19 records – page 1 of 1.

Dietetics for high school : a textbook in nutrition and food economics

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5072
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Willard, Florence
Gillett, Lucy H. (Lucy Holcomb), 1880-
Edition
Rev. ed.
Publication Date
1935
Call Number
641 WIL
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
BV007.21.27
Call Number
641 WIL
Edition
Rev. ed.
Author
Willard, Florence
Gillett, Lucy H. (Lucy Holcomb), 1880-
Place of Publication
New York
Publisher
The MacMillan Company
Publication Date
1935
Physical Description
xxv, 290 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.
Inscription
"Maureen Farr Class 14 Room 102" [handwritten in black ink on front pastedown] "125" [handwritten in pencil on front endpaper] Notes written in pencil and ink throughout book and on back endpaper and pastedown
Library Subject (LOC)
Food
Diet
Textbooks
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts - Books
Notes
Author's given name and date: Gillett, Lucy H. (Lucy Holcomb), 1880-
Less detail

Relief and Food Allowance for Dependents

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport55816
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Report ID
72187
Meeting Date
21-Mar-1934
Format
Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
Collection/Fonds
City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Report ID
72187
Meeting Date
21-Mar-1934
Format
Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
Collection/Fonds
City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Less detail

Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews 2023 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
History
Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Migration
Occupations - Teachers
Occupations - Grocers
Organizations
Organizations - Business Associations
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
Names
Toy, Christina
Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
Babey, Beverley
Canada Way Food Market
Fraser Merchants' Association
Responsibility
Fong, Denise
Geographic Access
Canada Way
Street Address
4694 Canada Way
Accession Code
BV023.16.19
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023

Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3
Less detail

Foods and home making

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5050
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Greer, Carlotta C. (Carlotta Cherryholmes), 1879-1965
Edition
Rev. ed.
Publication Date
c1937
Call Number
641
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
BV007.21.6
Call Number
641
Edition
Rev. ed.
Author
Greer, Carlotta C. (Carlotta Cherryholmes), 1879-1965
Place of Publication
Boston
Publisher
Allyn and Bacon
Publication Date
c1937
Physical Description
xvii, 635 p. col. front., illus., diagrs. 20 cm.
Inscription
"BURNABY SOUTH JR. SR. HIGH SCHOOL/ 2350 KINGSWAY/ NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C.".-- stamped on front end paper and p. 593
"B. Geosits" -- printed in blue ink on front end paper
End paper illustrated with boy drying dishes with "R.N." written on top and girl washing dishes with "C.M" written on top
"Mr. & Mrs. H. Geosits / 6630 Russell Avenue / Burnaby, B.C., CANADA / V5H 3T5"--address label
Library Subject (LOC)
Home economics
Food
Cooking
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts - Books
Notes
"Illustrated lining-papers."
"Pupils’ references": p. 594-595; "Teachers’ references": p. 596
Includes index
Less detail

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12337
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:43:19 min.)
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong at the Burnaby Village Museum. Josephine describes her family history and recollects her childhood experiences in 1950s and 60s while growing with her family on their "Hop On" farm in Burnaby. …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Chinese Canadians in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:43:19 min.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Josephine Chow Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: February 7, 2020 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 00:43:19
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong at the Burnaby Village Museum. Josephine describes her family history and recollects her childhood experiences in 1950s and 60s while growing with her family on their "Hop On" farm in Burnaby. The farm is situated in the Big Bend area along Marine Drive and is still in operation today. 0:00-08:45 Josephine Chow provides some historical background on the history of “Hop On Farm” and her family in British Columbia. She tells of how her grandfather Gay Tim Hong and three partners pooled money together to purchase twelve acres on Marine Drive in 1951. Prior to this, most of them farmed on the ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation Reserve for 20-30 years. It all began when her great grandfather Sui Wing Hong, first came to Canada from China and slowly brought over her grandfather, father and other members of the family. Her grandfather, Gay Tim Hong went back and forth between Canada and China at least four times since he and her grandmother had four children including her father, who was born in 1931. Her father came to Canada at 10 years of age to live with his father. Josephine’s great grandfather came to Vancouver from Zhongshan county in Canton Province (also known as Guangdong). 8:46- 14:20 Josephine provides the names of her siblings from the eldest to the youngest; Pauline, Josephine (herself), Catherine, Noreen, Gary, Darlene and Marlene. She describes what life was like on the farm with her parents working from sunrise to sunset. The family farmed vegetable produce taking orders from local stores in the lower mainland. Often the children helped their parents with the orders starting at eight or nine years of age. Other workers on the farm travelled by bus from Vancouver’s Chinatown. She also tells of how her father was an animal lover and raised chickens, pigeons, geese, koy, goldfish and dogs. 14: 21 – 16:56 Josephine describes what Burnaby was like during the time that she grew up in the late 1950s. She explains that Burnaby was very quiet with nothing being open on Sundays. On the farm, she and her siblings would entertain themselves by playing games like soccer, baseball and kick ball or also by catching frogs, snails, caterpillars and ladybugs. There were neighbours living on Marine Drive and almost every house had someone who we went to the same elementary school. The neighbourhood children would often come to play with them on their farm. 16:56- 26:47 Josephine describes how when they were young there were farms all around them and how on Sunday drives with her father, they would go to feed horses or look at the cows. Josephine shares that her elder sister Pauline was the only one born in China and how when she first arrived that she lived on the ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations Reserve with their parents before they moved to Burnaby. Josephine recollects that most of her friends were farmer’s kids from the neighbourhood but while in school, she had more Caucasian friends. Josephine and her siblings attended Glenwood Elementary on Marine Drive and later Junior Secondary at McPherson Park (grades 8-10) and Burnaby South Senior Secondary (grades 11-12. ). She shares some of her experiences while attending school. She said that there were about a dozen Asians in school with her, mostly from farming families in the “Flats”. 26:48- 30:45 Josephine describes what life was like for her and her siblings after school. They often helped on the farm when they got home, usually taking care of orders for green onions. Her mother made dinner and did all of the cooking for family and workers on the farm as well as working in the fields. Her father did all of the grocery shopping in Vancouver’s Chinatown two or three times per week where he purchased meat and fish. She says that her grandfather, often travelled by bus every Saturday or Sunday to meet up with friends in Chinatown. Extracurricular activities for her and her siblings included volley ball and soccer as long as it didn’t interfere with their work schedule on the farm. 30:46- 37:03 Josephine describes what occurred while living at home, the food they ate, shopping and attending Chinese school. Her mother cooked only Chinese food, she didn’t know how to cook “Western food”. For school lunches, the kids made their own sandwiches. She tells of a Chinese language school arranged by Mrs. Joe [sic] who lived on Gilley Road and was Canadian born Chinese. Mrs. Joe [sic] also arranged an English class for farmer’s wives on Tuesday nights in which her mother attended. Josephine recollects learning Mandarin from Mrs. Joe [sic] a few days a week after her regular school. Chinese school took place at Riverway School on Meadow Avenue in Burnaby. Mrs. Joe also taught them a lot about Chinese culture including Kung Fu, Chinese Dance and Chinese brush painting. 37:04- 39:39 Josephine describes Medical Care for her and her family in the 1950s and 1960s. She tells of a female Chinese doctor in Vancouver, Dr. Madeline Chung. Dr. Chung was responsible for delivering a lot of Chinese babies including Josephine. The family also visited herbalists in Vancouver Chinatown. They would often buy herbs for colds etc. Josephine also tells of how her parents stayed in touch with family in China by writing letters. Her mother’s family, including her parents and siblings were still in China while most of her father’s family were here in Canada. 39:40- 43:19 – In closing, Josephine shares how life is much busier now and of how she misses the quietness of her days growing up. She briefly describes her life on the family farm now and how different it is from when her parents worked the farm. She explains how farming methods have changed and how they don’t have to work as hard as her parents did.
History
Interviewee biography: Josephine Chow (nee Hong) is the second eldest child of Chan Kow Hong and Sui Ha Hong. In 1925, Josephine's grandfather, Gay Tim Hong immigrated to Canada from Zhongshan county in Canton Province (also known as Guangdong). In 1952, her father, Chan Kow Hong joined his father, Gay Tim Hong and by 1953, he established "Hop On Farms" in the Big Bend area of Burnaby near Marine Drive. Josephine grew up on the farm with her parents and six siblings; Pauline, Catherine, Norine, Gary, Darlene and Marlene. In 1969, Josephine's elder sister Pauline and her husband Jack Chan took over the family farm and in 1972 their father and grandfather moved to Kamloops to open a restaurant. As an adult, Josephine worked in several different areas including owning and running her own Aesthetics business. Josephine eventually retired and returned to the farm to assist her siblings. The farm is still in operation. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Education
Buildings - Schools
First Nations reserves - British Columbia
Names
Chow, Josephine
Glenwood Elementary School
McPherson Park Junior Secondary School
ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)
Responsibility
Fong, Denise
Geographic Access
Byrne Road
Accession Code
BV020.6.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Big Bend Area
Related Material
See also BV017.36*
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
12/3/2017
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of interview
Photograph info: Gary Hong and Chan Kow Hong harvesting celery at Hop-On Farms [1969]. BV017.36.4
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020, [1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020, [1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2020_0006_0001_001.mp3
Less detail

Three women and man at picnic

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1524
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1930 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 11 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a man in a suit, overcoat, and a hat, and three women. One of the women is in a polka dot dress, another wearing an overcoat over her dress with a hat, and the third woman is in a plain black dress with white collars and cuffs. There is food laid out on a picnic cover on the lawn, and…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 11 cm
Material Details
stamped on verso, l.r. "B6"
Scope and Content
Photograph of a man in a suit, overcoat, and a hat, and three women. One of the women is in a polka dot dress, another wearing an overcoat over her dress with a hat, and the third woman is in a plain black dress with white collars and cuffs. There is food laid out on a picnic cover on the lawn, and a box of food resting on a chair in the centre. Note the large paper bag with the name "EDMUND FOOD CENTRE" printed on the front. The setting is in a park, with a tropical tree just behind the group.
Subjects
Recreational Activities - Picnics
Accession Code
BV985.5898.2
Date
[between 1930 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Related Material
For another photograph of the same picnic, see BV985.5898.1
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
1-Sep-06
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

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
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
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.mp3
Less detail

Alfred Bingham with 1931 Model T Ford

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription738
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1932]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.9 x 11.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Alfred "Alf" Bingham standing beside 1931 Model T Ford that was used by the C.G. Co-operative Association in Burnaby. The license plate reads: "101 547 31 / British Columbia." According to an accompanying note prepared by Burnaby Village Museum, both Mr. and Mrs. Bingham were active …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.9 x 11.5 cm
Material Details
An annotation on the back of the photo reads: "Alf with Co-op Car 1931 Model T Ford / This car ran the roads of the lower mainland for two years without a liscence. [sic] Collecting food for hungry Burnaby families. (A Bingham, March 11 1971)."
Scope and Content
Photograph of Alfred "Alf" Bingham standing beside 1931 Model T Ford that was used by the C.G. Co-operative Association in Burnaby. The license plate reads: "101 547 31 / British Columbia." According to an accompanying note prepared by Burnaby Village Museum, both Mr. and Mrs. Bingham were active in the self-help group called "The Army of Common Good" during the Depression, and did a lot of work at one of the depots that was located at 4139 Parker Street. They continued to be active with the C.G. Co-operative Association which was formed when the "Army" dissolved in 1932. Mr. Bingham was employed in mill work.
Subjects
Transportation - Automobiles
Names
Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
Accession Code
HV976.46.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1932]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-20
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

A man and woman seated together on a wooden beam

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4405
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1920 and 1930]
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 11.5 x 7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified man sitting on a wooden beam with a woman who appears to be Rhoda Mae Jeffers seated on his lap. The man is holding a thermos bottle and the woman has a cigarette in her mouth. Behind them is an open lunch box and more thermoses and food. They are looking at each other…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
Series
Jeffers family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 11.5 x 7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an unidentified man sitting on a wooden beam with a woman who appears to be Rhoda Mae Jeffers seated on his lap. The man is holding a thermos bottle and the woman has a cigarette in her mouth. Behind them is an open lunch box and more thermoses and food. They are looking at each other. Behind them is a wooden fence and some woods. She has a short bobbed hair cut and is wearing glasses.
Names
Jeffers, Rhoda Mae
Accession Code
BV007.20.28
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[between 1920 and 1930]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
13/05/2018
Images
Less detail

Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19348
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 56 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 57 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. The interview opens with introductions and how the content of the interview can be drawn on by Burnaby Village Museum for future …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 56 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 57 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Anushay Malik Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Dr. Sadhu Binning Location of Interview: Love farmhouse at Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 25, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: (1:15:57) Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto three separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. The interview opens with introductions and how the content of the interview can be drawn on by Burnaby Village Museum for future exhibits and for researchers to learn more about the history of the South Asian community in Burnaby. During the interview, Dr. Binning shares his ancestral background along with his relatives' and his own personal experiences as a South Asian immigrant living and working in British Columbia and Burnaby. Dr. Binning conveys that he’s a Burnaby resident who’s lived in Burnaby since 1973 and that his children were born here. Binning shares his ancestral heritage beginning with his uncle Dhana Singh who emigrated from Punjab to British Columbia in 1931 and began working in the forest industry. He explains how Dhana Singh and another partner owned, operated and worked in small sawmills in the vicinity of Kamloops, Williams Lake and also on Vancouver Island. Binning conveys that in the beginning Dhana Singh and many other South Asian immigrants were not legal residents until 1938. In 1938, about 350 South Asian immigrants (mainly Punjabi) gathered resources to hire a lawyer to obtain permanent residency. Binning mentions that one of the notable South Asians in the group who was also a close friend of his uncle, was Darshan Singh Sangha, a trade unionist who was a founding member of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) union and an active member of the Communist Party of Canada. Binning conveys how Darshan Singh Sangha returned to India in 1947 to be a part of the revolution, how he was very active in the communist movement in India. While in India, Darshan Singh Sangha, was known as Canadian and thereby adopted “Canadian” as his surname, becoming “Darshan Singh Canadian”. Binning further explains that his uncle Dhana Singh Sangha returned to India in 1951, married and came back to B.C. in 1957 bringing with him, his wife and children. In 1960, with the support of his uncle, Binning’s father, Jit Singh Binning immigrated to British Columbia and began working in sawmills in the lower mainland, Kamloops, Quesnel and on Vancouver Island. Binning clarifies that his uncle, Dhana Singh was able to immigrate to Canada with the support of his cousins from the Tarker Singh Bains family. Binning further describes Darshan Singh Sangha’s involvement with the Communist party and the IWA and how the majority of the members were from the forest industry. As an active and prominent member of the labour movement, Darshan Singh Sangha fought for the rights of South Asians and Chinese who working in the industry and facing racism, unfair wages and discriminatory practices. Binning describes how Darshan Singh Sangha wrote a book in English in 1943, titled “Rise of the New Asia”. Binning conveys how immigrants of Chinese and South Asian decent didn’t have the right to vote in British Columbia and how Darshan Singh Sangha was instrumental in obtaining the right to vote in British Columbia, although he was never given the credit. Binning describes his uncle Dhana Singh as a likeable guy with many friends, first living in Kamloops before moving to Vancouver. Binning imparts how the sport of wrestling is a popular Punjabi sport along with Punjabi kabaddi. He conveys that his uncle became involved in wrestling while working in sawmills. South Asian immigrants had to do physical labour working in sawmills, the work could be tough and could often lead to physical fights. A number of South Asian immigrants working in the mills already had experience as wrestlers from back home. Dhana Singh later left the lumber industry to work in the agriculture sector. Binning explains how immigration rules changed in the 1960s which lead to larger numbers of South Asians immigrating to Canada. Many of these new immigrants were educated and politically conscious. All of these new immigrants faced racism but being politically conscious from an independent India and with the ability to speak English they organized themselves to fight for their rights. Binning imagines the items that his uncle and his father may have brought with them in their suitcase when immigrating to Canada. Binning describes three items, including a rajai (a blanket with cotton inside that is sewn together), a bistra (small attaché case or trunk) and a piece of cloth to lie on. Binning further describes the roles in Indian society as caste divisions and that it was usually women’s work in making the rajais. Binning recollects the locations that his father and his family lived after coming to Vancouver. Binning explains that a few years after living together in Vancouver, he and his family moved to Burnaby in 1973 to be closer to his Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish Binning’s family. Dr. Binning and family lived in a house in Burnaby located on Irmin Street near Royal Oak between 1973 and 1987. While living at this house their children attended McPherson Park Junior High School and later Burnaby South Secondary School. Binning reflects on some of the racism that he and his family have faced while living in Burnaby which led him to write a poem that he published in 1994 titled “No More Watno Dur”. Binning explains the meaning of the title “Watan” meaning “country and everybody” “a country far way from the motherland”. Binning explains the origins of the magazine “Watan” that was started by a friend in 1973. The magazine got its roots in Vancouver in 1973 from an organization called the “Punjabi Literary Association”. Binning became the editor of the magazine in 1976 and his friend joined him as assistant editor in 1978. Binning continued to work as editor until 1983 or 1984 when he returned to school to complete his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree. Binning describes the origins of the “Vancouver Sath” that was formed by a small group of South Asians around 1982. Binning was a founding member of the organization and held meetings and rehearsals at his house in Burnaby. Vancouver Sath first started out as an informal discussion forum by a group of politically conscious Punjabi writers and activists. Binning talks about issues and problems that Vancouver Sath addressed including; racism as well as domestic violence in the South Asian community. Binning explains how he and Sukhwant Hundal wrote articles on these issues and others that were happening in the South Asian community in Canada. Binning talks about how in 1983, the group was inspired to begin performing theatrical works after consulting with Gursharan Singh who was from a well known theatrical group from Punjab who were performing in Vancouver. In the beginning the Vancouver Sath’s plays were focused on the problems in Punjab but they soon decided to address social issues in their own South Asian community here in Canada. Binning summarizes and draws attention to, some of the plays that Vancouver Sath has written and performed including; “Picket Line”, about Punjabi women farmworkers’ rights; “Lattan de Bhoot”, about domestic abuse; “A Crop of Poison”; “Kihda Viah” (English translation- “Whose Marriage”) about arranged marriage and others about social issues in the South Asian community. The plays were performed in public schools and community centres in Vancouver and Richmond, Simon Fraser University and some were also performed in Toronto, Calgary and Williams Lake. Binning mentions some of the traditional foods that he likes to eat and where he and his family have shopped to find ingredients. He recalls how his mother, Gurmaje Kaur Binning did all of the cooking and was often cooking all day long. In the sixties, the Binning family address on 13th Avenue in Vancouver was also used as a postal address for many friends and family who’d recently immigrated. When these friends dropped by to pick up their mail, his mother often provided them with tea and food. After Binning and his wife, Jagdish moved to their own home in 1973, he shared in some of the shopping and cooking but his wife did the majority of the work due to his busy schedule. The interview closes with Binning providing an explanation of how “Watno Dur” magazine changed it’s name to “Watan” magazine. Binning reflects on how this came to be, when he made the decision to get an education in Canada and to stay here, not just as a “Canadian” but as a “Punjabi Canadian.
History
Interviewee biography: 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 Jagdish purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips. 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
Industries - Logging/lumber
Industries - Forestry
Foods
Migration
Organizations - Societies and Clubs
Organizations - Unions
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Performances
Performances - Dramatic Performances
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Binning, Dr. Sadhu
Binning, Gurmaje Kaur
Binning, Jit Singh
Binning, Jagdish
Sangha, Darshan Singh
Canadian Farmworkers Union
Hundal, Sukhwant
Sangra, Harjinder
Singh, Dhana
Vancouver Sath
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Malik, Anushay
Accession Code
BV022.29.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning, [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022

Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning, [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0003_004.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar

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

James Massey family fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88394
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1933-1953 (date of originals), copied 2014
Collection/Fonds
James Massey family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
18 photographs (tiffs) ; 600 dpi
Scope and Content
Records consist of 14 digitized photographs of Robert Burnaby Park and the Massey family with views of buildings, gardens, and trails.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1933-1953 (date of originals), copied 2014
Collection/Fonds
James Massey family fonds
Physical Description
18 photographs (tiffs) ; 600 dpi
Material Details
Tiffs are copies of original photographs
Description Level
Fonds
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Accession Number
2014-34
Scope and Content
Records consist of 14 digitized photographs of Robert Burnaby Park and the Massey family with views of buildings, gardens, and trails.
History
James Massey was born in Lancaster, England, in 1890 and immigrated to Burnaby in 1910. He married Alice Wilcock who also immigrated to Canada from Lancaster. James and Alice (Willcock) Massey were married in New Westminster on September 11, 1912. The couple built a house on three adjoining lots on the south side of 13th Avenue in Burnaby near Cumberland Road. James and Alice had three daughters, Betty, Grace, and Evelyn. James worked in road construction for the Burnaby Municipality, assisting to build Sperling Avenue (formerly named Pole Line Road) in 1912. He also worked in the brick yard in the glen behind the B.C. Penitentiary, which was owned by the Cogband family. In 1933, James accepted the job of caretaker for Robert Burnaby Park and moved his family onto the property. He was paid 30 dollars a week and the house was rent-free, leaving the family to rent out their house on 13th Avenue for extra revenue. The house that they moved into in Robert Burnaby Park was formerly owned by the Ramsey family and was a pre-fabricated design with no bathroom and a wood stove in the kitchen for heating. The park is situated south of Burnaby Lake on District Lots 87, 89, and 90. The land was originally owned by the Ramsey family, who purchased the property in 1905 and then sold it to Mr. Vidal in 1909. Annie Ramsey bought it back in 1917, but lost it to the city through tax sale proceedings where she entered into a lease agreement allowing her to live on the property until her death in 1926. As the caretaker of Robert Burnaby Park and Burnaby Lake, James also fulfilled the role of game warden. In his role as game warden, James would watch for any poachers, pull traps, take any firearms from children and also act as a deputy for the Provincial Police, which later became the R.C.M.P. The Massey family's dog, Pete, a spaniel cross, assisted Jim in tracking down any traps. Mr. Massey had three aviaries on the park property, where he raised canaries, and in 1939, he installed a goldfish pond. He was also responsible for constructing a playground and raising the flag up the flag pole on all public holidays. The family built a greenhouse behind their house to grow plants for the extensive park gardens. James' brother was the caretaker of Queens Park in New Westminster and assisted him in the planning and design of the gardens. During the 1930s, many unemployed script worked for Mr. Massey in clearing land and building trails and a bridge within the park. A garage was built at the foot of 2nd Street with two additional rooms built by Mr. Massey with the intention of them being used by the Parks Board. However, it was never used for this purpose and the Air Raid Patrol building from the 2nd Street School grounds was moved to the park and used for storage. The Army for the Common Good gardens were located on the west side of Hill Avenue with a shed for tools. The Army of the Common Good grew food and distributed it within the community to those in need during the Depression. The Massey family moved from the park in 1947 and James decided to run for the Burnaby School in the early 1950s. James retired at 65 years of age but continued to work as a custodian at the Armstrong Avenue School until the age of 72. James died in 1985 in Princeton, B.C., at the age of 95.
Media Type
Photograph
Creator
Massey family
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds
Photo catalogue 581
Less detail

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.
Creator
Lee, Julie Cho Chan
Lee, Chue Kan "Cecil"
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
Less detail

Turret Cigarettes billboard

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1399
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
July 26, [1936]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.5 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a grassy area in front of a large commercial building with various advertising signs for food, and a large billboard advertising Turret Cigarettes. In front of the restaurant building, there is a pillar with a circular top and Red Ensigns and Union Jacks hanging from it.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 5.5 x 8.5 cm
Material Details
inscribed in pencil, verso, c. [written upside down] "July 26"
Faint circular stamp mark of "Vancouver Drug Co." on verso, and gummed paper on each corner.
The stamp reads, "Come to Vancouver's Golden [illegible]/ 50 Years of Progress" outside its circular seal for "Vancouver Drug/ Co. Ltd./ Nu-Gloss/ PHOTO FINISH"
Scope and Content
Photograph of a grassy area in front of a large commercial building with various advertising signs for food, and a large billboard advertising Turret Cigarettes. In front of the restaurant building, there is a pillar with a circular top and Red Ensigns and Union Jacks hanging from it.
Subjects
Symbols - Flags
Advertising Medium - Signs and Signboards
Accession Code
BV985.5773.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
July 26, [1936]
Media Type
Photograph
Related Material
For a photograph of a similar/ same pillar, see BV985.5770.1 For a wider angle view of the restaurant building with the Turret Cigarettes billboard, see BV985.5771.1
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2024-02-02
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Two men and a woman at picnic

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1523
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1930 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 11 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of two unidentified men in suits and hats, and an unidentified woman in a polka dot dress at a picnic. There is a box of food resting on a lawn chair in the centre. The area appears to be a park with a tropical tree just behind the group.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 11 cm
Material Details
stamped on verso, l.r. "B6"
Scope and Content
Photograph of two unidentified men in suits and hats, and an unidentified woman in a polka dot dress at a picnic. There is a box of food resting on a lawn chair in the centre. The area appears to be a park with a tropical tree just behind the group.
Subjects
Recreational Activities - Picnics
Accession Code
BV985.5898.1
Date
[between 1930 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Related Material
For another photograph of the same picnic, see BV985.5898.2
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
1-Sep-06
Scale
100
Images
Less detail

Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20395
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Georgia Chronakis and her son Alex Chronakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 8, 2023. 00:00:00 - 00:08:39 Georgia and her son share biographical details about Georgia and her husband Louis Chronak…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews 2023 subseries
Description Level
Item
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Alex Chronakis and Georgia Chronakis Location of Interview: Fraser Wilson Room, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 8, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:17:12 Digital master recordings (wav) were converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Georgia Chronakis and her son Alex Chronakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 8, 2023. 00:00:00 - 00:08:39 Georgia and her son share biographical details about Georgia and her husband Louis Chronakis, including their Greek background, migration to Canada, marriage, children, Louis’ career as a mechanic and gas station owner and owning restaurants in White Rock and Burnaby. 00:08:40 - 00:13:59 Georgia and her son Alex recall the great memories of owning and operating their restaurant Mionas Taverna and share details of their family life in Burnaby and White Rock. 00:14:00 - 00:19:15 Alex and Georgia talk about Louis Chronakis' work experience and how he became involved in the restaurant business. They share their experiences of operating Minoas Taverna including their opening in 1986. 00:19:16 - 00:36:59 Alex and Georgia describe some of the foods that were on the menu of Minoas Taverna, the design of the restaurant, the Minoan history that it’s based on, memories of running the restaurant and why they decided to close. 00:37:00 – 00:41:52 Alex talks about his involvement with Greek festivals in Vancouver and Alex and Georgia reflect on their life in the future now that the restaurant has closed.
History
Interviewees biographies: Georgia Giannias Chronakis was born in Selassia, Sparta, Greece in 1941 and when she was sixteen years of age she moved to Athens. In 1964 Georgia immigrated to Canada and lived in Montreal before moving to Vancouver a few years later. In 1966, while living in Vancouver, she met and married Ilias "Louis" Chronakis who was born in Crete, Greece. Soon after marrying, Georgia and Louis Chronakis bought a house located at 3823 Kingsway and welcomed their first child, Anna. Four years later, Georgia and Louis moved to White Rock but continued to own their house on Kingsway and rented it out. While living in White Rock, they had three more children named Virginia, Alex and Ellie. Louis was a trained mechanic working independently and for various companies including CP Air, BC Ferries and Esso before deciding to get into the restaurant business. He partnered with another businessman to open a Mr. Mike's franchise and later a cafe and Greek restaurant in White Rock. In 1986, Georgia, Louis and family moved back to Burnaby and moved into a house on Sandall Street and began converting their former home on Kingsway into a restaurant which they named Minoas Greek Taverna (Minoas Taverna). They opened the restaurant on May 1, 1986, just one day before Expo '86 was opened. In 2023, after 37 years of running their restaurant they sold their business but continued to own the land and building on Kingsway. Alex Chronakis is the son of Georgia and Louis Chronakis and was born in 1972. Alex has spent time working with his family running their restaurant and has been involved in the Greek Day Festival in Vancouver. Interviewer biography: James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Foods
Occupations
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Mechanics
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Buildings - Commercial - Service Stations
Migration
Persons - Greek Canadians
Names
Chronakis, Alex
Chronakis, Georgia Giannias
Minoas Taverna
Chronakis, Ilias "Louis"
Geographic Access
Kingsway
Smith Avenue
Street Address
3823 Kingsway
Accession Code
BV023.16.21
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis, [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023

Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis, [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0021_002.mp3
Less detail

Foods, nutrition, and home management manual : home economics circular no. 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5014
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
British Columbia. Department of Education
Edition
Rev.
Publication Date
1930
Call Number
641.1 FOO
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
BV008.18.1
Call Number
641.1 FOO
Edition
Rev.
Author
British Columbia. Department of Education
Place of Publication
[Victoria, B.C.]
Publisher
Province of British Columbia. Department of Education
Publication Date
1930
Printer
Charles F. Banfield
Physical Description
156 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Inscription
Front end paper: "MAC'S" "Confectionery & Tobacco." "E. Hastings" [stamped in purple ink. possibily faded blue ink?] "KATHLEEN WYLLIE." "3735 PANDORA ST.' "VANCOUVER" "B.C." "SCHOOL GILMORE AVE." "DIV 7" [Printed in pencil] Paper cover: "Kay Wyllie" "Div __" [upper right side, handwritten in blue ink] "HOME EC. MANUAL" "May Wyllie" "Gi[l]more Ave. Junior High" [printed in blue ink]
Library Subject (LOC)
Home economics
Nutrition
Home economics--North America--History
Cookbooks--1930-1939
Cooking, Canadian
Juvenile literature
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts
Documentary Artifacts - Books
Object History
Donor inherited object from her mother.
Notes
"Authorized by the Ministry of Education" - cover "Printed by Charles F. Banfield, Printer to the King's Most Excellant Majesty."
Less detail

Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12338
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:53:46 min.)
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Julie Lee conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Julie Lee shares information about her mother, Suey Ying Jung's (Laura's) experiences growing up as a Chinese Canadian on a farm in Burnaby during the 1920s and 1930s. She also shares some …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Chinese Canadians in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:53:46 min.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Julie Lee Location of Interview: Home of Julie and Cecil Lee Interview Date: February 6, 2020 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 00:53:46
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Julie Lee conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Julie Lee shares information about her mother, Suey Ying Jung's (Laura's) experiences growing up as a Chinese Canadian on a farm in Burnaby during the 1920s and 1930s. She also shares some information about her father Puy Yuen Chan. 0:00- 01:47 Julie Lee provides background information on her families’ connection to Burnaby and conveys how her maternal grandparents farmed a five acre lot at Still Creek and Douglas Road. Her grandparents grew vegetable produce and operated a piggery at this location. Her mother, Suey Ying Jung (Laura) was the middle child between two older sisters, Maida and Annie and her two younger brothers Gordon and Harry. They were all born at home and educated at Edmonds Elementary School. 01:48- 11:47 Julie provides some background information about her mother, the friendships she made growing up, when she got married and places that she lived. She tells of her mother marrying in 1942 at age 30 years, moving to Fraser Mills and then onto Maillardville in 1958. There was easy access to the Interurban tram so her mother was able to have a social life with others in Vancouver’s Chinatown. She says that many of the only existing photographs of the family living on the farm at Still Creek and Douglas Road can be attributed to her mother’s friend Lil Mau [sic] who owned a camera. The farm was sold around 1949 when her grandparents moved to East Vancouver. While operating the farm, her grandparents only hired Chinese workers who spoke the same language and ate the same foods as them. Despite this, her grandparents made friends with the Collin’s family who assisted them in adjusting to the Canadian way of life. Julie tells that her mother’s sister Maida and brother in law lived with them at Fraser Mills. Her mother’s sister Maida had nine children so Julie’s mother helped her in raising them. 11:48 – 16:53 - Julie talks about racial prejudice towards the Chinese in Burnaby during the 1920s and 1930s. She says that for the most part, her mother’s family had a very insular life on the farm and mainly socialized only within the Chinese community. Julie tells of how she recently became aware of a memoir “The Way it Was”, written by Burnaby resident, Fannie Waplington. The memoir is held as part of the Burnaby Village Museum collection. In the memoir, Fannie Waplington tells of how she was forbidden from visiting Julie’s mother on their farm due to her ethnic background. Julie conveys that it seems like it was a missed friendship for both her mother and Fannie. 16:54 – 22:30 Julie describes what school life was like for her mother and what she may have done outside of school. Her mother attended Edmonds School in the 1920s up to Grade 7 or Grade 8. Julie explains that Asian girls were never offered the opportunity to pursue higher education while her mother’s brothers continued with their education attending Vancouver Technical School. Her mother continued to work on the farm until she was married cooking for workers and helping her mother. Outside of school, she may have helped with looking after nieces and nephews, played cards and mahjong. She says that her mother continued to play cards with her own children and was a skilled knitter into her 80s. 22:31 – 30: 53 Julie tells of what she knows about the Chinese workers on the farm and Fraser Mills and what they did on the weekends. She figures that many may have played card games to pass the time and at Fraser Mills gambling occurred. Fishing was a highlight for her father and she recalls him fishing sturgeon. Single workers may have gone into Vancouver on the weekends. Julie says that her parents had a hobby farm while living at Fraser Mills and that they grew enough garlic to sell in Chinatown. She thinks that before living at Fraser Mills, her mother must have went to Chinatown quite a bit, assisting with banking and enjoying a social life. Julie shares that her father, Puy Yuen Chan came to Canada from China at twelve years of age but working as a shingle packer, he never learned to speak English. She figures that her parents must have met at Fraser Mills while her mother was visiting her sister Maida. 30:54 – 37:33 Julie describes her mother as the cook, caregiver and the “one man show”. She says that her mother enjoyed cooking traditional Chinese recipes. Julie talks of her own cooking and gardening skills which she may have inherited from her parents including her large patch of garlic. 37:34- 40:23- Julie is asked as to whether her mother attended Chinese school and says that she had some Chinese schooling. She could read and write a little but didn’t attend a formal school as far as she knows. Julie shares some background information on her own husband Cecil, who grew up in East Vancouver. She shares that Cecil’s family went back to China from 1931 until 1939 when they returned to Queensborough. Cecil attended Chinese school in New Westminster. 40:24 – 42:19 Julie speaks briefly about what type of medical care her mother and her family had. She relates that all births took place at home and they accessed a Chinese herbalist in Chinatown. Hospitals were accessed in 1950s—1960s. The family did use Western doctors that were insured under the medical system. She recalls growing up and having to drink a particular herbal brew at least once a month to stay well. 42:20- 46:47 Julie describes how her parents stayed connected with their families in China. She says that her mother’s family didn’t stay in touch with relatives in China and that her uncles rejected anything to do with the past. On her father’s side they maintained a connection with cousins. She recalls that her father, Puy Yuen Chan supported some of his relatives back home in China and stayed in touch with some. Her mother, Laura travelled to China in 1991 and 1992 and connected with some relations on Julie’s father’s side. 46:48- 53:46 In this segment, Julie speaks of her mother’s character being very self-assured, independent and goal oriented. She feels that her mother valued being surrounded by her family and friends and felt very comfortable growing up in Burnaby and with the relationships that she had. She feels that her mother adapted to her roles being the last of four children on the farm and that she was very self-sufficient and determined.
History
Interviewee biography: Julie Lee (nee Chan) is the daughter of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) and Puy Yuen Chan. Her mother's family owned and operated a vegetable and piggery farm on Douglas Road near Still Creek in the early 1900s. Their farm was located in front of the Douglas Road interurban tram station. Her mother had two older sisters named Maida and Annie and two younger brothers Harry and Gordon. Her mother was born in 1912 and left the farm for Fraser Mills when she was married in 1942. Julie grew up with her parents and siblings on the Fraser Mills site during the 1940s and 1950s. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Education
Buildings - Schools
Names
Lee, Julie Cho Chan
Chan, Puy Yuen
Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"
Wong, Suey Fong "Maida" Jung
Jung, Suey Cheung "Harry"
Jung, Suey Yook "Gordon"
Jung, Gee Shee
Jung, Chung Chong
Jong, Suey Kin "Annie" Jung
Responsibility
Fong, Denise
Geographic Access
Douglas Road
Accession Code
BV020.6.2
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Related Material
See also BV018.16.1
Scan Resolution
1000
Scan Date
01-Oct-2017
Scale
96
Notes
Title based on contents of interview
Photograph info: Suey Ying (Laura) with produce baskets [between 1940 and 1942]. BV017.24.27
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020, [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020

Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020, [1920-1992] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 6, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2020_0006_0002_001.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Shirley Cohn

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19597
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
File
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
Scope and Content
File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews 2023 subseries
Description Level
File
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Shirley Cohn Location of Interviews: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Dates: April 14, 2023 and September 6, 2023 Total Number of Tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 67 min., 33 sec. Digital master recording (wav) recording of second interview (50 min., 36 sec.) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on September 6, 2023: 0:00 – 16:09 Shirley Cohn shares background information about her parents who immigrated to Detroit from Hungary in the 1930’s. Shirley recalls what it was like for her parents being Jewish during World War II and how many of their relations were killed in the Holocaust. Shirley talks about her Jewish Hungarian heritage, what it was like growing up in Detroit, the Jewish community in Detroit and the Jewish holidays and traditions that her family celebrated. Shirley recalls her high school and University education and experiences, starting her career in social work and how she met her future husband, Theodore “Ted” Cohn. 16:10 – 18:27 Shirley shares the story about her father in law, Dr. Daniel E. Cohn who was Harry Houdini’s doctor at the time of his death in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926. Shirley explains that she donated some of Dr. Daniel E. Cohn’s original documents pertaining to this event to the New York Public Library. 18:28 – 26:04 Shirley describes her experiences living and working in London Ontario while her husband was a professor at University of Western Ontario and Shirley worked as a social worker in family services. Shirley recalls experiences of anti-Semitism while living in London. Shirley talks about moving to Burnaby in 1977 after her husband took a job as a professor at Simon Fraser University. Shirley describes her experiences living in Burnaby, raising a family and working as a social worker at Burnaby General Hospital. 26:05 – 26:18 Shirley talks about her interests outside of work, her family’s involvement in the Burquest Jewish Community Association and being a member of Temple Shalom. Shirley conveys information about other Jewish synagogues in Greater Vancouver, describes Reform Judaism at Temple Shalom and some Jewish cultural practices that her family has been involved with. 26:19 – 33:12 Shirley describes her family’s experiences living in the Garden Village nieghbourhood in Burnaby, her involvement sharing Jewish cultural traditions at her children’s school and recalls her children’s experiences attending school in Burnaby. 33:13 – 40:46 Shirley conveys the career paths that her children took and talks about what she likes about living in Burnaby including; the walking and hiking trails, the cultural and art performances and her involvement in local politics. Shirley talks about her and her husband’s involvement in the SFU retirees association and the SFURA walking and hiking group. Shirley reflects on her husband’s academic career, experiences teaching at SFU and the role of the Hillel Jewish Students Association at the Simon Fraser University. Shirley talks about the difficulties of discussing political views about the State of Israel. Shirley describes some traditional Jewish foods, the roles that they play and a local bakery that carries Jewish bake goods. 40:47 – 50:36 Shirley describes her current daily life in Burnaby; working one day a week as a social worker, gardening, her involvement at Temple Shalom and the Jewish Community Centre and how she travels in Burnaby. Shirley recalls the changes that she’s encountered in Burnaby and in her career over the years, shares a story about her husband losing his thesis and describes what Burnaby was like while she was raising her family. Shirley shares what she thinks about the areas of development in Burnaby and conveys the importance of having parks and affordable housing. In closing, Shirley reflects on what is like to be a Jewish person living in Burnaby.
History
Interviewee biography: Shirley Tanner was born in Detroit in 1947. Her parents were both Jewish. Her mother fled Hungary as a refugee in 1939, while her father emigrated from there in 1934. Shirley attended public schools in Detroit, and then studied social work at the University of Michigan. After marriage, Shirley and Ted Cohn moved to Ontario where Ted had a faculty appointment at the University of Western Ontario in political science. Six years later they moved to Burnaby for Ted’s teaching position in political science at Simon Fraser University. While living in Burnaby, Shirley took care of a growing family while also practicing social work, mainly at Burnaby Hospital. The family enjoyed Burnaby’s libraries and parks. Shirley helped out at her children’s schools, became a Block Watch captain, and the family joined Burquest Jewish Community Association. The Cohns later became members of Temple Sholom Synagogue in Vancouver, while remaining in Burnaby. Beginning in 2009, Ted started an informal hiking group for retired Simon Fraser University staff. This group has been open to others, so now has a wide variety of members. Shirley has also helped lead hikes in the region. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Recreational Activities - Hiking
Organizations
Organizations - Societies and Clubs
Migration
Persons - Jewish Canadians
Religions - Judaism
Social Issues - Racism
Social Issues
Wars - World War, 1939-1945
Names
Cohn, Dr. Daniel E.
Cohn, Shirley
Cohn, Theodore H. "Ted"
Burquest
Hillel Jewish Students Association
Simon Fraser University
SFURA walking and hiking group
Simon Fraser University Retirees Association "SFURA"
Temple Shalom
Responsibility
Damer, Eric
Accession Code
BV023.16.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of file
Summary, recording and transcript of second interview available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023

Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_003.mp3
Less detail

19 records – page 1 of 1.