More like 'Interview with Don Brown by Rod Fowler February 26, 1990 - Track 11'
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Interview with Lee Rankin by Kathy Bossort December 2, 2015 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory643
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1963-2009
- Length
- 0:10:40
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Lee Rankin talking about why he chose a career in politics and what kept him interested being a Burnaby councillor for 22 years. He tells the story about the land swap that he helped engineer with the School Board that enabled the building of the new Burnaby S…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Lee Rankin talking about why he chose a career in politics and what kept him interested being a Burnaby councillor for 22 years. He tells the story about the land swap that he helped engineer with the School Board that enabled the building of the new Burnaby South Secondary School. He relates that this experience in the late 1980s would become key in finding a resolution for the City/SFU dispute. He talks about the positions held by the university and the City over land ownership and control on Burnaby Mountain. Rezoning for Discovery Park and the 1964 Simon Fraser Townsite Master Plan (1964) are discussed.
- Date Range
- 1963-2009
- Length
- 0:10:40
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- December 2, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Lee Rankin conducted by Kathy Bossort. Lee Rankin was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Lee Rankin’s involvement in finding a resolution to the dispute between the City of Burnaby and Simon Fraser University over land ownership and control on Burnaby Mountain. He talks about the origin of the dispute, the positions taken by the two sides, the key people who brought about a resolution, and the main features of the agreement between the City, SFU and the province of BC. He talks about how the agreement met SFU’s goals, fostered trust between the City and university, and removed uncertainty from protecting parkland on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Lee Rankin was born in 1953 in Vancouver. He attended SFU 1973-78, completing his BA degree in 1985. He earned his law degree at UBC in 1988, was called to the Bar in 1989, and practiced in immigration and refugee law. Lee has lived in Burnaby since 1976 and was a member of Burnaby Council for 22 years, from 1983-1999 and 2002-2008. His particular interests as a Councillor were in community planning, housing and environment. Among other duties and accomplishments as Councillor, Lee served as chair of the Simon Fraser Liaison Committee and was involved in the negotiations with the province and SFU that resulted in the university returning more than 800 acres of land to the City, which was dedicated as part of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. He has also served on the GVRD, volunteers as a coach for team sports in Burnaby, and has served on numerous community and business associations and committees. Lee is married to Ragini Venkat Rankin and has one son Henry.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:50:35
- Interviewee Name
- Rankin, Lee A.
- Interview Location
- Lee Rankin's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Lee Rankin
Track two of interview with Lee Rankin
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-014/MSS196-014_Track_2.mp3
Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 7
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory478
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:07:05
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s political career and his volunteer work with Cliff Avenue soccer, the Burnaby Mental Health Association, the library board, and the New Vista Society. He talks about his association with Alan Emmott and the founding of the Better Burnaby Commi…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s political career and his volunteer work with Cliff Avenue soccer, the Burnaby Mental Health Association, the library board, and the New Vista Society. He talks about his association with Alan Emmott and the founding of the Better Burnaby Committee (BBC), his election to Burnaby Council in 1972 with BVA, and his membership in and work for the federal NDP
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:07:05
- Names
- Emmott, Alan H
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track seven of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track seven of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_7.mp3![Burnaby Alderman, Bill (William) Lewarne, [1973]. Item no. 231-012 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/205/231-012.jpg?width=280)
Interview with William A. Lewarne by Rod Fowler March 14, 1990 - Track 12
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory452
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1965-1987
- Length
- 00:10:39
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Bill Lewarne’s problems raising funds for his first political campaign without incurring favours, and the challenge of remaining nonpartisan in office
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Bill Lewarne’s problems raising funds for his first political campaign without incurring favours, and the challenge of remaining nonpartisan in office
- Date Range
- 1965-1987
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman, Bill (William) Lewarne, [1973]. Item no. 231-012
- Length
- 00:10:39
- Subjects
- Elections
- Officials - Mayors and Reeves
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 14, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with former Mayor William “Bill” Lewarne, conducted by Rod Fowler. Bill Lewarne 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 Bill Lewarne’s business and political careers, and memories of growing up in South Burnaby in the 1930s. Bill Lewarne talks about his parent’s origins, his family and community struggles during the Depression, the interurban, his education, war service, and joining his father's business. He describes the start, operation and expansion of the family ice cream business, and how business life compared to political life. The interview explores the role of politics in community affairs, his political activities, the history of the BVA, and his involvement in various community organizations. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track, expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- William Alfred “Bill” Lewarne was born in Burnaby in 1926 to Ethel Cecilia Leer (1899- ) and Alfred Lewarne (1893-1962). The family, Ethel, Alfred and their three children Patricia, Beverley and William, moved to a house on Nelson Avenue in Alta Vista in 1931. Ethel still lived in the family home in 1990. Bill Lewarne attended Nelson Avenue School and South Burnaby High School (1932-1944). His father Alfred worked at Colony Farms as a dairy inspector and then for the Port of Vancouver Dairy before being laid off early in the Depression. The family struggled until in 1936 Alfred started his own ice cream business. After graduation Bill was in the army for two years, taking a refrigeration course under the veteran’s training benefit, before joining his father’s business. Three generations of the family operated the successful company, expanding from wholesale, retail and distribution of ice cream products into refrigerated warehouses and the wholesale ice business, until the business was sold to its competitor Dairyland in 1989. Bill Lewarne entered politics in 1965, first with the Nonpartisan Association (NPA) and then as a founder of the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA). He served as an alderman on Burnaby Council 1973-1975 and 1977-1981 and as Mayor 1981-1987. In 1979 he ran for provincial office for the Social Credit Party against Rosemary Brown but lost. Bill Lewarne married June Lawrence and they had three children Robert, Leslie and Janice. He was active in many organizations: Burnaby/Willingdon Liberal Association, Seton Villa, Irish Fusileers of Canada, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion, and the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, and continued to be active on the Board of the BCA. Bill Lewarne died in 1995.
- Total Tracks
- 14
- Total Length
- 1:34:40
- Interviewee Name
- Lewarne, William A. "Bill"
- 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 business computerization in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
![Burnaby Alderman, Bill (William) Lewarne, [1973]. Item no. 231-012 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/205/231-012.jpg)
Audio Tracks
Track twelve of interview with Bill Lewarne
Track twelve of interview with Bill Lewarne
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-019/MSS187-019_Track_12.mp3Interview with Alekxos Sarter by Kathy Bossort October 16, 2015 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory578
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1958-1992
- Length
- 0:12:40
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s first years of employment with Parks, her sources of knowledge about Burnaby Mountain, and the department’s activities in Burnaby Mountain Park. She talks about the loop trail planned for Burnaby Mountain Park in 1958, the Trans Canada Trail p…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s first years of employment with Parks, her sources of knowledge about Burnaby Mountain, and the department’s activities in Burnaby Mountain Park. She talks about the loop trail planned for Burnaby Mountain Park in 1958, the Trans Canada Trail project, events and issues at the Pavilion, and keeping track of trails on SFU lands.
- Date Range
- 1958-1992
- Length
- 0:12:40
- Names
- Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department
- Burnaby Mountain Park
- Kamui Mintara
- Trans Canada Trail
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 16, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Alekxos Sarter conducted by Kathy Bossort. Alekxos Sarter was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain from Alekxos Sarter’s perspective and experience as employee in the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. The interview provides an excellent explanation of the history and function of kinds of park dedications used by the City of Burnaby; an overview of issues around including the Trans Mountain tank farm in the conservation area; and the background to the land use and ownership disagreement between the City of Burnaby and Simon Fraser University, its resolution, and the subsequent development of SFU’s UniverCity. Alekxos Sarter talks about Richard Bolton, Burnaby’s Acting-Commissioner who was responsible for dedicating the first park on Burnaby Mountain in 1942, and the creation of a park named after him in UniverCity.
- Biographical Notes
- Alekxos Sarter was born in Vancouver in 1961, to Daine and Kasandra Sarter. She grew up in North Vancouver and since 1994 has lived on a sailboat in False Creek. After attending UBC where she studied landscape architecture, she was hired by the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in 1986. Working first in parks design, Alekxos quickly moved into parks planning, her preferred career. As Research Officer she covers research, planning, public consultation, parks and facility inventory, parkland acquisition, among other duties.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 2:20:47
- Interviewee Name
- Sarter, Alekxos T.
- Interview Location
- City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services meeting room
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Alekxos Sarter
Track two of interview with Alekxos Sarter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-005/MSS196-005_Track_2.mp3Interview with Alekxos Sarter by Kathy Bossort October 16, 2015 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory579
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1910-1960
- Length
- 0:21:54
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s historical overview of early public recreation, and intentions to set aside parkland, on Burnaby Mountain; Acting-Commissioner Richard Bolton’s signing of By Law 1772 that created Barnet Mountain Park in 1942; and her explanation about the fun…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s historical overview of early public recreation, and intentions to set aside parkland, on Burnaby Mountain; Acting-Commissioner Richard Bolton’s signing of By Law 1772 that created Barnet Mountain Park in 1942; and her explanation about the function and kinds of park dedications used in Burnaby.
- Date Range
- 1910-1960
- Length
- 0:21:54
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 16, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Alekxos Sarter conducted by Kathy Bossort. Alekxos Sarter was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain from Alekxos Sarter’s perspective and experience as employee in the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. The interview provides an excellent explanation of the history and function of kinds of park dedications used by the City of Burnaby; an overview of issues around including the Trans Mountain tank farm in the conservation area; and the background to the land use and ownership disagreement between the City of Burnaby and Simon Fraser University, its resolution, and the subsequent development of SFU’s UniverCity. Alekxos Sarter talks about Richard Bolton, Burnaby’s Acting-Commissioner who was responsible for dedicating the first park on Burnaby Mountain in 1942, and the creation of a park named after him in UniverCity.
- Biographical Notes
- Alekxos Sarter was born in Vancouver in 1961, to Daine and Kasandra Sarter. She grew up in North Vancouver and since 1994 has lived on a sailboat in False Creek. After attending UBC where she studied landscape architecture, she was hired by the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in 1986. Working first in parks design, Alekxos quickly moved into parks planning, her preferred career. As Research Officer she covers research, planning, public consultation, parks and facility inventory, parkland acquisition, among other duties.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 2:20:47
- Interviewee Name
- Sarter, Alekxos T.
- Interview Location
- City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services meeting room
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Alekxos Sarter
Track three of interview with Alekxos Sarter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-005/MSS196-005_Track_3.mp3Interview with Alekxos Sarter by Kathy Bossort October 16, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory580
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1942-2015
- Length
- 0:13:21
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s overview of the history of the Trans Mountain tank farm site on Burnaby Mountain, the delineation of the first conservation area on the mountain in 1974, and the reasons for inclusion of the tank farm in the conservation area. She also talks a…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s overview of the history of the Trans Mountain tank farm site on Burnaby Mountain, the delineation of the first conservation area on the mountain in 1974, and the reasons for inclusion of the tank farm in the conservation area. She also talks about Suncor’s site and its inclusion in the conservation area.
- Date Range
- 1942-2015
- Length
- 0:13:21
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 16, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Alekxos Sarter conducted by Kathy Bossort. Alekxos Sarter was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain from Alekxos Sarter’s perspective and experience as employee in the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. The interview provides an excellent explanation of the history and function of kinds of park dedications used by the City of Burnaby; an overview of issues around including the Trans Mountain tank farm in the conservation area; and the background to the land use and ownership disagreement between the City of Burnaby and Simon Fraser University, its resolution, and the subsequent development of SFU’s UniverCity. Alekxos Sarter talks about Richard Bolton, Burnaby’s Acting-Commissioner who was responsible for dedicating the first park on Burnaby Mountain in 1942, and the creation of a park named after him in UniverCity.
- Biographical Notes
- Alekxos Sarter was born in Vancouver in 1961, to Daine and Kasandra Sarter. She grew up in North Vancouver and since 1994 has lived on a sailboat in False Creek. After attending UBC where she studied landscape architecture, she was hired by the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in 1986. Working first in parks design, Alekxos quickly moved into parks planning, her preferred career. As Research Officer she covers research, planning, public consultation, parks and facility inventory, parkland acquisition, among other duties.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 2:20:47
- Interviewee Name
- Sarter, Alekxos T.
- Interview Location
- City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services meeting room
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Alekxos Sarter
Track four of interview with Alekxos Sarter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-005/MSS196-005_Track_4.mp3Interview with Alekxos Sarter by Kathy Bossort October 16, 2015 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory582
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1950-2015
- Length
- 0:22:57
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s views on the pressures on the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area from the SFU community and utility corridors; managing the edges of the conservation area on Barnet Highway; the history of the Burnaby Mountain Parkway; and a further explanatio…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s views on the pressures on the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area from the SFU community and utility corridors; managing the edges of the conservation area on Barnet Highway; the history of the Burnaby Mountain Parkway; and a further explanation about kinds of park dedications, the origin of the covenant , and the protection status each provides. Also explained are the terms of the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Burnaby and SFU.
- Date Range
- 1950-2015
- Length
- 0:22:57
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Planning
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Burnaby Mountain Parkway
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 16, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Alekxos Sarter conducted by Kathy Bossort. Alekxos Sarter was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain from Alekxos Sarter’s perspective and experience as employee in the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. The interview provides an excellent explanation of the history and function of kinds of park dedications used by the City of Burnaby; an overview of issues around including the Trans Mountain tank farm in the conservation area; and the background to the land use and ownership disagreement between the City of Burnaby and Simon Fraser University, its resolution, and the subsequent development of SFU’s UniverCity. Alekxos Sarter talks about Richard Bolton, Burnaby’s Acting-Commissioner who was responsible for dedicating the first park on Burnaby Mountain in 1942, and the creation of a park named after him in UniverCity.
- Biographical Notes
- Alekxos Sarter was born in Vancouver in 1961, to Daine and Kasandra Sarter. She grew up in North Vancouver and since 1994 has lived on a sailboat in False Creek. After attending UBC where she studied landscape architecture, she was hired by the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in 1986. Working first in parks design, Alekxos quickly moved into parks planning, her preferred career. As Research Officer she covers research, planning, public consultation, parks and facility inventory, parkland acquisition, among other duties.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 2:20:47
- Interviewee Name
- Sarter, Alekxos T.
- Interview Location
- City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services meeting room
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with Alekxos Sarter
Track six of interview with Alekxos Sarter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-005/MSS196-005_Track_6.mp3Interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse by Kathy Bossort November 24, 2015 - Track 2
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory628
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1913-2015
- Length
- 0:19:24
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain beginning in 1942 with By-Law 1772; the kinds of park dedications used by the City and shift in nature of dedications to accommodate long range park planning…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the history of setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain beginning in 1942 with By-Law 1772; the kinds of park dedications used by the City and shift in nature of dedications to accommodate long range park planning; and looking at the big picture policy and programs for land assembly for major open spaces and linkages.
- Date Range
- 1913-2015
- Length
- 0:19:24
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Planning
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 24, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse conducted by Kathy Bossort. Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse were two of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the history of setting aside parkland by dedication on Burnaby Mountain, the 1974/76 delineation of the conservation area on Burnaby Mountain, and the dispute between Burnaby and Simon Fraser University over land ownership and control on Burnaby Mountain, as discussed by two retired participants in these events from the City of Burnaby’s Planning and Building Department, Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse. They also talk about their interaction with the public in developing policies, particularly for the 1974 report “The Public Meetings - Phase One”, and the importance of a strong policy base for long range planning and the patience needed to assemble land for large parks. They talk as well about their careers, their close working relationship in the department, and the cooperation between City and SFU staff in the development of UniverCity.
- Biographical Notes
- Basil Luksun was born and educated in South Africa, immigrating to Canada and Burnaby in 1972 to escape the harmful effects of apartheid. He holds a BSc degree from the University of Cape Town and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Town Planning from the University of Witwatersrand. He joined the City of Burnaby’s Planning and Building Department in 1973, working his way up through the organization to Director of the department before retiring after 39 years in 2012. When he started work in the 1970s, the City of Burnaby was focusing on green space planning projects and he takes great pride in these projects as well as the city’s focus on long-term planning. Basil lived in the Capital Hill area from 1972 to 1990. He currently resides in Vancouver and has two sons, Warren and Derek. Jack Belhouse was born in 1946 in Vancouver and attended UBC, York University and SFU (1965-1972), majoring in urban geography. He began working in Burnaby’s planning department as a summer student in 1968, and was offered a full-time position when he graduated from university. He became Director of the Planning and Building Department before retiring after 38 years with the city in 2006. He and Basil Luksun worked closely together in long range planning in the department. Jack lives in Coquitlam with his wife Linda and has two children, Brad and Lori.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 1:58:23
- Interviewee Name
- Luksun, Basil
- Belhouse, Jack
- Interview Location
- Basil Luksun's home in Vancouver
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track two of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
Track two of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-012/MSS196-012_Track_2.mp3Interview with Leonard Evenden and Allen Seager by Kathy Bossort November 18, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory624
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1965-2015
- Length
- 0:13:31
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Evenden and Dr. Seager’s description of the relationship of SFU’s faculty and administration to Burnaby Mountain’s environment, including stewardship of the land, academic research related to the mountain, and the development of UniverCity. Dr. Evenden ta…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Evenden and Dr. Seager’s description of the relationship of SFU’s faculty and administration to Burnaby Mountain’s environment, including stewardship of the land, academic research related to the mountain, and the development of UniverCity. Dr. Evenden talks about Dr. Colin Crampton’s writings about the natural history of Burnaby Mountain, and Dr. Seager references the controversy over the target ranges on the mountain and Dr. Stephen Collis’ work, as examples of faculty involvement in local environmental issues.
- Date Range
- 1965-2015
- Length
- 0:13:31
- Names
- Simon Fraser University
- UniverCity
- Crampton, Colin
- Collis, Stephen
- Mauser, Gary A.
- Barnet Rifle Club
- Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Company
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 18, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Dr. Leonard Evenden and Dr. Allen Seager conducted by Kathy Bossort. Leonard Evenden and Allen Seager were two of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about aspects of Simon Fraser University’s history that is related to its site on Burnaby Mountain, as told by two retired SFU professors, Dr. Evenden of the Geography Department and Dr. Seager of the Department of History. The interview ranges over campus access and housing issues created by the isolated mountain site; the relationship of the university to the local community and the dispute over land ownership and control with the City of Burnaby; SFU’s environmental stewardship; the development of UniverCity; and the future of parkland in the conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Dr. Leonard J. Evenden was born 1937 in Beijing, China, to parents and Salvation Army missionaries Leonard Evenden and Elsie Pearl March. Dr. Evenden attended McMaster University (B.A. 1960), University of Georgia (M.A. 1962) and University of Edinburgh (Ph.D. 1970). He was appointed to Simon Fraser University’s Department of Geography in 1966, shortly after SFU opened in the fall of 1965, and retired in 2002. Dr. Evenden’s research has focused on Canadian urban geography. He edited a collection of essays about Burnaby titled “Suburb of Happy Homes: Burnaby centennial themes” (1995), and directed “Voices of Burnaby”, an SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee oral history project (1992). Dr. Evenden is married with three children. Dr. Allen Seager was born 1953 in Montreal, Quebec, to parents C.F.B. Seager and Evelyn DeGex Chesam. Dr. Seager is a retired Simon Fraser University professor, being a member of SFU’s Department of History from 1981 to 2014, and has current links with SFU as an instructor for Continuing Studies. His research interests include history of Canada and Western Canada, and labour and working class history, particularly in the coal mining and railway industries. Dr. Seager moved to Burnaby and the Montecito area in 1981 where he continues to live and enjoy the hiking trails on Burnaby Mountain and the amenities at SFU. Dr. Seager is a member of the Burnaby North NDP, and has volunteered with Scouts Canada and the Burnaby Centennial Committee.
- Total Tracks
- 6
- Total Length
- 1:11:28
- Interviewee Name
- Evenden, Leonard J.
- Seager, Allen
- Interview Location
- Clubhouse at Burnaby Mountain Golf Course Restaurant
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Dr. Leonard Evenden and Dr. Allen Seager
Track four of interview with Dr. Leonard Evenden and Dr. Allen Seager
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-011/MSS196-011_Track_4.mp3
Interview with Merrill M. Gordon by Rod Fowler March 19, 1990 - Track 8
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory479
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Length
- 00:10:17
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s founding and operation of the youth soccer exchange with Washington State, and the importance of soccer to the community. He discusses the problem of isolation between north and south Burnaby, planned development in Burnaby, and the contributi…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Merrill Gordon’s founding and operation of the youth soccer exchange with Washington State, and the importance of soccer to the community. He discusses the problem of isolation between north and south Burnaby, planned development in Burnaby, and the contributions of Ratepayer groups and volunteers
- Date Range
- 1956-1990
- Photo Info
- Burnaby Alderman Merrill Gordon (second from right) following a candidates' meeting, 1973. Item no. 480-263
- Length
- 00:10:17
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- March 19, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Merrill Gordon, conducted by Rod Fowler.Gordon Merrill was one of eleven participants interviewed as part of the SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee's oral history series titled, "Voices of Burnaby". The interview is about Merrill Gordon’s childhood in the Depression, including his story about the family’s difficult trek to Burnaby from Alberta; his education, teachers and first volunteer activities at Grandview High School; his career at Fleck Brothers and the start of his own company Blaze Industries and later work in India; and his many volunteer activities in Burnaby. He describes how he started the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, the soccer club's subsequent growth and development, some of the people involved, and the founding of the youth soccer exchange. He also describes his work on the Parks Board and in the arts community, including the 1987 arts centre referendum, and involvement with the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society (1988- ), and mentions his work for other groups including the New Vista Society, library board, and Burnaby Mental Health Committee. He also talks about his political career with the Better Burnaby Committee and Burnaby Voters Association, resulting in his 1972 election to Burnaby’s 1973 council. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Merrill M. Gordon was born in Saskatchewan in 1929 to parents farming north of North Battleford. After a fifth year of crop failure the family of four left the farm in 1934 to join relatives living near the corner of Union and Sperling in Burnaby. With little resources the family adapted as well as possible in the Depression years, moving often in the East Vancouver/North Burnaby area in an attempt to better their situation. Merrill’s father obtained work at sawmills including Kapoor’s Sawmill at Barnet, walking to work over Burnaby Mountain. After attending numerous public schools, Merrill Gordon eventually spent three years at Templeton School and then completed his education at Grandview High School of Commerce, majoring in accounting and commercial law. He worked a few years at Canadian Industries Ltd., then joined Fleck Brothers. In 1965 Merrill Gordon and his wife started their own company Blaze Industries of Canada that manufactured wood burning fireplaces, selling the company to AB Electrolux in 1980. After a short retirement, Merrill Gordon went back to work in 1981 for a company manufacturing solar panels, one project taking him and his wife intermittently to India over a four year period. Merrill Gordon helped found the political group Better Burnaby Committee, later the Burnaby Voters Association, with Alan Emmott and Bill Lewarne, ran for Burnaby Municipal Council and served one year as councillor in 1973. Merrill Gordon is well known for his over 40 years of volunteer work in Burnaby, particularly as founder in 1956 and director of the Cliff Avenue United Football Club, one of the largest soccer clubs in BC. He was also the founder of Burnaby Youth Soccer and the first youth soccer exchange with Washington State. His other volunteer work includes library trustee, Parks Commissioner (1987-1992), Director of New Vista Home for Seniors, Chair of campaign raising funds for building Shadbolt Arts Centre, and Chair of the Burnaby Mental Health Committee. In 1988 Merrill Gordon, Betty Gordon, Dean Lamont and several others formed the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which advocated for the return of unused land to Burnaby from SFU and the subsequent creation of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Merrill Gordon and Elizabeth Balfour (nee Leitch) (1926-2012) married in 1953 and had two children.
- Total Tracks
- 11
- Total Length
- 1:31:44
- Interviewee Name
- Gordon, Merrill
- Interview Location
- unknown
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track eight of interview with Merrill Gordon
Track eight of interview with Merrill Gordon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-020/MSS187-020_Track_8.mp3Interview with Rick Sporns by Kathy Bossort October 30, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory606
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1900-2015
- Length
- 0:17:11
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Rick Sporn’s discussion of the value of natural areas to Burnaby, the city’s history of protecting green spaces, and the complementary role the Pavilion area plays in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. He talks about how the rose garden and “Playground of…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Rick Sporn’s discussion of the value of natural areas to Burnaby, the city’s history of protecting green spaces, and the complementary role the Pavilion area plays in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. He talks about how the rose garden and “Playground of the Gods” sculptures (Kamui Mintara) help Pavilion area visitors more fully appreciate the mountain setting. He also talks about the history of the construction of the Kamui Mintara sculptures.
- Date Range
- 1900-2015
- Length
- 0:17:11
- Names
- Burnaby Mountain Centennial Rose Garden
- Burnaby Mountain Centennial Park
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Kamui Mintara
- Central Park
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 30, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Rick Sporns conducted by Kathy Bossort. Rick Sporns was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Rick Sporn’s description of the history and design of Burnaby Mountain Centennial Rose Garden and the significance of the Centennial Pavilion area in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Rick Sporns also talks about his career with the City of Burnaby’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, management of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, and the value of natural areas to Burnaby.
- Biographical Notes
- Richard Sporns was born in 1957 in Daly Municipality, Manitoba, to Ulrich and Charlotte Sporns. The family moved to the Burquitlam Area of Burnaby in about 1965. Rick Sporns obtained his BSc degree in biology at SFU and a degree in landscape architecture at UBC. In 1985 he began his career in the City of Burnaby’s Park, Recreation and Cultural Services department where he currently is Assistant Manager - Parks Design. Rick was responsible for designing Burnaby Mountain Centennial Rose Garden, a legacy project proposed by Mark Stockdale to commemorate Burnaby’s 1992 Centennial. The rose garden opened to the public July 18, 1992.
- Total Tracks
- 6
- Total Length
- 1:01:40
- Interviewee Name
- Sporns, Richard "Rick"
- Interview Location
- City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services meeting room
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Rick Sporns
Track four of interview with Rick Sporns
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-008/MSS196-008_Track_4.mp3Interview with Ron Baker by Kathy Bossort November 27, 2015 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory635
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1963-1965
- Length
- 0:18:05
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker’s stories about the beginnings of Simon Fraser University, how he became involved, and the attraction of being able to try different things with little interference. He talks about SFU Chancellor Gordon Shrum’s ideas for all year quarter system a…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker’s stories about the beginnings of Simon Fraser University, how he became involved, and the attraction of being able to try different things with little interference. He talks about SFU Chancellor Gordon Shrum’s ideas for all year quarter system and for large lecture/small tutorials, and his counter proposal for a trimester system. He also describes his working relationship with Dr. Shrum.
- Date Range
- 1963-1965
- Length
- 0:18:05
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 27, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Dr. Ronald James Baker conducted by Kathy Bossort. Ron Baker was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the founding of Simon Fraser University from the perspective of SFU’s first faculty member and Director of Academic Planning, Ron Baker. Ron Baker talks about John B. Macdonald’s report on higher education in BC (1962) and how it lead to the provincial government’s decision to establish a new university and to put it in the Burnaby area. He tells stories about how the site on Burnaby Mountain was chosen; about the building of the campus; and about the challenges of planning the academic structure of the university. He also talks about the attraction of creating with little interference an institution trying out new ideas and tells stories about his working relationship with Gordon Shrum. He considers the problems created by building universities in out of the way places and the ideas such as UniverCity for dealing with SFU’s isolation.
- Biographical Notes
- Ron Baker was born in London, England, in 1924, and served in the Royal Air Force during WW2. He emigrated to Canada in 1947 and studied at UBC where he obtained a BA degree (1951) and MA degree (1953) in English Language and Literature. He served on the faculty of the UBC English Department beginning as a lecturer in 1951 and advanced to positions of Assistant Professor (1958-63) and Associate Professor (1963-65). He was a contributor to John B. Macdonald’s 1962 report “Higher Education in British Columbia and a Plan for the Future”, and continued to make significant contributions to the establishment of the community college system in Canada throughout his career. In 1963 the newly established Simon Fraser University hired Ron as its first Director of Academic Planning, serving also as first head of SFU’s English Department. In 1969 Ron left SFU to become the first President of the University of Prince Edward Island, a position he held until 1978. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to higher education. Ron has contributed to many organizations, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, on Canada Council, and as President of Association of Atlantic Universities and the Association of Canadian University Teachers of English. In 1990 Ron Baker was asked by the government of BC to prepare a preliminary report on the establishment of the future UNBC in Prince George. Now retired Ron Baker lives in the Edmonds area of Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:33:46
- Interviewee Name
- Baker, Ronald J. "Ron"
- Interview Location
- Ron Baker's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
Track one of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-013/MSS196-013_Track_1.mp3Interview with Ron Baker by Kathy Bossort November 27, 2015 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory637
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1961-1965
- Length
- 0:13:39
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker describing how the site for SFU was chosen. He talks about the study of driving times in the Macdonald report that suggested that Burnaby provided best access for the maximum number of students, the alternate sites considered for the university i…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker describing how the site for SFU was chosen. He talks about the study of driving times in the Macdonald report that suggested that Burnaby provided best access for the maximum number of students, the alternate sites considered for the university in New Westminster and Burnaby, and Reeve Alan Emmott’s role in choosing Burnaby Mountain. He also talks about the problem of isolation of SFU on Burnaby Mountain, and why out of the way places are often chosen for universities in BC.
- Date Range
- 1961-1965
- Length
- 0:13:39
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 27, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Dr. Ronald James Baker conducted by Kathy Bossort. Ron Baker was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the founding of Simon Fraser University from the perspective of SFU’s first faculty member and Director of Academic Planning, Ron Baker. Ron Baker talks about John B. Macdonald’s report on higher education in BC (1962) and how it lead to the provincial government’s decision to establish a new university and to put it in the Burnaby area. He tells stories about how the site on Burnaby Mountain was chosen; about the building of the campus; and about the challenges of planning the academic structure of the university. He also talks about the attraction of creating with little interference an institution trying out new ideas and tells stories about his working relationship with Gordon Shrum. He considers the problems created by building universities in out of the way places and the ideas such as UniverCity for dealing with SFU’s isolation.
- Biographical Notes
- Ron Baker was born in London, England, in 1924, and served in the Royal Air Force during WW2. He emigrated to Canada in 1947 and studied at UBC where he obtained a BA degree (1951) and MA degree (1953) in English Language and Literature. He served on the faculty of the UBC English Department beginning as a lecturer in 1951 and advanced to positions of Assistant Professor (1958-63) and Associate Professor (1963-65). He was a contributor to John B. Macdonald’s 1962 report “Higher Education in British Columbia and a Plan for the Future”, and continued to make significant contributions to the establishment of the community college system in Canada throughout his career. In 1963 the newly established Simon Fraser University hired Ron as its first Director of Academic Planning, serving also as first head of SFU’s English Department. In 1969 Ron left SFU to become the first President of the University of Prince Edward Island, a position he held until 1978. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to higher education. Ron has contributed to many organizations, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, on Canada Council, and as President of Association of Atlantic Universities and the Association of Canadian University Teachers of English. In 1990 Ron Baker was asked by the government of BC to prepare a preliminary report on the establishment of the future UNBC in Prince George. Now retired Ron Baker lives in the Edmonds area of Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:33:46
- Interviewee Name
- Baker, Ronald J. "Ron"
- Interview Location
- Ron Baker's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
Track three of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-013/MSS196-013_Track_3.mp3Interview with Ron Baker by Kathy Bossort November 27, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory638
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1963-1970
- Length
- 0:11:00
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker talking about Dr. Shrum’s attraction to the mountain top as site for university and his grand ideas for the university, including scholarships for an athletic program. He also talks about how original SFU faculty was more West Point Grey centered…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker talking about Dr. Shrum’s attraction to the mountain top as site for university and his grand ideas for the university, including scholarships for an athletic program. He also talks about how original SFU faculty was more West Point Grey centered and preferred to commute from the North shore, and how this changed for new faculty who settled in Burnaby and Coquitlam.
- Date Range
- 1963-1970
- Length
- 0:11:00
- Subjects
- Academic Disciplines
- Planning
- Transportation
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 27, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Dr. Ronald James Baker conducted by Kathy Bossort. Ron Baker was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the founding of Simon Fraser University from the perspective of SFU’s first faculty member and Director of Academic Planning, Ron Baker. Ron Baker talks about John B. Macdonald’s report on higher education in BC (1962) and how it lead to the provincial government’s decision to establish a new university and to put it in the Burnaby area. He tells stories about how the site on Burnaby Mountain was chosen; about the building of the campus; and about the challenges of planning the academic structure of the university. He also talks about the attraction of creating with little interference an institution trying out new ideas and tells stories about his working relationship with Gordon Shrum. He considers the problems created by building universities in out of the way places and the ideas such as UniverCity for dealing with SFU’s isolation.
- Biographical Notes
- Ron Baker was born in London, England, in 1924, and served in the Royal Air Force during WW2. He emigrated to Canada in 1947 and studied at UBC where he obtained a BA degree (1951) and MA degree (1953) in English Language and Literature. He served on the faculty of the UBC English Department beginning as a lecturer in 1951 and advanced to positions of Assistant Professor (1958-63) and Associate Professor (1963-65). He was a contributor to John B. Macdonald’s 1962 report “Higher Education in British Columbia and a Plan for the Future”, and continued to make significant contributions to the establishment of the community college system in Canada throughout his career. In 1963 the newly established Simon Fraser University hired Ron as its first Director of Academic Planning, serving also as first head of SFU’s English Department. In 1969 Ron left SFU to become the first President of the University of Prince Edward Island, a position he held until 1978. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to higher education. Ron has contributed to many organizations, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, on Canada Council, and as President of Association of Atlantic Universities and the Association of Canadian University Teachers of English. In 1990 Ron Baker was asked by the government of BC to prepare a preliminary report on the establishment of the future UNBC in Prince George. Now retired Ron Baker lives in the Edmonds area of Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:33:46
- Interviewee Name
- Baker, Ronald J. "Ron"
- Interview Location
- Ron Baker's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track four of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
Track four of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-013/MSS196-013_Track_4.mp3Interview with Ron Baker by Kathy Bossort November 27, 2015 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory639
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1963-1968
- Length
- 0:15:36
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker’s description of the attraction SFU had for mature students; the reasons for making courses in languages, etc. non-compulsory; the pressure from the public in Burnaby and elsewhere to offer certain kinds of courses. He talks about the desire expr…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Dr. Ron Baker’s description of the attraction SFU had for mature students; the reasons for making courses in languages, etc. non-compulsory; the pressure from the public in Burnaby and elsewhere to offer certain kinds of courses. He talks about the desire expressed for theological courses and how he responded.
- Date Range
- 1963-1968
- Length
- 0:15:36
- Names
- Simon Fraser University
- Subjects
- Academic Disciplines
- Planning
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- November 27, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Dr. Ronald James Baker conducted by Kathy Bossort. Ron Baker was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the founding of Simon Fraser University from the perspective of SFU’s first faculty member and Director of Academic Planning, Ron Baker. Ron Baker talks about John B. Macdonald’s report on higher education in BC (1962) and how it lead to the provincial government’s decision to establish a new university and to put it in the Burnaby area. He tells stories about how the site on Burnaby Mountain was chosen; about the building of the campus; and about the challenges of planning the academic structure of the university. He also talks about the attraction of creating with little interference an institution trying out new ideas and tells stories about his working relationship with Gordon Shrum. He considers the problems created by building universities in out of the way places and the ideas such as UniverCity for dealing with SFU’s isolation.
- Biographical Notes
- Ron Baker was born in London, England, in 1924, and served in the Royal Air Force during WW2. He emigrated to Canada in 1947 and studied at UBC where he obtained a BA degree (1951) and MA degree (1953) in English Language and Literature. He served on the faculty of the UBC English Department beginning as a lecturer in 1951 and advanced to positions of Assistant Professor (1958-63) and Associate Professor (1963-65). He was a contributor to John B. Macdonald’s 1962 report “Higher Education in British Columbia and a Plan for the Future”, and continued to make significant contributions to the establishment of the community college system in Canada throughout his career. In 1963 the newly established Simon Fraser University hired Ron as its first Director of Academic Planning, serving also as first head of SFU’s English Department. In 1969 Ron left SFU to become the first President of the University of Prince Edward Island, a position he held until 1978. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to higher education. Ron has contributed to many organizations, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, on Canada Council, and as President of Association of Atlantic Universities and the Association of Canadian University Teachers of English. In 1990 Ron Baker was asked by the government of BC to prepare a preliminary report on the establishment of the future UNBC in Prince George. Now retired Ron Baker lives in the Edmonds area of Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:33:46
- Interviewee Name
- Baker, Ronald J. "Ron"
- Interview Location
- Ron Baker's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track five of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
Track five of interview with Dr. Ron Baker
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-013/MSS196-013_Track_5.mp3
Interview with Sev Morin by Rod Fowler April 4, 1990 - Track 10
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory546
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1950-1990
- Length
- 00:09:22
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Sev Morin’s views about Burnaby’s identity and the irrelevance of municipal boundary lines for many functions; his identification of Burnaby’s heritage, ecological and educational “gems”; and musings about the next development phases for Burnaby
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Sev Morin’s views about Burnaby’s identity and the irrelevance of municipal boundary lines for many functions; his identification of Burnaby’s heritage, ecological and educational “gems”; and musings about the next development phases for Burnaby
- Date Range
- 1950-1990
- Photo Info
- Sev Morin (left) of Severin's in Burnaby (formerly the Gai Paree) hosting a gala New Year's celebration, 1979. Item no. 480-712
- Length
- 00:09:22
- Subjects
- Public Services - Municipal Services
- Planning
- Industries
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Buildings - Recreational
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- April 4, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Severin "Sev" Morin, conducted by Rod Fowler. Sev Morin 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 Sev Morin’s banquet hall, restaurant and night club business on Kingsway, originally named the “Gai Paree Supper Club” (1947-1976) and later “Severin’s” (1976-1985) and “Diego’s” (1985-1994), its function as a Burnaby landmark, and the entertainment and political people he met through his business. He also describes his many volunteer activities in Burnaby, including member of the SFU Senate, Rotary Club, Variety Club and Telethon, fund raising for Burnaby Hospital, and tourism related groups, and his political work for the federal Liberal party. He talks about his parents’ origins, the lives of his brothers Rudy and Rene, and the family’s involvement in establishing the “Gai Paree”. He also shares his views about the business and cultural development of Burnaby. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Severin “Sev” Rene Morin was born September 21, 1927, in Bonneville, Alberta, to Rene Pierre Morin (1878-1963) and Anne Marie (nee Lachiver) Morin (1886-1956). Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Morin and their son Rene Francois (1905-1954) immigrated to Edmonton, Alberta, from France in 1913, where Rene Pierre Morin worked for the C.N.R. and a second son Adolphe “Rudy” Ferdinand (1922-1969) was born, followed by their third son Severin. In 1943, after R.P. Morin retired, the family moved to Burnaby to a house on Sperling Avenue. Sometime earlier the two older Morin brothers found work in Trail at the smelter and developed musical careers. In 1946/47 the Morin family purchased property on Kingsway and built a banquet hall, the “Gai Paree Supper Club”. Sev and Rudy Morin managed the club and Rene F. Morin moved to Burnaby to join them with his band. The supper club, with its live music and dance floor, became a popular meeting place and wedding venue, eventually expanding into a restaurant and nightclub in the 1970s. The “Gai Paree” was renamed “Severin’s” in 1976 and “Diego’s” in 1985, closing finally in 1994. Sev Morin’s business life included three record stores which he owned with his friend Jack Cullen. Through these businesses Sev Morin was well known in the entertainment and hospitality industry. He and his restaurant also hosted political and social events that made the restaurant a community landmark. Sev Morin contributed many volunteer hours to community and charitable organizations, including an appointment to the SFU Senate, fundraising for the Burnaby Hospital, Director of the Variety Club and Rotary Club, and consultant for a variety of tourism related ventures. He also was active in the federal Liberal Party. Sev Morin and his wife Pauline married in 1950 and had three children. Sev Morin died at age 86 on March 28, 2014.
- Total Tracks
- 10
- Total Length
- 00:56:44
- Interviewee Name
- Morin, Severin "Sev"
- Interviewer Bio
- Rod Fowler returned to university as a mature student in the 1980s after working about twenty years in the field of economics and computerization in business in England, Europe and Western Canada. He graduated with a BA from SFU in both History and Sociology in 1987, his MA degree in Geography in 1989, and his PhD in Cultural Geography at SFU. He taught courses in Geography, Sociology, History and Canadian Studies at several Lower Mainland colleges, before becoming a full time member of the Geography Department at Kwantlen University College.
- Collection/Fonds
- SFU/Burnaby Centennial Committee fonds
- Transcript Available
- Transcript available
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Web Notes
- Interviews were digitized in 2015 allowing them to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council.
Images
Audio Tracks
Track ten of interview with Sev Morin
Track ten of interview with Sev Morin
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-021/MSS187-021_Track%2010.mp3Interview with Tony Fabian by Kathy Bossort October 29, 2015 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory598
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1960-1990
- Length
- 0:12:29
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s story about his first involvement in civic politics when he questioned the cutting in half of Hardwick Park and his learning about the legal status of park dedications. He talks about the value of understanding the geographic history and natural …
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s story about his first involvement in civic politics when he questioned the cutting in half of Hardwick Park and his learning about the legal status of park dedications. He talks about the value of understanding the geographic history and natural processes of Burnaby landscapes.
- Date Range
- 1960-1990
- Length
- 0:12:29
- Names
- Hardwick Park
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Planning
- Geographic Access
- Hardwick Street
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 29, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Tony Fabian conducted by Kathy Bossort. Tony Fabian was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Tony Fabian’s part in park creation and protection of natural areas in Burnaby, particularly as a member of the Park and Recreation Commission in the 1970s; his childhood and how that contributed to his land ethic; and the history of the uses made of and setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Tony S. Fabian was born in 1934 in north Saskatchewan. At less than a year old Tony, along with his siblings, was removed from his family home and eventually placed with an immigrant farm family. As a child he worked on the farm and witnessed what he considered abusive treatment of the land and farm animals. When he was about 12 years old his adoptive family moved to the BC coast where he went on his own, working for a variety of farmers in Richmond and Delta. At 19 he contracted polio, quit farm work, and found work with the telephone company. In 1956 Tony married, and in 1957 he and his wife moved to a home on Hardwick Street in Burnaby where he still lives. Tony entered civic politics in the 1960s when he objected to development on Hardwick Park and became concerned about the destruction of Burnaby’s natural landscapes. He became a life long advocate for preserving natural areas and helped to create large parks in Burnaby on the foreshore of the Fraser River and on Burrard Inlet. He served as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission 1970-1975, is a long time volunteer with the Burnaby Lake Park Association, and continues to stay current on local and regional environmental issues. In 2008 Tony was presented with the City of Burnaby Environment Award for Community Stewardship.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:43:22
- Interviewee Name
- Fabian, Tony S.
- Interview Location
- Tony Fabian's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track three of interview with Tony Fabian
Track three of interview with Tony Fabian
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-007/MSS196-007_Track_3.mp3Interview with Tony Fabian by Kathy Bossort October 29, 2015 - Track 6
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory601
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1956-2015
- Length
- 0:16:27
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s view that the traditional landmark character of Burnaby Mountain is its wildness which has now been lost. He talks about the decline in local peoples’ concern for the natural environment and the challenge of educating young people about nature.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Tony Fabian’s view that the traditional landmark character of Burnaby Mountain is its wildness which has now been lost. He talks about the decline in local peoples’ concern for the natural environment and the challenge of educating young people about nature.
- Date Range
- 1956-2015
- Length
- 0:16:27
- Subjects
- Geographic Features
- Planning
- Education
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 29, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Tony Fabian conducted by Kathy Bossort. Tony Fabian was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Tony Fabian’s part in park creation and protection of natural areas in Burnaby, particularly as a member of the Park and Recreation Commission in the 1970s; his childhood and how that contributed to his land ethic; and the history of the uses made of and setting aside parkland on Burnaby Mountain.
- Biographical Notes
- Tony S. Fabian was born in 1934 in north Saskatchewan. At less than a year old Tony, along with his siblings, was removed from his family home and eventually placed with an immigrant farm family. As a child he worked on the farm and witnessed what he considered abusive treatment of the land and farm animals. When he was about 12 years old his adoptive family moved to the BC coast where he went on his own, working for a variety of farmers in Richmond and Delta. At 19 he contracted polio, quit farm work, and found work with the telephone company. In 1956 Tony married, and in 1957 he and his wife moved to a home on Hardwick Street in Burnaby where he still lives. Tony entered civic politics in the 1960s when he objected to development on Hardwick Park and became concerned about the destruction of Burnaby’s natural landscapes. He became a life long advocate for preserving natural areas and helped to create large parks in Burnaby on the foreshore of the Fraser River and on Burrard Inlet. He served as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission 1970-1975, is a long time volunteer with the Burnaby Lake Park Association, and continues to stay current on local and regional environmental issues. In 2008 Tony was presented with the City of Burnaby Environment Award for Community Stewardship.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:43:22
- Interviewee Name
- Fabian, Tony S.
- Interview Location
- Tony Fabian's home in Burnaby
- Interviewer Bio
- Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.
- Collection/Fonds
- Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Audio Tracks
Track six of interview with Tony Fabian
Track six of interview with Tony Fabian
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-007/MSS196-007_Track_6.mp3Interview with Bill Gruenthal
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19636
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (74 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (74 min., 37 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Bill Gruenthal conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on July 31 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:27:01 Bill Gruenthal provides details on his family background, his early life experiences, how he got into the insurance business,…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (74 min., 37 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (74 min., 37 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Bill Gruenthal Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: July 31, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:14:37 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 Bill Gruenthal conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar, Eric Damer on July 31 2023. 00:00:00 – 00:27:01 Bill Gruenthal provides details on his family background, his early life experiences, how he got into the insurance business, his knowledge and interest in Judaism, places that he and his wife lived before moving to Burnaby, family life in Burnaby and his political involvement in running for the Burnaby school board. 00:27:02 – 00:42:50 Bill Gruenthal talks about the Burquest Jewish Community Association, it’s background and his involvement, experiences of discrimination in his career, a brief history of the Jewish people and some cultural traditions. 00:42:51 – 00:56:04 Bill Gruenthal mentions some of the charities that he supports including Burnaby Hospital, his volunteer work within the community and community organizations including the Nikkei Place Foundation and shares more details on his insurance career. 00:56:05 – 01:14:37 Bill Gruenthal shares information about his Burnaby neighbourhood and Jewish funeral customs and provides his impressions of new development at Brentwood, Burnaby Council and other development projects in Burnaby.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Bill Gruenthal was born in the British Mandate of Palestine, now Israel, in 1935 after his parents had fled Germany in advance of the then worsening political situation. Bill’s father died in 1942; some years later his mother remarried to an Irish-born senior civil servant in that government. He had a difficult and somewhat dangerous job. Soon after marriage, the family, including Bill’s older brother, Martin, immigrated to Canada in January 1947 on the strength of his step-father’s British Passport. They traveled via New York, where Bill’s uncle and his family resided and who put up the family. Later that month, the parents travelled by CP rail from Montreal to Vancouver, followed by Bill and his brother in March 1947 who travelled from New York to White Rock on an American railroad. While passing through the Fraser Valley Bill’s parents took an interest in Silverdale, a small hamlet west of Mission where the four eventually settled. Bill finished High School in Mission and soon joined the insurance industry. Bill connected with the Jewish Community in Vancouver where he met his soon-to-be wife. Upon marriage they were transferred to Calgary; after five years suffering its cold weather they were transferred back to Vancouver. They settled in Burnaby in 1966 as an affordable neighbourhood with easy access to his office downtown Vancouver. Outside work, Bill helped raise his family of three daughters who all graduated Burnaby High School (Alpha). They joined Temple Sholom in Vancouver, and he volunteered and still volunteers for a number of non-profits, including The Jewish Museum and Archives and Nikkei Place Foundation (Burnaby). He was an early long-term supporter and a past president of Burquest Jewish Community Association, mostly involving persons from Burnaby, New Westminster, and the Tri-Cities area (hence the name). He ran for political office in Burnaby in 1976 but was not elected. He delivers food in Burnaby for the Food Bank and is a donor to many worthy causes including Burnaby General Hospital. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Migration
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Transportation
- Transportation - Rail
- Religions - Judaism
- Cemeteries
- Organizations
- Elections
- Names
- Gruenthal, Bill
- Gruenthal, Noemi Yadlow
- O'Connor, Herta Ingrid Gruenthal
- O'Connor, John
- Burquest
- Jacobson, Max Alec
- Temple Shalom
- Brentwood Shopping Centre
- Brentwood Park School
- Alpha Secondary School
- Burnaby School Board
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.14
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Planning Study Area
- Brentwood Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bill Gruenthal, [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
Interview with Bill Gruenthal, [1950-2023] (interview content), interviewed 31 Jul. 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0014_003.mp3![Hazel Simnett standing in a garden, with a small dog in her arms [194-]. Item no. 549-063. thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/540/549-063.jpg?width=280)
Interview with Hazel Simnett by Eric Damer October 27, 2012 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory402
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 2012
- Length
- 0:08:48
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Hazel Simnett's memories of political as well as social events. Hazel discusses Tommy Douglas and the redrawing of electoral districts. She also tells a story of the Astoria Hotel's neon lights. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the recording pertains to Hazel Simnett's memories of political as well as social events. Hazel discusses Tommy Douglas and the redrawing of electoral districts. She also tells a story of the Astoria Hotel's neon lights. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview.
- Date Range
- 2012
- Photo Info
- Hazel Simnett standing in a garden, with a small dog in her arms [194-]. Item no. 549-063.
- Length
- 0:08:48
- Names
- Douglas, Tommy
- Subjects
- Elections
- Interviewer
- Damer, Eric
- Interview Date
- October 27, 2012
- Scope and Content
- Recording is an interview with Hazel Simnett conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, October 27, 2012. Leslie Rossa lends her support to the interview. Major theme discussed: political activism in Burnaby.
- Biographical Notes
- Hazel Simnett was born in Burnaby in 1922 and grew up looking up to her father Frederick Simnett who was very involved in labour and unions. A politically active citizen, Hazel Simnett has supported the Canadian Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the New Democratic Party (NDP). She once ran as a New Democratic Party candidate for Burnaby City Council. In 2006, Hazel Simnett won the Burnaby Local Hero Award for her volunteer work at the New Vista Society where she served as chair for a number of years. She also served as a member of the Burnaby Historical Society and established the Hazel Simnett Endowment with the Burnaby Public Library to bring a collection of books on Canadian history and social issues.
- Total Tracks
- 4
- Total Length
- 0:36:12
- Interviewee Name
- Simnett, Hazel
- 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
- Transcript Available
- None
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
Images
![Hazel Simnett standing in a garden, with a small dog in her arms [194-]. Item no. 549-063. thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/540/549-063.jpg)
Audio Tracks
Track four of recording of interview with Hazel Simnett
Track four of recording of interview with Hazel Simnett
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS171-024/MSS171-024_Track_4.mp3