60 records – page 1 of 3.

Broadway Jersey Ranch

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38259
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1931
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 15.4 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a house and barn identified as E.W. Nicholson's "Broadway Jersey Ranch." Three men and a team of horses can be seen to the right of the house. The men may be E.W. Nicholoson, John McCallum and George Dell.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1931
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Margaret McCallum subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 15.4 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
375-021
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1986-42
Scope and Content
Photograph of a house and barn identified as E.W. Nicholson's "Broadway Jersey Ranch." Three men and a team of horses can be seen to the right of the house. The men may be E.W. Nicholoson, John McCallum and George Dell.
Subjects
Buildings - Agricultural - Barns
Agriculture - Farms
Buildings - Residential - Houses
Names
Dell, George
McCallum, John
Nicholson, E.W.
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on caption
Geographic Access
Boundary Road
Street Address
2550 Boundary Road
Historic Neighbourhood
Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
West Central Valley Area
Images
Less detail

Combining in field

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19919
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1930
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of four men and child with combining equipment in a field in Alberta. Two men are working with a combine to harvest grain and the others are standing nearby. Man standing in centre is identified as Orrie Sommers' dad, one man on combine is identified as Orrie's brother, child and man sta…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of four men and child with combining equipment in a field in Alberta. Two men are working with a combine to harvest grain and the others are standing nearby. Man standing in centre is identified as Orrie Sommers' dad, one man on combine is identified as Orrie's brother, child and man standing next to tractor are identified as "Irene" and "Fred".
Subjects
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Cool, Irene Dorothy Rae Sommers
Sommers Family
Accession Code
BV022.32.341
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1930
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Note in black ink on verso of photograph reads: "This is in 1930 / combining on Orrie / brothers place which / we rent. / Orries Dad in centre / Irene & Fred. / His brother [Orlif] & / man on combine. / The other man / is a salesman. / They are always / thick in the fall"
Note in ink on lower recto of photograph reads: "1930"
Images
Less detail

Cows in the field at the Nicholson Farm

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription38257
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1933
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 12.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of Jersey cows in the field on E.W. Nicholson's Farm. The Dominion Bridge Building can be seen faintly in the backgound (at 3880 Henning Drive).
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1933
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Margaret McCallum subseries
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8 x 12.5 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
375-019
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Accession Number
BHS1986-42
Scope and Content
Photograph of Jersey cows in the field on E.W. Nicholson's Farm. The Dominion Bridge Building can be seen faintly in the backgound (at 3880 Henning Drive).
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Animals - Cows
Names
Dominion Bridge Company
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph.
Geographic Access
Boundary Road
Henning Drive
Street Address
2550 Boundary Road
3880 Henning Drive
Historic Neighbourhood
Broadview (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
West Central Valley Area
Images
Less detail

Garage and mushroom house

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription77192
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[before 1969] (date of original), digitally copied 2013
Collection/Fonds
Stiglish family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w copy-print ; 9 x 9 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the garage where Jack Stiglish repaired machinery and housed his tools, and the mushroom house beside it. A sign propped up between the two buildings reads "manure" with an arrow pointing to the right.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
[before 1969] (date of original), digitally copied 2013
Collection/Fonds
Stiglish family fonds
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w copy-print ; 9 x 9 cm
Description Level
Item
Record No.
552-006
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
Accession Number
2013-07
Scope and Content
Photograph of the garage where Jack Stiglish repaired machinery and housed his tools, and the mushroom house beside it. A sign propped up between the two buildings reads "manure" with an arrow pointing to the right.
Subjects
Agricultural Tools and Equipment
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Stiglish, F.J. "Jack"
Media Type
Photograph
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "view of father's garage where his tools were + he repaired the machinery / sign saying bags of manure this way / mushroom house next to garage"
Original spelling of surname was "Stiglich"
Geographic Access
Keswick Avenue
Street Address
3782 Keswick Avenue
Historic Neighbourhood
Burquitlam (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Cameron Area
Images
Less detail

Gordon and Harry Jung with Philip Mah

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16728
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Suey Yook "Gordon" Jung and Suey Cheung "Harry" Jung standing with young, Philip Mah on the boardwalk outside the Jung family home located on the family farm at 5460 Douglas Road (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958) in Burnaby. Philip Mah is the son of Lil Mah.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Series
Lee family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Suey Yook "Gordon" Jung and Suey Cheung "Harry" Jung standing with young, Philip Mah on the boardwalk outside the Jung family home located on the family farm at 5460 Douglas Road (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958) in Burnaby. Philip Mah is the son of Lil Mah.
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Names
Jung, Suey Cheung "Harry"
Jung, Suey Yook "Gordon"
Mah, Philip
Geographic Access
Vancouver
Street Address
5286 Douglas Road
Accession Code
BV021.19.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Scan Resolution
96
Scan Date
April 13, 2021
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Gordon Jung and Gee Shee Jung

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16726
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Suey Yook "Gordon" Jung standing with his mother, Gee Shee Jung on the family farm located at 5460 Douglas Road in Burnaby (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958).
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Series
Lee family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Suey Yook "Gordon" Jung standing with his mother, Gee Shee Jung on the family farm located at 5460 Douglas Road in Burnaby (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958).
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Names
Jung, Gee Shee
Jung, Suey Yook "Gordon"
Geographic Access
Vancouver
Street Address
5286 Douglas Road
Accession Code
BV021.19.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Scan Resolution
96
Scan Date
April 13, 2021
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Gordon Jung and Herbert Yep

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16730
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Suey Yook "Gordon" Jung and Herbert Yep standing together on the boardwalk outside the Jung family home located on the family farm at 5460 Douglas Road (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958) in Burnaby.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Series
Lee family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Suey Yook "Gordon" Jung and Herbert Yep standing together on the boardwalk outside the Jung family home located on the family farm at 5460 Douglas Road (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958) in Burnaby.
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Names
Jung, Suey Yook "Gordon"
Yep, Herbert
Geographic Access
Vancouver
Street Address
5286 Douglas Road
Accession Code
BV021.19.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Scan Resolution
96
Scan Date
April 13, 2021
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Gordon Jung on family farm

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription16727
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Gordon Jung leaning against a tree on the family farm located at 5460 Douglas Road in Burnaby (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958). Buildings along Douglas Road are visible in the background.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds
Series
Lee family photographs series
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph (jpg)
Scope and Content
Photograph of Gordon Jung leaning against a tree on the family farm located at 5460 Douglas Road in Burnaby (address was changed to 5286 Douglas Road in 1958). Buildings along Douglas Road are visible in the background.
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Names
Jung, Suey Yook "Gordon"
Geographic Access
Vancouver
Street Address
5286 Douglas Road
Accession Code
BV021.19.2
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[between 1935 and 1945]
Media Type
Photograph
Historic Neighbourhood
Burnaby Lake (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Douglas-Gilpin Area
Scan Resolution
96
Scan Date
April 13, 2021
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Images
Less detail

Group posing on farming machinery

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19923
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[193-]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of nine people posing on farming equipment used for harvesting on a farm in Alberta. Frank Charles Stanley is seated in front with two boys standing behind him, his son Frank Conquest Stanley (right) and a boy identified as Don (left). Three young women are seated on upper le…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of nine people posing on farming equipment used for harvesting on a farm in Alberta. Frank Charles Stanley is seated in front with two boys standing behind him, his son Frank Conquest Stanley (right) and a boy identified as Don (left). Three young women are seated on upper level of equipment with two young girls standing behind. The woman that is standing could be Esther Love Stanley or a relation of Frank Stanley. Farm buildings are visible in the background.
Subjects
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Stanley, Frank Charles "Stan", 1891-1975
Stanley, Frank Conquest
Stanley, Esther Love
Stanley Family
Accession Code
BV022.32.345
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[193-]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Less detail

Group posing on farming machinery

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19924
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[193-]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 6.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of eight people posing on farming equipment used for harvesting on a farm in Alberta. Esther (Love) Stanley is seated on the right and her children Frank and Joyce Stanley are standing above with group of young women and girls. Young boy named "Don" is standing to the left of …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 8.5 x 6.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of eight people posing on farming equipment used for harvesting on a farm in Alberta. Esther (Love) Stanley is seated on the right and her children Frank and Joyce Stanley are standing above with group of young women and girls. Young boy named "Don" is standing to the left of Esther. Farm buildings are visible in the background.
Subjects
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Stanley, Esther Love
Stanley, Frank Conquest
Warner, Joyce Stanley
Stanley Family
Accession Code
BV022.32.346
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[193-]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Less detail

Group posing on farming machinery

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19926
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[193-]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of eight people posing on farming equipment used for harvesting on a farm in Alberta. Esther (Love) Stanley is seated on the right and her children Frank and Joyce Stanley are standing above with group of young women and girls. Young boy named "Don" is standing to the left of …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 8.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a group of eight people posing on farming equipment used for harvesting on a farm in Alberta. Esther (Love) Stanley is seated on the right and her children Frank and Joyce Stanley are standing above with group of young women and girls. Young boy named "Don" is standing to the left of Esther. Farm buildings are visible in the background.
Subjects
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Stanley, Esther Love
Stanley, Frank Conquest
Warner, Joyce Stanley
Stanley Family
Accession Code
BV022.32.348
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[193-]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Less detail

Harvest in Champion, Alberta

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19905
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
1930
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a woman, two children and a dog in a field with harvest binders and tractor. Woman is identified as Orrie Sommers' mother and children are identified as Irene Sommeres (standing) and Myrna Sommers. Location is identified as Champion, Alberta.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 11.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a woman, two children and a dog in a field with harvest binders and tractor. Woman is identified as Orrie Sommers' mother and children are identified as Irene Sommeres (standing) and Myrna Sommers. Location is identified as Champion, Alberta.
Subjects
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Sommers Family
Lawrence, Myrna Sommers
Cool, Irene Dorothy Rae Sommers
Accession Code
BV022.32.327
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
1930
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Note in blue ink on verso of photograph reads: "This was 1930 / harvesting here at / home with the / binders. One binder / flew to pieces before/ they got finished. / I guess it was / travelling too fast. / Orries mother / Irene / Myrna & / the pup"
Note in ink on lower recto of photograph reads: "HARVEST_1930"
Note in white ink on album page reads: "Champion, ALTA"
Images
Less detail

House and farming machinery

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19909
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1930]
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 11 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a field with a house at centre and farming machinery on either side. Farm is located in Alberta and could belong to the Sommers family.
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Esther Love Stanley fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 6.5 x 11 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a field with a house at centre and farming machinery on either side. Farm is located in Alberta and could belong to the Sommers family.
Subjects
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Names
Sommers Family
Accession Code
BV022.32.331
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1930]
Media Type
Photograph
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
2023-06-09
Notes
Title based on contents of photograph
Photograph is part of Esther Love Stanley photograph album 1 (BV022.32.1)
Images
Less detail

Interview with Diane Stiglish by Eric Damer December 4, 2012 - Track 1

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory409
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1942-1960
Length
0:08:37
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Diane Stiglish's memories of her family's mushroom farm. Diane describes how her parents met, married and bought a mushroom farm. She also provides a physical description of the farm and how the work was organized.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Diane Stiglish's memories of her family's mushroom farm. Diane describes how her parents met, married and bought a mushroom farm. She also provides a physical description of the farm and how the work was organized.
Date Range
1942-1960
Photo Info
Diane Stiglish with her parents and older brother in New Westminster, 1955. Item no. 549-067.
Length
0:08:37
Subjects
Building - Agricultural
Agriculture - Farms
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
December 4, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Diane Stiglish conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, December 4, 2012. Major theme discussed: mushroom farming.
Biographical Notes
F.J. "Jack" Stiglish (originally spelt Stiglich) and his wife bought a Burnaby home in 1943 at Keswick Street, just south of the Lougheed Highway, and took up mushroom farming. By the time their daughter Diane was born five years later in New Westminster, the F.J. Stiglish mushroom farm was an established business. Mushrooms grown at the F.J. Stiglish farm were sent off to Money’s Mushrooms to be packaged and retailed. Later, mushroom growers bought out Money’s to form the Fraser Valley Mushroom Growers Co-op and nominated Jack Stiglish as their first president. Jack then entered a float in the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) parade and set up a mushroom booth at the fair. In 1969 Jack Stiglish sold the mushroom farm and he and his wife moved next to their trailer court business just down the road. Diane’s brother Allan Stiglich (his family name returned to the original spelling) moved to Langley to open a large mushroom farm of his own which he established with the help of his father. Diane Stiglish began a career with BC Tel.
Total Tracks
5
Total Length
0:46:06
Interviewee Name
Stiglish, Diane
Interview Location
Burnaby Village Museum
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track one of recording of interview with Diane Stiglish

Less detail

Interview with Diane Stiglish by Eric Damer December 4, 2012 - Track 2

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory410
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1947-1960
Length
0:09:40
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Diane Stiglish's memories of her family's mushroom farm. Diane describes how compost was created on the farm, how the mushrooms were dealt with and what chores she was responsible for as a child. She also tells stories of inspectors coming to the farm.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Diane Stiglish's memories of her family's mushroom farm. Diane describes how compost was created on the farm, how the mushrooms were dealt with and what chores she was responsible for as a child. She also tells stories of inspectors coming to the farm.
Date Range
1947-1960
Photo Info
Diane Stiglish with her parents and older brother in New Westminster, 1955. Item no. 549-067.
Length
0:09:40
Subjects
Building - Agricultural
Agriculture - Farms
Historic Neighbourhood
Burquitlam (Historic Neighbourhood)
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
December 4, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Diane Stiglish conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, December 4, 2012. Major theme discussed: mushroom farming.
Biographical Notes
F.J. "Jack" Stiglish (originally spelt Stiglich) and his wife bought a Burnaby home in 1943 at Keswick Street, just south of the Lougheed Highway, and took up mushroom farming. By the time their daughter Diane was born five years later in New Westminster, the F.J. Stiglish mushroom farm was an established business. Mushrooms grown at the F.J. Stiglish farm were sent off to Money’s Mushrooms to be packaged and retailed. Later, mushroom growers bought out Money’s to form the Fraser Valley Mushroom Growers Co-op and nominated Jack Stiglish as their first president. Jack then entered a float in the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) parade and set up a mushroom booth at the fair. In 1969 Jack Stiglish sold the mushroom farm and he and his wife moved next to their trailer court business just down the road. Diane’s brother Allan Stiglich (his family name returned to the original spelling) moved to Langley to open a large mushroom farm of his own which he established with the help of his father. Diane Stiglish began a career with BC Tel.
Total Tracks
5
Total Length
0:46:06
Interviewee Name
Stiglish, Diane
Interview Location
Burnaby Village Museum
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track two of recording of interview with Diane Stiglish

Less detail

Interview with Diane Stiglish by Eric Damer December 4, 2012 - Track 4

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory412
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date Range
1943-1967
Length
0:09:52
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Diane Stiglish's parents. Diane tells a story of her mother being suspected of a crime. She also mentions other mushroom growers in Burnaby and goes on to describe various activities undertaken by her parents (by sharing a number of photographs with the int…
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Summary
This portion of the recording pertains to Diane Stiglish's parents. Diane tells a story of her mother being suspected of a crime. She also mentions other mushroom growers in Burnaby and goes on to describe various activities undertaken by her parents (by sharing a number of photographs with the interviewer).
Date Range
1943-1967
Photo Info
Diane Stiglish with her parents and older brother in New Westminster, 1955. Item no. 549-067.
Length
0:09:52
Subjects
Agriculture - Farms
Occupations - Farmers
Interviewer
Damer, Eric
Interview Date
December 4, 2012
Scope and Content
Recording is an interview with Diane Stiglish conducted by Burnaby Village Museum employee Eric Damer, December 4, 2012. Major theme discussed: mushroom farming.
Biographical Notes
F.J. "Jack" Stiglish (originally spelt Stiglich) and his wife bought a Burnaby home in 1943 at Keswick Street, just south of the Lougheed Highway, and took up mushroom farming. By the time their daughter Diane was born five years later in New Westminster, the F.J. Stiglish mushroom farm was an established business. Mushrooms grown at the F.J. Stiglish farm were sent off to Money’s Mushrooms to be packaged and retailed. Later, mushroom growers bought out Money’s to form the Fraser Valley Mushroom Growers Co-op and nominated Jack Stiglish as their first president. Jack then entered a float in the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) parade and set up a mushroom booth at the fair. In 1969 Jack Stiglish sold the mushroom farm and he and his wife moved next to their trailer court business just down the road. Diane’s brother Allan Stiglich (his family name returned to the original spelling) moved to Langley to open a large mushroom farm of his own which he established with the help of his father. Diane Stiglish began a career with BC Tel.
Total Tracks
5
Total Length
0:46:06
Interviewee Name
Stiglish, Diane
Interview Location
Burnaby Village Museum
Interviewer Bio
Eric Damer is a lifelong British Columbian born in Victoria, raised in Kamloops, and currently residing in Burnaby. After studying philosophy at the University of Victoria, he became interested in the educational forces that had shaped his own life. He completed master’s and doctoral degrees in educational studies at the University of British Columbia with a particular interest in the history of adult and higher education in the province. In 2012, Eric worked for the City of Burnaby as a field researcher and writer, conducting interviews for the City Archives and Museum Oral History Program.
Collection/Fonds
Community Heritage Commission Special Projects fonds
Series
Burna-Boom Oral History Project series
Transcript Available
None
Media Type
Sound Recording
Images
Audio Tracks

Track four of recording of interview with Diane Stiglish

Less detail

Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19348
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 56 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 57 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. The interview opens with introductions and how the content of the interview can be drawn on by Burnaby Village Museum for future …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
3 sound recordings (wav) (75 min., 56 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (75 min., 57 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Anushay Malik Co Interviewer and technical support: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Dr. Sadhu Binning Location of Interview: Love farmhouse at Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: November 25, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 3 Total Length of all Tracks: (1:15:57) Digital master recordings (wav) were recorded onto three separate audio tracks, edited and merged together and converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning conducted by Anushay Malik with assistance from Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. The interview opens with introductions and how the content of the interview can be drawn on by Burnaby Village Museum for future exhibits and for researchers to learn more about the history of the South Asian community in Burnaby. During the interview, Dr. Binning shares his ancestral background along with his relatives' and his own personal experiences as a South Asian immigrant living and working in British Columbia and Burnaby. Dr. Binning conveys that he’s a Burnaby resident who’s lived in Burnaby since 1973 and that his children were born here. Binning shares his ancestral heritage beginning with his uncle Dhana Singh who emigrated from Punjab to British Columbia in 1931 and began working in the forest industry. He explains how Dhana Singh and another partner owned, operated and worked in small sawmills in the vicinity of Kamloops, Williams Lake and also on Vancouver Island. Binning conveys that in the beginning Dhana Singh and many other South Asian immigrants were not legal residents until 1938. In 1938, about 350 South Asian immigrants (mainly Punjabi) gathered resources to hire a lawyer to obtain permanent residency. Binning mentions that one of the notable South Asians in the group who was also a close friend of his uncle, was Darshan Singh Sangha, a trade unionist who was a founding member of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) union and an active member of the Communist Party of Canada. Binning conveys how Darshan Singh Sangha returned to India in 1947 to be a part of the revolution, how he was very active in the communist movement in India. While in India, Darshan Singh Sangha, was known as Canadian and thereby adopted “Canadian” as his surname, becoming “Darshan Singh Canadian”. Binning further explains that his uncle Dhana Singh Sangha returned to India in 1951, married and came back to B.C. in 1957 bringing with him, his wife and children. In 1960, with the support of his uncle, Binning’s father, Jit Singh Binning immigrated to British Columbia and began working in sawmills in the lower mainland, Kamloops, Quesnel and on Vancouver Island. Binning clarifies that his uncle, Dhana Singh was able to immigrate to Canada with the support of his cousins from the Tarker Singh Bains family. Binning further describes Darshan Singh Sangha’s involvement with the Communist party and the IWA and how the majority of the members were from the forest industry. As an active and prominent member of the labour movement, Darshan Singh Sangha fought for the rights of South Asians and Chinese who working in the industry and facing racism, unfair wages and discriminatory practices. Binning describes how Darshan Singh Sangha wrote a book in English in 1943, titled “Rise of the New Asia”. Binning conveys how immigrants of Chinese and South Asian decent didn’t have the right to vote in British Columbia and how Darshan Singh Sangha was instrumental in obtaining the right to vote in British Columbia, although he was never given the credit. Binning describes his uncle Dhana Singh as a likeable guy with many friends, first living in Kamloops before moving to Vancouver. Binning imparts how the sport of wrestling is a popular Punjabi sport along with Punjabi kabaddi. He conveys that his uncle became involved in wrestling while working in sawmills. South Asian immigrants had to do physical labour working in sawmills, the work could be tough and could often lead to physical fights. A number of South Asian immigrants working in the mills already had experience as wrestlers from back home. Dhana Singh later left the lumber industry to work in the agriculture sector. Binning explains how immigration rules changed in the 1960s which lead to larger numbers of South Asians immigrating to Canada. Many of these new immigrants were educated and politically conscious. All of these new immigrants faced racism but being politically conscious from an independent India and with the ability to speak English they organized themselves to fight for their rights. Binning imagines the items that his uncle and his father may have brought with them in their suitcase when immigrating to Canada. Binning describes three items, including a rajai (a blanket with cotton inside that is sewn together), a bistra (small attaché case or trunk) and a piece of cloth to lie on. Binning further describes the roles in Indian society as caste divisions and that it was usually women’s work in making the rajais. Binning recollects the locations that his father and his family lived after coming to Vancouver. Binning explains that a few years after living together in Vancouver, he and his family moved to Burnaby in 1973 to be closer to his Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish Binning’s family. Dr. Binning and family lived in a house in Burnaby located on Irmin Street near Royal Oak between 1973 and 1987. While living at this house their children attended McPherson Park Junior High School and later Burnaby South Secondary School. Binning reflects on some of the racism that he and his family have faced while living in Burnaby which led him to write a poem that he published in 1994 titled “No More Watno Dur”. Binning explains the meaning of the title “Watan” meaning “country and everybody” “a country far way from the motherland”. Binning explains the origins of the magazine “Watan” that was started by a friend in 1973. The magazine got its roots in Vancouver in 1973 from an organization called the “Punjabi Literary Association”. Binning became the editor of the magazine in 1976 and his friend joined him as assistant editor in 1978. Binning continued to work as editor until 1983 or 1984 when he returned to school to complete his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree. Binning describes the origins of the “Vancouver Sath” that was formed by a small group of South Asians around 1982. Binning was a founding member of the organization and held meetings and rehearsals at his house in Burnaby. Vancouver Sath first started out as an informal discussion forum by a group of politically conscious Punjabi writers and activists. Binning talks about issues and problems that Vancouver Sath addressed including; racism as well as domestic violence in the South Asian community. Binning explains how he and Sukhwant Hundal wrote articles on these issues and others that were happening in the South Asian community in Canada. Binning talks about how in 1983, the group was inspired to begin performing theatrical works after consulting with Gursharan Singh who was from a well known theatrical group from Punjab who were performing in Vancouver. In the beginning the Vancouver Sath’s plays were focused on the problems in Punjab but they soon decided to address social issues in their own South Asian community here in Canada. Binning summarizes and draws attention to, some of the plays that Vancouver Sath has written and performed including; “Picket Line”, about Punjabi women farmworkers’ rights; “Lattan de Bhoot”, about domestic abuse; “A Crop of Poison”; “Kihda Viah” (English translation- “Whose Marriage”) about arranged marriage and others about social issues in the South Asian community. The plays were performed in public schools and community centres in Vancouver and Richmond, Simon Fraser University and some were also performed in Toronto, Calgary and Williams Lake. Binning mentions some of the traditional foods that he likes to eat and where he and his family have shopped to find ingredients. He recalls how his mother, Gurmaje Kaur Binning did all of the cooking and was often cooking all day long. In the sixties, the Binning family address on 13th Avenue in Vancouver was also used as a postal address for many friends and family who’d recently immigrated. When these friends dropped by to pick up their mail, his mother often provided them with tea and food. After Binning and his wife, Jagdish moved to their own home in 1973, he shared in some of the shopping and cooking but his wife did the majority of the work due to his busy schedule. The interview closes with Binning providing an explanation of how “Watno Dur” magazine changed it’s name to “Watan” magazine. Binning reflects on how this came to be, when he made the decision to get an education in Canada and to stay here, not just as a “Canadian” but as a “Punjabi Canadian.
History
Interviewee biography: Dr. Sadhu Binning was born on May 10, 1947 to mother Gurmej Kaur and father Jeet Singh Binning. Due to lack of proper records management in India at the time of his birth, it is believed that he was actually born sometime in December of 1947. He grew up alongside two brothers and one sister in a village located in Kapurthala, Punjab. Dr. Binning attended secondary school in the nearby city of Phagwara, Punjab although he did not complete his education here. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed reading both Punjabi and Hindi novels and learned how to read Urdu as well. Dr. Binning’s uncle, Dhana Singh immigrated to Canada in 1933 and returned to India in 1953. When Dhana Singh returned to Canada in 1957, he sponsored Dr. Binning’s father, Jeet Singh Binning to immigrate. Dhana Singh co-owned a few saw mills in British Columbia and also worked in the truck driving industry. Dr. Binning remembers that some people who had lived in Canada would visit their village and that they appeared to be strong and healthy and looked happy. He also noticed that they would eat meat, so whenever they would visit there would be meat available. In 1967, when he was nineteen and a half years old, Dr. Binning immigrated Canada to join his father. He recalls his father and uncle and a friend arriving at the airport to pick him up. During his first few days, Dr. Binning made the decision to remove his turban and beard upon receiving advice from his uncle. Dr. Binning first obtained work on a farm in Abbotsford, working alongside his mother. While working, Dr. Binning also attended English classes in Vancouver. Dr. Binning’s Uncle Dhana Singh worked in a Vancouver saw mill and tried to help find work for his nephew but was unsuccessful. Dr. Binning soon found work at a saw mill in Avola and worked there until the end of the summer until a friend helped find him work in a saw mill in North Vancouver. During his free time, he enjoyed camping with friends. In 1970, Dr. Binning left the saw mill after obtaining a job at the post office. The post office offered lower wages than working at the mill but Dr. Binning believed that he would become more educated working here. While working as a postman, Dr. Binning recalls facing a lot of discrimination and racism and was often referred to as a ‘Paki’ multiple times a day. In 1973, Dr. Binning married Jagish Sihota. Sadhu and Jagdish originated from nearby villages in India and met each other in Canada. Dr. Binning’s wife, Jagdish worked at the Royal Bank of Canada for thirty years until her retirement. While working, she also looked after the household and their son and daughter. Jagdish also handwrote a magazine, “Watno Dur’ (English translation: ‘away from homeland’) which was distributed in the community. In 1976, Dr. Binning became the editor of the magazine and the name was later changed to “Watan’ as they had accepted their new homeland of Canada. While working at the post office, Dr. Binning also attended night school starting in eighth grade. After receiving his high school diploma, he was accepted to Simon Fraser University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology and in 1986 he obtained a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University. While attending university, Dr. Binning was very active within the community and wanted to work to improve society. He first thought that he would return to India to contribute and improve rights in his homeland but upon seeing the prevalence of the movements in Canada, he realized that work needed to be done here too. In 1983, Dr. Binning became a founding member and contributor to a theatrical collective known as “Vancouver Sath”. The theatrical group produced plays that represented societal issues and were invited to perform at multiple conferences throughout British Columbia and Canada. The group focused and acknowledged the many issues in Punjab and in Canada. One of the plays that the group produced focused on the exploitation of Punjabi women who worked on farms in Canada. Dr. Binning continued to be involved as an integral member of Vancouver Sath until 1995. Over the years, Dr. Binning has strongly lobbied for Punjabi language education and between 1988 and 2008 he worked as Punjabi instructor at the University of British Columbia. He first worked as a teaching assistant at UBC under Dr. Harjot Oberoi and due to low wages, he simultaneously worked at the Post Office. In 2019, Dr. Binning received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UBC in recognition of his work. Since 1973, Dr. Binning has lived in Burnaby and has resided in the same home that he and his wife Jagdish purchased in 1987. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, watercolour painting, travelling abroad and going on road trips. 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
Industries - Logging/lumber
Industries - Forestry
Foods
Migration
Organizations - Societies and Clubs
Organizations - Unions
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Performances
Performances - Dramatic Performances
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Names
Binning, Dr. Sadhu
Binning, Gurmaje Kaur
Binning, Jit Singh
Binning, Jagdish
Sangha, Darshan Singh
Canadian Farmworkers Union
Hundal, Sukhwant
Sangra, Harjinder
Singh, Dhana
Vancouver Sath
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Malik, Anushay
Accession Code
BV022.29.3
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning, [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022

Interview with Dr. Sadhu Binning, [1931-2022] (interview content), interviewed 25 Nov. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0003_004.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Harman Pandher

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19609
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada arou…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
2 sound recordings (wav) (105 min., 23 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (101 min., 39 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Harman Pandher Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: January 5, 2023 Total Number of tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks:1:45:23 min Digital master recordings (wav) were edited into one recording and converted to mp3 format for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of a recording of an oral history interview with Harman Pandher conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. 00:00 - 37:38 Interview opens with Harman Pandher sharing information on his oldest living relative, Kirpal Singh Pandher who immigrated to Canada around 1968. The interview continues with Harman Pandher providing details about his childhood in Burnaby while occasionally sharing photographs with the interviewer. He provides detailed descriptions of the homes and neighbourhoods while living on Second Street and 15th Avenue and shares his experiences as a South Asian Sikh attending Second Street elementary school, Cariboo Hill Secondary School and Kahlsa School. Pandher recalls some of his family and childhood experiences including, family events and gatherings; participation in school clubs and sports; playing basketball, ball hockey and street hockey with his Punjabi friends and other Burnaby kids; racism that he faced as a Sikh wearing a turban and delivering newspapers for the Vancouver Sun. 37:39 – 52:54 Pandher talks about family and cultural celebrations and traditions within the Sikh community including Vaisakhi, Diwali and celebrations of the birth of Guru Ravidas and Guru Nanak. Pandher conveys that while he was growing up many of these events took place in Vancouver but now they are also celebrated in Burnaby. He recalls events that took place in school while growing up in Burnaby including; his sister wearing a Sari to a fashion show; a visit to a Sikh temple; celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak and outreach to teachers to learn about South Asian culture, games, food and traditions. Pandher also shares his experiences working as a student teacher at Capital Hill Elementary in North Burnaby where he took his class on a tour of the Sikh temple in 2001 and reflects on learning that it is his responsibility to be proactive in educating the public in his own culture while also learning about other communities. 52:55 - 1:19:56 Pandher shares personal experiences of racism and his experiences as a teacher and author. He recalls and reflects on a traumatic experience where he was physically assaulted while shopping at Lougheed Mall and recollects his father carrying around his field hockey stick in his car to defend himself. Pandher reflects on the lack of representation of racialized people like himself within the school curriculum while he was growing up which lead him to become a teacher and an author of children’s literature. Pander provides detailed information on his education and training in becoming a teacher, his love of poetry and literature and how he became an author. Pandher describes some of the works of poetry and literature that he’s written about the Sikh religion, history and culture, growing up as a Sikh Canadian and a non-fiction work about the history of Paldi titled "Welcome to Paldi: A Place for Everyone". Pandher also talks about beginning to record some of his own family stories from relatives. 1:19:57 - 1:29:58 Pandher talks about raising his own family in Burnaby, living as an extended family with his parents, his son’s education and Pandher's experience on the Burnaby School Board (2011-2018) . Pandher shares locations of residences that he and his family have lived before living at their current home on 17th Avenue. Pandher explains that since he was a teacher in Surrey, his son attended Khalsa School as well as public elementary and high school in Surrey but did his extracurricular activities in Burnaby where the family lived. 1:29:56 – 1:41:39 In closing, Harman Pandher reflects and shares what he hopes for younger generations of South Asian Canadians and future generations. Pandher articulates “be who you are, stay true to who you are, maintain your family’s traditions, learn their stories, learn their story and how they got to Burnaby”. He conveys that even though there’s more work to be done eliminating racism completely he sees the importance in volunteering, teaching others about yourself and making an effort to learn all parts of Burnaby and other cultures represented here. Pandher speaks about his concerns of youths falling victim to a lifestyle of drugs and gangs and how it’s important to remove the stigma around mental health issues.
History
Interviewee biography: Harman Pandher was born in Vancouver in 1976 to parents, Rajinder and Raj Pandher who immigrated to Canada in 1973. A few weeks later after Harman was born, the family moved to Burnaby. While living in Burnaby, Harman Pandher and his sister attended Second Street Elementary School and Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Pandher obtained a master's degree in education from the University of British Columbia and has worked as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. Pandher has been recognized for his efforts in building bridges across communities as the recipient of the 2021 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award. Pandher has served on the Board of the Burnaby Multicultural Society and is co-founder of two noon-profit organizations; “Through SONG” (Seeking Oneness for the Next Generation) “About bringing youth together form diverse backgrounds and using their talent in the community for good causes” and "SACH" (South Asian Community Hub) providing one-stop services for those impacted by alchohol and substance use and mental health issues. Harman Pandher is also the author of two children's books titled, "Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship" and "Once Upon the Golden Temple: A Journey to Sri Harmandir Sahib". Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Education
Occupations - Teachers
Occupations - Writers
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Religions
Religions - Sikhism
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Sports - Basketball
Sports
Names
Pandher, Harman
Second Street School
Cariboo Hill Secondary School
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Geographic Access
2nd Street
15th Avenue
Accession Code
BV023.1.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
East Burnaby (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Second Street Area
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcript available upon request
Audio Tracks

Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023

Interview with Harman Pandher, [1968- 2023] (interview content), interviewed 5 Jan. 2023

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0001_0001_003.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19349
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant…
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
South Asian Canadian Interviews subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (wav) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (49 min., 21 sec.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Kate Petrusa Interviewee: Honourable Raj Chouhan Location of Interview: Residence of Honourable Raj Chouhan Interview Date: December 2, 2022 Total Number of tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: (00:49:21) Digital master recording (wav) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
Scope and Content
Item consists of an oral history interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Assistant Curator, Kate Petrusa. Raj Chouhan shares his ancestral background and personal experiences immigrating to Canada from India in 1973 and living and working in Canada as an immigrant and the organizations that he became involved with. Honourable Raj Chouhan recalls how he arrived in Burnaby with his family in 1973 and that his family worked in farming. Chouhan imparts his first hand experiences as a new immigrant working as a labourer in the farming industry and describes the unsafe and unfair working conditions that he and migrant workers faced. Chouhan conveys how this experience lead him to become an activist for better working conditions for migrant workers. This lead Chouhan and others to form the Canadian Farm Workers Union in 1980. Chouhan recollects his experiences flying from India to Canada with his wife, his first impressions after arriving in Vancouver and driving to Burnaby and what he brought with him. Chouhan explains his connections to Burnaby. Members of Chouhan's wife's family immgrated to Canada in 1957 and his wife and her three brothers joined them in 1970. Chouhan's father in law, Hardial Singh Grewal immigrated in 1957 and became president of the Sikh temple in New Westminster. Hardial Singh Grewal worked in a lumber mill in Vancouver and eventually bought a house in Burnaby. Chouhan married to his wife at the Sikh temple in New Westminster and lived in Burnaby for a period before moving to New Westminster where they could find more affordable housing. Chouhan shares that he first worked as a farm labourer in Abbotsford and then found a job in the sawmill which paid more. Chouhan describes the extreme racism and discrimination that he and other immigrants faced which lead to the formation of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism under the leadership of Dr. Hari Prakash Sharma. Chouhan describes this organization that he was a part of and the Canadian Farm Workers Union that were both formed in Burnaby. Chouhan shares that he moved to Victoria in 1988 to serve on the Hospital Employee's Union and moved back to the mainland in 1993 and returned to Burnaby in 2001. Chouhan reflects on the history of South Asian immigration in Canada, how many of the migrants settled in the lower mainland including Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver establishing temples in Vancouver and New Westminster which became the centre for the South Asian community. He conveys how earlier occupations were limited to farming and millwork and how over time employment opportunities and education have broadened but there is still work to do. He imparts how second generation Canadians’ experiences differ from first generations providing examples of his own daughters’ and the occupations that they are working in. Chouhan provides his insights into the South Asian Canadian experience imparting “We make history every day and that history needs to be recorded and learned from.."... “People from different communities, different backgrounds who lived in Burnaby have contributed so much and South Asians are just like another community and participated in all aspects of social life, cultural, religious, economy. I'm so proud of our community, our forefathers who had that vision to fight for our rights. I'm inspired by people who struggled so much to gain basic rights, like the right to vote". Chouhan refers to these first immigrants as “Gadri Babbas” “revolutionary old people” who were also the main motivation that lead to India becoming a free country in 1947 and for fighting for basic rights here in Canada and how they made their contributions for future generations. Chouhan expresses what he imparts to students “Do not forget your past... if you remember your past then you are much more knowledgeable. Then we know what we need for the future. If we don't know the past, we don't know what the future is going to be like. To make a better future, you have to learn from the past and improve".
History
Interviewee biography: Honourable Raj Chouhan was born in the city of Ludhiana in the Province of Punjab in India and immigrated to Canada in 1973. After arriving in Canada, Raj's family settled in Burnaby. Raj grew up in Burnaby and attended schoool. Honourable Raj Chouhan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on December 7, 2020. Honourable Chouhan is the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism and has served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union, the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C. Honourable Chouhan has also served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003 and has taught courses in Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and Collective Bargaining since 1987. Interviewer biography: Kate Petrusa is the Assistant Curator at the Burnaby Village Museum. In her role, she manages all aspects of the collection – including caring for physical artifacts and making their digital counterpart accessible. Before coming to Burnaby Village Museum in 2019, Kate has worked at several Museums around the Lower Mainland as a Curator and contractor since 2013.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - South Asian Canadians
Social Issues
Social Issues - Racism
Occupations - Agricultural Labourers
Migration
Organizations - Unions
Rights
Rights - Human Rights
Agriculture
Agriculture - Farms
Government - Provincial Government
Government
Names
Chouhan, Raj
British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism
Sharma, Dr. Hari Prakash
Grewal, Hardial Singh
Canadian Farmworkers Union
Hospital Employees Union
Khalsa Diwan Society
Responsibility
Petrusa, Kate
Accession Code
BV022.29.4
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022
Media Type
Sound Recording
Notes
Title based on contents of item
Transcription available on Heritage Burnaby
Documents
Audio Tracks

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

Interview with Honourable Raj Chouhan, [1957-2022] (interview content), interviewed 2 Dec. 2022

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2022_0029_0004_002.mp3
Less detail

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription12337
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Date
[1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:43:19 min.)
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong at the Burnaby Village Museum. Josephine describes her family history and recollects her childhood experiences in 1950s and 60s while growing with her family on their "Hop On" farm in Burnaby. …
Repository
Burnaby Village Museum
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Village Museum fonds
Series
Museum Oral Histories series
Subseries
Chinese Canadians in Burnaby subseries
Description Level
Item
Physical Description
1 sound recording (mp3) (00:43:19 min.)
Material Details
Interviewer: Denise Fong Interviewee: Josephine Chow Location of Interview: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Date: February 7, 2020 Total Number of Tracks: 1 Total Length of all Tracks: 00:43:19
Scope and Content
Recording consists of an interview with Josephine Chow (nee Hong) conducted by BVM researcher Denise Fong at the Burnaby Village Museum. Josephine describes her family history and recollects her childhood experiences in 1950s and 60s while growing with her family on their "Hop On" farm in Burnaby. The farm is situated in the Big Bend area along Marine Drive and is still in operation today. 0:00-08:45 Josephine Chow provides some historical background on the history of “Hop On Farm” and her family in British Columbia. She tells of how her grandfather Gay Tim Hong and three partners pooled money together to purchase twelve acres on Marine Drive in 1951. Prior to this, most of them farmed on the ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation Reserve for 20-30 years. It all began when her great grandfather Sui Wing Hong, first came to Canada from China and slowly brought over her grandfather, father and other members of the family. Her grandfather, Gay Tim Hong went back and forth between Canada and China at least four times since he and her grandmother had four children including her father, who was born in 1931. Her father came to Canada at 10 years of age to live with his father. Josephine’s great grandfather came to Vancouver from Zhongshan county in Canton Province (also known as Guangdong). 8:46- 14:20 Josephine provides the names of her siblings from the eldest to the youngest; Pauline, Josephine (herself), Catherine, Noreen, Gary, Darlene and Marlene. She describes what life was like on the farm with her parents working from sunrise to sunset. The family farmed vegetable produce taking orders from local stores in the lower mainland. Often the children helped their parents with the orders starting at eight or nine years of age. Other workers on the farm travelled by bus from Vancouver’s Chinatown. She also tells of how her father was an animal lover and raised chickens, pigeons, geese, koy, goldfish and dogs. 14: 21 – 16:56 Josephine describes what Burnaby was like during the time that she grew up in the late 1950s. She explains that Burnaby was very quiet with nothing being open on Sundays. On the farm, she and her siblings would entertain themselves by playing games like soccer, baseball and kick ball or also by catching frogs, snails, caterpillars and ladybugs. There were neighbours living on Marine Drive and almost every house had someone who we went to the same elementary school. The neighbourhood children would often come to play with them on their farm. 16:56- 26:47 Josephine describes how when they were young there were farms all around them and how on Sunday drives with her father, they would go to feed horses or look at the cows. Josephine shares that her elder sister Pauline was the only one born in China and how when she first arrived that she lived on the ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations Reserve with their parents before they moved to Burnaby. Josephine recollects that most of her friends were farmer’s kids from the neighbourhood but while in school, she had more Caucasian friends. Josephine and her siblings attended Glenwood Elementary on Marine Drive and later Junior Secondary at McPherson Park (grades 8-10) and Burnaby South Senior Secondary (grades 11-12. ). She shares some of her experiences while attending school. She said that there were about a dozen Asians in school with her, mostly from farming families in the “Flats”. 26:48- 30:45 Josephine describes what life was like for her and her siblings after school. They often helped on the farm when they got home, usually taking care of orders for green onions. Her mother made dinner and did all of the cooking for family and workers on the farm as well as working in the fields. Her father did all of the grocery shopping in Vancouver’s Chinatown two or three times per week where he purchased meat and fish. She says that her grandfather, often travelled by bus every Saturday or Sunday to meet up with friends in Chinatown. Extracurricular activities for her and her siblings included volley ball and soccer as long as it didn’t interfere with their work schedule on the farm. 30:46- 37:03 Josephine describes what occurred while living at home, the food they ate, shopping and attending Chinese school. Her mother cooked only Chinese food, she didn’t know how to cook “Western food”. For school lunches, the kids made their own sandwiches. She tells of a Chinese language school arranged by Mrs. Joe [sic] who lived on Gilley Road and was Canadian born Chinese. Mrs. Joe [sic] also arranged an English class for farmer’s wives on Tuesday nights in which her mother attended. Josephine recollects learning Mandarin from Mrs. Joe [sic] a few days a week after her regular school. Chinese school took place at Riverway School on Meadow Avenue in Burnaby. Mrs. Joe also taught them a lot about Chinese culture including Kung Fu, Chinese Dance and Chinese brush painting. 37:04- 39:39 Josephine describes Medical Care for her and her family in the 1950s and 1960s. She tells of a female Chinese doctor in Vancouver, Dr. Madeline Chung. Dr. Chung was responsible for delivering a lot of Chinese babies including Josephine. The family also visited herbalists in Vancouver Chinatown. They would often buy herbs for colds etc. Josephine also tells of how her parents stayed in touch with family in China by writing letters. Her mother’s family, including her parents and siblings were still in China while most of her father’s family were here in Canada. 39:40- 43:19 – In closing, Josephine shares how life is much busier now and of how she misses the quietness of her days growing up. She briefly describes her life on the family farm now and how different it is from when her parents worked the farm. She explains how farming methods have changed and how they don’t have to work as hard as her parents did.
History
Interviewee biography: Josephine Chow (nee Hong) is the second eldest child of Chan Kow Hong and Sui Ha Hong. In 1925, Josephine's grandfather, Gay Tim Hong immigrated to Canada from Zhongshan county in Canton Province (also known as Guangdong). In 1952, her father, Chan Kow Hong joined his father, Gay Tim Hong and by 1953, he established "Hop On Farms" in the Big Bend area of Burnaby near Marine Drive. Josephine grew up on the farm with her parents and six siblings; Pauline, Catherine, Norine, Gary, Darlene and Marlene. In 1969, Josephine's elder sister Pauline and her husband Jack Chan took over the family farm and in 1972 their father and grandfather moved to Kamloops to open a restaurant. As an adult, Josephine worked in several different areas including owning and running her own Aesthetics business. Josephine eventually retired and returned to the farm to assist her siblings. The farm is still in operation. Interviewer biography: Denise Fong is a historical researcher at Burnaby Village Museum. She has degrees in Anthropology (BA) and Archaeology (MA), and is completing her doctoral degree at UBC in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her primary research interests are in Chinese Canadian history and critical heritage studies. She is the co-curator of BVM’s “Across the Pacific” exhibition, and the Museum of Vancouver’s “A Seat at the Table – Chinese Immigration and British Columbia”.
Creator
Burnaby Village Museum
Subjects
Persons - Chinese Canadians
Agriculture - Farms
Education
Buildings - Schools
First Nations reserves - British Columbia
Names
Chow, Josephine
Glenwood Elementary School
McPherson Park Junior Secondary School
ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)
Responsibility
Fong, Denise
Geographic Access
Byrne Road
Accession Code
BV020.6.1
Access Restriction
No restrictions
Reproduction Restriction
No known restrictions
Date
[1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020
Media Type
Sound Recording
Historic Neighbourhood
Fraser Arm (Historic Neighbourhood)
Planning Study Area
Big Bend Area
Related Material
See also BV017.36*
Scan Resolution
600
Scan Date
12/3/2017
Scale
100
Notes
Title based on contents of interview
Photograph info: Gary Hong and Chan Kow Hong harvesting celery at Hop-On Farms [1969]. BV017.36.4
Images
Audio Tracks

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020, [1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020

Interview with Josephine Chow by Denise Fong February 7, 2020, [1900-2020] (interview content), interviewed Feb. 7, 2020

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2020_0006_0001_001.mp3
Less detail

60 records – page 1 of 3.