Search Results | Heritage Burnaby

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) sitting next to a standing Julie Cho Chan Lee; dog in foreground; family home in background.

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Series: Lee family photographs series

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1200 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) sitting next to a standing Julie Cho Chan Lee; dog in foreground; family home in background.

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Persons - Chinese Canadians

Names: Lee, Julie Cho Chan; Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"

Accession Code: BV017.24.13

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [between 1946 and 1952]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Douglas-Gilpin Area

Scan Resolution: 1200

Scan Date: 01-Oct-2017

Scale: 100

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) and Julie Cho Chan Lee, [between 1946 and 1952] thumbnail

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) lying on grass

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4061

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [between 1946 and 1955]

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1200 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) lying on grass; lattice and plants in background.

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Series: Lee family photographs series

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1200 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) lying on grass; lattice and plants in background.

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Persons - Chinese Canadians

Names: Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"

Accession Code: BV017.24.14

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [between 1946 and 1955]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Douglas-Gilpin Area

Scan Resolution: 1200

Scan Date: 01-Oct-2017

Scale: 100

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) lying on grass, [between 1946 and 1955] thumbnail

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) with children and dog

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4075

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [between 1946 and 1952]

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1200 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) holding shovel; two children on porch of house; black and white dog sitting in front; view of family property on right.

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Series: Lee family photographs series

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1200 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) holding shovel; two children on porch of house; black and white dog sitting in front; view of family property on right.

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Persons - Chinese Canadians

Names: Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"

Accession Code: BV017.24.28

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [between 1946 and 1952]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Douglas-Gilpin Area

Scan Resolution: 1200

Scan Date: 01-Oct-2017

Scale: 100

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) with children and dog, [between 1946 and 1952] thumbnail

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) with produce baskets

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4073

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [between 1940 and 1942]

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1000 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) wearing sunglasses and overalls, sitting in front of family home with produce baskets balanced on pole.

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Series: Lee family photographs series

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1000 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) wearing sunglasses and overalls, sitting in front of family home with produce baskets balanced on pole.

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Persons - Chinese Canadians

Names: Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"

Geographic Access: Douglas Road

Accession Code: BV017.24.26

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [between 1940 and 1942]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Douglas-Gilpin Area

Scan Resolution: 1000

Scan Date: 01-Oct-2017

Scale: 100

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Suey Ying Jung (Laura) with produce baskets

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4074

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [between 1940 and 1942]

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1000 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) wearing overalls, sitting between produce baskets in front of family home.

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds

Series: Lee family photographs series

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : sepia ; 1000 dpi

Scope and Content: Photograph of Suey Ying Jung (Laura) wearing overalls, sitting between produce baskets in front of family home.

Subjects: Agriculture - Farms; Persons - Chinese Canadians

Names: Jung, Suey Ying "Laura"

Accession Code: BV017.24.27

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [between 1940 and 1942]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Douglas-Gilpin Area

Scan Resolution: 1000

Scan Date: 01-Oct-2017

Scale: 100

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Untold Histories: The Legacy of the Chinese Community on Deer Lake

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14758

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 8 Oct. 2020

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 video recording (mp4) (56 min., 15 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps

Scope and Content: Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Public Librarian, Mariah Gastaldo. The webinar is titled "Untold Histories: The Legacy of the Chinese Community on Deer Lake" and is presented by Nathan Lee, Lead Designer and co-founder of Contexture Design. The zoom webin…

1 image 1 video

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker Series series

Subseries: Neighbourhood Speaker Series - Fall 2020 subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 video recording (mp4) (56 min., 15 sec.) : digital, col., sd., stereo ; 29 fps

Material Details: Presenter: Nathan Lee; Host: Mariah Gastaldo; Date of Presentation: October 8, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm; Total Number of tracks: 1; Total Length of all tracks: 56 min., 15 sec.; Recording Device: Zoom video communication platform

Scope and Content: Item consists of a video recording of a live Zoom webinar hosted by Burnaby Public Librarian, Mariah Gastaldo. The webinar is titled "Untold Histories: The Legacy of the Chinese Community on Deer Lake" and is presented by Nathan Lee, Lead Designer and co-founder of Contexture Design. The zoom webinar is the third in a collection of seven "Burnaby Neighbourhood Speaker series" webinars that were presented and made available to the public between September 29 and October 27, 2020. The live webinar and recording was also made available on the Burnaby Village Museum's facebook page. In this webinar, Nathan Lee speaks about his public art installation that will be installed near the site of the Burnaby Art Gallery in Deer Lake Park. Nathan presents his background research which lead to the project. He tells how the site of the Burnaby Art Gallery and surrounding Century Garden are rich with stories of early settlers and of how British farmers and social elite have shaped the history of this area since the early 1900’s. Nathan's presentation highlights the unseen presence of a Chinese community that is equally profound in its connect. The presentation is supported with slides consisting of historical and contemporary photographs. At the conclusion of his presentation, Nathan takes questions from webinar participants.

Subjects: Persons - Chinese Canadians; Arts - Sculptures; Geographic Features - Parks; Agriculture - Farms

Names: Lee, Nathan; Ceperley, Grace; Ceperley, H.T.; Ceperley, Arthur; Gastaldo, Mariah

Geographic Access: Deer Lake Avenue; Deer Lake; Deer Lake Park

Accession Code: BV020.29.3

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: 8 Oct. 2020

Media Type: Moving Images

Historic Neighbourhood: Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)

Notes: Title based on contents of video recording; Video recording was edited for publication on Heritage Burnaby. Original mp4 video recording (BV020.29.3.1) is 66 min., 51 sec.

Images

Video

Untold Histories: The Legacy of the Chinese Community on Deer Lake, 8 Oct. 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2020_0029_0003_002.mp4

Where is your food from?

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14270

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 2020

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:17:10 min)

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of part two in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part two is titled “Where is your food from?" The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty …

1 image 1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: UBC Partnership series

Subseries: Back to the Roots Podcast series - 2020 subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (mp3) (00:17:10 min)

Material Details: Podcasts hosts: Rose Wu; Wei Yan Yeong Guest: Denise Fong Music: prod. riddiman Podcast Date: October 2020 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all tracks: 00:17:10 min Photograph info: Store front of Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co in Victoria, B.C., 1975. BV017.7.191

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of part two in a series of three “Back to the Roots” podcasts about the history of Chinese-Canadian farming in Burnaby and the lower mainland. Part two is titled “Where is your food from?" The podcasts were created by students Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Faculty and while student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. In this series the students connect their knowledge of food systems to their shared Chinese heritage in order to discover how Chinese Canadian history is rooted in their local food systems. "Where is your food from?" explores contemporary versus historical alternative food movements and how early Chinese farmers in the lower mainland had to be creative in their business tactics in order to survive in a local food system that discriminated against their race. 00:00-02:45 The podcast opens with an audio clip from Harvard University professor and world renowned food journalist and author of "The Ominvore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan. Wei Yan Yeong and Rose Wu introduce themselves and their topic "Where is your food from?" They comment on the global philosophy "Eat local, think global" and question whether this philosphy ignores the struggles faced by local farms operated by immigrant workers back in the day. They comment "Unlike how these alternative food movements are heralded as sustainable, healthy, and even sometimes trendy now in today’s standards, for Chinese farmers, these alternative food movements were necessary for survival against discriminatory practices entrenched in the food system they were servicing." 02:46 - 06:21 This portion provides background on Chinese immigrant farmers and the establishment of "market gardens" or "truck farms". Rose and Wei Yan tell of how up to the 1970s, Chinese farms produced mostly European staples such as potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, corn and cabbage because there was no market for Chinese crops. Many of the Chinese immigrants were forced into farming and other menial jobs due to discriminatory practices that excluded them from other types of employment. The hosts provide a synopsis of Burnaby Bylaw Number 4, created in 1892, "The Chinese and Japanese Exclusion Bylaw" which prohibited any Chinese or Japanese person from working for the Municipality of Burnaby. Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong provides information on Chinese immigrants in Burnaby, how many of them were farmers in the Big Bend area and how hard it was for them to own land due to racial discrimination. Denise also refers to an article in"Harrowsmith" magazine (c.1980s) where thirty five Chinese-Canadians operated farms in Burnaby. 06:22 - 09:24 This portion provides a description of Chinese market farms and vegetable peddling. Background information about the history of market farms, truck farms and vegetable peddling in Burnaby and the lower mainland provided by Denise Fong. 09:24 - 12:03 This portion talks about the policies put in place to create further barriers to Chinese farmers. Denise Fong provides information regarding the civic bylaws that were created to restrict produce sales, fines and fees that were imposed on peddlers, establishment of green grocers, the Chinese Marketing Act, the establishment of organizations to support Chinese farmers including the Chinese Growers Assocation. 12:04 - 15:00 This portion talks about how Chinese-Canadians played important roles in conventional "long" food networks. Denise Fong provides information in how Chinese Canadians participated in the larger food distribution network in British Columbia. Denise shares a story of Chinese-Canadian Cecil Lee and how he introduced the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into British Columbia. 15:01 - 16:29 Final summary regarding the contraditions in our local food system that continue to persist today and how despite the improved status of Chinese-Canadians in British Columbia, cheap, migrant labourers continue to be an overlooked part of our local food system. This portion includes a recorded excerpt from M.L.A. Mabel Elmore regarding Temporary Foreign Workers (presented before the NDP caucous in 2015). 16:29 - 17:22 Credits, thanks and acknowledgements. Special thanks to Duncan McCue and M.LA. Mabel Elmore. Music created by P. Ruderman

History: Podcast hosts, Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong are University of British Columbia students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and student interns at Burnaby Village Museum. Guest, 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 the Burnaby Village Museum “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: Persons - Chinese Canadians; Agriculture - Farms; Agriculture; Gardens - Market Gardens; Social Issues - Discrimination; Social Issues - Racism

Names: Fong, Denise; Burnaby Village Museum; McCue, Duncan; Elmore, Mabel

Responsibility: Yeong, Wei Yan; Wu, Rose

Geographic Access: Marine Drive

Accession Code: BV020.28.4

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: 2020

Media Type: Sound Recording

Historic Neighbourhood: Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Big Bend Area

Related Material: BV020.28.3; BV020.28.5

Notes: Title based contents of sound recording; For associated video recording of research interview with Denise Fong - see BV020.28.2; Compilation of Research Resources used by authors Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong include:; Lim, S. (2015). Feeding the "Greenest City": Historicizing "Local," Labour, and the Postcolonial Politics of Eating. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 24(1), 78-100. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/26195279; Mable Elmore’s statement on the plight of temporary foreign workers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF4_js0R-Mo&ab_channel=BCNDPCaucus; Michael Pollen’s speech at UBC Farm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1n-kRJhPPQ&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=LFSLearningCentre; Gibb, Natalie & Wittman, Hannah. (2012). Parallel alternatives: Chinese-Canadian farmers and the Metro Vancouver local food movement. Local Environment. 18. 1-19. 10.1080/13549839.2012.714763.; Yu, J. (2014, March 31). The integration of the Chinese market gardens of southern British Columbia, 1885-1930 [R]. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0228676; Burnaby Village Museum, Interview with Denise Fong by Rose Wu and Wei Yan Yeong, 2020. BV020.28.2 https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/permalink/museumvideo14276

Images

Audio Tracks

Where is your food from?, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Sound_Recordings/2020_0028_0004_001.mp3

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)

Scope and Content: Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…

1 document 1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Series: Museum Oral Histories series

Subseries: South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)

Material Details: Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby

Scope and Content: Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".

History: Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.

Creator: Burnaby Village Museum

Subjects: Persons - South Asian Canadians; Social Issues; Social Issues - Racism; Occupations - Agricultural Labourers; Migration; Organizations - Unions; Rights; Rights - Human Rights; Agriculture; Agriculture - Farms; Government - Provincial Government; Government

Names: Chouhan, Raj; British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism; Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash; Grewal, Hardial Singh; Canadian Farmworkers Union; Hospital Employees Union; Khalsa Diwan Society

Responsibility: Petrusa, Kate

Accession Code: BV022.29.4

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

Media Type: Sound Recording

Notes: Title based on contents of item; Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby

Documents

2022_0029_0004_003

Audio Tracks

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3

Interview 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 …

1 document 1 audio

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

2023_0016_0016_003

Audio Tracks

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.mp3

Stoney Creek student with a pumpkin

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98355

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1999]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : col.

Scope and Content: Photograph of Stoney Creek Elementary School student Michael Cao holding a pumpkin and wearing a backpack while standing in the field of the Laity Pumpkin Farm in Maple Ridge.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1999]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby NewsLeader photograph collection

Physical Description: 1 photograph (tiff) : col.

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 535-3365

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No restrictions

Accession Number: 2018-12

Scope and Content: Photograph of Stoney Creek Elementary School student Michael Cao holding a pumpkin and wearing a backpack while standing in the field of the Laity Pumpkin Farm in Maple Ridge.

Subjects: Persons - Children; Persons - Students; Agriculture - Farms

Names: Stoney Creek Elementary School

Media Type: Photograph

Photographer: Ray, Steve

Notes: Title based on caption; Collected by editorial for use in an October 1999 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader; Caption from metadata: "Michael Cao from Stoney Creek Elementary carries his pumpkin across the field at the Laity pumpkin farm in Maple Ridge on Thursday morning."

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