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Interview with W.H. O'Brien July / August 1975 - Track 8

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory25

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: [1932]-1936

Length: 0:11:12

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the formation of the Army of the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union).

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the formation of the Army of the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union).

Date Range: [1932]-1936

Photo Info: Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005

Length: 0:11:12

Names: Darling, Gordon; Phillips, Turnie

Subjects: Organizations

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: July / August 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.

Total Tracks: 9

Total Length: 1:17:56

Interviewee Name: O'Brien, Harry

Interviewer Bio: Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Oral history subseries

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Web Notes: Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.

Images

Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track eight of interview with W.H.

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_8.mp3

A golden month with Dickens

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1891

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870

Publication Date: c1911

Call Number: 823.8 DIC

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.31

Call Number: 823.8 DIC

Author: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870

Place of Publication: Buffalo

Publisher: The Hayes Lithographing Co.

Publication Date: c1911

Series: Golden Month Series

Physical Description: 12 p. : ill.

Library Subject (LOC): Fiction--19th century; Fiction--20th century

Notes: Quotations from various Charles Dickens' novels and stories

Ready money

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1909

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Knox, George H.

Publication Date: 1910; c1905

Call Number: 174 KNO

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.49

Call Number: 174 KNO

Author: Knox, George H.

Publisher: Personal Help Publishing Company

Publication Date: 1910; c1905

Series: Personal help library

Physical Description: 317 p. : [15] ports, frontispiece ; 20 cm.

Library Subject (LOC): Success

Notes: First 15 pages are recommendations for this book by various persons along with black and white photographs.

Thoughts that inspire : vol. 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1911

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Knox, George H.

Publication Date: 1910; c1905

Call Number: 808.88 KNO

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.51

Call Number: 808.88 KNO

Author: Knox, George H.

Place of Publication: Des Moines, Ia.

Publisher: Personal Help Publishing Company

Publication Date: 1910; c1905

Series: Personal help library

Inscription: Signed name on first page in pencil (illegible)

Library Subject (LOC): Maxims

Notes: 307 p. : fronts. (ports) ; 20 cm.

Lincoln & other poems

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1952

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Markham, Edwin, 1852-1940

Publication Date: 1916; c1901

Call Number: 811.52 MAR

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.92

Call Number: 811.52 MAR

Author: Markham, Edwin, 1852-1940

Place of Publication: Garden City, NY

Publisher: Doubleday, Page

Publication Date: 1916; c1901

Printer: The Country Life Press

Physical Description: 125 p. : front. ; 20 cm.

Inscription: Front endpaper: "The poet in a golden clime was born, With golden stars above Dowered with the hate of hate The scorn of scorn The love of love To by best friend R.A. Wobb Xmas 1920" [written in green ink]

Library Subject (LOC): Poetry

In the wilderness

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1956

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Hichens, Robert, 1864-1950

Publication Date: c1917

Call Number: 823.8 HIC

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.96

Call Number: 823.8 HIC

Author: Hichens, Robert, 1864-1950

Contributor: Hood, George W.

Place of Publication: New York

Publisher: Frederick A. Stokes Company

Publication Date: c1917

Physical Description: 583 p. : ill. (col.) ; 20 cm.

Inscription: "Frank Street", handwritten in blue ink on back of frontispiece

Library Subject (LOC): Fiction--20th century

Notes: "Frontispiece by George W. Hood"

Friendship

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1972

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Addingley, Amy

Publication Date: c1913

Call Number: 808.88 ADD

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.112

Call Number: 808.88 ADD

Author: Addingley, Amy

Place of Publication: New York

Publisher: The Platt & Peck Co.

Publication Date: c1913

Physical Description: 94 p. ; 25 cm.

Inscription: "To 'Muzzie' happy new Year from her 'Goody Girl'" [handwritten in pencil on first page]

Library Subject (LOC): Friendship

Recipe for a happy life

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1975

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: King, Marie West

Publication Date: c1911

Call Number: 828 KIN

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV982.24.115

Call Number: 828 KIN

Author: King, Marie West

Contributor: Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre, 1492-1549

Place of Publication: San Francisco

Publisher: Paul Elder and Co.

Publication Date: c1911

Physical Description: 53 p. : port. ; 21 cm.

Library Subject (LOC): Happiness; Quotations, English

Progressive arithmetic : third book

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary1994

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Milne, William J. (William James), 1843-1914

Publication Date: 1919; c1906; c1907; c1908

Call Number: 513 MIL Copy 1

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV980.2.9

Call Number: 513 MIL Copy 1

Author: Milne, William J. (William James), 1843-1914

Place of Publication: Toronto

Publisher: Morang Educational

Publication Date: 1919; c1906; c1907; c1908

Series: Milne's progressive arithmetics

Physical Description: 366 p. : ill. ; 19 cm.

Inscription: "FREE TEXT-BOOK / THE PROPERTY OF / May Morgan / (Pupil's name) / SCHOOL McDonald / DIVISION I / Number of Book / CONDITION OF GIVING / No second copy of the same kind of book will be issued free of charge to any pupil in case of loss or destruction of the first. By Order of the EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF B. C. / DATE OF ISSUE TO PUPIL / Day Month Year / 8 9 1919" - printed and handwritten on inside of front cover. "Mr. Edward Alfred Hemsworth" - handwritten in pencil on cover page. Various mathematical notes handwritten in pencil on cover pages.

Library Subject (LOC): Arithmetic; Mathematics--Textbooks

Notes: "Authorized by the Minister of Education for use in British Columbia." - title page.; Includes index.; 2 copies held: copy 1.; Author's given name and dates: Milne, William J. (William James), 1843-1914.

Chemistry : a text-book for high schools

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumlibrary2004

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Author: Cornish, George A. (George Augustus), 1872-

Publication Date: 1920; c1917

Call Number: 540 COR

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection: Special Collection

Material Type: Book

Accession Code: HV980.2.19

Call Number: 540 COR

Author: Cornish, George A. (George Augustus), 1872-

Place of Publication: Toronto

Publisher: The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited

Publication Date: 1920; c1917

Series: MacMillan's Canadian School Series

Physical Description: iii-vii; 297 p. : ill. ; 17 cm.

Inscription: Notes inside, and "Douglas Lunn" "Class 8 - m" "Alum= Aluminum Potassium Sulphate" "75c"

Library Subject (LOC): Chemistry--Textbooks

Notes: Includes index.; "Assisted by Arthur Smith."; "Authorized by the Ministers of Education for Saskatchewan, Ontario and British Columbia."; Author full name: Cornish, George A. (George Augustus), 1872-.