Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19279
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1984]
- Collection/Fonds
- Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : col.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of two photographs of actors from Vancouver Sath performing in the play "Maluka" at Sexsmith Elementary School.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Dr. Sadhu Binning fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : col.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of two photographs of actors from Vancouver Sath performing in the play "Maluka" at Sexsmith Elementary School.
- History
- 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 purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips.
- Creator
- Binning, Dr. Sadhu
- Accession Code
- BV023.7
- Date
- [1984]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Related Material
- See also artifacts descriptions for related materials re: Vancouver Sath and Watan magazine: BV023.7.1 to BV023.7.16
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Ed Brown family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97218
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-1920
- Collection/Fonds
- Ed Brown Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 12 photographs: 7 b&w jpgs.; 4 sepia jpgs., 1 med. b&w print.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs that belonged to the Brown family. Photographs depict Ed Brown, his wife Jennie, and their children at their homes on Royal Oak Avenue and McKay Avenue; Brown's trucking company; and other Burnaby locations and events.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1912-1920
- Collection/Fonds
- Ed Brown Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 12 photographs: 7 b&w jpgs.; 4 sepia jpgs., 1 med. b&w print.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- 2008-03
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs that belonged to the Brown family. Photographs depict Ed Brown, his wife Jennie, and their children at their homes on Royal Oak Avenue and McKay Avenue; Brown's trucking company; and other Burnaby locations and events.
- History
- The following is copied from an article written by Brown's grandson, Jim Ervin, for "Old Autos" in 2003, in an article entitled "Grandfather was a trucker...": The roots of my family run deep in Burnaby, especially on my mother’s side. It was her father, my grandfather, who started one of Burnaby’s first trucking businesses, E.S. Brown’s Transfer. I could find no record of when he actually began operations but I have pictures to show that he was using horses before he had trucks. One of my enclosed pictures dates from about 1910 since I know the birth dates of his two oldest daughters and they are in the picture as very small children. He met and married my grandmother, whose maiden name was Jennie Birtch, from Ontario, and I still have relatives back east from both branches of the family. They were married on Sept. 27, 1905. But where, I can’t say. They had their first child, Hazel, born April 2, 1908. Then came seven more daughters but no sons to help with the family business. The business was located at the family home at 3131 Royal Oak Ave. in South Burnaby. That was close to the top of one of the steepest hills in Burnaby and must have made for a real test of man and machine to drive it, especially in winter. The children loved it for sleigh riding but probably not father. My mother, Inez, was the second oldest daughter, born Oct. 9, 1909. She would have been born, along with her sister Hazel, in the big house shown in the picture and built by my grandfather. But this house was to later burn down. That’s when Edward Sadler Brown decided to move his family from the side of the hill to the top and much closer to the main road, Kingsway. Most of the area was forest at that time and one of Ed’s first jobs was to haul shingle bolts out of the forest, with a team of horses. Please don’t ask me what a shingle bolt is but my mother knew and used to have to grease the skids placed on the logging trails for the loaded sleds to be pulled out on. One time, as she told me, there was a huge forest fire and my grandfather barely escaped with his life and one last load. Later, when the area had been cleared, he helped to build the Oakalla Prison Farm, now replaced by town-houses on Royal Oak Ave. This job led to him becoming the first contractor to haul the license plates made by the prisoners. Some of these plates would be worn by Ed’s own trucks. The trucks, which he eventually acquired, included some pretty obscure makes such as Hufman, Garford, Stewart (which my mother often said was no good), Gotfredson and the more common names of Chevrolet and GMC. A Ford Model T would probably have been too light for the kind of hauling Ed was doing in the 1920s. I always thought that his main cargo was coal and coke, but I received quite a surprise with some recently discovered information. It started when I was removing boxes of general junk from the house to the garage to make more space. One of those boxes broke open and one item which came out wasn’t junk by any means. It was a copy of a business card for Brown’s Transfer, a company which hauled coal, coke, wood and did furniture moving as well. My mother often described my grandfather as a “go-getter” for business. I believe I see what she meant. Never was I so glad to have a cardboard box break open and to retrieve such an important item. My mother was a saver like you wouldn’t believe, a habit which the Great Depression drilled into her. In another box containing old receipts, I found a copy of one from Brown’s Transfer which offered even more insight into the company. The receipt isn’t dated but only the last number of the year required filling in on the form. And this dates it as issued sometime during the 1920s. The surprising thing is the amount of items sold by my grandfather. Not just coal, wood and coke anymore. Now he was into sand, gravel, cement, brick lime, tile and sewer pipe. Furniture moving seemed to be sort of a sideline, mentioned in smaller letters at the bottom. But notice some of the other items on the hand written receipt. There’s lumber, grass seed, paint, glass, a loan (spelled lone) on painting a house. I’m not sure that I understand that one or the payment on house or the one about the toilet. But it’s obvious that this was a man who knew how to make a buck in many ways. He was almost his own building supply store, it would seem. Also mentioned on the form is an office location at 4009 Kingsway. The building is no longer there but it did survive into my life time. Often, my mother would point out to me where the office once was on the north side of Kingsway, near McKay Ave. Still standing, though, ist he old family home at the former address (now changed) of 3131 Royal Oak Ave. That’s where my mother and all seven of her sisters were born. These were the “swampers” on dad’s trucks, a job hard enough for a man. Ed did hire men as well to work as drivers and even employed his own mechanic. But for the girls, it wasn’t really a paying kind of job. “Some times he would buy us an ice-cream cone,” my mother would say. In those days, parents wanted large families to help with all the work which needed doing. Payment in dollars and cents just wasn’t usually part of the deal. I never knew my grandmother, Jennie, who died in 1946 at age 61, an early age to go but likely reflective of a lifetime of hard work and too many children. However, I did know my grandfather who lived into his 70s.His company came to a rather sad end, as related by my mother, in the dirty 30s. Apparently a certain sister of my grandmother, great aunt to myself, reported to the local school board that grandfather was supplying them with an inferior grade of coal for the schools. Then the school board cancelled his contract and that put him into bankruptcy. Whether the story is true or not doesn’t seem to matter much any more since no one who could have known is still among the living. Ed Brown, the industrious, rugged individualist did make a small come-back in the early 1950s with his own plumbing business. The details of that enterprise, I don’t know. But I do remember his old International panel truck he used. People such as my grandfather made a great contribution to Burnaby.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- BHS298
Faye Diamond fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1663
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1989-1993
- Collection/Fonds
- Faye Diamond fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1136 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a collection of photographs taken by Faye Stebner Diamond documenting the restoration and installation of the C.W. Parker Carousel no. 119 carousel, undertaken by the Lower Mainland Association of the Friends of the Vancouver Carousel "Friends of the Carousel". Detailed photograph…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Faye Diamond fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1136 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a collection of photographs taken by Faye Stebner Diamond documenting the restoration and installation of the C.W. Parker Carousel no. 119 carousel, undertaken by the Lower Mainland Association of the Friends of the Vancouver Carousel "Friends of the Carousel". Detailed photographs document the restoration process from start to finish and the installation of the carousel inside the Don Wrigley Pavillion at Burnaby Village Museum. Some of the photographs may have been taken by Ken Diamond.
- History
- Faye (Stebner) Diamond was born in Burnaby to parents, Ethel Coe (Uter) Stebner and Edward A. "Ed" Stebner. Faye (Stebner) Diamond and her husband Ken Diamond were both involved in the restoration of the C.W. Parker no. 119 carousel from start to finish. Faye Diamond, was one of the very active volunteers of the Friends of the Carousel during the restoration, and served on the committee that chose paint colours for the horses. Her father, Ed Stebner, was also a volunteer. Faye and her mother Ethel, along with Ken Diamond, were responsible for the restoration of the carousel horse Mignonette, named after Mignon Uter (nee Coe), Faye's maternal grandmother who came to Burnaby in 1918 with her parents, James and Elizabeth Coe. The Stebner family also sponsored the carousel horse Mr. Ed, in recognition of Faye's father. Faye Diamond photographed and documented much of the restoration process. The Parker Carousel was restored by a number of avid volunteers from The Lower Mainland Association of the Friends of the Vancouver Carousel (Friends of the Carousel), which was created in 1989 to raise funds to rescue the Parker Carousel no. 119 from Playland at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). In May 1989, Burnaby Village Museum agreed to provide a home for the carousel and "Friends of the Carousel" set about raising the $350,000 to purchase the machine. The carousel opened inside the Don Wrigley Pavilion at the Burnaby Village Museum in March 1993.
- Creator
- Diamond, Faye Stebner
- Accession Code
- BV003.44
- BV012.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1989-1993
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Arrangement
- Arrangement of photograph collection were matched to Faye Diamond's original order which grouped together photographs of each horse and the installation process. Some of the photographs were arranged chronologically by the Burnaby Village Museum Curator.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Col. copy negatives accompanying photographs
Hazel Simnett collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription71379
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910-1996]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 13 files of textual records : ill. (some col.) ; 9 paintings : colour print ; 2 photographs : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of City-generated records, personal records, and political records collected by Hazel Simnett.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910-1996]
- Collection/Fonds
- Hazel Simnett collection
- Physical Description
- 13 files of textual records : ill. (some col.) ; 9 paintings : colour print ; 2 photographs : b&w
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2013-22
- 2012-03
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of City-generated records, personal records, and political records collected by Hazel Simnett.
- History
- Hazel Simnett was born in Burnaby in 1922 to Frederick and Mary Ann Simnett and grew up looking up to her father who was very involved in labour and unions. A politically active citizen, Hazel Simnett has supported the Canadian Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the New Democratic Party (NDP). She once ran as a New Democratic Party candidate for Burnaby City Council. Hazel attended Kingsway West Public School and Burnaby South High School in Burnaby. During the 1970s, Hazel was President of the Century Park Museum Association, which governs Burnaby Heritage Museum and published the work "Bygones of Burnaby". Hazel worked on the campaign team of Joan Sawicki from 1990 to 1991, which led Sawicki to be elected as Burnaby-Willingdon riding's MLA. Hazel volunteered her time to be a member of the Burnaby Advisory Planning Commission from 1993 to 1996. In 2006, Hazel won the Burnaby Local Hero Award for her volunteer work at the New Vista Society where she served as chair for a number of years. She also served as a member of the Burnaby Historical Society and established the Hazel Simnett Endowment with the Burnaby Public Library to bring a collection of books on Canadian history and social issues.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Graphic Material
- Creator
- Simnett, Hazel
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS167
Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19150
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1950-2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) + 65 photographs + 26 photographs (jpg) + 1 portfolio (15 col. photographs + 12 col. laser prints) + 1 col. laser print + 6 business cards + 1 identification card + 1 booklet
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and his wife, Donna Polos; photographs of Jimmy Chow and his family soon after they immigrated to Canada in the 1950s as well as a sampling of photographs and records documenting Jimmy Chow's career in the film industry. Fonds is arranged…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) + 65 photographs + 26 photographs (jpg) + 1 portfolio (15 col. photographs + 12 col. laser prints) + 1 col. laser print + 6 business cards + 1 identification card + 1 booklet
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and his wife, Donna Polos; photographs of Jimmy Chow and his family soon after they immigrated to Canada in the 1950s as well as a sampling of photographs and records documenting Jimmy Chow's career in the film industry. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos interviews series 2) Jimmy Chow family photographs series 3) Property master photographs series 4) Property master records series
- History
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow was born in Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China in 1948. In 1950, Jimmy Chow and his mother, Gim Gee Chow (1913-1991) fled China to escape the Communist Revolution and to be reunited with his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow (1906-1990) who’d immigrated to Canada many years earlier. Jimmy’s elder sister Shao-Lin Chow stayed behind in China. Jimmy’s father, Robin Chung Dip Chow immigrated to Canada in 1921 at 14 years of age and was forced to pay the Chinese head tax of $500. In 1950, Jimmy and his mother first fled to Hong Kong before immigrating to Canada and arriving in Vancouver. Jimmy Chow’s birth name is Hipman Chow but when he arrived in Canada, his father indicated that he needed an English name and he was given the name “Jimmy” but retained his birth name “Hipman Chow”. Over the years, Jimmy has also used the name “James H. Chow” and is often credited by this name in the film industry. For the first four years after immigrating, Jimmy and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec where his father had work in hotels and restaurants. While living in Asquith, Saskatchewan Jimmy attended school and began to learn English. In 1954, Jimmy and his parents returned to Vancouver, first living in the area of Strathcona before settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant where they purchased a house located on 15th Avenue east of Main Street. While living in Mount Pleasant, Jimmy attended both elementary and high school. While attending high school, Jimmy began working at the local grocery store where he worked for many years living at home and saving his money. In 1970 while attending Vancouver City College, Jimmy met his future wife Donna Polos. Two years later, they moved in together, married in 1981 and started a family. Jimmy and Donna first lived in North Burnaby before purchasing a house on Victory Street in Burnaby where they raised their three children. Growing up in a traditional Chinese Canadian family, Jimmy was always one who went against the grain. Although his father wanted him to get a business degree, Jimmy had aspirations for a different career path. Through the referral of a friend, he entered the film industry in 1973 working for CBC Vancouver. While working at the CBC, Jimmy gained valuable experience working on the set of the television series The Beachcombers, which launched his career in the film industry. Over a 45 year career, Jimmy worked on over 50 blockbuster movies, historical period films, science fiction films and fantasy films, where he honed in on his expertise as a set decorator, art director and property master. He built an international reputation through working with production companies, prop makers and antique sellers across the globe. As a property master in the film industry, Jimmy Chow has been responsible for designing, managing, and sourcing props for films such as: The BFG, Warcraft: The Beginning, X-Men 2, Fantastic Four, Watchman, Tron: Legacy, Little Women, Seven Years in Tibet, Shanghai Noon, The Shipping News, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Changeling, Man of Steel (Superman), Snow Falling on Cedars, Legends of the Fall, And the Sea Will Tell, Once a Thief and many more. With Jimmy's many years of professional experience in the film industry, he has been a union member of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians...) from July 1979, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science from 2018 and has worked as a guest lecturer in film production at Capilano University and Langara University. He was also a key contributor to the Burnaby Village Museum’s 2014 temporary exhibition Burnaby Makes Movies. Donna Polos was born in Vancouver in 1949 to parents Mayme "May" Helen Tillikana Polos (1931-1977) and Donald James Polos (1926-2017). Donna’s maternal grandparents, Elvi Tienhara and Toiva Tillikana immigrated to Canada from Helsinki, Finland. Donna’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Chimiki Polos emigrated from Ukraine to Argentina and then to Winnipeg. Donna’s paternal grandfather, James "Jimmy" Kostopolus emigrated as an orphan from Sparta Greece at the age of 12 years. In 1908, he first immigrated to the United States where he was denied entry so immigrated to Canada, entering through Halifax at Pier 17. When immigrating, James changed his last name to "Polos". Jimmy Polos arrived in Halifax with only five dollars in his pocket. He lived in Halifax for many years before making his way to Vancouver where he established three restaurants and raised his family. James was the proprietor of three restaurants in Burnaby including; the Home Apple Pie Café (1941-1944) located on East Hastings near Princess Avenue; Jimmy’s Café (1945-1955) located on East Hastings near Hawks Avenue and another restaurant located near 10th Avenue and Alma Street. Donna grew up with her family in Vancouver, first living in the downtown eastside before moving to a home near Joyce Station. Donna attended elementary school and high school while growing up in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station. Donna moved out of her family home at 21 years of age and lived with roommates before moving in with Jimmy Chow in 1972. Donna attended Vancouver City College and the University of British Columbia where she obtained her teaching degree in 1974. Donna first taught at Gilmore Elementary School before being hired to teach at Clinton Elementary School where she taught for nine years. While raising their three children, Donna worked part time teaching in schools in Burnaby. In 1991, after a near death experience, Donna became interested in fine art and took drawing and watercolour painting classes. This experience led her to experimenting with different painting techniques on paper and fabric. In 2008, Donna retired from teaching but continued her art career often working as an Artist in Residence at various schools and exhibiting her work. While living in Burnaby Donna has been politically active with a particular passion for heritage, housing and preserving the natural environment. Donna was instrumental in advocating and petitioning for the establishment of a tree bylaw in Burnaby which was eventually adopted by the City.
- Creator
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Polos, Donna
- Accession Code
- BV022.21
- BV023.11
- Date
- 1950-2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Graphic Material
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Joseph H.C. Corsbie fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20275
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1941-1988]
- Collection/Fonds
- Joseph H.C. Corsbie fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 35 photographs + 1.5 cm textual records + 1 map + 1 book
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs and documents relating to Joseph (Joe) Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie during his service with the RCAF during World War II (1942-1945) along with photographs and docments relating to his personal and professional life (. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Joseph H.C. Co…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Joseph H.C. Corsbie fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 35 photographs + 1.5 cm textual records + 1 map + 1 book
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs and documents relating to Joseph (Joe) Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie during his service with the RCAF during World War II (1942-1945) along with photographs and docments relating to his personal and professional life (. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Joseph H.C. Corsbie RCAF records series 2) Joseph H.C. Corsbie personal and professional records series
- History
- Joseph “Joe” Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie was born in 1913 in Peace River (Doe River) to parents Joseph Hardcastle Cumberland Corsbie and Winnifred Ann Mapleton Corsbie. As an adult Joe trained and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a navigator between 1942 and 1945. In 1945, while serving with the RCAF during World War II, Joe was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After World War II, Joe returned to Peace River where he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly serving as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation MLA for one term between 1945 and 1948. In April 1948, Joe Corsbie married Margaret Carr in the Metropolitan United Church in Victoria followed by a reception held at the B.C. Legislature buildings. On their wedding day, the couple were honoured with a hand painted congratulatory certificate signed by members of the B.C. Legislature. In late, 1948, Joe lost the election and moved with his wife Margaret to Black Creek, B.C. to manage a co-op store. In 1949, the couple welcome their first child who they named Margaret after her mother. In 1950, Joe, Margaret and their daughter moved to a home on Charles Street in Burnaby and Joe began working as the General Manager of the Gulf and Fraser Fishermen’s Credit Union. In 1951, Joe and Margaret welcomed their second child, named Josesph after his father and in 1952, Joe, Margaret and family moved to 84 Springer Avenue, Burnaby where they lived until 1989. Between 1959 and 1976, Joe worked as a General Manager for the CU & C Health Services Society (later became Pacific Blue Cross). While working there, he focused on organizing both extended healthcare benefits and dental coverage for employee groups. In 1964, Joe Corsbie was elected to Burnaby Municipal Council and served one term between 1964 and 1968. Joe also served on the Burnaby Parks Commission (after 1968); served on the Board of Directors for Heritage Village, worked for a short period as a temporary curator for Heritage Village, represented the United Church in organizing and building St. Michael’s Care Centre and served on the Board of Director's. Joe Corsbie died in 1992 and his wife Margaret Corsbie died in 2004.
- Accession Code
- BV020.31
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1941-1988]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Cartographic Material
- Arrangement
- Arrangement of fonds is based on the original arrangement by donor.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Laurence J. Peter family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription88409
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Laurence J. Peter family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 p. of textual records.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one Share Certificate for the Lochdale Co Operative Association.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1949
- Collection/Fonds
- Laurence J. Peter family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 p. of textual records.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Access Restriction
- In Archives only
- Accession Number
- 2013-29
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of one Share Certificate for the Lochdale Co Operative Association.
- History
- In 1941, Laurence J. Peter began his career as an industrial arts teacher at Lord Tweedsmeer High School in Cloverdale, after an illness kept him out of World War II. It was here that he met his future wife, Nancy M. Bailey, who was the vice principal of the school. The couple married in 1943 and made their way to Burnaby in 1947 after purchasing a one-acre lot in Burnaby from Mr. Wright for $1,000. When the couple purchased this lot, Nancy was teaching English at Burnaby South High School, while Laurence was teaching Woodwork at New Haven Borstal Home for Boys in the Provincial Corrections system. The lot was located in the historic neighbourhood of Lozell’s at 7229 Lougheed Highway and was renumbered to 7449 Lougheed in 1958. Laurence and Nancy had four children, two boys (John and Ted) and two girls (Alice and Margaret). When they first purchased the lot, they built a small house where they lived with their eldest son, John, until the completion of a larger house in 1949. Their second son, Ted, was born a few weeks before the completion of the larger house and was brought into the new home from the hospital. Their daughters were born over the next few years. Laurence and Nancy had built the larger house using a technique of peeled plywood core logs. Laurence and his cousin, Hewton Peter, who owned the lot next door, designed and built a machine to build exterior walls for their houses using plywood cores. In 1947, plywood cores were turned (peeled) down to six inches in diameter and then discarded to be chipped for the pulp industry. To build the house, the cores were splined together and stood on end making a vertical log house. Only three houses were ever built using their invention. The three-bedroom, one-bathroom house was completed in October 1949. The exterior of the house was never painted, just brushed with linseed oil. The traffic of the Lougheed Highway was not heard inside the house due to the six-inch walls and was very economical to heat in the snowy winters of the 1950s. Over the years, the couple worked on finishing the interior of the house, which included an intricately carved eight-foot-wide oak mantelpiece carved by Laurence. Parts of the mantel were reclaimed from the demolished old Hotel Vancouver and cobblestones reclaimed from the interurban tracks were used for the fireplace and stonework around the property. The family raised goats for milk and chickens for eggs and maintained a large vegetable garden and fruit trees on the property. When the goats and chickens were not needed anymore, Laurence slaughtered them for meat which they stored in a freezer at the Lochdale Co-operative until they were ready to consume them. The family was actively involved in the Burnaby community with Laurence and Nancy taking part in local politics and community activities and their children participating in Boy Scouts and Girl Guides and music lessons. All four children graduated from Burnaby North High School, and in 1970, Ted and Alice completed their studies at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). They worked at local jobs in the community, including building the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Laurence moved on to take a position as a Mental Health Coordinator (Special Counselor) in the Vancouver School System, and in 1959, Nancy joined the staff at the newly opened Burnaby Central Senior Secondary School as a math teacher, later becoming the head of the Mathematics Department. The couple continued their education at summer school at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where Nancy completed her Master's Degree in 1964 and Laurence his Doctoral degree in 1963. Laurence joined the faculty of the University of British Columbia in 1965 and later received the WSU Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980. The couple separated in 1965 and Laurence moved to California in 1966 to teach at the University of Southern California. Laurence became widely famous in 1969, after the publication of his bestselling book, "The Peter Principle," which has been translated into more than 38 languages. Following this publication, he went on to author eight more books and published several texts in the field of ‘Prescriptive Teaching’. He died on January 12, 1990, at the age of 70 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, and is honoured with a plaque as part of the Literary Landmarks program of the Vancouver Public Library located at the Metro Theatre, 1370 Marine Drive. Nancy continued to teach at Burnaby South, until her retirement in 1978 after 30 years as head of the Mathematics Department at Burnaby Central. She was an active member of the Burnaby Historical Society for many years. She passed away in Nanaimo near her family on April 21, 2013, at the age of 97.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Creator
- Peter, Laurence J.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS186-001