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Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20395
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (41 min., 57 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (41 min., 57 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Georgia Chronakis and her son Alex Chronakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 8, 2023. 00:00:00 - 00:08:39 Georgia and her son share biographical details about Georgia and her husband Louis Chronak…
- 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
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (41 min., 57 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (41 min., 57 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: James Binks Interviewees: Alex Chronakis and Georgia Chronakis Location of Interview: Fraser Wilson Room, Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 8, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 41:57 Digital master recordings (wav) were converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Georgia Chronakis and her son Alex Chronakis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher James Binks on November 8, 2023. 00:00:00 - 00:08:39 Georgia and her son share biographical details about Georgia and her husband Louis Chronakis, including their Greek background, migration to Canada, marriage, children, Louis’ career as a mechanic and gas station owner and owning restaurants in White Rock and Burnaby. 00:08:40 - 00:13:59 Georgia and her son Alex recall the great memories of owning and operating their restaurant Mionas Taverna and share details of their family life in Burnaby and White Rock. 00:14:00 - 00:19:15 Alex and Georgia talk about Louis Chronakis' work experience and how he became involved in the restaurant business. They share their experiences of operating Minoas Taverna including their opening in 1986. 00:19:16 - 00:36:59 Alex and Georgia describe some of the foods that were on the menu of Minoas Taverna, the design of the restaurant, the Minoan history that it’s based on, memories of running the restaurant and why they decided to close. 00:37:00 – 00:41:52 Alex talks about his involvement with Greek festivals in Vancouver and Alex and Georgia reflect on their life in the future now that the restaurant has closed.
- History
- Interviewees biographies: Georgia Giannias Chronakis was born in Selassia, Sparta, Greece in 1941 and when she was sixteen years of age she moved to Athens. In 1964 Georgia immigrated to Canada and lived in Montreal before moving to Vancouver a few years later. In 1966, while living in Vancouver, she met and married Ilias "Louis" Chronakis who was born in Crete, Greece. Soon after marrying, Georgia and Louis Chronakis bought a house located at 3823 Kingsway and welcomed their first child, Anna. Four years later, Georgia and Louis moved to White Rock but continued to own their house on Kingsway and rented it out. While living in White Rock, they had three more children named Virginia, Alex and Ellie. Louis was a trained mechanic working independently and for various companies including CP Air, BC Ferries and Esso before deciding to get into the restaurant business. He partnered with another businessman to open a Mr. Mike's franchise and later a cafe and Greek restaurant in White Rock. In 1986, Georgia, Louis and family moved back to Burnaby and moved into a house on Sandall Street and began converting their former home on Kingsway into a restaurant which they named Minoas Greek Taverna (Minoas Taverna). They opened the restaurant on May 1, 1986, just one day before Expo '86 was opened. In 2023, after 37 years of running their restaurant they sold their business but continued to own the land and building on Kingsway. Alex Chronakis is the son of Georgia and Louis Chronakis and was born in 1972. Alex has spent time working with his family running their restaurant and has been involved in the Greek Day Festival in Vancouver. Interviewer biography: 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
- Foods
- Occupations
- Occupations - Entrepreneurs
- Occupations - Mechanics
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Buildings - Commercial - Service Stations
- Migration
- Persons - Greek Canadians
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Smith Avenue
- Street Address
- 3823 Kingsway
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.21
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis, [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
Interview with Georgia and Alex Chronakis, [1934-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Nov. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0021_002.mp3
milk crate
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact91786
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV023.17.6
- Description
- Light grey plastic milk crate produced for Silverwood's Dairy of Ontario.
- The plastic is formed in a diamond cut out pattern and has handles on two sides.
- There are various imprinted texts throughout.
- The top of the crate is scuffed an dirty
- Object History
- Item was used in the Canada Way Food Market owned by Harry Toy between 1975 and the late 2000s. the building sat vacant until sold in 2023.
- Classification
- Container
- Object Term
- Crate
- Marks/Labels
- "PROPERTY OF / SILVERWOOD'S"
- "MISUSER OF / THIS CASE / IS LIABLE TO / PROSECUTION"
- "G H J INDUSTRIES LTD / MADE IN CANADA BY GHJ IND / PATEND PENDING"
- "WARNING / USE BY OTHER THAN REGISTERED OWNER PROHIBITED BY LAW"
- Measurements
- Height: 27.5 cm
- Width: 33 cm
- Depth: 33 cm
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Container
- Names
- Canada Way Food Market
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4692 Canada Way
Images
sign
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact91783
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV023.17.3
- Description
- Large plastic sign with internal backlighting for advertising. The sign has two sections for ad inserts and one section for price display.
- The price display is currently set up advertising the price of packs and cartons of cigarettes
- The first bank of prices are 3 digit with small windows that reveal the number on a roller behind. The second bank of prices are 4 digits.
- The sign was made by CDA Industries in Scarborough, Ontario and is stamped with "JULY 1986"
- There are three labels at the top of the sign including information about how to replace the lamps or reinsert unrolled numbers.
- There is a hole at the top of the sign for the electrical cord to come out.
- There are two white metal brackets attached to the ends of the sign and there is a rusted chain hanging from each bracket.
- The plastic at the bottom right corner on the back is broken and damaged.
- Object History
- Item was used in the Canada Way Food Market owned by Harry Toy between 1975 and the late 2000s. the building sat vacant until sold in 2023.
- See BV023.25.1 for photograph of sign in situ.
- Category
- 08. Communication Artifacts
- Classification
- Advertising Media
- Object Term
- Sign, Advertising
- Marks/Labels
- "PACKS / 20's Reg. & K. Size 5.58 / 25's Reg. & K.S. 5.58 / 30's Reg. 5.58 / 30's K. Size 5.58"
- "CARTONS / 200 Reg. & K.Size 11.11 / 180 Ctn. K. Size 11.11 / 240 Ctn. Reg. 11.11"
- Measurements
- Height: 57.5 cm
- Width: 133.5 cm
- Depth: 13 cm
- Names
- Canada Way Food Market
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4692 Canada Way
Images
