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Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 9
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory480
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1987-1990
- Length
- 00:07:57
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s work on the Parks Board and involvement in the arts community. He talks about developing an art policy for Burnaby, the conflicting views about building a theatre at Metrotown, and the establishment of the Arts Centre at Deer Lake
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s work on the Parks Board and involvement in the arts community. He talks about developing an art policy for Burnaby, the conflicting views about building a theatre at Metrotown, and the establishment of the Arts Centre at Deer Lake
- Date Range
- 1987-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:07:57
- Names
- Burnaby Arts Centre
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill 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 about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- 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
- 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
Audio Tracks
Track nine of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track nine of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_9.mp3
knife
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact37091
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV991.45.533
- Description
- This knife has been altered by a prisoner at Oakalla prison to make it a weapon, both edges of the blade have been sharpened. The knife is a prison issue dinner knife.
- Object History
- Salvaged from Oakalla Prison site, October, 1991.
- Marks/Labels
- "PROV of B.C.", stamped in handle of knife
- Maker
- Unknown
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Site/City Made
- Oakalla Prison
Images
nail knuckles
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact37093
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV991.45.535
- Description
- This is a prisoner made weapon confiscated by the guards at Oakalla prison. It is made from two pieces of wood wrapped with string which secure three nails. A third piece of wood with three holes drilled in it is slipped over the nails to keep them separated. A fourth nail is secured by the string and points along the base of the hand. The weapon is intended to be used like a pair of brass knuckles.
- Object History
- Salvaged from Oakalla Prison site, October, 1991.
- Maker
- Unknown
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Site/City Made
- Oakalla Prison
Images
shiv
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact37092
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV991.45.534
- Description
- This weapon is made from a short length of steel bar stock. It has been pointed and sharpened at one end. Two holes have been drilled at the other end.
- Object History
- Salvaged from Oakalla Prison site, October, 1991.
- Maker
- Unknown
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Site/City Made
- Oakalla Prison
Images
shiv
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact37094
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV991.45.536
- Description
- This is a prisoner made weapon confiscated by the guards at Oakalla prison. A plastic pen casing has been forced over a nail. The ends of the pen have been melted to secure it to the nail.
- Object History
- Salvaged from Oakalla Prison site, October, 1991.
- Marks/Labels
- "PA_______", printed on the side of the pen casing.
- Maker
- Unknown
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Site/City Made
- Oakalla Prison
Images
shiv
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact40175
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Accession Code
- BV991.45.545
- Description
- This is a prisoner made weapon that was confiscated by the guards at Oakalla prison. The shiv is made from the plastic handle of a tooth brush, dark grey in colour. The handle has a hole on end for hanging the toothbrush. A short metal blade has been heated and forced into the end of the plastic handle.
- Object History
- Salvaged from Oakalla Prison site, October, 1991.
- Marks/Labels
- "U.S.A." / "#411 G.U.M." / registered' symbol / "Velvet-Tip" / "by Butler", printed in gold on toothbrush handle
- Maker
- Unknown
- Country Made
- Canada
- Province Made
- British Columbia
- Site/City Made
- Oakalla Prison
Images
