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50 Years of Blacksmithing at BVM
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18879
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 29 Sep. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (94 min., 55 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum Program Education Coordinator Ashley Jones and presented by Museum Interpreter and blacksmiths, Eric Damer ad Lorne Gray. The webinar is titled "50 Years of Blacksmithing at BVM". The webinar is the sixth in …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (94 min., 55 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Material Details
- Host: Ashely Jones
- Presenters: Eric Damer; Lorne Gray
- Videographer: Peter Rogier
- Editor of video content footage: Peter Rogier
- Date of Presentation: Tuesday, September 29, 2022. 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Total Number of tracks: 1
- Total Length of all tracks: 94 min., 55 sec.
- Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
- Original recording of 94 min., 55 sec.was edited to 89 min., 21 sec. for viewing on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Village Museum Program Education Coordinator Ashley Jones and presented by Museum Interpreter and blacksmiths, Eric Damer ad Lorne Gray. The webinar is titled "50 Years of Blacksmithing at BVM". The webinar is the sixth in a series of six webinars presented in partnership by Burnaby Village Museum and Burnaby Public Library. The live webinar was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. Community members were invited to participate by bringing questions during the interactive online sessions. The session opens with the host Ashley Jones, providing introductions. Following the introduction, the presentation begins with Eric Damer and Lorne Gray’s slide presentation titled “50 years of Blacksmithing at Burnaby Village Museum”. The presentation is an historical exploration of the blacksmith shop through images and commentary from these two long-standing museum blacksmiths. Eric and Lorne's presentation is organized into themes beginning with “The Age of Nostalgia” where they discuss the implementation of the original Burnaby Village Museum blacksmithing shop and live exhibit with a working blacksmith when the museum opened in November 1971. They comment on the original design of the forge and other components implemented into the design of the blacksmith shop, stereotypes of blacksmiths and various items that were forged on site in the blacksmith shop. “The Age of Accuracy” looks at changes to the Burnaby Village Museum’s programming and exhibits in the 1980s which included focusing more on the history of Burnaby and upgrading some of the components in the blacksmith shop including blowers, tools, forge design and costuming. Eric and Lorne comment on the history of Burnaby blacksmith, Frank Wagner who operated as a blacksmith in Burnaby “Wagner & Son” on Kingsway. Frank was a trained machinist, farrier and an automotive blacksmith who patented and manufactured the “Wagner Triple Spring Bumper”. With this information, the Burnaby Village Museum changed the name of the blacksmith shop to reflect the history of Burnaby blacksmith Frank Wagner. In “The Age of Diversity” Eric and Lorne talk about a shift in the 1990s when the staffing of the blacksmith shop was diversified to include women and people from diverse cultural backgrounds. These changes as well as an increased interest in artistic blacksmithing also lead to updates in Burnaby Village Museum’s blacksmith training procedures and interpretation, increased course offerings in blacksmithing and a renovated blacksmith shop which included new forges and equipment as well as an improved viewing area. Eric and Lorne talk about specifics regarding blacksmithing techniques and equipment and improvements to make this exhibit more accessible. Their presentation is followed by a short video highlighing Burnaby Village Museum interpreters who have worked as blacksmiths at Burnaby Village Museum. Each person shares their own perspectives on their experiences working as a blacksmith and interacting with the public. In the last part of the webinar, Eric and Lorne answer questions from attendees and further reflect and comment on their own experiences working as blacksmiths, various tools and techniques used and blacksmithing course offerings at Burnaby Village Museum.
- History
- Host biography: Ashley Jones is the Burnaby Village Museum Education Programmer, responsible for the development and administration of school and public programs at BVM. She has a Master of Arts degree in History and is passionate about creating hands-on programming that promotes historical and environmental literacy. Presenters biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history. Lorne Gray has a BA with a major in the History of Science and Technology. He took up blacksmithing as a hobby when he was promoted to middle management and had to start hitting things. He was hired by Burnaby Village Museum as a blacksmith to fill in during the Christmas season of 2001. He has attended several blacksmithing conferences and taken classes with both an artist blacksmith and a journeyman blacksmith. On the weekends, you’ll find him teaching many of the museum’s public blacksmithing courses. He also has a steam ticket that permits him to run the museum’s steam boiler and stationery steam engines.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Occupations - Blacksmiths
- Responsibility
- Jones, Ashley
- Accession Code
- BV022.27.6
- Date
- 29 Sep. 2022
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Images
Video
50 Years of Blacksmithing at BVM, 29 Sep. 2022
50 Years of Blacksmithing at BVM, 29 Sep. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2022_0027_0006_002.mp4
brochure
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact91087
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV020.5.1811
- Description
- Burnaby Village Museum brochure; bifolded; front cover in black ink with title in teal coloured ink title "Time / Travellers / Tours"; illustration of young girl standing at an old box telephone; text at top in black reads: "SPARKS. / BROWNIES . / GUIDES . / CUBS . / BEAVERS . / SCOUTS. "; rectangular text box at bottom in black reads " Burnaby's / HERITAGE / VILLAGE / & Carousel"; information on inside of Brochure with text in bold reads: "Leader's Preparation Guide / Getting Organized / Before Arriving / When you Arrive"; includes illustration of a boy flying a kite and a dog watching. Verso of Brochure with text in bold reads: "Available Dates / DAYTIME / EVENINGS / Fees / Payment Information / How to Get There"; Map showing location of Burnaby Village Museum.
- Object History
- Item was found in Burnaby Village Museum printshop along with other Heritage Village / Burnaby Village Museum ephemera created between 1971 and [2000].
- Category
- 08. Communication Artifacts
- Classification
- Advertising Media
- Object Term
- Brochure
- Colour
- Black
- Green
- Gray
- Measurements
- 23 x 10 cm
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Site/City Made
- Burnaby
- Author
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Publication Date
- [1997]
- Subjects
- Advertising Medium - Flyer
Images
Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14728
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 49 photographs (jpgs) + 4 photographs (tiffs) + 1 drawing : wax crayon on pink construction paper + 26 videos (digital)
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of photographs, digital poetry and a child's drawing created by citizens living in Burnaby during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as photographs and short film clips created by the City of Burnaby's Marketing Department. The collection documents experiences while living through th…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 49 photographs (jpgs) + 4 photographs (tiffs) + 1 drawing : wax crayon on pink construction paper + 26 videos (digital)
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of photographs, digital poetry and a child's drawing created by citizens living in Burnaby during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as photographs and short film clips created by the City of Burnaby's Marketing Department. The collection documents experiences while living through the COVID-19 pandemic, how it has effected the City of Burnaby and it's citizens and how they've adapted.
- History
- The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the "Coronavirus" is a world wide pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The coronavirus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and in January 2020, The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and by March 2020 it was declared a world wide pandemic. As of December 2020, more than 68 million cases have been confirmed and more than 1.56 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. In the spring of 2020, many provinces and territories within Canada declared a state of emergency or public health emergency. British Columbia declared a public health emergency on March 17 and a provincial state of emergency the next day, March 18. This state of emergency gives the provincial health authority the power to limit the sizes of gatherings and put restrictions on how businesses operate. The state of emergency order, which must be renewed every fourteen days, allows the province to implement any provincial emergency measures required such as securing the supply chain and prohibiting re-selling of essentials. During the pandemic British Columbia's provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry provided wise words to the public and coined the phrase "This is our time to be kind, be calm and be safe". Beginning in May 2020, Burnaby Village Museum put a call out to the community asking for their assistance in documenting and collecting experiences, stories and mementos regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Burnaby. Burnaby Village Museum put the word out through social media, their enewsletter, website, and word of mouth. The public was invited to share how COVID-19 was affecting them through physical objects, photographs, videos, recordings, letters, diaries and more. The City of Burnaby's Marketing Department also produced communications about the pandemic and changes throughout the City that residents need to be aware of. The goal of this collection is to document the effects that the pandemic has had on our community and our everyday lives and in turn preserve and make it accessible for future generations. Burnaby Village Museum continues to collect any items documenting everyday experiences related to this pandemic.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Pandemics - COVID-19
- Accession Code
- BV020.18; BV020.19; BV020.20; BV020.21; BV020.23; BV020.24; BV020.26; BV020.30; BV021.2
- Date
- 2020
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Moving Images
- Notes
- Title based on contents of collection
- Multiple accessions form part of this fonds: BV020.18; BV020.19; BV020.20; BV020.21; BV020.23; BV020.24; BV020.26; BV020.30; BV021.2
- Further accruals are expected
Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14762
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 27 Oct. 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (61 min., 56 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Kate Petrusa, Burnaby Village Museum assistant curator. The webinar is titled "Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food" and is presented by Denise Fong, Planning Assistant for the City of Bu…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (61 min., 56 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps
- Material Details
- Presenter: Denise Fong
- Host: Kate Petrusa
- Date of Presentation: October 27 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Total Number of tracks: 1
- Total Length of all tracks:61 min., 56 sec.
- Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Kate Petrusa, Burnaby Village Museum assistant curator. The webinar is titled "Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food" and is presented by Denise Fong, Planning Assistant for the City of Burnaby. The zoom webinar is the seventh in a collection of seven "Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker series" webinars that were presented and made available to the public between September 29 and October 27, 2020. The live webinar and recording was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. In this webinar, Denise Fong talks about how Chinese Canadians have played a key role in supplying food to Burnaby’s community through their participation in the local market gardening, green grocer, and restaurant industries. The presentation is supported with historical maps, photographs, documents, census records and stories from recent research on the 1960s-1970s period in Burnaby’s Big Bend and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. In her presentation, Denise also talks about the history of Chinese Immigration in Canada including the political circumstances and legal barriers that Chinese migrants faced in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Denise highlights specific Chinese Canadian family farms in Burnaby including; the Jung family farm located on 5460 Douglas Road operated by Jung Chong and his wife Jung Gee Shee; "Hop On Farms" located on Marine Drive, operated by Chan Kow Hong, Sui Ha Hong and family; the Tong Yip Farm located on Byrne Road operated by D.T. "George" Yip and his wife, Yip Chow Won Tai. Denise also highlights her recent research regarding Chinese Canadian corner stores and green grocers in Burnaby including; The Lee Kee grocery store located at 3824 East Hastings Street, owned and operated by Yow Lee Ko and his wife Say Jan Chan; the Burnaby Market located at 3942 East Hastings Street, owned and operated by Chin Yin Wong; the Quon Bros. located at 3702 East Hastings Street.; Y. Hoy Produce Co. located at 4092 East Hastings Street operated by Hoy Yen; Louie's Food Basket located at 5886 South East Marine Drive operated by Hoy Bew Louie, his wife Poy Yee and later by thier son Bing Louie and Tommy's Market located in Burnaby's Edmonds neighbourhood, operated by Tommy Chu. Denise also provides a detailed history of Tommy Chu and family who owned and operated Tommy's Market. Denise tells of how in the early 1970s, Chinese grocers in the lower mainland came together and formed the Lower Mainland Independent Grocers Association and Lower Mainland Grocers Co-Op. The organization was formed to protect the rights and promote businesses of independent grocers. In closing, Denise explains how her research of Chinese Canadian history in Burnaby continues and by the end of the project, the information will be made accessible in the form of a publication.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Agriculture - Farms
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Fong, Denise
- Jung, Chung Chong
- Tommy's Produce
- Lee Kee Grocery
- Louie's Food Basket
- Louie, Hoy Bew
- Jung, Gee Shee
- Hong, Chan Kow
- Hong, Sui Ha
- Yip, D.T. "George"
- Yip, Chow Won Tai
- Ko, Yow Lee
- Ko, Chan Say Jan
- Burnaby Market
- Wong, Chin Yin
- Quon Bros.
- Y. Hoy Produce Co.
- Yen, Hoy
- Louie, Poy Yee
- Louie, Bing
- Chu, Tommy
- Chu, Sharon
- Chu, Calvin
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Geographic Access
- Hastings Street
- Accession Code
- BV020.29.7
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 27 Oct. 2020
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Big Bend Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of video recording
- Video recording was edited for publication on Heritage Burnaby. Original mp4 video recording (BV020.29.7.1) is 72 min., 14 sec.
Images
Video
Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food, 27 Oct. 2020
Eating your way through Burnaby: A look at Chinese Canadian history through food, 27 Oct. 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2020_0029_0007_002.mp4
History of Burnaby Resource Guide
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7492
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Publication Date
- 2019
and housekeeping. They tended backyard fruit
and vegetable gardens, and raised chickens or other small livestock.
Although men’s farming organizations in Burnaby had declined by the
1920s, Women’s Institutes—a popular organization for rural women—
thrived in several neighbourhoods to provide social and practical
- 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.
Images
Digital Books
Indigenous History in Burnaby Resource Guide
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary7493
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Edition
- First
- Publication Date
- 2019
- Call Number
- 971.100497 BVM
created, or joined, Indigenous political
organizations to protest encroachment on their lands and alienation from
their resources. For example, in 1906 several Coast and Interior Salish
Nations joined together to send a small delegation to England to petition
King Edward about their shared concerns over
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Digital Reference Collection
- Material Type
- Digital Resource
- Accession Code
- BV019.64.1
- Call Number
- 971.100497 BVM
- Edition
- First
- 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
Interview with Bill Gruenthal
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19636
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (74 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (74 min., 37 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Bill Gruenthal conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on July 31 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:27:01 Bill Gruenthal provides details on his family background, his early life experiences, how he got into the insurance business,…
- 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) (74 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (74 min., 37 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Bill Gruenthal Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 31, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:14:37 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Bill Gruenthal conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on July 31 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:27:01 Bill Gruenthal provides details on his family background, his early life experiences, how he got into the insurance business, his knowledge and interest in Judaism, places that he and his wife lived before moving to Burnaby, family life in Burnaby and his political involvement in running for the Burnaby school board. 00:27:02 – 00:42:50 Bill Gruenthal talks about the Burquest Jewish Community Association, it’s background and his involvement, experiences of discrimination in his career, a brief history of the Jewish people and some cultural traditions. 00:42:51 – 00:56:04 Bill Gruenthal mentions some of the charities that he supports including Burnaby Hospital, his volunteer work within the community and community organizations including the Nikkei Place Foundation and shares more details on his insurance career. 00:56:05 – 01:14:37 Bill Gruenthal shares information about his Burnaby neighbourhood and Jewish funeral customs and provides his impressions of new development at Brentwood, Burnaby Council and other development projects in Burnaby.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Bill Gruenthal was born in the British Mandate of Palestine, now Israel, in 1935 after his parents had fled Germany in advance of the then worsening political situation. Bill’s father died in 1942; some years later his mother remarried to an Irish-born senior civil servant in that government. He had a difficult and somewhat dangerous job. Soon after marriage, the family, including Bill’s older brother, Martin, immigrated to Canada in January 1947 on the strength of his step-father’s British Passport. They traveled via New York, where Bill’s uncle and his family resided and who put up the family. Later that month, the parents travelled by CP rail from Montreal to Vancouver, followed by Bill and his brother in March 1947 who travelled from New York to White Rock on an American railroad. While passing through the Fraser Valley Bill’s parents took an interest in Silverdale, a small hamlet west of Mission where the four eventually settled. Bill finished High School in Mission and soon joined the insurance industry. Bill connected with the Jewish Community in Vancouver where he met his soon-to-be wife. Upon marriage they were transferred to Calgary; after five years suffering its cold weather they were transferred back to Vancouver. They settled in Burnaby in 1966 as an affordable neighbourhood with easy access to his office downtown Vancouver. Outside work, Bill helped raise his family of three daughters who all graduated Burnaby High School (Alpha). They joined Temple Sholom in Vancouver, and he volunteered and still volunteers for a number of non-profits, including The Jewish Museum and Archives and Nikkei Place Foundation (Burnaby). He was an early long-term supporter and a past president of Burquest Jewish Community Association, mostly involving persons from Burnaby, New Westminster, and the Tri-Cities area (hence the name). He ran for political office in Burnaby in 1976 but was not elected. He delivers food in Burnaby for the Food Bank and is a donor to many worthy causes including Burnaby General Hospital. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Migration
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Transportation
- Transportation - Rail
- Religions - Judaism
- Cemeteries
- Organizations
- Elections
- Names
- Gruenthal, Bill
- Gruenthal, Noemi Yadlow
- O'Connor, Herta Ingrid Gruenthal
- O'Connor, John
- Burquest
- Jacobson, Max Alec
- Temple Shalom
- Brentwood Shopping Centre
- Brentwood Park School
- Alpha Secondary School
- Burnaby School Board
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.14
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bill Gruenthal, [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
Interview with Bill Gruenthal, [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0014_003.mp3Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4493
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:04:56 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Bob’s school activities, recreation, responsibilities, and his jobs. Bob grew up in the area of Central Burnaby known as Skunk Hollow, and talks of living near Norfolk and Douglas Road in his early childhood, and then on Government Road. He recalls…
- 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) (0:04:56 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Bob Lowe Date of interview: May 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total length of all Tracks: 0:43:36
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Bob’s school activities, recreation, responsibilities, and his jobs. Bob grew up in the area of Central Burnaby known as Skunk Hollow, and talks of living near Norfolk and Douglas Road in his early childhood, and then on Government Road. He recalls attending Douglas Road School and Burnaby South High School. Bob describes his extracurricular activities in school, organized and informal. He mentions the games he played with his friends. Bob discusses his family chores, and his first job, which was a newspaper route for the Vancouver Province. He describes his later jobs, one at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, working for Mr. Arnold, and then for Mr. Robertson at Burnaby Lake Nurseries.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe recording by Tom Gooden in 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 - Children
- Geographic Access
- Norfolk Street
- Douglas Road
- Government Road
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.6
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on content of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 1, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 1, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0006_001.mp3Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4494
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:11:02 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to the earning and spending of money, household living arrangements, friends, and recreational activities. Bob describes his small businesses, and how he spent the money he earned. He shares his perspective that the self-sufficiency and practicality o…
- 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) (0:11:02 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Bob Lowe Date of interview: May 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total length of all Tracks: 0:43:36
- Scope and Content
- Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to the earning and spending of money, household living arrangements, friends, and recreational activities. Bob describes his small businesses, and how he spent the money he earned. He shares his perspective that the self-sufficiency and practicality of the people he knew at the time had their origin in the community’s experiences of the First World War. Bob discusses his family’s living arrangements, and how they moved as circumstances required, although they always remained in the same area. Bob recalls his school sporting activities, and the Army Cadets organized in his high school during World War II. He talks of his friends and how they played in the bush, at the millponds, and on Still Creek, and how they could skate on the frozen creek to Burnaby Lake. He describes the hunting and fishing, and the field and water trials for retrievers in the marsh.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Bob Lowe recording by Tom Gooden in 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
- Recreational Activities
- Organizations - Boys Societies and Clubs
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Sports - Skating
- Names
- Lowe, Robert "Bob"
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Lake
- Still Creek
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.6
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 2, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 2, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0006_002.mp3Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18947
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 13, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:07:37 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Cice Brown talking about growing up in West Burnaby near Central Park, between West Burnaby and McKay tram station. Cice describes the area in which she lived; talks about attending school at Kingsway West and highschool at Burnaby South. Interview…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:07:37 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 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Cice Brown talking about growing up in West Burnaby near Central Park, between West Burnaby and McKay tram station. Cice describes the area in which she lived; talks about attending school at Kingsway West and highschool at Burnaby South. Interviewer asks about the types of activities she was involved while growing up. Cice recalls being a member of the school choir at Kingsway West, the music teacher and winning a competition. Cice talks about attending Burnaby South highschool at the start of World War II, her involvement with cadets as well as the "Hi-Y" club and playing outside in the Central Park neighbourhood.
- 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
- Organizations - Adolescents' Societies and Clubs
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Organizations - Choirs
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 13, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 1, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 13, 2005
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 1, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 13, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0003_001.mp3
Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14276
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 2020
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:60:38 min.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an audio recording of a Zoom interview with Denise Fong conducted by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. The interview was conducted with Denise Fong as part of the students' research for their podcast "Where is your food from?". This podcast…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- UBC Partnership series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:60:38 min.)
- Material Details
- Interviewers: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Interviewee: Denise Fong Interview Date: September 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:60:38 Recording device: Zoom video communication platform Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an audio recording of a Zoom interview with Denise Fong conducted by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. The interview was conducted with Denise Fong as part of the students' research for their podcast "Where is your food from?". This podcast was part two in a series of three "Back to the Roots" podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. In this series the students connected their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. "Where is your food from?" explores contemporary versus historical alternative food movements and how early Chinese farmers in the lower mainland had to be creative in their business tactics in order to survive in a local food system that discriminated against their race. 00:00 - 4:51 Denise Fong introduces herself and provides a summary of the work that she has done while working as a researcher on the Chinese Canadian History Research project for the Burnaby Village Museum. Denise explains how much of her research has focused on the history of Chinese Canadian market gardeners and green grocers and their presence in Burnaby. Denise tells of how many Chinese immigrants found it hard to find work due to racial discrimination which led many Chinese men to work in agriculture and farming. Her research has shown that many of the Chinese farms were located in the Big Bend area of Burnaby. 04:52 – 08:24 In this segment, Denise elaborates on the “truck” or “market” farming industry for Chinese farmers in Burnaby. Denise explains how “truck” farming was a mode for distributing produce from Chinese farms and some of the challenges the Chinese farmers faced. 08:25 – 14:10 In this segment Denise talks about peddling as another mode to distribute farm produce and how this was often dominated by Chinese Canadians since they were restricted from accessing other jobs. Denise explains how the Chinese peddlers would have their own routes with customers who depended on them to bring the produce to them. Denise provides an example of racial discrimination whereby a Burnaby Bylaw prevented people of Chinese descent from working for the city. 14:11 – 22: 39 In this segment, Denise describes how in the 1950s and 1960s, produce distribution networks for Chinese Canadian farmers in Burnaby expanded to larger stores and wholesalers including Woodward’s, Safeway in Burnaby, MacDonald’s Consolidated and Kelly Douglas. Denise provides specific examples of Burnaby families and tells the story of Chinese Canadian Cecil Lee, a produce buyer for Kelly Douglas. In the mid 1970s Lee, was asked to oversee the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into Canada and was responsible for the design of a new cardboard box to replace the wooden crates that held the mandarin oranges. 22:40 – 33:28 In this segment, Denise provides information on Chinese farming methods and practices that she gathered through her research. Information gathered from interviews, research papers and an article in Harrowsmith magazine suggest that many of the Big Bend farms in Burnaby relied on crop rotation, companion planting and intercropping along with traditional organic fertilizers that were available. Denise also tells of how Chinese farmers often relied on traditional methods that they brought from Southern China including the creation of raised beds to avoid damage due to flooding. Wei Yan comments that many of these traditional methods are being reintroduced as a new sustainable way of farming. Research done by Wei Yan found that when chemical fertilizers were introduced informational brochures included Chinese translations. 33:29 – 38:30 In this segment Rose and Wei Yan speak to Denise about the cultural demographic of farmers in the Big Bend area of Burnaby and what types of crops were grown. Denise comments that to her knowledge there were mostly Chinese farmers in this area but there were some European farmers as well. Produce that was grown on the farms was mostly market driven by the local consumers and it wasn’t until the 1970s that there was a bigger demand to grow Chinese vegetables to supply the growing Chinese population. Denise shares personal experience of what she learned after a visit to a local farm and the different methods that the farmer used for growing crops. The three discuss the importance of innovation and adaptability in growing techniques that Chinese farmers have used. 38:31 – 46:23 In this segment, Rose and Wei Yan speak to Denise about the discrimination barriers that Chinese farmers had to face. Denise speaks about discriminatory bylaws and regulations that targeted Chinese farmers including the Peddling tax. She tells of how this tax, persecution to peddlers and restrictions resulted in the emergence of a new industry of Chinese green grocers. Denise names Chinese trade organizations that were formed in response to the social and economic segregation and marginalization that Chinese farmers and retailers faced. Denise references research done by Natalie Gibb and Hannah Wittman from their article “Parallel Alternatives: Chinese-Canadian farmers and the Metro Vancouver local food movement” as well as research by Harry Con and Edgar Wickberg. Denise also provides information that she has gathered from Chinese farmers in Burnaby including the Yip family who were able to purchase land after World War II through the Veterans Land Act and how prior to World War II it was very difficult for Chinese immigrants to purchase land. 46:24 – 1:00:38 In this segment the group discusses how Chinese farmers have adapted in the market garden farm distribution system and the introduction of retail spaces on their farms as part of the new local food movement. Denise, Rose and Wei Yan reflect on how their interview with Denise Fong and research resources will support their podcast series and exhibits at Burnaby Village Museum.
- History
- Interviewer biographies: Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. Interviewee biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Agriculture
- Agriculture - Crops
- Agriculture - Farms
- Gardens - Market Gardens
- Foods
- Names
- Fong, Denise
- Responsibility
- Wu, Rose
- Yeong, Wei Yan
- Accession Code
- BV020.28.2
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 2020
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- BV020.28.4
- Notes
- Title based on contents of recording
- Item was originally recorded as an mp4 video and converted to an mp3 sound recording for public access on Heritage Burnaby. To access the video recording, contact Burnaby Village Museum.
- For recording of podcast "Where is your food from?" see BV020.28.4
Images
Audio Tracks
Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, 2020
Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, 2020
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Sound_Recordings/2020_0028_0002_002.mp3Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19348
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 56 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 57 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. The interview opens with introductions and how the content of the interview can be drawn on by Burnaby Village Museum for future …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 56 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 57 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Anushay Malik Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Dr. Sadhu Binning Location of Interview: Love farmhouse at Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 25, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: (1:15:57) Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto three separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. The interview opens with introductions and how the content of the interview can be drawn on by Burnaby Village Museum for future exhibits and for researchers to learn more about the history of the South Asian community in Burnaby. During the interview, Dr. Binning shares his ancestral background along with his relatives' and his own personal experiences as a South Asian immigrant living and working in British Columbia and Burnaby. Dr. Binning conveys that he’s a Burnaby resident who’s lived in Burnaby since 1973 and that his children were born here. Binning shares his ancestral heritage beginning with his uncle Dhana Singh who emigrated from Punjab to British Columbia in 1931 and began working in the forest industry. He explains how Dhana Singh and another partner owned, operated and worked in small sawmills in the vicinity of Kamloops, Williams Lake and also on Vancouver Island. Binning conveys that in the beginning Dhana Singh and many other South Asian immigrants were not legal residents until 1938. In 1938, about 350 South Asian immigrants (mainly Punjabi) gathered resources to hire a lawyer to obtain permanent residency. Binning mentions that one of the notable South Asians in the group who was also a close friend of his uncle, was Darshan Singh Sangha, a trade unionist who was a founding member of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) union and an active member of the Communist Party of Canada. Binning conveys how Darshan Singh Sangha returned to India in 1947 to be a part of the revolution, how he was very active in the communist movement in India. While in India, Darshan Singh Sangha, was known as Canadian and thereby adopted “Canadian” as his surname, becoming “Darshan Singh Canadian”. Binning further explains that his uncle Dhana Singh Sangha returned to India in 1951, married and came back to B.C. in 1957 bringing with him, his wife and children. In 1960, with the support of his uncle, Binning’s father, Jit Singh Binning immigrated to British Columbia and began working in sawmills in the lower mainland, Kamloops, Quesnel and on Vancouver Island. Binning clarifies that his uncle, Dhana Singh was able to immigrate to Canada with the support of his cousins from the Tarker Singh Bains family. Binning further describes Darshan Singh Sangha’s involvement with the Communist party and the IWA and how the majority of the members were from the forest industry. As an active and prominent member of the labour movement, Darshan Singh Sangha fought for the rights of South Asians and Chinese who working in the industry and facing racism, unfair wages and discriminatory practices. Binning describes how Darshan Singh Sangha wrote a book in English in 1943, titled “Rise of the New Asia”. Binning conveys how immigrants of Chinese and South Asian decent didn’t have the right to vote in British Columbia and how Darshan Singh Sangha was instrumental in obtaining the right to vote in British Columbia, although he was never given the credit. Binning describes his uncle Dhana Singh as a likeable guy with many friends, first living in Kamloops before moving to Vancouver. Binning imparts how the sport of wrestling is a popular Punjabi sport along with Punjabi kabaddi. He conveys that his uncle became involved in wrestling while working in sawmills. South Asian immigrants had to do physical labour working in sawmills, the work could be tough and could often lead to physical fights. A number of South Asian immigrants working in the mills already had experience as wrestlers from back home. Dhana Singh later left the lumber industry to work in the agriculture sector. Binning explains how immigration rules changed in the 1960s which lead to larger numbers of South Asians immigrating to Canada. Many of these new immigrants were educated and politically conscious. All of these new immigrants faced racism but being politically conscious from an independent India and with the ability to speak English they organized themselves to fight for their rights. Binning imagines the items that his uncle and his father may have brought with them in their suitcase when immigrating to Canada. Binning describes three items, including a rajai (a blanket with cotton inside that is sewn together), a bistra (small attaché case or trunk) and a piece of cloth to lie on. Binning further describes the roles in Indian society as caste divisions and that it was usually women’s work in making the rajais. Binning recollects the locations that his father and his family lived after coming to Vancouver. Binning explains that a few years after living together in Vancouver, he and his family moved to Burnaby in 1973 to be closer to his Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish Binning’s family. Dr. Binning and family lived in a house in Burnaby located on Irmin Street near Royal Oak between 1973 and 1987. While living at this house their children attended McPherson Park Junior High School and later Burnaby South Secondary School. Binning reflects on some of the racism that he and his family have faced while living in Burnaby which led him to write a poem that he published in 1994 titled “No More Watno Dur”. Binning explains the meaning of the title “Watan” meaning “country and everybody” “a country far way from the motherland”. Binning explains the origins of the magazine “Watan” that was started by a friend in 1973. The magazine got its roots in Vancouver in 1973 from an organization called the “Punjabi Literary Association”. Binning became the editor of the magazine in 1976 and his friend joined him as assistant editor in 1978. Binning continued to work as editor until 1983 or 1984 when he returned to school to complete his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree. Binning describes the origins of the “Vancouver Sath” that was formed by a small group of South Asians around 1982. Binning was a founding member of the organization and held meetings and rehearsals at his house in Burnaby. Vancouver Sath first started out as an informal discussion forum by a group of politically conscious Punjabi writers and activists. Binning talks about issues and problems that Vancouver Sath addressed including; racism as well as domestic violence in the South Asian community. Binning explains how he and Sukhwant Hundal wrote articles on these issues and others that were happening in the South Asian community in Canada. Binning talks about how in 1983, the group was inspired to begin performing theatrical works after consulting with Gursharan Singh who was from a well known theatrical group from Punjab who were performing in Vancouver. In the beginning the Vancouver Sath’s plays were focused on the problems in Punjab but they soon decided to address social issues in their own South Asian community here in Canada. Binning summarizes and draws attention to, some of the plays that Vancouver Sath has written and performed including; “Picket Line”, about Punjabi women farmworkers’ rights; “Lattan de Bhoot”, about domestic abuse; “A Crop of Poison”; “Kihda Viah” (English translation- “Whose Marriage”) about arranged marriage and others about social issues in the South Asian community. The plays were performed in public schools and community centres in Vancouver and Richmond, Simon Fraser University and some were also performed in Toronto, Calgary and Williams Lake. Binning mentions some of the traditional foods that he likes to eat and where he and his family have shopped to find ingredients. He recalls how his mother, Gurmaje Kaur Binning did all of the cooking and was often cooking all day long. In the sixties, the Binning family address on 13th Avenue in Vancouver was also used as a postal address for many friends and family who’d recently immigrated. When these friends dropped by to pick up their mail, his mother often provided them with tea and food. After Binning and his wife, Jagdish moved to their own home in 1973, he shared in some of the shopping and cooking but his wife did the majority of the work due to his busy schedule. The interview closes with Binning providing an explanation of how “Watno Dur” magazine changed it’s name to “Watan” magazine. Binning reflects on how this came to be, when he made the decision to get an education in Canada and to stay here, not just as a “Canadian” but as a “Punjabi Canadian.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Dr. Sadhu Binning was born on May 10, 1947 to mother Gurmej Kaur and father Jeet Singh Binning. Due to lack of proper records management in India at the time of his birth, it is believed that he was actually born sometime in December of 1947. He grew up alongside two brothers and one sister in a village located in Kapurthala, Punjab. Dr. Binning attended secondary school in the nearby city of Phagwara, Punjab although he did not complete his education here. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed reading both Punjabi and Hindi novels and learned how to read Urdu as well. Dr. Binning’s uncle, Dhana Singh immigrated to Canada in 1933 and returned to India in 1953. When Dhana Singh returned to Canada in 1957, he sponsored Dr. Binning’s father, Jeet Singh Binning to immigrate. Dhana Singh co-owned a few saw mills in British Columbia and also worked in the truck driving industry. Dr. Binning remembers that some people who had lived in Canada would visit their village and that they appeared to be strong and healthy and looked happy. He also noticed that they would eat meat, so whenever they would visit there would be meat available. In 1967, when he was nineteen and a half years old, Dr. Binning immigrated Canada to join his father. He recalls his father and uncle and a friend arriving at the airport to pick him up. During his first few days, Dr. Binning made the decision to remove his turban and beard upon receiving advice from his uncle. Dr. Binning first obtained work on a farm in Abbotsford, working alongside his mother. While working, Dr. Binning also attended English classes in Vancouver. Dr. Binning’s Uncle Dhana Singh worked in a Vancouver saw mill and tried to help find work for his nephew but was unsuccessful. Dr. Binning soon found work at a saw mill in Avola and worked there until the end of the summer until a friend helped find him work in a saw mill in North Vancouver. During his free time, he enjoyed camping with friends. In 1970, Dr. Binning left the saw mill after obtaining a job at the post office. The post office offered lower wages than working at the mill but Dr. Binning believed that he would become more educated working here. While working as a postman, Dr. Binning recalls facing a lot of discrimination and racism and was often referred to as a ‘Paki’ multiple times a day. In 1973, Dr. Binning married Jagish Sihota. Sadhu and Jagdish originated from nearby villages in India and met each other in Canada. Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for thirty years until her retirement. While working, she also looked after the household and their son and daughter. Jagdish also handwrote a magazine, “Watno Dur’ (English translation: ‘away from homeland’) which was distributed in the community. In 1976, Dr. Binning became the editor of the magazine and the name was later changed to “Watan’ as they had accepted their new homeland of Canada. While working at the post office, Dr. Binning also attended night school starting in eighth grade. After receiving his high school diploma, he was accepted to Simon Fraser University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology and in 1986 he obtained a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University. While attending university, Dr. Binning was very active within the community and wanted to work to improve society. He first thought that he would return to India to contribute and improve rights in his homeland but upon seeing the prevalence of the movements in Canada, he realized that work needed to be done here too. In 1983, Dr. Binning became a founding member and contributor to a theatrical collective known as “Vancouver Sath”. The theatrical group produced plays that represented societal issues and were invited to perform at multiple conferences throughout British Columbia and Canada. The group focused and acknowledged the many issues in Punjab and in Canada. One of the plays that the group produced focused on the exploitation of Punjabi women who worked on farms in Canada. Dr. Binning continued to be involved as an integral member of Vancouver Sath until 1995. Over the years, Dr. Binning has strongly lobbied for Punjabi language education and between 1988 and 2008 he worked as Punjabi instructor at the University of British Columbia. He first worked as a teaching assistant at UBC under Dr. Harjot Oberoi and due to low wages, he simultaneously worked at the Post Office. In 2019, Dr. Binning received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UBC in recognition of his work. Since 1973, Dr. Binning has lived in Burnaby and has resided in the same home that he and his wife Jagdish purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips. 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
- Industries - Logging/lumber
- Industries - Forestry
- Foods
- Migration
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Organizations - Unions
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Performances
- Performances - Dramatic Performances
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Names
- Binning, Dr. Sadhu
- Binning, Gurmaje Kaur
- Binning, Jit Singh
- Binning, Jagdish
- Sangha, Darshan Singh
- Canadian Farmworkers Union
- Hundal, Sukhwant
- Sangra, Harjinder
- Singh, Dhana
- Vancouver Sath
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Malik, Anushay
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning, [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning, [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0003_004.mp3Interview with Ella Beatty
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4475
- 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) (0:21:41 min)
- Scope and Content
- 00:00-2:58: Ella describes the area around Kingsway and Edmonds as she remembers it from her childhood. She names the businesses on the four corners of the intersection, which included a small house which was turned into a business. 2:58-7:18: Ella mentions some of the organized activities of the …
- 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) (0:21:41 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Ella Beatty Date of interview: May 10, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total length of all Tracks: 21:41
- Scope and Content
- 00:00-2:58: Ella describes the area around Kingsway and Edmonds as she remembers it from her childhood. She names the businesses on the four corners of the intersection, which included a small house which was turned into a business. 2:58-7:18: Ella mentions some of the organized activities of the time, and discusses household responsibilities of girls. Ella describes jobs she had as a teenager, such as a brief time working at the B.C. Electric Café at Carrall St. She talks about her allowance, and describes how she spent the money as well as her earnings from her jobs. XXX 7:18–13:55: Although Ella doesn’t recall being involved in many organized activities, she does mention Sunday school and a girl’s group. She talks about having A.R.P. and First Aid training during the Second World War. Ella notes that children made their own fun, and discusses the games she played, parks she went to, and how she got there. She describes how parents kept an eye on children without strictly supervising them. Ella also talks about neighborhood and school friends, describes her recreation, which was mainly informal, and where she played. XXX 13:55–15:30: Ella can’t choose any one memory of her childhood as being the most joyful, but she recalls the announcement of the declaration of war (of World War II) as her worst childhood memory. XXX 15:30–16:31: Ella describes the families in the neighborhood and her schoolmates as having similar cultural backgrounds. The very few immigrant families she remembers came from Europe. XXX 16:31–18:13: Ella describes her household living arrangements and her toys. XXX 18:13–20:25: Ella comments on the changes which have occurred in Burnaby since her childhood as the city has become built up. She notes that much of it began after the war as veterans returned home. XXX 20:25-21:41: Ella explains why she is still a Burnaby resident and remarks on the self-reliance that children acquired in the earlier days of the city.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Ella Beatty, recorded by Tom Gooden on May 10 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
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Businesses
- Names
- Beatty, Ella
- Responsibility
- Gooden, Tom
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Edmonds Street
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.2
- 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
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ella Beatty, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Interview with Ella Beatty, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0002_001.mp3Interview with Gail Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4491
- 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) (0:12:13 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Gail’s school years, her activities, household living arrangements, responsibilities, jobs, toys and games, and friends. 00:00-2:46: Gail describes growing up in South Burnaby, on her parents’ farm on Marine Drive, which her father had purchased f…
- 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) (0:12:13 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Gail Yip Date of Interview: May 9, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 2 Total length of all Tracks: 0:22:16
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Gail’s school years, her activities, household living arrangements, responsibilities, jobs, toys and games, and friends. 00:00-2:46: Gail describes growing up in South Burnaby, on her parents’ farm on Marine Drive, which her father had purchased from the people he worked for. She talks about attending Riverway West Elementary School, then McPherson Junior High school, and Burnaby South High School. Gail describes the games and activities she participated in at school, both formal and informal. She discusses her first real job as a teenager, as a page at the Burnaby Public Library. 2:46-6:09: Gail recalls her responsibilities at home, and earning money. She talks about her family’s living arrangements. She describes her family, immediate and extended, and her family’s history on the farm. Gail discusses the economic difficulties of farming, and the job her father got when he leased the farm to a tenant. 6:09-10:15: Gail describes her playmates, with whom she played in the nearby bush, and recalls how the time of year and the weather affected their play. She mentions a roller skating rink on Edmonds Street, but notes that such amenities were uncommon then. Gail lists the organized youth activities she participated in: Brownies, C.G.I.T., and Explorers. She discusses the toys and games she played with at home with her sisters. Gail describes her family’s living arrangements, and how the large house included a big rumpus room with a television set. She talks about her family’s closeness with extended family. 10:15-12:13: Gail recalls that the distance between her home and school made it necessary to have lunch at school, and shares how this created a special group of friends. She relates how living near Marine Drive, which was then a highway, affected her. Gail recalls going to Sunday school with her neighbor’s children in her elementary school years, but describes her family as not being very connected to church. She talks about participating in Brownies and Explorers.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Gail 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
- Names
- Yip, Gail
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.4
- 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 Gail Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 1, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Interview with Gail Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 1, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0004_001.mp3Interview with Gail Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4492
- 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) (0:10:03 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to Gail’s organized activities, her best and worst childhood memories, recreation, shopping, her feeling about living in Burnaby and the changes she has observed. 0:00-3:18: Gail continues to talk about Brownies. She relates her worst childhood memor…
- 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) (0:10:03 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Gail Yip Date of interview: May 9, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 2 Total length of all Tracks: 0:22:16
- Scope and Content
- Track 2: This portion of the recording pertains to Gail’s organized activities, her best and worst childhood memories, recreation, shopping, her feeling about living in Burnaby and the changes she has observed. 0:00-3:18: Gail continues to talk about Brownies. She relates her worst childhood memory, but can’t select a best. She describes how her activities were affected by living in the Marine Drive corridor, which was a difficult place to walk or cycle, or even cross the street. Gail mentions that her older sister encountered racial prejudice, but she can’t remember encountering any herself. 3:18-7:58: Gail discusses living in Burnaby, and the changes she has observed in the city. She describes the Kingsway corridor as busier and more congested now, but notes that there are improved opportunities for shopping . Gail recalls that her family did their grocery shopping at the Safeway at Royal Oak Avenue and Rumble St., and went to Woodward’s department store in New Westminster. She relates that although her family occasionally went to Chinatown in Vancouver, and that as a teenager she sometimes went to Vancouver to shop, she went to New Westminster more often, preferring the movie theatres there also. She notes that bus service on Marine Drive was infrequent, which affected her activities. Gail recalls that shopping days and hours were more restricted when she was a child. She describes how her family shopped by car, when her father was available to drive, until her mother began driving them later. 7:58-10:03: Gail shares her favourite things about living in Burnaby. She recalls being married at South Burnaby United Church, where she had gone to Sunday School, but not by a Chinese minister as she doesn’t speak Chinese.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Gail 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
- Names
- Yip, Gail
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.4
- 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 Gail Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 2, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Interview with Gail Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 2, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0004_002.mp3Interview with Harman Pandher
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19609
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada arou…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Harman Pandher Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:45:23 min Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 format for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada around 1968. The interview continues with Harman Pandher providing details about his childhood in Burnaby while occasionally sharing photographs with the interviewer. He provides detailed descriptions of the homes and neighbourhoods while living on Second Street and 15th Avenue and shares his experiences as a South Asian Sikh attending Second Street elementary school, Cariboo Hill Secondary School and Kahlsa School. Pandher recalls some of his family and childhood experiences including, family events and gatherings; participation in school clubs and sports; playing basketball, ball hockey and street hockey with his Punjabi friends and other Burnaby kids; racism that he faced as a Sikh wearing a turban and delivering newspapers for the Vancouver Sun. 37:39 – 52:54 Pandher talks about family and cultural celebrations and traditions within the Sikh community including Vaisakhi, Diwali and celebrations of the birth of Guru Ravidas and Guru Nanak. Pandher conveys that while he was growing up many of these events took place in Vancouver but now they are also celebrated in Burnaby. He recalls events that took place in school while growing up in Burnaby including; his sister wearing a Sari to a fashion show; a visit to a Sikh temple; celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak and outreach to teachers to learn about South Asian culture, games, food and traditions. Pandher also shares his experiences working as a student teacher at Capital Hill Elementary in North Burnaby where he took his class on a tour of the Sikh temple in 2001 and reflects on learning that it is his responsibility to be proactive in educating the public in his own culture while also learning about other communities. 52:55 - 1:19:56 Pandher shares personal experiences of racism and his experiences as a teacher and author. He recalls and reflects on a traumatic experience where he was physically assaulted while shopping at Lougheed Mall and recollects his father carrying around his field hockey stick in his car to defend himself. Pandher reflects on the lack of representation of racialized people like himself within the school curriculum while he was growing up which lead him to become a teacher and an author of children’s literature. Pander provides detailed information on his education and training in becoming a teacher, his love of poetry and literature and how he became an author. Pandher describes some of the works of poetry and literature that he’s written about the Sikh religion, history and culture, growing up as a Sikh Canadian and a non-fiction work about the history of Paldi titled "Welcome to Paldi: A Place for Everyone". Pandher also talks about beginning to record some of his own family stories from relatives. 1:19:57 - 1:29:58 Pandher talks about raising his own family in Burnaby, living as an extended family with his parents, his son’s education and Pandher's experience on the Burnaby School Board (2011-2018) . Pandher shares locations of residences that he and his family have lived before living at their current home on 17th Avenue. Pandher explains that since he was a teacher in Surrey, his son attended Khalsa School as well as public elementary and high school in Surrey but did his extracurricular activities in Burnaby where the family lived. 1:29:56 – 1:41:39 In closing, Harman Pandher reflects and shares what he hopes for younger generations of South Asian Canadians and future generations. Pandher articulates “be who you are, stay true to who you are, maintain your family’s traditions, learn their stories, learn their story and how they got to Burnaby”. He conveys that even though there’s more work to be done eliminating racism completely he sees the importance in volunteering, teaching others about yourself and making an effort to learn all parts of Burnaby and other cultures represented here. Pandher speaks about his concerns of youths falling victim to a lifestyle of drugs and gangs and how it’s important to remove the stigma around mental health issues.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harman Pandher was born in Vancouver in 1976 to parents, Rajinder and Raj Pandher who immigrated to Canada in 1973. A few weeks later after Harman was born, the family moved to Burnaby. While living in Burnaby, Harman Pandher and his sister attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Pandher obtained a master's degree in education from the University of British Columbia and has worked as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. Pandher has been recognized for his efforts in building bridges across communities as the recipient of the 2021 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award. Pandher has served on the Board of the Burnaby Multicultural Society and is co-founder of two noon-profit organizations; “Through SONG” (Seeking Oneness for the Next Generation) “About bringing youth together form diverse backgrounds and using their talent in the community for good causes” and "SACH" (South Asian Community Hub) providing one-stop services for those impacted by alchohol and substance use and mental health issues. Harman Pandher is also the author of two children's books titled, "Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship" and "Once Upon the Golden Temple: A Journey to Sri Harmandir Sahib". Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Writers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Religions
- Religions - Sikhism
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Sports - Basketball
- Sports
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Geographic Access
- 2nd Street
- 15th Avenue
- Accession Code
- BV023.1.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Second Street Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0001_003.mp3Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
- 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) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Grocers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Business Associations
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Toy, Christina
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Babey, Beverley
- Canada Way Food Market
- Fraser Merchants' Association
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.19
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".
- History
- Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Occupations - Agricultural Labourers
- Migration
- Organizations - Unions
- Rights
- Rights - Human Rights
- Agriculture
- Agriculture - Farms
- Government - Provincial Government
- Government
- Names
- Chouhan, Raj
- British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism
- Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash
- Grewal, Hardial Singh
- Canadian Farmworkers Union
- Hospital Employees Union
- Khalsa Diwan Society
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.4
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3Interview with Janet White May 10, 2005 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4469
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [195-] (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:03:37 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 3: This portion of the recording pertains to household living arrangements, toys and games, and organized youth activities. Janet describes attending a new United Church, involvement in Canadian Girls in Training, Job’s Daughters, and Girl Guides.
- 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) (0:03:37 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Janet White Date of interview: May 10, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 8 Total length of all Tracks: 0:31:34
- Scope and Content
- Track 3: This portion of the recording pertains to household living arrangements, toys and games, and organized youth activities. Janet describes attending a new United Church, involvement in Canadian Girls in Training, Job’s Daughters, and Girl Guides.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Janet White recording by Tom Gooden on May 10 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.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Names
- Gooden, Tom
- White, Janet
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [195-] (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Interview with Janet White May 10, 2005 - Track 3, [195-] (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Interview with Janet White May 10, 2005 - Track 3, [195-] (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0001_003.mp3Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4533
- 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) (0:06:07 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 3: This portion of the recording continues with Ken’s band activities, and then pertains to the games Ken played with his brother and friends. Ken discusses how the school band’s repertoire and performances were designed to complement the school’s events throughout the year. He describes the …
- 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) (0:06:07 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 3: This portion of the recording continues with Ken’s band activities, and then pertains to the games Ken played with his brother and friends. Ken discusses how the school band’s repertoire and performances were designed to complement the school’s events throughout the year. He describes the concert the band was invited to play on the lawn of Ceperley House on their return from Expo 67. Ken recalls the games he and his brother played, and the two neighbor boys they played with. He describes playing on the North American Peat property adjacent to theirs, in the peat trenches and in the bush. He talks of roaming as far as New Westminster and the Fraser River.
- 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
- 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
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 3, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 3, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0005_003.mp3