Larry Lee family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19071
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Larry Lee family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 14 photographs + 3 p. of texutal records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of the Dragon Inn restaurant in Burnaby, Lee family photographs and certificates awarded to Larry Lee.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Larry Lee family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 14 photographs + 3 p. of texutal records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of the Dragon Inn restaurant in Burnaby, Lee family photographs and certificates awarded to Larry Lee.
- History
- Larry Lee was born in Dawan village, Kaiping, Guangdong, China in 1932. As a child, he attended school at the Dawan village primary school, and later the Kaiqiao middle school. During the Second World War, the Japanese army took over parts of Guangdong. Due the circumstances at the time, Larry quit school and returned to the village. He arrived in Vancouver, Canada in 1949 at the age of 16 by plane, which stopped in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Guam, Hawaii, and Seattle before reaching its final destination in Vancouver. With no English language skills upon arrival, he attended Sir William Dawson School in Vancouver and was placed in grade five surrounded by mostly white children. His father Lee Soon was already in Canada many years before Larry arrived, and paid the Chinese head tax to come to Canada. Lee Soon operated the Puss and Boots coffee shop located on Robson Street and Richards Street and was one of the restaurant’s cooks. As a teenager, Larry's first job in Canada was working at the Puss and Boots as a restaurant helper. Later on, he took a full time job working at the Bamboo Terrace restaurant in Chinatown, and was eventually promoted to become a buyer for the restaurant. He met his wife Git Nung Lee "Kathy" who came from Xinhui county, Guangdong, in the 1950s while she was working for the produce wholesaler Tom Yee, which was located on Keefer Street between Gore and Main Street in Chinatown. Kathy's grandfather originally operated a fireworks factory in Vancouver. After an accident which involved an explosion at the factory, her father closed down the company and opened the Fong Lee BBQ Meatshop in Chinatown. Kathy and Larry married in 1958. Larry and Kathy lived in Burnaby where they raised their eight children. In the late 1950s, Larry and Kathy opened the first Dragon Inn restaurant on Slocan Road and Kingsway area along with seven other partners who mostly originated from Larry's hometown in Kaiping. The business partners eventually parted ways, and a second Dragon Inn restaurant opened in the Willingdon and Kingsway area. The third restaurant, named the Park Inn, opened up at Welwyn Street and Kingsway. A fourth restaurant, also named the Dragon Inn, was established on Willingdon and Hastings Street. Finally, a fifth Dragon Inn restaurant was opened in New Westminster on Columbia Street. Larry retained ownership of the Willingdon and Kingsway location, and sold the remaining businesses. Over the years, he purchased property around the block of his restaurant, and sold the land to developers who constructed the Crystal Mall. Larry and Kathy operated the Grand Buffet restaurant on Kingsway in the late 1990s for five years before they sold the business and retired. The Dragon Inn was known for its exterior neon sign which was removed in 1997. Larry Lee was a member of the International Association of Lions Club and a duly elected member of the Lions Club of Vancouver Champlain Heights. Larry Lee died in 2019 and his wife Kathy died in 2022.
- Responsibility
- Lee, Larry
- Accession Code
- BV017.37
- BV022.19
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19279
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1984]
- Collection/Fonds
- Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : col.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of two photographs of actors from Vancouver Sath performing in the play "Maluka" at Sexsmith Elementary School.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : col.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of two photographs of actors from Vancouver Sath performing in the play "Maluka" at Sexsmith Elementary School.
- History
- Dr. Sadhu Binning was born on May 10, 1947 to mother Gurmej Kaur and father Jeet Singh Binning. Due to lack of proper records management in India at the time of his birth, it is believed that he was actually born sometime in December of 1947. He grew up alongside two brothers and one sister in a village located in Kapurthala, Punjab. Dr. Binning attended secondary school in the nearby city of Phagwara, Punjab although he did not complete his education here. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed reading both Punjabi and Hindi novels and learned how to read Urdu as well. Dr. Binning’s uncle, Dhana Singh immigrated to Canada in 1933 and returned to India in 1953. When Dhana Singh returned to Canada in 1957, he sponsored Dr. Binning’s father, Jeet Singh Binning to immigrate. Dhana Singh co-owned a few saw mills in British Columbia and also worked in the truck driving industry. Dr. Binning remembers that some people who had lived in Canada would visit their village and that they appeared to be strong and healthy and looked happy. He also noticed that they would eat meat, so whenever they would visit there would be meat available. In 1967, when he was nineteen and a half years old, Dr. Binning immigrated Canada to join his father. He recalls his father and uncle and a friend arriving at the airport to pick him up. During his first few days, Dr. Binning made the decision to remove his turban and beard upon receiving advice from his uncle. Dr. Binning first obtained work on a farm in Abbotsford, working alongside his mother. While working, Dr. Binning also attended English classes in Vancouver. Dr. Binning’s Uncle Dhana Singh worked in a Vancouver saw mill and tried to help find work for his nephew but was unsuccessful. Dr. Binning soon found work at a saw mill in Avola and worked there until the end of the summer until a friend helped find him work in a saw mill in North Vancouver. During his free time, he enjoyed camping with friends. In 1970, Dr. Binning left the saw mill after obtaining a job at the post office. The post office offered lower wages than working at the mill but Dr. Binning believed that he would become more educated working here. While working as a postman, Dr. Binning recalls facing a lot of discrimination and racism and was often referred to as a ‘Paki’ multiple times a day. In 1973, Dr. Binning married Jagish Sihota. Sadhu and Jagdish originated from nearby villages in India and met each other in Canada. Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for thirty years until her retirement. While working, she also looked after the household and their son and daughter. Jagdish also handwrote a magazine, “Watno Dur’ (English translation: ‘away from homeland’) which was distributed in the community. In 1976, Dr. Binning became the editor of the magazine and the name was later changed to “Watan’ as they had accepted their new homeland of Canada. While working at the post office, Dr. Binning also attended night school starting in eighth grade. After receiving his high school diploma, he was accepted to Simon Fraser University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology and in 1986 he obtained a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University. While attending university, Dr. Binning was very active within the community and wanted to work to improve society. He first thought that he would return to India to contribute and improve rights in his homeland but upon seeing the prevalence of the movements in Canada, he realized that work needed to be done here too. In 1983, Dr. Binning became a founding member and contributor to a theatrical collective known as “Vancouver Sath”. The theatrical group produced plays that represented societal issues and were invited to perform at multiple conferences throughout British Columbia and Canada. The group focused and acknowledged the many issues in Punjab and in Canada. One of the plays that the group produced focused on the exploitation of Punjabi women who worked on farms in Canada. Dr. Binning continued to be involved as an integral member of Vancouver Sath until 1995. Over the years, Dr. Binning has strongly lobbied for Punjabi language education and between 1988 and 2008 he worked as Punjabi instructor at the University of British Columbia. He first worked as a teaching assistant at UBC under Dr. Harjot Oberoi and due to low wages, he simultaneously worked at the Post Office. In 2019, Dr. Binning received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UBC in recognition of his work. Since 1973, Dr. Binning has lived in Burnaby and has resided in the same home that he and his wife purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips.
- Creator
- Binning, Dr. Sadhu
- Accession Code
- BV023.7
- Date
- [1984]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Related Material
- See also artifacts descriptions for related materials re: Vancouver Sath and Watan magazine: BV023.7.1 to BV023.7.16
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19150
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1950-2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) + 65 photographs + 26 photographs (jpg) + 1 portfolio (15 col. photographs + 12 col. laser prints) + 1 col. laser print + 6 business cards + 1 identification card + 1 booklet
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and his wife, Donna Polos; photographs of Jimmy Chow and his family soon after they immigrated to Canada in the 1950s as well as a sampling of photographs and records documenting Jimmy Chow's career in the film industry. Fonds is arranged…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) + 65 photographs + 26 photographs (jpg) + 1 portfolio (15 col. photographs + 12 col. laser prints) + 1 col. laser print + 6 business cards + 1 identification card + 1 booklet
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and his wife, Donna Polos; photographs of Jimmy Chow and his family soon after they immigrated to Canada in the 1950s as well as a sampling of photographs and records documenting Jimmy Chow's career in the film industry. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos interviews series 2) Jimmy Chow family photographs series 3) Property master photographs series 4) Property master records series
- History
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow was born in Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China in 1948. In 1950, Jimmy Chow and his mother, Gim Gee Chow (1913-1991) fled China to escape the Communist Revolution and to be reunited with his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow (1906-1990) who’d immigrated to Canada many years earlier. Jimmy’s elder sister Shao-Lin Chow stayed behind in China. Jimmy’s father, Robin Chung Dip Chow immigrated to Canada in 1921 at 14 years of age and was forced to pay the Chinese head tax of $500. In 1950, Jimmy and his mother first fled to Hong Kong before immigrating to Canada and arriving in Vancouver. Jimmy Chow’s birth name is Hipman Chow but when he arrived in Canada, his father indicated that he needed an English name and he was given the name “Jimmy” but retained his birth name “Hipman Chow”. Over the years, Jimmy has also used the name “James H. Chow” and is often credited by this name in the film industry. For the first four years after immigrating, Jimmy and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec where his father had work in hotels and restaurants. While living in Asquith, Saskatchewan Jimmy attended school and began to learn English. In 1954, Jimmy and his parents returned to Vancouver, first living in the area of Strathcona before settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant where they purchased a house located on 15th Avenue east of Main Street. While living in Mount Pleasant, Jimmy attended both elementary and high school. While attending high school, Jimmy began working at the local grocery store where he worked for many years living at home and saving his money. In 1970 while attending Vancouver City College, Jimmy met his future wife Donna Polos. Two years later, they moved in together, married in 1981 and started a family. Jimmy and Donna first lived in North Burnaby before purchasing a house on Victory Street in Burnaby where they raised their three children. Growing up in a traditional Chinese Canadian family, Jimmy was always one who went against the grain. Although his father wanted him to get a business degree, Jimmy had aspirations for a different career path. Through the referral of a friend, he entered the film industry in 1973 working for CBC Vancouver. While working at the CBC, Jimmy gained valuable experience working on the set of the television series The Beachcombers, which launched his career in the film industry. Over a 45 year career, Jimmy worked on over 50 blockbuster movies, historical period films, science fiction films and fantasy films, where he honed in on his expertise as a set decorator, art director and property master. He built an international reputation through working with production companies, prop makers and antique sellers across the globe. As a property master in the film industry, Jimmy Chow has been responsible for designing, managing, and sourcing props for films such as: The BFG, Warcraft: The Beginning, X-Men 2, Fantastic Four, Watchman, Tron: Legacy, Little Women, Seven Years in Tibet, Shanghai Noon, The Shipping News, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Changeling, Man of Steel (Superman), Snow Falling on Cedars, Legends of the Fall, And the Sea Will Tell, Once a Thief and many more. With Jimmy's many years of professional experience in the film industry, he has been a union member of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians...) from July 1979, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science from 2018 and has worked as a guest lecturer in film production at Capilano University and Langara University. He was also a key contributor to the Burnaby Village Museum’s 2014 temporary exhibition Burnaby Makes Movies. Donna Polos was born in Vancouver in 1949 to parents Mayme "May" Helen Tillikana Polos (1931-1977) and Donald James Polos (1926-2017). Donna’s maternal grandparents, Elvi Tienhara and Toiva Tillikana immigrated to Canada from Helsinki, Finland. Donna’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Chimiki Polos emigrated from Ukraine to Argentina and then to Winnipeg. Donna’s paternal grandfather, James "Jimmy" Kostopolus emigrated as an orphan from Sparta Greece at the age of 12 years. In 1908, he first immigrated to the United States where he was denied entry so immigrated to Canada, entering through Halifax at Pier 17. When immigrating, James changed his last name to "Polos". Jimmy Polos arrived in Halifax with only five dollars in his pocket. He lived in Halifax for many years before making his way to Vancouver where he established three restaurants and raised his family. James was the proprietor of three restaurants in Burnaby including; the Home Apple Pie Café (1941-1944) located on East Hastings near Princess Avenue; Jimmy’s Café (1945-1955) located on East Hastings near Hawks Avenue and another restaurant located near 10th Avenue and Alma Street. Donna grew up with her family in Vancouver, first living in the downtown eastside before moving to a home near Joyce Station. Donna attended elementary school and high school while growing up in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station. Donna moved out of her family home at 21 years of age and lived with roommates before moving in with Jimmy Chow in 1972. Donna attended Vancouver City College and the University of British Columbia where she obtained her teaching degree in 1974. Donna first taught at Gilmore Elementary School before being hired to teach at Clinton Elementary School where she taught for nine years. While raising their three children, Donna worked part time teaching in schools in Burnaby. In 1991, after a near death experience, Donna became interested in fine art and took drawing and watercolour painting classes. This experience led her to experimenting with different painting techniques on paper and fabric. In 2008, Donna retired from teaching but continued her art career often working as an Artist in Residence at various schools and exhibiting her work. While living in Burnaby Donna has been politically active with a particular passion for heritage, housing and preserving the natural environment. Donna was instrumental in advocating and petitioning for the establishment of a tree bylaw in Burnaby which was eventually adopted by the City.
- Creator
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Polos, Donna
- Accession Code
- BV022.21
- BV023.11
- Date
- 1950-2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Graphic Material
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14764
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1920-2006, predominant 1920-1979
- Collection/Fonds
- Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 6 photographs : col. + 1 photograph : b&w + 1 photograph : sepia + 41 photographs (tiffs) + 4 photographs (jpgs) + 12 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of family photographs of the Jung, Chan and Lee families as well as business records collected and created by Cecil Lee in the nineteen seventies, while he was employed as a Produce Buyer for Kelly Douglas Limited and Western Commodities Limited and responsible for the import of Chin…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 6 photographs : col. + 1 photograph : b&w + 1 photograph : sepia + 41 photographs (tiffs) + 4 photographs (jpgs) + 12 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of family photographs of the Jung, Chan and Lee families as well as business records collected and created by Cecil Lee in the nineteen seventies, while he was employed as a Produce Buyer for Kelly Douglas Limited and Western Commodities Limited and responsible for the import of Chinese mandarin oranges. Fonds is arranged into the following series: 1) Lee family photographs series 3) Cecil Lee business records series
- History
- Julie Cho Chan Lee is the daughter of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) (1912-2006) and Puy Yuen Chan (1903-1978). Suey Ying "Laura" and Puy Yuen Chan were married in New Westminster in November 1942 followed by a fourteen year residency in the “minority town site” of Fraser Mills where their daughters Julie and June were born. Julie's mother Suey Ying "Laura" Jung was born in Burnaby in 1912 to Chung Chong Jung (1875-1956) and Gee Shee Jung (1879-1952). The family had six children (five of which lived to adulthood); Suey Fong "Maida" (1909-1997) (married Quinn Wong) ; Suey Kin "Annie" (1911-1962) (married George Jong); Suey Ying "Laura; Suey Cheung "Harry" (1916-1991) and "; Suey Yook "Gordon" (1919-1998). The family owned and operated a five acre market garden and piggery at 5460 Douglas Road near Still Creek (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958). This was conveniently located directly across the street from Douglas Road Interurban Station. The children attended Edmonds Elementary School and while the girls only completed their elementary school years, the boys continued their education at the Vancouver Technical School. Chung Chong and Gee Shee Jung sold the farm on Douglas Road around 1949 and moved to East Vancouver. Julie's mother, Suey Ying "Laura" Jung continued to live and work on the Jung family farm until she was married in 1942 when she moved to live with her husband, Puy Yuen at Fraser Mills. Suey Ying "Laura"'s sister Maida and her husband Quinn Wong also lived at Fraser Mills with their nine children. Julie's father, Puy Yuen Chan joined his father, Chin Yip Hong in Canada at the tender age of 12, worked as a shingle packer and plywood plant handler at Fraser Mills for forty years and retired without ever learning to speak English. In 1972, Julie Cho Chan married Cecil Lee and lived in Surrey where their two boys, Rodney and Darin were born. Just prior to the start of school for Rodney, the family relocated to Coquitlam where Julie had lived since 1956. Julie worked as a teacher and later as a teacher-librarian in the Coquitlam School District. Cecil Chue Kan Lee was born in Queensborough to Sui Seo Ngen and Ding Quai Lee. Cecil is the youngest of eight children; Chue Ngan "Gladys"; Chue Fay "Walter"; Chue Quon "Charlie"; Chue Jan "Pearl"; Chue Moi "Rose"; Chue Duck "Dick" and Chue Kwong "Ken". Cecil’s father, Ding Quai Lee was a jack of all trades including a labour contractor as a well as a millwright for G.W. Beach’s three mills, Keystone, Sapperton and Harrison Mills.In 1931, with the arrival of the Depression, the family made the difficult decision to return to their homeland of Guangzhou province, eventually returning to Canada in 1939. With this decision, Ding Quai wrestled with the burden of the repayment of the loans for two way steamship fares to and from China. Upon their return to Canada, the family lived a short time on Union Street in Vancouver before relocating to Queensborough (New Westminster). Cecil and his siblings were schooled at Queen Elizabeth Elementary School followed by varying stints at FW Howay and Duke of Connaught High Schools. In 1951, Cecil Lee joined Kelly Douglas & Company Ltd., a subsidiary of the George Weston Empire, as a produce warehouseman, followed by several years as a foreman and then in the early seventies until his 1991 retirement after forty years of service, he served as one of the KD produce buyers. In this capacity, he worked closely with local farmers along Marine Drive and in the Fraser Valley. Kelly Douglas and Company Limited was founded in 1896 as a wholesale grocery business and became one of the largest food distributors in Canada. In 1946, its headquarters moved from Vancouver to Burnaby and a manufacturing plant and warehouse were built on the site at 4700 Kingsway. In the mid-1970s, Lee along with the associates at Western Commodities, the head office for produce imports, was asked to oversee the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into western Canada. Until that time, mandarin oranges had come only from Japan and were sold in the winter, especially at Christmas. When the Japanese market could no longer keep up with the popular demand, Kelly Douglas and Company Limited looked to China. The company relied on Lee’s cultural knowledge to build this very profitable part of their business. Moreover, Cecil Lee designed, though not patented, the cardboard Chinese mandarin orange box to replace wooden containers. The iconic design required no glue or staples, making it possible for farmers to assemble and pack the boxes as they picked the oranges. In 1986, the Kelly Douglas and Company building was demolished and the produce department of Kelly Douglas was relocated to 6451 Telford Burnaby and the head office to 808 Nelson Street, Vancouver.
- Accession Code
- BV017.24; BV019.6; BV019.33; BV020.38; BV021.19
- Date
- 1920-2006, predominant 1920-1979
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Arrangement
- Records within fonds are composed of business records and family photographs arranged by the Lee family.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- See also: Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020. -- [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020 BV020.6.2
- See also artifact descriptions under accession BV019.6 including BV019.6.1 - for description of original box to ship and sell mandarin oranges; BV019.6.15 and BV019.6.16 for Chinese mandarin orange wrappers "Snow Mountain Mandarin Orange"
- Many of the "Business records" are closed and subject to FIPPA, contact Burnaby Village Museum regarding access
Laurence J. Peter family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88409
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Laurence J. Peter family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 p. of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one Share Certificate for the Lochdale Co Operative Association.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Laurence J. Peter family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 p. of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Accession Number
- 2013-29
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one Share Certificate for the Lochdale Co Operative Association.
- History
- In 1941, Laurence J. Peter began his career as an industrial arts teacher at Lord Tweedsmeer High School in Cloverdale, after an illness kept him out of World War II. It was here that he met his future wife, Nancy M. Bailey, who was the vice principal of the school. The couple married in 1943 and made their way to Burnaby in 1947 after purchasing a one-acre lot in Burnaby from Mr. Wright for $1,000. When the couple purchased this lot, Nancy was teaching English at Burnaby South High School, while Laurence was teaching Woodwork at New Haven Borstal Home for Boys in the Provincial Corrections system. The lot was located in the historic neighbourhood of Lozell’s at 7229 Lougheed Highway and was renumbered to 7449 Lougheed in 1958. Laurence and Nancy had four children, two boys (John and Ted) and two girls (Alice and Margaret). When they first purchased the lot, they built a small house where they lived with their eldest son, John, until the completion of a larger house in 1949. Their second son, Ted, was born a few weeks before the completion of the larger house and was brought into the new home from the hospital. Their daughters were born over the next few years. Laurence and Nancy had built the larger house using a technique of peeled plywood core logs. Laurence and his cousin, Hewton Peter, who owned the lot next door, designed and built a machine to build exterior walls for their houses using plywood cores. In 1947, plywood cores were turned (peeled) down to six inches in diameter and then discarded to be chipped for the pulp industry. To build the house, the cores were splined together and stood on end making a vertical log house. Only three houses were ever built using their invention. The three-bedroom, one-bathroom house was completed in October 1949. The exterior of the house was never painted, just brushed with linseed oil. The traffic of the Lougheed Highway was not heard inside the house due to the six-inch walls and was very economical to heat in the snowy winters of the 1950s. Over the years, the couple worked on finishing the interior of the house, which included an intricately carved eight-foot-wide oak mantelpiece carved by Laurence. Parts of the mantel were reclaimed from the demolished old Hotel Vancouver and cobblestones reclaimed from the interurban tracks were used for the fireplace and stonework around the property. The family raised goats for milk and chickens for eggs and maintained a large vegetable garden and fruit trees on the property. When the goats and chickens were not needed anymore, Laurence slaughtered them for meat which they stored in a freezer at the Lochdale Co-operative until they were ready to consume them. The family was actively involved in the Burnaby community with Laurence and Nancy taking part in local politics and community activities and their children participating in Boy Scouts and Girl Guides and music lessons. All four children graduated from Burnaby North High School, and in 1970, Ted and Alice completed their studies at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). They worked at local jobs in the community, including building the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Laurence moved on to take a position as a Mental Health Coordinator (Special Counselor) in the Vancouver School System, and in 1959, Nancy joined the staff at the newly opened Burnaby Central Senior Secondary School as a math teacher, later becoming the head of the Mathematics Department. The couple continued their education at summer school at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where Nancy completed her Master's Degree in 1964 and Laurence his Doctoral degree in 1963. Laurence joined the faculty of the University of British Columbia in 1965 and later received the WSU Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980. The couple separated in 1965 and Laurence moved to California in 1966 to teach at the University of Southern California. Laurence became widely famous in 1969, after the publication of his bestselling book, "The Peter Principle," which has been translated into more than 38 languages. Following this publication, he went on to author eight more books and published several texts in the field of ‘Prescriptive Teaching’. He died on January 12, 1990, at the age of 70 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, and is honoured with a plaque as part of the Literary Landmarks program of the Vancouver Public Library located at the Metro Theatre, 1370 Marine Drive. Nancy continued to teach at Burnaby South, until her retirement in 1978 after 30 years as head of the Mathematics Department at Burnaby Central. She was an active member of the Burnaby Historical Society for many years. She passed away in Nanaimo near her family on April 21, 2013, at the age of 97.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- Peter, Laurence J.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS186-001
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4648
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1908-1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) wh…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) while the shop was in operation at 1620 Government Street in the 1940s. Some of the records are written in English while a portion are written in Cantonese and haven't been translated. Most of the photographs document the content of the original shop at the time of aquistion in 1975. Some photographs of unidentified people may be related to the owner or proprietor of the shop. A collection of other photographs document various Chinese Canadian organizations that were in operation in Victoria. Records are arranged into the following series: 1) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. photographs series 2) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series
- History
- The Chinese Herbalist shop "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" operated in Victoria, BC from about 1905 until [1968]. The meaning of "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" can be translated as "Collection, Life, Source, Alive, Shop" although many interpretations can be taken since each Chinese character can have several meanings. Contents of the shop were purchased by the Burnaby Village Museum in 1975 and reassembled as a permanent display in the Burnaby Village Museum. The shop’s original owner was Ng Chee Fong who opened the shop ca.1905. In 1921, Ng returned to Hong Kong and sold the business to Lam Yuen and Wong Ying who were from Vancouver. Lam Yuen and Wong Ying employed Lum Chuck Yue to operate the shop. Lum Chuck Yue had formerly operated a small herbal counter in a Chinese apothecary store on the south side of Fisgard Street, Victoria. In 1924 Lam Yuen and Wong Ying purchased Wah Sun & Co. from Lee S. Yew and Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. moved into the Wah Sun premises at 1620 Government Street in the Lee Block . The furnishings and fixtures of both stores were combined, with the more elaborate fixtures from WSYWK remaining as part of the public part of the shop and the plainer fixtures of Wah Sun moved into the workroom and basement. In the 1930s Lum Chuck Yue took over the business and became the proprietor. In about 1934, Tan Yi Tang purchased the business and the shop reopened as Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. following renovations with Lum Yew Jong as the shop's proprietor. Lum Yew Jong continued to operate the shop until his death in 1967 at the age of 68 years. Following Lum’s death, the property and contents of the shop were purchased by Mr. J. Watson Marles, a local owner operator of an antique store at 1714 Government Street. The shop and contents went through a few more private owners including Rodney Pain before it was purchased by the Heritage Village Museum in 1975 with funds made available by the Vancouver Foundation and the Province of British Columbia. Contents of the original shop were reasembled in a reconstructed building as a permanent display on site at the Burnaby Village Museum.
- Creator
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company
- Accession Code
- HV975.5
- BV985.5331
- BV017.7
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1908-1975
- Related Material
- See also Artifacts under Accessions HV975.5; BV985.5331 and BV017.7
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds