"The Columbian" found 77 records

Interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright June 27, 1975 - Track 5

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory107

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:10:02

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Logan and Amy Wright's thoughts on why Burnaby went into receivership, the (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) and their family's politics. Amy also touches on her mother's involvement with the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON).

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Logan and Amy Wright's thoughts on why Burnaby went into receivership, the (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) and their family's politics. Amy also touches on her mother's involvement with the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON).

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:10:02

Names: Victorian Order of Nurses

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: June 27, 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with James "Jim" Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright by Simon Fraser University student Bettina Bradbury, June 27, 1975. Major theme discussed is: the Depression. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: James "Jim", "Jimmy" Haddon was born in 1914 at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. Jim's father used to hunt in Burnaby as a boy and liked it so much that when he grew up, he built a house at Government Road and Piper Avenue and moved his young family there. Jim's father was a logger and contractor with a team of two horses. Jim began his schooling at Sperling Avenue School in 1921. He attended Sperling for one year, then switched to Seaforth School from 1922 on. Jim's older brother Art hauled gravel for the municipality while Jim was at Seaforth. In 1929, at sixteen years old, Jim left school to work for his father driving the truck, helping to haul logs, wood and gravel. Throughout the 1930s, he did contracting for the municipality. Jim Haddon met his wife Jean when her family moved into the neighbourhood in the 1930s. Jean Haddon was born in Saskatchewan in 1914. Her father's work had gone into receivership and so the family of nine packed up and drove out west in a Dodge Touring car. With two brothers and four sisters, Jean was the oldest. The family settled on Government Road and Phillips Avenue. Jean and her husband Jim Haddon were at a dance together at Cultus Lake when the war broke out. Logan Wright was born in 1915 and moved with his family from Mount Pleasant to Burnaby in 1923 to Phillips Avenue and Greenwood. The Wright family had five acres of land that held one hundred and twenty fruit trees. His father worked for BC Electric in Vancouver, and faced a ten dollar a month cut in pay during the Depression. Logan began at Sperling Avenue School in 1923, then Seaforth School in 1924. He attended Seaforth until 1932 when he left to begin working, first as a farmer, then a gold miner, and a construction worker before securing a job at BC Electric. Amy Wright was born in 1920. Her family lived at the 4300 block of Cambridge Street in the Vancouver Heights neighbourhood of North Burnaby, moving there just a year before she was born. Her father worked at Mac and Mack's in downtown Vancouver five and a half days a week. On the weekends, her family took the Union Steamship to Gibson's. Amy's mother was an active member of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON). Amy graduated high school in 1938 and went on to University. Logan Wright met his wife Amy in 1946 through Logan's sister Francis, who invited her neighbour Amy to dinner.

Total Tracks: 8

Total Length: 1:16:28

Interviewee Name: Haddon, James "Jimmy"; Haddon, Jean; Wright, Amy; Wright, Logan

Interview Location: Gibsons, British Columbia

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

Series: Community Archives Collection series

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.

Audio Tracks

Track five of interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-15/100-13-15_Track_5.mp3

Interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright June 27, 1975 - Track 6

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory108

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:09:00

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Jean Haddon's and Logan Wright's memories of growing up in a large family. Logan Wright also discusses his employment history, including his time prospecting up near Alberni.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Jean Haddon's and Logan Wright's memories of growing up in a large family. Logan Wright also discusses his employment history, including his time prospecting up near Alberni.

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:09:00

Subjects: Occupations - Gold Miners

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: June 27, 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with James "Jim" Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright by Simon Fraser University student Bettina Bradbury, June 27, 1975. Major theme discussed is: the Depression. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: James "Jim", "Jimmy" Haddon was born in 1914 at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. Jim's father used to hunt in Burnaby as a boy and liked it so much that when he grew up, he built a house at Government Road and Piper Avenue and moved his young family there. Jim's father was a logger and contractor with a team of two horses. Jim began his schooling at Sperling Avenue School in 1921. He attended Sperling for one year, then switched to Seaforth School from 1922 on. Jim's older brother Art hauled gravel for the municipality while Jim was at Seaforth. In 1929, at sixteen years old, Jim left school to work for his father driving the truck, helping to haul logs, wood and gravel. Throughout the 1930s, he did contracting for the municipality. Jim Haddon met his wife Jean when her family moved into the neighbourhood in the 1930s. Jean Haddon was born in Saskatchewan in 1914. Her father's work had gone into receivership and so the family of nine packed up and drove out west in a Dodge Touring car. With two brothers and four sisters, Jean was the oldest. The family settled on Government Road and Phillips Avenue. Jean and her husband Jim Haddon were at a dance together at Cultus Lake when the war broke out. Logan Wright was born in 1915 and moved with his family from Mount Pleasant to Burnaby in 1923 to Phillips Avenue and Greenwood. The Wright family had five acres of land that held one hundred and twenty fruit trees. His father worked for BC Electric in Vancouver, and faced a ten dollar a month cut in pay during the Depression. Logan began at Sperling Avenue School in 1923, then Seaforth School in 1924. He attended Seaforth until 1932 when he left to begin working, first as a farmer, then a gold miner, and a construction worker before securing a job at BC Electric. Amy Wright was born in 1920. Her family lived at the 4300 block of Cambridge Street in the Vancouver Heights neighbourhood of North Burnaby, moving there just a year before she was born. Her father worked at Mac and Mack's in downtown Vancouver five and a half days a week. On the weekends, her family took the Union Steamship to Gibson's. Amy's mother was an active member of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON). Amy graduated high school in 1938 and went on to University. Logan Wright met his wife Amy in 1946 through Logan's sister Francis, who invited her neighbour Amy to dinner.

Total Tracks: 8

Total Length: 1:16:28

Interviewee Name: Haddon, James "Jimmy"; Haddon, Jean; Wright, Amy; Wright, Logan

Interview Location: Gibsons, British Columbia

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

Series: Community Archives Collection series

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.

Audio Tracks

Track six of interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-15/100-13-15_Track_6.mp3

Interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright June 27, 1975 - Track 7

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory109

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:10:05

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Logan and Amy Wright's and Jim and Jean Haddon's thoughts the changes that occurred when Burnaby went into receivership. The group also discusses recreational activities that they took part in during the Depression years.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Logan and Amy Wright's and Jim and Jean Haddon's thoughts the changes that occurred when Burnaby went into receivership. The group also discusses recreational activities that they took part in during the Depression years.

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:10:05

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: June 27, 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with James "Jim" Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright by Simon Fraser University student Bettina Bradbury, June 27, 1975. Major theme discussed is: the Depression. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: James "Jim", "Jimmy" Haddon was born in 1914 at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. Jim's father used to hunt in Burnaby as a boy and liked it so much that when he grew up, he built a house at Government Road and Piper Avenue and moved his young family there. Jim's father was a logger and contractor with a team of two horses. Jim began his schooling at Sperling Avenue School in 1921. He attended Sperling for one year, then switched to Seaforth School from 1922 on. Jim's older brother Art hauled gravel for the municipality while Jim was at Seaforth. In 1929, at sixteen years old, Jim left school to work for his father driving the truck, helping to haul logs, wood and gravel. Throughout the 1930s, he did contracting for the municipality. Jim Haddon met his wife Jean when her family moved into the neighbourhood in the 1930s. Jean Haddon was born in Saskatchewan in 1914. Her father's work had gone into receivership and so the family of nine packed up and drove out west in a Dodge Touring car. With two brothers and four sisters, Jean was the oldest. The family settled on Government Road and Phillips Avenue. Jean and her husband Jim Haddon were at a dance together at Cultus Lake when the war broke out. Logan Wright was born in 1915 and moved with his family from Mount Pleasant to Burnaby in 1923 to Phillips Avenue and Greenwood. The Wright family had five acres of land that held one hundred and twenty fruit trees. His father worked for BC Electric in Vancouver, and faced a ten dollar a month cut in pay during the Depression. Logan began at Sperling Avenue School in 1923, then Seaforth School in 1924. He attended Seaforth until 1932 when he left to begin working, first as a farmer, then a gold miner, and a construction worker before securing a job at BC Electric. Amy Wright was born in 1920. Her family lived at the 4300 block of Cambridge Street in the Vancouver Heights neighbourhood of North Burnaby, moving there just a year before she was born. Her father worked at Mac and Mack's in downtown Vancouver five and a half days a week. On the weekends, her family took the Union Steamship to Gibson's. Amy's mother was an active member of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON). Amy graduated high school in 1938 and went on to University. Logan Wright met his wife Amy in 1946 through Logan's sister Francis, who invited her neighbour Amy to dinner.

Total Tracks: 8

Total Length: 1:16:28

Interviewee Name: Haddon, James "Jimmy"; Haddon, Jean; Wright, Amy; Wright, Logan

Interview Location: Gibsons, British Columbia

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

Series: Community Archives Collection series

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.

Audio Tracks

Track seven of interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-15/100-13-15_Track_7.mp3

Interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright June 27, 1975 - Track 8

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory110

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:11:34

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Logan and Amy Wright's and Jim and Jean Haddon's thoughts on unemployment and the impact of the Depression on their lives.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to Logan and Amy Wright's and Jim and Jean Haddon's thoughts on unemployment and the impact of the Depression on their lives.

Date Range: 1929-1938

Length: 0:11:34

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: June 27, 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with James "Jim" Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright by Simon Fraser University student Bettina Bradbury, June 27, 1975. Major theme discussed is: the Depression. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: James "Jim", "Jimmy" Haddon was born in 1914 at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. Jim's father used to hunt in Burnaby as a boy and liked it so much that when he grew up, he built a house at Government Road and Piper Avenue and moved his young family there. Jim's father was a logger and contractor with a team of two horses. Jim began his schooling at Sperling Avenue School in 1921. He attended Sperling for one year, then switched to Seaforth School from 1922 on. Jim's older brother Art hauled gravel for the municipality while Jim was at Seaforth. In 1929, at sixteen years old, Jim left school to work for his father driving the truck, helping to haul logs, wood and gravel. Throughout the 1930s, he did contracting for the municipality. Jim Haddon met his wife Jean when her family moved into the neighbourhood in the 1930s. Jean Haddon was born in Saskatchewan in 1914. Her father's work had gone into receivership and so the family of nine packed up and drove out west in a Dodge Touring car. With two brothers and four sisters, Jean was the oldest. The family settled on Government Road and Phillips Avenue. Jean and her husband Jim Haddon were at a dance together at Cultus Lake when the war broke out. Logan Wright was born in 1915 and moved with his family from Mount Pleasant to Burnaby in 1923 to Phillips Avenue and Greenwood. The Wright family had five acres of land that held one hundred and twenty fruit trees. His father worked for BC Electric in Vancouver, and faced a ten dollar a month cut in pay during the Depression. Logan began at Sperling Avenue School in 1923, then Seaforth School in 1924. He attended Seaforth until 1932 when he left to begin working, first as a farmer, then a gold miner, and a construction worker before securing a job at BC Electric. Amy Wright was born in 1920. Her family lived at the 4300 block of Cambridge Street in the Vancouver Heights neighbourhood of North Burnaby, moving there just a year before she was born. Her father worked at Mac and Mack's in downtown Vancouver five and a half days a week. On the weekends, her family took the Union Steamship to Gibson's. Amy's mother was an active member of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON). Amy graduated high school in 1938 and went on to University. Logan Wright met his wife Amy in 1946 through Logan's sister Francis, who invited her neighbour Amy to dinner.

Total Tracks: 8

Total Length: 1:16:28

Interviewee Name: Haddon, James "Jimmy"; Haddon, Jean; Wright, Amy; Wright, Logan

Interview Location: Gibsons, British Columbia

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

Series: Community Archives Collection series

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.

Audio Tracks

Track eight of interview with James Haddon, Jean Haddon, Amy Wright and Logan Wright

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-15/100-13-15_Track_8.mp3

Interview with Jim and Linda Champion by Eric Damer October 21, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory315

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1924-1951

Length: 0:09:28

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Jim Champion's memories of first coming to Burnaby with his wife Ethel. He mentions the neighbouring creek near their property, along with a number of neighbours. Jim also tells the story of cutting down cottonwood trees growing on nearby crown land.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Jim Champion's memories of first coming to Burnaby with his wife Ethel. He mentions the neighbouring creek near their property, along with a number of neighbours. Jim also tells the story of cutting down cottonwood trees growing on nearby crown land.

Date Range: 1924-1951

Length: 0:09:28

Subjects: Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods

Historic Neighbourhood: Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 21, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Jim Champion and his daughter Linda Champion conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 21, 2012. Major themes discussed are: raising a family in Burnaby as well as the experience of growing up in the area as it developed from farmland to suburbia.

Biographical Notes: Although Jim Champion was born in Burnaby in 1924, he grew up and attended school in White Rock. After serving in the navy during the war, Jim Champion came back to Vancouver, met and married Ethel (Danielson) Champion and began working for the Vancouver Fire Department. Jim and Ethel Champion's eldest daughter, Linda Champion, was born in 1948. In 1949, the Champions bought 1.8 undeveloped acres on Gilpin Street and began to build. By the time their house was built, they had become a family of six, so Jim and Ethel worked to built a larger house adjacent to the first. The Champions had chickens and a horse as their neighbourhood changed from farmland to suburbia. Jim has retired from the Vancouver Fire Department and his daughter Linda Champion is currently a City of Burnaby employee.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:41:09

Interviewee Name: Champion, Jim; Champion, Linda

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Jim and Linda Champion

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-007/MSS171-007_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Judy Hagen by Eric Damer November 7, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory332

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1918-1948

Length: 0:09:53

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen's views on the neighbourhood of Dover Street in Burnaby. She begins by discussing how her family first arrived on Dover Street (when her father Jack Robins was only two years old) and continues their story through her childhood …

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen's views on the neighbourhood of Dover Street in Burnaby. She begins by discussing how her family first arrived on Dover Street (when her father Jack Robins was only two years old) and continues their story through her childhood during the war years, including neighbours and neighbouring buildings.

Date Range: 1918-1948

Photo Info: Judith "Judy" Robins (later Hagen) posing in a dance costume, 1949. Item no. 549-036.

Length: 0:09:53

Subjects: Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods

Geographic Access: Dover Street

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 7, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 7, 2012. Major theme discussed: the neighbourhood of Dover Street.

Biographical Notes: Judy Robins (later Hagen) was born in 1941 and grew up in South Burnaby. Her paternal grandfather, a master stone mason from Devon, moved to Vancouver in 1912 to find work before bringing over the rest of the family. He bought three lots in Burnaby and in 1918 moved his family to a small house on Dover Street (formerly Paul Street). Judy’s father, Jack, married, bought one of his father’s lots and built a new home for his family. Judy attended school and church nearby, took dance and piano lessons and participated actively in Girl Guides. After high school, she attended the University of British Columbia (UBC) and then Simon Fraser University (SFU), worked for a few years and then married in 1967 before moving to Courtaney, British Columbia.

Total Tracks: 7

Total Length: 1:09:51

Interviewee Name: Hagen, Judith "Judy" Robins

Interview Location: Nanaimo Museum on Vancouver Island

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Judy Hagen

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-011/MSS171-011_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Judy Hagen by Eric Damer November 7, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory333

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1918-2012

Length: 0:09:44

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen's grandfather Sam Robins who also lived in the family home. Judy mentions a number of her neighbours, discusses her aunt and uncles, and tells a short story involving Kingsway West School.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen's grandfather Sam Robins who also lived in the family home. Judy mentions a number of her neighbours, discusses her aunt and uncles, and tells a short story involving Kingsway West School.

Date Range: 1918-2012

Photo Info: Judith "Judy" Robins (later Hagen) posing in a dance costume, 1949. Item no. 549-036.

Length: 0:09:44

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 7, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Judith "Judy" (Robins) Hagen conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 7, 2012. Major theme discussed: the neighbourhood of Dover Street.

Biographical Notes: Judy Robins (later Hagen) was born in 1941 and grew up in South Burnaby. Her paternal grandfather, a master stone mason from Devon, moved to Vancouver in 1912 to find work before bringing over the rest of the family. He bought three lots in Burnaby and in 1918 moved his family to a small house on Dover Street (formerly Paul Street). Judy’s father, Jack, married, bought one of his father’s lots and built a new home for his family. Judy attended school and church nearby, took dance and piano lessons and participated actively in Girl Guides. After high school, she attended the University of British Columbia (UBC) and then Simon Fraser University (SFU), worked for a few years and then married in 1967 before moving to Courtaney, British Columbia.

Total Tracks: 7

Total Length: 1:09:51

Interviewee Name: Hagen, Judith "Judy" Robins

Interview Location: Nanaimo Museum on Vancouver Island

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Judy Hagen

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-011/MSS171-011_Track_2.mp3

Interview with Kay Jackson by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory346

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1935-1956

Length: 0:10:23

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Kay (O'Cook) Jackson's memories of growing up in Burnaby. She mentions her parents' Radio Repair Shop on Kingsway and talks about different activities she would take part in with her friends. Kay also speaks fondly of Burnaby South High School and of her fi…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Kay (O'Cook) Jackson's memories of growing up in Burnaby. She mentions her parents' Radio Repair Shop on Kingsway and talks about different activities she would take part in with her friends. Kay also speaks fondly of Burnaby South High School and of her first years in the work force.

Date Range: 1935-1956

Photo Info: Burnaby South High School class, Kay O'Cook (later Jackson) is in the middle row, third from the right, [1952]. Item no. 549-038.

Length: 0:10:23

Subjects: Buildings - Commercial - Stores

Historic Neighbourhood: Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 16, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Kay (O'Cook) Jackson conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 16, 2012. Major themes discussed are: growing up in Burnaby and volunteering at the Burnaby Hospital.

Biographical Notes: Fred O'Cook operated a radio repair shop on Kingsway near McKay Avenue in Burnaby. In 1935, his daughter, Kay O'Cook (later Jackson) was born. Kay attended Kingsway West Elementary School and then Burnaby South High School. After graduating, she worked at Sears for a few years; in Vancouver and then in Burnaby when the new Sears department store opened on Kingsway. Kay (O'Cook) Jackson met her husband, Michigan-born Don Jackson through mutual friends. After their marriage, Don Jackson emigrated to Canada, and he and Kay bought a new house in Cascade Heights near Burnaby Hospital where they raised their three daughters.

Total Tracks: 3

Total Length: 0:34:36

Interviewee Name: Jackson, Kay O'Cook

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Burnaby South High School class, Kay O'Cook (later Jackson) is in the middle row, third from the right, [1952]. Item no. 549-038. thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Kay Jackson

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-014/MSS171-014_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Kay Zimmerman by Rod Fowler [February] 1990 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory530

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1920-1990

Length: 00:07:37

Summary: This portion of the interview is about Burnaby growing from “a dreamy little community” with little business to transact in council, to a municipality providing many more services and planning for and supporting industrial, commercial and residential growth. She talks about the first malls at Brent…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview is about Burnaby growing from “a dreamy little community” with little business to transact in council, to a municipality providing many more services and planning for and supporting industrial, commercial and residential growth. She talks about the first malls at Brentwood and Lougheed, the George Derby lands, and the return of Oakalla Prison lands to Burnaby.

Date Range: 1920-1990

Photo Info: Kay Zimmerman, [1973]. Item no. 231-021

Length: 00:07:37

Subjects: Government - Local Government; Taxes; Public Services

Interviewer: Fowler, Rod

Interview Date: [February] 1990

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with Kay Zimmerman, conducted by Rod Fowler. Kay Zimmerman was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is mainly about Kay Zimmerman’s political activities in Burnaby and her description of her Lochdale neighbourhood in the 1960s. She provides an excellent overview of the municipal political groups and important political issues in Burnaby from 1960 to 1980. She tells the story about an early and successful political action that convinced her that an individual can make a difference. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.

Biographical Notes: Kathleen “Kay” Zimmerman, her husband Gordon and their young son Rick moved to Burnaby from Vancouver in 1960 to a house on Curtis Avenue near Duthie Street (a second son Bruce was born in Burnaby). Kay Zimmerman worked 12 years at Royal Columbian Hospital in the admitting office, then 4 years (1974-1979) as special assistant to Senator Ray Perrault, followed by work as a judge on the Citizenship Court before retiring. Gordon Zimmerman worked at the Shell Refinery. A member of the Liberal Party and political activist before arriving in Burnaby, Kay Zimmerman continued her involvement in national and local politics. She campaigned for Ray Perrault during the Trudeau years, and was a founder and active member of the Burnaby Voters Association (BVA). Her political activities encompassed 30 years that saw major changes in Burnaby, including the building of SFU, creation of Heritage Village, an awakening environmental sensibility, and a dramatic increase in population and development in Burnaby.

Total Tracks: 10

Total Length: 01:04:36

Interviewee Name: Zimmerman, Kay

Interviewer Bio: Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.

Collection/Fonds: SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds

Series: Centennial Oral History project series

Transcript Available: Transcript available

Media Type: Sound Recording

Web Notes: Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.

Images

Kay Zimmerman, [1973]. Item no. 231-021 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track four of interview with Kay Zimmerman

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-018/MSS187-018_Track_4.mp3

Interview with Les Francis by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory327

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1914-1949

Length: 0:09:28

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's early years. He begins by mentioning his school days and moves into a detailed account of working with the municipality of Burnaby in the Hall and in the Stores.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's early years. He begins by mentioning his school days and moves into a detailed account of working with the municipality of Burnaby in the Hall and in the Stores.

Date Range: 1914-1949

Photo Info: Les Francis (far right) receiving a Burnaby Long Service Award at the Gai Paree Supper Club, 1964. Item no. 485-070.

Length: 0:09:28

Subjects: Occupations - Civic Workers; Public Services - Public Works

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 16, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Les Francis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 16, 2012. Major theme discussed: the role of the municipal worker in the nineteen-thirties through the war years.

Biographical Notes: Les Francis was born in London, England, in 1914 and came with his family to Burnaby in 1919. Except for a few years away on special projects, Les has lived in Burnaby ever since. After attending Kingsway West Elementary and Burnaby South High Schools, Les joined the municipal work force. He first worked as a clerk in 1930 and later joined the Engineering Department where he spent his career maintaining and extending the municipal water system. Les Francis retired in 1979 as the City of Burnaby's Work's Superintendent.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:43:18

Interviewee Name: Francis, Les

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Les Francis (far right) receiving a Burnaby Long Service Award at the Gai Paree Supper Club, 1964. Item no. 485-070. thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Les Francis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-010/MSS171-010_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Les Francis by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory328

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1930-1946

Length: 0:10:36

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's years of working with the municipality of Burnaby, with a focus on waterworks.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's years of working with the municipality of Burnaby, with a focus on waterworks.

Date Range: 1930-1946

Photo Info: Les Francis (far right) receiving a Burnaby Long Service Award at the Gai Paree Supper Club, 1964. Item no. 485-070.

Length: 0:10:36

Subjects: Occupations - Civic Workers; Public Services - Public Works

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 16, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Les Francis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 16, 2012. Major theme discussed: the role of the municipal worker in the nineteen-thirties through the war years.

Biographical Notes: Les Francis was born in London, England, in 1914 and came with his family to Burnaby in 1919. Except for a few years away on special projects, Les has lived in Burnaby ever since. After attending Kingsway West Elementary and Burnaby South High Schools, Les joined the municipal work force. He first worked as a clerk in 1930 and later joined the Engineering Department where he spent his career maintaining and extending the municipal water system. Les Francis retired in 1979 as the City of Burnaby's Work's Superintendent.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:43:18

Interviewee Name: Francis, Les

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Les Francis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-010/MSS171-010_Track_2.mp3

Interview with Les Francis by Eric Damer October 16, 2012 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory329

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1930-1979

Length: 0:10:35

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's years of working with the municipality of Burnaby, with a focus on waterworks. Les describes the influence of industry and population on the water system as well as the history of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Water Board.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Les Francis's years of working with the municipality of Burnaby, with a focus on waterworks. Les describes the influence of industry and population on the water system as well as the history of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Water Board.

Date Range: 1930-1979

Photo Info: Les Francis (far right) receiving a Burnaby Long Service Award at the Gai Paree Supper Club, 1964. Item no. 485-070.

Length: 0:10:35

Subjects: Occupations - Civic Workers; Public Services - Public Works

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 16, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Les Francis conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 16, 2012. Major theme discussed: the role of the municipal worker in the nineteen-thirties through the war years.

Biographical Notes: Les Francis was born in London, England, in 1914 and came with his family to Burnaby in 1919. Except for a few years away on special projects, Les has lived in Burnaby ever since. After attending Kingsway West Elementary and Burnaby South High Schools, Les joined the municipal work force. He first worked as a clerk in 1930 and later joined the Engineering Department where he spent his career maintaining and extending the municipal water system. Les Francis retired in 1979 as the City of Burnaby's Work's Superintendent.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:43:18

Interviewee Name: Francis, Les

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of interview with Les Francis

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-010/MSS171-010_Track_3.mp3

Interview with Norm and Kathleen Henderson by Eric Damer October 25, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory339

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1936-1944

Length: 0:08:54

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Norman "Norm" Henderson's memories of his early life in Saskatchewan and his family's move to Burnaby. He talks about Old Orchard Auto Park, where his father was owner and operator for three years.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Norman "Norm" Henderson's memories of his early life in Saskatchewan and his family's move to Burnaby. He talks about Old Orchard Auto Park, where his father was owner and operator for three years.

Date Range: 1936-1944

Length: 0:08:54

Subjects: Buildings - Commercial - Hotels and Motels

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 25, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Norm and Kathleen Henderson conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 25, 2012. Major themes discussed are: the making of the film "Investment in Youth" in 1945 and working as an educator system in British Columbia.

Biographical Notes: Norm Henderson came from Saskatchewan to Burnaby with his parents in December of 1940 to visit his grandmothers. Norm and his parents stayed on and bought the Old Orchard Auto Park on the corner of Kingsway and Willingdon Avenue, which they ran until 1944. Norm attended Burnaby South High School from 1941 to 1947, during which time he was involved in the production of the Burnaby School Board film; “Investment in Youth." In 1945 Norm got a part time job at Woodward’s Department Store in Vancouver where he worked until he went into teacher training at Vancouver Normal School in the early nineteen-fifties. Kathleen MacFarlane (later Henderson) was born in 1929 and grew up in Vancouver. Kathleen also went through teacher training at Vancouver Normal School. Norm and Kathleen (MacFarlane) Henderson were married in 1953 and moved to a small suite at Patterson Avenue and Kingsway. Norm was a teacher at Gilmore Avenue School and Kathleen taught at Nelson Avenue Elementary School. Norm was a member of West Burnaby United Church from 1941 until he and Kathleen moved to Richmond in 1959.

Total Tracks: 5

Total Length: 0:47:34

Interviewee Name: Henderson, Kathleen; Henderson, Norman "Norm"

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Norm and Kathleen Henderson

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-012/MSS171-012_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory353

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1931-1952

Length: 0:10:41

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of growing up in Burnaby. He discusses the activities that he and his friends would take part in, including soapbox racing and skating. Bob mentions school teachers from his elementary school years, training to be an Army Cadet …

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of growing up in Burnaby. He discusses the activities that he and his friends would take part in, including soapbox racing and skating. Bob mentions school teachers from his elementary school years, training to be an Army Cadet during the war years and his career after high school.

Date Range: 1931-1952

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:10:41

Subjects: Recreational Activities

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory354

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-2012

Length: 0:09:13

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of the development of property Burnaby. He discusses houses being built by his father, grandfather and himself; this includes the property that he and his wife bought in 1961. Bob also discusses the rise of the automobile.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of the development of property Burnaby. He discusses houses being built by his father, grandfather and himself; this includes the property that he and his wife bought in 1961. Bob also discusses the rise of the automobile.

Date Range: 1939-2012

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:09:13

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Transportation - Automobiles

Planning Study Area: Government Road Area

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_2.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory355

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-1972

Length: 0:10:04

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of growing up in Burnaby. He discusses transportation in Burnaby, including the first cars in his family. Bob talks about recreational activities available to Burnaby residents in the late nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-fo…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of growing up in Burnaby. He discusses transportation in Burnaby, including the first cars in his family. Bob talks about recreational activities available to Burnaby residents in the late nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-forties, as well as changes that he has seen from his time growing up to the time of raising his own children.

Date Range: 1939-1972

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:10:04

Subjects: Transportation - Buses; Transportation - Automobiles; Agriculture - Farms

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track three of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_3.mp3

Interview with Robert Lowe by Eric Damer November 5, 2012 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory356

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1931-1955

Length: 0:06:55

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of what it was like in the nineteen-thirties and forties for working people in Burnaby. Bob also discusses the history of Burnaby Lake.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Robert "Bob" Lowe's memories of what it was like in the nineteen-thirties and forties for working people in Burnaby. Bob also discusses the history of Burnaby Lake.

Date Range: 1931-1955

Photo Info: Robert "Bob" Lowe (at center) and friends riding soap box race cars, [1939]. Item no. 549-041.

Length: 0:06:55

Geographic Access: Burnaby Lake

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: November 5, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, November 5, 2012. Major theme discussed: the rise of the automobile and its effect on development in Burnaby.

Biographical Notes: Robert "Bob" Lowe has lived his entire life in Burnaby. During his childhood, Bob’s family lived at several addresses near Royal Oak and what is now Canada Way. He attended Douglas Road Elementary and South Burnaby High Schools. After graduating, Bob worked for a few years before enrolling in Normal School for a teaching certificate. He began teaching in Vancouver, married in 1952, and started a family. The Lowes moved to Government Road in 1961 and began a hobby farm, while Bob upgraded his formal education and became an administrator in the new college system.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:54

Interviewee Name: Lowe, Robert "Bob"

Interview Location: Interviewee's residence

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Audio Tracks

Track four of recording of interview with Bob Lowe

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-016/MSS171-016_Track_4.mp3

Interview with Roy Brainerd by Eric Damer October 23, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory302

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1926-1939

Length: 0:08:54

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Roy Brainerd's early memories of growing up in Burnaby, including his school days at Douglas Road School, and his parents' working life.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Roy Brainerd's early memories of growing up in Burnaby, including his school days at Douglas Road School, and his parents' working life.

Date Range: 1926-1939

Photo Info: Roy Brainerd walking along Granville Street in Vancouver, [1945 or 1946]. Item no. 549-016

Length: 0:08:54

Names: Brainerd, Lawrence Roy; Brainerd, Violet Baker

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 23, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Roy Brainerd conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 23, 2012. Major theme discussed: growing up in Burnaby with particular focus on school days and the automobile industry.

Biographical Notes: Roy Brainerd’s parents, Lawrence and Violet Brainerd came to Vancouver in 1925 or 1926 and purchased a small house on Harwood Street in North Burnaby. There were two older children in the family already when Roy was born in 1928 at Royal Columbian hospital. His sister Patricia Brainerd (later White) was born in 1931, also at Royal Columbian Hospital. Roy’s father Lawrence rebuilt and renovated the house to fit his growing family, planting abundant vegetable gardens and building a chicken coop. Roy started at Douglas Road School in 1934 and then attended Hugh M. Fraser High School. Roy left his high school at fifteen to work for Snap-On Tools, working his way up from pushing a broom to becoming a branch manager. He retired in 1983 after forty-one years of service. Together with his wife Carol, Roy raised three daughters.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:56

Interviewee Name: Brainerd, Roy

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Images

Roy Brainerd walking along Granville Street in Vancouver, [1945 or 1946]. Item no. 549-016 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Roy Brainerd

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-004/MSS171-004_Track_1.mp3

Interview with Roy Brainerd by Eric Damer October 23, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory303

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1933-1938

Length: 0:09:47

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Roy Brainerd's early memories of his mother and father. He discusses family friends in the neighbourhood including the Knott family, the Moore family and Tom Irvine.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Roy Brainerd's early memories of his mother and father. He discusses family friends in the neighbourhood including the Knott family, the Moore family and Tom Irvine.

Date Range: 1933-1938

Photo Info: Roy Brainerd walking along Granville Street in Vancouver, [1945 or 1946]. Item no. 549-016

Length: 0:09:47

Names: Brainerd, Lawrence Roy; Brainerd, Violet Baker

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 23, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Roy Brainerd conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 23, 2012. Major theme discussed: growing up in Burnaby with particular focus on school days and the automobile industry.

Biographical Notes: Roy Brainerd’s parents, Lawrence and Violet Brainerd came to Vancouver in 1925 or 1926 and purchased a small house on Harwood Street in North Burnaby. There were two older children in the family already when Roy was born in 1928 at Royal Columbian hospital. His sister Patricia Brainerd (later White) was born in 1931, also at Royal Columbian Hospital. Roy’s father Lawrence rebuilt and renovated the house to fit his growing family, planting abundant vegetable gardens and building a chicken coop. Roy started at Douglas Road School in 1934 and then attended Hugh M. Fraser High School. Roy left his high school at fifteen to work for Snap-On Tools, working his way up from pushing a broom to becoming a branch manager. He retired in 1983 after forty-one years of service. Together with his wife Carol, Roy raised three daughters.

Total Tracks: 4

Total Length: 0:36:56

Interviewee Name: Brainerd, Roy

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

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Track two of recording of interview with Roy Brainerd

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-004/MSS171-004_Track_2.mp3

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…

1 document 1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: Museum Oral Histories series

Subseries: South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)

Material Details: Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby

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

History: Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.

Creator: Burnaby Village Museum

Subjects: Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills; Clothing; Crafts; Employment; Migration; Social Issues; Social Issues - Racism; Occupations - Labourers; Occupations - Millworkers; Persons - South Asian Canadians

Names: Parmar, Surjeet Kaur; Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"; Manhas, Ghania Singh; Singh, Mayo; Manhas, Kashmir Singh; Manhas, Sher Singh; Manhas, Budhan Kaur; Manhas, Lashman Singh

Accession Code: BV022.29.5

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

Media Type: Sound Recording

Related Material: See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar

Notes: Title based on contents of item; Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep; Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby; Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate

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2022_0029_0005_004

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

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

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