Walker family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription78708
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1948-1957 (date of originals); 2013
- Collection/Fonds
- Walker family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 38 photographs (7 jpeg : col., 300 dpi ; 7 jpeg : col., 96 dpi ; 10 jpeg : b&w, 300 dpi ; 12 jpeg : b&w, 96 dpi). 1 drawing (jpeg) : col., 300 dpi ; 2 maps (jpeg) : col. ; 96 dpi ; 397.67 KB of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of 41 jpegs of original photographs (some include annotation), maps, and newspaper clippings pertaining to Scotty Walker, his family and the Inter-City Driving Range that he created.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1948-1957 (date of originals); 2013
- Collection/Fonds
- Walker family fonds
- Physical Description
- 38 photographs (7 jpeg : col., 300 dpi ; 7 jpeg : col., 96 dpi ; 10 jpeg : b&w, 300 dpi ; 12 jpeg : b&w, 96 dpi). 1 drawing (jpeg) : col., 300 dpi ; 2 maps (jpeg) : col. ; 96 dpi ; 397.67 KB of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2013-15
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of 41 jpegs of original photographs (some include annotation), maps, and newspaper clippings pertaining to Scotty Walker, his family and the Inter-City Driving Range that he created.
- History
- Scotty Walker purchased the property at 974 12th Avenue in 1948 under the Veteran’s Land Act (VLA) grant from the government. He was in the Air Force during the Second World War. Previous to the purchase he ran a trucking business in New Westminster and lived at 1421 Nanaimo Street. The family consisted of Scotty, his wife Elizabeth, and three children, Alex, Barbara, and James. The land was overgrown with trees, scrub bushes, and a general swampy area. Scotty had the plan to build a Golf Driving Range, but it would take a lot of work. He owned three acres and leased three acres from the Lady of Mercy Church. Then they started working the land. The trees and scrub bush had to be removed and it was all done by hand. As the weather warmed and the swamp dried somewhat, Scotty got the idea to do selective burning. After many times doing this in small sections, the wind changed and the fire was headed for some houses on Tenth Avenue. The fire departments from New Westminster and Burnaby showed up and he was severely punished. It created other problems too. The land was swampy and when it dried, it was a peat bog, so the fire would burn down and turn up all over the place. That winter when the rains came, the land flooded and froze. The kids in the neighbourhood took advantage of the open spaces and brought out their skates. They had a great time. Some pigs were purchased with the idea that they could help dig up the roots and could be butchered later. Well they cleared the roots, but the kids all said they would not eat the pigs. The pigs were sold as they had become like pets. The land was then bulldozed into a berm on the 12th Street side of the land and a fence was built on top of the hill. The Walkers still had to clear the roots and branches that accumulated on the berm. The big problem was snakes. There were pits of water snakes that had been moved with the bulldozing. The family is not sure what happened with the snakes but eventually they moved. The area that would have been to the left of the property was still a swamp, so maybe they went there. The Walkers built drainage ditches through the land and let it drain to the natural slope toward Eighth Street. Construction on the Golf Range started and the grass was seeded. The “Inter-City Golf Range” opened on June 16, 1951. It had been a long hard road for the whole family but it worked out quite well. There was no automatic machine picking up balls, it was all done by hand and washed in a washing machine. Eventually they got Shag Bags that helped some but it was a huge job. The Golf Range ran for a few years and then Burnaby had a very sunny summer and the sun was in the patrons' eyes. So Scotty decided to move the buildings to the 12th Avenue part of the land. The club house and coffee shop was moved. The family took the building apart board by board and reconstructed it at the other end of the land. This worked well. All this had been accomplished on a shoestring budget as there was no big money behind anything. The Walkers cut the grass with gas hand mowers, washed the balls with the washing machine, and worked very long hours. Then the Catholic Church decided not to renew the lease. The family had worked so hard and now Scotty’s dream was dashed. It was a devastating time. Eventually the property was sold to the Christian Brothers and the buildings to Gus Brown in Richmond. The church bought the land for $25,000, in 1957. The end of the dream was very hard on everyone. Eventually life went on. It is sad that Scotty was just so far ahead of his time. He was a small man about 5’6" and about 140 pounds but had dreams as big as anyone and worked like three men to accomplish his dream. The cleared land was eventually developed into Saint Thomas Moore School. Biography provided by B. Kromm
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Walker family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 557
Legal Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription78
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1942-2018
- Collection/Fonds
- Legal Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 30 m of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the City Solicitor and property negotiators in the process of fulfilling their roles as legal counsel and land agents for the City of Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1942-2018
- Collection/Fonds
- Legal Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 30 m of textual records
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created by the City Solicitor and property negotiators in the process of fulfilling their roles as legal counsel and land agents for the City of Burnaby.
- History
- The City of Burnaby Legal Department was formally established on April 20, 1954, when City Council called for the appointment of a full-time City Solicitor to manage the legal affairs of the City and all its boards and departments. This decision followed a report presented by Councilor Hean on March 8 of that year which listed a number of reasons why such an appointment was necessary and recommended that the City employ a full-time Solicitor and a support staff comprised of an assistant solicitor and a stenographer. Councilor Hean’s report was initially referred to a Committee of Council for further study, but was endorsed by the Committee of the Whole on March 29, 1954, and on August 23, Mr. William L. Stirling was appointed as the first Solicitor for the City of Burnaby. Prior to the development of the City’s Legal Department, it was the practice of City Council to appoint a law firm to act as legal counsel for the Municipality, but the last lawyer on retainer for the City was dismissed on May 17, 1954, because of the imminent creation of a Municipal Legal Department. Initially, the City Solicitor was expected to report to the City Clerk who was Chief Executive Officer for the Municipal government. However, the reporting relationships within the City were altered in 1957 with the adoption of Bylaw No. 3859. Bylaw No. 3859 (the Municipal Manager Bylaw) heralded the appointment of a Municipal Manager who became the administrative head of the City and to whom all departments reported, including the Legal Department. Regardless of the administrative hierarchy within which the Department operated, its mandate has remained quite consistent since its inception. The City of Burnaby Legal Department’s primary functions are: providing legal advice to City Council and other City departments; drafting bylaws; negotiating and drafting contracts involving the City; dealing with claims both by and against the City; and managing legal proceedings involving the City. From 1979 onwards, the Legal Department also acted as the main land agent for the City by managing the acquisition and disposal of land, the leasing of City land and the negotiations of rights of way and other land related agreements. Prior to 1979, this function was the responsibility of the Treasury Department, but after an organizational review in late 1978, Council decided that the Land Agent should act under the authority of the Municipal Solicitor. As a result of fulfilling these two broad roles within the City – that of providing legal services and that of acting as land agents – the Department was renamed the Legal and Lands Department and came to include not only a City Solicitor but also property negotiators and a number of legal assistants. In 2017, City land acquisition and sales were transferred from Legal Services to the newly-established Realty and Lands division of the Public Safety and Community Services Department. In 2018, Legal Services was brought under the new Corporate Services Department. The following individuals have held the role of Municipal Solicitor: William L. Stirling 1954-1983 Patricia Flieger 1983-1998 Bruce Rose 1998-Present May Leung 2015-Present
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd. fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription93711
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1987-1998
- Collection/Fonds
- Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd. fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3847 photographs (92 col. prints, 10 cm x 15 cm ; 3754 col. negatives, 35 mm) + 4 computer disks (14 x 14 cm).
- Scope and Content
- The fonds consists of street-level photographs of commercial, industrial, residential, and undeveloped properties in Burnaby, B.C. These photographs originally formed part of the Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd's real estate appraisal records.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1987-1998
- Collection/Fonds
- Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd. fonds
- Physical Description
- 3847 photographs (92 col. prints, 10 cm x 15 cm ; 3754 col. negatives, 35 mm) + 4 computer disks (14 x 14 cm).
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Open access
- Accession Number
- 2017-39
- Scope and Content
- The fonds consists of street-level photographs of commercial, industrial, residential, and undeveloped properties in Burnaby, B.C. These photographs originally formed part of the Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd's real estate appraisal records.
- History
- Grover, Elliott, & Co. Ltd (Grover Elliot) is a real estate appraisal, valuation, and consulting firm that opened on January 2, 1974. It was founded by three real estate appraisers who took over an existing appraisal office. The firm provides real estate appraisals for all property types throughout British Columbia, including land, residential, industrial, and commercial properties. Grover Elliot was first located at 5685 Cambie Street in Vancouver, B.C. In June 1985, the firm moved its offices to the Burrard Building in downtown Vancouver on West Georgia St. in order to provide a base closer to the Land Title Office where employees regularly conducted research. In May 2016, it moved to 609 West Hastings Street in Vancouver, B.C. In February 2018, following the retirement of owner and President Larry Dybvig, the firm was purchased by three Grover Elliott appraisers: Angus Heaps, Brent McLaren, and Michael Oord. Dybvig served as President of the firm from 2001 to 2018. The company provides appraisals for all types of real estate including land, multifamily residential, industrial properties, and commercial properties.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Grover, Elliott & Co. Ltd.
- Notes
- Photo catalogue 622
Oakalla Prison fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription100561
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911-1953
- Collection/Fonds
- Oakalla Prison fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 6 cm. of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Oakalla Prison Farm, including administrative correspondence related to staff appointments and wages, and a staff shortage when employees left to fight in World War I. The records pertain only to staffmembers of the prison and are not directly related to any…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911-1953
- Collection/Fonds
- Oakalla Prison fonds
- Physical Description
- 6 cm. of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Record No.
- 66669
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2022-13
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created by the Oakalla Prison Farm, including administrative correspondence related to staff appointments and wages, and a staff shortage when employees left to fight in World War I. The records pertain only to staffmembers of the prison and are not directly related to any prison inmates.
- History
- The Oakalla Prison Farm was a model prison farm on 185 acres (75 ha) of land next to Deer Lake, Burnaby. The Oakalla Prison Farm was a full-service facility that originally opened on September 2, 1912, and was initially designed to hold 150 men and women. The first inmate was William Daley, sentenced on July 31, 1912 to serve a year of hard labor for stealing some fountain pens valued at over $10. By April 30, 1913, some 328 prisoners had passed through the jail's doors. In 1916, the women's section officially opened, and in 1942, the women's unit opened on the grounds as a separate facility. It was renamed as the "Lakeside Correctional Centre for Women" in 1979. The original women's unit was expanded in 1953, and consisted of two cottage-style buildings. By the 1950s, the population was well over 1000. As a working farm, the prison had its own dairy, vegetable gardens, and livestock. Executions in British Columbia were primarily carried out in Oakalla; after 1919, it was the sole penitentiary where executions took place. The first execution was that of 25 year-old Alex Ignace on August 29, 1919. 44 prisoners were executed by hanging at Oakalla from 1919 until the death penalty was abolished in 1959. In 1959, the last execution in British Columbia took place at Oakalla, with the hanging of former sailor Leo Mantha, aged 33. Oakalla was also one of the locations that undertook the experiment of performing cosmetic surgery on inmates to remove deformities that made prisoners "more likely to offend". The experiment was led by Dr. Edward Lewison, and continued into the mid-1960s. Procedures were conducted on 450 inmates, voluntarily. In 1970, the prison was renamed as the Lower Mainland Regional Correctional Centre (LMRCC) The farm portion of the prison, providing work for the inmates and food in the prison, closed in 1979 and 64 acres of land were transferred to the City of Burnaby. This land was included in the existing Deer Lake Park that was adjacent to the prison. Originally designed to house a maximum of 484 prisoners, Oakalla's population peaked in 1962-1963 at 1,269 inmates. With population averages of over 600, overcrowding was always a problem. In the institution's final years, two nationally-spotlighted events occurred. 13 maximum security prisoners escaped on New Year's Day, 1988, following an uprising on December 27, 1987, and on November 22, 1983, a violent and costly riot took place. Rioters caused more than $150,000 damage in a two-day spree. Oakalla was closed down on June 30, 1991, and was developed into a new residential housing development and an expansion of the park. Prisoners from Oakalla were then moved to various other Correctional Facilities in British Columbia, including but not limited to the Vancouver Pretrial Services Centre (VPSC), the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre (FRCC), and the Alouette Regional Correctional Centre (ARCC), later Alouette Correctional Centre for Women. Source: https://wikimapia.org/8004045/Former-site-Lower-Mainland-Correctional-Centre-Oakalla-Prison-Farm Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakalla_Prison
- Media Type
- Textual Record
William Martin family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription66694
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1927-1940 (date of originals)
- Collection/Fonds
- William Martin family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 26 photographs : 1 original photograph + 19 jpegs + 6 copy prints
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of the William and Ellen Martin family, pioneers of Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1927-1940 (date of originals)
- Collection/Fonds
- William Martin family fonds
- Physical Description
- 26 photographs : 1 original photograph + 19 jpegs + 6 copy prints
- Material Details
- 2 copy prints + 1 jpeg are duplicates to the original; 3 copy prints are duplicates to a larger copy print
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2011-11
- 2006-03
- 2012-03
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of the William and Ellen Martin family, pioneers of Burnaby.
- History
- William Martin and Ellen Ward met while attending school in Glasgow, Scotland. They married in 1916 while William was on leave from the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force. After the war, they immigrated to Canada with their two-year-old daughter, Margaret. They spent a few years in Vancouver where three more daughters were born: Barbara (later Punnett); Juanita (later Safarik); and Sally (later Forbes). With their four small daughters, they moved to Los Angeles where William worked as a craftsman for Samuel Goldwyn Studios. In 1926, they returned to B.C., where William purchased five acres of land on Spruce Street in Burnaby. Much of the land had been logged but not cleared. Dynamite was used to remove the large, burnt stumps. While William prepared the land for a new house, the family lived in a temporary building that was later used for a garage. The seven-room house that William built was one of the first houses on Spruce Street. During this time, William and Ellen’s two sons, Bill and Jackie, were born. The Martins made good use of their property. They kept chickens, ducks, and a goat, planted fruit trees, and had a large raspberry patch. The children enjoyed their large playground, much of it still heavily forested. In the winter they walked to Deer Lake to ice skate. They hiked Burnaby Mountain and sometimes walked to Capitol Hill where there was a recreation centre. All six children attended Douglas Road School and South Burnaby Secondary School. Margaret became a schoolteacher; Juanita and Barbara did office work after attending Sprott Shaw Business School; Sally became a public health nurse; and Bill and Jackie became doctors. Margaret taught in Burnaby schools for 27 years. Before her marriage, Sally served as a public health nurse in Burnaby for three years. Bill had an ophthalmology practice in Burnaby until his retirement. Margaret married Jack Greenall, the eldest son of another Burnaby family who lived on Nursery Street on a large property with a garden, greenhouse, and chicken house. Margaret and Jack had three children: Dr. Martin Greenall, Sharon (later Ingalls), and Diane (later Macnair). Margaret later married Peter Andrusiak and had two sons: Gordon and Peter. All of her children were raised in New Westminster. Margaret was active in her community and was awarded the New Westminster Citizen of the Year award in 1992. She died July 26, 2006, at the age of 89.
- Formats
- Records from accession 2011-11 exist only in electronic format - copied 2011
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Martin family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 525
James Massey family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88394
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1933-1953 (date of originals), copied 2014
- Collection/Fonds
- James Massey family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 photographs (tiffs) ; 600 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of 14 digitized photographs of Robert Burnaby Park and the Massey family with views of buildings, gardens, and trails.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1933-1953 (date of originals), copied 2014
- Collection/Fonds
- James Massey family fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 photographs (tiffs) ; 600 dpi
- Material Details
- Tiffs are copies of original photographs
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2014-34
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of 14 digitized photographs of Robert Burnaby Park and the Massey family with views of buildings, gardens, and trails.
- History
- James Massey was born in Lancaster, England, in 1890 and immigrated to Burnaby in 1910. He married Alice Wilcock who also immigrated to Canada from Lancaster. James and Alice (Willcock) Massey were married in New Westminster on September 11, 1912. The couple built a house on three adjoining lots on the south side of 13th Avenue in Burnaby near Cumberland Road. James and Alice had three daughters, Betty, Grace, and Evelyn. James worked in road construction for the Burnaby Municipality, assisting to build Sperling Avenue (formerly named Pole Line Road) in 1912. He also worked in the brick yard in the glen behind the B.C. Penitentiary, which was owned by the Cogband family. In 1933, James accepted the job of caretaker for Robert Burnaby Park and moved his family onto the property. He was paid 30 dollars a week and the house was rent-free, leaving the family to rent out their house on 13th Avenue for extra revenue. The house that they moved into in Robert Burnaby Park was formerly owned by the Ramsey family and was a pre-fabricated design with no bathroom and a wood stove in the kitchen for heating. The park is situated south of Burnaby Lake on District Lots 87, 89, and 90. The land was originally owned by the Ramsey family, who purchased the property in 1905 and then sold it to Mr. Vidal in 1909. Annie Ramsey bought it back in 1917, but lost it to the city through tax sale proceedings where she entered into a lease agreement allowing her to live on the property until her death in 1926. As the caretaker of Robert Burnaby Park and Burnaby Lake, James also fulfilled the role of game warden. In his role as game warden, James would watch for any poachers, pull traps, take any firearms from children and also act as a deputy for the Provincial Police, which later became the R.C.M.P. The Massey family's dog, Pete, a spaniel cross, assisted Jim in tracking down any traps. Mr. Massey had three aviaries on the park property, where he raised canaries, and in 1939, he installed a goldfish pond. He was also responsible for constructing a playground and raising the flag up the flag pole on all public holidays. The family built a greenhouse behind their house to grow plants for the extensive park gardens. James' brother was the caretaker of Queens Park in New Westminster and assisted him in the planning and design of the gardens. During the 1930s, many unemployed script worked for Mr. Massey in clearing land and building trails and a bridge within the park. A garage was built at the foot of 2nd Street with two additional rooms built by Mr. Massey with the intention of them being used by the Parks Board. However, it was never used for this purpose and the Air Raid Patrol building from the 2nd Street School grounds was moved to the park and used for storage. The Army for the Common Good gardens were located on the west side of Hill Avenue with a shed for tools. The Army of the Common Good grew food and distributed it within the community to those in need during the Depression. The Massey family moved from the park in 1947 and James decided to run for the Burnaby School in the early 1950s. James retired at 65 years of age but continued to work as a custodian at the Armstrong Avenue School until the age of 72. James died in 1985 in Princeton, B.C., at the age of 95.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Massey family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 581
Sheila Minni fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58376
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955-1956]
- Collection/Fonds
- Sheila Minni fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 photographs : sepia ; 4.5 x 7 cm.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consist of photographs showing St. Helen's Church in Burnaby Heights.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1955-1956]
- Collection/Fonds
- Sheila Minni fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 photographs : sepia ; 4.5 x 7 cm.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2009-04
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consist of photographs showing St. Helen's Church in Burnaby Heights.
- History
- In the first years of the 20th century, the hill overlooking the city of Vancouver was barely developed. This area, known as Vancouver Heights, commands a magnificent view of the city, the north shore mountains, and the sea. During the first decade, there was just a handful of people willing to brave the inconvenience of living in a remote area to dwell in such splendour. Among them were 10 Catholic families. They dreamt about establishing a Catholic community, a church, and perhaps even a school of their own. They knew it would take hard work and sacrifice to realize their dream. In 1912, the Second Narrows Bridge and several industrial plants were built in this area. Archbishop Neil McNeil, recognizing the potential for greater development, requested aid from Toronto's Catholic Extension Society, to help purchase property at the corner of Pandora and Ingleton to build a small church and home for the priest. The $6000 construction expense was donated by Mr. Justice Kelly, who requested that the church be named Saint Helen in memory of his daughter, Helen. On August 11, 1912, Saint Helen's church was blessed. 12 years later, in 1923, a second dream was realized with the construction of Saint Helen's School. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul would staff the school for over 50 years, dedicating their lives to the education of thousands of children. 1936 began an era of unprecedented growth under the leadership of Msgr. Daniel Carey. In 1948, despite post-war hardships, he was able to inspire his community to build a new school. He then turned his attention to the over-crowded church and, in 1956, to the delight of the parishioners, the new Saint Helen's Church was blessed. By 1973, the demographics of Saint Helen's Parish had experienced a dramatic change. From the Anglo-Irish parishioners of the early years, Saint Helen's was experiencing a huge increase in parishioners of Italian descent. Archbishop James Carney, realizing the need to better serve these immigrants, asked the Scalabrinian Congregation to take the parish under its care. The second era of physical growth and development in the parish would come under the direction of these missionary priests. The 1970s, with Father Joseph Ponti as pastor, would see the construction of a new rectory, a state-of-the-art hall/gymnasium, and a fully renovated school. Father Joe's dream was the construction of a church, with this in mind, he began to purchase the necessary land. Succeeding pastors Father Angelo Calandra and Father Peter Sordi continued to work towards this dream, accumulating land and initiating the process. Father Claudio Holzer, upon assuming the responsibilities of pastor, took a firm hold of the dreams of his predecessors and shaped them into the reality of the new Saint Helen's Church. From the beginning, St. Helen's Parish has been an active community participant in this area of Burnaby and continues to enjoy this participation not only here but in Metro Vancouver as well. On August 11, 2012, St. Helen's Catholic Church and Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary. -Information contributed by M. Tesan has been combined with information from the official website of the church.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Minni, Sheila
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
- Photo catalogue 495
Small family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription91819
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1922-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Small family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 75 photographs : b&w & col. + 1 plan
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs documenting the transformation of the Burnaby Lake area of Burnaby, B.C. from semi-rural in the 1920s to urbanized in 2016. Photographs depict the land and houses located on the corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street as the property was rezoned and its density quad…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1922-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Small family fonds
- Physical Description
- 75 photographs : b&w & col. + 1 plan
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- Open access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2017-01
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs documenting the transformation of the Burnaby Lake area of Burnaby, B.C. from semi-rural in the 1920s to urbanized in 2016. Photographs depict the land and houses located on the corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street as the property was rezoned and its density quadrupled. Fonds also includes photographs of the Small family house being moved to 5496 Dominion Street and the original landscape plan for 5118 Douglas Road.
- History
- In 1915, John W. Roberts and his wife Mary Allen Roberts moved from the United States to Canada along with their daughter, Lauretta. On first moving to Canada, the family lived in a rented house in Vancouver and John worked as a movie projectionist in the city. The couple had three more children, all sons: John A., Edward, and Roland. Circa 1921, John purchased a large parcel of land at the corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street in Burnaby. This parcel encompassed the equivalent of at least six 66-foot lots along the south side of Dominion Street and the same along the north side of Norfolk Street. On their property, a barn and small living quarters were built. The family moved in, raising goats and growing potatoes to supplement their income. They also planted cherry, apple, and pear trees; hazelnut and walnut trees; raspberries; and a large vegetable garden, the fruits of which Mary preserved for year-round use. At this time, agricultural activities were common for families in the area: the Roberts' neighbours kept chickens for personal use and for selling eggs; grew mushrooms for commercial sale; and sold manure from an old buckboard drawn by Clydesdale horses. John built a new house in the middle of the Roberts’ lots on the southwest corner of Douglas Road and Dominion Street. The house faced Douglas Road and overlooked a large, well-landscaped front yard to the east and a full-sized, clay tennis court to the north. The family moved into this new house in 1925. When the Roberts ceased raising goats, the barn and original living quarters were reduced to a double-car garage with storage space plus a sawdust-insulated “root cellar”. John also built a house on the northwest corner of the lot at Douglas Road and Dominion Street (3093 Douglas Road), which was purchased by the Hardy family. In 1957, part of this property (3071 Douglas Road) was sold to the Brocklebanks who built a house and lived there. In addition, John built a house at the northwest corner of Douglas Road and Norfolk Street (5106 Douglas Road). The original purchaser of this house is unknown, but in 1949, it was bought by the Meyers family. In 1952 or 1953, the Meyers sold part of this property and the Manahans built a house on it, facing Douglas Road. Several other lots that John owned were also sold off over the years. By the 1950s, John owned only five 66-foot lots from Douglas Road west, along the south side Dominion Street. In 1954, John sold the lot furthest from Douglas Road (5486 Dominion Street) to a builder who built a “ranch-style” house and put it up for sale. John retired from his career as a movie projectionist in the 1950s. He, Mary, and Lauretta retained their US citizenship all their lives, although they never returned to the USA except for brief visits. John A., Edward, and Roland who, as children of US citizens, also had US citizenship, eventually moved to the US, where they remained for the rest of their lives. In 1945, Lauretta married Frederick Small. The couple lived in a rented house in Vancouver for a few years before moving in with John and Mary in Burnaby. The couple had four children: Elizabeth, Kathryn, Charles, and Martin. In 1955, Frederick purchased the rancher at 5486 Dominion Street and the family moved in. The Small children grew up enjoying the freedom of having their grandparent’s large property in addition to their parent’s yard to play in. The back lane that ran between Dominion Street and Norfolk Street was filled with trees and bushes, creating a narrow bit of “forest” to explore. In 1957, John died. Mary died in 1969, as did Frederick. Lauretta was executor for her mother’s and husband’s estates. After much consideration, she decided to sell the house at 5486 Dominion Street and move back into her childhood home. By doing so, she was able to settle her mother’s estate to the satisfaction of her brothers. Elizabeth married and moved away. Over the next few years, the “Roberts” house was home to Lauretta, Kathryn, Charles, and Martin, with the three grown children moving in and out several times during the 1970s. In 1981, Lauretta died. Her children discussed at length how to divide up the property, which consisted of four 66-foot lots, according to her will. None of her children wanted to see the old family house destroyed but the house straddled two lots. They finally decided that if one of them wanted to pay to move the house to sit on one of the lots, the “value” of the house would not enter into the settlement of the estate. Kathryn chose to do this. In 1982, the old house was moved to 5496 Dominion Street and Kathryn continued to live in it. Martin died in 1982. Elizabeth and Charles each inherited one lot and the last lot, which would have gone to Martin, was sold, the funds divided equally between Elizabeth, Kathryn, and Charles. The three lots between 5496 Dominion Street and Douglas Road were subdivided into 33-foot lots and six new houses were built. In 1993, the Meyers property and the Manahan property were subdivided into 33-foot lots facing Norfolk Street and the old houses were torn down and four new houses were built.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Technical Drawing
- Creator
- Small family
St. Helen's Parish fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription77922
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1992-2012
- Collection/Fonds
- St. Helen's Parish fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1.5 cm. of textual records + 1 medallion
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of posters, cards, anniversary programs, a pictorial photo directory, a calendar, a book and a medallion related to St. Helen's Parish. Items in this fonds depict its Centennial Celebrations.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1992-2012
- Collection/Fonds
- St. Helen's Parish fonds
- Physical Description
- 1.5 cm. of textual records + 1 medallion
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2013-10
- 2013-11
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of posters, cards, anniversary programs, a pictorial photo directory, a calendar, a book and a medallion related to St. Helen's Parish. Items in this fonds depict its Centennial Celebrations.
- History
- In the first years of the 20th century, the hill overlooking the city of Vancouver was barely developed. This area, known as Vancouver Heights, commands a magnificent view of the city, the north shore mountains, and the sea. During the first decade, there was just a handful of people willing to brave the inconvenience of living in a remote area to dwell in such splendour. Among them were 10 Catholic families. They dreamt about establishing a Catholic community, a church, and perhaps even a school of their own. They knew it would take hard work and sacrifice to realize their dream. In 1912, the Second Narrows Bridge and several industrial plants were built in this area. Archbishop Neil McNeil, recognizing the potential for greater development, requested aid from Toronto's Catholic Extension Society, to help purchase property at the corner of Pandora and Ingleton to build a small church and home for the priest. The $6000 construction expense was donated by Mr. Justice Kelly, who requested that the church be named Saint Helen in memory of his daughter, Helen. On August 11, 1912, Saint Helen's church was blessed. 12 years later, in 1923, a second dream was realized with the construction of Saint Helen's School. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul would staff the school for over 50 years, dedicating their lives to the education of thousands of children. 1936 began an era of unprecedented growth under the leadership of Msgr. Daniel Carey. In 1948, despite post-war hardships, he was able to inspire his community to build a new school. He then turned his attention to the over-crowded church and, in 1956, to the delight of the parishioners, the new Saint Helen's Church was blessed. By 1973, the demographics of Saint Helen's Parish had experienced a dramatic change. From the Anglo-Irish parishioners of the early years, Saint Helen's was experiencing a huge increase in parishioners of Italian descent. Archbishop James Carney, realizing the need to better serve these immigrants, asked the Scalabrinian Congregation to take the parish under its care. The second era of physical growth and development in the parish would come under the direction of these missionary priests. The 1970s, with Father Joseph Ponti as pastor, would see the construction of a new rectory, a state-of-the-art hall/gymnasium, and a fully renovated school. Father Joe's dream was the construction of a church, with this in mind, he began to purchase the necessary land. Succeeding pastors Father Angelo Calandra and Father Peter Sordi continued to work towards this dream, accumulating land and initiating the process. Father Claudio Holzer, upon assuming the responsibilities of pastor, took a firm hold of the dreams of his predecessors and shaped them into the reality of the new Saint Helen's Church. From the beginning, St. Helen's Parish has been an active community participant in this area of Burnaby and continues to enjoy this participation not only here but in Metro Vancouver as well. On August 11, 2012, St. Helen's Catholic Church and Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary. -Information contributed by M. Tesan has been combined with information from the official website of the church.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- St. Helen's Catholic Church
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS174
Ben Bradley collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85124
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs : b&w ; 11.5 x 8.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Fonds comprises five photographs of the land being cleared for the future site of the Brentwood Mall shopping centre.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs : b&w ; 11.5 x 8.2 cm
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2013-30
- Scope and Content
- Fonds comprises five photographs of the land being cleared for the future site of the Brentwood Mall shopping centre.
- History
- Ben Bradley is a former citizen of Burnaby and served on the Burnaby Heritage Commission between 1999-2000. Mr. Bradley has a keen interest in the history of suburbanization in Canada.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Bradley, Ben
- Notes
- Title based on contents of collection.
- Photo catalogue 564
Burnaby family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58458
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1858-1863
- Collection/Fonds
- Robert Burnaby fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 cm. of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of letters written by Robert Burnaby related to both his work and explorations in British Columbia as well as personal matters relating to his family. Some of these letters were published in the 2002 book, "Land of Promise: Robert Burnaby's Letters from Colonial British Columbia 1858…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1858-1863
- Collection/Fonds
- Robert Burnaby fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 cm. of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2009-06 2017-55
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of letters written by Robert Burnaby related to both his work and explorations in British Columbia as well as personal matters relating to his family. Some of these letters were published in the 2002 book, "Land of Promise: Robert Burnaby's Letters from Colonial British Columbia 1858-1863."
- History
- Robert Burnaby was a commission merchant and legislator, born on November 30, 1828, at Woodthorpe, Leicestershire, England, as the fourth son of the Reverend Thomas Burnaby and Sarah Meares. Robert Burnaby came to British Columbia at the end of 1858 as an experienced civil servant from Her Majesty’s Customs Office in London, and with a personal introduction to Governor James Douglas from Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Burnaby’s first year on the Pacific coast was a busy one: he spent a short time as private secretary to Richard Clement Moody, commander of the Royal Engineers at New Westminster; he explored for coal with Walter Moberly at Burrard Inlet; and he made a short visit to San Francisco. During this year, he also founded the firm of Henderson and Burnaby, commission merchants, in partnership with Edward Henderson, an old school friend from Christ’s Hospital and a man of means, who managed the London office. This type of business was precarious since the distance from sources of supply and risks in transportation encouraged overtrading and excessive speculation. The death of Henderson in 1865 and the general economic depression in Vancouver Island and British Columbia brought the firm to an end – a failure caused in part apparently by unwise investment in real estate. Burnaby then embarked upon a real estate and insurance business of his own. The exigencies of a mercantile career seem to have overwhelmed this man who, by upbringing and training, was more suited to a position in government service. Robert Burnaby was intensely interested in the welfare of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and did all in his power to promote stable economic conditions. Before the end of his second year in Victoria, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island for the districts of Esquimalt and Metchosin, and he served his constituents well for five years. He was one of the founders of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. During an 1866 visit to London on private business, he attended a meeting of prominent Victoria merchants and officials who strongly favoured the union of the two colonies and other measures for developing and improving their economic prospects. This group carried its resolutions to the secretary of state for the colonies. Burnaby was an active freemason and helped found the First Victoria Lodge in 1860. Among his recreational pursuits was a love of drama, and in 1863, he served as president of Victoria’s Amateur Dramatic Association. Burnaby numbered among his intimate friends Colonel Moody, Arthur Thomas Bushby, Henry Pering Pellew Crease, Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie, Edward Graham Alston, and Thomas Elwyn. In 1869, severe ill health caused Burnaby’s retirement and, five years later, his return to England. Friends arranged for him to travel in the Hudson’s Bay Company bark Lady Lampson; they later presented her captain, James Gaudin, with a generous purse in gratitude for the attention he had paid the ailing Burnaby during the voyage. Early in 1878, news reached Victoria that this “prominent and much respected merchant” had died. An honest, conscientious man of spirit, a clear-headed thinker, a “power” in his masonic lodge, a lucid speaker, full of fun, and clever, Burnaby has been fittingly commemorated in a number of place names in British Columbia including a lake, a strait, an island, a municipality, two mountain ranges, and finally Burnaby Mountain, the seat of Simon Fraser University. Burnaby died a bachelor on January 10, 1878, at Woodthorpe. - This information has been adapted from the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- Burnaby, Robert
- Notes
- Title based on creator of fonds.
Doreen Lawson fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription58356
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1950-2002
- Collection/Fonds
- Doreen Lawson fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 cm of textual records + approx. 1000 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created and received by Doreen Lawson during her career as Parks Commissioner (1965-1971), Burnaby City Council member (1972-1985, 1990-1999) and environmental advocate following her retirement from Council in 1999. Records include election campaign materials, congratulat…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1950-2002
- Collection/Fonds
- Doreen Lawson fonds
- Physical Description
- 18 cm of textual records + approx. 1000 photographs
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2003-30
- 2015-15
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created and received by Doreen Lawson during her career as Parks Commissioner (1965-1971), Burnaby City Council member (1972-1985, 1990-1999) and environmental advocate following her retirement from Council in 1999. Records include election campaign materials, congratulatory letters and correspondence, community speeches and slideshow presentations regarding the conservation of Burnaby Lake, the administrative papers of the Burnaby Centennial Rhododendron and Spring Flower Show Society, and photographs of Burnaby waterways and wildlife.
- History
- Doreen Anne Fowler Lawson was born July 8, 1928, to Eva Barnhill and Leonard Fowler. Her parents met in Alberta but decided to move to Vancouver where they got married and Doreen was born. The family moved to the north side of Claude Avenue in Burnaby when Doreen was a few months old. In 1931, they moved to a house with an acre of land directly across the street from their first house.
- When Doreen was six, her family moved to Collingwood, Vancouver, near where her father grew up. This is where her brother Ron was born. The family moved again to County Line in Langley Prairie in 1944, which is where Doreen met Edward Lawson, her future husband. Soon after, they moved to a seven-acre plot in Burquitlam. Ed and Doreen Lawson’s eldest daughter, Linda, was born in 1954. Their second daughter, Wendy, was born in 1959 and their youngest, Lisa, was born in 1961. They lived in the Brentwood area, where all three daughters attended Brentwood Elementary School. Linda went on to Alpha Secondary School.
- In 1945, Doreen began her first of several office jobs, and in the early 1950s she became the first woman to be elected into a vice-president position within the BC Trade Union Congress (now the BC Federation of Labour).
- Doreen Lawson had a long and prolific political career, starting as Parks Commissioner in 1965, and serving as its chair from 1969 to 1971. She was instrumental in the selection and promotion of the rhododendron as the official flower of Burnaby in 1966. In 1971, she was elected to Burnaby City Council and, in 1972, Doreen proposed that Council take action to declare Burnaby Lake a wildlife sanctuary. After a 10-year campaign, she was able to convince Council to declare the park “a nature conservation area.” She put forward a policy of preservation for creeks and streams, as well as a proposal to preserve trees in subdivisions, both of which were adopted by Council. Doreen continued to serve on Council until 1985, during which time she initiated and chaired the Burnaby Information Committee, which designed the present Burnaby logo (and official flower pins) and established the Information Burnaby Newsletter. In 1979 Doreen Lawson won Vancouver Natural History Society’s Frank Sanford Award.
- In 1984, Doreen was elected the first woman president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Doreen ran as a BC Liberal Party candidate in the new Federal Riding of Burnaby in 1979, and from 1985 to 1987, she served as the Executive Director of the British Columbia Liberal Party. As the B.C. Liberal Party Executive Director, her major responsibility was to work with both the Federal and Provincial Associations in implementing riding organizations and fundraising programs in preparation for election time. In the 1980s, Doreen was an active guest lecturer at Burnaby Elementary and High Schools as well as at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Doreen was active in a variety of community clubs and organizations including: the Burnaby Library Board; Greater Vancouver Spinners and Weavers Guild; and Vancouver Natural History Society. She was an executive member of the Burnaby-New Westminster Canada Summer Games; the Burnaby Division of the United Way; Information Burnaby Committee; and the Brentwood Parent Teachers Association; as well as serving as the President of the Burnaby Voters Association from 1988-1990.
- In 1990, Doreen was elected back to Burnaby Council and put forward the rejuvenation of Burnaby Lake which she saw completed before her final year on Council in 1999. Doreen continued to be a strong environmental advocate for the protection and rejuvenation of Burnaby Lake after she retired from council.
- Doreen Lawson died October 11, 2003.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Lawson, Doreen A.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS071, photo catalogue 605, photo catalogue 618
Gillis family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription66689
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1914-1940 (date of originals), copied 2011
- Collection/Fonds
- Gillis family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs (jpeg)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of scanned photographs of the members of the Gillis family.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1914-1940 (date of originals), copied 2011
- Collection/Fonds
- Gillis family fonds
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs (jpeg)
- Material Details
- Records exist only in electronic format
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2011-10
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of scanned photographs of the members of the Gillis family.
- History
- Duncan Gillis was born on March 25, 1892, in Vancouver, B.C., to James Gillis and Isabelle (Adams) Gillis. He had four older siblings: Isabel, Allan, James, and Marion. Duncan died on April 2, 1985, in Kamloops, B.C. James and Isabelle were from New Brunswick and lived in Minnesota for a time, which is where the three oldest children were born, and then came to British Columbia and pioneered in Yennadon (Maple Ridge) in 1890. Florence Ethel Denton was born on December 9, 1894, in Vancouver, B.C. to Edwin Denton and Elizabeth Anne (Zinn) Denton. She had three siblings: John, Edwin, and Beatrice. Florence died on February 28, 1962, in Kamloops, B.C. Edwin Denton was born in England and met Elizabeth in Ohio were she was born. They were married in 1890 in Vancouver. Florence’s older brother, John Montague Denton, was born on August 7, 1892. He enlisted on October 6, 1915, as part of the Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) 72nd Batalion and was killed in France on November 1, 1916, at the age of 24. He is buried in St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France. Duncan married Florence on June 27, 1914, in Eburne, B.C. Florence was the first schoolteacher at the newly built school in Yennadon (Maple Ridge), which was built by Duncan’s father James in 1913. This is how they met. Duncan was working as a carpenter and saw filer before enlisting on January 8, 1916, at the age of 23. He served overseas and was captured as a prisoner of war (POW) for a time. When Duncan returned to Canada, he and Florence had three sons: Boyd Leslie “Bud” born on January 7, 1920; Norman Montague born on August 20, 1921; and Donald Allan Gillis born on February 23, 1923. They raised their family in Burnaby, B.C., and lived there until 1960, then moving to Kamloops, B.C. Bud served overseas as a Flying Officer (Wireless Gunner) during World War II for the 428 (RCAF) Squadron. He was on his fifteenth operation and took part in the raid on Aachem on the night of July 13 (14), 1943, when the plane was shot down over Holland. It was later determined that he had been captured as a POW at Stalag 6 and wasn’t released until May 14, 1945, returning home in August of 1945. He married Mary Irene Thoen and had five children: James, Steven, Donna, Gregory, and Pamela. Boyd was also a carpenter and saw filer and had a saw shop in Kamloops where he raised his family. He also enjoyed woodworking in his spare time and built three airplanes. Boyd died in 1979 in Edmonton, Alberta. Norman Montague served overseas as a Flight Engineer Sergeant during World War II for the 138 RCAF Squadron. His plane crashed in the woods while attempting to land at RAF Woodridge, England, returning from an operational flight. He was pronounced dead on admission to hospital, December 17, 1943, at the age of 22. He is buried in Rushden Cemetery, Northamptonshire, England. Donald served in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve during World War II. He enlisted on May 9, 1942, and was a Signalman on a Corvette in the Atlantic. In 1944, after hearing of the loss of his two older brothers, the RCNR moved him to the Pacific, where he was until November 9, 1945. He married May Yule Ferrier and had two children, Robert and Barbara. Donald graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1951 with a Bachelor's of Science in Civil Engineering. He worked for the City of Burnaby for five years and for the Greater Vancouver Regional District for 32 years, while living in Burnaby, B.C. and raising his family. He retired to the Sunshine Coast, Halfmoon Bay, B.C. in 1988, where he still lives today.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Gillis family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 524
Hill family and Vidal family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription82116
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1850-1983]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hill family and Vidal family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 255 photographs : b&w and sepia and 9.5 cm of textual records : ill. (some col.)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs and textual records from the Vidal and Hill family. Textual records include handwritten family trees, typed and handwritten biographical information of the Jones, Wright, Hyde, Vidal, and Hill families, copies of photographic prints, published works by J. H. Vidal and …
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1850-1983]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hill family and Vidal family fonds
- Physical Description
- 255 photographs : b&w and sepia and 9.5 cm of textual records : ill. (some col.)
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2013-03
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs and textual records from the Vidal and Hill family. Textual records include handwritten family trees, typed and handwritten biographical information of the Jones, Wright, Hyde, Vidal, and Hill families, copies of photographic prints, published works by J. H. Vidal and William Cowper, newspaper clippings, and a New Testament.
- History
- Minard Gerald “Gerry” Hill was born in Burnaby on July 31, 1893, to Marian (nee Berkeley) and Bernard Richard Hill. Marian was born in London, England. Bernard Hill, born in Bengal, India, in 1858 to Sir Richard Hill and Jane Ann (nee Rollinson) where his father worked for the East Indian Railway, was one of the early inhabitants of Burnaby. Despite their years of training as engineers, Bernard, along with his brother, Louis Claude Hill, became strawberry farmers and owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and halfway around Deer Lake. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. Bernard also served as a Burnaby trustee and as councilor of Burnaby in 1904, 1905, 1906, and 1909. Bernard and Marian had four children: A. Claude (born in England around 1885, married Marion “Mamie”), Frank L., Winnifred “Winnie” L., and Gerry. Gerry attended Miss Harriet Woodward’s kindergarten class, and went on to Edmonds School with Miss Ellen Lister as his teacher. He later went to Central High School in New Westminster, often on horseback. Gerry served in World War I, signing his recruitment papers on November 9, 1914. When he returned home, he worked felling trees, then as an apprentice surveyor and finally as a carpenter. His father, Bernard, died in Burnaby on March 27, 1939, at the age of 80. Bernard's brother, Louis, was one of the first members elected to the Burnaby council and served in 1892, 1893, 1894, and again from 1909-1910. Louis, born in 1860, married Annie Sarah Kendrick (born in 1896) and they moved to the Burnaby Lake area in the early 1890s. Together they had one child, Katherine “Kitty” Maude, born in 1898. The first Hill family home, “Brookfield,” was sold around 1907 and the family moved to their new home, “Broadview,” which was also built in the vicinity of Deer Lake. Kitty, their only child, married William “Bob” John Peers in 1925 and they went on to have three children: Robert C.K., Barbara (later Barbara Jeffrey), and Anne (later Anne Latham). Charlotte Elizabeth Vidal was born in 1897 in the United States to Louisa Sophia (nee Jones) and Herbert P. Vidal. Louisa Vidal (1871-1943) was a descendent of Jones of Exeter of England and the House of Llanio Cardigan of Wales. Herbert Vidal (1868-1934)’s father was Alexander Vidal (1819-1906). Alexander Vidal, born in Brocknell, England, immigrated to Upper Canada in 1835 and later served as a senator of Canada from 1873 to 1906. He married Catherine Louisa Wright, the daughter of Capt. William Elliot Wright. Both of Charlotte’s parents, Louisa and Herbert, were born in Ontario. Charlotte Vidal was sister to Dorothy Kate and Alexander E. E. Vidal. Gerry Hill (aged 27) and Charlotte E. Vidal (aged 23) married on September 28, 1920, in Vancouver. Gerry built a house for him and his wife about a thousand feet from his parents’ home. He also bought property at Yellow Point on Vancouver Island around this time. By the early 1930s, Gerry had moved to Yellow Point permanently and begun building the Yellow Point Lodge. Gerry and Charlotte bore three children: David, Lesley C. (born in 1929), and Gerald. Gerry was later remarried to Elizabeth (nee Holen) and had one child: Richard Grant McEwan Hill, born in Ladysmith. Lesley married M. Clarke and had two boys: Roy and Graham. She later married B. Durban and had four boys: Patrick, Michael, Gary, and Grant. Charlotte died on February 11, 1984, at the age of 87. Gerry died on January 30, 1988, in Ladysmith at the age of 93.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Creator
- Hill Family
- Vidal family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 550, MSS176
Krewenchuk family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88389
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949-1993
- Collection/Fonds
- Krewenchuk family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 cm. of textual records + 6 photographs : b&w + 10 photographs : col. + 2 architectural plans
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of personal and business records and photographs for Mike and Mary Krewenchuk and their son, Dennis Krewenchuk. Business records include photographs, guest books, property deeds, and land appraisals from when the Krewenchuks owned and operated the Nelson Hotel. Personal records inc…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949-1993
- Collection/Fonds
- Krewenchuk family fonds
- Physical Description
- 5 cm. of textual records + 6 photographs : b&w + 10 photographs : col. + 2 architectural plans
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Accession Number
- 2014-23
- 2015-05
- Scope and Content
- Records consist of personal and business records and photographs for Mike and Mary Krewenchuk and their son, Dennis Krewenchuk. Business records include photographs, guest books, property deeds, and land appraisals from when the Krewenchuks owned and operated the Nelson Hotel. Personal records include photographs, a last will and testament for Mike Krewenchuk, property records, appraisals and plans for 7460 Salisbury Avenue, and photographs and documents relating to their son, Dennis Krewenchuck's 1941 Packard convertible.
- History
- Michael (Mike) and Mary Krewenchuk lived in Burnaby and Vancouver, raising their five children, three boys and two girls. The family moved to Burnaby from Grand Forks in 1943 and purchased property on Grovenor Street on Capital Hill. Mike and Mary owned and operated a variety of small businesses in Burnaby and Vancouver, including: The Central Meat Market located at Sperling and Hastings Street; The Capital Hill General Store at 5530 Hastings Street in Burnaby from 1949; The Penny Market at 1806 Victoria Drive in Vancouver which they sold in 1953; The Payless Market at 5098 Joyce Street in Vancouver from 1954 to 1955; and the Nelson Motel (also known as The Nelson Bungalow Court and Nelson Auto Court) from 1956 to 1967. The couple sold the Nelson Motel in 1967, retiring and purchasing property at 7460 Salisbury Avenue where they built a new house. Mike Krewenchuk died in 1981 at the age of 79 years.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Krewenchuk family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS191, MSS192, photo catalogue 582
Maurice Phillips collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription66716
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1930-1950
- Collection/Fonds
- Maurice Phillips collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 maps + 1 brochure
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of three maps; 1936 Burnaby lot map, 1950 map of the Fraser Valley, 1950s map of the Fraser Canyon and one brochure entitled "Corporation of Burnaby Attractively Priced Lands."
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1930-1950
- Collection/Fonds
- Maurice Phillips collection
- Physical Description
- 3 maps + 1 brochure
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2011-13
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of three maps; 1936 Burnaby lot map, 1950 map of the Fraser Valley, 1950s map of the Fraser Canyon and one brochure entitled "Corporation of Burnaby Attractively Priced Lands."
- History
- Maurice Phillips was born in Victoria in 1919 and moved to East Pender Street in Vancouver during the 1930s. As a young man, he served as a cadet in the Seaforth Armory. When World War II broke out, Maurice was sent overseas with the First Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. This is where he met his future wife, Betty Joyce Thomas, who was herself serving as a member of the British Woman's Land Army (WLA). Maurice and Betty were married in Brighton, Sussex, in 1943. Betty (Thomas) Phillips travelled to Canada via the Queen Mary and stayed with Maurice's sisters and mother in Vancouver so that her daughter, Judith Phillips, would be born in Canada in 1944. Maurice was in Europe until 1945 and ended up as a Captain in the army. After the war, Maurice returned to work at Woodwards but, through his army contacts, went to work at Barber-Ellis, a wholesale paper and envelope manufacturer. He and his wife and daughter moved to Burnaby in 1948 or 1949, first on Royal Oak and then to a house on Waltham. This is where their son, William George Phillips, was born in 1950 and their second daughter, Susan Maureen Phillips, was born in 1953. The Phillips family often took trips to the Okanagan after the Hope-Princeton highway opened. Maurice also took William to Sḵwx̱wú7mesh along the "new" highway when it first opened. The Phillips family lived in Burnaby until Maurice was transferred east in 1960.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Cartographic Material
- Creator
- Phillips, Maurice
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS158
Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1880-1980]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- ca. 1200 photographs and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records, primarily photographs, compiled by various members of both the Hill and Peers families that document their lives during the early days of settlement in Burnaby. The fonds includes records of citizenship, wills and other official papers pertaining to the life and activitie…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1880-1980]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- ca. 1200 photographs and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records, primarily photographs, compiled by various members of both the Hill and Peers families that document their lives during the early days of settlement in Burnaby. The fonds includes records of citizenship, wills and other official papers pertaining to the life and activities of L. Claude Hill; photographs of the Peers family’s Burnaby Lake home, Greyfriars, and pictures taken by Arthur Peers during his work and travels throughout British Columbia in the first part of the 20th century; and photographs of the family of Claude Hill, early Burnaby Lake residents and scenes, and pictures Kitty took as an adult documenting the growth of her own family. Also included in this fonds are a number of photographs showing Yellow Point, Vancouver Island, where the Peers and Hill families often vacationed.
- History
- Bob Peers was born William John Peers, the son of real estate broker and early Burnaby resident, Francis John Peers and his wife Elizabeth Frisby. Originally from England, the family moved to Vancouver in 1905 and soon after settled at Burnaby Lake. The family included one daughter (Mary Elizabeth Dora) and four boys (Arthur Francis, William John “Bob”, Geoffrey Hugh, and Richard Dominic). When they arrived in Burnaby, Francis Peers purchased a piece of land from another early settler, Claude Hill, and built the family home “Greyfriars” near Deer Lake. The children attended school in the home of Miss Harriet Woodward, the first school to be held in the Burnaby Lake area. In 1925, Bob married Claude Hill’s daughter and another former pupil of “Miss Harry’s,” Kitty Hill. Kitty (born Katherine Maude Hill) was the only child of Burnaby pioneers L. Claude Hill and Annie Sara Kenrick. Having moved to the Burnaby Lake area in the early 1890s, Claude went on to operate a successful strawberry farm and soon became active in the political development of Burnaby – being elected to the first Burnaby Council and serving from 1892-1894 and again from 1909-1910. The first Hill family home, “Brookfield,” was sold around 1907 and the family moved to their new home, “Broadview,” which was also built in the vicinity of Deer Lake. In 1925, Bob and Kitty were married and they went on to have three children, Robert C.K., Barbara (later Barbara Jeffrey), and Anne (later Anne Latham).
- Formats
- All photographic records have been scanned and are saved in jpeg format on the City of Burnaby network. Archival master copies have also been produced in tiff format and have been burned to CD for preservation purposes.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Peers family
- Hill family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Pixie McGeachie collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97228
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1961-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- Pixie McGeachie collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of papers collected by Pixie McGeachie during her tenure as archivist for the Burnaby Historical Society Community Archives, as well her writings.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1961-2001
- Collection/Fonds
- Pixie McGeachie collection
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Record No.
- MSS065
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third-party rights.
- Accession Number
- 2011-04
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of papers collected by Pixie McGeachie during her tenure as archivist for the Burnaby Historical Society Community Archives, as well her writings.
- History
- Doreen "Pixie" McGeachie was a resident of Burnaby for over sixty years. She served as the editor for the Burnaby Examiner newspaper and wrote a column entitled "Burnaby History" for The News. In 1974 she authored her first book titled "Bygones of Burnaby" which was one of the first to develop anecdotal stories about pioneer life in Burnaby. She authored "Burnaby - A Proud Century" in 1992 and in 2002 she wrote a biography of the city's namesake in the book "Land of Promise: Robert Burnaby's letters from Colonial B.C." Pixie also contributed many hours of volunteering; helping to establish Burnaby's first museum Heritage Village in 1971, serving as President of the Burnaby Historical Society from 1991-1993. She served a six year term on Burnaby's Heritage Commission leading the charge to preserve many historic sites throughout the city, and during her twenty years as the Community Archives volunteer archivist for the historical society, she succeeded in gathering thousands of rare and valuable historic photographs and documents which now forms the core of the photograph collection on the Heritage Burnaby website (as these items were donated by the Society to the City Archives in 2007). The City of Burnaby awarded Pixie McGeachie the Kushiro Cup as Citizen of the year in 2002. In 2006 she received a Heritage BC project award for leading the Friends of Interurban 1223 project, and in 2008 Heritage BC recognised her again by presenting her with the Ruby Nobb Award. Pixie McGeachie passed away in August of 2010. On 24 September, 2011, the City of Burnaby dedicated the reading room at the City Archives in honour of Pixie and formally named it the Pixie McGeachie Reading Room in recognition of her years of service to the community.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- McGeachie, Doreen “Pixie”
- Notes
- Title based on collector of subseries
- MSS065
Planning Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription102
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1940-2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Planning Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 80 m of textual records and other material
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 71000 10 (add. 2020)
- 71000 20 (add. 2020)
- 71000 30 (add. 2020)
- 71000 40 (add. 2020)
- Access Restriction
- Subject to FOIPPA
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of those records created during the regular conduct of business by the Planning Department and its predecessor agencies according to their mandate of providing professional and technical advice to Council on the current and future uses of City land and resources.
- History
- The City of Burnaby Planning Department was established on October 9, 1956, when the City Council unanimously carried the motion to create a distinct department to deal with planning issues within the City and appointed Mr. William John Blakely as its head. This decision followed a report and recommendation made by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer which indicated that the role of the Planning Engineer and his staff had quickly expanded to become a separate division within the Engineering Department and that they were functioning as an independent unit in all but name. The proposed separation of the Engineering and Planning departments had been in the works since the early part of 1956 when staff changes and restructuring within the Engineering Department’s Planning Division illustrated the undermanned condition of the Planning Engineer’s office. As a result, Council asked the Chief Administrative Officer to undertake a study examining the feasibility of creating a distinct Planning Department. This report was delivered to Council on July 3, 1956, but was laid over until a Committee of the Council had the opportunity to study the functions of the Planning department to determine the necessity of the proposal. The Committee’s findings were in line with the initial report and the Planning Department was established with a staff of nine (the head Planning Engineer, an Administrative Planner, three Research Planning Assistants, a Draughtsman, a Subdivision Control Clerk, a department Clerk and a Clerk Stenographer). This new department was to offer advice and carry out the work intensive in matters such as zoning and rezoning applications, subdivision control, traffic and transportation planning, and general City planning schemes. Prior to the creation of the Planning Department, a number of bodies within the City had been responsible for fulfilling the functions carried out by this new unit. In the earliest years of the City, the members of Council were responsible for matters of planning and were assisted in their job by the City’s Engineer or any number of hired consultants (e.g. surveyors, cartographers). By 1906, however, the provincial laws surrounding the subdivision process had changed, and local governments were charged with the task of approving all private subdivision plans in their respective Municipalities. In Burnaby, the City Council passed a bylaw decreeing that all subdivision plans were to be submitted to Council for review and the City Engineer was responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. After the first Town Planning Bylaw in 1924 which restricted the type and size of construction that could occur in certain City areas, the Engineering and Building departments were to work together to oversee the enforcement of the Bylaw and the development of City plans. The scope and competence required to carry out this work grew as Burnaby’s population expanded, and in 1930 Council passed the Town Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 1028) that saw the creation of a permanent body – the Town Planning Commission – which was to serve as an advisory body to help direct the planning activities in the City while the actual work continued to be carried out by the Engineering Department. This body was comprised of the Reeve, the Chairman of the School Board, the Chairman of the Park Committee (later, the Board of Parks Commissioners), and six appointed citizens who served three-year terms. Council referred all matters of subdivisions, transportation planning, and rezoning to this Commission, which was later supported in its work by several other special or standing committees such as the Subdivision Committee, the Apartment Committee, the Transportation Committee or the Town Planning Board of Appeal. By 1953, it had become apparent that the advisory committees that were dedicated to these planning issues needed a permanent staff to carry out the work intensive, so a restructuring of the Engineering department resulted in a permanent Planning Engineer’s office being created. The Town Planning Commission continued in its advisory capacity even after the determination came in 1956 to create a separate Planning Department. When Bylaw No. 4473 was passed in 1963, the Town Planning Commission was disbanded in favour of a new Advisory Planning Commission that would turn over all routine matters such as subdivision and rezoning applications to the Planning Department but would offer advice and community input into the more complex planning schemes within the City and act as an intermediary in cases where Council and Planning staff were in disagreement. A new Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw (No. 7600) was adopted in 1980 which allowed for even greater community participation in the planning process. The Planning Department was initially responsible to report directly to Council, but in 1957, the administrative structure of Municipal staff changed with the introduction of the Burnaby Municipal Manager Bylaw (No. 3859) and from that point on, the head of the Planning Department held a direct reporting relationship to the Municipal Manager, who in turn was responsible for reporting the activities of the Department to the City Council. Over the years, the internal structure and the scope of responsibilities of the Department have changed during periods of staff reorganizations. Under the larger umbrella of the Planning and Building Department, Planning has come to be comprised of two divisions: the Current Planning Division and the Long Range Planning Division. The functions of the Current Planning Division include rezoning, subdivision, development plan areas, preliminary plan approvals, urban design, heritage planning, and urban trails and bicycle routes. The Long Range Planning Division is responsible for environmental planning concerns, transportation planning, housing, neighbourhood area planning, social planning and planning information services. In 2022, the Planning and Building Department was reorganized to better align functions with delivery of services. The Climate Action and Engery Division moved from Corporate Services to the Planning and Building Department, while Indigenous Relations and Facilities Management moved to Corporate Services and Lands and Facilities, respectively. The position of Director of Planning and Building was changed to General Manager, Planning and Development. The following individuals have served as Planning Engineer and/or Director of the Planning Department and/or General Manager, Planning and Development for the City of Burnaby: William John Blakely 1954-1956 (as Planning Engineer) 1956-1963 (as Head of the Department) Anthony P. Parr 1964-1993 Don G. Stenson 1993-2001 Jack S. Belhouse 2001-2006 Basil Luksun 2006-2012 Lou Pelletier 2012-2019 Edward Kozak 2019-present
- Formats
- Microforms exist for some records. See series descriptions.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Moving Images
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Building Department fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription13
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1926-2003
- Collection/Fonds
- Building Department fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of historical building records from the Building Department.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1926-2003
- Collection/Fonds
- Building Department fonds
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- File Class
- 48100 05 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 10 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 11 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 12 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 14 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- 48100 18 (add. 2020; prev. D)
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproductions subject to FOIPPA
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of historical building records from the Building Department.
- History
- In 2022, responsibility for Major Civic Projects was moved from the Planning and Building Department to the newly-created Lands and Facilities Department.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- City of Burnaby
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.