, (1950) but grew up in New Jersey. She attended the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to a farm in Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband Bill Schwartz. Bill Schwartz grew up in and around Philadelphia (b. 1947), and attended Pennsylvania State University. After travelling, and discouraged with life in eastern America, he and Ellen decided that British Columbia held better prospects. Bill and Ellen quit their jobs in 1972 and moved to the Kootenay region where they adopted a “back to the land” lifestyle, a very new experience for both of them. After eight years of modest success, and occasional work in nearby towns, they opted to return to Vancouver where Bill had work and where they could raise a family more easily. They rented in Vancouver for a few years before moving to family housing at UBC, while Ellen studied creative writing. Bill founded a communications and writing company, and in 1988 they purchased a home in Burnaby. Ellen launched a new career as a writer, mainly for children young adults. Both were active in their careers, raising a family, and participating in local social and political activities. 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
Education
Environmental Issues
Environmental Issues - Environmental Protection
Geographic Features
Geographic Features - Parks
Housing
Occupations
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Writers
Persons - Volunteers
Persons - Jewish Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Religions
Religions - Judaism
Names
Schwartz, William "Bill"
Schwartz, Ellen
City of Burnaby
Polestar Communications
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Responsibility
Damer, Eric
Accession Code
BV023.16.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Lake Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023

Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_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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Paper heart by Sophie Armstrong

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14749
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
March 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 drawing : wax crayon on pink construction paper ; 20 x 23.5 cm
Scope and Content
Item consists of a heart that has been cut out of pink coloured construction paper. One side of the heart has contains a child's drawing with markings in purple crayon while the other side is blank. The side with the markings is faded from exposure due to sunlight after being hung in a window.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 drawing : wax crayon on pink construction paper ; 20 x 23.5 cm
Scope and Content
Item consists of a heart that has been cut out of pink coloured construction paper. One side of the heart has contains a child's drawing with markings in purple crayon while the other side is blank. The side with the markings is faded from exposure due to sunlight after being hung in a window.
History
This was a heart the Armstrong family made in the last week of March when things were starting to get very scary and they wanted to share their message of love and support to the world. The heart was decorated on one side by Sophie (age 1), Kimberly's youngest daughter (of two). The heart remained on the window until mid July 2020.
Creator
Armstrong, Sophie
Subjects
Arts - Drawings
Crafts
Pandemics - COVID-19
Responsibility
Paneloc Marketing Limited
Accession Code
BV020.24.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
March 2020
Media Type
Graphic Material
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Images
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Playground in Squint Lake Park

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14736
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
9 Apr. 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg) : col. ; 72 dpi.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Squint Lake Park playground. The playground equipment is surrounded by orange construction fencing to prevent childlren from playing on it. The playground was closed down by the City of Burnaby in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health orders.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg) : col. ; 72 dpi.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Squint Lake Park playground. The playground equipment is surrounded by orange construction fencing to prevent childlren from playing on it. The playground was closed down by the City of Burnaby in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health orders.
History
Tristan Johnson took photos around Burnaby because as a parent of two elementary school aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most notable things about COVID-19 during Spring 2020 was the closure of playgrounds and the playgrounds being taped up.
Subjects
Recreational Devices - Playgrounds
Pandemics - COVID-19
Accession Code
BV020.21.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
9 Apr. 2020
Media Type
Photograph
Planning Study Area
Sperling-Broadway Area
Photographer
Johnson, Tristan
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Scraps and Dragons

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14273
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
Oct. 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 video recordings (mp4) (11 min., 19 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo, subtitles
Scope and Content
Item consists of part one in a two part video series "A Taste of History" created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates from the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM). Part one is titled "Scraps and Dragons". The film provides backgroun…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
A Taste of History Video series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 video recordings (mp4) (11 min., 19 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo, subtitles
Material Details
Script: Debbie Liang; Joty Gill Narration: Debbie Liang Editor: Debbie Liang Subtitles: English; Simplified Chinese; Traditional Chinese Video Appearances: Kathy Lee; Eleanor Lee Interviews filmed by: Eleanor Lee Interview questions: Eleanor Lee; Debbie Liang Illustrations and Animations: Debbie Liang Photos, Images & B-roll: Vegetable letters from Shutterstock; Green onion and carrot footage from Debbie Liang; Chop Suey image courtesy of pulaw from Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC By 2.0); Chop Suey from Shutterstock; Menus by Amy Wilson; Gold Dragon booklet cover and menu image- courtesy of UBC RBSC Chung Collection (RBSC-ARC-1679-CCTX-309-122); Chop Suey Nation book cover, image courtesy of Douglas & MacIntyre; Dragon Inn: City of Burnaby Archives, 556-239 photo by John McCarron; Larry Lee, image courtesy of Eleanor Lee; VanTech, image courtesy of Mike from Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0); Bamboo Terrace, image courtesy of Rob from Flickr, public domain; Map image courtesy of Sentinel 2 from wikimedia Creative Commons; Salad bar inside of Dragon Inn Restaurant, Burnaby Village Museum, BV017.37.3; John Lee: City of Burnaby Archives, 535-0415, photo by Brian Langdeau; Photograph - Bar Inside the Dragon Inn Restaurant - Burnaby Village Museum, BV017.37.2; Chopping Mushrooms, footage courtesy of Pressmaster from pexels.com; Chopping Parsley, footage courtesy of Pressmaster from pexels.com; Kwan Luck from Debbie Liang; Crystall Mall as taken from the north side of Kingsway in Burnaby, image courtesy of w:en: Colin Keigher from wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license; Lok's Produce at Crystal mall (Burnaby) in the Underground Chinese Produce Market image courtesy of William Chen from wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International license; Crystal Mall foodcourt, image courtesy of Jay Friedman, Gastrolust; Restaurant and Dragon Innn art by Debbie Liang Music and Sound Effects: "Alison", "Acoustic Mediation 2" from audionautix; "Slow Motion", "Creative Minds" & "Cute" from bensound.com; "Kitchen sounds" & "Pop" from Debbie Liang; "Ding sound effect" from freesoundlibrary Video adapted from 2019 BVM intern project by Debbie Liang and Marcela Gomez Special thanks to: UBC: Joanna Yang, Jenny Lu, Denise Fong, Henry Yu; BVM: Kate Petrusa, Amy Wilson Changes to music may have been made for the purposes of this video
Scope and Content
Item consists of part one in a two part video series "A Taste of History" created by Debbie Liang and Joty Gill, University of British Columbia alumni and graduates from the Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies program (ACAM). Part one is titled "Scraps and Dragons". The film provides background information on the origins of the Chinese-Canadian culinary dish "chop suey" and tells the story of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants, highlighting the history of the "Dragon Inn" chop suey restaurant owned by Larry Lee. The film is supported with voice over in english, subtitles, animation, historical and family photographs and interviews with family members, Kathy Lee and Eleanor Lee. One version of the film is supported with subtitles in English while two other versions of the film are supported with subtitles in Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
History
In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, University of British Columbia student interns with the Burnaby Village Museum Chinese Canadian History in Burnaby project were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Aisa) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and piggeries in Burnaby. Larry Lee was born in Kaiping, Guangdong, China and immigrated to Canada in 1949 at the age of sixteen to reunite with his father, Lee Soon. Larry Lee's father had been in Canada for years before his son immigrated to join him. Larry attended Vancouver Technical Secondary School and learned English and carpentry. After he graduated, he was hired by Mr. Wong. Larry and Mr. Wong operated an IGA grocery store at Lonsdale in North Vancouver. Following this, Larry worked as a cashier for his father at "Bamboo Terrace" Chinese restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown. In 1958, he married his wife Kathy and one year later, in 1959 he started a new business of his own. Larry opened the "Dragon Inn" chop suey restaurant at 2516 Kingsway (at Slocan) in Vancouver. Once the restaurant was doing well, Larry opened the "Park Inn" at Kingsway and 25th Avenue. The "Park Inn" was the first Chinese food restaurant with a smorgasboard in Vancouver. With the success of these restaurants and subsequent restaurants Larry Lee opened three other "Dragon Inn" chop suey restaurants located at; 4510 Kingsway and Willingdon in Burnaby (1964); 250 Columbia Street in New Westminster (1971) and Hastings and Willingdon (1990s). In the 1990s Larry retained ownership of the Dragon Inn at 4510 Kingsway and Willingdon and sold the other restaurants. In 1996, Larry sold the property of the Dragon Inn and surrounding lots located at Kingsway and Willingdon to make way for the construction of Crystal Mall. Larry and Kathy Lee had eight children who all worked in the family run restaurants until they were sold.
Creator
Liang, Debbie
Debbie Liang
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Names
Lee, Larry
Lee, Kathy
Lee, Eleanor
Liang, Debbie
Gill, Joty
Burnaby Village Museum
University of British Columbia
Responsibility
University of British Columbia
UBC Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies
Burnaby Village Museum
Geographic Access
Vancouver
New Westminster
Street Address
4510 Kingsway
Accession Code
BV020.28.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
Oct. 2020
Media Type
Moving Images
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Marlborough Area
Notes
Transcribed title
Images
Video
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Timeless Spaces: Japanese Gardens of the West Coast

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription17537
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
14 Oct. 2021
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (75 min., 44 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
Scope and Content
Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar. The webinar was presented on the Zoom webinar platform and also presented live on the Burnaby Village Museum Facebook page on October 12, 2021. The webinar was hosted by Burnaby Village Museum Community Engagement Coordinator, Christina Fr…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker Series series
Subseries
Neighbourhood Speaker Series - Fall 2021 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 video recording (mp4) (75 min., 44 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
Material Details
Presenter: Tim Nishibata, member of the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association
Host: Christina Froschauer
Date of Presentation: October 14, 2021
Total Number of tracks: 1
Total Length of all tracks: 75 min., 44 sec.
Recording Device: Zoom video communication and Facebook platforms
Recording Note: Film was edited from it's original recorded version (83 min., 52 sec. ) to edited version (75 min., 44 sec.) for public viewing on Heritage Burnaby.
Scope and Content
Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar. The webinar was presented on the Zoom webinar platform and also presented live on the Burnaby Village Museum Facebook page on October 12, 2021. The webinar was hosted by Burnaby Village Museum Community Engagement Coordinator, Christina Froschauer and presented by Tim Nishibata, member of the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association. The webinar is titled "Timeless Spaces: Japanese Gardens of the West Coast". In this webinar, Tim Nishibata explores the history and tradition of Japanese gardening in Western Canada. Tim shares background information regarding the; Nikkei Centre garden located at the Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre; Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association; Nitobe Garden at University of British Columbia; Momiji Garden located at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver; Sakura Days - Cherry Blossom Festival projects at Van Dusen Gardens; YVR Japanese Garden Project in progress at Vancouver International Airport and The Kohan Reflection Garden in New Denver. Tim also shares information on the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association's future visions including a park size project similar to the Portland Japanese Garden. Tim supports his presentation with photographs and various resources related to traditional Japanese gardens and projects that the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association is involved in. During breaks in the presentation, Christina and Tim take questions from webinar participants on zoom as well as viewers from the live recording on Burnaby Village Museum's Facebook page. Near the end of the presentation, host Christina Froschuer mentions, the Kushiro garden located near Burnaby's municipal hall which is undergoing an expansion project to be completed in 2022. The Kushiro garden was dedicated in June 1976 in commemoration of Burnaby's sister city, Kushiro, Japan Resource links that were shared during the presentation include: Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association: https://www.vanjapangardeners.com Email: vancouvervjga@gmail.com Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org Nitobe garden: (UBC) https://botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/visit/nitobe-memorial-garden Mimoji gardens: (PNE) http://hastingspark1942.ca/history/momiji-gardens Kohan Reflection Garden: (New Denver, BC) https://kohanreflectiongarden.ca/2020 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival https://vcbf.ca/community-event/sakura-days-japan-fair Heiwa Teien https://newdenver.ca/nikkei Roy Sumi CBC documentary "Borrowed from Nature" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/aboslutely-canadian-borrowed-from-nature-roy-tomomichi-sumi-japanese-gardening-1.5801058 Portland Japanese Garden http://japanesegarden.org
History
Tim Nishibata is a member of the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association. The Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association is an independent non-profit organization established in 1959. The association consists of professional gardeners and landscapers, aiming to promote Japanese Gardens through construction, maintenance, and education techniques. Members of the association have built many beautiful Japanese gardens throughout the Lower Mainland and work with other organizations in order to increase their knowledge of and expertise in Japanese gardens. The Association provides educational workshops to its members to improve professional knowledge and skills. In 1987, the Association started the Sumi Award, which is granted annually and recognizes outstanding work in the field.
Subjects
Persons - Japanese Canadians
Plants
Geographic Features - Gardens
Names
Nishibata, Tim
Froschauer , Christina
Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
Accession Code
BV021.31.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
14 Oct. 2021
Media Type
Moving Images
Notes
Title based on contents of video recording
Images
Video

Timeless Spaces: Japanese Gardens of the West Coast, 14 Oct. 2021

Timeless Spaces: Japanese Gardens of the West Coast, 14 Oct. 2021

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2021_0031_0003_002.mp4
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Rooted : Chinese Canadian stories in Burnaby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7646
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
2023
Call Number
971.133 ROO
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Digital Resource
ISBN
978-0-9689849-2-5
Call Number
971.133 ROO
Contributor
Fong, Denise
Lemke, Jane
Codd, Lisa
Place of Publication
Burnaby
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2023
Printer
Metropolitan Fine Printers
Physical Description
203 p. : ill. ; 30.5 cm
Library Subject (LOC)
Chinese Canadians--British Columbia--Burnaby--History
Race discrimination -- Canada
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Families
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Notes
There are two versions of the book: English and Simplified Chinese (left, below) and the other in English and Traditional Chinese (right, below).
From the late 1800s to the present day, Chinese Canadians have made Burnaby into a more vibrant and livable city. Rooted: Chinese Canadian Stories in Burnaby brings together a collection of diverse stories and photographs from the community, celebrating the legacy and contributions of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community spanning over a century. This coffee-table book features oral histories and interviews with descendants of multigenerational family farms, green grocers, corner stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Also included are archival research and community perspectives on anti-Asian racism, community activism, courage, and resilience.
The publication has been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the Government of Canada in 1923. This federal legislation followed decades of discriminatory legislation by Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments that targeted Chinese Canadians by limiting opportunities to live, work and raise families in Canada. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned almost all migration from China and remained in place until 1947. Publishing this book in 2023 is an effort by the City of Burnaby to recognize the impact of discriminatory legislation on Chinese Canadians in our community, including discriminatory bylaws and practices implemented by Burnaby’s early municipal government.
Edited by Denise Fong (Lead Researcher), Jane Lemke (Burnaby Village Museum Curator) and Lisa Codd (City of Burnaby Heritage Planner).
Images
Digital Books
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