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Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory477
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:13:27
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the circumstances behind Merrill Gordon’s founding of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club in 1956, his subsequent involvement and role as President of the club for 15 years, and the growth and history of soccer clubs in Burnaby. He also talks about his frien…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about the circumstances behind Merrill Gordon’s founding of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club in 1956, his subsequent involvement and role as President of the club for 15 years, and the growth and history of soccer clubs in Burnaby. He also talks about his friend Mark Stockdale who was second president of the club for 16 years and creator of the rose garden on Burnaby Mountain.
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:13:27
- Subjects
- Persons - Volunteers
- Sports - Soccer
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track six of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_6.mp3
Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory479
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:10:17
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s founding and operation of the youth soccer exchange with Washington State, and the importance of soccer to the community. He discusses the problem of isolation between north and south Burnaby, planned development in Burnaby, and the contributi…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s founding and operation of the youth soccer exchange with Washington State, and the importance of soccer to the community. He discusses the problem of isolation between north and south Burnaby, planned development in Burnaby, and the contributions of Ratepayer groups and volunteers
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:10:17
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track eight of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track eight of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_8.mp3
Oral history interview with Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19146
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 29 Jun. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) (02:06:53 min) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (02:06:53 min)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an audio recording of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos conducted by Denise Fong with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview, Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos discuss; their ancestral background, childhood, pla…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 3 sound recordings (wav) (02:06:53 min) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (02:06:53 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Denise Fong Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewees: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos Location of Interview: Home of Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos on Victory Street, Burnaby Date of interview: June 29, 2022 Total Number of Tracks: 3 Total length of all Tracks: 02:06:53 min Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto 3 separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of an audio recording of an oral history interview with Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos conducted by Denise Fong with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview, Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos discuss; their ancestral background, childhood, places of residence, education, career history, how they met, Jimmy's experience working in the film industry, their home in Burnaby and their neighbourhood, their political activism in Burnaby, Robin Chung Dip's work in Vancouver’s' Chinatown, the gambling scene in Vancouver prior to legalized forms of gambling and their memories of supper clubs in Vancouver. 00:00 - 5:57 Opening introductions where Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos provide information on their full names, their birth places and their ancestral background. Jimmy clarifies that his birth name is Hipman Chow but that he was given the English name “Jimmy” by his father when he came to Canada. Jimmy shares that he was born in 1948, in the Village of Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China and immigrated to British Columbia with his mother, Gim Gee Chow in 1950 to escape the Communist Regime and to join his father who had already immigrated to Canada. Jimmy imparts that many Chinese immigrated to British Columbia in search of a better life, referring to it as “Gold Mountain” and that even though they faced extreme racial discrimination that many stayed since they felt that it was better than returning. Donna Polos shares ancestral information on both her maternal and paternal sides of the family. Donna’s mother’s family came from Helsinki, Finland. Donna’s paternal grandmother emigrated from Ukraine to Argentina and then to Winnipeg. Donna’s paternal grandfather, James Kostopolus (renamed Polos) emigrated as a 12 year old orphan from Sparta, Greece to the United States but was denied entry so ended up going to Halifax and eventually made his way to Vancouver. Once in Vancouver, he became a restaurant proprietor and over the years, he owned and operated three restaurants in Vancouver, including; “Jimmy’s Café” (next door the Astoria Hotel); “Home Apple Pie Café” (Princess Avenue & Hastings Street) and a restaurant that was located on Alma Street. 05:58 - 13:28 Jimmy recollects in further detail, the many places that his family lived over the years. Jimmy’s father Robin Chung Dip Chow immigrated to Vancouver at the age of 14 years and worked and lived in Victoria and Vancouver. In 1950, Jimmy and his mother fled China, first to Hong Kong and then to Vancouver to join his father. Soon after arriving in Vancouver, for the next four years, he and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec City where his father, Robin had work in restaurants and hotels. Jimmy attended school while the family lived in these different places and began to learn English. After four years, the family returned to Vancouver, first living in areas of Chinatown and Strathcona before settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. Jimmy shares his memories of growing up in Strathcona and the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, schools that he attended and the friendships that he made. Jimmy recollects details about the old Bethlehem Lutheran Church that he attended and describes the demands of the education required to become a Lutheran minister. 13:29 - 15:47 Jimmy tells of how his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow had to pay the Chinese Head Tax of $500 when he arrived in Vancouver at 14 years of age (1921) and how his father had to work hard pay off the head tax over the years. Denise Fong and Jimmy Chow, talk about the origin of a photograph portrait of Jimmy Chow that was taken around 1954 and speculate whether it might have been taken by well known portrait photographer, Yucho Chow. 15:48 - 19:33 Donna Polos recollects the many locations that her family lived while she was growing up in Vancouver. First residing at various locations in the downtown east side of Vancouver before moving to a home near Joyce Station where she lived until 21 years old. After 21 years of age, Donna moved in with roommates in Vancouver before moving in with Jimmy in North Burnaby in 1972. In 1976 Donna and Jimmy purchased their home on Victory Street. Both Donna and Jimmy talk about their careers after high school. Jimmy talks about how he worked at the Supervalu grocery store near his house. Jimmy planned to use his savings from his job to travel but instead he used his savings for a down payment on a house with Donna. Donna imparts that after obtaining her teaching degree she began working in Burnaby schools, eventually teaching at Burnaby South. 19:34 - 32:08 Both Jimmy and Donna share their educational background and experiences growing up. Jimmy first attended Florence Nightingale elementary in Strathcona, then Mount Pleasant Elementary and later high school at 24th Avenue and Main Street. Donna lists the schools that she attended including; elementary school in Strathcona, Carlton Elementary School at Kingsway and Joyce, Windermere High School, Vancouver City College (Langara) and the University of British Columbia. Donna and Jimmy reflect on public transportation that was available during the time they were growing up. Donna recollects her childhood growing up in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station, the freedom that she experienced playing outside in nature and what inspired her to become a teacher. Jimmy reflects on some of his mentors and about his first experience seeing movies as a young child at a cinema in Asquith, Saskatchewan. Donna communicates her own experiences of sexism throughout her high school, college and university education (1968-1972). 32:09 - 36:18 Donna talks about her career history and some of her major turning points. Donna recollects starting out as a Chemistry lab assistant, marking math papers before working as a teacher on call and eventually being hired as a teacher at Clinton Elementary School where she taught for nine years. Donna shares a memory of her first experience working as a teacher on call at Gilmore Elementary School and the fire that occurred there. After starting a family (Jimmy and Donna had three children) Donna worked part time teaching while Jimmy worked full time in film. Donna, shares that in 1991, after a near death experience, she became interested in fine art and took drawing and watercolour painting classes. With this experience, Donna experimented with different painting techniques on paper and fabric. Donna tells of how she retired from teaching in 2008 but continued to participate in the schools as an Artist in Residence. 36:19 - 58:18 Jimmy talks about his work and career history. He shares memories of his experiences as a young boy delivering newspapers, working at a local pharmacy, stocking shelves at the local supermarket, and his experience working with troubled youth and of how he thought that he might like to become a social worker. Jimmy tells of how he was uncertain of what to do until he got a job with the CBC in 1973 which eventually launched his career as a property master in the film industry, becoming a member of IATSE and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures. Jimmy describes in detail what it means to be a property master and the work that is entailed in the film industry. 58:19 - 1:07:45 Donna Polos describes her art practice and her connection to Burnaby. Donna recollects how she first started working with textiles and fabrics from a young age and how this later inspired her to develop her own watercolour techniques of painting on paper, canvas and fabrics. Donna describes how she first got started by taking art classes in Burnaby and now has over 31 years of experience working in watercolour. Donna has worked as an Artist in Residence in Burnaby schools, been a member of the Burnaby Arts Council, had her first show in 1997 and has been involved in many art projects over the years. Donna describes the style of her work, first starting with more figurative work, social commentary and still life and that now most of her work is landscape based. Donna coveys that as a political activist in Burnaby, she was an active participant in the development of a tree bylaw, has petitioned to protect renters from demo-evictions and the impacts of future development on the local environment. 1:07:46 - 1:07:59 Background discussion between Denise Fong and Kate Petrusa re interviews. 1:08:00 - 1:26:36 Jimmy provides information on his connection to the local film industry and the changes that have occurred over the years. Jimmy describes the first studios on the North Shore and the eventual establishment of Bridge Studios on Boundary Road. Jimmy shares that in 1988, he and some of his colleagues in the film industry put a proposal together to buy the Bridge Studios but it didn't go through. Since the Bridge Studios and other film studios have been established in Burnaby and Vancouver, the industry has grown exponentially. Jimmy became the 54th member of the local IATSE union. Jimmy describes some of his experiences working on various productions including "Seven Years in Tibet", provides a description of what a film studio is, how it is used and the differences between working in the film industry in the United States and British Columbia. 1:26:37 - 1:32:46 Jimmy and Donna recollect how they first met, buying a house in Burnaby, getting married and starting a family. The two share memories of their wedding in White Rock and Jimmy talks about the Chinese hair cutting ceremony in recognition of their first born child that took place in Chinatown in Vancouver. Jimmy tells of how his parents had hopes of him marrying a Chinese woman and his mother began introducing him to a few young Chinese women from the time he was 16 years old. Jimmy mentions that his parents rarely used Western Medicine and relied on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Donna and Jimmy talk about Jimmy's parents, when they died and how happy his parents were to have grandchildren. 1:32:47 - 1:40:13 Jimmy and Donna talk about their house on Victory Street which they purchased in 1976. They share information on the history of the house, how it was built in 1939 by Norm Clark, how they fell in love with the design of the house and the neighbourhood. 1:40:14 - 1:58:31 Jimmy and Donna share information on their family life in Burnaby, their neighbourhood and favourite places in Burnaby. Donna lists the schools that their three children attended including; Nelson Avenue School, Burnaby South High School and Burnaby Central High School. Both Donna and Jimmy convey that all of their children played soccer and the benefits that the sport provided them. Donna and Jimmy talk about how the neighbourhood has changed over the years, the benefits of where they live, their fondness for built heritage and the many parks and trees in Burnaby. 1:58:32 - 2:02:50 Jimmy begins to share information on his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow's employment history. Jimmy recalls that his father, Robin worked in a variety of jobs over the years and as a young child, Jimmy was uncertain of what his father's job was but thought that he worked in accounting. He mentions that his father stopped working at 45 years of age due to a problem with his Achilles tendon. Jimmy describes his father as an intellectual who worked at gambling houses in Vancouver's Chinatown where people played mah-jong and fan-tan. Jimmy recollects that these were large clubs with lots of employees. His father never gambled but he was good with money so he worked on the management side. Jimmy mentions that while working in the film industry, his father took him and some of his film colleagues into some of the gambling houses in Chinatown to assist them with a production that they were working on. 2:02:51 - 2:06:58 Donna shares her own family history regarding gambling. She mentions that her uncle worked as a high end "bookie" in Vancouver and how in 1968, her uncle was arrested but got let go with just a small fine. Jimmy describes what gambling was like in those days with various sweepstakes, not under the jurisdiction of the government like it is today. Both Donna and Jimmy recollect the popularity of supper clubs their memories of Vie's Chicken and Steak House that was located in Hogan's Alley. Jimmy laments the destruction of Hogan's Alley and the other proposals that were brought forward that would change Chinatown and Strathcona.
- History
- Interviewees biography: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow was born in Lin Pong Lee, Hoiping, China in 1948. In 1950, Jimmy Chow immigrated to Vancouver from China with his mother, Gim Gee Chow to join his father, Robin Chung Dip Chow who'd immigrated to Canada at 14 years of age in 1921. For the first four years after immigrating, Jimmy and his parents lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec before returning to Vancouver around 1954. Jimmy and his family then lived and worked in Vancouver eventually settling in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. In the early 1970s, Jimmy met his future wife Donna Polos and they married in 1981. Donna Polos was born in 1949 to Donald James Polos and Mayme "May" Helen Tilikana Polos and grew up in Vancouver. Between the age of 5 and 21 years, Donna lived in the neighbourhood of Joyce Station. In 1976, Jimmy and Donna purchased and moved into a house on Victory Street in Burnaby where they still live today. While living on Victory Street, they've raised their three children. Donna received her teaching degree and taught in elementary schools for many years. In 1991, after a near death experience, Donna developed an interest in drawing and painting and began experimenting with water colour painting on fabric. Donna has since exhibited her work widely, participated as an Artist in Residence in Burnaby schools and is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Jimmy entered the film industry in 1973, gaining experience and recognition as a property master and has worked on many films over a 45 year career. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Restaurants
- Buildings - Residential
- Buildings - Residential - Houses
- Education
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Geographic Features - Neighbourhoods
- Government - Local Government
- Industries - Film
- Migration
- Occupations
- Occupations - Artists
- Occupations - Grocers
- Occupations - Entrepreneurs
- Occupations - Teachers
- Persons - Chinese Canadians
- Social Issues - Racism
- Sports - Soccer
- Names
- Bridge Studios
- Chow, Gim Gee Dang
- Chow, Hipman "Jimmy"
- Chow, Robin Chung Dip
- Polos, Donna
- Polos, James "Jimmy", 1898-1962
- Polos, Donald James
- Polos, Mayme "May" Helen Tilikana
- Geographic Access
- Victory Street
- Accession Code
- BV022.21.1
- Date
- 29 Jun. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of recording
- Hipman "Jimmy" Chow's name in Cantonese is Chow Hipman and in Mandarin is Zhou Xiamin.
Images
Audio Tracks
Oral history interview with Hipman
Oral history interview with Hipman
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0021_0001_004.mp3Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4481
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:04:54 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 6: This portion of the recording pertains to toys, continued from Track 5, living arrangements, and lifestyle choices. Cice continues to recall her favourite early childhood toy, and her bicycle, which she received as a teenager. She discusses how her parents made choices according to their f…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:04:54 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Cice Brown Date of Interview: May 13, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 7 Total length of all Tracks: 0:40:19
- Scope and Content
- Track 6: This portion of the recording pertains to toys, continued from Track 5, living arrangements, and lifestyle choices. Cice continues to recall her favourite early childhood toy, and her bicycle, which she received as a teenager. She discusses how her parents made choices according to their financial situation. Cice talks about her family installing a toilet, and she describes how the money saved for a bathtub was spent purchasing a piano instead.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Cice Brown, interviewed by Tom Gooden on May 13 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Toys
- Sports - Cycling
- Persons - Children
- Names
- Brown, Cice Chandler
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 6, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 6, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0003_006.mp3
Interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19608
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1970-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Jul. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (84 min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (62 min., 3 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. 00:00:00 – 00:05:26 Gurvinder “Gurv” Sihra and brother Harvinder “Harv’ Sihra introduce themselves, providing details on …
- 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) (84 min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (62 min., 3 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Rajdeep Interviewees: "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 8, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:02:03 min 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 credit: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with "The Bollywood Boyz", Harvinder Sihra and Gurvinder Sihra conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Rajdeep. 00:00:00 – 00:05:26 Gurvinder “Gurv” Sihra and brother Harvinder “Harv’ Sihra introduce themselves, providing details on where they were born and grew up (in Burnaby), names of their parents and provide details on their family history. They describe how their grandparents and other relatives continued to live in Punjab after their father and mother immigrated to Canada in the 1970’s, recall the reasons their parents decided to immigrate and details of their lives before and after arriving in Canada. 00:05:27 – 00:06:46 Gurvinder and Harvinder describe some of their experiences travelling through Vancouver airport and compare their experiences with their mother’s own experiences. Gurvinder and Harvinder describe the layout of the airport and how customs and immigration has changed over time. 00:06:47 – 00:09:21 Gurvinder and Harvinder provide details about their mother, Parveen Sihra. They share information regarding her education in India and how she was unable to get work related to her degree in biology after immigrating to Canada. They convey how she worked in the Burnaby City Hall cafeteria in the 1990’s and how she worked part time in order to take care of her children. They share how their parents were proud Canadians participating in events inside and outside the South Asian community and were both fluent in English but often spoke Punjabi at home. 00:09:22 – 00:16:06 Gurvinder and Harvinder recall their childhood experiences growing up in Burnaby. They talk about the sports that they were involved with including hockey and Taekwondo, family vacations spent travelling to India and their experiences attending Marlborough Elementary School and Moscrop Secondary School.They describe how they first became interested in watching wrestling and trying it out on their own in their family home. Gurvinder and Harvinder recall their own experiences of discrimination while growing up and playing sports. 00:16:07 – 00:27:37 Gurvinder and Harvinder reflect and recall events that lead them to their dream of becoming professional wrestlers. They talk about pivotal events including attending their first live wresting event at GM Place with their father in 1996, beginning their training in Calgary in 2004, travelling across the country to participate in minor wrestling events, wrestling in Rogers Arena in 2017 and 2020 and getting their first call to join WWE. They talk about the support that they’ve had along the way to getting them where they are today and comment on why they want to be wrestlers in the WWE. 00:27:38 – 00:29:25 Gurvinder and Harvinder provide background information on their various wrestling personas and names in the world of professional wrestling including the Singh Brothers and the Bollywood Boyz. 00:29:26 – 00:38:43 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their experiences wrestling in India and the support and expectations of family members in becoming successful. Gurvinder and Harvinder recall and reflect on the experience of being fired from the WWE when cutbacks were made during the COVID pandemic. 00:38:44 – 00:42:53 Gurvinder and Harvinder describe what a day in their lives looks like now. They talk about how they’re still very passionate and focused on their wrestling careers and describe their experiences of having support and enthusiasm from fans and their parents. They talk about travelling across the country to particpate in different wrestling events. 00:42:54 – 00:47:18 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their training regimen including exercise and diet and describe areas in Burnaby where they like to train in gyms and the outdoors. 00:47:19 – 00:49:49 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about neighbourhoods in Burnaby including Metrotown and Deer Lake and how they’ve seen them change over the years. 00:49:50 – 00:54:27 Gurvinder and Harvinder talk about their highest and lowest points in their wrestling careers, highlighting specific events. They talk about the physical stamina it takes for wrestling and compare their sport with the sport of Kabaddi (a contact team sport between two teams originating in India). 00:54:28 – 00:59:01 Gurvinder and Harvinder reflect on what toughness means to them, and what keeps them motivated to do what they do. 00:59:02 – 01:01:31 Gurvinder and Harvinder impart their words of wisdom to younger kids in chasing their passions and dreams and talk about their favourite Bollywood films and actors.
- History
- Interviewees' biographies: The Bollywood Boyz are a Canadian professional wrestling tag team composed of brothers Gurvinder "Gurv" Sihra (born in 1984) and Harvinder "Harv" Sihra (born in 1987). The pair are best known for their time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where Gurvinder and Harvinder performed under the ring names Sunil Singh and Samir Singh. They were both born and raised in Burnaby by their parents Harjeet and Parveen Sihra and attended Moscrop Secondary School. Gurvinder graduated from Douglas College where he studied criminology and has worked in loss prevention and has a third degree black belt in Taekwondo. Harvinder attended Douglas College with studies in history and has worked as a model and an actor. Both Gurvinder and Harvinder Sihra are Sikhs. Interviewer biography: Rajdeep was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is of Punjabi (South Asian) descent. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. She is a student in the Restoration of Natural Systems program at the University of Victoria. Rajdeep works at Simon Fraser University as a Program Assistant and as a researcher with the City of Burnaby. At Burnaby Village Museum, Rajdeep contributed to the exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Migration
- Pandemics - COVID-19
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Religions - Sikhism
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Discrimination
- Social Issues - Racism
- Sports
- Sports - Martial Arts
- Sports - Wrestling
- Sports - Ice Hockey
- Travel
- Names
- The Bollywood Boyz
- Sihra, Guvinder "Gurv"
- Sihra, Harvinder "Harv"
- Sihra, Harjeet
- Sihra, Parveen
- World Wrestling Entertainment "WWE"
- Moscrop Secondary School
- Marlborough Elementary School
- Metrotown
- Responsibility
- Rajdeep
- Geographic Access
- Deer Lake Park
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.12
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1970-2023] (interview content), interviewed 8 Jul. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Photographer
- World Wrestling Entertainment "WWE"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available upon request - contact Burnaby Village Museum
Images
Audio Tracks
Interview with
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 7
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4482
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:03:14 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 7: This portion of the recording pertains to changes to Burnaby since Cice’s childhood. Cice discusses the rural nature of South Burnaby, and the sense of security of that time. She talks of the changes caused by the creation and growth of the Metrotown area. Cice describes how her husband’s …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:03:14 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Cice Brown Date of Interview: May 13, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 7 Total length of all Tracks: 0:40:19
- Scope and Content
- Track 7: This portion of the recording pertains to changes to Burnaby since Cice’s childhood. Cice discusses the rural nature of South Burnaby, and the sense of security of that time. She talks of the changes caused by the creation and growth of the Metrotown area. Cice describes how her husband’s veteran status earned them a discount on a building lot from the City of Burnaby, allowing her to continue to live there.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Cice Brown, interviewed by Tom Gooden on May 13 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Names
- Brown, Cice Chandler
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Audio Tracks
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 7, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 7, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0003_007.mp3Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4533
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:06:07 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 3: This portion of the recording continues with Ken’s band activities, and then pertains to the games Ken played with his brother and friends. Ken discusses how the school band’s repertoire and performances were designed to complement the school’s events throughout the year. He describes the …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:06:07 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Ken Yip Date of interview: May 9, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 5 Total length of all Tracks: 0:62:00
- Scope and Content
- Track 3: This portion of the recording continues with Ken’s band activities, and then pertains to the games Ken played with his brother and friends. Ken discusses how the school band’s repertoire and performances were designed to complement the school’s events throughout the year. He describes the concert the band was invited to play on the lawn of Ceperley House on their return from Expo 67. Ken recalls the games he and his brother played, and the two neighbor boys they played with. He describes playing on the North American Peat property adjacent to theirs, in the peat trenches and in the bush. He talks of roaming as far as New Westminster and the Fraser River.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Ken Yip recording by Tom Gooden on May 9, 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1950s and 60s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Names
- Yip, Ken
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.5
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 3, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
Interview with Ken Yip May 9, 2005 - Track 3, 1950s & 1960s (interview content), interviewed May 9, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0005_003.mp3Interview with Harman Pandher
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19609
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada arou…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Harman Pandher Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:45:23 min Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 format for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada around 1968. The interview continues with Harman Pandher providing details about his childhood in Burnaby while occasionally sharing photographs with the interviewer. He provides detailed descriptions of the homes and neighbourhoods while living on Second Street and 15th Avenue and shares his experiences as a South Asian Sikh attending Second Street elementary school, Cariboo Hill Secondary School and Kahlsa School. Pandher recalls some of his family and childhood experiences including, family events and gatherings; participation in school clubs and sports; playing basketball, ball hockey and street hockey with his Punjabi friends and other Burnaby kids; racism that he faced as a Sikh wearing a turban and delivering newspapers for the Vancouver Sun. 37:39 – 52:54 Pandher talks about family and cultural celebrations and traditions within the Sikh community including Vaisakhi, Diwali and celebrations of the birth of Guru Ravidas and Guru Nanak. Pandher conveys that while he was growing up many of these events took place in Vancouver but now they are also celebrated in Burnaby. He recalls events that took place in school while growing up in Burnaby including; his sister wearing a Sari to a fashion show; a visit to a Sikh temple; celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak and outreach to teachers to learn about South Asian culture, games, food and traditions. Pandher also shares his experiences working as a student teacher at Capital Hill Elementary in North Burnaby where he took his class on a tour of the Sikh temple in 2001 and reflects on learning that it is his responsibility to be proactive in educating the public in his own culture while also learning about other communities. 52:55 - 1:19:56 Pandher shares personal experiences of racism and his experiences as a teacher and author. He recalls and reflects on a traumatic experience where he was physically assaulted while shopping at Lougheed Mall and recollects his father carrying around his field hockey stick in his car to defend himself. Pandher reflects on the lack of representation of racialized people like himself within the school curriculum while he was growing up which lead him to become a teacher and an author of children’s literature. Pander provides detailed information on his education and training in becoming a teacher, his love of poetry and literature and how he became an author. Pandher describes some of the works of poetry and literature that he’s written about the Sikh religion, history and culture, growing up as a Sikh Canadian and a non-fiction work about the history of Paldi titled "Welcome to Paldi: A Place for Everyone". Pandher also talks about beginning to record some of his own family stories from relatives. 1:19:57 - 1:29:58 Pandher talks about raising his own family in Burnaby, living as an extended family with his parents, his son’s education and Pandher's experience on the Burnaby School Board (2011-2018) . Pandher shares locations of residences that he and his family have lived before living at their current home on 17th Avenue. Pandher explains that since he was a teacher in Surrey, his son attended Khalsa School as well as public elementary and high school in Surrey but did his extracurricular activities in Burnaby where the family lived. 1:29:56 – 1:41:39 In closing, Harman Pandher reflects and shares what he hopes for younger generations of South Asian Canadians and future generations. Pandher articulates “be who you are, stay true to who you are, maintain your family’s traditions, learn their stories, learn their story and how they got to Burnaby”. He conveys that even though there’s more work to be done eliminating racism completely he sees the importance in volunteering, teaching others about yourself and making an effort to learn all parts of Burnaby and other cultures represented here. Pandher speaks about his concerns of youths falling victim to a lifestyle of drugs and gangs and how it’s important to remove the stigma around mental health issues.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Harman Pandher was born in Vancouver in 1976 to parents, Rajinder and Raj Pandher who immigrated to Canada in 1973. A few weeks later after Harman was born, the family moved to Burnaby. While living in Burnaby, Harman Pandher and his sister attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Pandher obtained a master's degree in education from the University of British Columbia and has worked as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. Pandher has been recognized for his efforts in building bridges across communities as the recipient of the 2021 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award. Pandher has served on the Board of the Burnaby Multicultural Society and is co-founder of two noon-profit organizations; “Through SONG” (Seeking Oneness for the Next Generation) “About bringing youth together form diverse backgrounds and using their talent in the community for good causes” and "SACH" (South Asian Community Hub) providing one-stop services for those impacted by alchohol and substance use and mental health issues. Harman Pandher is also the author of two children's books titled, "Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship" and "Once Upon the Golden Temple: A Journey to Sri Harmandir Sahib". 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
- Education
- Occupations - Teachers
- Occupations - Writers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Religions
- Religions - Sikhism
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Sports - Basketball
- Sports
- Responsibility
- Petrusa, Kate
- Geographic Access
- 2nd Street
- 15th Avenue
- Accession Code
- BV023.1.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Second Street Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks
Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0001_003.mp3Interview with Norman Dowad
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19638
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) (61 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (61 min., 37 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Norman Dowad conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on August 14, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:14:38 Norm shares biographical information about himself and background information on the Dowad family. Norm conveys information …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (wav) (61 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (61 min., 37 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Norman Dowad Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: August 14, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:14:37 Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Norman Dowad conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on August 14, 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:14:38 Norm shares biographical information about himself and background information on the Dowad family. Norm conveys information about his grandfather Samuel Dowad's immigration to Canada and his father Wilfred Dowad's military service and successes as a property developer. 00:14:39 – 00:17:26 Norm provides background information on his mother’s side of the family. 00:17:27 – 00:31:36 Norm talks about his childhood, growing up in the Deer Lake neighbourhood, his early education in Burnaby and sports that he played. 00:31:37 – 00:39:59 Norm talks about his educational experiences attending Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and Osgoode Hall law school and information regarding his law career. 00:40:00 – 00:45:03 Norm reflects on his childhood growing up in Burnaby and on his experiences and relationships as a student and in his career as a lawyer. 00:45:04 – 01:01:37 Norm talks about his siblings and shares information about family property development projects as well as career and business successes. In closing he talks about research that he’s done through Archives Canada on his grandfather Sam Dowad and father Wilfred Dowad.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Norm Dowad was born in Burnaby, December 1948 to parents Wilfred “Wilf” (1925-2011) and Cherry Dowad. His father, Wilfred (1925-2011) was born in Winnipeg to parents Samuel “Sam” (Salim in Arabic) Esper Dowad (1895-1969) and Martha (Shaheen) Dowad (1894-1955). Sam and Martha Dowad were both born in a province of the Ottoman Empire which is now present day Lebanon. In 1912, while trying to immigrate to Canada, several of Sam’s relatives including his mother died tragically as steerage passengers on the ill fated Titanic. In 1913, at the age of 18 years, Sam immigrated to Canada to join other family members who'd already arrived here safely. As a new immigrant in Canada, Sam worked with other Labanese immigrants in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the United States. In December 1921, Sam's wife, Martha immigrated to Canada arriving by ship in St. John, New Brunswick. Sam and Martha established their home in Winnipeg where they began to start a family. Their first two children died in infancy and son Wilfred was born in 1925 and daughter Kathleen was born in 1926. While living in Winnipeg, Sam worked as a grocer and in the 1930’s he got work as a farmer in a nearby town. In 1943, Wilf joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCVNR) and served as a gunner on merchant ships during World War II. In 1945, while Wilf was away serving, his parents, Sam and Martha moved to Burnaby. After discharge in 1945, Wilf joined his parents in Burnaby, began working at Fraser Mills and commenced his studies in construction and drafting. In 1949, with his father’s help Wilf acquired a lot next door to his parents’ home and built his first apartment block. After Martha died in 1954, Sam moved to Kelowna where he bought an orchard. Sam remarried in 1957 to Naomi “Mamie” (David) Dowad (1899-1978) who was also from a Lebanese family. Sam and Mamie lived in Kelowna until the mid 1960s when they moved to White Rock. While living in Burnaby, Wilf met and married Cherry Piggott and the couple had six children; Norm, Bruce, Michael, Kathie, Phil and Tom. In 1955, Wilfred Dowad established "W. Dowad Ltd." and over the years he was successful in developing and subdividing land to build housing and commercial developments in Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver. Wilf was the first president of the Burnaby Winter club and was an active member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce holding office at the local, provincial and national level. In 1970, Wilf purchased 238 acres of land bordering the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh River and relocated there the following year. While living in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Wilf became actively engaged in local business and community affairs. Wilf was later remarried to Grethe Dowad and he died in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh in 2011.Wilf's six children are the sole owners of "W.Dowad Ltd." and his daughter, Kathie Smillie is the president and CEO. While growing up in Burnaby, Norm Dowad attended Schou Street School, Douglas Road School, Kensington School and graduated from Burnaby Central Secondary School. Following graduation from high school, Norm attended Simon Fraser University for one year, travelled in Europe, attended University of British Columbia and obtained his law degree from Osgoode Hall at York University. Norman has been practicing law for 49 years and has his own law practice that he operates out of Vancouver. 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
- Agriculture - Farms
- Education
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Migration
- Sports
- Sports - Football
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Names
- Dowad, Norman W. "Norm"
- Dowad, Samuel Esper "Sam"
- Dowad, Wilfred "Wilf"
- Dowad, Naomi "Mamie" David
- Dowad, Martha Elias Shaheen
- Dowad, Kathleen "Kay"
- Rideout, Dr. John Anthony
- Burnaby Central Secondary School
- Douglas Road School
- W. Dowad Limited
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Geographic Access
- Buckingham Avenue
- Deer Lake
- Street Address
- 5533 Buckingham Avenue
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.16
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Morley-Buckingham Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Norman Dowad, [1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023
Interview with Norman Dowad, [1890-2023] (interview content), interviewed 14 Aug. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0016_002.mp3Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4493
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:04:56 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Bob’s school activities, recreation, responsibilities, and his jobs. Bob grew up in the area of Central Burnaby known as Skunk Hollow, and talks of living near Norfolk and Douglas Road in his early childhood, and then on Government Road. He recalls…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:04:56 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Bob Lowe Date of interview: May 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total length of all Tracks: 0:43:36
- Scope and Content
- Track 1: This portion of the recording pertains to Bob’s school activities, recreation, responsibilities, and his jobs. Bob grew up in the area of Central Burnaby known as Skunk Hollow, and talks of living near Norfolk and Douglas Road in his early childhood, and then on Government Road. He recalls attending Douglas Road School and Burnaby South High School. Bob describes his extracurricular activities in school, organized and informal. He mentions the games he played with his friends. Bob discusses his family chores, and his first job, which was a newspaper route for the Vancouver Province. He describes his later jobs, one at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, working for Mr. Arnold, and then for Mr. Robertson at Burnaby Lake Nurseries.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Robert "Bob" Lowe recording by Tom Gooden in 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Persons - Children
- Geographic Access
- Norfolk Street
- Douglas Road
- Government Road
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.6
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on content of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 1, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 1, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0006_001.mp3Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4497
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:06:11 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 5: This portion of the recording pertains to changes to Burnaby since Bob’s childhood. The track begins in mid-sentence and the first comment may relate to a previous topic or one lost in editing, as Bob refers to bitterness and notes that there were jobs for everyone when the Second World Wa…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:06:11 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Bob Lowe Date of interview: May 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 6 Total length of all Tracks: 0:43:36
- Scope and Content
- Track 5: This portion of the recording pertains to changes to Burnaby since Bob’s childhood. The track begins in mid-sentence and the first comment may relate to a previous topic or one lost in editing, as Bob refers to bitterness and notes that there were jobs for everyone when the Second World War started. He continues to describe his relationship with his Ukrainian neighbors, and how he felt about such discrimination as he experienced. He discusses the entrepreneurial opportunities which existed for children and youth, recalls that everyone had private enterprises to help pay for necessities of life, and notes that most of his classmates went to work full time after finishing elementary school. Bob contrasts the general affluence of the present day with the pervasive poverty of his childhood. He notes that discipline at the time was physical, and that authority was not questioned. He comments on physical changes to Burnaby.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Bob Lowe recording by Tom Gooden in 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Names
- Lowe, Robert "Bob"
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.6
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 5, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
Interview with Bob Lowe 2005 - Track 5, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0006_005.mp3Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4479
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:06:35 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 4: This portion of the recording pertains to friends, play, and recreation. Cice talks about Shirley, her best friend from grade school until Shirley’s death at 21. She describes the large, loose circle of friends she met in the Telford Avenue neighborhood or through school, and where they pl…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:06:35 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Cice Brown Date of Interview: May 13, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 7 Total length of all Tracks: 0:40:19
- Scope and Content
- Track 4: This portion of the recording pertains to friends, play, and recreation. Cice talks about Shirley, her best friend from grade school until Shirley’s death at 21. She describes the large, loose circle of friends she met in the Telford Avenue neighborhood or through school, and where they played. Cice recalls how she spent time with her high school friends, and discusses the games that she played with her family and friends.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Cice Brown, interviewed by Tom Gooden on May 13 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Names
- Brown, Cice Chandler
- Geographic Access
- Telford Avenue
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
Audio Tracks
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 4, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 4, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0003_004.mp3Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4480
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:07:55 min)
- Scope and Content
- Track 5: This portion of the recording continues with the topic of recreation. The next questions pertain to restrictions on children at the time, cultural diversity, living arrangements, and toys. Cice is asked to describe her best and worst memories. She mentions that there were few restrictions …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Growing Up in Burnaby subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (mp3) (0:07:55 min)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Tom Gooden Interviewee: Cice Brown Date of Interview: May 13, 2005 Total Number of Tracks: 7 Total length of all Tracks: 0:40:19
- Scope and Content
- Track 5: This portion of the recording continues with the topic of recreation. The next questions pertain to restrictions on children at the time, cultural diversity, living arrangements, and toys. Cice is asked to describe her best and worst memories. She mentions that there were few restrictions on children, and discusses the nature of community at the time. She comments on the cultural and religious backgrounds of the people she knew. Cice describes her family’s home and living arrangements, and how they reflected her family’s situation. She recalls a favourite toy.
- History
- Recording of an interview with Cice Brown, interviewed by Tom Gooden on May 13 2005. This recording was completed for an exhibit, Growing Up in Burnaby, for the Burnaby Village Museum. Major themes discussed are growing up in Burnaby in the 1930s and 40s.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Names
- Brown, Cice Chandler
- Accession Code
- BV017.45.3
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 5, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
Interview with Cice Brown, May 13, 2005 - Track 5, 1930-1949 (interview content), interviewed May 10, 2005
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2017_0045_0003_005.mp3Interview with Mary Lumby by Kathy Bossort January 8, 2016 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory672
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1983-2003
- Length
- 0:10:08
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Mary Lumby talking about living in the Forest Hills community, the location of the Burnaby Mountain Urban Trail in Forest Hills, and the Forest Grove community and school. She explains why parents were hesitant to let children play in the conservation area uns…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Mary Lumby talking about living in the Forest Hills community, the location of the Burnaby Mountain Urban Trail in Forest Hills, and the Forest Grove community and school. She explains why parents were hesitant to let children play in the conservation area unsupervised. She tells a story about her children selling pop to the golfers on the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course.
- Date Range
- 1983-2003
- Length
- 0:10:08
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Planning Study Area
- Lake City Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- January 8, 2016
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Mary Lumby conducted by Kathy Bossort. Mary Lumby was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Mary Lumby’s experience living in Forest Hills, raising her children there, and her involvement in community groups and advocating for improved community services in the Forest Hills and Forest Grove neighbourhoods, and her later move to UniverCity. She talks about the history of the Forest Hills subdivision and what she liked about living there, its links with Forest Grove, and challenges facing both communities as a result of their isolation. Her description of living in UniverCity provides an interesting comparison in how community is created. Mary Lumby also talks about her teaching career, her volunteer activities especially related to the environment, the relationship Trans Mountain tank farm had with adjacent neighbourhoods when she lived in Forest Hills, and what the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area means to her.
- Biographical Notes
- Mary Lumby was born in Vancouver B.C. She moved to Burnaby and the Parkcrest area in 1977, and then to the new Forest Hills subdivision. Later she moved into another developing community, UniverCity, at the top of Burnaby Mountain and adjacent to the Simon Fraser University campus. Mary has been an active community member, volunteer and community advocate. She has been particularly interested in environmental issues, as a teacher, volunteer coordinator for civic events, and citizen representative on Burnaby’s Environment Committee. She continues to be active in community affairs and enjoys living on Burnaby Mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:31:47
- Interviewee Name
- Lumby, Mary M.
- Interview Location
- Mary Lumby's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Mary Lumby
Track two of interview with Mary Lumby
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-016/MSS196-016_Track_2.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory570
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:14:54
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the operation and location of the Olofson’s mink ranch, the challenges of raising mink, and when the family gave up the farm in 1950/51. She describes how she and her sister Anita Lea used a bicycle to go to school.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s description of the operation and location of the Olofson’s mink ranch, the challenges of raising mink, and when the family gave up the farm in 1950/51. She describes how she and her sister Anita Lea used a bicycle to go to school.
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:14:54
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track two of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_2.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory572
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:13:41
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s childhood at her family’s mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain. She describes neighbourhood friends, pets, playing on the farm and in the bush, going to town, and what the mountain looked like
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson’s childhood at her family’s mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain. She describes neighbourhood friends, pets, playing on the farm and in the bush, going to town, and what the mountain looked like
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:13:41
- Names
- Olofson, Axel
- GAK Fur Farm
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Westridge Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track four of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_4.mp3Interview with Maureen Olofson by Kathy Bossort October 14, 2015 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory576
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:06:57
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson telling several stories about events she remembers from her childhood on her parents mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain and going to Sperling Avenue School.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Maureen Olofson telling several stories about events she remembers from her childhood on her parents mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain and going to Sperling Avenue School.
- Date Range
- 1942-1952
- Length
- 0:06:57
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 14, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Maureen Olofson conducted by Kathy Bossort. Maureen Olofson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Maureen Olofson’s memories of growing up on her parent’s Burnaby Mountain mink ranch between 1942 and 1950 and about the operation of the farm. She also talks about her parents’ history, her teaching career, and her thoughts about the beauty and value of Burnaby Mountain’s natural area.
- Biographical Notes
- Maureen Olofson was born 1938 in Glote, Harjedalen, Sweden, to Axel (1906-1998) and Kerstin Margareta (1906-1980). Axel and Kerstin Olofson, who had separately immigrated to Canada in 1928 and 1913 respectively, married in Canada and then returned to Sweden where Maureen was born. They moved to Burnaby in 1942 with their daughters Maureen and Anita Lea, and bought land and a mink ranch on Burnaby Mountain with their partners Gus Skofteby and Karin Ericksson (Kerstin’s sister). The GAK Fur Farm, located in the old Hastings Grove subdivision on 4th Avenue near Curtis Street, was one of the largest mink ranches in BC, an award winning operation with over 1200 mink animals. In 1950 the partners sold the land and the Olofson family moved to rented homes on Sperling Avenue. In 1952 Axel sold the last of his minks and opened a sporting goods store on Hastings Street. In 1954 the family moved to North Vancouver where Axel Olofson reestablished his sports business. Maureen attended Sperling Avenue School from Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 and Burnaby North High School to Gr. 11, completing school in North Vancouver, before going to UBC where she trained as a teacher. She returned to Burnaby in 1977 to teach, retiring in 1997. She is a volunteer with the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association and the Dania Homes Society. Maureen continues to enjoy activities on Burnaby Mountain and works toward preserving the natural beauty of the mountain.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:19:04
- Interviewee Name
- Olofson, B. Maureen
- Interview Location
- Maureen Olofson's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track eight of interview with Maureen Olofson
Track eight of interview with Maureen Olofson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-004/MSS196-004_Track_8.mp3Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory650
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1904-1940
- Length
- 0:11:22
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about her father’s immigration to the USA in 1904 at age 16, his return to Norway and marrying Martine, her parents emigration from Norway to Vancouver in 1930, her father’s purchase of an acre of land on Curtis Street and building a two ro…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about her father’s immigration to the USA in 1904 at age 16, his return to Norway and marrying Martine, her parents emigration from Norway to Vancouver in 1930, her father’s purchase of an acre of land on Curtis Street and building a two room house for the family, Reidun’s birth in 1931, and the family’s move to Curtis Street in 1932. She talks about her childhood memories of playing on a big stump and cedar log in the yard.
- Date Range
- 1904-1940
- Length
- 0:11:22
- Names
- Seim, Sjur
- Seim, Martine
- Geographic Access
- Curtis Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lochdale Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- January 13, 2016
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
- Total Tracks
- 14
- Total Length
- 2:35:58
- Interviewee Name
- Seim, Reidun
- Interview Location
- Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Reidun Seim
Track one of interview with Reidun Seim
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-017/MSS196-017_Track_1.mp3Interview with Reidun Seim by Kathy Bossort January 13, 2016 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory657
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1930-1950
- Length
- 0:08:05
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim telling stories about her mother building Reidun and her friends a playhouse, about walking on Burnaby Mountain and cutting Christmas trees, and tobogganing on Curtis Street.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim telling stories about her mother building Reidun and her friends a playhouse, about walking on Burnaby Mountain and cutting Christmas trees, and tobogganing on Curtis Street.
- Date Range
- 1930-1950
- Length
- 0:08:05
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Lochdale (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Lochdale Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- January 13, 2016
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
- Total Tracks
- 14
- Total Length
- 2:35:58
- Interviewee Name
- Seim, Reidun
- Interview Location
- Burnaby City Hall in the Law Library
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track eight of interview with Reidun Seim
Track eight of interview with Reidun Seim
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-017/MSS196-017_Track_8.mp3Interview with Steve Mancinelli by Kathy Bossort September 13, 2015 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory547
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1955-1990
- Length
- 0:08:36
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Steve Mancinelli’s early life growing up in the Cascade-Schou District, playing in the bush as a child, fishing at Stoney Creek, tobogganing on Burnaby Mountain, and learning more about nature as an adult. He also talks about the Pavilion area restaurant calle…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Steve Mancinelli’s early life growing up in the Cascade-Schou District, playing in the bush as a child, fishing at Stoney Creek, tobogganing on Burnaby Mountain, and learning more about nature as an adult. He also talks about the Pavilion area restaurant called “The Owl and the Oarsman”.
- Date Range
- 1955-1990
- Length
- 0:08:36
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Cascade-Schou Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- September 13, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Steve Mancinelli conducted by Kathy Bossort. Steve Mancinelli was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the activities of the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society between 1988 and 1997 and its advocacy for the protection of green space on Burnaby Mountain prior to the land transfer from SFU to Burnaby in 1995. Steve Mancinelli also talks about his other environmental and political activities, recreation on Burnaby Mountain, and the value of its natural assets.
- Biographical Notes
- Stephen Mancinelli was born in Vancouver in 1953 to Mario and Joan Mancinelli, one of three sons. The Mancinelli family moved to Burnaby in 1955 to the Cascade-Schou District. Steve attended Schou School (Gr. 1- 7) and Moscrop School (Gr. 8-10), playing as a child in the bush on the future Discovery Park site, before the family moved to Port Coquitlam. Steve moved back to Burnaby when he was 18, married his wife Glenda in 1980, and raised his family of two daughters (Julia and Aimee) in the Capital Hill District, before moving to Coquitlam in 2002. Employed as a sheet metal worker for 25 years, Steve has recently worked as a custodian for Coquitlam School District 43 for 19 years. Steve was one of the founding members of the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, and has also been a member of the Capital Hill Community Association, on the Board of Directors for Burnaby Psychiatric Services, and a Regional Director for the Green Party. Steve took an early interest in organic gardening, planting trees, and finding inventive ways to recycle waste and promote responsible use of the environment. Steve’s experience working on environmental issues was an important asset to the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which formed ca. 1988 to become a key advocate for preserving parkland on Burnaby Mountain. The Society was awarded the City of Burnaby 1998 Environment Award in Communications for its work in preserving the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. In 2001 Steve was awarded an Environmental Star in Community Stewardship for being “active in preserving and enhancing Burnaby’s natural environment for over thirty years”.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 1:31:42
- Interviewee Name
- Mancinelli, Stephen J. "Steve"
- Interview Location
- Steve Mancinelli's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Steve Mancinelli
Track one of interview with Steve Mancinelli
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-001/MSS196-001_Track_1.mp3