More like 'Lane behind the 4400 block of Venables Street'
Narrow Results By
Decade
- 2020s 60
- 2010s 107
- 2000s 442
- 1990s 477
- 1980s 241
- 1970s
- 1960s 312
- 1950s 270
- 1940s 480
- 1930s 404
- 1920s 487
- 1910s 436
- 1900s 199
- 1890s 33
- 1880s 29
- 1870s 3
- 1860s 3
- 1850s 1
- 1840s 1
- 1830s 1
- 1820s 1
- 1810s 1
- 1800s 1
- 1790s 1
- 1780s 1
- 1770s 1
- 1760s 1
- 1750s 1
- 1740s 1
- 1730s 1
- 1720s 1
- 1710s 1
- 1700s 1
- 1690s 1
- 1680s 1
- 1670s 1
- 1660s 1
- 1650s 1
- 1640s 1
- 1630s 1
- 1620s 1
- 1610s 1
- 1600s 1
![3900 Block of Hastings Street, [between 1965 and 1970] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/316/366-009.jpg?width=280)
3900 Block of Hastings Street
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37380
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1965 and 1970]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative
- Scope and Content
- Photograph looking west along the lane between the 3900 block of Hastings Street and Albert Street. An unidentified man is walking down the lane.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1965 and 1970]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Municipal record subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 366-009
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1998-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph looking west along the lane between the 3900 block of Hastings Street and Albert Street. An unidentified man is walking down the lane.
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Lanes
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Hastings Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
![3900 Block of Hastings Street, [between 1965 and 1970] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/316/366-009.jpg)
![3951 and 3953 Hastings Street, [between 1965 and 1970] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/316/366-013.jpg?width=280)
3951 and 3953 Hastings Street
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37384
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1965 and 1970]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the driveway and lane between 3951 and 3953 Hastings Street. A note on the back of the photograph reads: "3951-53 Hastings Street from lane."
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1965 and 1970]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Municipal record subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 366-013
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1998-12
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the driveway and lane between 3951 and 3953 Hastings Street. A note on the back of the photograph reads: "3951-53 Hastings Street from lane."
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Lanes
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on caption
- Geographic Access
- Hastings Street
- Street Address
- 3951 Hastings Street
- 3953 Hastings Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Heights Area
Images
![3951 and 3953 Hastings Street, [between 1965 and 1970] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/316/366-013.jpg)
From Linden Avenue and Vista Crescent
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37676
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1976 (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.1 x 4.0 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph taken from an apartment balcony after a snowfall at the corner of Linden Avenue and Vista Crescent facing northwest.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1976 (date of original), copied 1991
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Image Bank subseries
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 4.1 x 4.0 cm print on contact sheet 20.2 x 25.3 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 370-264
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- BHS1999-03
- Scope and Content
- Photograph taken from an apartment balcony after a snowfall at the corner of Linden Avenue and Vista Crescent facing northwest.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 1 b&w copy negative accompanying
- Negative has a pink cast
- Copied from col. photograph
- Geographic Access
- Linden Avenue
- Vista Crescent
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Richmond Park Area
Images
Lane behind Venables Street
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51614
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1970
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Photograph looking west along the lane behind Venables Street. This photograph was most likely taken outside the home of Harold Johnston at 4447 Venables.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1970
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 483-076
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2008-08
- Scope and Content
- Photograph looking west along the lane behind Venables Street. This photograph was most likely taken outside the home of Harold Johnston at 4447 Venables.
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Lanes
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Johnston, Harold H.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Venables Street
- Street Address
- 4447 Venables Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Willingdon Heights Area
Images
Lane behind Venables Street
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51618
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1970
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Photograph looking west along the lane behind Venables Street. This photograph was most likely taken outside the home of Harold Johnston at 4447 Venables.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1970
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 483-077
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2008-08
- Scope and Content
- Photograph looking west along the lane behind Venables Street. This photograph was most likely taken outside the home of Harold Johnston at 4447 Venables.
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Lanes
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Johnston, Harold H.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Venables Street
- Street Address
- 4447 Venables Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Willingdon Heights Area
Images
![Looking west along the back lane, [1978] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/600/620-040.jpg?width=280)
Looking west along the back lane
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription91859
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1978]
- Collection/Fonds
- Small family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : col. ; 13 cm x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the back lane between Dominion Street and Norfolk Street. The Roberts' house at 5538 Dominion Street is visible between the trees and a Volvo and VW bug are parked on the property. The lane was paved in February 1970.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [1978]
- Collection/Fonds
- Small family fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : col. ; 13 cm x 9 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 620-040
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2017-01
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the back lane between Dominion Street and Norfolk Street. The Roberts' house at 5538 Dominion Street is visible between the trees and a Volvo and VW bug are parked on the property. The lane was paved in February 1970.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Title transcribed from donor's notes
- Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "P.3"
- Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "Prob. 1978"
- Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "Looking forwards front of house from Back Lane/Driveway / Volvo VW bug"
- Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "If red. [illegible] 1977 or 1978 / (until 1981?) when I got this Red Volvo after [illegible] / [illegible] in Dec 1985 [arrow] 2003"
- Street Address
- 3131 Douglas Road
- 5118 Douglas Road
- 5538 Dominion Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Ardingley-Sprott Area
Images
![Looking west along the back lane, [1978] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/600/620-040.jpg)
![Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_001.jpg?width=280)
Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19602
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pe…
- 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
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewees: Ellen and Bill Schwartz Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: May 15, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:08:52 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph information: Bill and Ellen Schwartz.
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pennsylvania the 1970s. Bill and Ellen explain how in the 1970s, they were discouraged about the current politics in the United States under the Nixon administration and how they were inspired by the “back to the land” ideals, rejecting materialism and wanting an alternative lifestyle. With these ideals in mind, they recall how in 1972 they and a few other friends decided to leave the United States, move to British Columbia with the goal of buying land in the Okanagan or Kootenay region and starting a new lifestyle for themselves. Bill and Ellen recollect how they purchased 20 acres of land in Galena Bay in the Kootenays and how they lived in the area off and on until the early 1980s. They describe how they cleared three acres of land, built a cabin, put in a garden, chicken coop and honey bees. With the challenges of the isolated location and no access to electricity they explain how they decided that they had to live elsewhere in order to make a living. Ellen talks about working as a special education teacher in Revelstoke and Slocan and how Bill obtained his teaching certificate while they lived in Nelson. Bill and Ellen describe themselves as environmentalists and of how they both became active Provincial environmentalists during the construction of the Revelstoke Dam. Bill talks about getting work with the “Energy Van” program talking about energy conservation, renewable energy and recycling. They explain how after their first child was born in 1980, they returned to Galena Bay for about a year and a half until Bill was offered a job with the Department of Energy Conservation which lead them to move to Vancouver. 16:48 – 22:46 Bill and Ellen describe their first few years of living in Vancouver and at University of British Columbia while Ellen completed her master’s degree in creative writing. During this time, they had their second child. They recall how in 1988 how they purchased a house in Burnaby, selecting to live in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. They talk about the benefits of the neighbourhood including; a French immersion school for their children, proximity to the trails around Deer Lake and having transit close by. 22:47 – 33:55 Bill and Ellen talk about their consulting business “Polestar Communications”. A Burnaby based communications consulting firm composed of three people, Ellen and Bill and colleague Richard Banner. They describe how their business got started and some of the projects that they’ve worked on including; BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program, financial literacy curriculum that was introduced in B.C. schools and reports for the Province of British Columbia. Ellen and Bill convey how Bill has been a very active member with the City of Burnaby Environment Committee, the Steering Committee to develop a sustainable environmental strategy for Burnaby, how he’s been awarded for his contributions in coaching youth sports and other areas in which they have both volunteered. 33:56 – 43:07 Ellen describes how she got started in writing educational resources about the environment and how since she completed grad school in 1984, she’s published nineteen books. Ellen conveys how her first book was published and sold to the Province of British Columbia as part of the B.C. educational curriculum on the environment. Ellen talks about some of the children’s books that she’s written and published with themes including; social justice, the labour movement and racism in sports. Ellen describes some of her books and the research that she’s done. 43:08 – 51:04 Ellen and Bill Schwartz reflect on what they like about living in Burnaby. They talk about the benefits of their neighbourhood including; performances at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival, the Burnaby Art Gallery and Deer Lake as well as having access to parks and community centres in Burnaby. 51:05-56:36 Bill and Ellen reflect on their involvement in the Jewish community, considering themselves non-secular Jews. Ellen talks about how they were involved with “Burquest” a Jewish Community Association and how they often observe some of the Jewish holidays including Hanukah and traditions including the Jewish coming of age ritual, bar mitzvah (masc.) and bat mistvah (fem.). Ellen mentions her involvement with the “Jone Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s book Award” where she acts a judge and her involvement with the Jewish Book festival and that she is a recipient of the Jewish Book award. 56:37 – 1:08:53 Bill and Ellen reflect on their 35 years living in Burnaby and how they’ve seen it change. They talk about the increased development and density in the city, how they are troubled by a lack of low income housing, the benefits and importance of public transportation and preservation of green space including Burnaby parks.
- History
- Interviewees' biographies: Ellen Schwartz was born in Washington, DC, (1950) but grew up in New Jersey. She attended the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to a farm in Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband Bill Schwartz. Bill Schwartz grew up in and around Philadelphia (b. 1947), and attended Pennsylvania State University. After travelling, and discouraged with life in eastern America, he and Ellen decided that British Columbia held better prospects. Bill and Ellen quit their jobs in 1972 and moved to the Kootenay region where they adopted a “back to the land” lifestyle, a very new experience for both of them. After eight years of modest success, and occasional work in nearby towns, they opted to return to Vancouver where Bill had work and where they could raise a family more easily. They rented in Vancouver for a few years before moving to family housing at UBC, while Ellen studied creative writing. Bill founded a communications and writing company, and in 1988 they purchased a home in Burnaby. Ellen launched a new career as a writer, mainly for children young adults. Both were active in their careers, raising a family, and participating in local social and political activities. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Environmental Issues
- Environmental Issues - Environmental Protection
- Geographic Features
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Housing
- Occupations
- Occupations - Entrepreneurs
- Occupations - Writers
- Persons - Volunteers
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Religions
- Religions - Judaism
- Names
- Schwartz, William "Bill"
- Schwartz, Ellen
- City of Burnaby
- Polestar Communications
- British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.6
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Lake Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
![Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_001.jpg)
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_003.mp3Interview 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.mp3
Burnaby Mountain Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription93639
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 19, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the hillside on the top of Burnaby Mountain Park, with a person in the foreground looking out to the view. The photograph is taken facing northwest and shows the view over the the Burrard Inlet. Capitol Hill, the North Shore Mountains, and downtown Vancouver are visible in the distanc…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 19, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 556-596
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2017-57
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the hillside on the top of Burnaby Mountain Park, with a person in the foreground looking out to the view. The photograph is taken facing northwest and shows the view over the the Burrard Inlet. Capitol Hill, the North Shore Mountains, and downtown Vancouver are visible in the distance.
- Names
- Burnaby Mountain Park
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- van Mannen, Mark
- Notes
- Title taken from project information form
- Accompanied by a project information form and 1 photograph (b&w negative ; 9.5 x 12.5 cm)
- BPL no. 45
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Burnaby Mountain Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription93640
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 19, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the top of Burnaby Mountain Park and the view of Vancouver from the hillside, with a man standing in the foreground. The photograph is taken facing west of southwest. Capitol Hill, the Burrard Inlet, the North Shore Mountains, Vancouver, and Stanley Park are visible in the distance.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 19, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 556-597
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2017-57
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the top of Burnaby Mountain Park and the view of Vancouver from the hillside, with a man standing in the foreground. The photograph is taken facing west of southwest. Capitol Hill, the Burrard Inlet, the North Shore Mountains, Vancouver, and Stanley Park are visible in the distance.
- Names
- Burnaby Mountain Park
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- McGillivray, Don
- Notes
- Title taken from project information form
- Accompanied by a project information form and 1 photograph (b&w negative ; 9.5 x 12.5 cm)
- BPL no. 46
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Burnaby Mountain Park
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription93645
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 19, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the view from Burnaby Mountain of the Burrard Inlet, the oil refinery, and the mountains. The photograph is taken from Burnaby Mountain Park, facing north.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 19, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 556-602
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2017-57
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the view from Burnaby Mountain of the Burrard Inlet, the oil refinery, and the mountains. The photograph is taken from Burnaby Mountain Park, facing north.
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Inlets
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Geographic Features - Mountains
- Buildings - Industrial - Refineries
- Names
- Burnaby Mountain Park
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- van Mannen, Mark
- Notes
- Title taken from project information form
- Accompanied by a project information form and 1 photograph (b&w negative ; 9.5 x 12.5 cm)
- BPL no. 52
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Burrard Inlet
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Burnaby Mountain Park Looking West
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription93707
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- February 15, 1978
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the view from Burnaby Mountain Park. The photograph is taken facing west and shows the park, part of the parking lot at the Burnaby Centennial Pavilion, and Capitol Hill and the mountains in the distance.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- February 15, 1978
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 556-664
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2017-57
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the view from Burnaby Mountain Park. The photograph is taken facing west and shows the park, part of the parking lot at the Burnaby Centennial Pavilion, and Capitol Hill and the mountains in the distance.
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Geographic Features - Mountains
- Geographic Features - Automobile Parking Lots
- Names
- Burnaby Mountain Park
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Surridge, Jack
- Notes
- Title taken from project information form
- Accompanied by a project information form and 1 photograph (b&w negative ; 9.5 x 12.5 cm)
- BPL no. 112
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Street Address
- 100 Centennial Way
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Construction of MacInnis Place
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription45401
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 14.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of caterpiliar operator Casey Logan moving a large pile of earth to build a sound barrier for the British Columbia government housing project at MacInnis Place.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 14.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 480-296
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2003-02
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of caterpiliar operator Casey Logan moving a large pile of earth to build a sound barrier for the British Columbia government housing project at MacInnis Place.
- Names
- MacInnis Place
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "BIG BARRIER Mountain of earth is moved by 'cat' operator Casey Logan to build a sound barrier for the new B.C. government housing project at MacInnis Place in Burnaby."
- Geographic Access
- Keswick Avenue
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burquitlam (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Cameron Area
Images
Construction of the Steel Service Centre
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription45612
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 1976
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 19.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of the Dominion Bridge Steel Service Centre. Dominion Bridge Co. closed down its Burnaby fabricating plant which employed 350 workers and opened this in Delta which employed only 50 of those workers, putting 300 employess out of work.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 1976
- Collection/Fonds
- Columbian Newspaper collection
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 19.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 480-506
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2003-02
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of the Dominion Bridge Steel Service Centre. Dominion Bridge Co. closed down its Burnaby fabricating plant which employed 350 workers and opened this in Delta which employed only 50 of those workers, putting 300 employess out of work.
- Names
- Dominion Bridge Company
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- King, Basil
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Newspaper clipping attached to verso of photograph reads: "More than 600 tons of structural steel are being assembled on Annacis Island to build the new Dominion Bridge Steel Service Centre. Construction which started in the Fall of 1975 will be completed by the end of June."
Images
Garage construction
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51756
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1971
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two men working on a garage identified as belonging to Sean Pepere. Construction material and debris are visible around the worksite The photograph was most likely taken in the Venables Street area of Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1971
- Collection/Fonds
- Harold H. Johnston fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 483-084
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No reproduction permitted
- Accession Number
- 2008-08
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two men working on a garage identified as belonging to Sean Pepere. Construction material and debris are visible around the worksite The photograph was most likely taken in the Venables Street area of Burnaby.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Johnston, Harold H.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Geographic Access
- Venables Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Willingdon Heights 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.mp3
Irvine house being installed
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1877
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Tom Irvine's house during its installation at Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum). Men surround the house as it sits on a gooseneck trailer stationed inside a fence.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Tom Irvine's house during its installation at Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum). Men surround the house as it sits on a gooseneck trailer stationed inside a fence.
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Drive
- Accession Code
- BV005.14.31
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 11-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note in pencil on verso of photograph reads: "April/75"
Images
Irvine house being installed
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1878
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Tom Irvine's house during its installation at Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum). The house is raised on a cribbing and surrounded by workmen. A truck parked next to it has a sign that reads, "L.W. ZEBIAK HOUSE RAISING COMPLETE BASEMENTS."
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Tom Irvine's house during its installation at Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum). The house is raised on a cribbing and surrounded by workmen. A truck parked next to it has a sign that reads, "L.W. ZEBIAK HOUSE RAISING COMPLETE BASEMENTS."
- Subjects
- Buildings - Residential - Houses
- Tools and Equipment
- Transportation - Trucks
- Occupations - Labourers
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Drive
- Accession Code
- BV005.14.32
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 11-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note in pencil on verso of photograph reads: "April/75"
Images
Irvine house being moved
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1873
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Tom Irvine's house being moved to Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum). A truck pulls the house along the lane at the same time as workers prune the trees in effort to clear the road side (allowing the house to pass through).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Tom Irvine's house being moved to Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum). A truck pulls the house along the lane at the same time as workers prune the trees in effort to clear the road side (allowing the house to pass through).
- Names
- Irvine, Tom
- Accession Code
- BV005.14.27
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 11-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note in pencil on verso of photograph reads: "April/75"
- Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads:
Images
Pulling on a rope
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription1876
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crew of men pulling on a rope, possibly to pull tree branches out of the way, or to stabilize Tom Irvine's house during its move to Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Century Park Museum Association fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a crew of men pulling on a rope, possibly to pull tree branches out of the way, or to stabilize Tom Irvine's house during its move to Heritage Village (now the Burnaby Village Museum).
- Names
- Irvine, Tom
- Accession Code
- BV005.14.30
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- April 6, 1975
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 11-Jun-09
- Scale
- 100
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- Note in pencil on verso of photograph reads: "April/75"
Images
