18 records – page 1 of 1.

Friends Distancing, Including Their Dogs

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription95115
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
June 8, 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff)
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of women standing on Morley Drive, near the corner of Buckingham Drive. The women are chatting at a distance from one another, and two have small dogs on leashes.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
June 8, 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Photographic Society fonds
Physical Description
1 photograph (tiff)
Description Level
Item
Record No.
623-033
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No restrictions
Accession Number
2020-10
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of women standing on Morley Drive, near the corner of Buckingham Drive. The women are chatting at a distance from one another, and two have small dogs on leashes.
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Features - Sidewalks
Media Type
Photograph
Photographer
Peterman, Randall
Notes
Transcribed title
Geographic Access
Buckingham Drive
Morley Street
Planning Study Area
Morley-Buckingham Area
Images
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Interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon July 9, 1975 - Track 8

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory98
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1938-1945
Length
0:09:23
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Charles and May Purdon's memories of the Jubilee neighbourhood in comparison to their previous neighbourhood of Edmonds.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Charles and May Purdon's memories of the Jubilee neighbourhood in comparison to their previous neighbourhood of Edmonds.
Date Range
1938-1945
Length
0:09:23
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Interviewer
Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
Interview Date
July 9, 1975
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury July 9, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression and Canadian politics. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
May Eliza was born in London, England in 1907. She came out to Regina with her family when she was eleven. Charles A. Purdon was born February 28, 1904 in London, England. He came to Canada in 1925 from China where he had been working as an accountant for the previous three years. Charles first came to Vancouver and joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) but within a week he was sent to Regina. This is where he met May. May and Charles got married in 1926 and Charles began working as an accountant for the Saskatchewan Wheat Growers, then for the Canadian Wool Growers before being laid off. In October of 1930, Charles and May left Regina for Vancouver Island. Charles drove himself out and May rode the train with her children; twin boys and a daughter, only one year apart. They settled at May’s parent’s second house in Coombs. The Purdons arrived in Burnaby in December of 1932 and rented a house on Edmonds Street. Charles was unable to do road work and instead found work through the Liberal Party and also with the Municipal engineers indoors on a number of projects. In 1938 the Purdons were able to get into a reverted house built by Ernie Winch at Maple Avenue (then Jubilee) and Nelson Avenue that had nine bedrooms. They paid ten dollars a month to the municipality for use of this property. May Eliza Purdon died April 6, 1983 at the age of seventy-six.
Total Length
1:40:03
Interviewee Name
Purdon, Charles A.
Purdon, May Eliza
Interviewer Bio
Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Audio Tracks

Track eight of interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon

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Interview with Jack Davy and Thomas James Sanderson 22-Jul-75 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory86
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1931-1940
Length
0:09:31
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Jack Davy and Tommy Sanderson's descriptions of the neighbourhoods surrounding the schools that they worked at during the Depression. They also discuss the structure of elementary through high school as it was during this time.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview pertains to Jack Davy and Tommy Sanderson's descriptions of the neighbourhoods surrounding the schools that they worked at during the Depression. They also discuss the structure of elementary through high school as it was during this time.
Date Range
1931-1940
Length
0:09:31
Names
Kitchener Street School
Sperling Avenue School
Burnaby South High School
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Interviewer
McLeod, Ross S.
Interview Date
22-Jul-75
Scope and Content
Recording is a taped interview with two school principals who were working during the depression; John "Jack" Davy and Thomas James "Tommy" Sanderson by Ross S. McLeod. Major themes discussed are: the Depression and scholastic studies. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
Biographical Notes
John “Jack” Davy was raised in New Westminster and his family and the Eagles' family were close friends, with the grandparents and parents getting together regularly to play cards. As a child, Jack delivered the Columbian newspaper. Jack Davy worked for Burnaby schools for over fifty years; twenty-five of those years as principal at Edmonds Street School. During the depression, he worked as a principal of Kitchener Street School. Thomas James “Tommy” Sanderson was born to Ellen Jane Garvin and Thomas F. Sanderson. The couple married on January 14, 1903 at Mount Pleasant and lived first at English Bay. Tommy had an older brother, Gordon John and a sister, Flora Jane (later Rawden). The three children were raised in the Sanderson family home at 3812 Inman Avenue, one block north of Central Park. From 1919 to 1920, their father, Thomas F. Sanderson served as Reeve of Burnaby. Tommy Sanderson attended Inman Avenue School, then Kingsway West before graduating from Burnaby South High School in 1926. In 1931, he began his teaching career back at Burnaby South High School. From 1938, Tommy was principal at Sperling Avenue School. During the course of his career, he also worked as vice-principal of Edmonds Street School, principal at Capitol Hill School, Kingsway West School, McPhearson Junior High and Burnaby North High School. Tommy married Dorothy Alberta Reid of Chilliwack July 12, 1932 and had two children Robert “Bobby” and Margaret. The family first lived at 1921 Gilley Avenue, New Westminster then 2073 Waverley Avenue, Burnaby while Bobby and Margaret attended Nelson Avenue School, then Burnaby South High School.
Total Tracks
5
Total Length
0:43:20
Interviewee Name
Davy, Jack
Sanderson, Thomas "Tommy" James
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Oral history subseries
Media Type
Sound Recording
Web Notes
Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Audio Tracks

Track one of interview with Jack Davy and Thomas James Sanderson

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Interview with Jim and Linda Champion by Eric Damer October 21, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory315
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1924-1951
Length
0:09:28
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Jim Champion's memories of first coming to Burnaby with his wife Ethel. He mentions the neighbouring creek near their property, along with a number of neighbours. Jim also tells the story of cutting down cottonwood trees growing on nearby crown land.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Jim Champion's memories of first coming to Burnaby with his wife Ethel. He mentions the neighbouring creek near their property, along with a number of neighbours. Jim also tells the story of cutting down cottonwood trees growing on nearby crown land.
Date Range
1924-1951
Length
0:09:28
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
October 21, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Jim Champion and his daughter Linda Champion conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 21, 2012. Major themes discussed are: raising a family in Burnaby as well as the experience of growing up in the area as it developed from farmland to suburbia.
Biographical Notes
Although Jim Champion was born in Burnaby in 1924, he grew up and attended school in White Rock. After serving in the navy during the war, Jim Champion came back to Vancouver, met and married Ethel (Danielson) Champion and began working for the Vancouver Fire Department. Jim and Ethel Champion's eldest daughter, Linda Champion, was born in 1948. In 1949, the Champions bought 1.8 undeveloped acres on Gilpin Street and began to build. By the time their house was built, they had become a family of six, so Jim and Ethel worked to built a larger house adjacent to the first. The Champions had chickens and a horse as their neighbourhood changed from farmland to suburbia. Jim has retired from the Vancouver Fire Department and his daughter Linda Champion is currently a City of Burnaby employee.
Total Tracks
4
Total Length
0:41:09
Interviewee Name
Champion, Jim
Champion, Linda
Interview Location
Burnaby Village Museum
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
Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Jim and Linda Champion

Less detail

Interview with Judy Hagen by Eric Damer November 7, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory332
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1918-1948
Length
0:09:53
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen's views on the neighbourhood of Dover Street in Burnaby. She begins by discussing how her family first arrived on Dover Street (when her father Jack Robins was only two years old) and continues their story through her childhood …
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen's views on the neighbourhood of Dover Street in Burnaby. She begins by discussing how her family first arrived on Dover Street (when her father Jack Robins was only two years old) and continues their story through her childhood during the war years, including neighbours and neighbouring buildings.
Date Range
1918-1948
Photo Info
Judith "Judy" Robins (later Hagen) posing in a dance costume, 1949. Item no. 549-036.
Length
0:09:53
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Access
Dover Street
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
November 7, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 7, 2012. Major theme discussed: the neighbourhood of Dover Street.
Biographical Notes
Judy Robins (later Hagen) was born in 1941 and grew up in South Burnaby. Her paternal grandfather, a master stone mason from Devon, moved to Vancouver in 1912 to find work before bringing over the rest of the family. He bought three lots in Burnaby and in 1918 moved his family to a small house on Dover Street (formerly Paul Street). Judy’s father, Jack, married, bought one of his father’s lots and built a new home for his family. Judy attended school and church nearby, took dance and piano lessons and participated actively in Girl Guides. After high school, she attended the University of British Columbia (UBC) and then Simon Fraser University (SFU), worked for a few years and then married in 1967 before moving to Courtaney, British Columbia.
Total Tracks
7
Total Length
1:09:51
Interviewee Name
Hagen, Judith "Judy" Robins
Interview Location
Nanaimo Museum on Vancouver Island
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 Judy Hagen

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory653
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:10:11
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about what the Curtis Street neighborhood looked like in the 1930s and 1940s. She tells a story about the next door mink farm. She also describes Curtis Street road and the avenues that branched off Curtis Street on Burnaby Mountain above P…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about what the Curtis Street neighborhood looked like in the 1930s and 1940s. She tells a story about the next door mink farm. She also describes Curtis Street road and the avenues that branched off Curtis Street on Burnaby Mountain above Philips Avenue (First Avenue). These avenues (First to Ninth) were part of a street grid laid out for Hastings Grove in 1911 and are now forest in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. She also talks about the old Hastings Grove store building, the Adams family who lived in it and the community events held there.
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:10:11
Names
Hastings Grove Store
Hastings Grove
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Access
Curtis Street
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track four of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory654
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:09:51
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the families and the vineyard and apple orchard on Aubrey Street. She tells stories about picking wild blackberries near Aubrey and raspberries grown on her parent’s farm, and about her mother’s large garden and kale grown for chicken…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the families and the vineyard and apple orchard on Aubrey Street. She tells stories about picking wild blackberries near Aubrey and raspberries grown on her parent’s farm, and about her mother’s large garden and kale grown for chicken feed.
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:09:51
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Features - Gardens
Agriculture - Fruit and Berries
Geographic Access
Aubrey Street
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track five of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 6

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory655
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:12:19
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue and the public tap available there for residents living on Burnaby Mountain. She talks about the City of Vancouver cemetery property. She describes the families and people who live…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue and the public tap available there for residents living on Burnaby Mountain. She talks about the City of Vancouver cemetery property. She describes the families and people who lived on Burnwood (2nd Ave), and the mushroom farm that operated next door to the Seim farm.
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:12:19
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Public Services - Public Works
Geographic Access
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
Burnwood Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Westridge Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track six of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 7

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory656
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:09:15
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the people who lived on Curtis Street and 4th Avenue on Burnaby Mountain. Fourth avenue was part of a street grid laid out for Hastings Grove in 1911 and is now forest in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the people who lived on Curtis Street and 4th Avenue on Burnaby Mountain. Fourth avenue was part of a street grid laid out for Hastings Grove in 1911 and is now forest in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area.
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:09:15
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Access
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Westridge Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track seven of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 9

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory658
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:11:31
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the Olofson mink farm on 4th Avenue and the Biggenson house on 8th Avenue (Centennial Way). She also talks about bears and deer in neighborhood gardens, coyotes, and the Lambert cherry tree on the Seim farm. She tells about her father…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the Olofson mink farm on 4th Avenue and the Biggenson house on 8th Avenue (Centennial Way). She also talks about bears and deer in neighborhood gardens, coyotes, and the Lambert cherry tree on the Seim farm. She tells about her father giving up chicken farming in the 1950s.
Date Range
1930-1950
Length
0:11:31
Names
Olofson, B. Maureen
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Access
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Westridge Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track nine of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 10

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory659
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1960
Length
0:10:06
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about changes on Curtis Street beginning in the 1950s. She tells about a surveyor for the Trans Mountain pipeline coming on to the Seim farm. She tells stories about the fish seller and milk delivery on Curtis Street.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about changes on Curtis Street beginning in the 1950s. She tells about a surveyor for the Trans Mountain pipeline coming on to the Seim farm. She tells stories about the fish seller and milk delivery on Curtis Street.
Date Range
1930-1960
Length
0:10:06
Names
Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Company
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Access
Curtis Street
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Westridge Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track ten of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 14

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory663
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1930-1960
Length
0:16:10
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about how the people living in the Curtis Street neighbourhood needed to be self-sufficient, and about how her mother walked to a store on Howard and Hastings Streets. She talks about the local taxi, bus and trolley services, describing in …
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about how the people living in the Curtis Street neighbourhood needed to be self-sufficient, and about how her mother walked to a store on Howard and Hastings Streets. She talks about the local taxi, bus and trolley services, describing in detail the Toonerville Trolley. She also talks about going to the new Burnaby North High School in Grade nine. She also talks about how Parker and Curtis Streets were eventually joined.
Date Range
1930-1960
Length
0:16:10
Names
Burnaby North High School
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Transportation
Geographic Access
Curtis Street
Historic Neighbourhood
Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Lochdale Area
Interviewer
Bossort, Kathy
Interview Date
January 13, 2016
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Total Tracks
14
Total Length
2:35:58
Interviewee Name
Seim, Reidun
Interview Location
Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
Interviewer Bio
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project series
Media Type
Sound Recording
Audio Tracks

Track fourteen of interview with Reidun Seim

Less detail

Interview with Tony and Hazel Padula by Eric Damer November 27, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory372
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1926-1958
Length
0:11:29
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Tony Padula and Hazel (Bongea) Padula's memories of their first home in Burnaby. Tony and Hazel discuss their house, their neighbourhood and their neighbours. Tony also tells the story of his family first coming to Burnaby from Italy.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Tony Padula and Hazel (Bongea) Padula's memories of their first home in Burnaby. Tony and Hazel discuss their house, their neighbourhood and their neighbours. Tony also tells the story of his family first coming to Burnaby from Italy.
Date Range
1926-1958
Photo Info
Hazel (Bongea) Padula standing on the steps of her home at High Lawn, [195-]. Item no. 549-052.
Length
0:11:29
Subjects
Buildings - Residences - Houses
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Planning Study Area
Brentwood Area
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
November 27, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Tony Padula and Hazel (Bongea) Padula conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 27, 2012. Major themes discussed are: neighbourhoods and family heritage.
Biographical Notes
Tony Padula’s family came to Vancouver from Italy in 1926, the year Tony was born. After graduating from school, Tony entered the shoe industry as a salesman. Hazel Bongea (later Padula) was born in 1931 in Saskatchewan and moved to Vancouver with her family when she was ten years old. After graduating from school, Hazel found work with Standard Oil in Vancouver. Tony Padula and Hazel (Bongea) Padula married in 1951. By 1953 they had bought property in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Burnaby where they built a home and began a family. The Padulas moved away in 1959 but returned five years later to a new home in central Burnaby, where they lived for twenty-two years before moving again, this time to North Vancouver. After six years in North Vancouver, Tony and Hazel retired to New Westminster.
Total Tracks
8
Total Length
1:09:21
Interviewee Name
Padula, Hazel Bongea
Padula, Tony
Interview Location
Burnaby Village Museum
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 Tony and Hazel Padula

Less detail

In the neighbourhood

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1625
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[194-] (date of original), copied 1976
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : col. negative ; 4.5 x 6.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an elderly woman standing on a pavement sidewalk beside Regent Street. The tall house in the background is the McCallum house facing Regent Street, and other houses on the right side facing the road. There is an unpaved footpath closer to the houses. Electric poles are erected along t…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : col. negative ; 4.5 x 6.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an elderly woman standing on a pavement sidewalk beside Regent Street. The tall house in the background is the McCallum house facing Regent Street, and other houses on the right side facing the road. There is an unpaved footpath closer to the houses. Electric poles are erected along the road on a grassy patch between the pavement sidewalk and the foot path.
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Accession Code
HV976.251.30
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[194-] (date of original), copied 1976
Media Type
Photograph
Related Material
For another photograph of the elderly lady, see HV976.251.28
Scan Resolution
300
Scan Date
22/8/2006
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
The print is made as a black and white print from a colour negative film
Images
Less detail

North Burnaby from Hythe Avenue

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34929
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1949]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 9.1 x 12.6 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking west from Hythe Avenue, between Empire Drive and Dundas, towards north Burnaby.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1949]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Marjorie Coe subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 9.1 x 12.6 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
161-004
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
Accession Number
BHS1986-11
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking west from Hythe Avenue, between Empire Drive and Dundas, towards north Burnaby.
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Item no. 161-004, 161-005 and 161-006 join to form a panorama
Geographic Access
Hythe Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Capitol Hill Area
Images
Less detail

North Burnaby from Hythe Avenue

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34930
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1949]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.9 x 12.6 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking west from Hythe Avenue towards north Burnaby.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1949]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Marjorie Coe subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.9 x 12.6 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
161-005
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
Accession Number
BHS1986-11
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking west from Hythe Avenue towards north Burnaby.
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Items no. 161-004, 161-005 and 161-006 join to form a panorama
Geographic Access
Hythe Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Capitol Hill Area
Images
Less detail

North Burnaby from Hythe Avenue

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34931
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1949]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.9 x 12.6 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking west from Hythe Avenue towards north Burnaby. Burrard Inlet is also visible.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1949]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Marjorie Coe subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.9 x 12.6 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
161-006
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
Accession Number
BHS1986-11
Scope and Content
Photograph taken looking west from Hythe Avenue towards north Burnaby. Burrard Inlet is also visible.
Subjects
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Geographic Features - Inlets
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Items no. 161-004, 161-005 and 161-006 join to form a panorama
Geographic Access
Hythe Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Capitol Hill Area
Images
Less detail

Oral history interview with Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19146
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
29 Jun. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (02:06:53 min) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (02:06:53 min)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an audio recording of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos conducted by Denise Fong with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview, Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos discuss; their ancestral background, childhood, pla…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
Series
Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos interview series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (02:06:53 min) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (02:06:53 min)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewees: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos Location of Interview: Home of Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos on Victory Street, Burnaby Date of interview: June 29, 2022 Total Number of Tracks: 3 Total length of all Tracks: 02:06:53 min Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto 3 separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an audio recording of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos conducted by Denise Fong with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview, Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos discuss; their ancestral background, childhood, places of residence, education, career history, how they met, Jimmy's experience working in the film industry, their home in Burnaby and their neighbourhood, their political activism in Burnaby, Robin Chung Dip's work in Vancouver’s' Chinatown, the gambling scene in Vancouver prior to legalized forms of gambling and their memories of supper clubs in Vancouver. 00:00 - 5:57 Opening introductions where Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos provide information on their full names, their birth places and their ancestral background. Jimmy clarifies that his birth name is Hipman Chow but that he was given the English name “Jimmy” by his father when he came to Canada. Jimmy shares that he was born in 1948, in the Village of Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China and immigrated to British Columbia with his mother, Gim Gee Chow in 1950 to escape the Communist Regime and to join his father who had already immigrated to Canada. Jimmy imparts that many Chinese immigrated to British Columbia in search of a better life, referring to it as “Gold Mountain” and that even though they faced extreme racial discrimination that many stayed since they felt that it was better than returning. Donna Polos shares ancestral information on both her maternal and paternal sides of the family. Donna’s mother’s family came from Helsinki, Finland. Donna’s paternal grandmother emigrated from Ukraine to Argentina and then to Winnipeg. Donna’s paternal grandfather, James Kostopolus (renamed Polos) emigrated as a 12 year old orphan from Sparta, Greece to the United States but was denied entry so ended up going to Halifax and eventually made his way to Vancouver. Once in Vancouver, he became a restaurant proprietor and over the years, he owned and operated three restaurants in Vancouver, including; “Jimmy’s Café” (next door the Astoria Hotel); “Home Apple Pie Café” (Princess Avenue & Hastings Street) and a restaurant that was located on Alma Street. 05:58 - 13:28 Jimmy recollects in further detail, the many places that his family lived over the years. Jimmy’s father Robin Chung Dip Chow immigrated to Vancouver at the age of 14 years and worked and lived in Victoria and Vancouver. In 1950, Jimmy and his mother fled China, first to Hong Kong and then to Vancouver to join his father. Soon after arriving in Vancouver, for the next four years, he and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec City where his father, Robin had work in restaurants and hotels. Jimmy attended school while the family lived in these different places and began to learn English. After four years, the family returned to Vancouver, first living in areas of Chinatown and Strathcona before settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. Jimmy shares his memories of growing up in Strathcona and the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, schools that he attended and the friendships that he made. Jimmy recollects details about the old Bethlehem Lutheran Church that he attended and describes the demands of the education required to become a Lutheran minister. 13:29 - 15:47 Jimmy tells of how his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow had to pay the Chinese Head Tax of $500 when he arrived in Vancouver at 14 years of age (1921) and how his father had to work hard pay off the head tax over the years. Denise Fong and Jimmy Chow, talk about the origin of a photograph portrait of Jimmy Chow that was taken around 1954 and speculate whether it might have been taken by well known portrait photographer, Yucho Chow. 15:48 - 19:33 Donna Polos recollects the many locations that her family lived while she was growing up in Vancouver. First residing at various locations in the downtown east side of Vancouver before moving to a home near Joyce Station where she lived until 21 years old. After 21 years of age, Donna moved in with roommates in Vancouver before moving in with Jimmy in North Burnaby in 1972. In 1976 Donna and Jimmy purchased their home on Victory Street. Both Donna and Jimmy talk about their careers after high school. Jimmy talks about how he worked at the Supervalu grocery store near his house. Jimmy planned to use his savings from his job to travel but instead he used his savings for a down payment on a house with Donna. Donna imparts that after obtaining her teaching degree she began working in Burnaby schools, eventually teaching at Burnaby South. 19:34 - 32:08 Both Jimmy and Donna share their educational background and experiences growing up. Jimmy first attended Florence Nightingale elementary in Strathcona, then Mount Pleasant Elementary and later high school at 24th Avenue and Main Street. Donna lists the schools that she attended including; elementary school in Strathcona, Carlton Elementary School at Kingsway and Joyce, Windermere High School, Vancouver City College (Langara) and the University of British Columbia. Donna and Jimmy reflect on public transportation that was available during the time they were growing up. Donna recollects her childhood growing up in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station, the freedom that she experienced playing outside in nature and what inspired her to become a teacher. Jimmy reflects on some of his mentors and about his first experience seeing movies as a young child at a cinema in Asquith, Saskatchewan. Donna communicates her own experiences of sexism throughout her high school, college and university education (1968-1972). 32:09 - 36:18 Donna talks about her career history and some of her major turning points. Donna recollects starting out as a Chemistry lab assistant, marking math papers before working as a teacher on call and eventually being hired as a teacher at Clinton Elementary School where she taught for nine years. Donna shares a memory of her first experience working as a teacher on call at Gilmore Elementary School and the fire that occurred there. After starting a family (Jimmy and Donna had three children) Donna worked part time teaching while Jimmy worked full time in film. Donna, shares that in 1991, after a near death experience, she became interested in fine art and took drawing and watercolour painting classes. With this experience, Donna experimented with different painting techniques on paper and fabric. Donna tells of how she retired from teaching in 2008 but continued to participate in the schools as an Artist in Residence. 36:19 - 58:18 Jimmy talks about his work and career history. He shares memories of his experiences as a young boy delivering newspapers, working at a local pharmacy, stocking shelves at the local supermarket, and his experience working with troubled youth and of how he thought that he might like to become a social worker. Jimmy tells of how he was uncertain of what to do until he got a job with the CBC in 1973 which eventually launched his career as a property master in the film industry, becoming a member of IATSE and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures. Jimmy describes in detail what it means to be a property master and the work that is entailed in the film industry. 58:19 - 1:07:45 Donna Polos describes her art practice and her connection to Burnaby. Donna recollects how she first started working with textiles and fabrics from a young age and how this later inspired her to develop her own watercolour techniques of painting on paper, canvas and fabrics. Donna describes how she first got started by taking art classes in Burnaby and now has over 31 years of experience working in watercolour. Donna has worked as an Artist in Residence in Burnaby schools, been a member of the Burnaby Arts Council, had her first show in 1997 and has been involved in many art projects over the years. Donna describes the style of her work, first starting with more figurative work, social commentary and still life and that now most of her work is landscape based. Donna coveys that as a political activist in Burnaby, she was an active participant in the development of a tree bylaw, has petitioned to protect renters from demo-evictions and the impacts of future development on the local environment. 1:07:46 - 1:07:59 Background discussion between Denise Fong and Kate Petrusa re interviews. 1:08:00 - 1:26:36 Jimmy provides information on his connection to the local film industry and the changes that have occurred over the years. Jimmy describes the first studios on the North Shore and the eventual establishment of Bridge Studios on Boundary Road. Jimmy shares that in 1988, he and some of his colleagues in the film industry put a proposal together to buy the Bridge Studios but it didn't go through. Since the Bridge Studios and other film studios have been established in Burnaby and Vancouver, the industry has grown exponentially. Jimmy became the 54th member of the local IATSE union. Jimmy describes some of his experiences working on various productions including "Seven Years in Tibet", provides a description of what a film studio is, how it is used and the differences between working in the film industry in the United States and British Columbia. 1:26:37 - 1:32:46 Jimmy and Donna recollect how they first met, buying a house in Burnaby, getting married and starting a family. The two share memories of their wedding in White Rock and Jimmy talks about the Chinese hair cutting ceremony in recognition of their first born child that took place in Chinatown in Vancouver. Jimmy tells of how his parents had hopes of him marrying a Chinese woman and his mother began introducing him to a few young Chinese women from the time he was 16 years old. Jimmy mentions that his parents rarely used Western Medicine and relied on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Donna and Jimmy talk about Jimmy's parents, when they died and how happy his parents were to have grandchildren. 1:32:47 - 1:40:13 Jimmy and Donna talk about their house on Victory Street which they purchased in 1976. They share information on the history of the house, how it was built in 1939 by Norm Clark, how they fell in love with the design of the house and the neighbourhood. 1:40:14 - 1:58:31 Jimmy and Donna share information on their family life in Burnaby, their neighbourhood and favourite places in Burnaby. Donna lists the schools that their three children attended including; Nelson Avenue School, Burnaby South High School and Burnaby Central High School. Both Donna and Jimmy convey that all of their children played soccer and the benefits that the sport provided them. Donna and Jimmy talk about how the neighbourhood has changed over the years, the benefits of where they live, their fondness for built heritage and the many parks and trees in Burnaby. 1:58:32 - 2:02:50 Jimmy begins to share information on his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow's employment history. Jimmy recalls that his father, Robin worked in a variety of jobs over the years and as a young child, Jimmy was uncertain of what his father's job was but thought that he worked in accounting. He mentions that his father stopped working at 45 years of age due to a problem with his Achilles tendon. Jimmy describes his father as an intellectual who worked at gambling houses in Vancouver's Chinatown where people played mah-jong and fan-tan. Jimmy recollects that these were large clubs with lots of employees. His father never gambled but he was good with money so he worked on the management side. Jimmy mentions that while working in the film industry, his father took him and some of his film colleagues into some of the gambling houses in Chinatown to assist them with a production that they were working on. 2:02:51 - 2:06:58 Donna shares her own family history regarding gambling. She mentions that her uncle worked as a high end "bookie" in Vancouver and how in 1968, her uncle was arrested but got let go with just a small fine. Jimmy describes what gambling was like in those days with various sweepstakes, not under the jurisdiction of the government like it is today. Both Donna and Jimmy recollect the popularity of supper clubs their memories of Vie's Chicken and Steak House that was located in Hogan's Alley. Jimmy laments the destruction of Hogan's Alley and the other proposals that were brought forward that would change Chinatown and Strathcona.
History
Interviewees biography: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow was born in Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China in 1948. In 1950, Jimmy Chow immigrated to Vancouver from China with his mother, Gim Gee Chow to join his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow who'd immigrated to Canada at 14 years of age in 1921. For the first four years after immigrating, Jimmy and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec before returning to Vancouver around 1954. Jimmy and his family then lived and worked in Vancouver eventually settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. In the early 1970s, Jimmy met his future wife Donna Polos and they married in 1981. Donna Polos was born in 1949 to Donald James Polos and Mayme "May" Helen Tilikana Polos and grew up in Vancouver. Between the age of 5 and 21 years, Donna lived in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station. In 1976, Jimmy and Donna purchased and moved into a house on Victory Street in Burnaby where they still live today. While living on Victory Street, they've raised their three children. Donna received her teaching degree and taught in elementary schools for many years. In 1991, after a near death experience, Donna developed an interest in drawing and painting and began experimenting with water colour painting on fabric. Donna has since exhibited her work widely, participated as an Artist in Residence in Burnaby schools and is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Jimmy entered the film industry in 1973, gaining experience and recognition as a property master and has worked on many films over a 45 year career. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
Buildings - Residential
Buildings - Residential - Houses
Education
Geographic Features - Parks
Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
Government - Local Government
Industries - Film
Migration
Occupations
Occupations - Artists
Occupations - Grocers
Occupations - Entrepreneurs
Occupations - Teachers
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Social Issues - Racism
Sports - Soccer
Names
Bridge Studios
Chow, Gim Gee Dang
Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
Chow, Robin Chung Dip
Polos, Donna
Polos, James "Jimmy", 1898-1962
Polos, Donald James
Polos, Mayme "May" Helen Tilikana
Geographic Access
Victory Street
Accession Code
BV022.21.1
Date
29 Jun. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of recording
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Audio Tracks
Less detail

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