Engineering Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription43
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-2014
- Collection/Fonds
- Engineering Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1m of textual records, approximately 2000 cartographic and architecural drawings
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Engineering department including environmental service files, physical plant plans, and administrative records.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-2014
- Collection/Fonds
- Engineering Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 1m of textual records, approximately 2000 cartographic and architecural drawings
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Engineering department including environmental service files, physical plant plans, and administrative records.
- History
- In 2020, responsibility for environmental management transferred to Climate Action and Energy, with Engineering retaining responsibility for geotechnical investigations and graffiti management. In 2022, Engineering became responsible for a consolidated Transportation group that aligns transportation planning and implementation functions. Green Fleet and Equipment also moved from Climate Action and Energy to the Public Works division of the Engineering Department. In 2022, Facilities Management was transferred from Engineering to the newly-created Lands and Facilities Department. James Lota served as General Manager, Engineering from 2021-2022. Jozsef Dioszeghy has served in the role since April 2022.
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Planning Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription102
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 71000 10 (add. 2020)
- 71000 20 (add. 2020)
- 71000 30 (add. 2020)
- 71000 40 (add. 2020)
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- History
- The City of Burnaby Planning Department was established on October 9, 1956, when the City Council unanimously carried the motion to create a distinct department to deal with planning issues within the City and appointed Mr. William John Blakely as its head. This decision followed a report and recommendation made by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer which indicated that the role of the Planning Engineer and his staff had quickly expanded to become a separate division within the Engineering Department and that they were functioning as an independent unit in all but name. The proposed separation of the Engineering and Planning departments had been in the works since the early part of 1956 when staff changes and restructuring within the Engineering Department’s Planning Division illustrated the undermanned condition of the Planning Engineer’s office. As a result, Council asked the Chief Administrative Officer to undertake a study examining the feasibility of creating a distinct Planning Department. This report was delivered to Council on July 3, 1956, but was laid over until a Committee of the Council had the opportunity to study the functions of the Planning department to determine the necessity of the proposal. The Committee’s findings were in line with the initial report and the Planning Department was established with a staff of nine (the head Planning Engineer, an Administrative Planner, three Research Planning Assistants, a Draughtsman, a Subdivision Control Clerk, a department Clerk and a Clerk Stenographer). This new department was to offer advice and carry out the work intensive in matters such as zoning and rezoning applications, subdivision control, traffic and transportation planning, and general City planning schemes. Prior to the creation of the Planning Department, a number of bodies within the City had been responsible for fulfilling the functions carried out by this new unit. In the earliest years of the City, the members of Council were responsible for matters of planning and were assisted in their job by the City’s Engineer or any number of hired consultants (e.g. surveyors, cartographers). By 1906, however, the provincial laws surrounding the subdivision process had changed, and local governments were charged with the task of approving all private subdivision plans in their respective Municipalities. In Burnaby, the City Council passed a bylaw decreeing that all subdivision plans were to be submitted to Council for review and the City Engineer was responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. After the first Town Planning Bylaw in 1924 which restricted the type and size of construction that could occur in certain City areas, the Engineering and Building departments were to work together to oversee the enforcement of the Bylaw and the development of City plans. The scope and competence required to carry out this work grew as Burnaby’s population expanded, and in 1930 Council passed the Town Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 1028) that saw the creation of a permanent body – the Town Planning Commission – which was to serve as an advisory body to help direct the planning activities in the City while the actual work continued to be carried out by the Engineering Department. This body was comprised of the Reeve, the Chairman of the School Board, the Chairman of the Park Committee (later, the Board of Parks Commissioners), and six appointed citizens who served three-year terms. Council referred all matters of subdivisions, transportation planning, and rezoning to this Commission, which was later supported in its work by several other special or standing committees such as the Subdivision Committee, the Apartment Committee, the Transportation Committee or the Town Planning Board of Appeal. By 1953, it had become apparent that the advisory committees that were dedicated to these planning issues needed a permanent staff to carry out the work intensive, so a restructuring of the Engineering department resulted in a permanent Planning Engineer’s office being created. The Town Planning Commission continued in its advisory capacity even after the determination came in 1956 to create a separate Planning Department. When Bylaw No. 4473 was passed in 1963, the Town Planning Commission was disbanded in favour of a new Advisory Planning Commission that would turn over all routine matters such as subdivision and rezoning applications to the Planning Department but would offer advice and community input into the more complex planning schemes within the City and act as an intermediary in cases where Council and Planning staff were in disagreement. A new Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 7600) was adopted in 1980 which allowed for even greater community participation in the planning process. The Planning Department was initially responsible to report directly to Council, but in 1957, the administrative structure of Municipal staff changed with the introduction of the Burnaby Municipal Manager Bylaw (No. 3859) and from that point on, the head of the Planning Department held a direct reporting relationship to the Municipal Manager, who in turn was responsible for reporting the activities of the Department to the City Council. Over the years, the internal structure and the scope of responsibilities of the Department have changed during periods of staff reorganizations. Under the larger umbrella of the Planning and Building Department, Planning has come to be comprised of two divisions: the Current Planning Division and the Long Range Planning Division. The functions of the Current Planning Division include rezoning, subdivision, development plan areas, preliminary plan approvals, urban design, heritage planning, and urban trails and bicycle routes. The Long Range Planning Division is responsible for environmental planning concerns, transportation planning, housing, neighbourhood area planning, social planning and planning information services. In 2022, the Planning and Building Department was reorganized to better align functions with delivery of services. The Climate Action and Engery Division moved from Corporate Services to the Planning and Building Department, while Indigenous Relations and Facilities Management moved to Corporate Services and Lands and Facilities, respectively. The position of Director of Planning and Building was changed to General Manager, Planning and Development. The following individuals have served as Planning Engineer and/or Director of the Planning Department and/or General Manager, Planning and Development for the City of Burnaby: William John Blakely 1954-1956 (as Planning Engineer) 1956-1963 (as Head of the Department) Anthony P. Parr 1964-1993 Don G. Stenson 1993-2001 Jack S. Belhouse 2001-2006 Basil Luksun 2006-2012 Lou Pelletier 2012-2019 Edward Kozak 2019-present
- Formats
- Microforms exist for some records. See series descriptions.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Westerman family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription13679
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1917-1959]
- Collection/Fonds
- Westerman family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 17 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs documenting Walter "Wally" Westerman's life while growing up in Burnaby, his time spent in California while training as an engineer, his time in Montreal during his service with the R.C.A.F., Wally with his wife Gwendolyn (nee Brocklesby) Westerman and Wally in his lat…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Westerman family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 17 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs documenting Walter "Wally" Westerman's life while growing up in Burnaby, his time spent in California while training as an engineer, his time in Montreal during his service with the R.C.A.F., Wally with his wife Gwendolyn (nee Brocklesby) Westerman and Wally in his later years outside of his home in Burnaby.
- History
- Walter "Wally" William Westerman was born in London, Ontario in 1916. A few years later he moved with his parents to Vancouver. Around 1921 his parents, Albert Edwin and Louisa (nee Williams) Westerman bought a double lot at 4797 Georgia Street in District Lot 122 in Burnaby. On the lot they built a house and bowling green. Wally's father Albert worked as a proof reader for the Daily Province newspaper and retired in 1938. Walter attended Gilmore Avenue school and North Burnaby High School. After graduating from highschool he enrolled in engineering school in Glendale, California. Wally was married to Margot Florence Patry from 1943 to 1952. When World War II began, Wally joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Wally suffered from arthritis and after being declared unfit for combat he was discharged. He returned to Burnaby and became a foreman in the engineering department of Boeing Aircraft of Canada. In 1944, while employed by Boeing, Wally was recoginized with awards for his ingenuity of "Jig Design for Bomb Torpedo Adaptors" and "Bomb Release Scissors". When Wally's father Albert became ill and had to have his leg amputated, Wally attended to his needs and sold the family's Georgia Street house to a buy a house at 5277 Spencer Street in Vancouver. Wally's father died in 1944 and his mother died in 1966. Following his first marriage, Wally met Gwendolyn "Gwen" Brocklesby and they developed a long term relationship eventually marrying in 1969. Gwen had a daughter named Barbara from her first marriage and Wally became her step father. Between 1960 and 1963, Wally was admitted to membership in the Canadian Power Squadrons with qualifications in seamanship, engine maintenance and weather and Gwen was awarded a certificate of qualification in piloting and seamanship. In 1969 Gwen, Wally and Barbara moved to a brand new home at 2171 Duthie Avenue in Burnaby which was within walking distance to Lenkurt Electric on Lougheed Highway where Wally worked. Wally was a machinist and foreman of the sheet metal shop at Lenkurt and later at Microtel. Walter Westerman died in Burnaby in 2000 and his wife Gwen died in Burnaby in 2016.
- Responsibility
- Westerman, Walter "Wally"
- Accession Code
- BV020.17
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1917-1959]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Elmer Wilson Martin fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10611
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1934-1973
- Collection/Fonds
- Elmer Wilson Martin fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 42 photographs + 9 architectural drawings + approx. 4 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of E.W. Martin during his military service with the RCAF; development in Burnaby along Winch Street; Martin's Auto Villa on Hastings and Paneloc buildings together with E.W. Martin's military service records and other records relating to E.W. Martin's involvement with …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Elmer Wilson Martin fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 42 photographs + 9 architectural drawings + approx. 4 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of E.W. Martin during his military service with the RCAF; development in Burnaby along Winch Street; Martin's Auto Villa on Hastings and Paneloc buildings together with E.W. Martin's military service records and other records relating to E.W. Martin's involvement with Paneloc Marketing Ltd. and other businesses. Fonds is arranged in the following series 1) E.W. Martin photographs series 2) E.W. Martin military records and photographs series 3) E.W. Martin business records series
- History
- Elmer Wilson Martin (1909-1973) was a professional engineer who lived most of his life in Burnaby. He was born in Treesbank Manitoba to William Henry Martin and Bethia “Bertie” Snell. Elmer married Ellen "Reta" Renetta Boyd (1908-1984) in approx. 1930. The couple moved to Burnaby in 1931 and Elmer graduated from UBC. Following his graduation from UBC, he spent two years at the University of Saskatchewan doing research. From 1936-1937 he worked at the Port Alice mill of the B.C. Pulp and paper Co and later worked for the Boeing aircraft plant at Vancouver. He joined the RCAF in September 1939, serving as chief engineering officer at various Canadian and overseas stations during WWII, until being discharged as a pilot and wing commander in November 1945. He served as NHA assistant regional engineer for a year after his discharge before becoming the owner and operator of Martin Auto Villa at 6574 East Hastings Street in North Burnaby. He was a director of the Burnaby Board of Trade from 1951 and chairman of the Burnaby Industrial Development Board and a member of the Professional Engineers' Association. He ran for Reeve under the Non-Partisan Association in Burnaby's municipal election in 1959 and donated land on Burnaby Mountain for Simon Fraser University. He had many businesses throughout his life including Paneloc Marketing Ltd. and his last one was as Director with the construction company Webb & Knapp Canada Ltd. The couple lived at various locations in Burnaby including, 6574 East Hastings Street eventually settling at 7231 Sutliff Street in North Burnaby in 1957. Elmer's brother, Wilbert Maurice Martin (1907-1980) was also born in Treesbank, Manitoba. Wilbert "Bert" was married to Eva (nee Erhart) Martin (1911-1993). Wilbert and Eva Martin lived on Winch Street in Burnaby. They first lived at 6776 Winch Street before relocating their house to 6656 Winch Street, Burnaby. Wilbert worked in construction as a building contractor and Eva worked as a hostess in the hotel industry. Paneloc buildings were developed by Elmer W. Martin, president of Paneloc Manufacturing Ltd. beginning in 1957 and were based on a design by A.B. Wenaus and Sons Ltd. In 1964, Martin held patents for his design of paneloc buildings in thirty six countries. Since Martin trained as a mechanical engineer, he developed a plan for his home model over a six year period in series of experiments with materials, styles, methods and sizes. Paneloc homes were prefabricated, using specially built bevelled wall panels cut-pie segments to form both the roof and the floor. The wall panels were designed to squeeze together by two metal straps on a turn-buckle basis. The roof and floor were held in place with factory-installed tap block bolts and a long wooden spine which fit in a keyway between the sections. The prefabricated parts were insulated and built with door and window allowances at Harrigan Industries Ltd. in Vancouver where Martin was part owner. Epoxy resin allowed the panels to be assembled without nails using weather-proofed five ply plywood. Sizes of homes varied using four by eight foot wall panels and increasing the span of the floor and roof sections. Harrigan Industries Ltd. continued to sell the prefabricated paneloc buildings until it went into receivership in late 1974.
- Creator
- Martin, Elmer Wilson
- Accession Code
- BV015.39
- BV019.37
- BV019.40
- Date
- 1934-1973
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Architectural Drawing
- Arrangement
- The records are organized into three series based on the individual's business work as well as military and personal life. The photograhs series includes both professional and personal content.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Gillis family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription66689
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1914-1940 (date of originals), copied 2011
- Collection/Fonds
- Gillis family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs (jpeg)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of scanned photographs of the members of the Gillis family.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1914-1940 (date of originals), copied 2011
- Collection/Fonds
- Gillis family fonds
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs (jpeg)
- Material Details
- Records exist only in electronic format
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2011-10
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of scanned photographs of the members of the Gillis family.
- History
- Duncan Gillis was born on March 25, 1892, in Vancouver, B.C., to James Gillis and Isabelle (Adams) Gillis. He had four older siblings: Isabel, Allan, James, and Marion. Duncan died on April 2, 1985, in Kamloops, B.C. James and Isabelle were from New Brunswick and lived in Minnesota for a time, which is where the three oldest children were born, and then came to British Columbia and pioneered in Yennadon (Maple Ridge) in 1890. Florence Ethel Denton was born on December 9, 1894, in Vancouver, B.C. to Edwin Denton and Elizabeth Anne (Zinn) Denton. She had three siblings: John, Edwin, and Beatrice. Florence died on February 28, 1962, in Kamloops, B.C. Edwin Denton was born in England and met Elizabeth in Ohio were she was born. They were married in 1890 in Vancouver. Florence’s older brother, John Montague Denton, was born on August 7, 1892. He enlisted on October 6, 1915, as part of the Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) 72nd Batalion and was killed in France on November 1, 1916, at the age of 24. He is buried in St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France. Duncan married Florence on June 27, 1914, in Eburne, B.C. Florence was the first schoolteacher at the newly built school in Yennadon (Maple Ridge), which was built by Duncan’s father James in 1913. This is how they met. Duncan was working as a carpenter and saw filer before enlisting on January 8, 1916, at the age of 23. He served overseas and was captured as a prisoner of war (POW) for a time. When Duncan returned to Canada, he and Florence had three sons: Boyd Leslie “Bud” born on January 7, 1920; Norman Montague born on August 20, 1921; and Donald Allan Gillis born on February 23, 1923. They raised their family in Burnaby, B.C., and lived there until 1960, then moving to Kamloops, B.C. Bud served overseas as a Flying Officer (Wireless Gunner) during World War II for the 428 (RCAF) Squadron. He was on his fifteenth operation and took part in the raid on Aachem on the night of July 13 (14), 1943, when the plane was shot down over Holland. It was later determined that he had been captured as a POW at Stalag 6 and wasn’t released until May 14, 1945, returning home in August of 1945. He married Mary Irene Thoen and had five children: James, Steven, Donna, Gregory, and Pamela. Boyd was also a carpenter and saw filer and had a saw shop in Kamloops where he raised his family. He also enjoyed woodworking in his spare time and built three airplanes. Boyd died in 1979 in Edmonton, Alberta. Norman Montague served overseas as a Flight Engineer Sergeant during World War II for the 138 RCAF Squadron. His plane crashed in the woods while attempting to land at RAF Woodridge, England, returning from an operational flight. He was pronounced dead on admission to hospital, December 17, 1943, at the age of 22. He is buried in Rushden Cemetery, Northamptonshire, England. Donald served in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve during World War II. He enlisted on May 9, 1942, and was a Signalman on a Corvette in the Atlantic. In 1944, after hearing of the loss of his two older brothers, the RCNR moved him to the Pacific, where he was until November 9, 1945. He married May Yule Ferrier and had two children, Robert and Barbara. Donald graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1951 with a Bachelor's of Science in Civil Engineering. He worked for the City of Burnaby for five years and for the Greater Vancouver Regional District for 32 years, while living in Burnaby, B.C. and raising his family. He retired to the Sunshine Coast, Halfmoon Bay, B.C. in 1988, where he still lives today.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Gillis family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 524
Montgomery family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription77525
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1927-1962
- Collection/Fonds
- Montgomery family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 21 photographs : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists mainly of photographs taken outside the Cunningham house which depict members of both the Montgomery and Cunningham families.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1927-1962
- Collection/Fonds
- Montgomery family fonds
- Physical Description
- 21 photographs : b&w
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2013-09
- 2013-04
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists mainly of photographs taken outside the Cunningham house which depict members of both the Montgomery and Cunningham families.
- History
- Samuel Clifford “Monty” Montgomery was born on July 24, 1894, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He studied Mechanical Engineering at McGill University in Montreal before serving in World War I. After the war, Monty came out west to Vancouver. Marjorie Elizabeth Carpenter was born on May 5, 1900, in Montreal, Quebec. She studied to be a teacher before moving out west with her sister Mildred Carpenter, brother Harold Carpenter, and widowed mother Claire Carpenter in 1920. Marjorie trained to be a nurse from 1920 to 1923 when she moved to Hawaii with her sister and mother. While living in separate countries, Monty and Marjorie courted through correspondence. On July 16, 1927, Monty and Marjorie were married in Hawaii. The couple had two daughters, Margery Kathleen “Kathleen” Montgomery (later Green) born in 1928 and Janet Montgomery (later Fernau) born in 1934. Monty met Fred Cunningham when they were young men. Monty is believed to have helped in the design of the Fred and Edna Cunningham house built in 1923 at 3555 Douglas Road in Burnaby. From 1926 to 1930, both Fred and Monty were working in Ocean Falls, British Columbia. Monty was working at a mill and Fred was an insurance agent. Marjorie (Carpenter) Montgomery was ill with tuberculosis during this time, so their only daughter at the time, Kathleen, was sent to live with Edna Cunningham in Burnaby from the spring of 1929 to the fall of 1930. Though the Montgomery family had settled in Rossland, British Columbia, they would make frequent trips to Vancouver to visit the Cunninghams. Kathleen met Lewis Green in Vancouver and on September 16, 1950, they were married. Their wedding reception was held at the Cunningham’s house. They lived most of their married lives in Vancouver, and each month Kathleen would visit her ‘Aunty’ Edna Cunningham. Janet would visit her ‘Aunty' Edna each week; later she moved permanently to the United Kingdom. The Cunningham and Montgomery families have remained close friends over generations.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Montgomery family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 554
Charles MacSorley fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription55606
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1946-1960
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 49 b&w prints: 39 (approx. 20.5 x 25.5 cm); 1 (15 x 20 cm); 1 (17 x 25.5 cm); 1 (17.5 x 12 cm); 1 (9 x 9 cm); 6 (8 x 11 cm).
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs depicting Municipal events and publicity throughout the 1950s, during the tenure of Charles MacSorley as Council member (1946-1953; 1959-1964) and Reeve (1954-1957).
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1946-1960
- Collection/Fonds
- Charles MacSorley fonds
- Physical Description
- 49 b&w prints: 39 (approx. 20.5 x 25.5 cm); 1 (15 x 20 cm); 1 (17 x 25.5 cm); 1 (17.5 x 12 cm); 1 (9 x 9 cm); 6 (8 x 11 cm).
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Record No.
- 39423
- Accession Number
- 2005-14
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs depicting Municipal events and publicity throughout the 1950s, during the tenure of Charles MacSorley as Council member (1946-1953; 1959-1964) and Reeve (1954-1957).
- History
- Charles Willoughby MacSorley was born on October 2, 1895, as one of seven boys and three girls born to the MacSorley family of Picton, Ontario. When Charles was five, the family moved first to Manitoba. Three years later, they homesteaded at Asquith, Saskatchewan, where they settled for the remainder of Charles’ childhood. In 1916, Charles enlisted with the 65th Regiment from Saskatoon and served overseas throughout the course of the war in France and England. Upon returning home to Saskatchewan after the cessation of hostilities in Europe, Charles ran for and was elected to the local School Board, the first of what would become an impressive list of public offices he would hold throughout the next 50 years. In 1924, Charles married Grace Dobbs and they decided to move west, ending up in Burnaby, British Columbia. Employment opportunities were scarce during the 1920s and 1930s, but Charles worked a steady stream of jobs until he secured a position digging ditches for the Corporation of Burnaby. From 1929 until 1932, Charles worked for the Municipality and helped implement changes to improve working conditions for the labourers in the city, being an active member and later President of the Civic Employees’ Union and fighting to obtain a wage increase for the employees. When the Corporation of Burnaby fell into receivership in 1932, however, Charles was forced to find another job. He was soon hired by the Shell Oil Company and over the next decade, worked his way up from a labourer to engineer. Charles’ desire to serve the public good led him to run for office in 1945 and he was elected to serve as Councillor from 1946 until 1954, at which time he ran successfully for the position of Reeve of the Corporation. He served as Reeve until 1957. Charles then returned to hold a seat on Council once again from 1959 until the end of 1964. Concurrent with his terms in local government, Charles was also elected Chairman of the Greater Vancouver Water District (1956), Chairman of the Greater Vancouver Sewerage District (1957), President of the Union of BC Municipalities (1959) and a member of the Provincial Legislature (1963-1966), the first Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly elected from Burnaby. Charles MacSorley died on February 24, 1976.
- Names
- MacSorley, Charles W.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- MacSorley, Charles W.
- Notes
- BHS486
City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription29
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1892-2021
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 130m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records generated in the course of municipal business by City Council and the Office of the City Clerk.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1892-2021
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Physical Description
- 130m of textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records generated in the course of municipal business by City Council and the Office of the City Clerk.
- History
- The City of Burnaby covers an area of approximately 98 square kilometers between the cities of Vancouver to the west, and Coquitlam and New Westminster to the east, Burrard Inlet to the north, and the Fraser River to the south. The municipality derived its name from Robert Burnaby, a prominent businessman and advisor to Sir James Douglas, the first Governor of the Crown Colony of British Columbia. Burnaby’s early development was closely tied to the development of the City of New Westminster. New Westminster became British Columbia’s capital in 1859, the year after the British Government proclaimed the establishment of British Columbia. Shortly thereafter, the Royal Engineers began exploring Burnaby to establish military defenses and secure natural resources. This involved the construction of a road linking New Westminster to Burrard Inlet for military purposes, which is present-day North Road. At this time, individuals and families began settling in Burnaby and were largely involved in agricultural and logging activities. Burnaby developed slowly until 1887, when the Canadian Pacific Railway was extended into Vancouver from the Port Moody terminal, causing a dramatic increase in traffic between New Westminster and Vancouver. To meet the new transportation demands, a tramline was built in 1891 connecting the two urban centers along what is now Kingsway. The creation and location of the tramline induced property owners to begin subdividing and selling their lands as early as October 1891. The property taxes the roughly 200 residents paid at this time went directly to the provincial government in Victoria. No local services were provided in turn, which prompted the formation of a committee to petition the provincial government for a municipal charter. As a result, the Corporation of the District of Burnaby was incorporated by letters patent on September 22, 1892. Burnaby’s first Council was elected by acclamation on October 15, 1892 and consisted of Reeve Charles R. Shaw and councillors William Brenchley, Arthur De Windt Hazard, L. Claude Hill, William McDermott, and John Woolard.* The first formal Council election was conducted three months later. Nicolai Shou became the first elected reeve of Burnaby by ballot. Council met at various locations, including the tramline’s power house, private homes, and offices until the first municipal hall was built at Kingsway and Edmonds in 1899. Council is ultimately responsible for the government of the City of Burnaby. The Mayor (formally called “Reeve” prior to 1968) and Council are elected by the residents of Burnaby to represent them in decisions with respect to the provision of public services and facilities. Additionally, the Mayor represents the citizens of Burnaby at various public functions and events. Burnaby was without Council representation during most of the Great Depression and part of the Second World War. Council was disbanded on December 31, 1932 as a result of financial difficulties. The Provincial Government appointed a Commissioner to take over the duties of Reeve and Council beginning in 1933. This system of government was retained until January 1943, when Burnaby residents could once again elect their local government officials. The following individuals have served as Mayor (or Reeve) of Burnaby: Charles R. Shaw 1892 Nicolai C. Schou 1893-1903 Charles F. Sprott 1904-1905 Peter Byrne 1906-1910 John W. Weart 1911-1912 Duncan C. McGregor 1913 Hugh M. Fraser 1914-1918 Thomas Sanderson 1919-1920 Alexander K. McLean 1921-1926; 1928-1929 Charles C. Bell 1927 William L. Burdick 1929 William A. Pritchard 1930-1932 William Tate Wilson 1943-1944 George A. Morrison 1945-1949 William R. Beamish 1950-1953 Charles W. MacSorley 1954-1957 Alan H. Emmott 1958-1968 Robert W. Prittie 1969-1973 Thomas W. Constable 1973-1979 David M. Mercier 1979-1981 William A. Lewarne 1981-1987 William J. Copeland 1987-1996 Douglas P. Drummond 1996-2002 Derek R. Corrigan 2002-2018 Mike Hurley 2018-present The following individuals have served as provincially appointed Commissioners for the Corporation of the District of Burnaby: John Bennett 1933 John Mahony 1933-1934 Hugh M. Fraser 1934-1940* R.S. Gilchrist 1941-1942* B.C. Bracewell 1942* *Richard Bolton was Acting Commissioner for most of 1940-1942. He refused to be a full-fledged Commissioner. Closely associated with the functions of Council is the City Clerk. The Office of the City Clerk is responsible for the statutory duties of the municipal clerk including the preparation and preservation of all minutes books and records of Council business, custody of City bylaws, administrative support to Council and its Committees, preparation of Council and Committee agendas and the conduct of local government elections. The Clerk’s Office is the communications link between Council and other City Departments and the general public, and provides assistance and advice to citizens with respect to Council and Council Committee processes, reporting procedures and decisions. At the time of Burnaby’s incorporation in 1892, the municipal Clerk had the responsibility to attend all meetings of Council, keep all records of Council, prepare and alter voters’ lists, conduct Council elections, collect revenue, as well as having the responsibility to prepare balance sheets and audits. An advertisement in a local newspaper for the appointment of the Clerk dated February 1, 1905 states the “united offices of clerk, collector and assessor” receive a salary of $65.00 per month. Originally the treasurer, assessor and records manager for the corporation, the Clerk eventually became the municipal Council liaison. The primary functions of the City Clerk over time have been the keeping of minutes for the meetings of City Council and related bodies; keeping the records of the City of Burnaby as required by the Local Government Act (formally Municipal Act); keeping all records related to City Council decision making; carrying out correspondence on behalf of Council; assembling voters’ lists and carrying out elections; providing communication, information, and public relations services, including responsibility for civic ceremonies/events, and the municipal archives. The following individuals have served as City Clerk: Alexander Philip 1892–1894 Alfred Smither 1894–1899 F.J.H. Shirley 1899–1901 Arthur De Windt Haszard 1901–1902 Walter J. Walker 1902–1905 Benjamin George Walker 1905–1908 Charles Thomas Saunders 1908–1911 W.M. Griffiths 1911–1912 Arthur G. Moore 1912–1933 Charles Boyer Brown 1933–1959 John H. Shaw 1959–1973* James Hudson 1974–1984 Charles A. Turpin 1984–1995 Debbie R. Comis 1995–2011 Anne Skipsey (Acting) 2011-2012 Maryann Manuel (Acting) 2012-2014 Dennis Back 2014-2018 Kate O'Connell 2018-2020 Blanka Zeinabova 2020-2022 *Deputy City Clerk T. Ward took over many of the Clerk’s duties from 1972 to 1973 due to Shaw’s ill health during these years.
- Formats
- Microforms exist for some records. See series descriptions.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on creators of fonds
Fire Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription47
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1920-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Fire Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records, graphic material, and cartographic material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of news clippings; notes correspondence; and layout and research materials used in the development and creation of the Burnaby Fire Department history entitled “Follow that Fire.” Also consists of administrative records created by the Fire Department related to its management, direct…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1920-2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Fire Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 m of textual records, graphic material, and cartographic material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of news clippings; notes correspondence; and layout and research materials used in the development and creation of the Burnaby Fire Department history entitled “Follow that Fire.” Also consists of administrative records created by the Fire Department related to its management, direction, coordination, training services, and planning, including daily record books, emergency preparedness pamphlets, a departmental practice manual, procedural directives, scrapbooks, and an orthophoto map (in 63 pieces) of the City of Burnaby.
- History
- Serving the City since 1911, the Burnaby Fire Department is committed to providing timely, professional, and effective fire-related emergency services to save lives, property and the environment. Their dedicated staff serves the City via seven fire stations located strategically across Burnaby. Each of our stations is equipped with up-to-date vehicles and equipment. Their highly skilled and trained team of men and women provide many services, including fire suppression and prevention, investigation, inspection, training, medical, vehicle extrication, technical and other speciality rescues, hazardous materials response and public education services. The following information pertains to the publication "Follow That Fire": Communities have always lived with the threat of fire. Early Burnaby residents banded together to extinguish out-of-control brush fires. In the 1920s, the Municipal Police were responsible for fire-related matters, earning three dollars for attending a fire. Donations to the Vancouver and New Westminster Fire Departments' Benevolent Funds brought the first fire engines to Burnaby's rescue. As the population increased, by-laws were enacted to develop a full-time fire service. Several members saw the value in jotting down recollections of their experiences as Burnaby firemen, which sparked an interest in completing the History of the Burnaby Fire Department. While researching this project, the author was fortunate in being able to draw from the resources of retired chiefs Fred Blake and Lewis Auvache, who were original members of the Department. The Department's progression includes heated and sometimes humorous debates regarding who should be responsible for fire protection, deciding if there was a need for a fire services, and how taxes would be levied to support the service. Photographs throughout the text represent stages of development which include a pictorial record of Burnaby fire trucks from 1923 to the present platform ladder trucks. From its humble beginning as two separate fire departments operating from a converted police horse stable and a water pumping station, the Burnaby Fire Department has developed into a professional organization serving its citizens from six fire stations.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Cartographic Material
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Fred K. Leggett family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18773
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1900]-1993, predominant [1900-1947]
- Collection/Fonds
- Fred K. Leggett family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 16 photographs + 1 videocassette
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a collection of photographs of the Leggett family, the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel, the Lone Star Circus, a film created by family members that documents the opening day of the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel at Burnaby Village Museum along with photographs of Parker Carousel "Carry…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Fred K. Leggett family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 16 photographs + 1 videocassette
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a collection of photographs of the Leggett family, the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel, the Lone Star Circus, a film created by family members that documents the opening day of the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel at Burnaby Village Museum along with photographs of Parker Carousel "Carry Us All" in Alum Rock San Jose.
- History
- Fred Kirk Leggett was the first owner of the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel. Fred and Norvie Leggett had six children including, Norvie, Fred D., Leon, Dedie and Ralph. The eldest daughter (name unknown) of F.K. and Norvie Leggett died in 1911. In 1913 the carousel was sold to Fred K. Leggett of Houston Texas for $5,886.00 and was originally equipped with a steam engine and ""wishbones/grass-hopper/jumping horse"" mechanisms. It toured Texas for two years with the Lone Star Circus until 1915 when the machine was shipped back to the factory. It is believed that the machine was rebuilt by the factory with fancier horses and heavier rounding boards referred to as the “Superior” style. Some of the horses were built around 1917 and some between 1920 and 1922. The factory records consulted do not tell for certain where the machine went between 1915 and 1936, possibly to San Jose, California from 1918 until 1922 and then to San Francisco California, or Tacoma, Washington. The carousel was installed at Happyland in the nineteen thirties and then moved to Playland and the PNE. In 1989 "The Lower Mainland Association of Friends of the Vancouver Carousel" came together save the carousel from destruction. With a lot of hard work, the help of the Government of British Columbia and the support of the Municipality of Burnaby, the carousel was purchased. Funds were also raised by The Friends of the Carousel to pay for the restoration, and Burnaby agreed to build a new pavilion for it as a Centennial project. The Centennial Parker Carousel (C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel) and the Don Wrigley Pavilion where the carousel is housed, opened at Burnaby Village Museum on March 25, 1993. The eldest daughter of F.K. Leggett, Norvie Leggett Frame and other members of the Leggett family were in attendance for the opening of the newly restored carousel at Burnaby Village Museum in 1993.
- Responsibility
- Frame, Norvie Leggett
- Accession Code
- BV993.18
- BV993.51
- BV004.94
- BV005.49
- BV005.63
- Date
- [1900]-1993, predominant [1900-1947]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Arrangement
- Fonds is arranged by subject from various donations that orignated from the Leggett family.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Contact Burnaby Village Museum to view video content
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
Margaret Norton fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15346
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1917-1979], predominant [193-]
- Collection/Fonds
- Margaret Norton fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 28 photographs + 5 textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of family photographs of members of the Knight-Roberts family and their home at 931 Gilmore Avenue in Burnaby along with a baptismal certificate for Margaret Knight; a marriage certificate for Margaret Knight and John Leonard Norton and school certificates for Margaret Knight.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Margaret Norton fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 28 photographs + 5 textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of family photographs of members of the Knight-Roberts family and their home at 931 Gilmore Avenue in Burnaby along with a baptismal certificate for Margaret Knight; a marriage certificate for Margaret Knight and John Leonard Norton and school certificates for Margaret Knight.
- History
- Margaret “Margie” Norton (nee Knight) (1912-2010) is a daughter of Ernest Richard Knight (born 1877 in Burstow, Surrey, England) and Louise Augusta Knight (nee Ellis) (born in 1882 in South Horsham, England). Ernest Knight and Louise Ellis married in Vancouver in May 1908 at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver. Ernest and Louise had five children; Naida (Hansen), Margaret (Norton), Frederick "Fred", Lila (McKinley) and Dolly (Walker-Kirkwood). Margaret and Frederick were twins. Sometime in the 1920s, Ernest Knight left his wife and family and moved to Australia. After Ernest left, Louise Knight lived common law with her partner Charles Roberts. Louise and Charles had one son, Charles Thomas "Bob" Roberts. The Knight-Roberts family home was located at 931 Gilmore Avenue in Burnaby. The house was relocated to this address from the forty hundred block of Georgia Street sometime in the mid 1920s. Louise Knight-Roberts (nee Ellis) lived at 931 Gilmore Avenue in Burnaby until her death in 1950. Charles Roberts died in 1956. Margaret and her siblings attended Gilmore Avenue School until Kitchener School was completed. She was the first May Queen at Kitchener School. Margaret Knight and her twin brother Fred were among the first graduating class of Kitchener School in 1925. Margaret married John Leonard “Jack” Norton in 1947 at Vancouver Heights United Church. Margaret worked at a factory making bags for Bonar and Bemis until she married Jack. Jack worked as a stationery engineer for Nelson's Laundry. Margaret and Jack lived at the former Knight-Roberts home at 931 Gilmore Avenue. Margaret and Jack had two children, Darlene and Rey. Margaret Knight was a lifetime Burnaby resident residing at 931 Gilmore Avenue until her death at 98 yrs in 2010. Her husband Jack died in 1990.
- Responsibility
- Norton, John Leonard "Jack"
- Norton, Margaret Knight
- Accession Code
- BV020.34
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- [1917-1979], predominant [193-]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Arrangement
- Arrangement of records is based on the arrangement by donor.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds