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Waplington family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4613
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1911-2004
- Collection/Fonds
- Waplington family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 album (88 photographs + textual records) + 2 photographs in frames
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records documenting the lives of both the Waplington and Fleming families who resided at 3813 Deer Lake. Records include a family photograph album; two framed portraits: one of John Waplington and Doris Waplington (nee Caswell) (possibly on their wedding day) and Frances (nee Wapl…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Waplington family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 album (88 photographs + textual records) + 2 photographs in frames
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records documenting the lives of both the Waplington and Fleming families who resided at 3813 Deer Lake. Records include a family photograph album; two framed portraits: one of John Waplington and Doris Waplington (nee Caswell) (possibly on their wedding day) and Frances (nee Waplington) and Ray Fleming; a copy of a handwritten memoir "The Way it Was / 1913-1925"; as well as a computer printed copy of "In and Out of / A Cedar Shake Shack" / "The life of a little girl from World War I / to Canada's Diamond Jubilee" both written by Frances L. Fleming (nee Waplington). Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Waplington and Fleming families album series 2) Frances Fleming manuscripts series 3) Waplington family documents series 4) Waplington family photographs series
- History
- John (Jack) Waplington emigrated from Nottingham, England in 1904, arriving in Quebec City and continuing on to Ontario before eventually settling in British Columbia. Somewhere on his journey his right hand was crushed in an industrial accident and amputated. Following his recovery, Jack continued to work his way across Canada until he found employment at Stave Falls, B.C. and married Sarah Alice Cogswell (nee Nickerson). Jack and Sarah (nicknamed Cutie) Waplington had three children; Frances Louise Waplington (1913-2004), John Hazen Waplington and Grace Bancroft Waplington. In 1916, the Waplingtons rented the Walker house at Hill Station on the Burnaby Lake Interurban Line and in 1920 Jack built a cedar shack on 5 acres of land at 4925 Douglas Road (northwest corner of Douglas and Laurel). According to a memoir by Frances Waplington, life was rough living in the cedar shack on Douglas Road with no electricity or running water and by 1925 the family was lucky to purchase "Brookfield", the former home of Louis Claude Hill located at 3813 Deer Lake Avenue. The home was not in good shape having been empty for some time but was located on ¾ of an acre and purchased at a fair price of $1000. The house was surrounded by grass and flowers gone wild and very tall fir trees. The house had running water, electricity and was heated by a wood burning stove in the kitchen and hall and a fireplace in the living room. There was no refrigeration other than the ice box. The three Waplington children, Frances, John and Grace continued to attend Douglas Road School. The family renovated and restored the house at Deer Lake as well as the grounds, adding in flower and vegetable gardens. The large area of grass which formerly housed a tennis court was rolled flat and reseeded. Jack Waplington continued to work for the power company which became B.C. Electric Company and eventually B.C. Power and Hydro. The Waplingtons continued to live at 3813 Deer Lake until 1946 when they sold their home to their daughter Frances who married Ray Fleming. Jack and Sarah Waplington retired and moved to Lasquiti island. Frances "Fanny" Waplington married Reyland "Ray" Fleming October 11, 1935. Ray and Frances Fleming had three children; John (Jack) Reyland, Edith (Edie) Louise and Sara Maureen. In 1941 Ray was hired by the B.C. Electric Company to work at Buntzen Lake hydro station. There was no housing at the hydro station so the family lived on a 42’ coastal boat, the Cohoe Bay tied up to the dock at Buntzen Lake. Since it was war time, there was fear that the two hydro plants at Stave Falls and Buntzen Lake could be targeted for bombing so the Fleming family had to learn about air raid sirens, bunkers, helmets and gas masks. The children attended a one room classroom at Buntzen Lake and participated in school drills when the air raid siren sounded. By 1947 the Fleming family moved to the Waplington home at 3813 Deer lake Avenue after purchasing it from Frances’ parents. Ray continued to work for B.C. Electric and eventually B.C. Power and B.C. Hydro. The children walked or rode bicycles to and from Douglas Road School. At the time the family moved into their home there were no buses only the Interurban streetcar to take them to Vancouver. Douglas Road station was the nearest stop to Deer Lake on the Burnaby Lake Line. The closest neighbours were the Oakalla Prison farm (located off of Royal Oak hill overlooking Deer Lake) and the Ceperley mansion. Prison breaks were common and both the Waplington and Fleming families would often hear air raid sirens blare to warn them. The neighbourhood would go on high alert and the children would immediately run home to safety. Mr. Fleming was well prepared with his 22 rifle nearby should it be needed. After Sarah Waplington died, Jack Waplington returned to Deer Lake to live in a house trailer on the property that was owned by the Flemings. In 1959, after the Fleming children had grown and moved on, Ray and Frances Fleming sold the property to the Municipality of Burnaby. The Municipality rented it out for several years prior to its demolition around 1970 to make way for Burnaby’s Heritage Village. Frances Louise Fleming received her teaching degree from the Vancouver Normal School at the end of World War II but found it extremely difficult to secure a permanent teaching position as a woman. Between 1944 and 1954, Frances was hired and fired eight times from teaching positions despite excellent reports. Finally in 1954, she was invited to teach in an adjoining district with a permanent teaching appointment to follow. Over the years, Frances taught in Vancouver, Burnaby, Pender Harbour and served as vice principal at Magee Secondary. In the early 1970s Frances was appointed provincial superintendent of schools at Quesnel and then moved to Victoria to be assistant superintendent of integrated and supportive services and then in 1973, she became assistant superintendent of the department of public intstruction. Frances retired from teaching soon after, moving to the Sunshine Coast with her husband Ray. Frances was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1997, was an accomplished writer who regularly contributed articles to the Vancouver Sun newspaper and othe publications. Ray Fleming died in 2002 and Frances Fleming died in 2004.
- Accession Code
- BV016.46
- Date
- 1911-2004
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Arrangement
- Series arrangement is based on physical arrangement of records by donor. Family album was scanned in it's original order and items from within family album were removed and described at item and file level.
- Notes
- Title based on content of fonds
![Seated at the table, [between 1910 and 1936] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1983/1983_0042_0158_002.jpg?width=280)
Seated at the table
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription418
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1910 and 1936]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of seven men, four women and three children, sitting around a table in a room. The men are in dark suits with ties, and the women are in dark coloured dresses. Children are sitting on adult's laps; with two of the children depicted blurry as they were moving around. There are plates arra…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w
- Material Details
- The photograph is mounted on a brown card, and l.l. corner of the photograph is ripped.
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of seven men, four women and three children, sitting around a table in a room. The men are in dark suits with ties, and the women are in dark coloured dresses. Children are sitting on adult's laps; with two of the children depicted blurry as they were moving around. There are plates arranged on the table, with what appears to be a three tiered cake.The ceiling in the room is low, and on the back wall hang two portraits; one of King George V and another of Queen Mary.
- Subjects
- Furniture
- Accession Code
- HV983.42.158
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [between 1910 and 1936]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2023-12-05
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Seated at the table, [between 1910 and 1936] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1983/1983_0042_0158_002.jpg)
Rhoda Jeffers fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4146
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1910-1960]
- Collection/Fonds
- Rhoda Jeffers fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- .5 cm of textual records + 31 photographs
- Scope and Content
- The fonds consists of a collection of family photographs and a small collection of personal records, correspondence and education records belonging to Rhoda Jeffers during her work as a teacher. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Jeffers family photographs series 2) Education and personal records s…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Rhoda Jeffers fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- .5 cm of textual records + 31 photographs
- Scope and Content
- The fonds consists of a collection of family photographs and a small collection of personal records, correspondence and education records belonging to Rhoda Jeffers during her work as a teacher. Fonds is arranged into series: 1) Jeffers family photographs series 2) Education and personal records series
- History
- Rhoda Maie Jeffers (middle name also spelled Mae) was born in July 1, 1904 in River Hebert, Nova Scotia to Albert Clifford Jeffers (1877 - 1967) and Eldora McAloney (1879 - 1978). The family moved to British Columbia in 1912, living in Vancouver at various addresses before moving to Burnaby around 1950 residing at 4254 Charles Street. Albert and Eldora Jeffers had three children; Rhoda Maie (Mae), Sarah Etta "Muriel" (later Webster) and Charles Kenneth Leroy (1906-1970). Rhoda began teaching in Grand Forks in 1922 and one of her early teaching posts included Eriksdale, Manitoba. Rhoda divided her teaching career between Alberta, Lake Cowichan, Agassiz and North Delta. In 1952, Rhoda worked as an exchange teacher in England and in 1957, Rhoda graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Education (secondary specialization). Due to a severe injury in 1969, Rhoda was forced to retire and sometime after, she moved in with her parents at 4254 Charles Street. Rhoda continued to reside at this address until a year before her death in 1990.
- Creator
- Jeffers, Rhoda Mae
- Accession Code
- BV007.20
- Date
- [1910-1960]
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- See also portrait of Rhoda Jeffers [c. 1915] BV077.20.2
![Municipality of Burnaby, [between 1910 and 1930] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Cartographic_Material/2008/2008_0024_0001_002.jpg?width=280)
Municipality of Burnaby
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription8702
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1910 and 1930]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Map collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 map : blackline print with col. ; 83 x 53 cm on sheet 92 x 61 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of "Municipality of Burnaby" map outlining waterlines, telephone lines, lights and power lines, and street lights. A section of the upper left corner (borded by Boundary Road to the west; Queens Ave to the east; Burrard Inlet to the north and Parker Avenue to the south) of map is han…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Map collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 map : blackline print with col. ; 83 x 53 cm on sheet 92 x 61 cm
- Material Details
- Scale 10 chains = 1 inch
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of "Municipality of Burnaby" map outlining waterlines, telephone lines, lights and power lines, and street lights. A section of the upper left corner (borded by Boundary Road to the west; Queens Ave to the east; Burrard Inlet to the north and Parker Avenue to the south) of map is hand coloured in red with "Queens Avenue" and "Parker Avenue" identified.
- Creator
- Coast Map and Blue Print Co.
- Responsibility
- Municipal Council of Burnaby
- Accession Code
- BV008.24.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [between 1910 and 1930]
- Media Type
- Cartographic Material
- Scan Resolution
- 300
- Scan Date
- 2022-05-10
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- "COMPILED EXPRESSLY FOR / THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF BURNABY/ BY/ THE COAST MAP AND BLUE PRINT CO/ EMPIRE BLDG VANCOUVER B.C."
Images
![Municipality of Burnaby, [between 1910 and 1930] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Cartographic_Material/2008/2008_0024_0001_002.jpg)
Hugh H. Stewart associations and memberships series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription9781
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1910-1960
- Collection/Fonds
- Hugh H. Stewart fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of a selection of membership cards, receipts and minutes relating to associatons that Hugh H. Stewart was involved with. Associations include; the Burnaby Lions Club, Vancouver Heights Ratepayers Association, North Burnaby Board of Trade, Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans, Indepen…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Hugh H. Stewart fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of a selection of membership cards, receipts and minutes relating to associatons that Hugh H. Stewart was involved with. Associations include; the Burnaby Lions Club, Vancouver Heights Ratepayers Association, North Burnaby Board of Trade, Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans, Indepentdent Order of the Odd Fellows Association (I.O.O.F).
- Accession Code
- HV979.50
- Date
- 1910-1960
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on content of series
Copies of Esther (Love) Stanley photograph album pages
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10013
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1910-1930] (date of originals), copied 1989
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 26 photographs : b&w negatives ; 35 mm
- Scope and Content
- Photographs of pages from a photograph album belonging to Esther (Love) Stanley. Each photograph includes five to seven images per page as per the arrangement of the original album.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Jesse Love farmhouse series
- Subseries
- Love family photographs subseries
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 26 photographs : b&w negatives ; 35 mm
- Scope and Content
- Photographs of pages from a photograph album belonging to Esther (Love) Stanley. Each photograph includes five to seven images per page as per the arrangement of the original album.
- Subjects
- Buildings - Heritage
- Geographic Access
- Cumberland Street
- Street Address
- 7651 Cumberland Street
- Accession Code
- BV018.41.193
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [1910-1930] (date of originals), copied 1989
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Historic Neighbourhood
- East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Cariboo-Armstrong Area
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
- 26 b&w copy prints accompanying
Jeffers family photographs series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18938
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1910-1960]
- Collection/Fonds
- Rhoda Jeffers fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 31 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of a collection of photographs of Rhoda Jeffers and members of her family.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Rhoda Jeffers fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 31 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of a collection of photographs of Rhoda Jeffers and members of her family.
- Accession Code
- BV007.20
- Date
- [1910-1960]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
School and church plans series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18949
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1910]-1932
- Collection/Fonds
- Ronald G. Scobbie collection
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 30 plans + 2 architectural drawings + graphic materials + textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of surveying plans of schools and churches within the Corporation of the District of Burnaby along with graphic material relating to the division of tax spending by the Corporation of the District of Burnaby.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Ronald G. Scobbie collection
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 30 plans + 2 architectural drawings + graphic materials + textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of surveying plans of schools and churches within the Corporation of the District of Burnaby along with graphic material relating to the division of tax spending by the Corporation of the District of Burnaby.
- Accession Code
- BV003.83
- Date
- [1910]-1932
- Notes
- Title based on contents of series
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. photographs series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19021
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1910-1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 180 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of photographs that were part of the contents of the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. business at 1620 Government Street, Victoria in 1975 as well as documentary photographs of the interior and exterior. Photographs of individuals, organizations and families are included along with photo…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 180 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of photographs that were part of the contents of the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. business at 1620 Government Street, Victoria in 1975 as well as documentary photographs of the interior and exterior. Photographs of individuals, organizations and families are included along with photographs of the interior and exterior of the shop documenting contents and furnishings in 1975 prior to being moved to Burnaby Village Musuem.
- Accession Code
- HV975.5
- BV985.5331
- BV017.7
- Date
- 1910-1975
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Related Material
- See also Artifacts under Accessions HV975.5; BV985.5331 and BV017.7
- Notes
- Title based on contents of series
![CP 3678, [after 1909] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0064_001.jpg?width=280)
CP 3678
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3292
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1909]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 3678 (built from 1909 to 1911) at an unidentified location.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 3678 (built from 1909 to 1911) at an unidentified location.
- Accession Code
- BV985.6114.64
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [after 1909]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2024-03-19
- Notes
- Title based on note written on verso of photograph
- Handwritten note in black ball-point pen on verso of photograph reads: "CP 3678"
- Stamp on verso of photograph reads: "068"
Images
![CP 3678, [after 1909] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0064_001.jpg)
![CP 2531 at Edmonton, [after 1908] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0074_001.jpg?width=280)
CP 2531 at Edmonton
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3301
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1908]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 2531 (built from 1908 to 1910) at Edmonton with an engineer visible at the window.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 2531 (built from 1908 to 1910) at Edmonton with an engineer visible at the window.
- Accession Code
- BV985.6114.74
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [after 1908]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2024-03-26
- Notes
- Title based on note written on verso of photograph
- Handwritten note in black ball-point pen on verso of photograph reads: "CP 2531 at Edmonton"
- Stamp on verso of photograph reads: "269A"
Images
![CP 2531 at Edmonton, [after 1908] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0074_001.jpg)
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4648
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1908-1975
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) wh…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) while the shop was in operation at 1620 Government Street in the 1940s. Some of the records are written in English while a portion are written in Cantonese and haven't been translated. Most of the photographs document the content of the original shop at the time of aquistion in 1975. Some photographs of unidentified people may be related to the owner or proprietor of the shop. A collection of other photographs document various Chinese Canadian organizations that were in operation in Victoria. Records are arranged into the following series: 1) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. photographs series 2) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series
- History
- The Chinese Herbalist shop "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" operated in Victoria, BC from about 1905 until [1968]. The meaning of "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" can be translated as "Collection, Life, Source, Alive, Shop" although many interpretations can be taken since each Chinese character can have several meanings. Contents of the shop were purchased by the Burnaby Village Museum in 1975 and reassembled as a permanent display in the Burnaby Village Museum. The shop’s original owner was Ng Chee Fong who opened the shop ca.1905. In 1921, Ng returned to Hong Kong and sold the business to Lam Yuen and Wong Ying who were from Vancouver. Lam Yuen and Wong Ying employed Lum Chuck Yue to operate the shop. Lum Chuck Yue had formerly operated a small herbal counter in a Chinese apothecary store on the south side of Fisgard Street, Victoria. In 1924 Lam Yuen and Wong Ying purchased Wah Sun & Co. from Lee S. Yew and Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. moved into the Wah Sun premises at 1620 Government Street in the Lee Block . The furnishings and fixtures of both stores were combined, with the more elaborate fixtures from WSYWK remaining as part of the public part of the shop and the plainer fixtures of Wah Sun moved into the workroom and basement. In the 1930s Lum Chuck Yue took over the business and became the proprietor. In about 1934, Tan Yi Tang purchased the business and the shop reopened as Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. following renovations with Lum Yew Jong as the shop's proprietor. Lum Yew Jong continued to operate the shop until his death in 1967 at the age of 68 years. Following Lum’s death, the property and contents of the shop were purchased by Mr. J. Watson Marles, a local owner operator of an antique store at 1714 Government Street. The shop and contents went through a few more private owners including Rodney Pain before it was purchased by the Heritage Village Museum in 1975 with funds made available by the Vancouver Foundation and the Province of British Columbia. Contents of the original shop were reasembled in a reconstructed building as a permanent display on site at the Burnaby Village Museum.
- Creator
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company
- Accession Code
- HV975.5
- BV985.5331
- BV017.7
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1908-1975
- Related Material
- See also Artifacts under Accessions HV975.5; BV985.5331 and BV017.7
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Receipts from organizations
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10579
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1908-1953
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of seven receipts that were issued for the following organizations; Ching Wing Chun Society Reading Room 1941, 1952; Ching Wing Chun Society 1953; Victoria Kuomintang Communications Department 1922, 1926; Friends of Wounded Veterans 1940 and Victoria Chinese Benevolent Association 190…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Material Details
- All receipts are written with Chinese characters
- Scope and Content
- File consists of seven receipts that were issued for the following organizations; Ching Wing Chun Society Reading Room 1941, 1952; Ching Wing Chun Society 1953; Victoria Kuomintang Communications Department 1922, 1926; Friends of Wounded Veterans 1940 and Victoria Chinese Benevolent Association 1908. The Victoria Kuomintang Communications Department receipts were issued to Ko Wun Shan, one of the four key KMT political leaders in Victoria at the time.
- Accession Code
- BV985.5331.10
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1908-1953
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19022
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1910-1970
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- textual records + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of small collection of business records and newspapers that were part of the contents of the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. at 1620 Government Street, Victoria in 1975.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- textual records + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of small collection of business records and newspapers that were part of the contents of the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. at 1620 Government Street, Victoria in 1975.
- Accession Code
- HV975.5
- BV985.5331
- BV017.7
- Date
- 1910-1970
- Related Material
- See also Artifacts under Accessions HV975.5; BV985.5331 and BV017.7
- Notes
- Title based on contents of series
![CP 6151 at Victoria, [after 1906] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0050_001.jpg?width=280)
CP 6151 at Victoria
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3278
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1906]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 6151, a 0-6-0 Switcher (built in 1905 and 1906) at Victoria, British Columbia. A railway labourer looks to be cleaning or painting the side of the locomotive.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 6151, a 0-6-0 Switcher (built in 1905 and 1906) at Victoria, British Columbia. A railway labourer looks to be cleaning or painting the side of the locomotive.
- Geographic Access
- Victoria
- Accession Code
- BV985.6114.50
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [after 1906]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2024-03-19
- Notes
- Title based on note written on verso of photograph
- Handwritten note in black ball-point pen on verso of photograph reads: "CP 6151 at/ Victoria"
- Stamp on verso of photograph reads: "840"
Images
![CP 6151 at Victoria, [after 1906] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0050_001.jpg)
![CP 3456 at Drake Street Yard, [after 1906] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0065_001.jpg?width=280)
CP 3456 at Drake Street Yard
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription3293
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [after 1906]
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 3456 (built in 1906) at Drake Street Yard in Vancouver.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 5.5 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive no. 3456 (built in 1906) at Drake Street Yard in Vancouver.
- Geographic Access
- Vancouver
- Accession Code
- BV985.6114.65
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [after 1906]
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 2024-03-19
- Notes
- Title based on note written on verso of photograph
- Handwritten note in black ball-point pen on verso of photograph reads: "CP 3456/ Drake St Yard"
- Stamp on verso of photograph reads: "068"
Images
![CP 3456 at Drake Street Yard, [after 1906] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Images/1985/1985_6114_0065_001.jpg)
Nichols Chemical Company fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18755
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1906-1962
- Collection/Fonds
- Nichols Chemical Company fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 9 technical drawings
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of technical drawings of the Nichols Chemcial Company plant and machinery.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Nichols Chemical Company fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 9 technical drawings
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of technical drawings of the Nichols Chemcial Company plant and machinery.
- History
- In 1905 the Nichols Chemical Company, acid manufacturers based in Montreal, established their chemical plant on on a tract of land along Burrard Inlet, just east of the North Pacific Lumber Company. This company was later amalgamated and acquired by General Chemical and remains in operation on the original waterfront site. Many of workers at the Nichols Chemical Plant lived in bunkhouses in the community of Barnet including Japanese Canadian families who were employed there. Many of these families were laid off and forcibily removed during the internment of the Japanese in British Columbia during World War II.
- Creator
- Nichols Chemical Company Limited
- Accession Code
- BV998.23
- Date
- 1906-1962
- Media Type
- Technical Drawing
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Men and boys standing on schooner
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription4783
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1905-1940
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6.3 x 8.10 cm ; copy print
- Scope and Content
- Schooner with sails up and tender on calm water close to rocky shore. 7 boys men wearing bathing costumes are standing on deck.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum Photograph collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6.3 x 8.10 cm ; copy print
- Material Details
- "Columbian files 1971" written on verso in black pen.
- Scope and Content
- Schooner with sails up and tender on calm water close to rocky shore. 7 boys men wearing bathing costumes are standing on deck.
- History
- Part of a set of photographs from the Columbian Newspaper, which operated out of New Westminster under this name starting in 1900 until its dissolution in 1988. Photographs found in the collection of the Burnaby Village are dated 1971.
- Other Title Information
- title based on content of photograph
- Accession Code
- BV018.19.9
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- 1905-1940
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Scan Resolution
- 600
- Scan Date
- 24-04-2018
Images
Robinson-Surgenor collection
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription18746
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-1931] (date of originals), copied 2016
- Collection/Fonds
- Robinson-Surgenor collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 15 photographs (tiffs)
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of photographs of train locomotive "Old Curly" along with photographs of other locomotives. Photographs of "Old Curly" were taken during it's early logging days and when it was moved back to Vancouver. Photographs were maintained and collected by William F. Surgenor and later by…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Robinson-Surgenor collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 15 photographs (tiffs)
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of photographs of train locomotive "Old Curly" along with photographs of other locomotives. Photographs of "Old Curly" were taken during it's early logging days and when it was moved back to Vancouver. Photographs were maintained and collected by William F. Surgenor and later by his grandson Bill Robinson.
- History
- William F. Surgenor was born in Ireland in 1877 and in 1905 William Surgenor immigrated to British Columbia. In 1912, William Surgenor married Bessie Duncan in Vancouver. William worked as a railway locomotive engineer and was toted in the Vancouver Sun as a legend among railroaders in British Columbia. His first railway job as train engineer in British Columbia was aboard the locomotive named "Old Curly". William Surgenor worked on the engine during it's logging service up Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast and before it was moved back to Vancouver around 1927. William and Bessie Surgenor had four children; William George "Tyke", Earl Almer, Alice Margrete (Robinson) and Robert. William and Bessie Surgenor's eldest son William "Tyke" Surgenor also worked on the railway as a fireman and brakeman. William William F. Surgenor died in 1965. The locomotive engine "Old Curly" was built in San Francisco in 1879 and was used during the building of the harbour sea wall. It was likley built by Marshutz & Cantrell. It was acquired by Andrew Onderdonk in 1881 to use during construction of the Fraser Canyon section of the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR). The locomotive was the first logging locomotive in this area. It was later used on the section from Savona Ferry to Kamloops. The locomotive was layed up in 1887 and not used for several years until it was purchased by the British Columbia Timber and Trading Company (BCTTC) for use on their logging railway in Surrey. In the early 1900s the engine was shifted from Surrey to the company operations north of Powell River and was a familiar sight carrying logs from Hastings Mill. It was brought back to Vancouver, in a damaged condition and stored on BCTTC property around 1927, was acquired by the CPR and restored as a 50th Anniversary Project in 1930. It was displayed at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds until the 1973 when it was brought to Heritage Village (later Burnaby Village Museum) and restored again.
- Creator
- Surgenor, William F.
- Accession Code
- BV016.52
- Access Restriction
- Restricted access
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [1905-1931] (date of originals), copied 2016
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Arrangement
- A selection of 15 photographs (negatives and prints) with a common subject were loaned for reproduction purposes (three of the photographs were prints from negatives). Photographs are arranged and described at item level. Low resolution copies of each photograph have been made available on Heritage Burnaby.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19350
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 32 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 32 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Anushay Malik Interviewee: Surjeet Kaur Parmar Language of Interview: Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi Location of Interview: home of Surjeet Kaur Parmar in Burnaby Interview Date: December 6, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of tracks: (1:15:32) Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar conducted by interviewer Anushay Malik. The interview is conducted in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. During the interview Surjeet Kaur Parmar provides information on; her ancestral background, family relations in India and Canada, her personal experiences and her ancestors’ stories as South Asian immigrants, reflections on and personal experiences of racial discrimination as a South Asian immigrant, her places of residence, her employment background, her cultural practices and traditions including food, clothing and craft. The interview begins with introductions from interviewer Anushay Mailik. Surjeet Kaur Parmar imparts her own family’s migration story beginning with her very first elders that immigrated to Canada from India. A relative (unnamed) immigrated to Canada first and a few years later (around 1905) returned to India and brought back three cousins that included; Ginaya Singh (Ghania Singh Manhas) and Doman Singh . Mayo Singh (Ghania Singh’s younger brother) came in 1906 on his own to join them. Surjeet’s grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) also wanted to immigrate at this time, but he was too young and weak to manage such a long trip. Surjeet conveys that while living in British Columbia, Mayo and Ginaya Singh worked together at saw mills. With their knowledge and understanding of mill work they ended up owning and operating a mill in Paldi near Duncan on Vancouver Island. At this time, most of the men from Surjeet’s family region in Punjab were abroad and with no men living at home. Mayo Singh’s father (Bhulla Singh) looked after her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) and paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh Manhas) back in Punjab. When Mayo’s father died, Mayo Singh adopted her paternal uncle (Kashmir Singh) and brought him to Canada in 1926. Surjeet describes her ancestors’ immigration journey from India to Canada. They all travelled by ship and if someone ran out of money en route, they could work on the ship. Surjeet explains that both Mayo and Ginaya Singh are Surjeet’s grandfather’s first cousins and her father’s second cousins. Surjeet recollects her grandfather (Shair/Sher Singh Manhas) saying “now that you’ve arrived there, take one cousin from each side with you”. Surjeet explains that the cousins were all from the same village in Punjab and her great grandfather wanted someone to go abroad, so he sent a few and had them bring more as the years went on. Surjeet says that she’s uncertain as to why they chose Canada rather than America but thinks that they did some form of research and determined that it was a good place to come to. Surjeet admits that she doesn’t know the name of her paternal grandfather or other elders since she never met them. Surjeet shares that it was a traditional practice to mark pots and pans with family names and imparts that she discovered her father’s name “Lashman Singh” written on the bottom of a glass. Surjeet expresses that she’s marked her own pots and pans with her name to identify which ones are hers when she gets together with family or does catering. Surjeet refers to a kohl bottle that she has and how she’d like to offer it to the museum. She explains how the kohl bottle is no longer in use but was used by her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) and daughter and her grandchildren. Surjeet describes a blanket that she made called a “phulkari”, now on display in a small museum in Coquitlam, a wedding shawl, that her daughter now owns and a silk sari with embroidery. Surjeet and Anushay discuss the possibility of donating the kohl bottle and the sari to the museum. Surjeet explains how the kohl is used and how her mother used to make kohl. She describes how you rub the kohl with your hands, put cardamom in it, one or two other ingredients and fill the kohl bottle up with water. Surjeet says that she used kohl as eyeliner when living in India. The interviewer asks Surjeet more about Ginaya Singh. Surjeet conveys that Ginaya Singh ended up leaving the mill on Vancouver Island and moved to Vancouver. After Ginaya Singh died from a heart attack (in 1953) his family moved from Vancouver to Burnaby. Surjeet recalls that following the death of Ginaya Singh’s youngest son, her family didn’t celebrate “Lohri” (a winter festival celebrating newborns and newly married people) for three years. She shares that she was very young at this time but remembers there being beautiful photographs of young children all dressed up and displayed in her family home. She expresses that dressing up for photos has changed over time and adds that suits didn’t really come into fashion until after the 1970s or 1980s. Surjeet conveys that her uncle named Kashmira Singh first worked at the mill in Paldi near Duncan then moved to Vancouver and opened up his own mill in North Vancouver. Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas arrived in 1953. Surjeet expresses that Kapoor Singh was educated and worked as a manager at the mill on Vancouver Island. Surjeet recollects meeting Mayo Singh, his wife and eldest son in 1952 when they travelled to India for a cousin’s wedding. Surjeet remembers that Mayo Singh’s family had a very large house in India. She describes the house as a very opulent two story house with indoor plumbing for a bathtub, a kitchen with a woodstove, coloured mirrors, bejeweled curtains, a motor room to park cars, a buffalo and more. Surjeet refers to Nand Singh, a younger brother of Mayo Singh, who travelled from India to San Franciso and spent a year wandering around before deciding to return to India. She describes him as living in Bombay with his wife Vishan Kaur and having a transport business. Nand had two kids that came to Canada. Surjeet recollects the tragic death of Ganda Singh (Ginaya Singh) who died of a heart attack on someone’s doorstep, they thought that he was drunk so didn’t open the door. Surjeet conveys that Mayo Singh’s wife, Mission Kaur (Saradani Bishan Kaur) died while visiting India (in 1952) and that some of Mayo’s sons were married in Canada and one in India. Surjeet expresses that it was hard for Mayo’s sons to have one of their parents die in India and one die in Canada (Mayo Singh died in B.C. in 1955). Surjeet describes the hospital that Mayo built in the village of Paldi. She mentions that there were festivals and functions that took place there, there were many nurses and doctors. She recalls there being a school where their land was. She recalls that if they got headaches they were treated with medicine and that it didn’t cost much, only a six pence. Surjeet talks about her arranged marriage to Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar. Surjeet explains that her father and brother immigrated to British Columbia first (1953) and after a few months they brought Surjeet and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas). She recollects that when she was in Grade 10 and around 17 years of age, her family made plans to travel to India to attend a family wedding. During this time, her father suggested that it would be a good opportunity to take Surjeet with them to find her a husband in India to marry. After meeting and marrying Nadeem Parmar in India, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England. Surjeet recollects that in order to immigrate to Canada, each family member had to pass a medical exam and how difficult it was. Her two sisters, mother and brother all had to take the test in Delhi. Surjeet recalls living in England with Nadeem. While living in England, Nadeem worked during the day and studied engineering at college in the evening. Surjeet expresses that she liked living in England and was sad to leave. While living there, they enjoyed a close knit Punjabi community and they all lived in the same area. Surjeet states later in her interview that living in Canada was different from living in England. In England, family and friends lived closer together whereas in Canada places were further apart. Surjeet says that while living in England she could walk to do her shopping. While living in England, after her children were a bit older, she worked as a seamstress in a shirt factory for a few years before coming to Canada. Surjeet imparts that her father (Lashman Singh Manhas) died of a heart attack in 1970 and her mother (Budhan Kaur Manhas) died in 1998. Her father and her family first lived in North Vancouver and then her parents bought a house on Eton Street in Burnaby, near the Ocean. After her father died, her brother and mother bought a house and moved to the Capitol Hill neighbourhood in Burnaby. In 1973, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children immigrated to Canada and moved in with her brother and mother. Surjeet includes that her paternal aunt (Koshali Kaur Manhas) and cousins also moved to Burnaby and that her aunt and some of her cousins were sponsored by her son who came earlier. Surjeet recalls that after arriving in Canada she got work sewing in a factory located on Water Street in Gastown. Surjeet recollects travelling to her job by bus. Surjeet shares that she brought saris and quilted blankets “rijai”, not household items, in her suitcase when she came to Canada from England. Surjeet explains that the “rijai” (quilted blankets) were made from cotton from her home village in India. The blankets were made by women and then brought back to her to quilt on her sewing machine. Surjeet recalls that when she returned to Canada (in 1973 with her husband and children) they first lived with her mother and brother on Capitol Hill in Burnaby before moving to a house on Fell Avenue and then to their current home in 1982. In 1981, she worked at “Canadian Window Covering” factory making window coverings. The factory was located in the Brentwood area of Burnaby. Surjeet recalls how the factory became unionized and of how she left the factory and found union work at the Labatt’s brewery (Winery and Distillery Workers Local 300). Surjeet describes the work that she did while working at Labatt’s brewery which was located next to the Royal Columbian Hospital in Burnaby. Around 1995, when the Labatt’s factory closed down in Burnaby, she got union work as a bottle sorter for BDL Brewers Distributor Limited, where bottles were gathered for distribution at Braid Station. Surjeet left this job in 2000. Surjeet talks about traditional foods like bindi, sabji, aam and karela and where she’s shopped to find traditional ingredients for South Asian cuisine. She recollects how at first she could only find traditional ingredients at stores in Gastown, Chinatown and on Main Street in Vancouver but now they are more readily available at major grocery stores. Surjeet expresses that traditional spices and dry goods have been hard to find, apart from stores like, Famous Foods and Patels when it was located on Commercial Drive. Surjeet talks about using ingredients such as green pea flour and Besan flour to make pakoras and kahdri. Surjeet states that many immigrants didn’t wear their traditional clothing until she came later. She expresses that many South Asian immigrants didn’t wear their clothes “because there were no rights, we had to try to become like them”. Surjeet conveys that even though some were able to purchase property (she provides an example of family members in Duncan who faced discrimination by the owner/seller of a piece of property they were purchasing) that they had very little rights and they were all living in fear. She expresses that she herself didn’t experience this but in the beginning when people settled here (in B.C.) that it was very difficult. Surjeet says that when she goes to the Gurdwara and to work, she wears a sari and conveys that while working at the factory, she was encouraged to wear a sari, it was accepted then. She brought printed saris to work and her co workers said that they’d wear them to parties. Surjeet reflects on her own experiences of racism and discrimination and expresses that her generation “has learned how to stand up in front, then they got scared of saying anything”. “The people who came here first were afraid because they were alone, they had to settle down here and make a home from scratch, but the ones who came after had everything already built and made”. She explains how they helped one another when they came (to British Columbia). She describes how the Gurdwara was located on 2nd Street and all of the ships went there (new immigrants?), people would gather, get water, help one another and there would be a place for all people. Surjeet shares a personal experience of helping members of her husband’s family to immigrate to Canada. She tells of the complications of some being left behind in India and that some came to Canada as refugees that she and her husband sponsored. Surjeet expresses their struggles with raising a family, working and trying to pay for their own house while also trying to assist and support family members. Surjeet describes in detail how her husband Nadeem went back to India after his mother died to help his father, sister and her family immigrate. She explains that the immigration process took about four years and his father had to apply as a refugee. Nadeem’s sister came with her children but had to return to India so Surjeet and her family had to look after Nadeem’s sister’s child/children. Surjeet expresses that during this time she continued to work at Canadian Window Coverings, working an afternoon shift and sometimes taking her son with her. She expresses that this as a very hectic time, working the whole day, making food for everyone, grocery shopping, looking after a her sister in law’s younger child at night and getting no rest. Surjeet describes the time when she was working and her children were attending the local school. She expresses the challenges of working long days and often arriving home after her children. She recollects a time when there was a snow storm and how she was worried about her children making it home and being alone while she was at work, there were no cell phones in those days but they had phone numbers of her brother and sister. Surjeet tells of how they tried to help the rest of the Nadeem’s family immigrate including his brother who was a soccer player in India. They were able to buy a house for the whole family to live but expresses after several months Nadeem’s brother decided to stay in India. Surjeet expresses the complications and frustrations of trying to bring all family members to Canada.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Surjeet Kaur Parmar was born in Punjab, India in 1942 to parents Lashman Singh Manhas (1913-1970) and Budhan Kaur Manhas (1906-1998). Surjeet’s ancestors, Ghania Singh Manhas, Doman Singh and Mayo Singh immigrated to British Columbia in 1905 and 1906. The group got work in saw mills and soon began owning and operating their own saw mills, first in Chilliwack and Rosedale districts and later in 1920 on Vancouver Island near Duncan (Paldi) (known as the Mayo Lumber Company). In 1927, Surjeet’s paternal uncle, Kashmir Singh Manhas left Paldi, Punjab at the age of 18 years with Mayo Singh Manhas and after months of travel they arrived at Paldi on Vancouver Island. In 1953, Surjeet’s father, Lashman Singh Manhas and her two brothers immigrated to Canada and soon after brought her and her mother, Budhan Kaur Manhas. After immigrating, her father began working at “Kashmir Lumber Company” in North Vancouver which was owned by his brother Kashmira Singh Manhas. Surjeet, her parents and two brothers first made their home in North Vancouver and the 1960s they moved to 3824 Eton Street in Burnaby. In 1959, Surjeet and her family returned to India for her brother’s wedding. During this time a marriage was arranged for Surjeet to marry Nadeem Parmar and they were married in 1960. Following their marriage, Surjeet and Nadeem moved to England where they began raising their two children. While living in England, Surjeet worked as seamstress at a factory. In 1973, following the death of Surjeet’s father who died in 1970, Surjeet and Nadeem decided to immigrate to British Columbia. For the first few years, Surjeet, Nadeem and their two children lived with her mother and brother in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby before purchasing their own home on Fell Avenue. While living in Burnaby Surjeet has worked as a seamstress for Canadian Window Covering, Labatt's Brewery and BDL Brewers Distributor Limited which she left in 2000. In 1982, Surjeet and her family moved into a new home that they had built on Woodsworth Street where they still live today. Interviewer biography: Anushay Malik is labor historian with a geographical focus on South Asia. Anushay studied at the University of London and was a research fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Anushay moved back to her native Pakistan and joined Lahore University of Management Services as an Assistant Professor. In 2023, Anushay is a visiting scholar at Simon Fraser University and lives in Burnaby with her family. Anushay was a co-curator of the Burnaby Village Museum exhibit “Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby”.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Buildings - Industrial - Saw Mills
- Clothing
- Crafts
- Employment
- Migration
- Social Issues
- Social Issues - Racism
- Occupations - Labourers
- Occupations - Millworkers
- Persons - South Asian Canadians
- Names
- Parmar, Surjeet Kaur
- Parmar, Kalwant Singh "Nadeem"
- Manhas, Ghania Singh
- Singh, Mayo
- Manhas, Kashmir Singh
- Manhas, Sher Singh
- Manhas, Budhan Kaur
- Manhas, Lashman Singh
- Accession Code
- BV022.29.5
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Related Material
- See also BV022.29.1 - interview with Kalwant Singh "Nadeem" Parmar
- Notes
- Title based on contents of item
- Transcription of interview translated to English from Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi to English created by Rajdeep
- Transciption available on Heritage Burnaby
- Spelling of "Ginaya Singh" found as "Ghania Singh Manhas" in obituary and death certificate
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
Interview with Surjeet Kaur Parmar, [1905-2022] (interview content), interviewed 6 Dec. 2022
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0005_003.mp3