33 records – page 1 of 2.

A Family Farm

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14268
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:13:57 min)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land an…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:13:57 min)
Material Details
Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Persons from recorded extracts: Denise Fong; Josephine Chow Music: prod. riddiman Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:13:57 min Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part one in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part one is titled “A Family Farm”. The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. 00:00-02:21 The podcast opens with Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introducing themselves and their topic- the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby and the people who have made important contributions to the city’s development. “A Family Farm” talks about Chinese-owned businesses which are family run. “The family-oriented nature of Chinese-owned businesses also extend to many of the early (and current) Chinese-owned farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. When Chinese men first began farming in BC in the 1860s, a lot of them worked as labourers because they weren’t allowed to own land. After World War II many of these farmers were allowed to purchase lots, thanks to the Veterans Land Grant. These grants allowed returning veterans to purchase small parcels of land with government loans. Eventually, these men would start families on the farm, and many Chinese-owned farms became family-operated businesses where every member, male, female, child, and extended relatives were enlisted to work the grounds. And it was hard work, often from dawn to dusk, 6-7 days a week.” 02:23 – 07:50 This portion includes excerpts from Oral History interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) of Hop On Farms in the Burnaby Big Bend area. The interview was conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong. Josephine recalls growing up on the family farm with her six siblings. She tells of how the family pulled together money to purchase twelve acres along Marine Drive in 1951, her family’s background, daily life on the farm , responsibilities on the farm for her and her siblings and of how her mother had to balance working on the farm and providing for a family of ten to twelve people. 07:51 – 08:10 In this portion, hosts comment and reflect on their own experiences. “While it’s likely that a lot of this was done out of necessity and not being able to afford additional paid labourers, having grown up in Chinese households ourselves, we can definitely understand the rationale for these family-operated businesses and how it connects back to the Chinese understanding of family and kinship.” 08:11 – 09:06 In this portion, Rose and Wei provide information on the roots of the Chinese character for family “jia” in mandarin or “gah” in Cantonese. They explain that the term family is composed of two parts: the upper element is like a roof, symbolizing shelter, and the bottom part represents a pig which symbolizes food, whereby the Chinese character for family represents that of a farm. They provide a quote from the writings of Francois de Martin-Donos “In ancient China, the farm is an enterprise, a shelter that insures one food and work. The farm is a place to rely on, but in return, needs to be maintained, including a set of responsibilities. In other words, “family” is the insurance of a stable life.” 09:07 – 10:27 In this portion, the hosts speak about how traditional Chinese thought is heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucius and Confucius philosophy. They explain how Confucius emphasized five sets of human relationships that form the basis for society: ruler and minister, husband and wife, parents and child, sibling and sibling, friend and friend. Of these five, three are familial relationships also known as Filial piety – the respect and care for one’s familial superiors (such as parents, elders, and ancestors). They speak of how this is one of Confucianism’s main teachings and in this respect caring for family members is seen as a moral obligation. In China housing arrangements are in the form of siheyuan”s — a type of residence that featured a courtyard surrounded on all four sides with buildings. These traditionally housed one large extended family if they were wealthy enough. 10:28 – 13:08 In this portion, hosts provide further information on Josephine Chow’s family experience working and living on the “Hop On” family farm through the decades. An excerpt from the interview with Josephine Chow conducted by Denise Fong is included. In this excerpt, Josephine reflects on her past experiences on the farm and her present day experiences of her siblings running the farm. 13:09 -13:56 Final summary, credits and acknowledgements.
History
Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Agriculture
Gardens - Market Gardens
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Fong, Denise
Responsibility
Wu, Rose
Yeong, Wei Yan
Geographic Access
Marine Drive
Accession Code
BV020.28.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Big Bend Area
Related Material
BV020.28.4; BV020.28.5
Notes
Title based contents of sound recording
See also Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020 - BV020.6.1
Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
Why is family important in China? https://medium.com/@francois_dmd/why-is-family-so-important-in-china-1617b13a67
Burnaby Village Museum - Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong Feb. 7, 2020. BV020.6.1 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12337
Covered Roots: The History of Vancouver's Chinese Farms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WHS2Uf3JU
Burnaby Village Museum Shares Chinese-Canadian Farming History This Summer https://westcoastfood.ca/burnaby-village-museum-shares-chinese-canadian-farming-history-this-summer/
Chinese Market Gardeners in the City of Burnaby BC Continue to Practice Urban Agriculture https://cityfarmer.info/chinese-market-gardeners-in-the-city-of-burnaby-bc-continue-to-practice-urban-agriculture/
Chinese Market Gardening in BC https://www.bcfoodhistory.ca/chinese-market-gardening-bc/
Images
Audio Tracks
Less detail

UBC Partnership series

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14269
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Series
Physical Description
7 video recordings (mp4) + 4 sound recordings (mp3)
Scope and Content
Series consists of a collection of films and sound recordings created by students at the UBC of British Columbia's Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies department and Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies in partnership with Burnaby Village Museum. Recordings …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Description Level
Series
Physical Description
7 video recordings (mp4) + 4 sound recordings (mp3)
Scope and Content
Series consists of a collection of films and sound recordings created by students at the UBC of British Columbia's Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies department and Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies in partnership with Burnaby Village Museum. Recordings include Chinese Canadian research generated for an online audience in 2020. The fonds includes a series of three "Back to the Roots" podcasts titled "A Family Farm", "Where is your food from?" and "Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM" around the topics of family-operated farming, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism; two interviews (conducted as research for podcasts) with Chinese Medicine Dr. John Yang and Burnaby Village Museum researcher and PHD candidate, Denise Fong ; and a two part video series titled a "A Taste of History" with part one, "Scraps and Dragons" showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and part two "A Pig's Tale" about the history of Chinese pig farms also known as "Piggeries" in Burnaby. Films include versions with English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles. The fonds is arranged into the following subseries: 1) Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries 2) A Taste of History Video series - 2020 subseries
History
Beginning in 2018, students at the University of British Columbia's Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies department and Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadians Studies have participated in a research partnership with Burnaby Village Museum, which focuses on learning more about the stories of Asian Canadians who have lived in Burnaby. Each summer, a cohort of student interns have worked at or with the Museum to expand our research goals. In the first two years of the project, student interns created historical interpretive experiences in the museum including "a Story Garden" and "Story Harvest Station". These were intended to educate museum visitors on Chinese Canadian history in the market garden site. In 2019, interactive tours were designed and led by the team of interns. These included a three panel art piece of early Chinese Canadian industries, a visual compilation of migration stories involving a comic strip and family friendly activities. In 2020, due to the restrictions of COVID-19, the interns were asked to create virtual experiences to reimagine Burnaby Village Museum's historical Chinese Canadian programming in remote online spaces. Debbie Liang and Joty Gill (UBC alumni and graduates of Dr. Henry Yu's 2019 summer ACAM 390A Global Seminar to Asia) returned to work with Burnaby Village Museum to create two short films showcasing the history of Chinese Canadian Chop Suey restaurants and Piggeries in Burnaby. Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong (students in the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems) created a three episode podcast series "Back to the Roots" which delved into the topics of family-operated farming businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism. During their research the interns interviewed Dr. John Yang and Burnaby Village Museum researcher and PHD candidate, Denise Fong.
Accession Code
BV020.28
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Moving Images
Related Material
See also: The Fecundity of Food and Family: A Natural Niche for Chinese Canadians in Burnaby - BV020.29.5
Notes
Title based on contents of series
Item level and file level descriptions available
Further accruals are expected
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Where is your food from?

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14270
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:17:10 min)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part two in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part two is titled “Where is your food from?" The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:17:10 min)
Material Details
Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Guest: Denise Fong Music: prod. riddiman Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:17:10 min Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part two in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part two is titled “Where is your food from?" The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. "Where is your food from?" explores contemporary versus historical alternative food movements and how early Chinese farmers in the lower mainland had to be creative in their business tactics in order to survive in a local food system that discriminated against their race. 00:00-02:45 The podcast opens with an audio clip from Harvard University professor and world renowned food journalist and author of "The Ominvore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan. Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introduce themselves and their topic "Where is your food from?" They comment on the global philosophy "Eat local, think global" and question whether this philosphy ignores the struggles faced by local farms operated by immigrant workers back in the day. They comment "Unlike how these alternative food movements are heralded as sustainable, healthy, and even sometimes trendy now in today’s standards, for Chinese farmers, these alternative food movements were necessary for survival against discriminatory practices entrenched in the food system they were servicing." 02:46 - 06:21 This portion provides background on Chinese immigrant farmers and the establishment of "market gardens" or "truck farms". Rose and Wei Yan tell of how up to the 1970s, Chinese farms produced mostly European staples such as potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, corn and cabbage because there was no market for Chinese crops. Many of the Chinese immigrants were forced into farming and other menial jobs due to discriminatory practices that excluded them from other types of employment. The hosts provide a synopsis of Burnaby Bylaw Number 4, created in 1892, "The Chinese and Japanese Exclusion Bylaw" which prohibited any Chinese or Japanese person from working for the Municipality of Burnaby. Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong provides information on Chinese immigrants in Burnaby, how many of them were farmers in the Big Bend area and how hard it was for them to own land due to racial discrimination. Denise also refers to an article in"Harrowsmith" magazine (c.1980s) where thirty five Chinese-Canadians operated farms in Burnaby. 06:22 - 09:24 This portion provides a description of Chinese market farms and vegetable peddling. Background information about the history of market farms, truck farms and vegetable peddling in Burnaby and the lower mainland provided by Denise Fong. 09:24 - 12:03 This portion talks about the policies put in place to create further barriers to Chinese farmers. Denise Fong provides information regarding the civic bylaws that were created to restrict produce sales, fines and fees that were imposed on peddlers, establishment of green grocers, the Chinese Marketing Act, the establishment of organizations to support Chinese farmers including the Chinese Growers Assocation. 12:04 - 15:00 This portion talks about how Chinese-Canadians played important roles in conventional "long" food networks. Denise Fong provides information in how Chinese Canadians participated in the larger food distribution network in British Columbia. Denise shares a story of Chinese-Canadian Cecil Lee and how he introduced the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into British Columbia. 15:01 - 16:29 Final summary regarding the contraditions in our local food system that continue to persist today and how despite the improved status of Chinese-Canadians in British Columbia, cheap, migrant labourers continue to be an overlooked part of our local food system. This portion includes a recorded excerpt from M.L.A. Mabel Elmore regarding Temporary Foreign Workers (presented before the NDP caucous in 2015). 16:29 - 17:22 Credits, thanks and acknowledgements. Special thanks to Duncan McCue and M.LA. Mabel Elmore. Music created by P. Ruderman
History
Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. Guest, 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 the Burnaby Village Museum “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
Agriculture
Gardens - Market Gardens
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Fong, Denise
Burnaby Village Museum
McCue, Duncan
Elmore, Mabel
Responsibility
Yeong, Wei Yan
Wu, Rose
Geographic Access
Marine Drive
Accession Code
BV020.28.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Big Bend Area
Related Material
BV020.28.3; BV020.28.5
Notes
Title based contents of sound recording
For associated video recording of research interview with Denise Fong - see BV020.28.2
Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
Lim, S. (2015). Feeding the "Greenest City": Historicizing "Local," Labour, and the Postcolonial Politics of Eating. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 24(1), 78-100. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/26195279
Mable Elmore’s statement on the plight of temporary foreign workers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF4_js0R-Mo&ab_channel=BCNDPCaucus
Michael Pollen’s speech at UBC Farm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1n-kRJhPPQ&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=LFSLearningCentre
Gibb, Natalie & Wittman, Hannah. (2012). Parallel alternatives: Chinese-Canadian farmers and the Metro Vancouver local food movement. Local Environment. 18. 1-19. 10.1080/13549839.2012.714763.
Yu, J. (2014, March 31). The integration of the Chinese market gardens of southern British Columbia, 1885-1930 [R]. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0228676
Burnaby Village Museum, Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, 2020. BV020.28.2 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumvideo14276
Images
Audio Tracks
Less detail

Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14271
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
4 sound recordings (mp3) + 1 video recording (mp4)
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of a three episode podcast series "Back to the Roots" and two research interviews conducted using the video communication platform, "Zoom". The three podcasts which delve into the topics of Chinese family operated businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
4 sound recordings (mp3) + 1 video recording (mp4)
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of a three episode podcast series "Back to the Roots" and two research interviews conducted using the video communication platform, "Zoom". The three podcasts which delve into the topics of Chinese family operated businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism. The three podcasts are titled "A Family Farm"; "Where is your food from?" and "Chinese Herbalist Shops & TCM". The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Facutly of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. The two interviews were conducted by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Facutly of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia, while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. The recorded interviews include Dr. John Yang (doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Denise Fong (Burnaby Village Museum's Chinese-Canadian History researcher, co curator of the Accross the Pacific exhibit and UBC PHD candidate). The interviews were conducted as part of Rose and Wei Yan's research in support of a three episode podcast series "Back to the Roots" which delves into the topics of Chinese family operated businesses, Chinese contributions to early local and alternative food systems, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism.
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Agriculture
Gardens - Market Gardens
Names
Fong, Denise
Wu, Rose
Yeong, Wei Yan
Burnaby Village Museum
Yang, Dr. John
Accession Code
BV020.28
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Moving Images
Notes
Title based on contents of subseries
Interviews were originally recorded as mp4 videos on zoom. One of the interviews is made available for public access on Heritage Burnaby as an mp3 sound recording. Contact the Burnaby Village Museum to access the recording of the other interview.
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Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14274
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:16:19 min)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part three in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts where the hosts Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, "Dig up the roots of the past to unearth the foundations of the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby." This episode three is titled "Chinese Herbalist Shops and …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:16:19 min)
Material Details
Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Persons from recorded extracts: Denise Fong; Josephine Chow; Julie Lee Guest: Dr. John Yang Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:16:19 min Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of part three in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts where the hosts Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, "Dig up the roots of the past to unearth the foundations of the Chinese Canadian experience in Burnaby." This episode three is titled "Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM". The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. 00:00 - 01:34 Podcast opens with an introduction to this episode in the podcast series. 01:35 - 03:43 This portion of the podcast consists of segments of pre-recorded interviews between Denise Fong and Chinese-Canadians Julie Lee and Josephine Chow who grew up in Burnaby. Josephine and Jule recall visiting herbalist shops in Vancouver's Chinatown during the nineteen fifties and sixties. Due to the lack of herbalist shops in the Burnaby community during that time, it was common for a Chinese farming family to travel to Vancouver’s Chinatown in order to obtain herbal prescriptions or dried goods. Julie speaks briefly about what the type of Traditional Chinese medical care and advice her mother and family received. Josephine Chow tells of a female Chinese doctor from Vancouver, Madeline Chung who was responsible for delivering a lot of Chinese babies including Josephine and describes how her mother would take members of the family to the herbalist in Vancouver's Chinatown. 03:44 - 04:44 In this portion, the hosts tell of how aside from its medicinal purposes, herbalist shops also have a major socio-cultural significance to the Chinese community. The hosts describe the traditional layout of Chinese herblist shops, with a table set up for the game Ma Jong in the back and a seating area where customers could chat while waiting and be served tea. The hosts provide an example of the "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co." herbalist shop in Victoria that was open between 1905 and 1967 and of how the shop and contents are now part of a permanent exhibit at the Burnaby Village Museum. 04:45 - 09:21 In this portion, the hosts describe "Traditional Chinese Medicine" also known as "TCM". In order to better understand the importance of TCM in Chinese culture, and specifically to Chinese-Canadian immigrants, the hosts interview Dr John Yang, the chairperson and program director of Kwantlen Polytechnic University's TCM program. Holding a PHD in TCM before migrating with his family to Canada, Dr Yang came here 30 years ago and immediately started his journey as a TCM practitioner at his home basement in Burnaby. Dr. Yang tells of how he worked with the lobbying group, ATCMA (The British Columbia Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioners) to help legitimize TCM as a recognized form of medical health care. In 1996, the Canadian government finally approved the legitimization of TCM in Canada, where one is required to take a licensing exam before they’re allowed to start their practices in Canada. 09:22 - 15:17 In this portion of the podcast, Dr. Yang and hosts describe how Traditional Chinese Medicine and treatments differ from Western medicine, how TCM is a way of life and regularly incorporated into recipes and diets, the lack of social acceptance and the import of Chinese medicinal herbs and misconceptions. 15:18 - 16:19 Conclusion, credits and acknowledgements.
History
Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Public Services - Health Services
Names
Lee, Julie Cho Chan
Chow, Josephine
Fong, Denise
Yang, Dr. John
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company
Burnaby Village Museum
Responsibility
Wu, Rose
Yeong, Wei Yan
Accession Code
BV020.28.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
BV020.28.3; BV020.28.4
Notes
Title based contents of sound recording
See also Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020 - BV020.6.1; Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong February 6, 2020 - BV020.6.2
For associated video recording of research interview with Dr. John Yang - see BV020.28.1
Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:
B.C. to recognize doctors of Chinese medicine: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/b-c-to-recognize-doctors-of-chinese-medicine-1.396806
B.C. takes steps to legitimize traditional Chinese medicine: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/bc-takes-steps-to-legitimize-traditional-chinese-medicine/article18428851/
Traditional Chinese medicine moves into the mainstream https://www.straight.com/life/415386/traditional-chinese-medicine-moves-mainstream
Burnaby Village Museum - Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong Feb. 7, 2020. BV020.6.1 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12337
Burnaby Village Museum, Interview with Julie Lee by Denise Fong Feb. 6, 2020. BV020.6.2 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumsoundrecording12338
Images
Audio Tracks

Chinese Herbalist Shops and TCM, 2020

Less detail

Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14276
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:60:38 min.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an audio recording of a Zoom interview with Denise Fong conducted by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. The interview was conducted with Denise Fong as part of the students' research for their podcast "Where is your food from?". This podcast…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
UBC Partnership series
Subseries
Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:60:38 min.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Interviewee: Denise Fong Interview Date: September 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:60:38 Recording device: Zoom video communication platform Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
Scope and Content
Item consists of an audio recording of a Zoom interview with Denise Fong conducted by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. The interview was conducted with Denise Fong as part of the students' research for their podcast "Where is your food from?". This podcast was part two in a series of three "Back to the Roots" podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. In this series the students connected their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. "Where is your food from?" explores contemporary versus historical alternative food movements and how early Chinese farmers in the lower mainland had to be creative in their business tactics in order to survive in a local food system that discriminated against their race. 00:00 - 4:51 Denise Fong introduces herself and provides a summary of the work that she has done while working as a researcher on the Chinese Canadian History Research project for the Burnaby Village Museum. Denise explains how much of her research has focused on the history of Chinese Canadian market gardeners and green grocers and their presence in Burnaby. Denise tells of how many Chinese immigrants found it hard to find work due to racial discrimination which led many Chinese men to work in agriculture and farming. Her research has shown that many of the Chinese farms were located in the Big Bend area of Burnaby. 04:52 – 08:24 In this segment, Denise elaborates on the “truck” or “market” farming industry for Chinese farmers in Burnaby. Denise explains how “truck” farming was a mode for distributing produce from Chinese farms and some of the challenges the Chinese farmers faced. 08:25 – 14:10 In this segment Denise talks about peddling as another mode to distribute farm produce and how this was often dominated by Chinese Canadians since they were restricted from accessing other jobs. Denise explains how the Chinese peddlers would have their own routes with customers who depended on them to bring the produce to them. Denise provides an example of racial discrimination whereby a Burnaby Bylaw prevented people of Chinese descent from working for the city. 14:11 – 22: 39 In this segment, Denise describes how in the 1950s and 1960s, produce distribution networks for Chinese Canadian farmers in Burnaby expanded to larger stores and wholesalers including Woodward’s, Safeway in Burnaby, MacDonald’s Consolidated and Kelly Douglas. Denise provides specific examples of Burnaby families and tells the story of Chinese Canadian Cecil Lee, a produce buyer for Kelly Douglas. In the mid 1970s Lee, was asked to oversee the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into Canada and was responsible for the design of a new cardboard box to replace the wooden crates that held the mandarin oranges. 22:40 – 33:28 In this segment, Denise provides information on Chinese farming methods and practices that she gathered through her research. Information gathered from interviews, research papers and an article in Harrowsmith magazine suggest that many of the Big Bend farms in Burnaby relied on crop rotation, companion planting and intercropping along with traditional organic fertilizers that were available. Denise also tells of how Chinese farmers often relied on traditional methods that they brought from Southern China including the creation of raised beds to avoid damage due to flooding. Wei Yan comments that many of these traditional methods are being reintroduced as a new sustainable way of farming. Research done by Wei Yan found that when chemical fertilizers were introduced informational brochures included Chinese translations. 33:29 – 38:30 In this segment Rose and Wei Yan speak to Denise about the cultural demographic of farmers in the Big Bend area of Burnaby and what types of crops were grown. Denise comments that to her knowledge there were mostly Chinese farmers in this area but there were some European farmers as well. Produce that was grown on the farms was mostly market driven by the local consumers and it wasn’t until the 1970s that there was a bigger demand to grow Chinese vegetables to supply the growing Chinese population. Denise shares personal experience of what she learned after a visit to a local farm and the different methods that the farmer used for growing crops. The three discuss the importance of innovation and adaptability in growing techniques that Chinese farmers have used. 38:31 – 46:23 In this segment, Rose and Wei Yan speak to Denise about the discrimination barriers that Chinese farmers had to face. Denise speaks about discriminatory bylaws and regulations that targeted Chinese farmers including the Peddling tax. She tells of how this tax, persecution to peddlers and restrictions resulted in the emergence of a new industry of Chinese green grocers. Denise names Chinese trade organizations that were formed in response to the social and economic segregation and marginalization that Chinese farmers and retailers faced. Denise references research done by Natalie Gibb and Hannah Wittman from their article “Parallel Alternatives: Chinese-Canadian farmers and the Metro Vancouver local food movement” as well as research by Harry Con and Edgar Wickberg. Denise also provides information that she has gathered from Chinese farmers in Burnaby including the Yip family who were able to purchase land after World War II through the Veterans Land Act and how prior to World War II it was very difficult for Chinese immigrants to purchase land. 46:24 – 1:00:38 In this segment the group discusses how Chinese farmers have adapted in the market garden farm distribution system and the introduction of retail spaces on their farms as part of the new local food movement. Denise, Rose and Wei Yan reflect on how their interview with Denise Fong and research resources will support their podcast series and exhibits at Burnaby Village Museum.
History
Interviewer biographies: Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. Interviewee 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 the Burnaby Village Museum “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
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Agriculture
Agriculture - Crops
Agriculture - Farms
Gardens - Market Gardens
Foods
Names
Fong, Denise
Responsibility
Wu, Rose
Yeong, Wei Yan
Accession Code
BV020.28.2
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
BV020.28.4
Notes
Title based on contents of recording
Item was originally recorded as an mp4 video and converted to an mp3 sound recording for public access on Heritage Burnaby. To access the video recording, contact Burnaby Village Museum.
For recording of podcast "Where is your food from?" see BV020.28.4
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, 2020

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Interview with Margaret Jane (Jean) Wright 1992 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4637
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
July 8 1992
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Oral History collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 audio cassette (0:08:49 min)
Scope and Content
Track 3: This portion of the recording pertains to entertainment, food, school, and music. Jean discusses the importance of music as entertainment, which everyone participated in. She notes that her family always had visitors, for meals or to stay. Jean describes how her mother maintained a kitchen…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Oral History collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 audio cassette (0:08:49 min)
Material Details
Interviewer: Teresa Ballentine Interviewee: Margaret Jane (Jean) Wright (later Jean McCallum and later Jean Hogg) Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total Length of all Tracks: 1:09:29
Scope and Content
Track 3: This portion of the recording pertains to entertainment, food, school, and music. Jean discusses the importance of music as entertainment, which everyone participated in. She notes that her family always had visitors, for meals or to stay. Jean describes how her mother maintained a kitchen garden and domestic livestock, and what her mother did with the surplus. She talks about attending Gilmore Avenue School, relating how classes were held in various off-site locations when enrollment exceeded capacity. She also mentions attending the high school on Rosser Avenue. Jean talks of joining the school band in high school, playing the cornet. She describes becoming a member of the National Juvenile Band, playing concerts in many places, including the British Columbia Penitentiary.
History
Recording is an interview with Jean Hogg conducted by her daughter Teresa Ballentine. Jean talks about her life as a resident of Burnaby from her childhood in the 1910s to widowhood in the 1960s. Margaret Jane (Jean) Wright was born in Burnaby in August 1915, two years after her family moved to 3871 East Pender Street. She was one of five children of Joseph Wright and Wilhelmina Williams. Her first husband was Walter Angus McCallum, who she was married to from 1940-1965; they raised two daughters: June and Teresa. Her second husband's last name was Hogg.
Creator
Ballentine, Teresa
Names
Wright Family
Hogg, Jean Wright McCallum
Accession Code
BV018.17.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Date
July 8 1992
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on content of sound recording
Label on audio cassette case reads: "Jean & Terry / Re / Jeans Memories & / Her Life History"
Label on Side A of audio cassette reads: "Jean Hogg - Memories / 1"
Label on Side B of audio cassette reads: "Jean Hogg Memories / 2"
Audio Tracks

Interview with Margaret Jane (Jean) Wright 1992 - Track 3, July 8 1992

Interview with Margaret Jane (Jean) Wright 1992 - Track 3, July 8 1992

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2018_0017_0001_003.mp3
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Interview with Maninder Arora

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19351
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (67 min., 25 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (66 min., 45 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Maninder Arora conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Museum Registrar James Binks. 0:00 – 07:33 Interview opens with introductions. Maninder Arora shares her immigration story and how she came to emigrate from India to Canada…
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) (67 min., 25 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (66 min., 45 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Anushay Malik Co interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Maninder Arora Location of Interview: In Burnaby at the home of Maninder Arora Interview Date: December 7, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: (01:07:25) 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 Maninder Arora conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Museum Registrar James Binks. 0:00 – 07:33 Interview opens with introductions. Maninder Arora shares her immigration story and how she came to emigrate from India to Canada at 16 years of age with her mother, her older sister (18 yrs) and her younger brother (11 yrs) in 1974. Maninder explains how her sister immigrated first after marrying a South Asian Canadian and subsequently was able to sponsor members of her family to immigrate about one year later. Arora describes what life was like for her and her family in the northern part of Punjab in India prior to immigration to Canada. Arora describes her family composition with her being the second youngest of eight children and how at the time of immigrating, four of her elder siblings (three sisters and one brother) stayed behind. 07:34 – 16:23 As a new immigrant to Canada at the age of 16 years of age, Maninder Arora recalls the many challenges that she faced. Maninder describes how she attended Vancouver Technical School and then worked at a restaurant on Friday nights and weekends. She recollects how she got her first job through the Sikh community from the Akali Singh Sikh Gurdwara on Fraser Street. Maninder recalls that during the first five months in Canada, Maninder, her mother, sister and brother lived with her elder sister, her husband and child before finding a place of their own. Arora recalls where her family shopped for traditional Indian spices and foods. 16:24 – 25:50 Maninder Arora describes the next home that her family moved to and how she and her brother attended David Thompson Secondary School. Maninder explains that she dropped out of school in Grade 12 to go to work full time to help her family repay the debt that they owed for their immigration expenses. Around 1981, her mother was able to purchase a house at Marine Drive and Ross Street and her mother got work at the same restaurant that Maninder was working. Maninder shares and reflects on a disturbing encounter of racism that she and her older sister faced while taking local transit. 25:51 – 34:17 Maninder Arora talks about her past work experience. Maninder describes how with the help of her sister, she began working as a nurses' aide at care homes and private hospitals. Maninder reflects on how she intended to get a job in a unionized care home where she can make a better living wage. Maninder describes some of the places that she worked before obtaining certification as a nurse’s aide from Kwantlen College. 34;18 – 51:15 Maninder Arora describes the events that led to her marrying her future husband in 1986 and how it wasn’t an easy decision for her. Maninder describes where she and her family lived after her marriage and how her hard work led her to obtaining full time employment as a nurses' aide in Richmond. 51:16 - 56:16 Maninder Arora tells of how she decided to move to Burnaby where her sister and extended family were living. Maninder recalls what lead to her decision to move from Surrey to Burnaby in 1992. 56:17 - 1:04:23 Maninder Arora shares some experiences of her life in Burnaby. Maninder further reflects on her decisions for moving to Burnaby including providing what she thought would be a safer environment and education for her children. Maninder conveys how racism is still very much prevalent in society and recounts a personal encounter that she experienced while shopping for shoes at Metrotown. 1:04:24 – 1:06:45 The interviewer asks Maninder Arora what she would like to see conveyed as a message for younger people in an upcoming exhibit at Burnaby Village Museum on South Asian history. Maninder conveys that she would like all Canadian citizens living in Burnaby to make the environment better by not littering, living peacefully together and not causing people grief or struggle for nothing, “Be kind to each other”. In closing Arora shares the transportation route she took when emigrating from India to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Maninder Arora was born in the northern part of Punjab, India. Her sister immigrated to Canada in 1974 after marrying a South Asian Canadian. In 1975, after her father died, her sister was able to bring her mother, her 11 year old brother and Maninder at 16 years of age. After arriving in British Columbia, they first lived with her sister and family before finding a place of their own. Maninder attended Vancouver Technical School and later David Thompson Secondary School and worked in a restaurant on weekends to help her family out. Maninder and her family were members of the Sikh community and attended Akali Singh Sikh Gurdwara on Fraser Street. Maninder left school in Grade 12 to work full time to help her family repay the debt that they owed for their immigration expenses. In the early 1980’s Maninder’s family moved to a house near Marine Drive and Ross Street that her mother was able to purchase. With the help of her sister, Maninder got work as a nurses’ aide at care homes and private hospitals which eventually led her to obtaining certification from Kwantlen College. Maninder married in 1986 and had two children while living in Richmond. Around 1992, she moved from Surrey to Burnaby to be closer to her sister and to provide as safer environment for her children. 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”. 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
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations
Occupations - Nurses
Migration
Names
Arora, Maninder
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV022.29.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Maninder Arora, [1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022

Interview with Maninder Arora, [1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0006_003.mp3
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Interview with Harman Pandher

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19609
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada arou…
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) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Harman Pandher Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:45:23 min Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 format for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada around 1968. The interview continues with Harman Pandher providing details about his childhood in Burnaby while occasionally sharing photographs with the interviewer. He provides detailed descriptions of the homes and neighbourhoods while living on Second Street and 15th Avenue and shares his experiences as a South Asian Sikh attending Second Street elementary school, Cariboo Hill Secondary School and Kahlsa School. Pandher recalls some of his family and childhood experiences including, family events and gatherings; participation in school clubs and sports; playing basketball, ball hockey and street hockey with his Punjabi friends and other Burnaby kids; racism that he faced as a Sikh wearing a turban and delivering newspapers for the Vancouver Sun. 37:39 – 52:54 Pandher talks about family and cultural celebrations and traditions within the Sikh community including Vaisakhi, Diwali and celebrations of the birth of Guru Ravidas and Guru Nanak. Pandher conveys that while he was growing up many of these events took place in Vancouver but now they are also celebrated in Burnaby. He recalls events that took place in school while growing up in Burnaby including; his sister wearing a Sari to a fashion show; a visit to a Sikh temple; celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak and outreach to teachers to learn about South Asian culture, games, food and traditions. Pandher also shares his experiences working as a student teacher at Capital Hill Elementary in North Burnaby where he took his class on a tour of the Sikh temple in 2001 and reflects on learning that it is his responsibility to be proactive in educating the public in his own culture while also learning about other communities. 52:55 - 1:19:56 Pandher shares personal experiences of racism and his experiences as a teacher and author. He recalls and reflects on a traumatic experience where he was physically assaulted while shopping at Lougheed Mall and recollects his father carrying around his field hockey stick in his car to defend himself. Pandher reflects on the lack of representation of racialized people like himself within the school curriculum while he was growing up which lead him to become a teacher and an author of children’s literature. Pander provides detailed information on his education and training in becoming a teacher, his love of poetry and literature and how he became an author. Pandher describes some of the works of poetry and literature that he’s written about the Sikh religion, history and culture, growing up as a Sikh Canadian and a non-fiction work about the history of Paldi titled "Welcome to Paldi: A Place for Everyone". Pandher also talks about beginning to record some of his own family stories from relatives. 1:19:57 - 1:29:58 Pandher talks about raising his own family in Burnaby, living as an extended family with his parents, his son’s education and Pandher's experience on the Burnaby School Board (2011-2018) . Pandher shares locations of residences that he and his family have lived before living at their current home on 17th Avenue. Pandher explains that since he was a teacher in Surrey, his son attended Khalsa School as well as public elementary and high school in Surrey but did his extracurricular activities in Burnaby where the family lived. 1:29:56 – 1:41:39 In closing, Harman Pandher reflects and shares what he hopes for younger generations of South Asian Canadians and future generations. Pandher articulates “be who you are, stay true to who you are, maintain your family’s traditions, learn their stories, learn their story and how they got to Burnaby”. He conveys that even though there’s more work to be done eliminating racism completely he sees the importance in volunteering, teaching others about yourself and making an effort to learn all parts of Burnaby and other cultures represented here. Pandher speaks about his concerns of youths falling victim to a lifestyle of drugs and gangs and how it’s important to remove the stigma around mental health issues.
History
Interviewee biography: Harman Pandher was born in Vancouver in 1976 to parents, Rajinder and Raj Pandher who immigrated to Canada in 1973. A few weeks later after Harman was born, the family moved to Burnaby. While living in Burnaby, Harman Pandher and his sister attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Pandher obtained a master's degree in education from the University of British Columbia and has worked as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. Pandher has been recognized for his efforts in building bridges across communities as the recipient of the 2021 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award. Pandher has served on the Board of the Burnaby Multicultural Society and is co-founder of two noon-profit organizations; “Through SONG” (Seeking Oneness for the Next Generation) “About bringing youth together form diverse backgrounds and using their talent in the community for good causes” and "SACH" (South Asian Community Hub) providing one-stop services for those impacted by alchohol and substance use and mental health issues. Harman Pandher is also the author of two children's books titled, "Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship" and "Once Upon the Golden Temple: A Journey to Sri Harmandir Sahib". Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Occupations - Teachers
Occupations - Writers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Sports - Basketball
Sports
Names
Pandher, Harman
Second Street School
Cariboo Hill Secondary School
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Geographic Access
2nd Street
15th Avenue
Accession Code
BV023.1.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Second Street Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023

Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0001_003.mp3
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Interview with Jenny Siormanolakis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19635
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (87 min.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (86 min., 51 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jenny (Eugenia) Siormanolakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks on July 26 2023. 00:00-12:02 Interview opens with introductions. Jenny Siormanolakis shares details about her parents Eugene and Europe Siormanola…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (87 min.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (86 min., 51 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Jenny (Eugenia) Siormanolakis Location of Interview: Prado Cafe, 4321 Still Creek Dr., Burnaby Interview Date: July 26, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:26:60 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Ambient sound from cafe in background of interview
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Jenny (Eugenia) Siormanolakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, James Binks on July 26 2023. 00:00-12:02 Interview opens with introductions. Jenny Siormanolakis shares details about her parents Eugene and Europe Siormanolakis who were both born in Greece and immigrated to Vancouver. Jenny provides details about the history of Romana Pizza restaurant including; the restaurant partners, the various locations, her father’s work ethics of running the restaurant and the staff who worked there. Jenny provides details about her father's life, his ancestral background and family relations which lead him to immigrate to Vancouver. Jenny shares childhood memories of helping out in her parents’ restaurant and later working there. 12:03 – 26:41 Jenny describes various food dishes that have been on the menu of Romana Pizza and Steak House and Romana Pizza, how they've evolved over time, how her father learned to cook traditional Greek food and develop his own recipes and where he sourced his restaurant food supplies. Jenny conveys how they used social media to advertise the restaurant, describes the election pizza poll that Romana Pizza held during the federal and provincial elections and a baby poll that was held at the restaurant to guess the weight of her and her sister’s babies. 26:42 – 31:47 Jenny talks about her marriage and recollects how she got married in a civil ceremony at Romana Pizza. Jenny talks about her family life while her family was running the restaurant, their decision to sell the restaurant and describes the last days of running the restaurant. 31:48 – 46:33 Jenny conveys the background story of her business “Granpa J’s”. Jenny describes how her uncle Jimmy Voulides, created his own seasoning salt product and after he died in 2003, Jenny and her sister Nora purchased the business. Jenny describes how they developed their business, created new products, their struggles and how they became successful. Jenny describes how their products have been developed from family recipes and recalls how the actor Ryan Reynold’s helped their products become even more successful overnight. 46:34 – 55:38 Jenny talks about different community festivals and events that she’s been involved with including; Greek Day on Broadway (Vancouver) and the Hats Off Day event in North Burnaby. Jenny shares the background history of Greek Day in Vancouver and information about other Greek community events. Jenny talks about the importance of bringing the community together and the importance of knowing the history of your ancestors and where they came from. 55:39 - 1:04:35 Jenny talks about her involvement with the Greek community newspaper “Gnome” and provides details about; the former creator and editor Kostas Karatsikis, the newspaper's content, it's importance in the Greek community and the distribution. Jenny describes some of the articles that she’s written for the Gnome newspaper. 1:04:36 - 1:14:12 Jenny describes some pivotal moments that occurred over the years at Romana Pizza including; placing second in the Vancouver Sun newspaper contest for Best Pizza (1986) and having members of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team frequent their restaurant. Jenny conveys how the restaurant benefited from having a website and using social media as a marketing tools. 1:14:13 - 1:22:42 Jenny talks about her involvement with Kolanki Group West, Euro Find foods and her passion for Greek food and other European foods. Jenny describes some traditional Greek recipes, family recipes, talks about marketing Grandpa J's products and reflects on the menu of Romana Pizza. 1:22:43 - 1:26:51 Jenny reflects on the role of the Greek community, how food plays a roll, the future of the Greek community in Vancouver and Burnaby and the importance of engaging the younger generation. In closing Jenny provides a quote from an article that she wrote “Forgive the mistakes of the past, let it go and realize that we are all equals...”.
History
Interviewee biography: Eugenia "Jenny" Siormanolakis is the daughter of Eugene and Europe Siormanolakis. Jenny’s father, Eugene Siormanolakis immigrated to Canada from Greece in the late 1960’s and her mother Europe Siormanolakis immigrated in 1973. In April 1973, her father and five partners opened the restaurant “Romana Pizza and Steak House” (later renamed "Romana Pizza") located at 4660 Hastings Street in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood. Jenny and her sister Eleanora Iliakis spent much of their childhood in the family owned restaurant and also worked at the restaurant as they become older. Jenny’s parents continued to own and operate the restaurant until 2014 when they decided to retire from the business. In 2004, an opportunity arose for Jenny and her sister Eleanora to buy their recently deceased uncle’s business Grandpa J’s Seasoning Inc. They launched their business of “Grandpa J’s” seasoning first selling to local restaurants and eventually adapted their product line to include other Greek seasoning products which they developed from their own recipes. They expanded their clientele to include retail outlets and in 2020, they got a boost to their sales when actor Ryan Reynolds promoted their seasoing product "Vancity Grind" on Instagram. Since launching their business they have been featured in many culinary and business publications and were nominated in 2022 as finalists for Product of the Year by BC Food and Beverage. Jenny is extremely passionate about food, her Greek heritage and is an advocate for food security for children and seniors and mental health. 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
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Businesses
Elections
Foods
Migration
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Persons - Greek Canadians
Names
Gnome Publications
Iliakis, Eleonara Siormanolakis
Karatsikis, Kostas "George"
Siormanolakis, Eugenia "Jenny"
Nikolaidis, "Eleni"
Nikolaidis, Stelios
Romana Pizza
Siormanolakis, Eugene
Siormanolakis, Europe
Voulides, Demetrios "Jimmy"
Responsibility
Binks, James
Geographic Access
Hastings Street
Street Address
4660 Hastings Street
Accession Code
BV023.16.13
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Heights Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Jenny Siormanolakis, [1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023

Interview with Jenny Siormanolakis, [1960-2023] (interview content), interviewed 26 Jul. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0013_003.mp3
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Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19347
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (m4a) (118 min., 39 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (115 min., 20 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill and their daughter, Prem Kaur Gill conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep. The interview is conducted in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The three members of the Gill family share the…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (m4a) (118 min., 39 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (115 min., 20 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Anushay Malik, Rajdeep Interviewees: Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill Location of Interview: Gill family residence on Warwick Avenue in Burnaby Interview Date: November 11, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (1:58:39) Digital master recording (m4a) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill and their daughter, Prem Kaur Gill conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep. The interview is conducted in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The three members of the Gill family share their ancestral background, their personal experiences immigrating to Canada, living in Burnaby and working in British Columbia as South Asian immigrants. 00:00 – 27:34 Santokh “Gurmail” Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill share their migration stories and experiences living and working in British Columbia as South Asian immigrants and their eldest child, Prem Kaur Gill shares her own experiences as a child of South Asian immigrants and growing up in British Columbia as a South Asian Canadian. Gurmail Singh Gill was born in the District of Jalandhar and Mohinder Kaur Gill was born in Hoshiapur of the Indian state of Punjab. Gurmail describes how he moved from India to England with his family in 1957, immigrated to Canada from England in 1966, married his wife Mohinder in England in 1968 and brought his family (parents and two siblings) to Canada from England in 1970 and other relatives including his wife’s family in the 1970s and 1980s. Mohinder and Gurmail Gill recollect their arranged marriage in England in 1968, their immigration process and explain how they arrived in Burnaby residing with a cousin at 4649 Georgia Street until they were able to purchase their own home after a few years. Gurmail shares names and connections to the relatives that came to British Columbia before him. Gurmail and Mohinder tell how they lived in the basement of the house and rented out the upper floor to save money. The couple recall what they brought with them when they immigrated to Canada and Mohinder Kaur Gill tells of how before leaving India, she and her mother made a special rajai for her to take with her. Mohinder describes the process of making a rajai (a quilted blanket that was made by hand). Gurmail and Mohinder Gill talk about the challenges that they’ve experienced as new immigrants including not being fluent in English, the cold weather and not having very many family or friends nearby to provide support. They attended the Gurdwara on Ross Street or Akali Singh Sikh Society Gurdwara on Skeena in Vancouver. They explain how there was limited access to grocery stores that supplied Punjabi and Indian spices and other cooking supplies. They talk about how they used a food mill and mortar and pestle to grind their own spices and flour and how Mohinder often made traditional sweets like barfi and laddo and pakoras using pea flour when they couldn’t get Besan flour. 27:35 – 36:11 Gurmail provides more details on his family’s immigration story, including names of relatives, how his six siblings and parents all immigrated to British Columbia in 1970 and how in the early 1970s and mid 1980’s Gurmail and his family sponsored approximately 70 friends and relations from India (including Mohinder’s family) to immigrate to Canada. When Mohinder’s family arrived they lived with them in their house until they were able to purchase property next door and build their own home. Children in the families all attended elementary and high school in Burnaby which now amounts to three generations. 36:12 – 59:28 Gurmail and Mohinder Gill talk about their experiences of racial discrimination. Gurmail recalls members of the South Asian community, Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma, Harinder Mahil and Charan Gill starting the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism. Gurmail tells of how he got involved contributing some of his union dues as a member of CAIMAW (Canadian Association of Industrial Mechanical and Allied Workers Union- Local 15) and as a friend of Charan Gill and Raj Chouhan of the Canadian Farm Workers Union. Gurmail Gill explains how he was a founding member of CAIMAW and treasurer until the union merged with the Canadian Auto Workers Union (in 1991). Mohinder and Gurmail tell of how people from the South Asian community were discouraged from wearing Punjabi dresses or head coverings for fear of being yelled at with racial slurs and how it was often scary to go outside. Many from their community often avoided attending the Akali Singh Gurdwara since a head covering was required and people were afraid of being a target. Gurmail provides details about his work with A1 Steel, how different unions were formed pertaining to various skillsets and jobs per company and how he became a member of CAIMAW Local 15 (foundry workers). Mohinder recollects her experiences as a mother, the daily tasks involved and friends that she made who’d also emigrated from Punjab. Mohinder describes how she designed and sewed many Punjabi dresses using her electric sewing machine and how she learned English by attending adult classes at a church on Commercial Drive. Mohinder and her mother attended the classes for two hours per day for six years at a cost of twelve dollars for ten weeks. Once Mohinder could speak a little English, she started working and was able to practice more. 59:29 – 1:06:08 Mohinder, Gurmail and Prem talk about some of their favourite traditional foods including corn roti and spinach curry and how they grow many of their own vegetables including peppers, eggplant, saag (spinach), onions, garlic, cilantro, zucchini, squash and fenugreek. Mohinder reflects on how access to Punjabi clothing and fabric stores in Vancouver has changed and that ready made food is now more available. Traditional foods were previously made from scratch with women gathering together and cooking for hours and now it’s gotten easier but more expensive and less of a community feel. 1:06:09- 1:55:20 Mohinder and Gurmail Gill discuss and share their perspectives and experiences on raising a family in the past versus today. Gurmail imparts that all of his siblings became educated and secured professional careers while he continued to work in the trades. Prem Kaur Gill shares her own experiences growing up and attending school in Burnaby. Gurmail and Mohinder Gill recall the type of suitcase that they brought with them when they immigrated and how they recently they got rid of it. Gurmail and the group reflect and discuss the confusion with racial identity terms that have been used in this country. They comment that South Asians were referred to as “Hindu” and “East Indian” and Indigenous peoples were referred to as “Indian” and the controversy and racism behind some of these terms. The group discusses the impact of the caste system and other discriminatory experiences and compare their experiences of living in England to living in Canada. Prem comments on how it’s just recently that South Asian customs, celebrations and practices have been recognized and celebrated here in Canada, like Diwali and yoga. They comment on how much of the language, culture and customs have been retained in Surrey where many can still communicate in Punjabi and don’t need to be fluent in English. The group discusses how many South Asians immigrants first lived and worked in Vancouver but with rising property prices many moved to Surrey expanding and establishing a much larger South Asian community with resources. The group discusses and compares the differing travel routes that many of them and their relatives took when immigrating and travelling between India and Canada. The group talks about Rajdeep’s ancestral village in India which is near the Gill village of Firozpur. Gurmail explains the origins and details behind his family name that was changed from “Shergill” to “Gill” and the name “Santokh” from his maternal side.
History
Interviewees' biographies: Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill was born in the District of Jalandhar in Punjab, India. Gurmail moved to England with his family in 1957 and immigrated to British Columbia in 1966. Gurmail married his wife, Mohinder Kaur Gill in England in 1968 and she immigrated to British Columbia from England soon after. Gurmail first lived with a cousin in Burnaby before purchasing a home of his own in Burnaby where he raised his family. Gurmail worked in the steel industry and was a member and treasurer of the CAIMAW before the union merged with the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Mohinder Kaur Gill was born in the Hoshiapur in Punjab, India. She married her husband Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill in England in 1968 and immigrated to Burnaby, British Columbia to join her husband. Mohinder and Gurmail Gill have four children, all born in Burnaby. Prem Kaur Gill was born in Burnaby in 1969 and is the eldest child of Santokh "Gurmail" Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill. Prem grew up and attended school in Burnaby. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Clothing
Foods
Indigenous peoples
Buildings - Religious - Temples
Food Processing Tools and Equipment
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Migration
Occupations
Organizations - Unions
Names
Gill, Prem Kaur
Gill, Mohinder Kaur
Gill, Santokh "Gurmail" Singh
Responsibility
Rajdeep
Malik, Anushay
Accession Code
BV022.29.2
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
Indian Family System Reference notes: Baba = informal way to say grandfather; old man Bibi = informal way to say grandmother; old woman Dada= paternal grandfather Dadi= paternal grandmother Dadke= paternal family members; paternal side (Various spellings might exist for the following terms) Thaiyya= father’s elder brother (uncle) Thaiyyi= father’s elder brother’s wife (aunt) Chacha= father’s younger brother (uncle) Chachi= father’s younger brother’s wife (aunt) Bua= father’s sister (older or younger) (aunt) Phuphar= father’s sister’s husband (uncle) Nana= maternal grandfather Nani= maternal grandmother Nanke/nanka= maternal family members; maternal side Mama= mom’s brother (older or younger) (uncle) Mami= mom’s brother’s wife (aunt) Maasi= mom’s sister (older or younger) (aunt) Maasard= mom’s sister’s husband (uncle)
Audio Tracks

Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022

Interview with Prem Kaur Gill, Santokh Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 11 Nov. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0002_002.mp3
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Interview with Don and Orville Jantzen by Eric Damer November 19, 2012 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory352
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1956-2012
Length
0:05:19
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of going to supper clubs and participating in sports leagues. Don and Orville Jantzen discuss the Gai Paree Supper Club, the Chicken Coop (the beer parlour where Don's labour meetings were held) and curling at the Burnaby Winter Club.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of going to supper clubs and participating in sports leagues. Don and Orville Jantzen discuss the Gai Paree Supper Club, the Chicken Coop (the beer parlour where Don's labour meetings were held) and curling at the Burnaby Winter Club.
Date Range
1956-2012
Photo Info
Don Jantzen, [198-]. Item no. 549-040.
Length
0:05:19
Names
Gai Paree Supper Club
Subjects
Recreational Activities
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
November 19, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Don Jantzen and his brother Orville Jantzen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 19, 2012. Major themes discussed are: political activism and the trade union movement.
Biographical Notes
Don Jantzen came to Vancouver from the prairies following the war, found work, married, and settled in Burnaby in 1950. Through his work as a longshoreman, Don became active in the trade union movement (ILWU) and eventually became vice president of the Vancouver local. He was also active in politics, helping to launch the Burnaby Citizen’s Association in the early nineteen-fifties and working as campaign manager for candidates in both the provincial and the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). Don has been a participant in local politics for many years as well as a supporter of Habitat for Humanity. Don's younger brother, Orville Jantzen, was born in Saskatchewan but grew up in South Vancouver. He is married with two children. Orville began his career as a salesman for a Burnaby bakery and remained in the food and beverage industry, working in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Since retiring, Orville has been engaged with Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:30:32
Interviewee Name
Jantzen, Don
Jantzen, Orville
Interview Location
Interviewee's residence
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track four of recording of interview with Don and Orville Jantzen

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Interview with Shanaz Khan

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20284
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1956-2023] (interview content), interviewed 24 Sep. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) (65 min., 54 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (63 min., 54 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Shanaz Khan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum registrar Rajdeep on September 24, 2023. 00:00:00- 00:09:59 Shanaz Khan shares information about herself, her family and life in Fiji before she immigrated to Vancouver in 1972 and her fi…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) (65 min., 54 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (63 min., 54 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Rajdeep Interviewee: Shanaz Khan Location of Interview: Love farmhouse at Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: September 24, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:05:54 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 Shanaz Khan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum registrar Rajdeep on September 24, 2023. 00:00:00- 00:09:59 Shanaz Khan shares information about herself, her family and life in Fiji before she immigrated to Vancouver in 1972 and her first experiences after immigrating to Vancouver including where her family lived, her work as an accountant for major banks in Vancouver, training and working as a chef and living in Surrey and Vancouver. 00:10:00 - 00:14:59 Shanaz shares experiences in her career as an accountant working in Vancouver and Tumbler Ridge and her experiences of racism that she faced in her workplace. Shanaz talks about her life after retirement and her volunteer work. 00:015:00 - 00:22:53 Shanaz talks about her life in Burnaby for the last 19 years and what she likes about living here. Shanaz recollects locations of stores in Vancouver where her family shopped to find traditional foods and where her family lived after immigrating. Shanaz shares some of her favourite traditional foods. 00:22:54 - 00:37:41 Shanaz recollects some of her childhood experiences growing up in Fiji and her experiences of swimming in Fiji, Hawaii and in Vancouver. Shanaz talks about her fitness regime and places that she likes to exercise in Burnaby including trails and green spaces and reflects on the changes to Burnaby with increased development, the cost of housing and the crime rate. 00:37:42 - 00:52:41 Shanaz talks about the traditional clothing and western clothing that she’s worn and accessed while living in Burnaby and Vancouver. Shanaz describes some traditional Islamic religious practices including the nikah (marriage), funerals, prayers, Eid, Hajj and her own personal practices as well as locations of mosques and cemeteries available to Muslims in the lower mainland. 00:52:42 - 01:05:54 Shanaz talks about her parent’s religious and ancestral background, her religious upbringing and the demographics of Fiji.
History
Interviewee biography: Shanaz Khan was born and raised in Suva, Fiji in the 1950's. In the early 1970's, Shanaz immigrated to Vancouver with her parents and younger brother. Shanaz attended John Oliver High School and took one year of accounting courses at Langara College. Over the years Shanaz worked as an accountant in major banks and for a mining company in Tumbler Ridge. Shanaz also worked as a chef at various restaurants and bakeries after completing training at a Vancouver Culinary School. Shanaz has made her home in Burnaby for the past 19 years. Following her retirement, Shanaz has volunteered for different organizations including the YWCA. Interviewer biography: 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 - Religious - Mosques
Cemeteries
Ceremonies - Funerals
Ceremonies - Weddings
Education
Housing
Migration
Occupations
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions - Islam
Religions - Christianity
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Sports - Swimming
Names
Khan, Shanaz
Responsibility
Rajdeep
Accession Code
BV023.16.18
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1956-2023] (interview content), interviewed 24 Sep. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Shanaz Khan, [1956-2023] (interview content), interviewed 24 Sep. 2023

Interview with Shanaz Khan, [1956-2023] (interview content), interviewed 24 Sep. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0018_002.mp3
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Interview with Don and Orville Jantzen by Eric Damer November 19, 2012 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory351
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1955-2012
Length
0:07:31
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of Burnaby's political landscape. Orville Jantzen discusses air pollution in Burnaby and Eric Damer mentions various conservation strategies. Don discusses the Burnaby Citizen's Association platform and a number of politicians from th…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of Burnaby's political landscape. Orville Jantzen discusses air pollution in Burnaby and Eric Damer mentions various conservation strategies. Don discusses the Burnaby Citizen's Association platform and a number of politicians from the federal government including Tommy Douglas.
Date Range
1955-2012
Photo Info
Don Jantzen, [198-]. Item no. 549-040.
Length
0:07:31
Names
Burnaby Citizen's Association
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
November 19, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Don Jantzen and his brother Orville Jantzen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 19, 2012. Major themes discussed are: political activism and the trade union movement.
Biographical Notes
Don Jantzen came to Vancouver from the prairies following the war, found work, married, and settled in Burnaby in 1950. Through his work as a longshoreman, Don became active in the trade union movement (ILWU) and eventually became vice president of the Vancouver local. He was also active in politics, helping to launch the Burnaby Citizen’s Association in the early nineteen-fifties and working as campaign manager for candidates in both the provincial and the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). Don has been a participant in local politics for many years as well as a supporter of Habitat for Humanity. Don's younger brother, Orville Jantzen, was born in Saskatchewan but grew up in South Vancouver. He is married with two children. Orville began his career as a salesman for a Burnaby bakery and remained in the food and beverage industry, working in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Since retiring, Orville has been engaged with Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:30:32
Interviewee Name
Jantzen, Don
Jantzen, Orville
Interview Location
Interviewee's residence
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of interview with Don and Orville Jantzen

Less detail

Interview with Don and Orville Jantzen by Eric Damer November 19, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory350
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1953-1977
Length
0:08:00
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of prominent moments in Canadian Union history and of Burnaby's political landscape. Don mentions the strike of 1967 at the "Big Owe" Olympic Stadium in Montreal and goes on to discuss Burnaby Council's fair wage legislation. He discu…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of prominent moments in Canadian Union history and of Burnaby's political landscape. Don mentions the strike of 1967 at the "Big Owe" Olympic Stadium in Montreal and goes on to discuss Burnaby Council's fair wage legislation. He discusses the Burnaby Citizen's Association (BCA).
Date Range
1953-1977
Photo Info
Don Jantzen, [198-]. Item no. 549-040.
Length
0:08:00
Names
Burnaby Citizen's Association
Subjects
Protests and Demonstrations - Strikes
Protests and Demonstrations
Organizations - Unions
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
November 19, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Don Jantzen and his brother Orville Jantzen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 19, 2012. Major themes discussed are: political activism and the trade union movement.
Biographical Notes
Don Jantzen came to Vancouver from the prairies following the war, found work, married, and settled in Burnaby in 1950. Through his work as a longshoreman, Don became active in the trade union movement (ILWU) and eventually became vice president of the Vancouver local. He was also active in politics, helping to launch the Burnaby Citizen’s Association in the early nineteen-fifties and working as campaign manager for candidates in both the provincial and the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). Don has been a participant in local politics for many years as well as a supporter of Habitat for Humanity. Don's younger brother, Orville Jantzen, was born in Saskatchewan but grew up in South Vancouver. He is married with two children. Orville began his career as a salesman for a Burnaby bakery and remained in the food and beverage industry, working in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Since retiring, Orville has been engaged with Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:30:32
Interviewee Name
Jantzen, Don
Jantzen, Orville
Interview Location
Interviewee's residence
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Don and Orville Jantzen

Less detail

Interview with Don and Orville Jantzen by Eric Damer November 19, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory349
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1950-1975
Length
0:09:40
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of first coming to Burnaby and his decision to become part of the peace movement. Being active in the Trade Union Movement as an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) member, Don recalls his involvement in marches, peace …
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Don Jantzen's memories of first coming to Burnaby and his decision to become part of the peace movement. Being active in the Trade Union Movement as an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) member, Don recalls his involvement in marches, peace rallies and strikes.
Date Range
1950-1975
Photo Info
Don Jantzen, [198-]. Item no. 549-040.
Length
0:09:40
Subjects
Protests and Demonstrations - Strikes
Protests and Demonstrations
Organizations - Unions
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
November 19, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Don Jantzen and his brother Orville Jantzen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 19, 2012. Major themes discussed are: political activism and the trade union movement.
Biographical Notes
Don Jantzen came to Vancouver from the prairies following the war, found work, married, and settled in Burnaby in 1950. Through his work as a longshoreman, Don became active in the trade union movement (ILWU) and eventually became vice president of the Vancouver local. He was also active in politics, helping to launch the Burnaby Citizen’s Association in the early nineteen-fifties and working as campaign manager for candidates in both the provincial and the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). Don has been a participant in local politics for many years as well as a supporter of Habitat for Humanity. Don's younger brother, Orville Jantzen, was born in Saskatchewan but grew up in South Vancouver. He is married with two children. Orville began his career as a salesman for a Burnaby bakery and remained in the food and beverage industry, working in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Since retiring, Orville has been engaged with Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:30:32
Interviewee Name
Jantzen, Don
Jantzen, Orville
Interview Location
Interviewee's residence
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Don and Orville Jantzen

Less detail

Interview with Bill Gruenthal

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19636
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (74 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (74 min., 37 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Bill Gruenthal conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on July 31 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:27:01 Bill Gruenthal provides details on his family background, his early life experiences, how he got into the insurance business,…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (74 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (74 min., 37 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Bill Gruenthal Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 31, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:14:37 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 Bill Gruenthal conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on July 31 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:27:01 Bill Gruenthal provides details on his family background, his early life experiences, how he got into the insurance business, his knowledge and interest in Judaism, places that he and his wife lived before moving to Burnaby, family life in Burnaby and his political involvement in running for the Burnaby school board. 00:27:02 – 00:42:50 Bill Gruenthal talks about the Burquest Jewish Community Association, it’s background and his involvement, experiences of discrimination in his career, a brief history of the Jewish people and some cultural traditions. 00:42:51 – 00:56:04 Bill Gruenthal mentions some of the charities that he supports including Burnaby Hospital, his volunteer work within the community and community organizations including the Nikkei Place Foundation and shares more details on his insurance career. 00:56:05 – 01:14:37 Bill Gruenthal shares information about his Burnaby neighbourhood and Jewish funeral customs and provides his impressions of new development at Brentwood, Burnaby Council and other development projects in Burnaby.
History
Interviewee biography: Bill Gruenthal was born in the British Mandate of Palestine, now Israel, in 1935 after his parents had fled Germany in advance of the then worsening political situation. Bill’s father died in 1942; some years later his mother remarried to an Irish-born senior civil servant in that government. He had a difficult and somewhat dangerous job. Soon after marriage, the family, including Bill’s older brother, Martin, immigrated to Canada in January 1947 on the strength of his step-father’s British Passport. They traveled via New York, where Bill’s uncle and his family resided and who put up the family. Later that month, the parents travelled by CP rail from Montreal to Vancouver, followed by Bill and his brother in March 1947 who travelled from New York to White Rock on an American railroad. While passing through the Fraser Valley Bill’s parents took an interest in Silverdale, a small hamlet west of Mission where the four eventually settled. Bill finished High School in Mission and soon joined the insurance industry. Bill connected with the Jewish Community in Vancouver where he met his soon-to-be wife. Upon marriage they were transferred to Calgary; after five years suffering its cold weather they were transferred back to Vancouver. They settled in Burnaby in 1966 as an affordable neighbourhood with easy access to his office downtown Vancouver. Outside work, Bill helped raise his family of three daughters who all graduated Burnaby High School (Alpha). They joined Temple Sholom in Vancouver, and he volunteered and still volunteers for a number of non-profits, including The Jewish Museum and Archives and Nikkei Place Foundation (Burnaby). He was an early long-term supporter and a past president of Burquest Jewish Community Association, mostly involving persons from Burnaby, New Westminster, and the Tri-Cities area (hence the name). He ran for political office in Burnaby in 1976 but was not elected. He delivers food in Burnaby for the Food Bank and is a donor to many worthy causes including Burnaby General Hospital. 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
Migration
Persons - Jewish Canadians
Transportation
Transportation - Rail
Religions - Judaism
Cemeteries
Organizations
Elections
Names
Gruenthal, Bill
Gruenthal, Noemi Yadlow
O'Connor, Herta Ingrid Gruenthal
O'Connor, John
Burquest
Jacobson, Max Alec
Temple Shalom
Brentwood Shopping Centre
Brentwood Park School
Alpha Secondary School
Burnaby School Board
Responsibility
Damer, Eric
Accession Code
BV023.16.14
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Planning Study Area
Brentwood Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Bill Gruenthal, [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023

Interview with Bill Gruenthal, [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0014_003.mp3
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Interview with David Skulski

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19606
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 6 Jul. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (80 min., 38 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (80 min., 38 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Murray "David" Skulski conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00:00 – 00:22:22 David Skulski provides biographical information about himself. He talks about his childhood experiences growing up, at…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (80 min., 38 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (80 min., 38 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: David Skulski Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 6 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 80 min., 38 sec. 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 Murray "David" Skulski conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00:00 – 00:22:22 David Skulski provides biographical information about himself. He talks about his childhood experiences growing up, attending school in New Westminster and Burnaby and Hebrew school in Vancouver. David recalls his early experiences in music, instruments that he played and describes some of his Jewish family traditions. 00:22:23 – 00:49:57 David talks about his experiences studying music at university and following his passion as a musician and oboist. He recalls his experiences of working with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the CBC Orchestra, Vancouver Society for Early Music, the Burnaby Symphony Orchestra, other musical ensembles and venues where he’s performed. 00:49:58 – 01:00:00 David talks about living in Burnaby in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. David describes some his experiences playing traditional music from different countries. 01:01:01 – 01:14:15 David comments on the changes that he’s seen in Burnaby over the years, some of his favourite places, activities, cultural amenities and development on the Fraser River. David talks about the Jewish community in Burnaby, his involvement with the Peretz Centre and examples of Jewish cuisine. 01:14:16 – 01:20:38 David talks about Yiddish being his first language, his language studies in Lithuania, the roots of the language and provides some examples of speaking Yiddish.
History
Interviewee biography: Murray "David" Skulski was born in 1942 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and moved to British Columbia with his parents in 1948. Skulski and his family settled in New Westminster before moving to Burnaby in the late 1950's. Skulski took piano lessons at an early age and began playing obo while attending junior high school in New Westminster. In 1960 at the age of 17 years, Skulski began performing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as solo English horn and is the youngest player to ever be employed with the VSO. In 1991, Skulski started playing with the Vancouver Folk Orchestra and was the conductor between 1997 and 2004. Skulski has been the principal oboe player in many orchestras. In 1968, Skulski founded the Hortulani Musicae; in 1970, he founded the Vancouver Society for Early Music and in 1983 he founded Harmonie, an ensemble concentrating in classical wind music. In 2003, Skulski became president of the Pertez Centre for Secular Jewish Culture. In 2005, Skulski became principal oboist of the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Burnaby Symphony Orchestra and between 2009 and 2019 he was the principal oboist for the Pilgrim Orchestra under Pilwon Suk. David has served as president of the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture and since 2022, he’s served on the board of the Vancouver Chamber Music Society. Skulski has taught summer courses in Renaissance music in Austria (1972-1979), has been a music resident at Simon Fraser University (1973-1976), has lectured on the history of musical instruments at SFU and UBC and in 2008 began teaching at the Pacific Coast School of Music, Richmond School of Music and Oakridge Music Studios. 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
Foods
Music
Musical Instruments
Occupations - Musicians
Performances - Concerts
Persons - Jewish Canadians
Religions - Judaism
Names
Burnaby Symphony Orchestra
Burnaby South High School
Burquest
Skulski, Murray "David"
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Vancouver Society for Early Music
Peretz Centre
Responsibility
Damer, Eric
Geographic Access
Deer Lake
Deer Lake Park
Accession Code
BV023.16.10
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 6 Jul. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with David Skulski, [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 6 Jul. 2023

Interview with David Skulski, [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 6 Jul. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/Hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0010_003.mp3
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Interview with Lizette Pappas

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20334
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (137 min., 12 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (137 min., 12 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Lizette Pappas conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 7, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:41:04 Lizette provides details on her family background in Greece, recalls her early childhood in Naxos, her families’ migrati…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (137 min., 12 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (137 min., 12 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Lizette Pappas Location of Interview: Fraser Wilson Room, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 7, 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 Lizette Pappas conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 7, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:41:04 Lizette provides details on her family background in Greece, recalls her early childhood in Naxos, her families’ migration to Canada and their experiences as new immigrants living in Penticton. Lizette shares information about her husband including his Greek origins, his migration story, and how they met as well as information about their careers and raising their family in Burnaby. 41:05 – 01:10:52 Lizette talks about living in Penticton and helping out in the family restaurant business. Lizette describes some of the challenges that they faced and describes some of the foods that they served and reflects on what it means to be a Greek immigrant in British Columbia. 01:10:53– 01:36:32 Lizette talks about her life in Burnaby, her involvement with the Ladies Philoptochos Society, a back to your roots group, the Hellenic Community, the importance of sharing Greek culture, traditions and food with the younger generation and her experiences celebrating Greek culture while attending university. 01:36:33 – 01:54:39 Lizette talks more about her families’ life in Penticton as Greek immigrants, their experiences and accomplishments, her experiences visiting Greece after immigrating to Canada and her husbands’ experiences living in Greece. 01:54:40 – 02:03:59 Lizette reflects on the impacts of COVID in the restaurant industry, community building and urban development in Burnaby and makes comparisons to communities in Greece. 02:04:00 – 02:17:14 Talks about the origin of her name, shares the story of how her name evolved over time after she immigrated to Canada and shares examples of some of the traditional family names that have been passed down through generations.
History
Interviewee biography: Lizette Pappas was born in Apeiranthos on the island of Naxos in Greece in 1948 to parents Florio Vassilakakis and Paraskevi Vassilakis. In 1956, Lizette immigrated to Canada with her parents and her two older brothers. With the help of Lizette’s uncle, her family settled in Penticton and in 1958, Lizette’s younger sister was born. Lizette’s birth name was Elisa Vassilakakis but when she immigrated to Canada she was given the first name “Alice” on her immigration documents. Soon after, when she was enrolled in elementary school, her aunt suggested that she use the name “Lizette” instead of “Alice” and Lizette became the first name she’s continued to use since. While living in Penticton, Lizette’s parents first worked doing manual labour in the fruit industry before buying their own restaurant in 1968. Lizette obtained her teaching degree from the University of British Columbia. In 1972, Lizette met her future husband Basile Pappas and they were married in 1975. After marrying, Lizette and her husband settled in the Brentwood area of Burnaby and began raising their two children. Lizette, her husband and children moved back to Penticton in late 1979 to join her family running two restaurants and a nightclub. After a number of years, Lizette, her husband and two children returned to their home in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Lizette has worked as a teacher with the Vancouver School Board and has been involved with various organizations including “Back to our Roots” and “Philoptochos Ladies Society”. 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
Religions
Organizations - Women's Societies and Clubs
Persons - Greek Canadians
Migration
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Names
Pappas, Elisa Alice "Lizette" Vassilakakis
Vassilakakis, Florio
Vassilakis, Paraskevi
Love, John Agapitos
Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society
Hellenic Community of Vancouver
Responsibility
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV023.16.20
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Lizette Pappas, [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023

Interview with Lizette Pappas, [1948-2023] (interview content), interviewed 7 Nov. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0020_004.mp3
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Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19611
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (90 min., 21 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (90 min., 4 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Shushma Datt and her son, Sudhir Datta conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Curator, Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik. 00:00 – 12:47 Interview opens with introductions. Shushma Datt shares information about; where she’s lived in Burnaby sin…
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) (90 min., 21 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (90 min., 4 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik Interviewees: Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta Location of Interview: Spice Radio, Norland Avenue, Burnaby Interview Date: January 20, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:30:21 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 Shushma Datt and her son, Sudhir Datta conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Curator, Jane Lemke and Anushay Malik. 00:00 – 12:47 Interview opens with introductions. Shushma Datt shares information about; where she’s lived in Burnaby since immigrating in 1972 and her arranged marriage which lead her to immigrate to Canada. Datt provides detailed information about her family background in Kenya and her parent’s decision to move their family from Kenya to India in the 1960s and then to England in the 1965. Datt describes her family’s experiences living in Kenya and India in the 1960s and provides some context on the political unrest that happened in Kenya which lead her family to leave. 12:48 - 28:07 Datt talks about her time living in England and shares information on her family life and her employment experiences. Datt conveys an experience from her childhood that inspired her to become a broadcaster and shares her experiences working for the BBC oversees service in England (1965-1972). Datt describes some of the articles that she's written for various publications and the people that she's interviewed. Datt highlights a particular experience about writing a critical review about the controversial design on Jimi Hendrix’s album “Axis: Bold as Love” that depicted Hindu religious iconography. 28:09 – 34:47 Datt and Datta provide further details about Datt's arranged marriage which lead her to immigrate to Canada in 1972 and to work as a broadcaster in Canada. Datt recalls her experiences working as a radio station operator for CHQM, a radio broadcaster for CJVB and starting her own South Asian radio station Rim Jhim in 1987. 34:48 – 40:01 Datt and Datta share information on where they’ve lived in Vancouver and Burnaby. Datt and Datta recall pivotal family life events that impacted their lives in 1974. 40:02 – 45:53 Datt recalls the travel trunks and contents that she and her family brought with them when they left Nairobi. Datt describes the letters that her parents wrote. Datt and Datta describe photos of their family and convey the impacts to their family after two of Datt’s brothers died at 24 years of age. 45:54 – 50:56 Interview continues chronologically from 1974, after Datt’s son, Sudhir Datta was born. Datt describes how she had to work hard to help pay her bills and support her family. Datta describes his childhood growing up as a South Asian child living and attending school in Burnaby (1979-1992). Datt and Datta recall Datt’s graduation ceremony and Datta’s Order of British Columbia awards ceremony. 50:57 – 58:03 Datt and Datta talk about food and cooking and where they’ve shopped for traditional food supplies. Datta explains her family lineage as Hindus who eat meat and how she’s been a vegetarian for over 30 years. Datt and Datta share stories about Datt’s mother Leela Datta. 58:04 – 1:05:38 Both Datt and Datta reflect on what’s it’s been like living as South Asians in Burnaby. Datt conveys the message that she got from her mom, Leela Datta "not to assimilate but to integrate". They both reflect on how the ethnic and cultural diversity of neighbourhoods has changed over time and Datt describes his experiences as a student in Burnaby. 1:05:39 – 1:16:51 Datt and Datta talk about the role of religion in their lives, describe the purpose of Radio Rim Jhim and reflect on how the South Asian community has grown in Metro Vancouver and the disparities created within. They both recall how their lives were threatened and impacted in 1984 following an interview that Datt did with Indira Ghandhi. Datt talks about the origins of her and her son’s surnames. 1:16:52 – 1:26:11 Datt and Datta talk about and reflect on their own experiences of racism and discrimination. Datt talks about Spice Radio’s annual campaign “Raise your hands against Racism”. Datt and Datta provide background on the radio stations Rim Jhim and Spice Radio including; how they got started, their unbiased approach to broadcast content and their experiences in the complex realm of broadcasting a multi-cultural radio station. 1:26:12 – 1:30:04 In closing, Datt and Datta convey what they think that younger generations of South Asian Canadians should understand about the South Asian Community in British Columbia.
History
Interviewees biographies: Shushma Datt was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1946 and is the second eldest of six children. In the 1960s during the unrest in Kenya, her family moved to India. After about nine months of living in India, Datt's family decided to return to Kenya, leaving Datt and her brother to complete their education in India. While living in India, Datt studied at Delhi University and worked at the Indian newspaper. In 1965, Datt, her parents and five siblings decided to leave Kenya and immigrated to England. While living in England, Datt got work as a broadcaster with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) overseas service, producing her first program in 1969. During her time with the BBC, Datt has interviewed many influential artists including Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles as well as the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. In 1972, Datt immigrated to Canada and settled in Burnaby. In late 1973, Datt sponsored her mother who joined her in Burnaby. Datt joined the CJVB radio station in Vancouver working as the Punjabi and Hindi language broadcaster. Datt worked here until 1978 when she started her own radio station, Radio Rim Jhim. In 2005, Datt obtained her own AM radio band license for a multicultural radio station RJ1200 which was later rebranded "Spice Radio". In 2015, Datt launched Spice Radio's annual "Hands Against Racism" campaign which has won awards from the Government of British Columbia and the B.C. Association of Broadcasters. Datt has also been a producer for Omni TV and Shaw TV and was the first woman to obtain a broadcasting license from the Canadian Radio- Television Telecommunications Commission. In 1992, Shushma Datt was awarded the Order of British Columbia and is also the recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. Datt has been listed by the Vancouver Sun newspaper as among the 100 "most influential Indo-Canadians" and has been recognized by the Royal British Columbia Museum as one of the 150 "most influential British Columbians". Sudhir Datta is the only child of Sushma Datt and was born in Burnaby. Datta graduated with a computer science degree from Capilano University in 1995. Datta is the Vice President of Media Broadcasting (founded in 1984) creating television and radio programming for Canada's South Asian Community and has been the General Manager and Program Director of Spice Radio since 2006. Datta is also the author of many articles highlighting the South Asian community in Vancouver. 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”. Jane Lemke has worked in various museums in the Lower Mainland and has been the Curator at Burnaby Village Museum since 2019. Her educational background includes a Master of Arts degree in History and a Master of Museum Studies degree. Her research focus has been on trauma and memory and its role in shaping Canadian identity. She loves sharing memories and stories of Burnaby with the public. Jane sits on the Council of the BC Museums Association and is the Chair of the BC Museums Association Professional Development and Education Committee.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Migration
Occupations - Broadcasters
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Journalists
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Radio Stations
Religions
Religions - Hinduism
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Datt, Shushma
Datta, Sudhir
Datta, Lila Vati "Leela"
Spice Radio
Rim Jhim
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Lemke, Jane
Accession Code
BV023.1.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta, [1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023

Interview with Shushma Datt and Sudhir Datta, [1946- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 20 Jan. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0003_003.mp3
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33 records – page 1 of 2.