"Guangdong" found 2 records | Heritage Burnaby

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of business records and photographs relating to Harry Toy's store the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants' Association and his family.

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Harry Toy fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: .5 cm of textual records + 6 photographs + 2 photographs (jpg)

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of business records and photographs relating to Harry Toy's store the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants' Association and his family.

History: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use as a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present.

Creator: Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"

Names: Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"; Fraser Merchants' Association; Canada Way Food Market

Accession Code: BV023.25

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [197-]-2023

Media Type: Photograph; Textual Record

Related Material: See also BV023.16.19 - Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy; For associated artifacts from Canada Way Food Market see Accession BV023.17

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds

Quon Lip Lee fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16725

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1921-1988 (date of originals), copied 2021

Collection/Fonds: Quon Lip Lee fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 8 photograph (tiffs)

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to personal records of Quon Lip Lee including his immigration and citizenship documents, his family, business and involvement as a member with Lee's Benevolent Associaton of Canada.

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Quon Lip Lee fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 8 photograph (tiffs)

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to personal records of Quon Lip Lee including his immigration and citizenship documents, his family, business and involvement as a member with Lee's Benevolent Associaton of Canada.

History: Quon Lip Lee immigrated to Canada in 1921 from Sun Woy county, Guangdong at the age of 12 and found work as a housekeeper. In his adult years, Lee travelled back to China several times and fathered two sons and two daughters in China, including Tim Lee who was born in 1949. Quon Lip Lee purchased two acres of farmland in Richmond and operated a poultry farm in the No.3 Road and Williams Road area. He brought his wife and most of his children from China to Canada in 1952, with the exception of one daughter who was already married. When the poultry industry began to decline, Lee purchased a grocery store business in Burnaby and the Lee family moved to Burnaby in 1962. The shop was named C&L Grocery, which stood for Cheng (his son-in-law’s surname) and Lee. The property was located at 6912 Kingsway on the corner of Kingsway and Griffiths and had three store fronts and a house in the back where the family lived. The family grocery store sold groceries and canned goods and was in operation for approximately fifteen years. Quon Lip Lee was a member of Lee's Benevolent Association of Canada. In 1988, Quon Lip, received a service award for his many contributions as an advisory board member and board secretary of Lee's Benevolent Association magazine. As a child, Tim Lee attended Stride Avenue School, Edmonds School and Burnaby South Secondary School. Tim co-owned an architectural mill work company named New Image Millwork Ltd. in Surrey for 30 years before his retirement. The company renovated locations including the Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby’s Winners store, and other businesses. Tim sold the business and retired in 2019.

Creator: Lee, Quon Lip

Accession Code: BV021.18

Date: 1921-1988 (date of originals), copied 2021

Media Type: Textual Record; Photograph

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds

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