2 records – page 1 of 1.

Interview with Allan Nixon by Rod Fowler February 21, 1990 - Track 3

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory466
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1927-1990
Length
00:04:05
Summary
This portion of the interview is about the equipment used by the fire department over the years, in particular about the pump and ladder trucks, and about Chief Waddell's wise choice of locations for the fire halls.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the interview is about the equipment used by the fire department over the years, in particular about the pump and ladder trucks, and about Chief Waddell's wise choice of locations for the fire halls.
Date Range
1927-1990
Length
00:04:05
Names
Waddell, Gordon
Subjects
Public Services - Fire Protection
Buildings - Civic
Transportation - Fire Trucks
Interviewer
Fowler, Rod
Interview Date
February 21, 1990
Scope and Content
Recording is of an interview with Al Nixon, conducted by Rod Fowler. Al Nixon 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 the history and operations of the Burnaby Fire Department from its beginning in 1911 to 1990, and Al Nixon’s stories about the various ways photographs, records and artifacts about the department were collected and saved. The interview takes place while looking at photographs, but the information is clear nonetheless (His photographs have been deposited in the Burnaby Archives). Al Nixon also talks about his father's career as a firefighter, and about his Douglas grandparents and their home “The Gables” [Seven Gables] and neighbourhood in Burquitlam. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
Biographical Notes
Al Nixon was born in New Westminster Feb. 8, 1936, the son of Provincial Fire Marshal Basil Nixon (1904-1975) and Agnes Douglas (1909-?). His mother’s family immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1922 and lived in a large ca. 1900 home in Burquitlam at 9957 Sullivan Road called “Seven Gables” (recently demolished). His grandfather Thomas Douglas, a Coquitlam Councillor and Socialist, was murdered in 1934 in his North Road service station. Al Nixon began his career as a firefighter with the Burnaby Fire Department in 1957, eventually becoming Deputy Fire Chief Operations in 1987 and Fire Chief in 1991, before retiring in 1993. In the mid 1980's Al Nixon became interested in the department’s history after finding a photograph scrapbook at one of the firehalls. It was in very bad condition but he recognized its value and began a project to collect and save photographs, artifacts and stories about the Burnaby Fire Department, a 6 month project that turned into years. The photographs and information gathered by Al Nixon became part of Douglas Penn’s book “Follow that Fire: the history of the Burnaby Fire Department”.
Total Tracks
8
Total Length
0:43:35
Interviewee Name
Nixon, Al
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.
Audio Tracks
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LaFrance Class A Quintuplet

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1681
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[after 1956]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph: sepia photocopy ; 10 x 14 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Burnaby Fire Department's 1956 LaFrance Class A Quintuplet fire truck, considered "five fire trucks in one" because it served as a chemical truck (now a water tank), a hose truck, pumper truck, city service ladder truck and 100 ft aerial ladder truck. Truck no. 8 is parked in front of…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph: sepia photocopy ; 10 x 14 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Burnaby Fire Department's 1956 LaFrance Class A Quintuplet fire truck, considered "five fire trucks in one" because it served as a chemical truck (now a water tank), a hose truck, pumper truck, city service ladder truck and 100 ft aerial ladder truck. Truck no. 8 is parked in front of fire hall no. 3.
Subjects
Transportation - Fire Trucks
Buildings - Civic - Fire Halls
Names
Burnaby Fire Department
Geographic Access
Marlborough Avenue
Street Address
6511 Marlborough Avenue
Accession Code
BV002.75.3
Access Restriction
Restricted access
Reproduction Restriction
May be restricted by third party rights
Date
[after 1956]
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Marlborough Area
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
09-Jun-09
Scale
100
Notes
Typed note on recto of photograph reads: "First in Canada 1956"
Typed note on verso of photograph reads: "Five fire trucks in one. Chemical -- Now water trank Hose truck. Pumper truck. City service ladder truck. Aerial ladder truck 100 ft."
Address sticker on verso of photograph reads: "Mr F. Blake 4165 Pandora Street Burnaby, B.C. Canada V5C 2B2"
Images
Less detail