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Aerial photograph of Burnaby Mountain
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64460
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957 or 1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 14 cm
- Scope and Content
- Aerial photograph of the Burnaby Mountain park and Centennial Pavilion, under construction.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957 or 1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- North Burnaby Board of Trade subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 14 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 476-026
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2005-8
- Scope and Content
- Aerial photograph of the Burnaby Mountain park and Centennial Pavilion, under construction.
- Subjects
- Aerial Photographs
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Hunting Survey Corporation Limited
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Centennial Way
- Street Address
- 100 Centennial Way
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
Aerial photograph of Burnaby Mountain
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription39742
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957 or 1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 14 cm
- Scope and Content
- Aerial photograph of the Burnaby Mountain park and Centennial Pavilion, under construction.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1957 or 1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- North Burnaby Board of Trade subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 14 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 476-025
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2005-8
- Scope and Content
- Aerial photograph of the Burnaby Mountain park and Centennial Pavilion, under construction.
- Subjects
- Aerial Photographs
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Hunting Survey Corporation Limited
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph.
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Centennial Way
- Street Address
- 100 Centennial Way
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory251
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1865-1919
- Length
- 0:10:18
- Summary
- This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's essay entitled Stump Rangers, a listing of early settlers that includes addresses and short descriptions, essays on Confederation Park, land clearing and on Burnaby's first Council meeting.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's essay entitled Stump Rangers, a listing of early settlers that includes addresses and short descriptions, essays on Confederation Park, land clearing and on Burnaby's first Council meeting.
- Date Range
- 1865-1919
- Photo Info
- Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
- Length
- 0:10:18
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
- Total Tracks
- 12
- Total Length
- 1:38:06
- Interviewee Name
- Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories
- 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 recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Track one of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-20-2/100-13-20-2_Track_1.mp3Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory252
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1919-1955
- Length
- 0:06:06
- Summary
- This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's memories of constructing a mill for Simpson & Giberson and of working on homes for himself, Angus McLean and Percy Little in the Lochdale area. He discusses the strike at Barnet mill and reads an essay written by Grace E. Carpenter. Land clear…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's memories of constructing a mill for Simpson & Giberson and of working on homes for himself, Angus McLean and Percy Little in the Lochdale area. He discusses the strike at Barnet mill and reads an essay written by Grace E. Carpenter. Land clearing is described in detail. Alfred also relates a story from 1920 involving early settlers E. Powell and J. Amos.
- Date Range
- 1919-1955
- Photo Info
- Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066
- Length
- 0:06:06
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lochdale Area
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.
- Total Tracks
- 12
- Total Length
- 1:38:06
- Interviewee Name
- Bingham, Alfred "Alf"
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- Transcript Available
- MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories
- 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 recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
Track two of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-20-2/100-13-20-2_Track_2.mp3Birth of a House
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription79788
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1950
- Collection/Fonds
- Yanko family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 5.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction site for the Yanko family house at 7385 Broadway (later renumbered 7391) in Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- May 1950
- Collection/Fonds
- Yanko family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 5.5 cm
- Material Details
- Secured to album page with photo corners
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 545-438
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2012-09
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction site for the Yanko family house at 7385 Broadway (later renumbered 7391) in Burnaby.
- Subjects
- Construction
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title (from album page)
- Note written on album page reads: "'Birth of a House' / Started May 1950 / Moved in April 6, 1951"
- Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "#6 House May 1950"
- Street Address
- 7391 Broadway
- Planning Study Area
- Sperling-Broadway Area
Images
Clearing for shopping centre
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85130
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall with Burnaby mountain in the background.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 564-002
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2013-30
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall with Burnaby mountain in the background.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Note on verso reads: "Clearing for shopping centre"
- Street Address
- 4567 Lougheed Highway
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
Images
Clearing for shopping centre
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85131
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph with tree stumps, rocks and dirt of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 564-003
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2013-30
- Scope and Content
- Photograph with tree stumps, rocks and dirt of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Street Address
- 4567 Lougheed Highway
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
Images
Clearing for shopping centre
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85133
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph with tree stumps, rocks and dirt of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 564-005
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2013-30
- Scope and Content
- Photograph with tree stumps, rocks and dirt of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Note on verso reads: "Clearing for shopping centre"
- Street Address
- 4567 Lougheed Highway
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
Images
Clearing for the shopping centre
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85125
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of children climbing on a large tree stump on land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 564-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2013-30
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of children climbing on a large tree stump on land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Note on verso reads: "Clearing for shopping centre"
- Street Address
- 4567 Lougheed Highway
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
Images
Interview with Dennis Brown by Eric Damer September 18, 2012 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory308
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1944-1960
- Length
- 0:09:21
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Dennis Brown's memories of reconnecting with his wife Cice (Chandler) Brown on the interurban tram. He discusses his job history and tells the story of single-handedly clearing land for their family home.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Dennis Brown's memories of reconnecting with his wife Cice (Chandler) Brown on the interurban tram. He discusses his job history and tells the story of single-handedly clearing land for their family home.
- Date Range
- 1944-1960
- Photo Info
- Dennis Brown (far left) with his wife Cice (Chandler) Brown (far right) and their five children, [1964]. Item no. 549-018.
- Length
- 0:09:21
- Names
- Brown, Cice Chandler
- Subjects
- Land Clearing
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- September 18, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Dennis Brown conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, September 18, 2012. Major theme discussed: life in Burnaby during the war years.
- Biographical Notes
- Dennis Brown’s family moved from North Vancouver to South Burnaby, near Central Park, in 1941. Dennis finished his high school in Burnaby and enlisted in the air force, completing basic training. He returned to Burnaby looking for work and found employment stoking the boiler of a cargo ship. He and a friend spent the next year sailing around the world. When Dennis returned to Burnaby, he found work at a local shingle mill, married Cice Chandler and began work on a new home at Willingdon and Imperial. He and Cice had two children in 1948 and 1950, and three more in the later nineteen-fifties. By this time, Dennis had retrained as an accountant and worked in several large businesses in Vancouver. In their later years, both Dennis and Cice were active in the restoration of the Parker Carousel and Interurban 1223 (now on display at the Burnaby Village Museum) and both were honoured independently with “Citizen of the Year” awards. Cice (Chandler) Brown was, additionally, Honourary Reeve of the Burnaby Village Museum.
- Total Tracks
- 5
- Total Length
- 0:43:57
- Interviewee Name
- Brown, Dennis
- Interview Location
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Interviewer Bio
- Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks
Track three of recording of interview with Dennis Brown
Track three of recording of interview with Dennis Brown
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-005/MSS171-005_Track_3.mp3Start of Brentwood Shopping Centre 1958
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription85132
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph with tree stumps, rocks and dirt of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1958]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ben Bradley collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.2 x 11.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 564-004
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2013-30
- Scope and Content
- Photograph with tree stumps, rocks and dirt of land being cleared for the Brentwood Mall.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial
- Land Clearing
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Note on verso reads: "Start of Brentwood Shopping Centre 1958"
- Street Address
- 4567 Lougheed Highway
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
Images
Three men in front of a cabin
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription39510
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1889
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 14 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of three men standing outside a fence next to a log cabin. The man standing to the right with the white shirt may be Claude Hill, but the others are unidentified. This cabin may have belonged to early Burnaby resident Charles Sprott. During the late 1880s and early 1890s, Charles Sprott…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1889
- Collection/Fonds
- Peers Family and Hill Family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 14 cm on page 21.5 x 28 cm (pasted in album)
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 477-829
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2007-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of three men standing outside a fence next to a log cabin. The man standing to the right with the white shirt may be Claude Hill, but the others are unidentified. This cabin may have belonged to early Burnaby resident Charles Sprott. During the late 1880s and early 1890s, Charles Sprott settled on a piece of land in Murrayville (Langley) near the border with the United States. When his cabin burned down in 1891, Sprott moved to Burnaby where another former Murrayville resident, Claude Hill had also relocated.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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.mp3Burnaby General Hospital staff
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription35097
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [195-] (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.8 x 12.5 cm print
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a group of Burnaby General Hospital staff standing at an open door. Four of them are crouched in front, holding buckets. Most of the people standing are holding mops. One woman is holding a tea tray.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [195-] (date of original), copied 1986
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Davies family subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 8.8 x 12.5 cm print
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 190-017
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1986-41
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a group of Burnaby General Hospital staff standing at an open door. Four of them are crouched in front, holding buckets. Most of the people standing are holding mops. One woman is holding a tea tray.
- Subjects
- Occupations - Labourers
- Names
- Burnaby General Hospital
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Kincaid Street
- Street Address
- 3935 Kincaid Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Cascade-Schou Area
Images
Construction of 333 South Delta Avenue
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37631
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1950 and 1954] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 2.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of 333 South Delta Avenue. Left to right: Sammy Hayward, George Hayward, and Lew Stevenson.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1950 and 1954] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.5 x 2.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-219
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of 333 South Delta Avenue. Left to right: Sammy Hayward, George Hayward, and Lew Stevenson.
- Subjects
- Construction
- Occupations - Labourers
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Geographic Access
- Delta Avenue
- Street Address
- 333 Delta Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
Construction of 333 South Delta Avenue
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37632
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1950 and 1954] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.4 x 2.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of 333 South Delta Avenue. Lew Stevenson is in the photograph.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1950 and 1954] (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.4 x 2.5 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-220
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of 333 South Delta Avenue. Lew Stevenson is in the photograph.
- Subjects
- Construction
- Occupations - Labourers
- Names
- Stevenson, Lew
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Geographic Access
- Delta Avenue
- Street Address
- 333 Delta Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Capitol Hill Area
Images
Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34682
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- January 25, 1957
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.4 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the interior of a Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd. building. Three men are working on a large pipe. Two signs read, "Danger / X-Ray Operating / Keep Out."
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- January 25, 1957
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Photographs subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.4 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 092-003
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the interior of a Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd. building. Three men are working on a large pipe. Two signs read, "Danger / X-Ray Operating / Keep Out."
- Names
- Dominion Bridge Company
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Printed on bottom of photo, "Dominion Bridge Co., Limited / Pacific Division"
- Stamps on back of photograph read, "Dominion Bridge Company, Limited" and "Jan 25 1957"
- Geographic Access
- Henning Drive
- Street Address
- 3880 Henning Drive
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- West Central Valley Area
Images
Interview 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.mp3MacMillan Bloedel Ltd.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34685
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- June 10, 1957
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.2 x 25.6 cm mounted on cardboard
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the interior of MacMillan Bloedel Ltd.'s paper converting plant. Three labourers are at work. There are piles of packages labeled "3 LB" and "7 LB."
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- June 10, 1957
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Photographs subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 20.2 x 25.6 cm mounted on cardboard
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 094-001
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS2007-04
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the interior of MacMillan Bloedel Ltd.'s paper converting plant. Three labourers are at work. There are piles of packages labeled "3 LB" and "7 LB."
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Cash, Jack
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Stamp and annotation on back of cardboard reads, "MacMillan and Bloedel Limited / Date Jun 10 1957 / Subject(s) Paper Converting"
- Stamp on back of cardboard reads, "Photo by Jack Cash Photographic Studios / 1629 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, B.C. / Please credit when used for Publicity or Editorial Reproduction. / Must not be copied unless specified on invoice. / Print No. 9446, Date June 11 1957"
Images
Nap Peletier
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription46130
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1959, published November 6, 1959
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 9.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of N. A. "Nap" Peletier, a former Great Northern Railway worker associated with the legend of the sinking train of 1909 at his home in Washington. Historian W. W. "Bill" Hastings interviewed Nap Peletier and took this photograph.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1959, published November 6, 1959
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 9.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 480-1018
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2003-02
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of N. A. "Nap" Peletier, a former Great Northern Railway worker associated with the legend of the sinking train of 1909 at his home in Washington. Historian W. W. "Bill" Hastings interviewed Nap Peletier and took this photograph.
- Subjects
- Occupations - Railroad Labourers
- Names
- Peletier, N.A. "Nap"
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Hastings, W.W.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph