More like 'Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 6'

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Duncan & Margaret McGregor Estate 'Glen-Lyon' Mansion

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark518
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
Overlooking the rich farmland of the Fraser River floodplain, 'Glen-Lyon' is an Edwardian era rural estate, with a tall, two and one-half storey plus basement wood-frame mansion, set in a pastoral and formal landscape with an associated barn and early log pond, located near a ravine and forested ar…
Associated Dates
1902
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
Marine Drive
Associated Dates
1902
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 12183
Enactment Date
11/12/2006
Description
Overlooking the rich farmland of the Fraser River floodplain, 'Glen-Lyon' is an Edwardian era rural estate, with a tall, two and one-half storey plus basement wood-frame mansion, set in a pastoral and formal landscape with an associated barn and early log pond, located near a ravine and forested area adjacent to Marine Drive in South Burnaby.
Heritage Value
‘Glen-Lyon’ is valued as an excellent example of a privately-owned Edwardian era country estate built at the turn of the nineteenth century. The property retains significant heritage features including the Edwardian era mansion with rustic Arts and Crafts features, and elements of a working agricultural landscape. The property was originally the Royal City Mills logging camp, and in 1900 was purchased by Duncan Campbell McGregor (1853-1929) and Margaret Jane McGregor (1875-1960), who named their estate ‘Glen-Lyon’ after Duncan McGregor’s birthplace in Perthshire, Scotland. The McGregors were active in municipal affairs and social activities, and played a significant role in the early development of Burnaby. Duncan McGregor served as a city councillor from 1909 to 1912 and was elected reeve of Burnaby in 1913. Margaret McGregor was instrumental in the formation and fundraising activities of the Victoria Order of Nurses in Burnaby. Additionally, the site is historically significant for its association with early social welfare and correctional reform. The estate was sold in 1926 to an inter-denominational religious organization called the Home of the Friendless, which used it as their B.C. headquarters. The organization was charged with several cases of abuse and neglect in 1937, after which a Royal Commission was formed that led to new legislation to regulate and license all private welfare institutions. 'Glen-Lyon' was sold to the provincial government, and was dedicated in 1939 by the Lt.-Gov. E.W. Hamber for use as the New Haven Borstal Home for Boys and Youthful Offenders (later renamed the New Haven Correction Centre). The Borstal movement originated in England in the late nineteenth century, as an alternative to sending young offenders and runaways to prisons by providing reformatories that focused on discipline and vocational skill. This site’s role as the first North American institution devoted to the Borstal School philosophy was historic, and influenced corrections programs across Canada. The site retains significant features from its development in 1939 as the Borstal School, including a large gambrel-roofed barn designed by Chief Provincial Architect Henry Whittaker of the Department of Public Works that is the only remaining structure of its kind in Burnaby. Between 1941 and 1945 the mansion housed the Provincial School for the Deaf and Blind when the Borstal School was closed temporarily as a war measure during the Second World War.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of 'Glen-Lyon' Mansion include its: - location on a sloping site with expansive southern exposure, adjacent to Marine Drive - residential form, scale and massing of the house as exemplified by its two and one-half storey height, above-ground basement and rectangular plan - Arts and Crafts elements of the house such as its stone foundation, multi-gabled roof line with steep central hipped roof, symmetrical cross-gables, side shed dormers, bellcast upper walls sheathed in cedar shingles and lower walls sheathed in narrow clapboard - original exterior features of the house such as the full width front verandah with square columns, central staircase on the southern elevation, original doors and stained glass windows; and the irregular fenestration such as double-hung 1-over-1 wooden-sash windows, bay windows, and projecting windows in the gable ends - original interior features of the house such as the U-shaped main stair designed around two symmetrically placed Ionic columns, and interior trim on the main floor including boxed beams and fireplaces - gambrel-roofed barn with roof vent with finial, sliding hay loft and access doors, small multi-pane windows, and lapped wooden siding - associated landscape features such as the original garden plantings with some exotic and many native specimen trees; the original log pond and its concrete Marine Drive causeway and culvert; rockeries and a rose garden
Historic Neighbourhood
Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Big Bend Area
Organization
Home of the Friendless
Borstal School
New Haven Correction Centre
Architect
Henry Whittaker
Function
Primary Historic--Estate
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
003-004-661
Boundaries
'Glen-Lyon' is comprised of a single residential lot located at 4250 Marine Drive, Burnaby.
Area
230873.18
Contributing Resource
Building
Ownership
Private
Names
McGregor, Duncan C. (1853-1929)
Whittaker, Henry
Home of the Friendless
Borstal School
New Haven Correction Centre
Subjects
Buildings - Heritage
Buildings - Residential - Houses
Buildings - Public - Detention Facilities
Buildings - Residential
Street Address
4250 Marine Drive
Street View URL
Google Maps Street View
Images
Less detail

H.T. Ceperley Estate 'Fairacres' Steam Plant Building

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark528
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the ‘Fairacres’ Steam Plant Buiding is a single-storey wood frame building with a gabled roof that originally housed the apparatus for climate control in the greenhouses, formerly located to its north. The original rubble stone walls that formed the fo…
Associated Dates
1908
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
Deer Lake Avenue
Associated Dates
1908
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 9807
Enactment Date
23/11/1992
Description
Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the ‘Fairacres’ Steam Plant Buiding is a single-storey wood frame building with a gabled roof that originally housed the apparatus for climate control in the greenhouses, formerly located to its north. The original rubble stone walls that formed the foundation for the greenhouses stand adjacent. The Steam Plant Building stands as a pendant to the Root House, which is to the north of the former greenhouses.
Heritage Value
The outbuildings at 'Fairacres' are a rare surviving architecturally-designed ensemble of agricultural structures that exist in complementary harmony with the main estate house. Architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917), an outspoken advocate of Arts and Crafts design, was retained by the Ceperleys to design several original outbuildings on their estate. The Ceperleys operated 'Fairacres' with staff, a farm manager and workers, including Chinese, to grow produce for themselves and for sale at local markets. The Steam Plant Building illustrates the market gardening activity of the area around Deer Lake and its importance to the Ceperley family, which valued a year-round supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for the kitchen and flowers for the house. It also illustrates the cultural and aesthetic values of the Ceperleys in retaining an architect to design a functional outbuilding using an accepted and contemporary architectural style. Built in 1908, the Steam Plant Building was significantly altered in the 1960s and restored to its original design in 2000.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the ‘Fairacres’ Steam Plant Building include its: - overall spatial arrangement of the Steam Plant Building in relation to the former greenhouses and the Root House - side gable roof with cedar shingle cladding. - tall brick chimney indicitive of the building's original function. - distinctive Arts and Crafts architectural features such as the shingle wall cladding with decorative shingling under window sills, deep eaves, and pebble-dashed concrete foundation walls - six-paned wooden-sash casement windows - simple functional interior features - rubble stone walls that formed the foundation for the greenhouses
Locality
Deer Lake Park
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Architect
Robert Mackay Fripp
Function
Primary Historic--Outbuilding
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
P.I.D. No. 004-493-311 Legal Description: Block 3 Except: Part subdivided by Plan 26865, District Lot 79, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 536
Boundaries
‘Fairacres’ is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
Area
17,065.00
Contributing Resource
Building
Landscape Feature
Ownership
Public (local)
Other Collection
Burnaby Historical Society, Community Archives: Ceperley Photograph Album
Documentation
Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
Names
Ceperley, Grace
Ceperley, H.T.
Fripp, Robert Mackay
Subjects
Buildings - Heritage
Buildings - Agricultural - Greenhouses
Buildings - Agricultural
Street Address
6344 Deer Lake Avenue
Images
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H.T. Ceperley Estate 'Fairacres' Greenhouse Foundation Wall

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark862
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
The original rubble stone walls that formed the foundation for a greenhouses adjacent to the Steam Plant Building provided heat to several greenhouses on the estate propoerty. The Root House, which is to the north of the Greenhouse Foundation Wall, provided storage for the farm operation.
Associated Dates
1908
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
Deer Lake Avenue
Associated Dates
1908
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 140665
Enactment Date
23/11/1992
Description
The original rubble stone walls that formed the foundation for a greenhouses adjacent to the Steam Plant Building provided heat to several greenhouses on the estate propoerty. The Root House, which is to the north of the Greenhouse Foundation Wall, provided storage for the farm operation.
Heritage Value
The outbuildings at 'Fairacres' are a rare surviving architecturally-designed ensemble of agricultural structures that exist in complementary harmony with the main estate house. Architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917), an outspoken advocate of Arts and Crafts design, was retained by the Ceperleys to design several original outbuildings on their estate, which was designed as a country estate with a working farm that included over 10 acres of productive berry and vegetable fields, with a large kitchen garden, a root house to store food, an orchard, and greenhouses heated by steam. The agricultural potential of the Deer Lake area made it one of the first parts of the municipality to attract settlement. In 1909, the Ceperleys built three large greenhouses heated by an adjacent steam plant (Fairacres Steam Plant). The greenhouses featured granite foundation walls, including this one which remains intact. The Ceperleys employed a large staff to manage the estate's agricultural production, including Chinese farm labourers. Produce was grown for use at the estate, and for sale at local markets. Agricultural use of the estate continued when a Catholic order of Benedictine monks purchased the estate as part of the Priory of St. Joseph and the Seminary of Christ the King, and continued to farm the land until 1953.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the ‘Fairacres’ Steam Plant Building include its: - overall spatial arrangement of the Greenhouse Foundation Wall in relation to the Steam Plant Building and the Root House - original rubble stone walls reflecting the Arts and Crafts design aesthetic of the estate buildings.
Locality
Deer Lake Park
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Architect
Robert Mackay Fripp
Function
Primary Historic--Outbuilding
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
P.I.D. No. 004-493-311 Legal Description: Block 3 Except: Part subdivided by Plan 26865, District Lot 79, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 536
Boundaries
‘Fairacres’ is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
Area
17,065.00
Contributing Resource
Landscape Feature
Remains
Ownership
Public (local)
Other Collection
Burnaby Historical Society, Community Archives: Ceperley Photograph Album
Documentation
Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
Names
Ceperley, Grace
Ceperley, H.T.
Fripp, Robert Mackay
Subjects
Buildings - Agricultural
Building Components
Buildings - Agricultural - Greenhouses
Street Address
6344 Deer Lake Avenue
Images
Less detail

H.T. Ceperley Estate 'Fairacres' Root House

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/landmark527
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Description
The ‘Fairacres’ Root House is a long, low one-storey masonry building, measuring 4.6 metres by 9.1 metres, with massively buttressed concrete walls and foundations. Built into sloping ground adjacent to the location of the former greenhouses, the surviving orchard and the kitchen entrance of the ma…
Associated Dates
1908
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Repository
Burnaby Heritage Planning
Geographic Access
Deer Lake Avenue
Associated Dates
1908
Formal Recognition
Heritage Designation, Community Heritage Register
Enactment Type
Bylaw No. 9807
Enactment Date
23/11/1992
Description
The ‘Fairacres’ Root House is a long, low one-storey masonry building, measuring 4.6 metres by 9.1 metres, with massively buttressed concrete walls and foundations. Built into sloping ground adjacent to the location of the former greenhouses, the surviving orchard and the kitchen entrance of the main house, 'Fairacres,' this functional structure was used as a frost-free store for fruit and vegetables for the family's use.
Heritage Value
The outbuildings at 'Fairacres' are a rare surviving architecturally-designed ensemble of agricultural structures that exist in complementary harmony with the main estate house. Architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917), an outspoken advocate of Arts and Crafts design, was retained by the Ceperleys to design several original outbuildings on their estate. The Root House is important as a rare surviving, and exceptionally large, example of this building type in the Vancouver region. Unusual in the fact that an architect designed a building of such modest aspirations, it is also remarkable in its method of construction. The use of concrete as a structural material is one of the earliest in the region and extraordinary for its use on such a modest vernacular outbuilding; root cellars were typically built of loose stone. Built in 1908, the Root House was significantly altered in the 1960s and restored to its original design in 2000. The building is significant as an indicator of the market gardening activity in the area around Deer Lake and of the country-house self-sufficiency practiced by the Ceperley family. The Root House illustrates the cultural, aesthetic, and lifestyle values of the Ceperleys in constructing such a large building for storing their own produce.
Defining Elements
The outbuildings at 'Fairacres' are a rare surviving architecturally-designed ensemble of agricultural structures that exist in complementary harmony with the main estate house. Architect Robert Mackay Fripp (1858-1917), an outspoken advocate of Arts and Crafts design, was retained by the Ceperleys to design several original outbuildings on their estate. The Root House is important as a rare surviving, and exceptionally large, example of this building type in the Vancouver region. Unusual in the fact that an architect designed a building of such modest aspirations, it is also remarkable in its method of construction. The use of concrete as a structural material is one of the earliest in the region and extraordinary for its use on such a modest vernacular outbuilding; root cellars were typically built of loose stone. Built in 1908, the Root House was significantly altered in the 1960s and restored to its original design in 2000. The building is significant as an indicator of the market gardening activity in the area around Deer Lake and of the country-house self-sufficiency practiced by the Ceperley family. The Root House illustrates the cultural, aesthetic, and lifestyle values of the Ceperleys in constructing such a large building for storing their own produce.
Locality
Deer Lake Park
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Architect
Robert Mackay Fripp
Function
Primary Historic--Outbuilding
Secondary Historic--Food Storage
Community
Burnaby
Cadastral Identifier
P.I.D. No. 004-493-311 Legal Description: Block 3 Except: Part subdivided by Plan 26865, District Lot 79, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 536
Boundaries
‘Fairacres’ is comprised of a single municipally-owned property located at 6344 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.
Area
17,065.00
Contributing Resource
Building
Landscape Feature
Ownership
Public (local)
Other Collection
Burnaby Historical Society, Community Archives: Ceperley Photograph Album
Documentation
Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2
Names
Ceperley, Grace
Ceperley, H.T.
Fripp, Robert Mackay
Subjects
Buildings - Heritage
Buildings - Agricultural
Street Address
6344 Deer Lake Avenue
Images
Less detail

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…
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
Less detail

A Good Size Log, Barnet B.C

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38346
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 8.7 x 13.8 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of a labourer grappling with a large log on the log chute at the Barnet mill. The caption to the card reads: "A Good Size Log / Barnet B.C." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Charles Lee subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 8.7 x 13.8 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
411-005
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS2000-13
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of a labourer grappling with a large log on the log chute at the Barnet mill. The caption to the card reads: "A Good Size Log / Barnet B.C." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Subjects
Occupations - Labourers
Woodworking Tools and Equipment - Logging Machinery
Buildings - Industrial - Mills
Documentary Artifacts - Postcards
Names
Barnet Mill
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title taken from caption
Geographic Access
Barnet Village
Texaco Drive
Street Address
8059 Texaco Drive
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Less detail

Barnet, B.C. from the Hill

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38345
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia postcard ; 8 x 13 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the village of Barnet at the mill. The caption stamped at the top of the card reads: "Barnet, B.C. from the Hill." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Charles Lee subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia postcard ; 8 x 13 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
411-004
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS2000-13
Scope and Content
Photograph of the village of Barnet at the mill. The caption stamped at the top of the card reads: "Barnet, B.C. from the Hill." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts - Postcards
Buildings - Industrial - Mills
Geographic Features - Inlets
Industries - Forestry
Industries - Logging/lumber
Names
Barnet Mill
Media Type
Photograph
Photographer
Timms Photographic Co.
Notes
Title taken from caption
Geographic Access
Barnet Village
Texaco Drive
Street Address
8059 Texaco Drive
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Less detail

Barnet Mill being rebuilt

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37363
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1909] (date of original), copied [1998]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 15 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of lumber piled up and the skeleton of a building being framed during the rebuilding of the Barnet Mill after the fire of 1909. The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1909] (date of original), copied [1998]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Jim Wolf subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 15 cm print
Description Level
Item
Record No.
363-002
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1998-13
Scope and Content
Photograph of lumber piled up and the skeleton of a building being framed during the rebuilding of the Barnet Mill after the fire of 1909. The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Mills
Construction
Names
Barnet Mill
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Geographic Access
Barnet Village
Texaco Drive
Street Address
8059 Texaco Drive
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Less detail

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
History
Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
Clothing
Crafts
Employment
Migration
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Labourers
Occupations - Millworkers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Names
Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
Manhas, Ghania Singh
Singh, Mayo
Manhas, Kashmir Singh
Manhas, Sher Singh
Manhas, Budhan Kaur
Manhas, Lashman Singh
Accession Code
BV022.29.5
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Related Material
See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3
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Mills Burning at Barnet

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38342
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
May 6, 1909
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia postcard ; 8 x 13.4 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the line of buildings burning at the North Pacific Lumber Company, with flames and smoke visible rising from the structures. A caption stamped at the top of the postcard reads: "Mills burning at Barnet BC. 1:30a.m. May 6th, 1909."
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
May 6, 1909
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Charles Lee subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia postcard ; 8 x 13.4 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
411-001
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS2000-13
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the line of buildings burning at the North Pacific Lumber Company, with flames and smoke visible rising from the structures. A caption stamped at the top of the postcard reads: "Mills burning at Barnet BC. 1:30a.m. May 6th, 1909."
Subjects
Natural Phenomena - Fires
Buildings - Industrial - Mills
Documentary Artifacts - Postcards
Names
Barnet Mill
Media Type
Photograph
Geographic Access
Barnet Village
Texaco Drive
Street Address
8059 Texaco Drive
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
Less detail

Our Mill and Harbour Barnet BC

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38344
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia postcard ; 8.4 x 13.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the mill at Barnet. The caption stamped at the top of the card reads: "Our Mill and Harbor. Barnet B.C." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Charles Lee subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia postcard ; 8.4 x 13.5 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
411-003
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS2000-13
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the mill at Barnet. The caption stamped at the top of the card reads: "Our Mill and Harbor. Barnet B.C." The Barnet Mill was called the North Pacific Lumber Company from 1889 to 1914.
Subjects
Documentary Artifacts - Postcards
Buildings - Industrial - Mills
Geographic Features - Inlets
Industries - Forestry
Industries - Logging/lumber
Names
Barnet Mill
Media Type
Photograph
Photographer
Timms Photographic Co.
Notes
Title taken from caption
Geographic Access
Barnet Village
Texaco Drive
Street Address
8059 Texaco Drive
Historic Neighbourhood
Barnet (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Burnaby Mountain Area
Images
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Phillips Lumber Mill

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37303
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1905 (date of original), copied [1997]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7.2 x 10 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of two labourers standing inside Phillips Lumber Mill at Guichon Creek and Mayne Avenue (now Willingdon).
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1905 (date of original), copied [1997]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Photographs subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7.2 x 10 cm print
Description Level
Item
Record No.
347-001
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS2007-04
Scope and Content
Photograph of two labourers standing inside Phillips Lumber Mill at Guichon Creek and Mayne Avenue (now Willingdon).
Subjects
Occupations - Labourers
Woodworking Tools and Equipment - Logging Machinery
Buildings - Industrial - Mills
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Geographic Access
Willingdon Avenue
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Images
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Tramline tracks

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3361
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1905]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 25.5 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of a British Columbia Electric Railway Company tramline track on Sixth Street and Twelfth Avenue. George Leaf's General Store, located at 7745 Sixth Street is visible on the left and Cliff's Car Factory located at 7730 Sixth Street is visible on the right. George Leaf's store burned down…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 25.5 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of a British Columbia Electric Railway Company tramline track on Sixth Street and Twelfth Avenue. George Leaf's General Store, located at 7745 Sixth Street is visible on the left and Cliff's Car Factory located at 7730 Sixth Street is visible on the right. George Leaf's store burned down in 1913. The Car factory was established in 1902 and sometime in the 1920s, it became James Brookes Woodworking Plant.
Subjects
Transportation - Electric Railroads
Buildings - Commercial - General Stores
Buildings - Industrial - Factories
Names
British Columbia Electric Railway Company
Geographic Access
6th Street
12th Avenue
Street Address
7730 6th Street
7745 6th Street
Accession Code
BV995.10.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Date
[1905]
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Edmonds Area
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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Beehive Burner

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription472
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[190-] (date of original), copied 1978
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.3 x 20.2 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of a beehive burner, a tall conical smoke stack with a steel half dome at the top, used to burn wood waste. The burner is located in an industrial area. These burners were banned from being used in the 1997 in British Columbia as they are considered to be a major source of air pollution.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 25.3 x 20.2 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of a beehive burner, a tall conical smoke stack with a steel half dome at the top, used to burn wood waste. The burner is located in an industrial area. These burners were banned from being used in the 1997 in British Columbia as they are considered to be a major source of air pollution.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial
Accession Code
HV978.14.8
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[190-] (date of original), copied 1978
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-08-01
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36541
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[September 1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to S…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[September 1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
John DeForest subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
293-002
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1992-30
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses
Names
British Columbia Electric Railway Company
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Geographic Access
Griffiths Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Stride Avenue Area
Images
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Dugland C. Patterson Sr. beside his boiler

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37116
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1903 or 1904]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 10.5 x 8 cm, mounted on board 14 x 11 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Dugland Campbell Patterson Sr. standing by boiler he built; it was the largest built in New Westminster. He founded Vulcan Iron Works of New Westminister in 1903.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1903 or 1904]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Patterson family subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : sepia ; 10.5 x 8 cm, mounted on board 14 x 11 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
322-001
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1995-16
Scope and Content
Photograph of Dugland Campbell Patterson Sr. standing by boiler he built; it was the largest built in New Westminster. He founded Vulcan Iron Works of New Westminister in 1903.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Factories
Names
Patterson, Dugald C. Sr.
Vulcan Iron Works
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Note written by D.C. Patterson Jr. accompanying
Images
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Easthope Brothers' Shop

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription37052
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1905] (date of original), copied 1992
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.8 x 12.7 cm print
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Easthope brothers' shop at Hamilton Street and Hastings Street, Vancouver. The business was begun as a marine engine manufacturer called Easthope and Sons by Ernest Easthope. Upon the death of Ernest Easthope the business was reorganized as Easthope Bros. by his sons. Identified…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1905] (date of original), copied 1992
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Burnaby Centennial Anthology subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.8 x 12.7 cm print
Description Level
Item
Record No.
315-515
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1994-04
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Easthope brothers' shop at Hamilton Street and Hastings Street, Vancouver. The business was begun as a marine engine manufacturer called Easthope and Sons by Ernest Easthope. Upon the death of Ernest Easthope the business was reorganized as Easthope Bros. by his sons. Identified: (second from left) Ernest Easthope.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial
Names
Easthope and Sons
Easthope Brothers
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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Interior of Salmon Cannery

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription34784
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.7 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the interior of a salmon cannery in New Westminster. Two men are standing beside a number of fish on the floor. A box seen behind the man on the right reads in part, "Canning / salmon / [Wes]tminst[er]."
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[1907]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Gerald Davy subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.7 x 17.7 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
133-015
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1985-01
Scope and Content
Photograph of the interior of a salmon cannery in New Westminster. Two men are standing beside a number of fish on the floor. A box seen behind the man on the right reads in part, "Canning / salmon / [Wes]tminst[er]."
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Canneries
Media Type
Photograph
Photographer
Davy, Gerald
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
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Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36542
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[September 1908]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Ha…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[September 1908]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
John DeForest subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
293-003
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1992-30
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses
Names
British Columbia Electric Railway Company
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Geographic Access
Griffiths Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Stride Avenue Area
Images
Less detail

Interior of the Burnaby Substation

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription36543
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[September 1908]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Ha…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[September 1908]
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
John DeForest subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w postcard ; 7.5 x 13 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
293-004
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1992-30
Scope and Content
Photographic postcard of the interior of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Substation that was built in 1903 and put into operation to receive and distribute power from the B.C.E.R. Buntzen Lake power dam. The electric lines came across the inlet at Barnet, along the Barnet-Hastings Road to Sperling Avenue (built for this project and called Pole Line Road) and then south to this site at the corner of Griffiths and the old Central Park interurban line (later this section was called the Highland Park line). This substation was constructed to convert the alternating current being delivered from the Buntzen power plant to direct current for the operation of the tram cars operating on the Central Park interurban route. The new brick substation replaced the wood fed steam powered 1891 Powerhouse that operated south of this site, across the tracks until its closure on May 31,1905. It was demolised in the late 1920s. This brick substation originally known as the Burnaby Substation, eventually became known as the Newell Substation. The original brick building was replaced by a new structure in 1930, which was demolished in the 1960s in favour of the open field substation that continues to operate on the same site today at 7260 Griffiths Avenue.
Subjects
Buildings - Industrial - Powerhouses
Names
British Columbia Electric Railway Company
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Geographic Access
Griffiths Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Edmonds (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Stride Avenue Area
Images
Less detail

100 records – page 1 of 5.