Narrow Results By
Person / Organization
- Babey, Beverley 1
- British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism 1
- Canada Way Food Market 1
- Canadian Farmworkers Union 1
- Canadian Paralympic Committee 1
- Chak, Dr. Po Tin 1
- Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC 1
- Chouhan, Raj 1
- Fraser Merchants' Association 1
- Gigli, Beniamino 1
- Girl Guides of Canada 2
- Grewal, Hardial Singh 1
![50th Anniversary G.G.C., [1926-1979] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/2015/2015_0035_0166_folded_redacted.jpg?width=280)
50th Anniversary G.G.C.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4594
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1926-1979]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Girl Guides fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 scrapbook (51 photographs + 1 postcard + textual records)
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a scrapbook with a handpainted wood cover titled "50th Anniversary / G.G.C". The scrapbook documents events and ceremonies of the 4th Guide Company with the first half of the scrapbook containing photographs and documents regarding the 50th Anniversary of Girl Guides which was cele…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Girl Guides fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 scrapbook (51 photographs + 1 postcard + textual records)
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a scrapbook with a handpainted wood cover titled "50th Anniversary / G.G.C". The scrapbook documents events and ceremonies of the 4th Guide Company with the first half of the scrapbook containing photographs and documents regarding the 50th Anniversary of Girl Guides which was celebrated at St. Nicholas Church in 1960 while the second half documents earlier events from 1926, as well as other events in the 1960s such as; "Year of the Golden Jubilee", a parade in North Burnaby as well as Thinking Day 1976-1978, banquets, a disco contest, camping on Hollyburn mountain and a visit to Victoria in 1979. On November 3rd, 1926 the company was registered as the 5th Burnaby Guide company, in 1951 the number was changed to the 4th Vancouver Guide Company and in 1956 the number was changed to the 4th Burnaby Company.
- Accession Code
- BV015.35.166
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [1926-1979]
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Items within scrapbook have been redacted in compliance with Section 22 of FIPPA
- A selection of photographs are described at item level (BV015.35.285 to BV.015.35.300).
Images
![50th Anniversary G.G.C., [1926-1979] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/2015/2015_0035_0166_folded_redacted.jpg)
Documents
Application for Welfare Institution licence - Mrs. Victoria Shull
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport36368
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 32463
- Meeting Date
- 28-Jun-1965
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 32463
- Meeting Date
- 28-Jun-1965
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Appointment of Delegate for Reeves' Convention in Victoria
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport78075
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 82866
- Meeting Date
- 5-Dec-1903
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 82866
- Meeting Date
- 5-Dec-1903
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Attendance of Medical Health Officer at Conference in Victoria (Dr. A. Weston Black)
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport53865
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 69951
- Meeting Date
- 25-Sep-1944
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 69951
- Meeting Date
- 25-Sep-1944
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
basket
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact84019
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV014.9.1
- Description
- This basket is woven using the wrapped twining method and is made of swamp grass. The designs were made using aniline dyes and are badly faded; original colours still visible on the inside of lid and basket. The weave on this basket is very finely done. The basket and lid are decorated with bird motifs. Originally birds were yellow on a purple background. The lid has a drop edge that fits over a lip around the top edge of the basket. It is decorated in concentric circles with a dark spot in the centre. The spot includes black as well as the wine colour. The outside is faded to a light brown colour. Nuu-chah-nulth
- Object History
- The basket was acquired in Victoria in the 1930s before the family moved to Vancouver.
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Culture
- Nuu-Chah-Nulth
Images
Documents
basket
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact84020
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV014.9.2
- Description
- Basket with red cedar bark base and warps and swamp grass wefts. The base is done in checker weave, while the walls and lid are done using wrapped twining. The base of the basket is secured with two strand twining and then the warps were split and smaller rows of two strand twining follow. The edge of the base is distinguished by one row of three strand twining, which creates a noticeable break in the pattern, before the wrapped twining begins for the walls. Designs, consisting of horizontal stripes, were made using analine dyes, which are extremely light sensitive. Colours are preserved on inside of basket, where light exposure has been much lower. Originally red and black stripes. Nuu-chah-nulth
- Object History
- The basket was acquired in Victoria in the 1930s before the family moved to Vancouver.
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Culture
- Nuu-Chah-Nulth
Images
Documents
Burnaby District Exhibit at the Vancouver and Victoria Exhibition
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport54952
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 71057
- Meeting Date
- 28-Sep-1938
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 71057
- Meeting Date
- 28-Sep-1938
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Burnaby Exhibit at Victoria Exhibition
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport55253
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 71360
- Meeting Date
- 24-Sep-1936
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 71360
- Meeting Date
- 24-Sep-1936
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Bylaw Number: 3474 - Town Planning Bylaw 1948, Amendment Bylaw No 3, 1954
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/bylaw20894
- Repository
- Legislative Services
- Bylaw Number
- 3474
- Final Adoption
- 1954 Jun 14
- Format
- Bylaws - Repealed
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- Legislative Services
- Bylaw Number
- 3474
- Final Adoption
- 1954 Jun 14
- Format
- Bylaws - Repealed
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Councillor Russell and the Engineer Gone to Victoria to Appear at the Hearing of the Appeal re Subdivision Plan of Block 1, DL 75
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport71341
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 735873
- Meeting Date
- 19-Jul-1920
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 735873
- Meeting Date
- 19-Jul-1920
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Delegation of Council to Proceed to Victoria re Farmer's Advocate
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport78243
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 83025
- Meeting Date
- 21-May-1904
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 83025
- Meeting Date
- 21-May-1904
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Delegation of Victoria Opposing Passing of Consolidated Railway and Electric Ry. and Co. Bill
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport79278
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 83318
- Meeting Date
- 22-Feb-1896
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 83318
- Meeting Date
- 22-Feb-1896
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Deputation of the Whole Council Proceed at Once to Victoria re Bylaws 120 and 121
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport73729
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 80305
- Meeting Date
- 12-Aug-1912
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 80305
- Meeting Date
- 12-Aug-1912
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Expenses of R. Stevens to Victoria re Inspection of Hydrants
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport69894
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 73255
- Meeting Date
- 4-Sep-1923
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 73255
- Meeting Date
- 4-Sep-1923
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Foremen be Notified re All Work Cease on Victoria Day
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport76939
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 81577
- Meeting Date
- 21-May-1910
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 81577
- Meeting Date
- 21-May-1910
- Format
- Council - Mayor/Councillor/Staff Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
![Girl Guide scrapbook, [1950-1969] (date of original), copied 2016 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/2015/2015_0035_0165_folded.jpg?width=280)
Girl Guide scrapbook
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4593
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1950-1969] (date of original), copied 2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Girl Guides fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 scrapbook (2 digital files : col. (pdfs) + 31 photographs : col. (tiffs))
- Scope and Content
- File consists of images of a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings and some original programs. Many pages of the scrapbook identify themes for newspaper articles such as: "Expansion in Douglas District"; "New Guides / - New Flag"; "Fly ups"; "Honours to Guides"; "Progress at Wilson Creek"; "1959…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Girl Guides fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 scrapbook (2 digital files : col. (pdfs) + 31 photographs : col. (tiffs))
- Scope and Content
- File consists of images of a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings and some original programs. Many pages of the scrapbook identify themes for newspaper articles such as: "Expansion in Douglas District"; "New Guides / - New Flag"; "Fly ups"; "Honours to Guides"; "Progress at Wilson Creek"; "1959 / Mrs McKee-Wilson meets Prince Phillip in Victoria"; "Mrs. Roper / becomes / Area Commissioner / 1962"; "Gold Cord to Marilyn Pringle / April 1964"; "Baden Powell Day"; "Fifty Years of C.G.G. / in Burnaby"; "Gold Cord Presentation"; "Guides Lend a Hand" and "An Active District" . Original programs are identified as: "Thinking Day Services / Feb. 1964"; "Thinking Day Service / Edmonds District Guides and Brownies / February 21st 1965"; "Thinking Day Ceremony / Edmonds Junior High School / February 26, 1961" and "Guider's Own Service / Christ Church Memorial Hall / Victoria, B.C. / Saturday April 4th, 1959".
- Names
- Girl Guides of Canada
- Accession Code
- BV015.35.165
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [1950-1969] (date of original), copied 2016
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
Images
![Girl Guide scrapbook, [1950-1969] (date of original), copied 2016 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/2015/2015_0035_0165_folded.jpg)
Documents
Heritage BC Annual Conference, Victoria, BC 2017 May 04 to 06
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport79779
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 101501
- Meeting Date
- 24-Apr-2017
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 101501
- Meeting Date
- 24-Apr-2017
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Heritage Society of BC 22nd Annual Conference, Victoria, BC
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/councilreport4441
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 62713
- Meeting Date
- 27-Mar-2000
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Report ID
- 62713
- Meeting Date
- 27-Mar-2000
- Format
- Council - Committee Report
- Collection/Fonds
- City Council and Office of the City Clerk fonds
Documents
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Grocers
- Organizations
- Organizations - Business Associations
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores
- Names
- Toy, Christina
- Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"
- Babey, Beverley
- Canada Way Food Market
- Fraser Merchants' Association
- Responsibility
- Fong, Denise
- Geographic Access
- Canada Way
- Street Address
- 4694 Canada Way
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.19
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".
- History
- Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Occupations - Agricultural Labourers
- Migration
- Organizations - Unions
- Rights
- Rights - Human Rights
- Agriculture
- Agriculture - Farms
- Government - Provincial Government
- Government
- Names
- Chouhan, Raj
- British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism
- Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash
- Grewal, Hardial Singh
- Canadian Farmworkers Union
- Hospital Employees Union
- Khalsa Diwan Society
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.4
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3