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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 Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse by Kathy Bossort November 24, 2015 - Track 3
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory629
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1970-1990
- Length
- 0:15:10
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the background to the creation of their 1974 report “The Public Meetings - Phase One” which made recommendations for long range planning policies for the City of Burnaby, including the creation of the conservation a…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the background to the creation of their 1974 report “The Public Meetings - Phase One” which made recommendations for long range planning policies for the City of Burnaby, including the creation of the conservation area on Burnaby Mountain. They talk about meeting with the public as a strategy for refreshing policy, the shift in public attitudes for saving green spaces, and the City’s strong policy base for making decisions.
- Date Range
- 1970-1990
- Length
- 0:15:10
- 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 three of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
Track three of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-012/MSS196-012_Track_3.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 Edward Apps by Rod Fowler February 22, 1990 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory459
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1960-1990
- Length
- 00:14:36
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Ed Apps’ views about the role Ratepayer Associations played in neighbourhood development, their diminished role as their functions have been taken over by Council, the Parks Board and political party slates, and the pros and cons for the change
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Ed Apps’ views about the role Ratepayer Associations played in neighbourhood development, their diminished role as their functions have been taken over by Council, the Parks Board and political party slates, and the pros and cons for the change
- Date Range
- 1960-1990
- Length
- 00:14:36
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- February 22, 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Edward Apps, conducted by Rod Fowler. Ed Apps 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 Ed Apps involvement in community groups, particularly his work in seniors organizations lobbying for seniors’ housing since his retirement, and views about the role of Rate Payer groups, unions and politics in the development of North and South Burnaby. He also talks about his origin in England, his war service, arrival with his wife Margaret in Burnaby in 1946, his work with the Burnaby School Board and for the local union, the location of some of the older schools, the history of his house, and briefly about his wife and children. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Edward Apps was born in 1918 in London, England, and grew up in Kent and Essex. In WWII he flew the third glider to land in Normandy on June 6th, 1944. He and his wife Margaret Hope (1915-1985) immigrated to British Columbia in 1946, joining his wife’s parents, who had immigrated earlier in 1939, in Burnaby Heights in North Burnaby. He worked for the Burnaby School Board as Foreman Painter, and served on CUPE Local 379 Executive, until his retirement in 1982. In 1948 Ed Apps bought his first lot, for $150.00, in the 4700 block on Georgia Street, building houses there and in the 4100 block before buying his present home, a ca.1900 farm building, in the same area in 1954. North Burnaby was “bush country and orchards” in the 1950s; his two sons played in the ravines; and the family used the tram system on Hastings and Boundary Road for transportation. Development of municipal services seemed slower in North than South Burnaby, and Ed Apps remembers the strong role Rate Payers groups had in creating local services and lobbying Municipal Council for provide services. After retirement Ed Apps became involved in several local and provincial seniors organizations, advocating for better housing, including serving on the Executives of the Network of Burnaby Seniors and the Council of Senior Citizens Organization, and was active in the provincial Seniors Research and Resource and CMHC Housing Committee. He also served on the Centennial Committee of Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 8
- Total Length
- 0:56:50
- Interviewee Name
- Apps, Ed
- 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.
Audio Tracks
Track five of interview with Ed Apps
Track five of interview with Ed Apps
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-015/MSS187-015_Track_5.mp3![Kay Zimmerman, [1973]. Item no. 231-021 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/205/231-021.jpg?width=280)
Interview with Kay Zimmerman by Rod Fowler [February] 1990 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory531
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1967-1990
- Length
- 00:04:42
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Kay Zimmerman’s discussion about the pros and cons of volunteer organizations operating public services for the municipality, in particular the Parks and Recreation Commission taking control of Heritage Village, a volunteer initiated Centennial Project
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Kay Zimmerman’s discussion about the pros and cons of volunteer organizations operating public services for the municipality, in particular the Parks and Recreation Commission taking control of Heritage Village, a volunteer initiated Centennial Project
- Date Range
- 1967-1990
- Photo Info
- Kay Zimmerman, [1973]. Item no. 231-021
- Length
- 00:04:42
- Subjects
- Public Services - Municipal Services
- Organizations - Historical Societies
- Persons - Volunteers
- Interviewer
- Fowler, Rod
- Interview Date
- [February] 1990
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Kay Zimmerman, conducted by Rod Fowler. Kay Zimmerman 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 Kay Zimmerman’s political activities in Burnaby and her description of her Lochdale neighbourhood in the 1960s. She provides an excellent overview of the municipal political groups and important political issues in Burnaby from 1960 to 1980. She tells the story about an early and successful political action that convinced her that an individual can make a difference. To view “Narrow By” terms for each track expand this description and see “Notes”.
- Biographical Notes
- Kathleen “Kay” Zimmerman, her husband Gordon and their young son Rick moved to Burnaby from Vancouver in 1960 to a house on Curtis Avenue near Duthie Street (a second son Bruce was born in Burnaby). Kay Zimmerman worked 12 years at Royal Columbian Hospital in the admitting office, then 4 years (1974-1979) as special assistant to Senator Ray Perrault, followed by work as a judge on the Citizenship Court before retiring. Gordon Zimmerman worked at the Shell Refinery. A member of the Liberal Party and political activist before arriving in Burnaby, Kay Zimmerman continued her involvement in national and local politics. She campaigned for Ray Perrault during the Trudeau years, and was a founder and active member of the Burnaby Voters Association (BVA). Her political activities encompassed 30 years that saw major changes in Burnaby, including the building of SFU, creation of Heritage Village, an awakening environmental sensibility, and a dramatic increase in population and development in Burnaby.
- Total Tracks
- 10
- Total Length
- 01:04:36
- Interviewee Name
- Zimmerman, Kay
- 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
![Kay Zimmerman, [1973]. Item no. 231-021 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/205/231-021.jpg)
Audio Tracks
Track five of interview with Kay Zimmerman
Track five of interview with Kay Zimmerman
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS187-018/MSS187-018_Track_5.mp3![Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_001.jpg?width=280)
Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19602
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pe…
- 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) (68 min., 52 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (68 min., 53 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewees: Ellen and Bill Schwartz Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: May 15, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 01:08:52 Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto two separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby Photograph information: Bill and Ellen Schwartz.
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. 00:00-16:47 Bill and Ellen share where they were born, grew up and went to school as citizens of the United States and how they met in Pennsylvania the 1970s. Bill and Ellen explain how in the 1970s, they were discouraged about the current politics in the United States under the Nixon administration and how they were inspired by the “back to the land” ideals, rejecting materialism and wanting an alternative lifestyle. With these ideals in mind, they recall how in 1972 they and a few other friends decided to leave the United States, move to British Columbia with the goal of buying land in the Okanagan or Kootenay region and starting a new lifestyle for themselves. Bill and Ellen recollect how they purchased 20 acres of land in Galena Bay in the Kootenays and how they lived in the area off and on until the early 1980s. They describe how they cleared three acres of land, built a cabin, put in a garden, chicken coop and honey bees. With the challenges of the isolated location and no access to electricity they explain how they decided that they had to live elsewhere in order to make a living. Ellen talks about working as a special education teacher in Revelstoke and Slocan and how Bill obtained his teaching certificate while they lived in Nelson. Bill and Ellen describe themselves as environmentalists and of how they both became active Provincial environmentalists during the construction of the Revelstoke Dam. Bill talks about getting work with the “Energy Van” program talking about energy conservation, renewable energy and recycling. They explain how after their first child was born in 1980, they returned to Galena Bay for about a year and a half until Bill was offered a job with the Department of Energy Conservation which lead them to move to Vancouver. 16:48 – 22:46 Bill and Ellen describe their first few years of living in Vancouver and at University of British Columbia while Ellen completed her master’s degree in creative writing. During this time, they had their second child. They recall how in 1988 how they purchased a house in Burnaby, selecting to live in the Deer Lake neighbourhood. They talk about the benefits of the neighbourhood including; a French immersion school for their children, proximity to the trails around Deer Lake and having transit close by. 22:47 – 33:55 Bill and Ellen talk about their consulting business “Polestar Communications”. A Burnaby based communications consulting firm composed of three people, Ellen and Bill and colleague Richard Banner. They describe how their business got started and some of the projects that they’ve worked on including; BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program, financial literacy curriculum that was introduced in B.C. schools and reports for the Province of British Columbia. Ellen and Bill convey how Bill has been a very active member with the City of Burnaby Environment Committee, the Steering Committee to develop a sustainable environmental strategy for Burnaby, how he’s been awarded for his contributions in coaching youth sports and other areas in which they have both volunteered. 33:56 – 43:07 Ellen describes how she got started in writing educational resources about the environment and how since she completed grad school in 1984, she’s published nineteen books. Ellen conveys how her first book was published and sold to the Province of British Columbia as part of the B.C. educational curriculum on the environment. Ellen talks about some of the children’s books that she’s written and published with themes including; social justice, the labour movement and racism in sports. Ellen describes some of her books and the research that she’s done. 43:08 – 51:04 Ellen and Bill Schwartz reflect on what they like about living in Burnaby. They talk about the benefits of their neighbourhood including; performances at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival, the Burnaby Art Gallery and Deer Lake as well as having access to parks and community centres in Burnaby. 51:05-56:36 Bill and Ellen reflect on their involvement in the Jewish community, considering themselves non-secular Jews. Ellen talks about how they were involved with “Burquest” a Jewish Community Association and how they often observe some of the Jewish holidays including Hanukah and traditions including the Jewish coming of age ritual, bar mitzvah (masc.) and bat mistvah (fem.). Ellen mentions her involvement with the “Jone Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s book Award” where she acts a judge and her involvement with the Jewish Book festival and that she is a recipient of the Jewish Book award. 56:37 – 1:08:53 Bill and Ellen reflect on their 35 years living in Burnaby and how they’ve seen it change. They talk about the increased development and density in the city, how they are troubled by a lack of low income housing, the benefits and importance of public transportation and preservation of green space including Burnaby parks.
- History
- Interviewees' biographies: Ellen Schwartz was born in Washington, DC, (1950) but grew up in New Jersey. She attended the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to a farm in Pennsylvania, where she met her future husband Bill Schwartz. Bill Schwartz grew up in and around Philadelphia (b. 1947), and attended Pennsylvania State University. After travelling, and discouraged with life in eastern America, he and Ellen decided that British Columbia held better prospects. Bill and Ellen quit their jobs in 1972 and moved to the Kootenay region where they adopted a “back to the land” lifestyle, a very new experience for both of them. After eight years of modest success, and occasional work in nearby towns, they opted to return to Vancouver where Bill had work and where they could raise a family more easily. They rented in Vancouver for a few years before moving to family housing at UBC, while Ellen studied creative writing. Bill founded a communications and writing company, and in 1988 they purchased a home in Burnaby. Ellen launched a new career as a writer, mainly for children young adults. Both were active in their careers, raising a family, and participating in local social and political activities. 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
- Education
- Environmental Issues
- Environmental Issues - Environmental Protection
- Geographic Features
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Housing
- Occupations
- Occupations - Entrepreneurs
- Occupations - Writers
- Persons - Volunteers
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Religions
- Religions - Judaism
- Names
- Schwartz, William "Bill"
- Schwartz, Ellen
- City of Burnaby
- Polestar Communications
- British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.6
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Burnaby Lake Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
![Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_001.jpg)
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
Interview with Ellen and Bill Schwartz, [1969-2023] (interview content), interviewed 15 May 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0006_003.mp3
Burnaby Works Yard
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription93651
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 20, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of cars and City of Burnaby vehicles in a parking lot and the exterior of some buildings at the Laurel Street Works Yard. The photograph is taken from a high point, facing west.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- November 20, 1977
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Public Library Contemporary Visual Archive Project
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 556-608
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- 2017-57
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of cars and City of Burnaby vehicles in a parking lot and the exterior of some buildings at the Laurel Street Works Yard. The photograph is taken from a high point, facing west.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Surridge, Jack
- Notes
- Title taken from project information form
- Accompanied by a project information form and 1 photograph (b&w negative ; 9.5 x 12.5 cm)
- BPL no. 58
- Geographic Access
- Laurel Street
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Douglas-Gilpin Area
Images
Interview 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 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory581
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:16:29
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s explanation about how lands transferred from SFU to the City of Burnaby are subject to a conservation covenant with the province, what uses are allowed, and how covenant conservation principals are applied to all of Burnaby Mountain Conservati…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Alekxos Sarter’s explanation about how lands transferred from SFU to the City of Burnaby are subject to a conservation covenant with the province, what uses are allowed, and how covenant conservation principals are applied to all of Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area with the exception of the Pavilion (Centennial Park) area. Also discussed is the value of the traditional landmark character of Burnaby Mountain and the different meanings given to that phrase.
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:16:29
- 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 five of interview with Alekxos Sarter
Track five of interview with Alekxos Sarter
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-005/MSS196-005_Track_5.mp3Interview with John Templeton, Alan James and Christine Leston by Kathy Bossort October 26, 2015 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory587
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1970-2015
- Length
- 0:14:04
- Summary
- This portion of the interview introduces John Templeton, Alan James and Christine Leston, three members of the stream keepers group Stoney Creek Environment Committee (SCEC), and their description of The Great Salmon Send-Off event on Stoney Creek and its start in 1990. John Templeton also talks ab…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview introduces John Templeton, Alan James and Christine Leston, three members of the stream keepers group Stoney Creek Environment Committee (SCEC), and their description of The Great Salmon Send-Off event on Stoney Creek and its start in 1990. John Templeton also talks about the life cycle of chum and coho salmon.
- Date Range
- 1970-2015
- Length
- 0:14:04
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Streams
- Events
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Persons - Volunteers
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Brunette River
- Stoney Creek
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 26, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with John Templeton, Alan James & Christine Leston, members of the Stoney Creek Environment Committee, conducted by Kathy Bossort. The three members of SCEC were among 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about the history and work of the stream keeper group Stoney Creek Environment Committee (SCEC) and the Stoney Creek Environmental Working Group, and about SCEC’s founder Jennifer Atkinson. The interview is made richer by the complementary views of the three interviewees, John Templeton (SCEC Chair), Alan James (Member-at-Large - Education), and Christine Leston (Treasurer).
- Biographical Notes
- The Stoney Creek Environment Committee is a streamkeeper group and registered non-profit society dedicated to protecting and restoring viable salmon-bearing streams within the Stoney Creek Watershed. (Stoney Creek originates on Burnaby Mountain and is part of the Brunette watershed which empties into the Fraser River.) The volunteer group, formed in 1995, was guided by the tireless efforts of Jennifer Atchison (1938-2010) after whom the Jennifer Atchison Environmental Centre in North Burnaby is named. The volunteer members of SCEC monitor water quality, generate inventories and reports on the biophysical assets and health of the watershed, provide educational opportunities, enhance stream and stream bank habitat, and speak on behalf of the Stoney Creek watershed. One of its key events is The Great Salmon Send-Off, the release of young salmon into Stoney Creek in May, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015. The Stoney Creek Environmental Working Group (1999-present), managed by the City of Burnaby, undertakes to coordinate the actions of all stakeholders in the Stoney Creek watershed. It is comprised of representatives from community groups, such as SCEC, governmental and institutional agencies, and industries who are committed to sustaining and improving the quality of the Stoney Creek watershed’s water, wildlife and environment. John Templeton, currently SCEC Chair, joined SCEC in 2004. He was born in Coleraine ,County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in 1957, and after immigrating to Canada, came to live in Burnaby in 1992, first in Forest Grove (1992-2014) and then in Forest Hills. He works as a millwright. Alan James,Member-at-large - Education, joined SCEC in 2003 He was born in 1939 in Berkeley, California, and came to live in Burnaby in about 2000. He is a retired geophycisist and computer consultant. Christine Leston joined SCEC in 1997, serving first as Secretary and then as Treasurer. She was born in 1943 in Cheshire, England, and came to live in Burnaby in 1974, first in Greentree Village, then Simon Fraser Village (1974-2004) and now the Edmonds area. She is a retired technical writer.
- Total Tracks
- 9
- Total Length
- 2:08:27
- Interviewee Name
- Templeton, John R.
- James, Alan C.
- Leston, Christine
- Interview Location
- Jennifer Atchison Environmental Centre, 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 John Templeton, Alan James & Christine Leston
Track one of interview with John Templeton, Alan James & Christine Leston
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-006/MSS196-006_Track_1.mp3Interview with Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen by Kathy Bossort October 9, 2015 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory567
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:12:26
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen’s description of the negotiations between SFU and the City of Burnaby, the City’s 1998 Environment Award to the Society, and how the conservation area has developed. Karen Morcke talks about her participation in the 1974 public he…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen’s description of the negotiations between SFU and the City of Burnaby, the City’s 1998 Environment Award to the Society, and how the conservation area has developed. Karen Morcke talks about her participation in the 1974 public hearings, her concern about development at the bottom of the mountain, and the changing meaning of the term “conservation”.
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:12:26
- Names
- Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society
- Simon Fraser University
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- October 9, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen conducted by Kathy Bossort. Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen 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 and activities of the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society of which Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen were founding members, and the environmental and recreational value of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. Karen Morcke also talks about walking the trails on Burnaby Mountain from 1968 to present and her involvement in other environmental groups.
- Biographical Notes
- Diane Hansen was born in Winnipeg in 1941, trained as a nurse in Toronto, and moved with her husband Ingolf Hansen to the Westridge Area in Burnaby in 1971, where Diane lived until 2010. Diane has one daughter Kristin. Karen Morcke was born in Germany in 1940, immigrating to Canada in 1968 to attend SFU. After completing her Masters degree in 1970 Karen was hired by SFU as a language instructor from which she retired in 1995. She has one son Erik and has lived almost continuously in North Burnaby since 1968. Both Diane Hansen and Karen Morcke have been active volunteers in local environmental groups and were founding members of the Burnaby Mountain Preservation Society, which formed about 1989 to lobby for a conservation area that integrated SFU land below the campus ring road with City of Burnaby parkland on Burnaby Mountain. Diane has also been active in wild bird rescue groups. Karen walked the trails on Burnaby Mountain to and from work, and began lobbying for protection of green space on Burnaby Mountain in the 1970s.
- Total Tracks
- 6
- Total Length
- 1:10:35
- Interviewee Name
- Morcke, Karen
- Hansen, H. Diane
- Interview Location
- Karen Morcke'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 Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen
Track five of interview with Karen Morcke and Diane Hansen
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-003/MSS196-003_Track_5.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 Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse by Kathy Bossort November 24, 2015 - Track 4
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory630
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:18:26
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the establishment of the conservation area on Burnaby Mountain 1974-1976; the definition of conservation vs preservation; issues around delineating the conservation area boundary; and steps to zoning the area. They …
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the establishment of the conservation area on Burnaby Mountain 1974-1976; the definition of conservation vs preservation; issues around delineating the conservation area boundary; and steps to zoning the area. They tell about how they used an air photomosaic with mylar overlays to show delineation. They also explore the meaning of “traditional landmark character” of the mountain and its value for guiding park management and development adjacent to the park
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:18:26
- 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 four of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
Track four of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-012/MSS196-012_Track_4.mp3Interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse by Kathy Bossort November 24, 2015 - Track 5
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory631
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:07:33
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the Trans Mountain tank farm on Burnaby Mountain and reasons for including it in the conservation area.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse talking about the Trans Mountain tank farm on Burnaby Mountain and reasons for including it in the conservation area.
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:07:33
- 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 five of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
Track five of interview with Basil Luksun and Jack Belhouse
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-012/MSS196-012_Track_5.mp3Interview with John Kirbyson by Kathy Bossort September 28, 2015 - Track 7
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory562
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:18:37
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about John Kirbyson’s beliefs about the value of public input, broad vision statements, and principles in guiding parks planning and management. He talks about the meaning of conservation and the idea of the traditional landmark character of Burnaby Mountain, and ch…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview is about John Kirbyson’s beliefs about the value of public input, broad vision statements, and principles in guiding parks planning and management. He talks about the meaning of conservation and the idea of the traditional landmark character of Burnaby Mountain, and changing public perception about the mountain.
- Date Range
- 1974-2015
- Length
- 0:18:37
- Subjects
- Geographic Features - Parks
- Planning
- Geographic Access
- Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area
- Interviewer
- Bossort, Kathy
- Interview Date
- September 28, 2015
- Scope and Content
- Recording is of an interview with John Kirbyson conducted by Kathy Bossort. John Kirbyson was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about John Kirbyson’s education and career as parks planner for the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, and the development of the 1999 Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area Management Plan. The interview explores how parks management balances environmental and recreational values and safety, and the importance of good guidelines and public input in the parks planning process. John Kirbyson also talks about recreational activities and various developments on Burnaby Mountain in the 1990s, such as the Kamui Mintara sculptures.
- Biographical Notes
- John Kirbyson was born in Vancouver in 1954, to Arnold and Winnifred Kirbyson. After several years spent in Winnipeg and Calgary, the Kirbyson family moved to Hunter Street in Burnaby in 1969 where John remembers living near the City’s nursery. John earned his BSc degree at SFU in Physical Geography (1973-1978) and then worked for the City of Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services between 1978 and 2005, where he moved from labourer to management positions. Supported by the City, he returned to SFU to earn his Masters degree in the School of Resource and Environment Management in 1991, his thesis being on restoration of Deer Lake. He was Manager of Parks Planning, Design and Development in the 1990s at the time that land on Burnaby Mountain was transferred from SFU to the City of Burnaby, and had the opportunity to direct the development of the first management plan for the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. From 2005 to 2010 John was Manager of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Dept. in Penticton, after which he has worked as an environmental consultant for Lees & Associates Landscape Architects and Planners. He is married to wife Linda and has three children: Linnaea, Jeremy and Colin.
- Total Tracks
- 7
- Total Length
- 1:33:43
- Interviewee Name
- Kirbyson, John W.
- Interview Location
- John Kirbyson's son's home in Langley
- 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 seven of interview with John Kirbyson
Track seven of interview with John Kirbyson
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/MSS196-002/MSS196-002_Track_7.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.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 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.mp3