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The book of common praise : being the hymn book of the Church of England in Canada
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1594
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Church of England in Canada
- Publication Date
- 1927
- Call Number
- 783.9 CHU 1927
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV985.3913.1
- Call Number
- 783.9 CHU 1927
- Author
- Church of England in Canada
- Contributor
- Jones, James Edmund, 1866-1939
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Publication Date
- 1927
- Printer
- Humphrey Milford
- Physical Description
- xv, 276 p. ; 12 cm.
- Inscription
- "--------(?)" -- engraved on front cover "Esmie Thompson" -- handwritten in ink on endpaper (front). "---- me ---- 23, ----tt --25.52 -- 24.25 --- me tt 8.66 15.60" -- handwritten in pencil (slightly erased) on endpaper (front). "Where is Jean Emerson?" -- handwritten in ink on endpaper (back). "15-62 / 7-64" -- handwritten in pencil on endpaper (back).
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Church of England in Canada--Hymns
- Hymns, English
- Hymns
- Notes
- "Compiled by a committee of the General Synod" --Title page
- printed in England at the Oxford University Press.
- Toronto: Humphrey Milford 25-27 Richmond St. W.
- Includes index.
Claim of A. England
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport71007
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 735459
- Meeting Date
- 10-May-1920
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 735459
- Meeting Date
- 10-May-1920
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
![England family home on Royal Oak Avenue, [between 1927 and 1930] (date of original) , copied 2020 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/2020/2020_0009_0002_001.jpg?width=280)
England family home on Royal Oak Avenue
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12230
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1927 and 1930] (date of original) , copied 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary England fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : b&w ; 600 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Craftsman style house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue near Victory Street in Burnaby (address was changed to 7353 Royal Oak Aveue after 1958). The house was built in 1914 and was the home of Alfred Henry and Mary England (nee Gooding). Alfred H. England died suddenly in 1917. Mary…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary England fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : b&w ; 600 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a Craftsman style house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue near Victory Street in Burnaby (address was changed to 7353 Royal Oak Aveue after 1958). The house was built in 1914 and was the home of Alfred Henry and Mary England (nee Gooding). Alfred H. England died suddenly in 1917. Mary England continued to live in the house before settling in a house that she had built on Griffiths Avenue in 1930.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Residential - Houses
- Geographic Access
- Royal Oak Avenue
- Victory Street
- Accession Code
- BV020.9.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [between 1927 and 1930] (date of original) , copied 2020
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Alta Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Clinton-Glenwood Area
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 12-Feb-20
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![England family home on Royal Oak Avenue, [between 1927 and 1930] (date of original) , copied 2020 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/2020/2020_0009_0002_001.jpg)
History of England for public schools
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary15
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV971.5.15
- Call Number
- 942 MAC c.1
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Publisher
- The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited
- Publication Date
- 1924
- Series
- The Western Canada series
- Physical Description
- 336 p. : ill., ports ; 20 cm.
- Inscription
- "Winnie Jeffery / 4531 Burke St. / Inman Ave. School / Central Parks / B.C."--Handwritten in ink on front past down. "May 15 1933"--Handwritten in pencil on front past down. "Don't steal this book...For $1.60 is cost mum"--Handwritten in pencil on front paste down. "1933" and "Don't steal this / book...carries a pocket / knife." and "Sweet little Emily Rose,...and sweet Little Emily 'Rose'"--Handwritten in pencil on front end paper. "June 14, 1933 / age 13"--Handwritten in pencil on t.p. "May 15, 1933 / June 15, 1933"--Handwritten in pencil on verso of t.p. "May 16th/1929"--Handwritten in pencil on back fly leaf. Study notes handwritten in pencil on back fly leaf and paste down. 5 transfer pictures of mostly household items adhered to front end paper.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Great Britain--History
- Notes
- Includes index.
- Copy 1 of 3
- "Authorized by the Department of Education for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia."--T.p.
- "Copyright, Canada, Nineteen Hundred and Ten, by Morang Educational Company Limited"--T.p. verso.
- Includes a chapter on "The Great War"
History of England for public schools
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary471
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV987.18.12
- Call Number
- 942 MAC COPY 1
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Publisher
- The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited
- Publication Date
- 1922
- Series
- The Western Canada series
- Physical Description
- 336 p. : ill., ports ; 20 cm.
- Inscription
- "Margery Dingman / Div. III / I pity the maid / I pity the cook / I pity the guy that / steals the book"--handwritten in pencil on end paper.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Great Britain--History
- Notes
- Includes index.
- Copy 1 of 3
- "Authorized by the Department of Education for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia."--T.p.
- "Copyright, Canada, Nineteen Hundred and Ten, by Morang Educational Company Limited"--T.p. verso.
- Includes a chapter on "The Great War"
History of England for public schools
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1727
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV984.21.41
- Call Number
- 942 MAC
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Publisher
- The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited
- Publication Date
- 1928
- Series
- The Western Canada series
- Physical Description
- 336 p. : ill., ports ; 20 cm.
- Inscription
- "English History / Vera Marrow / Grade VIII / Kitchener"--Handwritten in ink on book cover wrap sponsored by The Royal Bank of Canada. "cbf / afd / ace / l_c / Bfh" and "Vera Marrow"--Handwritten in pencil on front fly leaf. "Page 319 / " 192"--Handwritten in pencil on verso of front fly leaf. "Vera Marrow"--Handwritten in blue ink on small paper adhered to book cover on back paste down. Study notes handwritten in pencil on p. 336.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Great Britain--History
- Notes
- Includes index.
- "Authorized by the Department of Education for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia."
- "Copyright, Canada, Nineteen Hundred and Ten, by Morang Educational Company Limited"--title page verso.
- Includes a chapter on "The Great War"
Leave of Absences for Miss Leigh and Mrs. England
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport67927
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 60309
- Meeting Date
- 17-Mar-1924
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 60309
- Meeting Date
- 17-Mar-1924
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Mary England fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12234
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1915-1934 (date of originals), copied 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary England fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs (tiffs) : b&w ; 600 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a small collection of photographs documenting the life of Mary England (nee Gooding). Photographs include the house of Mary and Alfred England on Royal Oak Avenue; Mary England's house on Griffiths Avenue and of Mary and Alfred England ca. 1915.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Mary England fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs (tiffs) : b&w ; 600 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a small collection of photographs documenting the life of Mary England (nee Gooding). Photographs include the house of Mary and Alfred England on Royal Oak Avenue; Mary England's house on Griffiths Avenue and of Mary and Alfred England ca. 1915.
- History
- Mary England was born to parents Robert and Mary (nee Morgan) Gooding in Wales on March 30, 1879. Mary and her brother Robert Nathaniel Gooding came to Canada from the U.K. in 1905. While living in Canada, Mary met and married Alfred Henry England. The couple lived in a house on Hornby Street in Vancouver which they ran as a boarding house. In 1914, Mary and Alfred moved to a house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue and Victory Street in Burnaby (house number changed to7353 after 1958). Alfred worked in the composing room at the Vancouver Province until his untimely death in October 1917. Mary continued to reside in their home on Royal Oak until 1930 when she built and moved into a house on Griffiths Avenue in Burnaby. Mary was employed as an office clerk with the Municipality of the District of Burnaby. Mary England was an active member of the community including becoming the first president of the West Burnaby auxiliary of the Victorian Order of Nurses between 1915 and 1917 and a founding member of the Burnaby Civic Employees Union in 1919. She often spoke out about issues that impacted female workers, and felt that the wages for the inside workers, many of whom were women, were inadequate. Often on England’s motions, the Union from time to time brought to Council concerns about the treatment of women, including behaviour of managers in the general office, suspension of a young woman for her choice of clothes, and in 1931, health issues that warranted “accommodation…for the ladies in the Hall.” Mary served as president of the union from 1922-1923 and held leadership roles in the New Westminster Trades and Labour Council. Mary served as union secretary until 1934, after losing her position as municipal employee during the Great Depression. She and the union tried to fight her dismissal, but to no avail as they were told that the reasons were purely economic. The union honoured her with a Life time membership at St. Alban's Hall a few months later. Mary died in Burnaby in 1959 at the age of 79 years.
- Responsibility
- England, Mary
- Accession Code
- BV020.9
- Date
- 1915-1934 (date of originals), copied 2020
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Payment to Mrs. England for Illness Absence
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport67614
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 59929
- Meeting Date
- 18-Jul-1927
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 59929
- Meeting Date
- 18-Jul-1927
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Request for Assistance re Returning R.W. Simpson to England
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport67602
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 58483
- Meeting Date
- 17-Sep-1928
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 58483
- Meeting Date
- 17-Sep-1928
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Test cricket: a unique record of England v. Australia matches (1877-1921)
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1557
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Sparks, William P.H.
- Edition
- 2nd ed.
- Publication Date
- 1924
- Call Number
- 796.35875 SPA
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV985.3856.1
- Call Number
- 796.35875 SPA
- Edition
- 2nd ed.
- Author
- Sparks, William P.H.
- Place of Publication
- London
- Publisher
- J. M. Ouseley & Son
- Publication Date
- 1924
- Printer
- Chance and Bland
- Physical Description
- ix, 198 p. ; 19 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Sports
- Notes
- Contains index.
E.W. Bateman House 'Elworth'
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark538
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- The E.W. Bateman House is a one-and-one-half storey wood-frame residence set within in a garden landscape. The house and its adjacent garage are the only historic buildings standing on their original site within the Burnaby Village Museum property.
- Associated Dates
- 1922
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Other Names
- Edwin & Mary Bateman Residence
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Other Names
- Edwin & Mary Bateman Residence
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Associated Dates
- 1922
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 9807
- Enactment Date
- 23/11/1992
- Description
- The E.W. Bateman House is a one-and-one-half storey wood-frame residence set within in a garden landscape. The house and its adjacent garage are the only historic buildings standing on their original site within the Burnaby Village Museum property.
- Heritage Value
- The E.W. Bateman House was constructed in the Deer Lake Crescent subdivision, that was originally promoted in 1911 as an upper class suburban neighbourhood. It represents one of the first residential developments in the City of Burnaby that required buildings to be of a specific value, thus demonstrating the desire for exclusivity among the successful businessmen who chose to settle in the area. The house and grounds illustrate the reduced scale of upper-class residential construction at a time of modest returning prosperity that followed the end of the First World War, and the social, cultural, lifestyle and leisure sensibilities of the owners in the Deer Lake Crescent subdivision: such values as social aspiration, racial exclusivity, demonstration of architectural taste, and importance of a landscaped garden. The heritage value of the E.W. Bateman House is its comprehensive representation of an upper middle-class suburban residence of the early 1920s. It was built for retired CPR executive Edwin Wettenhall Bateman (1859-1957) and his wife, Mary (Dale) Bateman (1865-1935), by contractor William Dodson in 1922. The Bateman House was designed by English-born and trained architect Enoch Evans (1862-1939) of E. Evans and Son, and is an important surviving residential design by Evans, and a typical example of the eclectic Period Revival influences that were common to domestic architecture in the post-First World War era. The symmetry of the imposing front verandah, supported by exaggerated Ionic columns, gives the relatively-modest house an image of grandeur and formality. Named after Edwin Bateman’s birthplace in Cheshire, England, ‘Elworth’ also symbolizes allegiance to England and the patriotic tenor of the time. The heritage value for this house also lies in its interpretive value within the Burnaby Village Museum. The site is an important cultural feature for the interpretation of Burnaby’s heritage to the public. The E.W. Bateman House was purchased by Burnaby in 1970 and became the focal point for the development of the Museum. Both the interior and exterior of the house have been restored and interpreted to the date of original construction, including recreated room interiors and period furnishings.
- Defining Elements
- The elements that define the heritage character of the E.W. Bateman House include its: - rectangular form and massing with central entry on long side - side gable roof with front shed dormer with cedar shingle cladding - symmetry of front facade - full open front verandah inset under the roofline, supported with Ionic columns - cedar shingle siding - multi-paned double-hung wooden-sash windows, mixture of 6-over-1 and 8-over-1 - symmetrical disposition of fenestration, with double-assembly units on the ground floor - exterior shutters - two flanking brick chimneys on the side elevations - interior room layouts and original interior features such as quality millwork and original hardware - original garage at the rear of the house
- Locality
- Deer Lake Park
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
- Organization
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Architect
- Enoch Evans
- E. Evans and Son
- Builder
- William Dodson
- Function
- Primary Current--Museum
- Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D. No. 011-030-356 Legal Description: Parcel 1, District Lot 79 and District Lot 85, Group 1, New Westminster District, Reference Plan 77594
- Boundaries
- Burnaby Village Museum is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
- Area
- 38,488.63
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Landscape Feature
- Structure
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Documentation
- Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
- Subjects
- Buildings - Residential
- Buildings - Residential - Houses
- Buildings - Heritage
- Buildings - Civic - Museums
- Street Address
- 6501 Deer Lake Avenue
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
George Derby Centre
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark705
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- Cumberland Street
- Associated Dates
- 1947
- Heritage Value
- The George Derby Centre was opened in 1947 as a rehabilitation Centre for young disabled veterans returning from the war. The centre was named after George Cleveland Derby, a World War I veteran who was injured in the Battle of Vimy Ridge and later went on to become a District Administrator in the Department of Solders’ Civil Re-establishment, the forerunner of the Department of Veterans Affairs. His work took him to wartime England where he was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1943 for patriotic and philanthropic work.
- Historic Neighbourhood
- East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Cariboo-Armstrong Area
- Street Address
- 7550 Cumberland Street
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
Louis & Annie Hill Residence
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark504
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- The Louis and Annie Hill Residence is a modest one-storey, wood-frame, side-gabled Arts and Crafts bungalow with two projecting front gables, that was originally part of the Deer Lake Crescent Subdivision. The lot is heavily treed, and sits near the east end of Deer Lake.
- Associated Dates
- 1925
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Avenue
- Associated Dates
- 1925
- Description
- The Louis and Annie Hill Residence is a modest one-storey, wood-frame, side-gabled Arts and Crafts bungalow with two projecting front gables, that was originally part of the Deer Lake Crescent Subdivision. The lot is heavily treed, and sits near the east end of Deer Lake.
- Heritage Value
- The heritage value of the Louis and Annie Hill Residence lies in its association with prominent Burnaby pioneers, Louis Hill (1860-1931) and his wife, Annie Sara Hill (née Kenrick, 1864-1957). Originally from London, England, Louis Hill immigrated to Burnaby circa 1887, and established a small fruit farm on this site in 1891. Hill was elected to the first municipal council in 1892, when Burnaby was incorporated, and was later responsible for the subdivision of Buckingham Estate in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. The Louis and Annie Hill Residence, built as a retirement home in 1925, is further valued as a representation of the continued suburban development of the Deer Lake Crescent Subdivision, that was originally promoted in 1911 as an upper class suburban neighbourhood. Its modest nature illustrates the reduced scale of residential construction during the austere times that followed the end of the First World War. The style of the house demonstrates the late persistence of the Arts and Crafts movement, which remained a strong influence on domestic architecture. In 2006, the Louis and Annie Hill Residence was purchased by the City of Burnaby, and today it is part of the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct, Burnaby's most significant collection of historic sites.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the Louis and Annie Hill Residence include its: - location within the Deer Lake Park Heritage Precinct - residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its one-storey height plus crawlspace, side-gabled-roof, front projecting gables, square projecting front bay and open front porch - wood-frame construction with original wood siding intact under a later coat of stucco - modest Arts and Crafts details such as diamond-point triangular eave brackets - windows, including double-hung, 1-over-1 wooden sash windows with horns - associated landscape features, including mature cedars lining the driveway
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
- Function
- Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
- Primary Current--Single Dwelling
- Community
- Deer Lake
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D.012-446-963
- Boundaries
- The Louis and Annie Hill Residence is comprised of a single residential lot located at 6570 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
- Area
- 1521.75
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Ownership
- Public (local)
- Documentation
- City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, Heritage Site Files
- Street Address
- 6570 Deer Lake Avenue
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
Lozells Neighbourhood
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark756
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Associated Dates
- 1905-1924
- Heritage Value
- In 1906 C.T. Piper and Alfred Wiggs built a sawmill at the foot of what is now Piper Avenue along the north shore of Burnaby Lake. These operations and the proximity of the Great Northern Railway encourage settlers to move into this area and among them were Colonel and Mrs. James Ward. They were authorized to open a post office here and Mrs. Ward named it 'Lozells' after the Anglican parish to which she had been a member in Birmingham, England.
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lozells (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Government Road Area
Images
Mortimer-Lamb House
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark494
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- The Mortimer-Lamb House is a one and one half-storey, Arts and Crafts-style residence with a steeply pitched, side-gabled roof. The original cottage form has been enlarged with a later addition on the west side of the house. Located next to the Burnaby Lake Regional Park Wildlife Rescue Care Centre…
- Associated Dates
- c.1922
- Formal Recognition
- Community Heritage Register
- Other Names
- Harold & Katherine Mortimer-Lamb Residence
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Other Names
- Harold & Katherine Mortimer-Lamb Residence
- Geographic Access
- Glencarin Drive
- Associated Dates
- c.1922
- Formal Recognition
- Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Council Resolution
- Enactment Date
- 26/05/2003
- Description
- The Mortimer-Lamb House is a one and one half-storey, Arts and Crafts-style residence with a steeply pitched, side-gabled roof. The original cottage form has been enlarged with a later addition on the west side of the house. Located next to the Burnaby Lake Regional Park Wildlife Rescue Care Centre, the house has picturesque views of Burnaby Lake.
- Heritage Value
- Built circa 1922, the Mortimer-Lamb House is valued for its association with first owners, Harold Mortimer-Lamb (1872-1970), and his wife, Katherine Mary Mortimer-Lamb (1873-1939). Born in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, Harold Mortimer-Lamb immigrated to Canada in 1889. Seven years later in Vancouver, he married Katherine Mary Lindsay, a native of Winnipeg. Mortimer-Lamb was a key figure in the B.C. mining industry, serving as Secretary of the Mining Association of B.C. between 1900 and 1945, and also as the Secretary of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. In addition to his professional life, Mortimer-Lamb was a pioneer art photographer and was among Canada's leading art critics, and this house served as a central gathering place for renowned Canadian artists of the day. Mortimer-Lamb’s daughter, Molly Lamb Bobak (born 1922), became a renowned watercolourist, and was the only woman ever hired as an official Canadian war artist. The Mortimer-Lamb House is a significant example of the work of noted architect, Samuel Maclure (1860-1929) and his partner, Ross Lort (1889-1969). Maclure, who was a close friend of the Mortimer-Lamb family, was British Columbia's leading residential architect, and was renowned for his high quality designs for prominent citizens in both Vancouver and Victoria. Maclure was a leading exponent of the Art and Crafts design movement in B.C., and established a sophisticated local variation of residential architecture. The Mortimer-Lamb House was designed at the time when Maclure was in partnership with Ross Lort. In 1907, Lort began working for Maclure's firm as a draftsman, and by 1920 was in charge of Maclure's Vancouver office. Lort's architectural career spanned some sixty-years, and he designed some of the province's most familiar houses, apartments, institutions and places of worship. The Mortimer-Lamb House is also a significant local example of the Arts and Crafts style, and incorporates elements such as board-and-batten siding on the ground floor, shingled gables and leaded casement windows. It is a testament to the domestic architecture built outside of established suburbs during the post-First World War era, typically modest in scale and representative of middle-class residential ideals.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the Mortimer-Lamb House include its: - treed setting with views of Burnaby Lake - residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its one and one-half storey height, rectangular plan and steeply pitched side-gabled roof - wood-frame construction - Arts and Crafts elements such as board-and-batten siding on the ground floor, cedar shingles in the gables and open soffits - original straight-leaded casement windows in single and multiple-assembly - internal red-brick chimney with corbelled cap
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Lake Area
- Organization
- Mining Association of B.C.
- G.F. and J. Galt Limited
- Architect
- Samuel Maclure
- Ross Lort
- Function
- Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
- Primary Current--Single Dwelling
- Community
- Burnaby Lake
- Cadastral Identifier
- P.I.D.002-977-788
- Boundaries
- The Mortimer-Lamb House is comprised of a single residential lot located at 5180 Glencairn Drive, Burnaby.
- Area
- 5652.78
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Ownership
- Private
- Documentation
- City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, Heritage Site Files
- Street Address
- 5180 Glencarin Drive
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
Titania's palace : an illustrated handbook
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2972
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV972.117.13
- Call Number
- 745.592 WIL
- Edition
- 16th ed.
- Place of Publication
- [London]
- Publisher
- Wilkinson
- Publication Date
- c1926
- Physical Description
- 40 p. : ill. ; 18 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Dollhouses--England
- Fairies--England
- Miniature craft
Burnaby's heritage : an inventory of buildings and structures
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5437
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Luxton, Donald, 1954-
- Wolf, Jim
- Edition
- Rev.
- Publication Date
- 2011
- c2007
- Call Number
- 971.133 LUX COPY 1
is notable as being the first
municipality on the coast to adopt the single tax, all
buildings and other real estate improvements being
exempt from taxation.”
Henry J. Boam, British Columbia: Its History, People,
Commerce, Industries and Resources. London,
England: Sells Limited, 1912.
4
�history
centers
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Digital Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- ISBN
- 0969282893
- Call Number
- 971.133 LUX COPY 1
- Edition
- Rev.
- Author
- Luxton, Donald, 1954-
- Wolf, Jim
- Place of Publication
- Burnaby, B.C.
- Publisher
- City of Burnaby
- Publication Date
- 2011
- c2007
- Physical Description
- 157 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Architecture
- Historic buildings
- Buildings
- Historic sites
- Subjects
- Buildings
- Buildings - Heritage
- Notes
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- 2 copies held: copy 1.
Digital Books
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
- Clothing
- Crafts
- Employment
- Migration
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Occupations - Labourers
- Occupations - Millworkers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Names
- Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
- Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
- Manhas, Ghania Singh
- Singh, Mayo
- Manhas, Kashmir Singh
- Manhas, Sher Singh
- Manhas, Budhan Kaur
- Manhas, Lashman Singh
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.5
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
- Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
- Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19347
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (m4a) (118 min., 39 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (115 min., 20 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill and their daughter, Prem Kaur Gill conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep. The interview is conducted in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The three members of the Gill family share the…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (m4a) (118 min., 39 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (115 min., 20 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewers: Anushay Malik, Rajdeep Interviewees: Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill Location of Interview: Gill family residence on Warwick Avenue in Burnaby Interview Date: November 11, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (1:58:39) Digital master recording (m4a) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill and their daughter, Prem Kaur Gill conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep. The interview is conducted in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The three members of the Gill family share their ancestral background, their personal experiences immigrating to Canada, living in Burnaby and working in British Columbia as South Asian immigrants. 00:00 – 27:34 Santokh “Gurmail” Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill share their migration stories and experiences living and working in British Columbia as South Asian immigrants and their eldest child, Prem Kaur Gill shares her own experiences as a child of South Asian immigrants and growing up in British Columbia as a South Asian Canadian. Gurmail Singh Gill was born in the District of Jalandhar and Mohinder Kaur Gill was born in Hoshiapur of the Indian state of Punjab. Gurmail describes how he moved from India to England with his family in 1957, immigrated to Canada from England in 1966, married his wife Mohinder in England in 1968 and brought his family (parents and two siblings) to Canada from England in 1970 and other relatives including his wife’s family in the 1970s and 1980s. Mohinder and Gurmail Gill recollect their arranged marriage in England in 1968, their immigration process and explain how they arrived in Burnaby residing with a cousin at 4649 Georgia Street until they were able to purchase their own home after a few years. Gurmail shares names and connections to the relatives that came to British Columbia before him. Gurmail and Mohinder tell how they lived in the basement of the house and rented out the upper floor to save money. The couple recall what they brought with them when they immigrated to Canada and Mohinder Kaur Gill tells of how before leaving India, she and her mother made a special rajai for her to take with her. Mohinder describes the process of making a rajai (a quilted blanket that was made by hand). Gurmail and Mohinder Gill talk about the challenges that they’ve experienced as new immigrants including not being fluent in English, the cold weather and not having very many family or friends nearby to provide support. They attended the Gurdwara on Ross Street or Akali Singh Sikh Society Gurdwara on Skeena in Vancouver. They explain how there was limited access to grocery stores that supplied Punjabi and Indian spices and other cooking supplies. They talk about how they used a food mill and mortar and pestle to grind their own spices and flour and how Mohinder often made traditional sweets like barfi and laddo and pakoras using pea flour when they couldn’t get Besan flour. 27:35 – 36:11 Gurmail provides more details on his family’s immigration story, including names of relatives, how his six siblings and parents all immigrated to British Columbia in 1970 and how in the early 1970s and mid 1980’s Gurmail and his family sponsored approximately 70 friends and relations from India (including Mohinder’s family) to immigrate to Canada. When Mohinder’s family arrived they lived with them in their house until they were able to purchase property next door and build their own home. Children in the families all attended elementary and high school in Burnaby which now amounts to three generations. 36:12 – 59:28 Gurmail and Mohinder Gill talk about their experiences of racial discrimination. Gurmail recalls members of the South Asian community, Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma, Harinder Mahil and Charan Gill starting the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism. Gurmail tells of how he got involved contributing some of his union dues as a member of CAIMAW (Canadian Association of Industrial Mechanical and Allied Workers Union- Local 15) and as a friend of Charan Gill and Raj Chouhan of the Canadian Farm Workers Union. Gurmail Gill explains how he was a founding member of CAIMAW and treasurer until the union merged with the Canadian Auto Workers Union (in 1991). Mohinder and Gurmail tell of how people from the South Asian community were discouraged from wearing Punjabi dresses or head coverings for fear of being yelled at with racial slurs and how it was often scary to go outside. Many from their community often avoided attending the Akali Singh Gurdwara since a head covering was required and people were afraid of being a target. Gurmail provides details about his work with A1 Steel, how different unions were formed pertaining to various skillsets and jobs per company and how he became a member of CAIMAW Local 15 (foundry workers). Mohinder recollects her experiences as a mother, the daily tasks involved and friends that she made who’d also emigrated from Punjab. Mohinder describes how she designed and sewed many Punjabi dresses using her electric sewing machine and how she learned English by attending adult classes at a church on Commercial Drive. Mohinder and her mother attended the classes for two hours per day for six years at a cost of twelve dollars for ten weeks. Once Mohinder could speak a little English, she started working and was able to practice more. 59:29 – 1:06:08 Mohinder, Gurmail and Prem talk about some of their favourite traditional foods including corn roti and spinach curry and how they grow many of their own vegetables including peppers, eggplant, saag (spinach), onions, garlic, cilantro, zucchini, squash and fenugreek. Mohinder reflects on how access to Punjabi clothing and fabric stores in Vancouver has changed and that ready made food is now more available. Traditional foods were previously made from scratch with women gathering together and cooking for hours and now it’s gotten easier but more expensive and less of a community feel. 1:06:09- 1:55:20 Mohinder and Gurmail Gill discuss and share their perspectives and experiences on raising a family in the past versus today. Gurmail imparts that all of his siblings became educated and secured professional careers while he continued to work in the trades. Prem Kaur Gill shares her own experiences growing up and attending school in Burnaby. Gurmail and Mohinder Gill recall the type of suitcase that they brought with them when they immigrated and how they recently they got rid of it. Gurmail and the group reflect and discuss the confusion with racial identity terms that have been used in this country. They comment that South Asians were referred to as “Hindu” and “East Indian” and Indigenous peoples were referred to as “Indian” and the controversy and racism behind some of these terms. The group discusses the impact of the caste system and other discriminatory experiences and compare their experiences of living in England to living in Canada. Prem comments on how it’s just recently that South Asian customs, celebrations and practices have been recognized and celebrated here in Canada, like Diwali and yoga. They comment on how much of the language, culture and customs have been retained in Surrey where many can still communicate in Punjabi and don’t need to be fluent in English. The group discusses how many South Asians immigrants first lived and worked in Vancouver but with rising property prices many moved to Surrey expanding and establishing a much larger South Asian community with resources. The group discusses and compares the differing travel routes that many of them and their relatives took when immigrating and travelling between India and Canada. The group talks about Rajdeep’s ancestral village in India which is near the Gill village of Firozpur. Gurmail explains the origins and details behind his family name that was changed from “Shergill” to “Gill” and the name “Santokh” from his maternal side.
- History
- Interviewees' biographies: Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill was born in the District of Jalandhar in Punjab, India. Gurmail moved to England with his family in 1957 and immigrated to British Columbia in 1966. Gurmail married his wife, Mohinder Kaur Gill in England in 1968 and she immigrated to British Columbia from England soon after. Gurmail first lived with a cousin in Burnaby before purchasing a home of his own in Burnaby where he raised his family. Gurmail worked in the steel industry and was a member and treasurer of the CAIMAW before the union merged with the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Mohinder Kaur Gill was born in the Hoshiapur in Punjab, India. She married her husband Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill in England in 1968 and immigrated to Burnaby, British Columbia to join her husband. Mohinder and Gurmail Gill have four children, all born in Burnaby. Prem Kaur Gill was born in Burnaby in 1969 and is the eldest child of Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill. Prem grew up and attended school in Burnaby. 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
- Clothing
- Foods
- Indigenous peoples
- Buildings - Religious - Temples
- Food Processing Tools and Equipment
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Migration
- Occupations
- Organizations - Unions
- Responsibility
- Rajdeep
- Malik, Anushay
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcript available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
- Indian Family System Reference notes: Baba = informal way to say grandfather; old man Bibi = informal way to say grandmother; old woman Dada= paternal grandfather Dadi= paternal grandmother Dadke= paternal family members; paternal side (Various spellings might exist for the following terms) Thaiyya= father’s elder brother (uncle) Thaiyyi= father’s elder brother’s wife (aunt) Chacha= father’s younger brother (uncle) Chachi= father’s younger brother’s wife (aunt) Bua= father’s sister (older or younger) (aunt) Phuphar= father’s sister’s husband (uncle) Nana= maternal grandfather Nani= maternal grandmother Nanke/nanka= maternal family members; maternal side Mama= mom’s brother (older or younger) (uncle) Mami= mom’s brother’s wife (aunt) Maasi= mom’s sister (older or younger) (aunt) Maasard= mom’s sister’s husband (uncle)
Audio Tracks
Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0002_002.mp3