Narrow Results By
Subject
- Agriculture - Fruit and Berries 1
- Animals - Birds 1
- Animals - Horses 1
- Buildings - Heritage 2
- Buildings - Residential 2
- Buildings - Residential - Houses 1
- Documentary Artifacts - Postcards 1
- Elections 1
- Events 3
- Geographic Features - Creeks 1
- Geographic Features - Forests 3
- Geographic Features - Gardens 4
E. Cary
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37606
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1930 and 1934] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.2 x 2.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of E. Cary sitting in front of a tree at the front of 311 Madison Avenue.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1930 and 1934] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.2 x 2.9 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-194
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of E. Cary sitting in front of a tree at the front of 311 Madison Avenue.
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Names
- Cary, E.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Negative has a pink cast
- Geographic Access
- Madison Avenue
- Street Address
- 311 Madison Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
Edmonds District
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34036
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1912]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 8.3 x 10.7 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Edmonds District, including bush, houses and a windmill.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1912]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Stride family subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 8.3 x 10.7 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 001-012
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Edmonds District, including bush, houses and a windmill.
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Images
Ellesmere Avenue
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35848
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of 200 Ellesmere Avenue (then called Ross), opposite the Holmes family home on Capitol Hill.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Pioneer Tales subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 204-707
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1988-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of 200 Ellesmere Avenue (then called Ross), opposite the Holmes family home on Capitol Hill.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Phillips, James William "Jim"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Ellesmere Avenue
- Street Address
- 200 Ellesmere Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
Esther Love Stanley in front of cherry tree
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19861
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [191-]
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Esther (Love) Stanley standing in front oa cherry tree in full blossom on the property of the Love family farm. A barn or storage shed and wagon are visible behind.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Esther (Love) Stanley standing in front oa cherry tree in full blossom on the property of the Love family farm. A barn or storage shed and wagon are visible behind.
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Names
- Stanley, Esther Love
- Accession Code
- BV022.32.283
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [191-]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-05-09
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Fraser Scrubland and burnt timber
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37140
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1911 and 1919]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 12.5 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Fraser Scrubland and burnt timber in the Edmonds district.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1911 and 1919]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Disney family subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 12.5 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 325-012
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1996-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Fraser Scrubland and burnt timber in the Edmonds district.
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Disney, John Harold "Jack"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Images
From Mount Elma 22nd July 1938
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51458
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- July 22, 1938
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 13.5 cm, mounted on heavy-weight paper 17.5 x 26.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of smoke billowing from the Campbell River fire, seen from Mount Elma. This was part of a trip to the Forbidden Plateau on Vancouver Island made by a small party of City of Courtenay officials. George A. Grant was one of the climbers in the party.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- July 22, 1938
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- George Grant subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 13.5 cm, mounted on heavy-weight paper 17.5 x 26.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 243-063
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1990-06
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of smoke billowing from the Campbell River fire, seen from Mount Elma. This was part of a trip to the Forbidden Plateau on Vancouver Island made by a small party of City of Courtenay officials. George A. Grant was one of the climbers in the party.
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Natural Phenomena - Fires
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Tait, Preston L.
- Notes
- Title taken from handwritten title on paper mount
- Note on verso of photograph reads: "Forest fire of July 22nd which formed by a strong North wind threatened the towns of Comox & Courtney [sic] Vancouver Island and other villages. Photo taken from Mt. Elma 4600 ft. Forbidden Plateau 12 miles from the fire. Photo by P.L. Tait. Vancouver B.C."
- Handwritten note on facing page reads: "Ordered out 22nd July 1938 ~ but 'the Plateau' was happily ordained 'forbidden' to the Campbell River fire."
Images
Government Road property
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35830
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [191-] (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of (left) James Ker (maternal grandfather), (right) Robert Haddon (father), and Gordon Haddon (son), cutting firewood from a large fallen fir with a Wee MacGregor chainsaw on their Hastings Mill property south of the family home on Government Road.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [191-] (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Pioneer Tales subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 204-689
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1988-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of (left) James Ker (maternal grandfather), (right) Robert Haddon (father), and Gordon Haddon (son), cutting firewood from a large fallen fir with a Wee MacGregor chainsaw on their Hastings Mill property south of the family home on Government Road.
- Subjects
- Land Clearing
- Plants - Trees
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Government Road
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lozells (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Government Road Area
Images
Gray family clearing land
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35520
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Gray family clearing a lot for the family home at 4375 Winnifred Street. Clamor Gray (father of William Gray) and Ernie North (uncle, right), both carpenters, built this house and others for relatives nearby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Pioneer Tales subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 204-378
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1988-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the Gray family clearing a lot for the family home at 4375 Winnifred Street. Clamor Gray (father of William Gray) and Ernie North (uncle, right), both carpenters, built this house and others for relatives nearby.
- Subjects
- Land Clearing
- Plants - Trees
- Names
- Gray, Clamor
- Gray, Ernie
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Winnifred Street
- Street Address
- 4375 Winnifred Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Alta-Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Sussex-Nelson Area
Images
The Green Timbers
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34299
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1923
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.2 x 7.5 cm on page 23.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph taken looking down a tree-lined road, and is labelled "The Green Timbers". An automobile is parked along the side of the road. The Green Timbers was a famous roadway that went through Surrey and by the 1920s it was known as the only remaining stretch of virgin forest all the way from Ca…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1923
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Peers family subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.2 x 7.5 cm on page 23.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 020-006
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph taken looking down a tree-lined road, and is labelled "The Green Timbers". An automobile is parked along the side of the road. The Green Timbers was a famous roadway that went through Surrey and by the 1920s it was known as the only remaining stretch of virgin forest all the way from California to British Columbia. In more recent years, this area in Surrey has been declared an urban forest park.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on caption accompanying photograph
Images
Group of women and men outside
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19330
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [c. 1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 10.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a group of five women and two men standing outside in an area with barren tree trunks behind them. Everyone in the group are wearing hats. The women are wearing blouses and long skirts. The woman on the far left is identified as Annie Elizabeth Love Whiting and the young girl on the f…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Esther Love Stanley fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7.5 x 10.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a group of five women and two men standing outside in an area with barren tree trunks behind them. Everyone in the group are wearing hats. The women are wearing blouses and long skirts. The woman on the far left is identified as Annie Elizabeth Love Whiting and the young girl on the far right may be Hannah "Girlie" Love.
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Accession Code
- BV022.32.47
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [c. 1910]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-04-04
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Henry Irwin with daughters at Barnet
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription15264
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1932] (date of original), copied 2004
- Collection/Fonds
- In the Shadow by the Sea collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Henry Stanley Irwin standing in the yard of the Irwin family home at Barnet mill with his daughters Louise (left) and Eleanor (right).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- In the Shadow by the Sea collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (tiff) : 300 dpi
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Henry Stanley Irwin standing in the yard of the Irwin family home at Barnet mill with his daughters Louise (left) and Eleanor (right).
- Subjects
- Plants - Trees
- Geographic Access
- Burrard Inlet
- Accession Code
- BV019.32.83
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1932] (date of original), copied 2004
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- See page 48 of book, "In the Shadow by the Sea: Recollections of Burnaby's Barnet Village" with caption "Top:Left to Right: Louise Irwin, Mr. Irwin and Eleanor Irwin dressed in their "Sunday Best", 1929"
- Date of photograph based on birth dates for Eleanor and Louise Irwin
Images
Holmes lot
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35850
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George Phillips clearing land on the Holmes lot at 200 Ellesmere Avenue. George Phillips' sister would marry Jack Holmes.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1911 (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Pioneer Tales subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.8 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 204-709
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1988-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of George Phillips clearing land on the Holmes lot at 200 Ellesmere Avenue. George Phillips' sister would marry Jack Holmes.
- Subjects
- Land Clearing
- Plants - Trees
- Names
- Phillips, George
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Phillips, James William "Jim"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Ellesmere Avenue
- Street Address
- 200 Ellesmere Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
Hummingbird in a tree
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38737
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a hummingbird sitting in its nest on a tree limb. A caption written around the outside frame reads: "This is very good I think of the young humming bird in nest. I will enlarge when I have time. Ask Daddy if he would like a print of this 'His Bird.'" The caption was most likely writ…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 10 cm on page 11.5 x 14 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-056
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a hummingbird sitting in its nest on a tree limb. A caption written around the outside frame reads: "This is very good I think of the young humming bird in nest. I will enlarge when I have time. Ask Daddy if he would like a print of this 'His Bird.'" The caption was most likely written by Kitty Hill (later Kitty Peers).
- Subjects
- Animals - Birds
- Plants - Trees
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Interview with Alfred Bingham June 10, 1975 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory60
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1917-1935
- Length
- 0:08:22
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of tree felling in Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to Alfred Bingham's memories of tree felling in Burnaby.
- Date Range
- 1917-1935
- Photo Info
- Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
- Length
- 0:08:22
- Subjects
- Occupations - Lumberjacks
- Plants - Trees
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- June 10, 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with Alfred Bingham by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury June 10, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression, Pioneers, and the Co-operative Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
- Total Tracks
- 14
- Total Length
- 1:57:27
- Interviewee Name
- Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Alfred Bingham
Track three of interview with Alfred Bingham
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-20-1/100-13-20-1_Track_3.mp3Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory18
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1914-1932
- Length
- 0:08:44
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's early childhood including the reasons why his family first moved to Burnaby, his first experiences of unemployment and what initially drew him to the Working Organization in Burnaby and their protest against evictions.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's early childhood including the reasons why his family first moved to Burnaby, his first experiences of unemployment and what initially drew him to the Working Organization in Burnaby and their protest against evictions.
- Date Range
- 1914-1932
- Photo Info
- Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
- Length
- 0:08:44
- Subjects
- Organizations
- Protests and Demonstrations
- Geographic Access
- Inman Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July / August 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:17:56
- Interviewee Name
- O'Brien, Harry
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with W.H.
Track one of interview with W.H.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_1.mp3Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory19
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1932-1936
- Length
- 0:09:26
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's decision to join the Army of the Common Good and its Cooperative (CG Co-op) as well as the South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed. Harry discusses his father's work as caretaker at Central Park and helping to deal with wood cutting per…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's decision to join the Army of the Common Good and its Cooperative (CG Co-op) as well as the South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed. Harry discusses his father's work as caretaker at Central Park and helping to deal with wood cutting permits and land clearing by men who were on script.
- Date Range
- 1932-1936
- Photo Info
- Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
- Length
- 0:09:26
- Names
- Central Park
- Subjects
- Organizations
- Geographic Access
- Central Park
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July / August 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:17:56
- Interviewee Name
- O'Brien, Harry
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with W.H.
Track two of interview with W.H.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_2.mp3Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory20
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1935-1936
- Length
- 0:08:41
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's thoughts on how the Union of the Unemployed was organized and what its main focus was. Harry discusses the Union of the Unemployed's dealings with the Commissioner.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's thoughts on how the Union of the Unemployed was organized and what its main focus was. Harry discusses the Union of the Unemployed's dealings with the Commissioner.
- Date Range
- 1935-1936
- Photo Info
- Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
- Length
- 0:08:41
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July / August 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:17:56
- Interviewee Name
- O'Brien, Harry
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with W.H.
Track three of interview with W.H.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_3.mp3Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory21
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1935-1938
- Length
- 0:07:04
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's memories on the reaction of the community to the Union of the Unemployed. Harry mentions other Unemployed organizations throughout Metro Vancouver as well as the Workers Unity League and the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council and the…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's memories on the reaction of the community to the Union of the Unemployed. Harry mentions other Unemployed organizations throughout Metro Vancouver as well as the Workers Unity League and the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council and their purpose.
- Date Range
- 1935-1938
- Photo Info
- Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
- Length
- 0:07:04
- Subjects
- Organizations
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July / August 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:17:56
- Interviewee Name
- O'Brien, Harry
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with W.H.
Track four of interview with W.H.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_4.mp3Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory22
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1932
- Length
- 0:06:39
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's thoughts on the practices and philosophies of Army of the Common Good.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's thoughts on the practices and philosophies of Army of the Common Good.
- Date Range
- 1932
- Photo Info
- Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
- Length
- 0:06:39
- Subjects
- Organizations
- Persons - Volunteers
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July / August 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:17:56
- Interviewee Name
- O'Brien, Harry
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track five of interview with W.H.
Track five of interview with W.H.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_5.mp3Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory23
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1932-1938
- Length
- 0:09:14
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the Army of the Common Good Cooperative stores and their beginnings. Harry mentions the Credit Union.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the Army of the Common Good Cooperative stores and their beginnings. Harry mentions the Credit Union.
- Date Range
- 1932-1938
- Photo Info
- Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005
- Length
- 0:09:14
- Subjects
- Organizations
- Persons - Volunteers
- Geographic Access
- McKay Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July / August 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:17:56
- Interviewee Name
- O'Brien, Harry
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with W.H.
Track six of interview with W.H.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_6.mp3