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Childhood, travel, and British Columbia
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary3394
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Author
- Johnson, John
- Publication Date
- 1907
- Call Number
- 971.108 JOH
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV993.12.4
- Call Number
- 971.108 JOH
- Author
- Johnson, John
- Place of Publication
- [Abertillery, Mon.]
- Publisher
- [P. Wilson Raffan & Co, printers]
- Publication Date
- 1907
- Physical Description
- 349 p., [39] leaves of plates : ports. ; 19 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- British Columbia--Description and travel
- Notes
- "With 40 illustrations"--t.p.
Central Park Tramline
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark732
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Associated Dates
- 1891
- Heritage Value
- In the 1890s, local entrepreneurs launched electric railways in Vancouver, New Westminster, and Victoria, eager to cash in on the promise of future growth in the major cities of the time. In the Lower Mainland, two companies started building electric rail in 1890: the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Co., which undertook the ambitious project of building the first real interurban line from New Westminster to Vancouver, and the Westminster Street Railway, who eventually built streetcar service and installed electric lighting in New Westminster. By April 20, 1891, both companies merged to form the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company. Local entrepreneurs Henry V. Edmonds, David Oppenheimer, Benjamin Douglas, and Samuel McIntosh, were the directors, all of whom had extensive real estate holdings in the area. Interurban service launched on June 3, 1891, travelling along 12 miles of track from New Westminster to eastern Vancouver, running through Burnaby – which was then an unincorporated area. Installing the single-track line from Vancouver to New Westminster through uneven, forested terrain was a mammoth undertaking. The clearing of the 100-foot right of way and laying the track called for a large work force, some of whom were Chinese "gandy dancers" who had worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway lines. The line was eventually taken over by the B.C. Electric Railway Company in 1897, who remained the owners until the line was finally closed on October 23, 1953 and replaced with the modern bus system. The construction of the SkyTrain along the old route in 1986 reintroduced passenger rail to this historic transportation corridor.
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Images
Joseph & Jane Wintemute House
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark523
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Description
- The Wintemute House is a large two-storey wood-frame Victorian era country farm house with Victorian Italianate detailing. Designed in a symmetrical Foursquare form, it features a low-pitched hipped roof with deep eaves. Later additions to the rear of the house, and the extensive wraparound veranda…
- Associated Dates
- 1891
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Other Names
- Burnett House
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
- Repository
- Burnaby Heritage Planning
- Other Names
- Burnett House
- Geographic Access
- Berkley Street
- Associated Dates
- 1891
- Formal Recognition
- Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
- Enactment Type
- Bylaw No. 6889
- Enactment Date
- 07/03/1977
- Description
- The Wintemute House is a large two-storey wood-frame Victorian era country farm house with Victorian Italianate detailing. Designed in a symmetrical Foursquare form, it features a low-pitched hipped roof with deep eaves. Later additions to the rear of the house, and the extensive wraparound verandah and porte-cochere, were Edwardian era additions. It is located on its original site, in the modern subdivision of Buckingham Heights in southeast Burnaby. The Burnett House is one of the oldest surviving houses in Burnaby.
- Heritage Value
- Built circa 1891, the Joseph and Jane Wintemute House is valued as a representation of the early history of Burnaby and its agricultural origins. Built prior to the civic incorporation of Burnaby in 1892, the house was situated to face Douglas Road (now Canada Way), one of the first roads built to connect the rural farmlands of Burnaby to New Westminster. The original large property has been extensively subdivided and the house is now isolated in a modern subdivision. Designated in 1977, the Wintemute House is also significant as Burnaby's first protected municipal heritage site. The house is valued for its association with Joseph S. Wintemute (1832-1911) and Jane Wintemute (1832-1910), who came to British Columbia from Port Stanley, Ontario in 1865, traveling via the Isthmus of Panama. Joseph Wintemute, a skilled carpenter and contractor by trade, operated the Wintemute Furniture Factory in New Westminster, the first furniture plant established on the mainland of British Columbia. In 1891, he acquired this property, where he set up a cord wood sawmill to supply his factory. Wintemute was likely responsible for the design and construction of this commodious structure, as it was built in an Eastern Canadian style he would have been familiar with. After the lands were cleared of timber, the Wintemutes developed the property into a typical small-scale 'market garden,’ involved in the production of vegetables and fruits, such as strawberries, for sale at the New Westminster City Market. The Wintemute House is additionally significant for its association with the speculative land boom that occurred prior to the First World War, and ongoing suburban subdivision. Charles Gordon, a real estate agent, acquired the Wintemute farm and subdivided the acreage, which he marketed through the People’s Trust Company as 'Montrelynview' and offered this house as a draw prize to lot purchasers. With the collapse of the land boom, the house remained in Gordon’s possession until 1929 when it was purchased by his brother-in-law, Geoffrey Burnett, a local surveyor responsible for many of the original land surveys of Burnaby. David Burnett, Geoffrey's son, requested designation of the house when the family decided to subdivide the remaining 1.4 hectares of property in 1977. Furthermore, the Wintemute House is valued as an excellent example of a Victorian era country farm house, based loosely on the traditional farmhouses seen commonly in nineteenth century Ontario. Designed in a vernacular version of the Victorian Italianate style, the house displays restrained detailing, including several original multi-paned windows notable for their vertical proportions. The house retains many original exterior features, and the original interior layout, although modernized during the Edwardian era, is substantially intact, including finely crafted maple and cedar interior millwork that was produced by the Wintemute Furniture Factory. From 1904 to 1910, Charles Gordon, the second owner, made a number of alterations to the house including the addition of the wrap-around verandah, a porte-cochere and a 7.6 metre by 9 metre billiard room in the Arts and Crafts style, beamed and panelled in Douglas Fir. These later additions and alterations have value in demonstrating the evolution of the house and property and changing tastes at the turn of the nineteenth century.
- Defining Elements
- Key elements that define the heritage character of the Wintemute House include its: - picturesque original setting with views to the North Shore - residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its symmetrical cubic form and two-storey height, with later additions to the rear - Victorian Italianate architectural features such as the vertically-proportioned original windows with vestigial window hoods, low-pitched hipped roof and Classical Revival details such as the corner boards articulated as pilasters - hipped roof with deep boxed eaves - horizontal lapped narrow wooden siding - second storey balcony over front entry - wide wraparound columned verandah with porte-cochere, with square trimmed columns - irregular fenestration: original Victorian era double-hung 6-over-6 wood-sash windows with vertical proportions and segmental arched tops; Edwardian era double-hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows; and Edwardian era wooden-sash casement window assemblies with leaded transoms - central front entry with sidelights and transom - multi-paned French doors opening out to verandah - interior features such as its 3.7 metre ceiling height on the main and second floors; the coal grate fireplace with elaborate woodwork and glazed tile surround in the front parlour; five other fireplaces throughout the house; maple and cedar interior millwork; and the Douglas Fir panelled and beamed billiard room with hidden doors, seven-panelled doors, original light fixtures and mouldings - internal red brick chimneys with corbelled caps
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
- Function
- Primary Historic--Single Dwelling
- Primary Current--Single Dwelling
- Community
- Burnaby
- Cadastral Identifier
- 003-297-152
- Boundaries
- The Wintemute House is comprised of a single residential lot located at 7640 Berkley Street, Burnaby.
- Area
- 1566.73
- Contributing Resource
- Building
- Ownership
- Private
- Names
- Wintemute, Joseph
- Street Address
- 7640 Berkley Street
- Street View URL
- Google Maps Street View
Images
Hazel Peterson photographs
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription62794
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1880-2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- ca. 60 photographs : b&w and col. -- 2 prints : col. illustrations
- Scope and Content
- File consists of loose photographs of Hazel Peterson (nee Erickson), as well as photographs of her family and parents, Charles and Amanda Erickson, and her husband, Edwin Peterson. Photographs are from all stages of Hazel Peterson's life, including infancy and childhood and later years of her life,…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1880-2000]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Hazel Peterson subseries
- Physical Description
- ca. 60 photographs : b&w and col. -- 2 prints : col. illustrations
- Material Details
- Some photographs remain in frames or paper covers.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 504-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Accession Number
- BHS2000-08
- Scope and Content
- File consists of loose photographs of Hazel Peterson (nee Erickson), as well as photographs of her family and parents, Charles and Amanda Erickson, and her husband, Edwin Peterson. Photographs are from all stages of Hazel Peterson's life, including infancy and childhood and later years of her life, including a trip to Hawaii in 1982. File includes studio portraits, cartes de visites, postcards, and some illustrations.
- Subjects
- Travel
- Persons - Children
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on content of file
- Note on verso of 504-022 reads: "This was taken several years ago / Your niece / Hazel Petersen (at left)"
- Note on verso of 504-027 reads: "Hazel Erickson Peterson"
- Note on verso of 504-028 reads: "all of us except Ethel" and identifies the siblings in the photo
- Note on verso of 504-029 reads: "not such a bad picture considering" and identifies the people in the photo.
- Note on verso of 504-030 reads: "Agnus McDonald" and "Touch up outline of deer"
- Note on envelope for 504-039:504-041 reads: "Hazel Petersen resided at Dania Home, Burnaby, for 20 years before her death shortly before her 100th birthday."
New Canadian geography : specially adapted for use in public and high schools
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary5960
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV007.39.4
- Call Number
- 917.1 GAG
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Publisher
- W. J. Gage & Company, Limited
- Publication Date
- 1899
- Physical Description
- viii ; 227, 14 p. : ill., maps (some col.) : 20 cm.
- Inscription
- "Willie Fysh Petrolia. Oct 26th/11. Sask." [handwritten on front endpapers]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Canada--Description and travel
- Canada
- Travel
A history and geography of British Columbia
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary3864
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- BV004.91.3
- Call Number
- 971.1 LAW Copy 1
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Publisher
- W. J. Gage & Company, Limited
- Publication Date
- 1906
- Series
- Gage's 20th century series
- Physical Description
- 148 p. : ill., maps ; 20 cm.
- Inscription
- "A.B. Peebles" [handwritten in pencil on front pastedown] "B. Peebles P.N.S. 1917" [handwritten in pencil on front endpaper] "B. Peebles" [handwritten in black ink on front endpaper] "Miss B. Peebles New Westminster B.C." [handwritten in black ink on front endpaper] "Allen Peebles Mary Peebles Brownie Peebles" [handwritten in pencil on back endpaper] "H. Morey & Co Booksellers and Stationers New Westminster B.C." [stamped in red ink on back endpaper]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- British Columbia--History
- British Columbia--Description and travel
- Notes
- "For use in public schools" --t.p.
- "History --by Maria Lawson" --t.p.
- "Geography --by Rosalind Watson Young" --t.p.
- Copy 1 of 3
- Alternate version version call no. 971.1 LAW 1914
An official handbook of information relating to the Dominion of Canada
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2780
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV973.26.34
- Call Number
- 971 CAN
- Contributor
- Canada. Department of Agriculture
- Place of Publication
- Ottawa
- Publisher
- Canada. Department of Agriculture
- Publication Date
- 1892
- Physical Description
- iv, 94 p. : ill., coat of arms, map ; 21 cm.
- Inscription
- Numbers and equations written in pencil on front and back covers.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Canada--Description and travel
- Canada--Emigration and immigration
- Notes
- "Published with the approval of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies by the Government of Canada (Department of Agriculture)" --t.p.
Canadian Pacific Railway, annotated time table, with information as to C.P.R. transcontinental routes
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2781
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV973.26.35
- Call Number
- 385.06571 CAN
- Place of Publication
- [Montreal]
- Publisher
- [Canadian Pacific Railway]
- Publication Date
- 1896
- Physical Description
- 70 p. : map ; 24 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Railroads--Canada--Timetables
- Canada--Description and travel
- Subjects
- Transportation
- Notes
- "Corrected to November 2nd, 1896" --Title page.
Canadian Pacific Railway, annotated time table, with information as to C.P.R. transcontinental routes
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2785
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV973.26.137
- Call Number
- 385.06571 CAN
- Place of Publication
- [Montreal]
- Publisher
- [Canadian Pacific Railway]
- Publication Date
- 1891
- Physical Description
- 70 p. : map ; 22 cm.
- Inscription
- "H. Crasell Dougherty January 19th 1892 W. 20 J 21 F 22 Sun 24 Mon 25" [handwritten in pencil on p.3]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Railroads--Canada--Timetables
- Canada--Description and travel
- Subjects
- Transportation
- Notes
- "Corrected to October 19th, 1891" --Title page.
Canadian Pacific Railway, annotated time table, with information as to C.P.R. transcontinental routes
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2787
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Edition
- Eastbound ed.
- Publication Date
- 1907
- Call Number
- 385.06571 CAN
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV973.26.139
- Call Number
- 385.06571 CAN
- Edition
- Eastbound ed.
- Place of Publication
- [Montreal]
- Publisher
- [Canadian Pacific Railway]
- Publication Date
- 1907
- Physical Description
- 100 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.
- Inscription
- "F. Bettschen 1261 Powell St. Mrs. Price 470 Hastings St. Mr Sanderson 323 4th Ave New Westminster" [handwritten in pencil on last page]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Railroads--Canada--Timetables
- Canada--Description and travel
- Subjects
- Transportation
- Notes
- "Corrected to July 16th, 1907" --Title page.
Chambers's geographical readers of the continents : America
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1846
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV983.76.21
- Call Number
- 917 CHA
- Place of Publication
- London
- Publisher
- W. & R. Chambers, Limited
- Publication Date
- 1901
- Printer
- W. & R. Chambers, Limited
- Physical Description
- 216 p., [5] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 19 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- United States--Description and travel
- United States--Maps
Geography notes for 3rd, 4th, and 5th classes
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2838
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV973.106.1
- Call Number
- 910 HEN
- Place of Publication
- Toronto, Ont.
- Publisher
- The Educational Publishing Company, Limited
- Publication Date
- 1903
- Series
- School helps series
- Physical Description
- 91 p. ; 17 cm.
- Inscription
- "Katie Milton / Nelson B.C." -- handwritten in pencil on endpaper (front). "$460, 40, 3680, 32 ac" -- handwritten in pencil on endpaper (front). "Katie Milton / Nelson B.C." - handwritten in pencil on title page. "Thomson Stationery Co. Ltd., Vancouver, B.C." -- stamped on title page. "Katie Milton" -- handwritten in pencil on back cover verso. "Thomson Stationery Co. Ltd., Vancouver, B.C." -- stamped on endpaper (back).
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Geography
- Geography--Textbooks
- Geography--Historical texts
- Travel
- Canada
The Grand Canyon of Arizona : being a book of words from many pens, about the Grand Canyon of the Colorado river in Arizona
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1987
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV982.24.132
- Call Number
- 917.01 GRA
- Contributor
- Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
- Place of Publication
- Chicago
- Publisher
- Passenger Department of the Santa Fe
- Publication Date
- 1909
- Printer
- Poole Bros.
- Physical Description
- 127 p. : ill., col. map ; 25 cm.
- Inscription
- "D.M. Pound" [handwritten in blue ink on front endpaper]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- United States--Description and travel
Hand-book of British Columbia, Canada : its position, advantages, resources, climate, mining, lumbering, fishing, farming, ranching and fruit growing, no. 23
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2782
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV973.26.37
- Call Number
- 971.1 BRI
- Edition
- 4th ed.
- Place of Publication
- Victoria, B.C.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Provincial Information
- Publication Date
- 1909
- Printer
- Richard Wolfenden
- Physical Description
- 79 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
- Library Subject (LOC)
- British Columbia--Description and travel
- Notes
- "Printed by authority of the Legislative Assembly" --T.p.
One hundred and one views : Sourthampton and district
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary21
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection
- Special Collection
- Material Type
- Book
- Accession Code
- HV971.5.21
- Call Number
- 914.2 ONE
- Place of Publication
- London
- Publisher
- Rock Bros.
- Publication Date
- 1904
- Physical Description
- [36] p. : all photos ; 29 cm.
- Inscription
- "W-25" [phrase is crossed out and handwritten in black ink on front pastedown] "Annie to George Christmas 1904" [handwritten in black ink on front pastedown]
- Library Subject (LOC)
- Southampton (England)--Description and travel
- England--Geography
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…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- 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
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
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.mp3Interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill November 7, 1977 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory204
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1892-1905
- Length
- 0:09:33
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of Christmas as a young boy, living in the Deer Lake area. He tells stories of the antics he got into with his brothers. Claude's wife, Marion Hill speaks encouraging words.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of Christmas as a young boy, living in the Deer Lake area. He tells stories of the antics he got into with his brothers. Claude's wife, Marion Hill speaks encouraging words.
- Date Range
- 1892-1905
- Photo Info
- Claude Hill, the son of Bernard and Marian Hill, [1888]. Item no. 477-933
- Length
- 0:09:33
- Subjects
- Holidays - Christmas
- Geographic Access
- Douglas Road
- Canada Way
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Interviewer
- Stevens, Colin
- Interview Date
- November 7, 1977
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with A. Claude Hill and his wife Marion Hill, conducted by Colin Stevens, November 7, 1977. Major themes discussed are: Christmas traditions and his Deer Lake neighbourhood.
- Biographical Notes
- Claude Hill was born in England about 1885, the eldest son of Marian (Berkeley) and Bernard R. Hill. His younger sibling were Frank, Winnie and Minard Gerald “Gerry.” Claude Hill was named after Bernard’s older brother, Louis Claude Hill. Claude's father, Bernard R. Hill was born in Bengal, India while his father worked for the East Indian Railway. He and his older brother Uncle Claude became strawberry farmers in Burnaby despite their years of training as engineers. Between them, the Hill brothers owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and half way around Deer Lake. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. He also served as Burnaby Councillor and School Trustee. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. His oldest child, Claude was seven years old at the time and his first years of school in Burnaby were at Douglas Road. Later, Claude rode a horse and buggy with his younger brother to travel to school in New Westminster. A.Claude Hill married Marion "Mamie" in his early twenties.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:30:00
- Interviewee Name
- Hill, Claude
- Hill, Marion
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill
Track one of interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS137-019-1/MSS137-019-1_Track_1.mp3Interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill November 7, 1977 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory205
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1892-1905
- Length
- 0:08:15
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of Christmas as a young boy, living in the Deer Lake area. Claude and Marion HIll continue discussing Christmas traditions of the time.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of Christmas as a young boy, living in the Deer Lake area. Claude and Marion HIll continue discussing Christmas traditions of the time.
- Date Range
- 1892-1905
- Photo Info
- Claude Hill, the son of Bernard and Marian Hill, [1888]. Item no. 477-933
- Length
- 0:08:15
- Subjects
- Holidays - Christmas
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Interviewer
- Stevens, Colin
- Interview Date
- November 7, 1977
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with A. Claude Hill and his wife Marion Hill, conducted by Colin Stevens, November 7, 1977. Major themes discussed are: Christmas traditions and his Deer Lake neighbourhood.
- Biographical Notes
- Claude Hill was born in England about 1885, the eldest son of Marian (Berkeley) and Bernard R. Hill. His younger sibling were Frank, Winnie and Minard Gerald “Gerry.” Claude Hill was named after Bernard’s older brother, Louis Claude Hill. Claude's father, Bernard R. Hill was born in Bengal, India while his father worked for the East Indian Railway. He and his older brother Uncle Claude became strawberry farmers in Burnaby despite their years of training as engineers. Between them, the Hill brothers owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and half way around Deer Lake. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. He also served as Burnaby Councillor and School Trustee. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. His oldest child, Claude was seven years old at the time and his first years of school in Burnaby were at Douglas Road. Later, Claude rode a horse and buggy with his younger brother to travel to school in New Westminster. A.Claude Hill married Marion "Mamie" in his early twenties.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:30:00
- Interviewee Name
- Hill, Claude
- Hill, Marion
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill
Track two of interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS137-019-1/MSS137-019-1_Track_2.mp3Interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill November 7, 1977 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory206
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1892
- Length
- 0:07:14
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of crossing from England to Canada and of the land clearing process.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of crossing from England to Canada and of the land clearing process.
- Date Range
- 1892
- Photo Info
- Claude Hill, the son of Bernard and Marian Hill, [1888]. Item no. 477-933
- Length
- 0:07:14
- Names
- Hill, Bernard R
- Subjects
- Land Clearing
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Interviewer
- Stevens, Colin
- Interview Date
- November 7, 1977
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with A. Claude Hill and his wife Marion Hill, conducted by Colin Stevens, November 7, 1977. Major themes discussed are: Christmas traditions and his Deer Lake neighbourhood.
- Biographical Notes
- Claude Hill was born in England about 1885, the eldest son of Marian (Berkeley) and Bernard R. Hill. His younger sibling were Frank, Winnie and Minard Gerald “Gerry.” Claude Hill was named after Bernard’s older brother, Louis Claude Hill. Claude's father, Bernard R. Hill was born in Bengal, India while his father worked for the East Indian Railway. He and his older brother Uncle Claude became strawberry farmers in Burnaby despite their years of training as engineers. Between them, the Hill brothers owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and half way around Deer Lake. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. He also served as Burnaby Councillor and School Trustee. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. His oldest child, Claude was seven years old at the time and his first years of school in Burnaby were at Douglas Road. Later, Claude rode a horse and buggy with his younger brother to travel to school in New Westminster. A.Claude Hill married Marion "Mamie" in his early twenties.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:30:00
- Interviewee Name
- Hill, Claude
- Hill, Marion
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Claude Hill and his wife
Track three of interview with Claude Hill and his wife
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS137-019-1/MSS137-019-1_Track_3.mp3Interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill November 7, 1977 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory250
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1892-1905
- Length
- 0:04:58
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of how his father cleared land to build a house, including the equipment that was used.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to A. Claude Hill's memories of how his father cleared land to build a house, including the equipment that was used.
- Date Range
- 1892-1905
- Photo Info
- Claude Hill, the son of Bernard and Marian Hill, [1888]. Item no. 477-933
- Length
- 0:04:58
- Names
- Hill, Bernard R
- Subjects
- Land Clearing
- Geographic Access
- Douglas Road
- Canada Way
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Interviewer
- Stevens, Colin
- Interview Date
- November 7, 1977
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with A. Claude Hill and his wife Marion Hill, conducted by Colin Stevens, November 7, 1977. Major themes discussed are: Christmas traditions and his Deer Lake neighbourhood.
- Biographical Notes
- Claude Hill was born in England about 1885, the eldest son of Marian (Berkeley) and Bernard R. Hill. His younger sibling were Frank, Winnie and Minard Gerald “Gerry.” Claude Hill was named after Bernard’s older brother, Louis Claude Hill. Claude's father, Bernard R. Hill was born in Bengal, India while his father worked for the East Indian Railway. He and his older brother Uncle Claude became strawberry farmers in Burnaby despite their years of training as engineers. Between them, the Hill brothers owned all the land between Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake where Deer Creek runs, and half way around Deer Lake. After the decline in the strawberry industry, Bernard worked as a surveyor for the municipality. He also served as Burnaby Councillor and School Trustee. Bernard built his family home at Douglas Road near Deer Lake in 1892. His oldest child, Claude was seven years old at the time and his first years of school in Burnaby were at Douglas Road. Later, Claude rode a horse and buggy with his younger brother to travel to school in New Westminster. A.Claude Hill married Marion "Mamie" in his early twenties.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:30:00
- Interviewee Name
- Hill, Claude
- Hill, Marion
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill
Track four of interview with Claude Hill and Marion Hill
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS137-019-1/MSS137-019-1_Track_4.mp3