11 records – page 1 of 1.

Metrotown

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark817
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1986
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
Kingsway
Associated Dates
1986
Heritage Value
Although the idea for Metrotown was first expressed in the 1970s, the building itself opened in 1986 and was soon served by the Expo Line of the new SkyTrain system. In the ensuing twenty years, the complex developed into three distinct but adjoining malls - Metropolis at Metrotown, Metrotown Centre, and Station Square. Today, Metrotown serves as the city’s commercial and retail anchor. The mall also includes two large office towers, which by 2001 were home to the head offices for Shaw Cable and TransLink.
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Maywood Area
Street Address
4700 Kingsway
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Images
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Maywood Neighbourhood

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark801
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1955-2008
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1955-2008
Heritage Value
Burnaby's Maywood Neighbourhood consists of the Metrotown Town Centre - one of four Town Centres in the City. Metrotown is one of the region's most developed and fastest growing centres. It is served by the first SkyTrain line developed in the mid-1980s and anchored by B.C.'s largest shopping and entertainment complex. As an older centre that has progressively added new developments over the years, Metrotown offers a range of housing types and tenures from three-storey walk-up apartments to modern residential towers.
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Maywood Area
Images
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Sussex-Nelson Neighbourhood

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark838
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1955-2008
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1955-2008
Heritage Value
The Sussex-Nelson Neighbourhood is located just south of Metrotown and in 1980 was characterised as the most populated of all of Burnaby's Planning Study areas. The area immediately south of Metrotown was initially developed as post-war 1950s housing stock, while the sector south of Rumble was developed after the 1960s and 1970s as single-family housing.
Historic Neighbourhood
Alta Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Sussex-Nelson Area
Images
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William Wilson House

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark512
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
The William Wilson House is a vernacular two-storey wood-frame Foursquare house with a hipped roof. It is situated at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Central Boulevard in the Metrotown area of Burnaby, adjacent to the SkyTrain line, and is now part of a multi-family residential complex.
Associated Dates
1913
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Other Names
William & Annie Wilson House
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Other Names
William & Annie Wilson House
Geographic Access
Wilson Avenue
Associated Dates
1913
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 10350
Enactment Date
22/04/1996
Description
The William Wilson House is a vernacular two-storey wood-frame Foursquare house with a hipped roof. It is situated at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Central Boulevard in the Metrotown area of Burnaby, adjacent to the SkyTrain line, and is now part of a multi-family residential complex.
Heritage Value
The house is valued as the residence of William Wilson (1860-1935) and Annie Wilson (1868-1966) and demonstrates the development of Burnaby from a rural, farming community to an early commuter suburb, and is one of the few remaining early houses in the Metrotown area of Burnaby. Reflecting the area's early history, it was constructed on a subdivided piece of the Wilson’s 3.2 hectare farm that once bordered Kingsway, the primary road linking New Westminster to Vancouver. To develop his subdivided property, Wilson constructed a bisecting street, named it for himself and situated his new home on a large parcel adjacent to the interurban tramline. Constructed in 1913, the William Wilson House is additionally valued as a modest vernacular example of an Edwardian era Foursquare house. Although simple in form, it is distinguished by an inset front verandah, front bay window and clipped ground level corner. Once commonly found in Burnaby, this is a rare surviving example of the homes typically constructed for the working-class families enticed to Burnaby as a consequence of the interurban tramline.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of William Wilson House include its: - corner location, adjacent to the old interurban alignment - vernacular Foursquare style as exemplified by its symmetrical form, square floor plan and cubic massing with pyramidal roof - cladding, with narrow lapped wooden siding on the first storey and cedar shingles on the second storey - recessed front verandah, with square columns and ground floor cut-away bay window - regular fenestration, including double-hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows, and casement and transom assembly feature window in the living room
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Maywood Area
Function
Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
Primary Current--Single Dwelling
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
023-352-701
Boundaries
The William Wilson House is comprised of a single residential lot located at 6088 Wilson Avenue, Burnaby.
Area
2824.9
Contributing Resource
Building
Ownership
Private
Street Address
6088 Wilson Avenue
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Images
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D.C. Patterson House

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark517
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
The D.C. Patterson House is a one and one-half storey plus basement wood-frame Edwardian era residence with a full-width front verandah and symmetrical saddlebag dormers. It is located adjacent to a ravine park and is part of the Winston Gate development.
Associated Dates
1910
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Other Names
Dugald & Frances Patterson House
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Other Names
Dugald & Frances Patterson House
Geographic Access
12th Avenue
Associated Dates
1910
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 10062
Enactment Date
11/07/1994
Description
The D.C. Patterson House is a one and one-half storey plus basement wood-frame Edwardian era residence with a full-width front verandah and symmetrical saddlebag dormers. It is located adjacent to a ravine park and is part of the Winston Gate development.
Heritage Value
This house is significant for its associations with the Patterson family, who were early Burnaby pioneers. Dugald Campbell Patterson (1860-1931) and Frances Mabel Patterson (1872-1960) arrived in 1894 and settled in the Central Park district. In 1910, they relocated to the Edmonds District and built this family residence on Edmonds Street near Kingsway. The Pattersons were community minded citizens who served Burnaby through their involvement with local municipal affairs and politics. Dugald Patterson served as a School Trustee in 1912-13 and was one of the first residents to lobby council to preserve the local ravines as parks. The family name is remembered and honoured by the naming of Patterson Avenue and the Patterson SkyTrain Station located in the Metrotown area. Additionally, the D.C. Patterson House is significant as a fine example of a vernacular Edwardian era family house. The typical design of the Patterson House was taken from an Edwardian era pattern book, and demonstrates how standardized plans were commonly used by local owners and builders to expedite the construction process. This house has survived in an excellent state of preservation. Although moved from its original site, it remains as an intact representation of a middle-class Burnaby residence of the Edwardian era.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the D.C. Patterson House include its: - vernacular residential form, scale and massing as exemplified by its one and one-half storey plus basement height, front gabled roof with hipped return over front verandah, symmetrical saddlebag dormers and rectangular, side hall plan with an asymmetrical front entry - typical Edwardian era construction features such as the deep boxed eaves, lapped wooden siding and cedar shingle roofing - projecting front gable peak, clad in decorative random-coursed square shingles, with eave brackets under and a louvered attic vent - projecting elements on the main floor including a square bay on the east side and a semi-octagonal bay to the west side - full-width open front verandah with irregularly-spaced square columns - closed balustrades with drainage scuppers on the front verandah and rear side porch - regular fenestration, including double hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows with proportionately smaller upper sash, triple assembly of windows in the front gable, and leaded glass in main floor front window - original front door with inset bevelled glass light
Historic Neighbourhood
Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Stride Hill Area
Function
Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
Primary Current--Single Dwelling
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
003-008-321
Boundaries
The D.C. Patterson House is comprised of a single residential lot located at 7106 Eighteenth Avenue, Burnaby.
Area
5176
Contributing Resource
Building
Ownership
Private
Names
Patterson, Dugald C Sr
Patterson, Frances Mabel
Patterson, Frances
Street Address
7106 18th Avenue
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Images
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Digney Speedway

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark693
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1948
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
MacPherson Avenue
Irmin Street
Associated Dates
1948
Heritage Value
Andy Digney built the speedway in South Burnaby in 1948. He was approached by the B.C. Midget Auto Racing Association, who were looking for a good location to race the smaller, racing cars, popular at the time. Digney owned property in the vicinity of present-day Metrotown that was centrally located and easily accessible via the interurban railway. Motorcycles were also raced in the early days of the track. In 1949, when the popularity of midget racing declined, Digney started racing roadsters. However, he struggled to find local drivers, and it was expensive to bring in drivers from elsewhere. In 1951 Digney found a winner: jalopy racing. Local men would buy 1930s cars and strip them down, remove the glass, and weld the doors shut. By early 1952 over forty cars were showing up for jalopy races. By the early 1950s the Speedway was well established, with coverage in the sports pages and on radio. The track closed down in 1958 when Andy retired.
Historic Neighbourhood
Alta Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Clinton-Glenwood Area
Images
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J.A. Thurston House 'Altese'

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark511
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
The J.A. Thurston House is a very large, two and one-half storey plus basement wood-frame Arts and Crafts style house. It is located on the south side of Thurston Street, near Kingsway and the SkyTrain (formerly the interurban tramline route), within the Metrotown area of Burnaby and is now part of…
Associated Dates
1912
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Other Names
John A. & Sarah Thurston House
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Other Names
John A. & Sarah Thurston House
Geographic Access
Thurston Street
Associated Dates
1912
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 9934
Enactment Date
09/08/1993
Description
The J.A. Thurston House is a very large, two and one-half storey plus basement wood-frame Arts and Crafts style house. It is located on the south side of Thurston Street, near Kingsway and the SkyTrain (formerly the interurban tramline route), within the Metrotown area of Burnaby and is now part of a large apartment complex.
Heritage Value
The J.A. Thurston House demonstrates Burnaby's real estate and construction boom along the interurban tramline in 1911. The house was built for John Albert Thurston (1874-1944) and his wife Sarah Sedona Thurston (1879-1961). Typical of the entrepreneurial spirit of the age, John Thurston, a manager for the Leckie Shoe Company Limited in Vancouver, was also involved in real estate development, and purchased a twenty-one lot subdivision consisting of 3.2 hectares bound by the interurban tramline right-of-way to the south, Boundary Road to the west and Smith Street (now Thurston Street) to the north. Additionally, the J.A. Thurston House is an excellent, high quality example of an Arts and Crafts style dwelling, with numerous notable design elements such as the battered piers, the elaborate second storey dormer and stained glass windows with landscape and seascape motifs. The enormous scale of the house reflects a time when large families were common and domestic servants were needed to run the household. Indicative of the labour-saving devices and luxury features being introduced at the high end of the housing market, it was equipped with a built-in vacuum system, refrigeration, servant summoning devices and a round safe built into a fireplace mantle. The J.A. Thurston House also represents the proliferation during the Edwardian era of homes built from pattern books and standardized designs as a means to expedite the construction process and offer competitive costs.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the J.A. Thurston House include its: - location on Thurston Street, in the old Central Park district - residential form, scale and massing as exemplified by its two and one-half storey plus above-ground basement height and regular, rectangular plan - Arts and Crafts style details such as the picturesque roofline, deep open eaves with exposed purlins, narrow lapped wooden siding on the first storey and cedar shingle siding on the upper storeys - broad and unusually steep side gabled roof, clad with cedar shingles - deeply-recessed full open front verandah with complementary recessed balcony in second storey dormer, incorporating both a gabled roof and shed roof - twinned and triple square bracketed columns on the verandahs and balcony - decorative battered verandah piers, supported on exposed beams - irregular fenestration, including: double-hung wooden-sash windows; picture windows; casement windows; and several stained glass windows with landscape and seascape motifs - tall brick external chimney on east facade - original interior features such as fireplaces, and wooden trim and floors
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Garden Village Area
Function
Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
Primary Current--Single Dwelling
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
018-224-113
Boundaries
The J.A. Thurston House is comprised of a single residential lot located at 3762 Thurston Street, Burnaby.
Area
3880
Contributing Resource
Building
Ownership
Private
Street Address
3762 Thurston Street
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Images
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Interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19608
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1970-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Jul. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (84 min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (62 min., 3 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. 00:00:00 – 00:05:26 Gurvinder “Gurv” Sihra and brother Harvinder “Harv’ Sihra introduce themselves, providing details on …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (84 min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (62 min., 3 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Rajdeep Interviewees: "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 8, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:02:03 min Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph credit: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. 00:00:00 – 00:05:26 Gurvinder “Gurv” Sihra and brother Harvinder “Harv’ Sihra introduce themselves, providing details on where they were born and grew up (in Burnaby), names of their parents and provide details on their family history. They describe how their grandparents and other relatives continued to live in Punjab after their father and mother immigrated to Canada in the 1970’s, recall the reasons their parents decided to immigrate and details of their lives before and after arriving in Canada. 00:05:27 – 00:06:46 Gurvinder and Harvinder describe some of their experiences travelling through Vancouver airport and compare their experiences with their mother’s own experiences. Gurvinder and Harvinder describe the layout of the airport and how customs and immigration has changed over time. 00:06:47 – 00:09:21 Gurvinder and Harvinder provide details about their mother, Parveen Sihra. They share information regarding her education in India and how she was unable to get work related to her degree in biology after immigrating to Canada. They convey how she worked in the Burnaby City Hall cafeteria in the 1990’s and how she worked part time in order to take care of her children. They share how their parents were proud Canadians participating in events inside and outside the South Asian community and were both fluent in English but often spoke Punjabi at home. 00:09:22 – 00:16:06 Gurvinder and Harvinder recall their childhood experiences growing up in Burnaby. They talk about the sports that they were involved with including hockey and Taekwondo, family vacations spent travelling to India and their experiences attending Marlborough Elementary School and Moscrop Secondary School.They describe how they first became interested in watching wrestling and trying it out on their own in their family home. Gurvinder and Harvinder recall their own experiences of discrimination while growing up and playing sports. 00:16:07 – 00:27:37 Gurvinder and Harvinder reflect and recall events that lead them to their dream of becoming professional wrestlers. They talk about pivotal events including attending their first live wresting event at GM Place with their father in 1996, beginning their training in Calgary in 2004, travelling across the country to participate in minor wrestling events, wrestling in Rogers Arena in 2017 and 2020 and getting their first call to join WWE. They talk about the support that they’ve had along the way to getting them where they are today and comment on why they want to be wrestlers in the WWE. 00:27:38 – 00:29:25 Gurvinder and Harvinder provide background information on their various wrestling personas and names in the world of professional wrestling including the Singh Brothers and the Bollywood Boyz. 00:29:26 – 00:38:43 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their experiences wrestling in India and the support and expectations of family members in becoming successful. Gurvinder and Harvinder recall and reflect on the experience of being fired from the WWE when cutbacks were made during the COVID pandemic. 00:38:44 – 00:42:53 Gurvinder and Harvinder describe what a day in their lives looks like now. They talk about how they’re still very passionate and focused on their wrestling careers and describe their experiences of having support and enthusiasm from fans and their parents. They talk about travelling across the country to particpate in different wrestling events. 00:42:54 – 00:47:18 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their training regimen including exercise and diet and describe areas in Burnaby where they like to train in gyms and the outdoors. 00:47:19 – 00:49:49 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about neighbourhoods in Burnaby including Metrotown and Deer Lake and how they’ve seen them change over the years. 00:49:50 – 00:54:27 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their highest and lowest points in their wrestling careers, highlighting specific events. They talk about the physical stamina it takes for wrestling and compare their sport with the sport of Kabaddi (a contact team sport between two teams originating in India). 00:54:28 – 00:59:01 Gurvinder and Harvinder reflect on what toughness means to them, and what keeps them motivated to do what they do. 00:59:02 – 01:01:31 Gurvinder and Harvinder impart their words of wisdom to younger kids in chasing their passions and dreams and talk about their favourite Bollywood films and actors.
History
Interviewees' biographies: The Bollywood Boyz are a Canadian professional wrestling tag team composed of brothers Gurvinder "Gurv" Sihra (born in 1984) and Harvinder "Harv" Sihra (born in 1987). The pair are best known for their time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where Gurvinder and Harvinder performed under the ring names Sunil Singh and Samir Singh. They were both born and raised in Burnaby by their parents Harjeet and Parveen Sihra and attended Moscrop Secondary School. Gurvinder graduated from Douglas College where he studied criminology and has worked in loss prevention and has a third degree black belt in Taekwondo. Harvinder attended Douglas College with studies in history and has worked as a model and an actor. Both Gurvinder and Harvinder Sihra are Sikhs. Interviewer biography: Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Migration
Pandemics - COVID-19
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Discrimination
Social Issues - Racism
Sports
Sports - Martial Arts
Sports - Wrestling
Sports - Ice Hockey
Travel
Names
The Bollywood Boyz
Sihra, Guvinder "Gurv"
Sihra, Harvinder "Harv"
Sihra, Harjeet
Sihra, Parveen
World Wrestling Entertainment "WWE"
Moscrop Secondary School
Marlborough Elementary School
Metrotown
Responsibility
Rajdeep
Geographic Access
Deer Lake Park
Accession Code
BV023.16.12
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1970-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Jul. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Photographer
World Wrestling Entertainment "WWE"
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
Images
Audio Tracks
Less detail

Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 7

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4482
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (0:03:14 min)
Scope and Content
Track 7: This portion of the recording pertains to changes to Burnaby since Cice’s childhood. Cice discusses the rural nature of South Burnaby, and the sense of security of that time. She talks of the changes caused by the creation and growth of the Metrotown area. Cice describes how her husband’s …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (0:03:14 min)
Material Details
Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Cice Brown Date of Interview: May 13, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 7 Total length of all Tracks: 0:40:19
Scope and Content
Track 7: This portion of the recording pertains to changes to Burnaby since Cice’s childhood. Cice discusses the rural nature of South Burnaby, and the sense of security of that time. She talks of the changes caused by the creation and growth of the Metrotown area. Cice describes how her husband’s veteran status earned them a discount on a building lot from the City of Burnaby, allowing her to continue to live there.
History
Recording of an interview with Cice Brown, interviewed by Tom Gooden on May 13 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Veterans
Indigenous peoples - British Columbia
Persons - Children
Names
Brown, Cice Chandler
Accession Code
BV017.45.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Media Type
Sound Recording
Planning Study Area
Maywood Area
Audio Tracks

Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 7, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005

Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 7, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0003_007.mp3
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Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4535
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (0:16:19 min)
Scope and Content
Track 5: This portion of the recording pertains to differences between Ken’s family life and that of others in the community, and changes to Burnaby since he was young. Ken observes that the only difference he noticed was that he had Sundays free of commitments where some others might have church a…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (0:16:19 min)
Material Details
Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Ken Yip Date of interview: May 9, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 5 Total length of all Tracks: 0:62:00
Scope and Content
Track 5: This portion of the recording pertains to differences between Ken’s family life and that of others in the community, and changes to Burnaby since he was young. Ken observes that the only difference he noticed was that he had Sundays free of commitments where some others might have church activities. He describes the main change to Burnaby as being its increased urbanization, remembering how he would contrast the quiet, slow-paced Burnaby of his youth to the bustle of Chinatown, where his father did his shopping. He mentions the increased density, the changes to the Metrotown area, and the much larger number of shops. He notes that warehouses were built across from his family’s property, which is still farmland. Ken recalls that he and his wife only looked in Burnaby for a house when they married, thinking Vancouver too busy and commercialized then. He finishes by relating an incident from elementary school, when he saw a UFO hovering over the edge of the school’s property.
History
Recording of an interview with Ken Yip recording by Tom Gooden on May 9, 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1950s and 60s.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Names
Yip, Ken
Accession Code
BV017.45.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Audio Tracks

Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 5, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005

Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 5, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0005_005.mp3
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Interview with Maninder Arora

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19351
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (67 min., 25 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (66 min., 45 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Maninder Arora conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Museum Registrar James Binks. 0:00 – 07:33 Interview opens with introductions. Maninder Arora shares her immigration story and how she came to emigrate from India to Canada…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (67 min., 25 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (66 min., 45 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewers: Anushay Malik Co interviewer: James Binks Interviewee: Maninder Arora Location of Interview: In Burnaby at the home of Maninder Arora Interview Date: December 7, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: (01:07:25) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Maninder Arora conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Museum Registrar James Binks. 0:00 – 07:33 Interview opens with introductions. Maninder Arora shares her immigration story and how she came to emigrate from India to Canada at 16 years of age with her mother, her older sister (18 yrs) and her younger brother (11 yrs) in 1974. Maninder explains how her sister immigrated first after marrying a South Asian Canadian and subsequently was able to sponsor members of her family to immigrate about one year later. Arora describes what life was like for her and her family in the northern part of Punjab in India prior to immigration to Canada. Arora describes her family composition with her being the second youngest of eight children and how at the time of immigrating, four of her elder siblings (three sisters and one brother) stayed behind. 07:34 – 16:23 As a new immigrant to Canada at the age of 16 years of age, Maninder Arora recalls the many challenges that she faced. Maninder describes how she attended Vancouver Technical School and then worked at a restaurant on Friday nights and weekends. She recollects how she got her first job through the Sikh community from the Akali Singh Sikh Gurdwara on Fraser Street. Maninder recalls that during the first five months in Canada, Maninder, her mother, sister and brother lived with her elder sister, her husband and child before finding a place of their own. Arora recalls where her family shopped for traditional Indian spices and foods. 16:24 – 25:50 Maninder Arora describes the next home that her family moved to and how she and her brother attended David Thompson Secondary School. Maninder explains that she dropped out of school in Grade 12 to go to work full time to help her family repay the debt that they owed for their immigration expenses. Around 1981, her mother was able to purchase a house at Marine Drive and Ross Street and her mother got work at the same restaurant that Maninder was working. Maninder shares and reflects on a disturbing encounter of racism that she and her older sister faced while taking local transit. 25:51 – 34:17 Maninder Arora talks about her past work experience. Maninder describes how with the help of her sister, she began working as a nurses' aide at care homes and private hospitals. Maninder reflects on how she intended to get a job in a unionized care home where she can make a better living wage. Maninder describes some of the places that she worked before obtaining certification as a nurse’s aide from Kwantlen College. 34;18 – 51:15 Maninder Arora describes the events that led to her marrying her future husband in 1986 and how it wasn’t an easy decision for her. Maninder describes where she and her family lived after her marriage and how her hard work led her to obtaining full time employment as a nurses' aide in Richmond. 51:16 - 56:16 Maninder Arora tells of how she decided to move to Burnaby where her sister and extended family were living. Maninder recalls what lead to her decision to move from Surrey to Burnaby in 1992. 56:17 - 1:04:23 Maninder Arora shares some experiences of her life in Burnaby. Maninder further reflects on her decisions for moving to Burnaby including providing what she thought would be a safer environment and education for her children. Maninder conveys how racism is still very much prevalent in society and recounts a personal encounter that she experienced while shopping for shoes at Metrotown. 1:04:24 – 1:06:45 The interviewer asks Maninder Arora what she would like to see conveyed as a message for younger people in an upcoming exhibit at Burnaby Village Museum on South Asian history. Maninder conveys that she would like all Canadian citizens living in Burnaby to make the environment better by not littering, living peacefully together and not causing people grief or struggle for nothing, “Be kind to each other”. In closing Arora shares the transportation route she took when emigrating from India to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Maninder Arora was born in the northern part of Punjab, India. Her sister immigrated to Canada in 1974 after marrying a South Asian Canadian. In 1975, after her father died, her sister was able to bring her mother, her 11 year old brother and Maninder at 16 years of age. After arriving in British Columbia, they first lived with her sister and family before finding a place of their own. Maninder attended Vancouver Technical School and later David Thompson Secondary School and worked in a restaurant on weekends to help her family out. Maninder and her family were members of the Sikh community and attended Akali Singh Sikh Gurdwara on Fraser Street. Maninder left school in Grade 12 to work full time to help her family repay the debt that they owed for their immigration expenses. In the early 1980’s Maninder’s family moved to a house near Marine Drive and Ross Street that her mother was able to purchase. With the help of her sister, Maninder got work as a nurses’ aide at care homes and private hospitals which eventually led her to obtaining certification from Kwantlen College. Maninder married in 1986 and had two children while living in Richmond. Around 1992, she moved from Surrey to Burnaby to be closer to her sister and to provide as safer environment for her children. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. James Binks has lived in the Lower Mainland since 2009 after relocating from Ontario. James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where he conducted researched on heritage, environment, and globalization in India, Nepal, and Italy. At Burnaby Village Museum, James contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations
Occupations - Nurses
Migration
Names
Arora, Maninder
Responsibility
Malik, Anushay
Binks, James
Accession Code
BV022.29.6
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1974-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

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

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

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0006_003.mp3
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