376 records – page 4 of 19.

Andy Johnson House

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark515
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
The Andy Johnson House is a large, one and one-half storey plus above-ground basement wood-frame mansion on a rubble-stone granite foundation with a red terra cotta pantile roof and an octagonal corner turret. The building stands in a prominent location on a corner lot on Kingsway, one of Burnaby’s…
Associated Dates
1912
Formal Recognition
Community Heritage Register
Other Names
Andrew M. & Margaret Johnson House 'Glenedward'
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Other Names
Andrew M. & Margaret Johnson House 'Glenedward'
Geographic Access
Kingsway
Associated Dates
1912
Formal Recognition
Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Council Resolution
Enactment Date
26/05/2003
Description
The Andy Johnson House is a large, one and one-half storey plus above-ground basement wood-frame mansion on a rubble-stone granite foundation with a red terra cotta pantile roof and an octagonal corner turret. The building stands in a prominent location on a corner lot on Kingsway, one of Burnaby’s main transportation and commercial corridors, and stands adjacent to the Burlington Square Development.
Heritage Value
The Andy Johnson House 'Glenedward' is a valued representation of a prominent upper middle-class family dwelling from the pre-First World War era. Andrew M. Johnson (1861-1934), an early Vancouver pioneer, and his wife Margaret built this house in 1912, in an imposing style favoured by the newly wealthy of the prewar boom period. Born in Norway, Andrew Johnson arrived in Vancouver just months after the Great Fire of 1886 and went into partnership with J. (Ollie) Atkins in a transportation company that became the Mainland Transfer Company, eventually the largest of its kind in Vancouver. Johnson also operated Burnaby's historic Royal Oak Hotel, once located on the opposite corner from his estate. Additionally, the Andy Johnson House is significant for the high-quality design and construction of both the house and its landscaped setting. Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the house exhibits a rare degree of opulence in building materials, including imported terra cotta roof tiles, oak and walnut interior millwork, and stained glass manufactured by the Royal City Glass Company. The rubble-stone foundations and perimeter walls were obtained from two massive granite glacial erratic boulders found on the property. The house has been relocated closer to the corner, but the encircling stone walls, the gate posts and gates manufactured by the Westminster Iron Works and some of the original plantings have been retained. A grouping of three giant Sequoias, other mature deciduous trees and massings of shrubbery indicate the type of landscape setting considered appropriate for an estate house in the early years of the twentieth century.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Andy Johnson House include its: - corner location on Kingsway at Royal Oak Avenue - residential form, scale and massing as expressed by the one and one-half storey height, above-ground basement, octagonal corner turret and rectangular plan - British Arts and Crafts details such as the use of natural indigenous materials, half-timbering in the gables and dormers, picturesque roofline, cedar shingle siding, extended eaves, native granite rubble-stone foundation with red-coloured mortar, and granite piers and chimneys - additional exterior features such as the central front entrance, elaborate wrap-around verandah, porte-cochere and balcony at second storey lighted with original cast iron electric lanterns - red terra cotta pantile roof cladding - fenestration, such as double-hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows with stained glass and leaded lights in the upper sash - original interior features such as fireplaces, wainscoting finished with oak and walnut millwork, and three-quarter sawn oak flooring - associated landscape features including three giant Sequoias. granite walls, granite gate posts and wrought iron gates
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Marlborough Area
Builder
J.C. Allen
Function
Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
Primary Current--Eating or Drinking Establishment
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
003-004-538
Boundaries
The Andy Johnson House is comprised of a single residential lot located at 5152 Kingsway, Burnaby
Area
1424.21
Contributing Resource
Building
Ownership
Private
Names
Johnson, Andrew Martin "Andy"
Westminster Iron Works Company
Street Address
5152 Kingsway
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
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Crabtown

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark674
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1912-1957
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1912-1957
Heritage Value
North Burnaby's waterfront was the location of a unique squatter's community known as Crabtown. Although its origins are obscure, it is believed that the first shacks were built before 1912. When the depression of 1913-1917 began, the shacks became permanent homes for impoverished workers. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the community grew larger. Crabtown was not a slum, but a neighbourhood - the community even rallied together to build a water supply system and trails up the steep bluff with steps and banisters so children could go to school safely. In 1957, the National Harbours Board decided that Crabtown was encroaching on Federal property and evicted all 130 residents. Within a few months, residents were relocated and 114 homes were levelled.
Historic Neighbourhood
Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Heights Area
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Edmonds Neighbourhood

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark758
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1905-1924
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1905-1924
Heritage Value
From The British Columbian, March 19, 1912: "On the fringe of New Westminster there is…a suburban townsite in Edmonds. During the past eighteen months it has grown and prospered quite phenomenally. It is ideally situated, is in easy communication with New Westminster by two car lines. Its climate is clear and bracing, being exceptionally free from the fogs that are more or less prevalent along the river section and gulf shore...Edmonds, in fact, is one of the finest residential parts of the province. This is fast becoming known and appreciated beyond its borders. Elegant and substantial residences are being erected in various parts, and stores are being put up in convenient localities. The new municipal building is one of the finest in British Columbia for so young a municipality."
Historic Neighbourhood
Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Edmonds Area
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Barnet School

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark719
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Associated Dates
1899
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
Barnet Road
Associated Dates
1899
Heritage Value
When the Barnet Mill began operations in 1899, the mill authorities opened a small school to accommodate the children of employees. The school was located in a remodelled harness-room beside the mill and Miss Phoebe Spragge was the first teacher at a salary of $40.00 per month. By 1907, the school had been moved to a purpose-built building where it remained in operation until the early 1950s.
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Street Address
7820 Barnet Road
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Almanack for 1884

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary4883
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Greenaway, Kate, 1846-1901
Publication Date
1884
Call Number
310 GRE
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
HV978.62.1
Call Number
310 GRE
Author
Greenaway, Kate, 1846-1901
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
George Routledge and Sons
Publication Date
1884
Printer
Edmund Evans
Physical Description
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. : 14 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Natural history
Months
Seasons
Almanacs
Miniature books--Specimens
Juvenile literature
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts
Documentary Artifacts - Booklets
Notes
"printed by Edmund Evans".
Printer' s dates: Evans, Edmund, 1826-1905.
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Pioneer tales of Burnaby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5860
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
c1987
Call Number
971.133 SON COPY 4
Blackstone, editor of Burnaby Today a n d A i d . Bill Lewarne, member of a pioneer family himself. Pioneer Tales h a d actually germinated f r o m a tea the mayor a n d council h a d hosted a f e w months earlier. Some 600 seniors attended a n d the mayor w a s so impressed w i t h their powers of recall he
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
096928280x
Call Number
971.133 SON COPY 4
Contributor
Sone, Michael
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
Corporation of the District of Burnaby
Publication Date
c1987
Physical Description
495 p. : ill. ; 31 cm.
Inscription
"TR687 - Bryburgh" / handprinted in pencil on frontend page
Library Subject (LOC)
Pioneers--British Columbia--Burnaby
Frontier and pioneer life
Biography
Object History
Early Burnaby as recalled by the settlers themselves who arrived from every corner of the world between 1888 and 1930, some witnessing incorporation of the district in 1892, all seeking a better life for themselves and especially for their children, all helping transform the wilderness into the modern municipality of today.
Notes
"Editor Michael Sone".
Includes index.
4 copies held: copy 4
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History of Burnaby and vicinity

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary6890
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Green, George, 1872-1955
Publication Date
1947
Call Number
971.133 GRE Copy 2 Ver. 1
i t h game, where he was m o n a r c h of a l l he surveyed, such an appeal would be irresistible, and it is certain that his oppor- tunities would be seized without delay. T o the pioneer housewife, also, recently freed from the enforced environment, and cramped quarters incident to a six months
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Special Collection
Material Type
Book
Accession Code
BV017.17.1
Call Number
971.133 GRE Copy 2 Ver. 1
Author
Green, George, 1872-1955
Place of Publication
[S.l.]
Publisher
[s.n.]
Publication Date
1947
Printer
Shoemaker , McLean & Veitch
Physical Description
233 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.
Inscription
"Presented To my valued fried Rev. D. W. Scott. a former neighbor at Capitol Hill with best wishes of the author George Green Victoria March 1 1947" [handwritten in black ink on page opposing front pastedown] "BMMM-WU SIGNED 1st ED 50.00" [handwritten in pencil on page opposing front pastedown]
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Burnaby (B.C.)
Biography
Name Access
Green, George
Notes
Autographed by author
"By George Green, pioneer resident of Burnaby, and an ex-Councillor. Charter Member of the British Columbia Historical Association, Vancouver Branch, and an Executive Member."
Copy 2 of 2
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Burnaby centennial anthology : stories of early Burnaby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5472
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Edition
Rev. ed.
Publication Date
1994
Call Number
971.133 BUR COPY 3
. She was born in Peterhead, Scotland and lived there until her family moved to Philadelphia where they lived for six months. Margaret’s parents were not happy there, so when an uncle who lived in New Westminster encouraged them to come here, they wasted no time. Margaret was the oldest of five children
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
0969282826
Call Number
971.133 BUR COPY 3
Edition
Rev. ed.
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
1994
Physical Description
531 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Burnaby (B.C.)
Biography
Notes
Includes index.
3 copies held: copy 3.
Digital Books
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In the shadow by the sea : recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5173
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
c2004
Call Number
971.133 PRI Copy 2
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
0969282885
Call Number
971.133 PRI Copy 2
Contributor
Wolf, Jim
Pride, Harry, 1925-
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
c2004
Physical Description
246 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 28 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Industries--British Columbia--Burnaby--History
Barnet Marine Park--Burnaby, B.C.
Geographic Access
Barnet Road
Burrard Inlet
Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. 246) and index.
"edited by Harry Pride and Jim Wolf"
Copy 2 of 2
Digital Books
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Land of promise : Robert Burnaby's letters from colonial British Columbia, 1858-1863

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5465
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Burnaby, Robert, 1828-1878
McLeod, Anne Burnaby
McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
Publication Date
c2002
Call Number
971.1 BUR COPY 3
paralysed, and died on January 10th 1878 aged forty-nine. He is buried in the churchyard of Emmanuel Church, Loughborough together with his mother who outlived him by only a few months, and his dear sister Sally. Robert’s predictions, made 17 years earlier of the future importance of the colony he was
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Reference Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
0969282850
9780969282853
Call Number
971.1 BUR COPY 3
Author
Burnaby, Robert, 1828-1878
McLeod, Anne Burnaby
McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
c2002
Physical Description
199 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby, Robert--Correspondence
Merchants--British Columbia--Correspondence
British Columbia--History--1849-1871
Burnaby (B.C.)
Biography
Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. 190) and index.
3 copies held: copy 3.
Digital Books
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Bygones of Burnaby : an anecdotal history

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5462
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
Publication Date
1976
c1975
Call Number
971.133 MCG COPY 4
" to bring his wife, Marian, and their three children across Canada to New Westminster. Their furniture, eight rooms of it from their home in the north of England, arrived months later have made the long journey around South America's Cape Horn to Vancouver. The shipping charge amounted to $12.50. The reason
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
Call Number
971.133 MCG COPY 4
Author
McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
Century Park Museum Association
Publication Date
1976
c1975
Physical Description
108 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Notes
4 copies held: copy 4.
Digital Books
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Indigenous History in Burnaby Resource Guide

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7493
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Burnaby Village Museum
Fortney, Sharon
Edition
First
Publication Date
2019
Call Number
971.100497 BVM
these territories several times during the warmer months to take advantage of many different resources as they became available. Some items were unique to specific locales and were accessed through extended family ties or by following the protocols used with neighbours. In the spring, families would
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Digital Resource
Accession Code
BV019.64.1
Call Number
971.100497 BVM
Edition
First
Author
Burnaby Village Museum
Fortney, Sharon
Contributor
Kwantlen First Nation
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh First Nation
Tsleil-Waututh First Nation
ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation
Place of Publication
Burnaby, BC
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2019
Library Subject (LOC)
Indigenous peoples--British Columbia
Indigenous peoples--British Columbia--History
Indigenous peoples--Canada--History
Subjects
Indigenous peoples - British Columbia
Indigenous peoples - British Columbia - Languages
Indigenous peoples - British Columbia - Societies, etc.
Name Access
Burnaby Village Museum
Object History
2019 version of working document developed by Burnaby Village Museum in collaboration with a number of First Nations partners over the course of several years. We recognize that Burnaby falls within the shared, ancestral and unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking people. We equally respect each of the Nations who share territory in Burnaby, and invite and welcome their ongoing participation in developing the contents of the Indigenous History in Burnaby Resource Guide.
Images
Digital Books
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Inkwells to Internet: A History of Burnaby Schools

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7551
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Carter, David
Cooke, Rosemary
Pride, Harry, 1925-
White, Janet
Yip, Gail
Publication Date
2020
Call Number
371 CAR
of new activities, and was discontinued. June 1973: It took a lot of effort to raise the totem pole in front of Edmonds School. It was carved by students during and after school hours over two months, under the direction of teacher, Dio Creed. COURTESY OF H. PRIDE �Inkwells to Internet: A History
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Reference Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
978-0-9781979-2-6
Call Number
371 CAR
Author
Carter, David
Cooke, Rosemary
Pride, Harry, 1925-
White, Janet
Yip, Gail
Place of Publication
Burnaby
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2020
Physical Description
vii, 35 p. : ill. ; 29 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Schools--British Columbia--Burnaby
Subjects
Education
Notes
"Includes index"
A history of the Burnaby school district and individual school buildings in Burnaby, BC, between 1893 and 2013.
The “First Nations cemetery” described on page 109 in Mary Johnson’s recollections was originally written as “Indian” and may refer to the Khalsa Diwan Society’s Sikh cremations at the Vancouver Cemetery.
Images
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Follow that fire : the history of the Burnaby Fire Department

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5194
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Penn, Douglas H. (Douglas Harold), 1947-
Publication Date
1997
Call Number
363.378 PEN COPY 3
laid over to further consideration.The Vancouver Sun reported on July 8, 1918, that for the previous few months, Vancouver and surrounding municipalities, including Burnaby, had suffered the worst per capita fire loss in the civilized world, the area's per capita loss being five times greater than
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
0969282826
Call Number
363.378 PEN COPY 3
Author
Penn, Douglas H. (Douglas Harold), 1947-
Place of Publication
[Burnaby, B.C.]
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
1997
Physical Description
160 p. : ill. (some col.), 2 maps, ports. (some col.) ; 29 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Fire departments
Fire fighters
Name Access
Burnaby Fire Department
Notes
Maps on lining papers.
3 copies held: copy 3.
Digital Books
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Burnaby's heritage : an inventory of buildings and structures

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5437
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Luxton, Donald, 1954-
Wolf, Jim
Edition
Rev.
Publication Date
2011
c2007
Call Number
971.133 LUX COPY 1
-First World War boom period. Born in Norway, Andrew Johnson arrived in Vancouver just months after the Great Fire of 1886 and went into partnership with J. (Ollie) Atkins in a transportation company that became the Mainland Transfer Company, eventually the largest of its kind in Vancouver. Johnson also
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
0969282893
Call Number
971.133 LUX COPY 1
Edition
Rev.
Author
Luxton, Donald, 1954-
Wolf, Jim
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2011
c2007
Physical Description
157 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Library Subject (LOC)
Architecture
Historic buildings
Buildings
Historic sites
Subjects
Buildings
Buildings - Heritage
Notes
Includes bibliographical references and index.
2 copies held: copy 1.
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History of Burnaby Resource Guide

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7492
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
2019
where agriculture is practiced as it connects to the ability to store surplus food for winter months. Here, on the Northwest Coast, Indigenous people developed the technology to preserve salmon and other seafood, which sustained communities all year round. This changed drastically with the appearance
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Digital Resource
Accession Code
BV019.63.1
Author
Burnaby Village Museum
Place of Publication
Burnaby, BC
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2019
Physical Description
21 p. : ill.
Library Subject (LOC)
Burnaby (B.C.)--History
Directories
Object History
Created from research gathered by Burnaby Village Museum staff into the diverse History of Burnaby.
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Life with the Moores of Hart House : pioneer days on Burnaby's Deer Lake

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1179
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
Pride, Harry, 1925-
Burnaby Community Heritage Commission
Publication Date
2002
Call Number
971.1 PRI COPY 1
and rendezvous was most enjoyable and the memories on all sides just bubbled to the surface, to be recorded on the tapes in a random , spontaneous format. Interviews continued over the following months also involving Annie Boulanger and Doreen Lawson, but Rolie's health was failing to the extent that Gordon
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
ISBN
0969282877
Call Number
971.1 PRI COPY 1
Author
Pride, Harry, 1925-
Burnaby Community Heritage Commission
Place of Publication
Burnaby, B.C.
Publisher
City of Burnaby, Community Heritage Commission
Publication Date
2002
Physical Description
iv, 92 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.
Inscription
"To Burnaby Village Museum / Harry Pride", handwritten in ink on title page.
Library Subject (LOC)
Moore family
Hart House (Burnaby, B.C.)--History
Frontier and pioneer life
Pioneers
Historic buildings--British Columbia--Burnaby
Biography
Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. 87) and index.
Signed by the author.
2 copies held : copy 1.
Digital Books
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Rooted : Chinese Canadian stories in Burnaby

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7646
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Publication Date
2023
Call Number
971.133 ROO
Exclusion Act, my mother and brothers immigrated to Canada. I was their fourth son and the only child born in Canada. Ray and Bill attended school in New Westminster while Roy and I went to Burnaby, and later on, UBC. During the summer months, I worked long hours on the farm picking vegetables. We had a tea
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Material Type
Digital Resource
ISBN
978-0-9689849-2-5
Call Number
971.133 ROO
Contributor
Fong, Denise
Lemke, Jane
Codd, Lisa
Place of Publication
Burnaby
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
2023
Printer
Metropolitan Fine Printers
Physical Description
203 p. : ill. ; 30.5 cm
Library Subject (LOC)
Chinese Canadians--British Columbia--Burnaby--History
Race discrimination -- Canada
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Families
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Notes
There are two versions of the book: English and Simplified Chinese (left, below) and the other in English and Traditional Chinese (right, below).
From the late 1800s to the present day, Chinese Canadians have made Burnaby into a more vibrant and livable city. Rooted: Chinese Canadian Stories in Burnaby brings together a collection of diverse stories and photographs from the community, celebrating the legacy and contributions of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community spanning over a century. This coffee-table book features oral histories and interviews with descendants of multigenerational family farms, green grocers, corner stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Also included are archival research and community perspectives on anti-Asian racism, community activism, courage, and resilience.
The publication has been timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the Government of Canada in 1923. This federal legislation followed decades of discriminatory legislation by Canada’s federal, provincial and municipal governments that targeted Chinese Canadians by limiting opportunities to live, work and raise families in Canada. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned almost all migration from China and remained in place until 1947. Publishing this book in 2023 is an effort by the City of Burnaby to recognize the impact of discriminatory legislation on Chinese Canadians in our community, including discriminatory bylaws and practices implemented by Burnaby’s early municipal government.
Edited by Denise Fong (Lead Researcher), Jane Lemke (Burnaby Village Museum Curator) and Lisa Codd (City of Burnaby Heritage Planner).
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Tram memories : in celebration of the restoration of Interurban 1223

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5863
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Author
McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
Publication Date
c2007
Call Number
388.460971 TRA
may have ridden on the same car together. Except dur- ing the summer, darkness would have descended by the time that we arrived at Rayside Station and especially in the rain and during the winter months, it was a long walk to my parents’ friends’ house on Burris, but we knew that a lovely dinner would be
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection
Digital Reference Collection
Reference Collection
Material Type
Book
Call Number
388.460971 TRA
Author
McGeachie, Pixie, 1921-
Contributor
Friends of Interurban 1223
Place of Publication
Burnaby
Publisher
City of Burnaby
Publication Date
c2007
Printer
City of Burnaby Printshop
Physical Description
91 p. : ill., map ;,20 cm
Library Subject (LOC)
Electric railroads
Local transit
Street-railroads
Transportation
Subjects
Transportation
Transportation - Electric Railroads
Geographic Access
Vancouver
Name Access
British Columbia Electric Railway Company
Notes
Editor : Pixie McGeachie
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Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
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) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) 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 Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: 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”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
Clothing
Crafts
Employment
Migration
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Labourers
Occupations - Millworkers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Names
Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
Manhas, Ghania Singh
Singh, Mayo
Manhas, Kashmir Singh
Manhas, Sher Singh
Manhas, Budhan Kaur
Manhas, Lashman Singh
Accession Code
BV022.29.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3
Less detail

376 records – page 4 of 19.