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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…

1 image 1 audio

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Hipman "Jimmy" Chow and Donna Polos fonds

Series: Jimmy Chow and Donna Polos interview series

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

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0021_0001_004.mp3

Interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19346

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1600-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Oct. 2022

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 2 sound recordings (wav) (111 min., 51 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (111 min., 51 sec.)

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar discusses and provides in…

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: 2 sound recordings (wav) (111 min., 51 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (111 min., 51 sec.)

Material Details: Interviewers: Anushay Malik, Rajdeep Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Nadeem Parmar Location of Interview: Residence of Nadeem Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: October 7, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:51:51 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

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar conducted by interviewers, Anushay Malik and Rajdeep with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. During the interview Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar discusses and provides information on; his ancestral background, his education, his employment background, his experiences of racial discrimmination as a South Asian immigrant, saw mills established by South Asian relations in Paldi (Vancouver Island), in North Vancouver and Burnaby, family relations in the South Asian Canadian community and in regions in Punjab, the caste system, his literary works, locations of family homes in Burnaby, the architectural design of his house, personal stories and anecdotal information as a South Asian Canadian living and working in Canada. 00:00 – 01:45 The framework and purpose of the interview is explained to interviewee Nadeem Parmar by interviewers Rajdeep and Anushay Malik. The interviewers explain how the information from this interview can be drawn on for Burnaby Village Museum’s future exhibits and also how researchers will learn more about the history of the South Asian community in Burnaby through residents’ stories. Interview begins with Nadeem providing his full name "Kulwant Singh Parmar". He clarifies that his name was given to him by his grandfather who was a civil engineer and that his father also worked as a civil engineer. Nadeem expresses that he was born with a “silver spoon in his mouth” as a descendent of his maternal grandfather who was a successful landlord. Nadeem explains that when the Partition of India came into effect, (1947) he was 11 years old. He and his family left the partitioned side, his native village was located in Punjab and his forefathers were located in Rajasthan. 3:20 – 4:57 Nadeem explains further about his forefathers who came from Rajasthan. He shares information about his ancestor on his father’s side, named Vijay Singh who was friends with Emperor Jahangir. When fighting began against Jahangir he left the area to head to the middle of central India, then to the Punjab area with small states. As a clan, as a Parmar, he conveys there were about eleven or twelve villages with the same name. Interviewer, Anushay helps Nadeem to clarify the time period of this information. Nadeem refers to the time period being similar to the epic historical film “Moghal-e-Azam” and Anushay confirms the time period being the 1600s when they left Rajasthan. 4:58 – 10:59 Interviewer Anushay asks Nadeem to about his migration to Canada. Nadeem conveys that his first ancestor on his in-laws side of the family migrated around 1889. Further discussion ensues about reading Punjabi and how interviewer Rajdeep can read Punjabi and that she comes from the village of "Lakhpur" in Punjab. Rajdeep notes that “Lakhpur” is near "Phagwara". Nadeem clarifies that his village is "Panchat" and this family used to live in "Phagwara". and Nadeem and Rajdeep compare their familiarity and memories of the area. Nadeem conveys some of his comments in Punjabi and then changes to English. Nadeem recollects when the Japanese bombarded Shillong, he was around seven years old and attended missionary school. The only languages that were taught were English and Persian. Nadeem conveys that his mother had hopes of Nadeem becoming an army officer and moving up the ranks but Nadeem wasn’t interested. Nadeem attended college, graduated with a Bachelor of Science, BSC with Physics and Chemistry, followed by another Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and finally a degree in his favourite subject in the language of Urdu. He completed these degrees in Punjab in Doaba College, Jalandher. Nadeem recollects how he started teaching but wasn’t getting paid very well. When he was at college, with encouragement from his professor, Veer Pankalia [sic] he began writing poetry and short plays. His professor also introduced him to a famous poet of Punjab, Mila Ram Offa [sic] and he gave him the name of Nadeem. Nadeem explains the meaning of the name “Nadeem” “…the one who know about it, inside out…” even though we generally think of the meaning being “friend” it’s not just about friend. 11:00 -24:48 Nadeem provides background information on how he ended up marrying his future wife who was born in India and immigrated to Canada with her family. Nadeem explains how the marriage was arranged through family relations that were already established in Punjab over a century ago. One of his wife’s ancestors, head of the family called “baniye” (traders) immigrated to Canada in [1899]. This relation returned to Punjab where he had nephews, the youngest of the nephews was Nadeem’s father (Lashman Singh Manhas) in law’s father (Sher Singh Manhas). He expresses that his wife’s ancestor couldn’t bring Nadeem’s father in law’s father since he was only 12 or 13 years old but he brought three of the nephews back to Canada with him. The nephews were named, Pola Singh, Ginaya Singh and Doman Singh (also named Dolmans). He describes how the group left India but it took them two to three years before they arrived in Canada. The group travelled to Burma, Indonesia and Hong Kong before landing in San Francisco. From San Francisco they walked and worked on the rail line before entering Canada and arriving in Grand Forks. The men got work on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and eventually made their way to the lower mainland. Nadeem conveys that the younger brother of Ginaya Singh, Maya Singh joined the others in Canada taking the same route, arriving in Bridal Falls where they were working at a saw mill and in CP rail construction. He describes Maya Singh as business minded and since he was too young to work in the mill, he began working as a cook and then began growing potatoes on land that he leased from a Dutch land owner. The local mill at Bridal Falls was facing bankruptcy and Maya Singh arranged to lease the mill, eventually buying it. From there the group moved their business to Strawberry Hill in Surrey and when the sale of logs declined, they moved over to Vancouver Island and established a sawmill with Doman Singh in the community of Paldi (originally known as Mayo Lumber) near Duncan. He explains further how the South Asian community helped each other like they did back home. He clarifies that his father in law’s father is the youngest cousin of Ginaya and Doman Singh and when he died, his father in law’s younger brother started Kashmir Lumber. Eventually his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) and the rest of the whole family including cousins and nephews were sponsored by their relations and immigrated to Canada. Nadeem explains how in 1959, his brother in law returned home to Punjab to get married, bringing his family with him. He tells of how during this time period, a marriage was arranged by his parents for him to marry his future wife. Nadeem recollects how this came to be. Nadeem and his wife Surjeet married in Punjab in December 1960, Nadeem was 24 years old and his wife was 18 years old. 24:49 – 39:42 Nadeem describes how he obtained his teaching degree from Ramgarhia College in Phagwara (located in the Kapurhtala district of Punjab) and after a disagreement with a teacher at home, he decided to go to England. He explains how he joined his brother who had moved to England and was working as a labourer. Nadeem tells of the difficulties he faced applying for a teaching job in England and how he had to go back to school to help with his English pronunciation. Nadeem explains that after taking this course, he got work teaching Grade two students which he felt was below his qualifications (he mentions that while living in Punjab, he was a Secondary School teacher) and the pay was very low. He discovered that his brother was making more money working as a labourer so Nadeem became discouraged and quit. When Nadeem couldn’t find work as a labourer, his brother advised him to shave off his beard. Nadeem conveys how difficult it was for him to shave off his beard and how once he was clean shaven he got work as a sweeper in a factory. He shares his experience of working in the factory and of how with his former education he got himself promoted to a more technical position. With encouragement from his employer, Nadeem enrolled in technical courses which lead to him obtaining an HNC Engineering Degree. He completed the course work in two years, obtaining skills in microwave communication becoming the senior test engineer at the factory. While working in this position, Nadeem shares how he suffered discrimination when he was passed over for a senior chief engineer position at the factory by a less educated and experienced employee. 39:43 – 53:38 Nadeem recollects how things changed for him in the 1970s. It began with his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) passing away in 1970 while he and his family were living on 18th Street in Burnaby. His father in law had been working at the saw mill, Kashmir Lumber Company in North Vancouver that was owned by his father in law’s younger brother (Kashmir Singh Manhas). The mill had burnt down and many of the workers lost everything. Nadeem confides that during this time, his wife was suffering from depression and wanted to be with her mother back in Canada now that her father had passed away. Nadeem emphasizes how his wife’s family (over 300 relatives) in Canada often get together every year on July 1st in Paldi near Duncan. In 1972, Nadeem arrived in Canada on his own to find work but was unsuccessful so he and his wife made plans to move to Uganda where he was offered a job. In 1973, when his visa didn’t come through for Uganda, Nadeem, his wife and two children decided to come to Canada. Nadeem describes that after several unsuccessful experiences to find skilled work in Canada, he eventually found work at Canadian National Telecommunications. During this time, Nadeem and his family lived with his father in law’s family at 5216 Pandora Street in Burnaby and in 1974, Nadeem purchased a house at 131 Fell Avenue in Burnaby. Nadeem provides further details of when the families lived at these different addresses and how in 1983 he had a house built on Woodsworth Street where he is still living now. He conveys some of the history of the lot where his current house resides including details on the lot subdivision, lot ownership and the cost of building his new house. Nadeem tells of how he designed his home with help from his son who was working as an apprentice with architect Arthur Erikson at the time. He describes the architectural interior as an open concept design, in an “L” shape in honour of his father “Lakhmir Singh”. Nadeem shares information on his mother’s name which was Jamna (prior to her marriage) and became Davinder Kaur after she was married. (Note: Jamna was her name before marriage. Traditionally after a woman is married, her husband’s family changes her first name because she is now considered a part of a new family). 53:39 – 58:56 Nadeem provides information on his career working as CNCP technician working with CPIC systems and how he was promoted to a new position. Nadeem inserts a quote from a Punjabi poem which he translates to English as “Somebody asked the blind people. What do you need? He said, do you need two eyes?, he said, what else do I need?”. Nadeem conveys how in 1986 his mother passed away so he went back home to the village of Lakhpur where his father and younger brother were living. His father and younger brother were on their own and in 1986 they decided to demolish the family home. He explains that there’s a college there now and that a library was built at this location in the name of his grandfather. 58:57 – 1:04:38 Nadeem shares how he suffered a heart attack in 1990 during the marriage ceremony of his son in Williams Lake. Nadeem talks about the complicated relations of the South Asian families and the saw mill owners in Paldi and comments on the problems with the caste system that provokes discrimination within the South Asian community. Nadeem refers to disputes that arose amongst mill owners and investors that included Kapoor Singh Siddoo, Mayo Singh, Gurdial Singh Teja and Ginaya Singh which caused problems amongst his family and also lead to Kapoor Singh selling his portion of the mill. Nadeem spells “Ginaya” Singh’s name and explains that this name is the nickname for “Krishna”. Nadeem provides his insight into the joint ownership of the saw mills located in Paldi and how the the joint ownership was dissolved in 1952. Nadeem clarifies that Ginaya Singh also left Paldi and that Ginaya Singh’s wife is his mother in law’s aunt and that he also moved to Burnaby. Nadeem explains the proper name spelling of mill owner “Mayo Singh” and that the correct spelling is actually “Mayan Singh” but he changed it to “Mayo” when it was mis-pronounced. Nadeem also comments on the problems that he encountered in 1970 on the pronunciation of his own name while living in England and at one point his employer referred to him as “Paul”. 1:04:39 – 1:18:50 Nadeem relays that when he emigrated from India and to Canada that he carried his personal possessions in a small suitcase made from cardboard since the weight limit on the airplane was just three pounds. He conveys that many of his relations have all suffered from heart problems including Ginaya Singh and his children. Nadeem shares that Ginaya Singh’s three sons all lived in Burnaby. Nadeem conveys that many South Asians lived in Burnaby and many worked at saw mills in North Vancouver and in the L&K sawmill near Pemberton. Nadeem explains further about the how the disagreements came to be between Mayo Singh and Kapoor Singh. He describes how each had a different business strategy in harvesting lumber and that there were feuds amongst the families. Nadeem provides further details on the root of the family feuds. Nadeem provides definitions for certain Punjabi terms that he’s using including “Mehta”(meaning lowest class of farmers, foreigner as well head as a title given to people of a clan living in the area) and ‘Panchat”, the name of his family village that was built and founded by five brothers and one nephew (Panj- meaning five and the sound “cht” meaning six). Nadeem explains that these terms were given to people from his own clan living in the area because it was small. Nadeem explains further about status that is based on money and the Punjabi terms “Parsu”, “Parsa” and “Pasaram” that are often used to describe a person. When you are poor the term “Parsu” is used and when you become rich the term “Pasaram” is used. Nadeem refers to Mayo Singh as a Pasaram as the second most successful millner in British Columbia, second to Frederick John Hart. Nadeem mentions that Ginaya Singh, elder brother to Mayo Singh helped provide the finances to start the mill and when there was a disagreement, Ginaya Singh left the mill business, moved his family to Burnaby and began working in insurance. Nadeem shares the sad story of Ginaya Singh’s sudden death (in 1953). Nadeem states that many of the people who left the mills at Paldi went to work at the Kapoor Mill in Burnaby and some relocated to the Interior of British Columbia. Nadeem mentions that his father in law (Lashman Singh Manhas) was able to purchase a house on 18th Street in along with other residences that he bought with his hard earned money working in the farms and mills, 16 hours per day, seven days a week. 1:18:51 – 1:32:04 Nadeem explains why he thinks that most South Asian people worked in the mills in the earlier days. Nadeem conveys that since Sikh men wore beards and turbans they encountered discrimination and were unable to get work in the business community. Nadeem shares his own personal experiences of wearing a turban and the discrimination he’s encountered while living in Scotland and Canada. Nadeem mentions that a defense committee was formed to protect the Gurdwaras and people’s homes from being vandalized due to racial discrimination. Nadeem describes some of the troubles that he’s encountered in his own neighbourhood when he had to call the police. Nadeem shares a personal experience just after 9/11 where he was the target of racial discrimination in the parking lot of Burnaby Lake. Nadeem emphasizes that he has experienced many incidents of racial discrimination, especially in the workplace and that this was not unusual for him. 1:32:05 – 1:36:19 Nadeem talks about his interest in writing and his many literary works including 12 novels that he’s written in Punjabi. Nadeem highlights a few books that he’s written including a book titled “Rape” and another one titled “Sponsorship” which conveys the complex nature of people immigrating to Canada. Nadeem mentions a particular book about AIDS, titled “Wide Net” that he’s been trying to get published. Nadeem speaks to the challenges and high costs of trying to get his works published. Nadeem provides a brief synopsis of his book “Wide Net”. Nadeem relays that this is a personal account of a gay couple that he knew where one of the partners died of AIDS and that the couple gave Nadeem permission to tell their tragic story. 1:36:20 – 1:51:51 Nadeem talks about his children and compares their experiences to his own as a South Asian immigrant. Nadeems talks about the accomplishments of his son, his daughter and grandchildren including their education and careers. Nadeem says that his children are well educated and well established in their careers. Nadeem’s children attended Capitol Hill Elementary School and North Burnaby High School in Burnaby. Nadeem shares specifics of his son’s career history. Nadeem expresses that he still considers Canada to be the best country for opportunities and that he prefers to live in Burnaby rather than Surrey and shares some personal anecdotes. Nadeem lists some local places that he’s shopped for South Asian groceries and spices rather than travelling to Surrey. He mentions shopping at Kelly Douglas, stores in Chinatown, small grocers on Capitol Hill, Patel’s on Commercial Drive and Main Street. As an aside Nadeem mentions that he worked as a security guard and the wages that he earned. Nadeem comments that he has been awarded various certificates and certifications from his education and career over the years, including a Bachelor of Science. The interviewers further express their interest in seeing the cardboard case that Nadeem brought with him when immigrating to Canada. In closing Nadeem states that his favourite food from back home was kheer (rice pudding).

History: Interviewee biography: Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar was born June 9, 1936, Chuck 138 in Lyalpur (India before 1947) to parents Lakhmir Singh Parmar and Davinder Kaur Jamana Parmar. Nadeem grew up in the village of Panchat in the northern region of Punjab, India. Nadeem married his wife Surjeet in Punjab in 1960. After marrying the couple immigrated to England where Nadeem was already working. While living in England, Nadeem and Surjeet had two children. After Surjeet's father died in Canada in 1972, Nadeem, Surjeet and their two children immgrated to Canada, joining Surjeet's family who were living in Burnaby. After Nadeem immigrated to Burnaby in 1973 he worked various jobs before working with CN/CP Telecommunications. Nadeem holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Teaching from Punjab University and a diploma from the London Board of Education (L.B.E.) and a P.Eng. from Lancaster. He has seven books published in Punjabi, three in Urdu and is published in eight anthologies. He is fluent in Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindi. Interviewers' biographies: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”. 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: Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores; Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills; Buildings - Industrial - Factories; Education; Employment; Industries - Logging/lumber; Migration; Occupations - Engineers; Occupations - Millworkers; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Writers; Persons - South Asian Canadians; Social Issues; Social Issues - Racism

Names: Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"; Kapoor Sawmills Limited; Siddoo, Kapoor Singh; Teja, Gurdial Singh; Parmar, Surjeet Kaur; Manhas, Ghania Singh; Singh, Mayo; Manhas, Kashmir Singh; Manhas, Sher Singh; Manhas, Budhan Kaur; Manhas, Lashman Singh

Responsibility: Malik, Anushay; Rajdeep

Geographic Access: Woodsworth Street

Accession Code: BV022.29.1

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1600-2022] (interview content), interviewed 7 Oct. 2022

Media Type: Sound Recording

Historic Neighbourhood: Capitol Hill (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Douglas-Gilpin Area; Capitol Hill Area

Related Material: See also BV022.29.5 - Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar

Notes: Title based on contents of item; Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate; Interview is conducted in English with various segments of discussion in Punjabi; Transcript of interview available upon request

Audio Tracks

Interview with Kalwant Singh

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0001_003.mp3

Brentwood School Staff

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36066

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1959

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 11.5 x 16.5 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the staff members at Brentwood Park School, sitting and standing in rows outside of the school.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1959

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Grace Dickie subseries

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia ; 11.5 x 16.5 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 215-024

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only

Accession Number: BHS1989-03

Scope and Content: Photograph of the staff members at Brentwood Park School, sitting and standing in rows outside of the school.

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Nurses

Names: Brentwood Park School

Media Type: Photograph

Notes: Hadwritten note on verso of photograph identifies the staff members by listing them: "Mr. Harris, Mr. Kaye, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. McGregor (Nurse), Mrs. Hune, Mrs. Schawalder, Mrs. McCanty, Mrs. Kulla, Miss Gray, Mrs. Guggishberg, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. DeRidder, Mrs. Tweedy, Miss Johnstone, Miss Wadden, Mrs. Cook"; Photographer identified as "Layton"

Geographic Access: Delta Avenue

Street Address: 1455 Delta Avenue

Planning Study Area: Brentwood Area

Images

Canadian Ophthalmic College

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription910

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1920]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia composite ; 41 x 51.5 cm

Scope and Content: Composite photograph of graduates of the Canadian Ophthalmic College in Toronto, Ontario. Names are listed beneath each of the oval photographs (grouped in four rows). In the top row (from left) are; C. Anderson, W.E. Owen, J.W. Abray, J.A. Epstein (a woman), H.W. Edgar, B.H. Ashbourne, A.G. MacHaf…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : sepia composite ; 41 x 51.5 cm

Scope and Content: Composite photograph of graduates of the Canadian Ophthalmic College in Toronto, Ontario. Names are listed beneath each of the oval photographs (grouped in four rows). In the top row (from left) are; C. Anderson, W.E. Owen, J.W. Abray, J.A. Epstein (a woman), H.W. Edgar, B.H. Ashbourne, A.G. MacHaffie. Second row; J. Munro, T.H. Dick, G.S. Pringle, W.G. Maybee "Principal" and below it "E. Bind Assist." (largest photograph); E. Boyaner, I.R. Higgins, D.B. Curtis. Third row; V.M. Young, F.G. Smith, W.L. Wells, E.W. Watt, W.D. Graham, A.R. Hopkins. Fourth row; O.T. Walker, E.E. Miller, R.A. Burke, J.E. Hamilton, H.A. Smith, H.L. McDiarmid; "Freeland".

Other Title Information: Title based on contents of photograph.

Subjects: Occupations; Occupations - Teachers

Accession Code: HV974.5.11

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Date: [1920]

Media Type: Photograph

Scan Resolution: 200

Scan Date: 01-May-2019

Images

Canadian Ophthalmic College, [1920] thumbnail

Dr. Kenneth Strand

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription45910

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1970, published May 30, 1970

Collection/Fonds: Columbian Newspaper collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 11.5 x 18.5 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of Dr. Kenneth Strand, president of Simon Fraser University, speaking into a microphone at the opening of the new Burquitlam elementary school in Coquitlam. Visible sitting in chairs behind him are; school principal C.J. Webb, chairman of Coquitlam school board W.M. Johnstone, Rev. H.J.H…

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1970, published May 30, 1970

Collection/Fonds: Columbian Newspaper collection

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 11.5 x 18.5 cm

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 480-804

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only

Accession Number: 2003-02

Scope and Content: Photograph of Dr. Kenneth Strand, president of Simon Fraser University, speaking into a microphone at the opening of the new Burquitlam elementary school in Coquitlam. Visible sitting in chairs behind him are; school principal C.J. Webb, chairman of Coquitlam school board W.M. Johnstone, Rev. H.J.H. Oldfield, and architect R.B. Howard.

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Clergy; Officials - Elected Officials; Events - Openings

Names: Strand, Dr Kenneth; Webb, C.J.; Johnstone, WM; Oldfield, Rev. H.J.H.; Howard, RB

Media Type: Photograph

Photographer: Symonds, John

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Dr. Kenneth Strand, 1970, published May 30, 1970 thumbnail

Gilmore School staff

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription170

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1964 or 1965]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.6 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1964-1965. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Miss Lynne Atchison, Mrs. Ann Herbert, Mrs. Nannaly Lawson, Mrs. Miriam Benson, Mrs. Alice Wade, and Miss Olive Shuttleworth. Row 2: Mrs. Lydia Derks…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.6 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1964-1965. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Miss Lynne Atchison, Mrs. Ann Herbert, Mrs. Nannaly Lawson, Mrs. Miriam Benson, Mrs. Alice Wade, and Miss Olive Shuttleworth. Row 2: Mrs. Lydia Derkson, Miss Gloria Allen, Miss Eileen Brennan (nurse), Mrs. Muriel Fletcher, Miss Iris Willis, Miss Margaret Brown, and Mrs. Ruth Calder. Row 3: Miss Mary MacDonald, Mrs. Myra Maloney (School Secretary), Mrs Doreen Metzker (nee Nickle), Miss Clare Clemo, Mrs. Mae Curtis (Reading Centre), and Mrs. Bunny Gaskill. Row 4: Mr. Keith Stainton (Vice Principal ?), Mr. Robert Thomson (Principal / donor), Mr. Hudson Shannon, Mr. Charlie Johnson (Custodian), and Mr. Harry Seddon. Annotation in pencil on the back of the photograph reads: "Kieth [sic] Stainton back row / left #1 / (principal ?)" and "64-65."

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Nurses

Names: Allen, Gloria; Atchison, Lynne; Brennan, Eileen; Benson, Miriam; Brown, Margaret; Calder, Ruth; Clemo, Clare; Curtis, Mae; Derkson, Lydia; Fletcher, Muriel; Gaskill, Bunny; Gilmore Avenue School; Herbert, Ann; Johnson, Charlie; Lawson, Nannaly; MacDonald, Mary; Maloney, Myra; Metzker, Doreen; Seddon, Harry; Shannon, Hudson; Shuttleworth, Olive; Stainton, Keith; Thomson, Robert; Wade, Alice; Willis, Iris

Geographic Access: Gilmore Avenue

Street Address: 50 Gilmore Avenue

Accession Code: BV985.87.1

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1964 or 1965]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Burnaby Heights Area

Scan Resolution: 600

Scan Date: 2023-12-19

Photographer: Croton Studio Limited

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Gilmore School staff

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription171

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1967 or 1968]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.6 x 17.6 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1967-1968. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Miss Olive Shuttleworth, Mrs. Doreen Weltens, Shirley Young (steno), Mrs. Ruth Calder, Mrs. Dorothy Raines, Mrs. Ingrid ?, Mrs. Lydia Derkson, and Mr…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.6 x 17.6 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1967-1968. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Miss Olive Shuttleworth, Mrs. Doreen Weltens, Shirley Young (steno), Mrs. Ruth Calder, Mrs. Dorothy Raines, Mrs. Ingrid ?, Mrs. Lydia Derkson, and Mrs. Queenie Scargill. Row 2: Mrs. Vi Rotta, Eileen Duthie (Secretary), Miss Pam Box, Miss Barbara Hart, Miss Margaret Brown, Mrs. Ruth Carrington (Library), and Mrs. Alice Wade. Row 3: Miss Gloria Allen, Mrs. Bunny Gaskill, Miss Ann Malcolm (Nurse), Mrs. Loa Thorarinson, Mrs. Gladys Heshedahl, Miss Sophie Adams (Sr. Spec), and Miss Sheila Pratt. Row 4: unidentified woman, Mr. Harry Mazur, Mr. Robert Thomson (principal / donor), Mr. Ron Henderson, Mr. Charlie Johnson (Custodian), Mr. Art Robinson, and Mrs. Tracy Wilson. An annotation on the back of the photograph reads: "Harvy Mazur 2nd from left/ [arrow] back row."

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Nurses

Names: Adams, Sophie; Allen, Gloria; Box, Pam; Brown, Margaret; Calder, Ruth; Carrington, Ruth; Derkson, Lydia; Duthie, Eileen; Gaskill, Bunny; Gilmore Avenue School; Hart, Barbara; Henderson, Ron; Heshedahl, Gladys; Johnson, Charlie; Malcolm, Ann; Mazur, Harry; Pratt, Sheila; Raines, Dorothy; Robinson, Art; Rotta, Vi; Scargill, Queenie; Shuttleworth, Olive; Thomson, Robert; Thorarinson, Loa; Wade, Alice; Weltens, Doreen; Wilson, Tracy; Young, Shirley

Geographic Access: Gilmore Avenue

Street Address: 50 Gilmore Avenue

Accession Code: BV985.87.2

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1967 or 1968]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Burnaby Heights Area

Scan Resolution: 600

Scan Date: 2023-12-19

Photographer: Croton Studio Limited

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Gilmore School staff

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription172

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1968 or 1969]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.6 x 17.7 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1968-1969. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Mrs. Dorothy Raines, Mrs. Evelyn Boyle (Pri. Spec), unidentified woman, Mrs. Tracey Wilson, Mrs. Ingrid ?, Miss Michi Lee, and Miss Kathy Coles. Row…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.6 x 17.7 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1968-1969. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Mrs. Dorothy Raines, Mrs. Evelyn Boyle (Pri. Spec), unidentified woman, Mrs. Tracey Wilson, Mrs. Ingrid ?, Miss Michi Lee, and Miss Kathy Coles. Row 2: Mrs. Queenie Scargill, Mrs. Lydia Derkson, unidentified woman, Mrs. Bunny Gaskill, Mrs. Alice Wade, Mrs. Ruth Calder, Mrs. Kitty Warren, and an unidentified woman. Row 3: Miss Ruth Carrington (Librarian), Miss Pam Box, Miss Betty Manring (chair mistress), Miss Loa Thorarinson, Mrs Gladys Heshedahl, Miss Ann Malcolm (school nurse), Mrs. Eileen Duthie (School Secretary), and Mrs. Doreen Weltens. Row 4: unidentified woman, Mr. Harry Mazur (Vice Principal), Mr. Norm Johannson (Custodian), Mr. Ron Henderson, Mr. Art Robinson, Mr. Robert Thomson (principal / donor), and Miss Sophie Adams (Sr. Special). An annotation on the back of the photo reads: "68-69."

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Nurses

Names: Adams, Sophie; Box, Pam; Boyle, Evelyn; Calder, Ruth; Carrington, Ruth; Coles, Kathy; Derkson, Lydia; Duthie, Eileen; Gaskill, Bunny; Gilmore Avenue School; Henderson, Ron; Heshedahl, Gladys; Johannson, Norm; Lee, Michi; Malcolm, Ann; Manring, Betty; Mazur, Harry; Raines, Dorothy; Robinson, Art; Scargill, Queenie; Thomson, Robert; Thorarinson, Loa; Wade, Alice; Warren, Kitty; Weltens, Doreen; Wilson, Tracey

Geographic Access: Gilmore Avenue

Street Address: 50 Gilmore Avenue

Accession Code: BV985.87.3

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1968 or 1969]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Burnaby Heights Area

Scan Resolution: 600

Scan Date: 2023-12-19

Photographer: Croton Studio Limited

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Gilmore School staff

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription174

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1970 or 1971]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.6 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1970-1971. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Miss Brenda Granger, Mrs. Marylou Leung, unidentified woman, Miss Bev Cowie, Miss Pam Box, unidentified woman, Miss Kathy Coles, and Mrs. Doreen Welt…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.6 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the Gilmore School staff from the year 1970-1971. The people are identified as follows (front row to back row, left to right). Row 1: Miss Brenda Granger, Mrs. Marylou Leung, unidentified woman, Miss Bev Cowie, Miss Pam Box, unidentified woman, Miss Kathy Coles, and Mrs. Doreen Weltens. Row 2: Mrs. Lydia Derkson, Miss Michi Lee, unidentified woman, Mrs. Ruth Calder, Miss Betty Manring, Mrs. Stella Peterson, Miss Tracy Wilson, and Mrs. Kitty Warren. Row 3: Mrs. Queenie Scargill, Mrs. Wendy Matthison, Mrs. Ruth MacKenzie, Mrs. Ruth Cross, Mrs. Gladys Heshedahl, Miss Ann Malcolm (school nurse), Miss Ruth Carrington, Mrs. Eileen Duthie (Steno), and Mrs. Ingrid ?. Row 4: Mrs. Evelyn Boyle, Mr. Harry Mazur (Vice Principal), Mr. Robert Thomson (principal / donor), Mr. Ron Henderson, Mr. Art Robinson, Mr. Nick Calderone, and Mrs. Dorothy Raines. Annotations on the back of the photo read: "70/71" and "Harry Mazur 2nd from left / back row."

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Nurses

Names: Box, Pam; Boyle, Evelyn; Calder, Ruth; Calderone, Nick; Carrington, Ruth; Coles, Kathy; Cowie, Bev; Cross, Ruth; Derkson, Lydia; Duthie, Eileen; Gilmore Avenue School; Granger, Brenda; Henderson, Ron; Heshedahl, Gladys; Lee, Michi; Leung, Marylou; Malcolm, Ann; Manring, Betty; Mazur, Harry; Peterson, Stella; Raines, Dorothy; Robinson, Art; Scargill, Queenie; Thomson, Robert; Warren, Kitty; Weltens, Doreen; Wilson, Tracy

Geographic Access: Gilmore Avenue

Street Address: 50 Gilmore Avenue

Accession Code: BV985.87.5

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1970 or 1971]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Vancouver Heights (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Burnaby Heights Area

Scan Resolution: 600

Scan Date: 2023-12-19

Photographer: Croton Studio Limited

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Images

Gilmore School staff, [1970 or 1971] thumbnail

Holy Cross Primary School classroom

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51417

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 5 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, and their teacher, in a habit. The students are each seated at their desks with the girls on one side of the room and the boys on the other.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 483-051

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No reproduction permitted

Accession Number: 2008-08

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 5 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, and their teacher, in a habit. The students are each seated at their desks with the girls on one side of the room and the boys on the other.

Subjects: Buildings - Schools; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Clergy

Names: Holy Cross Primary School

Media Type: Photograph

Photographer: Johnston, Harold H.

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Delta Avenue

Street Address: 1450 Delta Avenue

Planning Study Area: Brentwood Area

Images

Holy Cross Primary School classroom

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51418

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 5 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, and their teacher, in a habit. The girls are seated at their desks on one side of the room and the boys are standing at the back of the class.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 483-052

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No reproduction permitted

Accession Number: 2008-08

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 5 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, and their teacher, in a habit. The girls are seated at their desks on one side of the room and the boys are standing at the back of the class.

Subjects: Buildings - Schools; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Clergy

Names: Holy Cross Primary School

Media Type: Photograph

Photographer: Johnston, Harold H.

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Delta Avenue

Street Address: 1450 Delta Avenue

Planning Study Area: Brentwood Area

Images

Holy Cross Primary School classroom

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51419

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 5 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, and their teacher, in a habit. The students are each seated at their desks with the girls on one side of the room and the boys on the other.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 483-053

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No reproduction permitted

Accession Number: 2008-08

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 5 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, and their teacher, in a habit. The students are each seated at their desks with the girls on one side of the room and the boys on the other.

Subjects: Buildings - Schools; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Clergy

Names: Holy Cross Primary School

Media Type: Photograph

Photographer: Johnston, Harold H.

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Delta Avenue

Street Address: 1450 Delta Avenue

Planning Study Area: Brentwood Area

Images

Holy Cross Primary School classroom

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription51433

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 7 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, seated at their desks with their hands raised, smiling at their teacher, who is facing away from the camera, and dressed in a habit.

1 image

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1967

Collection/Fonds: Harold H. Johnston fonds

Physical Description: 1 photograph (jpeg) : b&w

Description Level: Item

Record No.: 483-054

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No reproduction permitted

Accession Number: 2008-08

Scope and Content: Photograph of nineteen students inside their grade 7 classroom at Holy Cross Primary school, seated at their desks with their hands raised, smiling at their teacher, who is facing away from the camera, and dressed in a habit.

Subjects: Buildings - Schools; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Clergy

Names: Holy Cross Primary School

Media Type: Photograph

Photographer: Johnston, Harold H.

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

Geographic Access: Delta Avenue

Street Address: 1450 Delta Avenue

Planning Study Area: Brentwood Area

Images

Interview with Eileen Kernaghan by Rod Fowler April 10, 1990 - Track 7

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory497

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1939-1990

Length: 00:09:08

Summary: This portion of the interview is about Eileen Kernaghan’s childhood, her education and teaching career, her marriage to Pat Kernaghan and their move to Burnaby, his work at Oakalla Prison, the opening of their Neville Street bookstore, and changes in their neighbourhood

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview is about Eileen Kernaghan’s childhood, her education and teaching career, her marriage to Pat Kernaghan and their move to Burnaby, his work at Oakalla Prison, the opening of their Neville Street bookstore, and changes in their neighbourhood

Date Range: 1939-1990

Photo Info: Eileen Kernaghan standing in front of four poets at the Poetry Pocket Cafe in New Westminster, October 15, 1995. Item no. 535-0014

Length: 00:09:08

Subjects: Education; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Entrepreneurs

Historic Neighbourhood: Alta-Vista (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Clinton-Glenwood Area

Interviewer: Fowler, Rod

Interview Date: April 10, 1990

Scope and Content: Recording is of an interview with Eileen Kernaghan, conducted by Rod Fowler. Eileen Kernaghan 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 mainly about Eileen Kernaghan’s activities with the Burnaby Writers’ Society and the Burnaby Arts Council, describing the history of these organizations between 1967 and 1990. She describes the financial and other challenges facing the arts community, the various programs initiated by the Arts Council, and the development of the Burnaby Arts Centre facilities at Deer Lake. She also talks about her education, writing career, the Neville Street neighbourhood, and her and her husband’s bookstore business. Ghosts believed to inhabit some of the Arts Centre's heritage buildings are also a topic of conversation. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.

Biographical Notes: Eileen Kernaghan was born January 6, 1939, to William Alfred Monk (1910-2003) and Belinda Maude Monk (1908-1996), and grew up on a dairy farm near Grindrod in the North Okanagan. She attended a two room school in Grindrod, completed Junior and Senior High School in Enderby, and at age 17 in 1956, left home to attend UBC. She taught school in the North Okanagan area in the late 1950s, during which time she married her husband Patrick Kernaghan. They moved to Vancouver in 1961, Burnaby in 1963, and settled on Neville Street in the South Slope area in 1966 with their three children. Pat Kernaghan worked at Oakalla Prison as a correctional officer until his retirement in 1988. Eileen and Patrick Kernaghan owned and operated a bookstore on Neville Street from 1987 to 1999. They later moved to New Westminster. Eileen Kernaghan began her writing career at twelve years old with a story published in the Vancouver Sun. After her youngest child began school, with more free time, she started writing again and has become an award winning author of fantasy and science fiction novels. She helped found the Burnaby Writers’ Society in 1967, taught writing workshops, and wrote its popular Newsletter for many years. In 1971 the Society put together a small handbook for BC writers, a venture that was expanded and published by Douglas MacIntyre in 1975 as “The Upper Left-Hand Corner: a writer’s handbook for the Northwest”. The book became a Canadian best-seller. During this same period Eileen Kernaghan began her successful “Grey Isles” trilogy. In 1967 she joined the Burnaby Arts Council, worked as its Coordinator from 1973 to 1984, and was a determined advocate for municipal government support for the arts in Burnaby.

Total Tracks: 11

Total Length: 1:26:27

Interviewee Name: Kernaghan, Eileen

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

Series: Centennial Oral History project series

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

Eileen Kernaghan standing in front of four poets at the Poetry Pocket Cafe in New Westminster, October 15, 1995. Item no. 535-0014 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track seven of interview with Eileen Kernaghan

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-021/MSS187-021_Track%207.mp3

Interview with Eleanor Dricos by Eric Damer October 15, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory320

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1959-2012

Length: 0:09:12

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Eleanor (Toebeart) Dricos' memories of getting her music degree and how it influenced her own teaching style. She discusses the music she played on days off as well as competitions, recitals, and exams as well as concerts in the neighbourhood.

1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording pertains to Eleanor (Toebeart) Dricos' memories of getting her music degree and how it influenced her own teaching style. She discusses the music she played on days off as well as competitions, recitals, and exams as well as concerts in the neighbourhood.

Date Range: 1959-2012

Length: 0:09:12

Subjects: Occupations - Musicians; Occupations - Teachers

Interviewer: Damer, Eric

Interview Date: October 15, 2012

Scope and Content: Recording is an interview with Eleanor (Toebeart) Dricos conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 15, 2012. Major themes discussed are: music students and music teachers.

Biographical Notes: Born in Vancouver in 1947 Eleanor Toebaert (later Dricos) and her parents came to the new Parkcrest neighbourhood of Burnaby nine years later. While at Sperling Elementary, Eleanor took group piano lessons with June Perry and began her career studying, playing, and teaching piano. Eleanor finished her schooling at Kensington Junior High and North Burnaby High Schools. During the mid-nineteen-sixties Eleanor often attended concerts at North Burnaby community halls to listen to her fiance’s band play. After getting married, Eleanor (Toebaert) Dricos and her husband settled in Port Coquitlam where she continues to teach private piano lessons.

Total Tracks: 3

Total Length: 0:27:47

Interviewee Name: Dricos, Eleanor Toebeart

Interview Location: Burnaby Village Museum

Interviewer Bio: Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.

Collection/Fonds: Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds

Series: Burna-Boom Oral History Project series

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Eleanor Dricos

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-008/MSS171-008_Track_2.mp3

Interview 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…

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: 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

Names: Pandher, Harman; Second Street School; Cariboo Hill Secondary School

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

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0001_003.mp3

Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription20285

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum fonds

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 sound recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)

Scope and Content: Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser M…

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 recordings (wav) (121min., 14 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (121 min., 13 sec.)

Material Details: Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewees: Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy Location of Interview: Residence of Harry Toy Interview Date: September 25, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 02:01:13 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 Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy conducted by Burnaby Village Museum researcher Denise Fong on September 25, 2023. The interview is divided into four sections: early life of Harry Toy, the Canada Way Food Market, the Fraser Merchants’ Association and Harry's daughters, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy's memories of growing up in Burnaby. 00:00:00 – 00:23:53 Harry Toy shares biographical information about himself and his ancestors. Harry provides information about his migration to Canada and his life in Manitoba, attending school, working at the family restaurant and teaching high school. 00:23:53 – 00:41:16 Harry talks about moving his family to Burnaby and his experiences owning and operating the Canada Way Food Market. 00:41:17 – 00:54:19 Harry talks about his involvement with the Fraser Merchants Association (FMA) and provides some history about the organization. 00:54:20 – 1:22:44 Harry talks about running the Canada Way Food Market and the alterations that he made to the store over the years. Harry and his daughters comment as they look through photographs of Harry and his store and the Fraser Merchants Association. 1:22:45 – 2:01:14 Beverley and Christina talk about their early childhood in Manitoba and growing up in Burnaby. They recall what it was like growing up and working in the family owned store.

History: Interviewee biography: Harry Wee Koon Toy was born in February 9, 1936 in Taikong, Toisan county, Guangdong, China. Harry's father William Toy came to Canada in the early 1920s when he was ten years old. Harry arrived in Vancouver, Canada on September 9, 1950. After staying in Vancouver for one night, he joined his father in Neepawa, Manitoba where the family operated a cafe business (Royal Cafe). Harry grew up in Neepawa and graduated from the University of Manitoba and teacher's college. He became a high school teacher and worked at schools in Minnedosa and Gladstone, Manitoba teaching various subjects including, science, business, geography, history and physical education. Harry and his wife, had three daughters, Melinda, Beverley and Christina who were all born in Neepawa. When the family decided to move to the west coast, Harry was introduced to the grocery store business through an uncle who was a store operator. Around 1970, Harry purchased a grocery store at 4694 Canada Way in Burnaby which he named "Canada Way Food Market" and Harry and his daughters made their home at the back of the store. Harry owned and operated the store for approximately 40 years between 1970 and 2010. Around 1986, Harry purchased the butcher shop next door (4692 Canada Way) which was no longer in operation, expanding his store and adding a second storey to use a residence. Harry's children helped him operate the store throughout their childhood. In the early 1970s, corner stores were threatened by the spread of small chain-operated convenience stories from Eastern Canada to Vancouver. Formed in April 1972, the Fraser Merchants’ Association was established to protect the rights of corner store operators. With no paid legal help, the association was incorporated in Victoria, BC for the cost of 56 cents. The benefits of being a member of the association included warehouse and group purchasing, common advertising and other advantages of being part of an association. Founded by Gary Lee Ling and five others, Fraser Merchants’ Association’s first member was Graham Grocery. By 1978, the association represented over 200 corner stores in the Lower Mainland (Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Coquitlam, and New Westminster) and Fraser Valley. The association remained active into the 1980s and 1990s. Harry has served as President of the Fraser Merchants' Association from 1992 to present. 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: Education; Migration; Occupations - Teachers; Occupations - Grocers; Organizations; Organizations - Business Associations; Persons - Chinese Canadians; Social Issues; Social Issues - Racism; Buildings - Commercial - Grocery Stores

Names: Toy, Christina; Toy, Harry Wee Koon "Harry"; Babey, Beverley; Canada Way Food Market; Fraser Merchants' Association

Responsibility: Fong, Denise

Geographic Access: Canada Way

Street Address: 4694 Canada Way

Accession Code: BV023.16.19

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023

Media Type: Sound Recording

Related Material: See also: BV023.25 - Harry Toy fonds

Notes: Title based on contents of item; Transcription available

Documents

2023_0016_0019_003

Audio Tracks

Interview with Harry Toy, Beverley Babey and Christina Toy, [1905-2023] (interview content), interviewed 25 Sep. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0019_002.mp3

leaflet

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact38403

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV997.21.17

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV997.21.17

Description: Edmonds Favourite Teacher - Leaflet -- [1988]. Pink leaflet entry form for Edmonds favourite teacher over the decades. The contest was part of Edmonds Junior Secondary 94 anniversary and closing celebrations in 1988. On the top half of the leaflet has a large cartoon of students on a slant pushing a teacher along. Below the first cartoon is another a man lying flat on his back with a lump on his head with another man standing above him. The bottom half of the leaflet is the entry form for the favourite teacher and principal contest. The leaflet measures 21.5cm x 35.5cm.

Colour: Pink

Subjects: Documentary Artifacts; Documentary Artifacts - Leaflets; Events; Events - Anniversaries; Occupations; Occupations - Teachers

Images

notepad

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact17834

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: HV978.17.3

3 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: HV978.17.3

Description: Provincial Teachers' Institute - Notepad -- [1904]. Notepad for the Provincial Teacher's Institute for a meeting in 1904 from April 5th to 7th at Pender Hall, Vancouver. The notepad was created by Clarke & Stuart, Booksellers and Stationers on Hastings St Vancouver. The back of the notebook lists the officers of the meeting and the general schedule of events.

Subjects: Documentary Artifacts; Occupations; Occupations - Teachers

Images

1st Div 1907 West Burnaby School

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription2939

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: [1907]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 13 x 8.2 cm

Scope and Content: Photograph of the First Division class for 1907 at West Burnaby School (later renamed Kingsway West School). There are two rows of students standing and one row of seated students. there is a male teacher standing on the left side of the group just beside a bicycle that is leaning against the build…

1 image

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection

Description Level: Item

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 13 x 8.2 cm

Material Details: Handwritten in the photograph is "1st Div 1907 / West Burnaby School". The reverse side of the photograph is printed in a postcard format.

Scope and Content: Photograph of the First Division class for 1907 at West Burnaby School (later renamed Kingsway West School). There are two rows of students standing and one row of seated students. there is a male teacher standing on the left side of the group just beside a bicycle that is leaning against the building.

Subjects: Occupations - Teachers; Persons - Students

Names: Kingsway West School

Geographic Access: Kingsway

Street Address: 4800 Kingsway

Accession Code: BV012.20.2

Access Restriction: No restrictions

Reproduction Restriction: No known restrictions

Date: [1907]

Media Type: Photograph

Historic Neighbourhood: Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)

Planning Study Area: Maywood Area

Scan Resolution: 600

Scan Date: 13-Mar-2018

Notes: Title based on contents of photograph

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