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Alfred Bingham fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97219

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1913-1971

Collection/Fonds: Alfred Bingham fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 4 cm. of textual records and 1 audio reel.

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of correspondence and literature pertaining to Alfred Bingham as well as an oral history tape provided by Alfred and his wife, M.J. "Ada" Bingham.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1913-1971

Collection/Fonds: Alfred Bingham fonds

Physical Description: 4 cm. of textual records and 1 audio reel.

Description Level: Fonds

Record No.: MSS142

Accession Number: 2010-09

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of correspondence and literature pertaining to Alfred Bingham as well as an oral history tape provided by Alfred and his wife, M.J. "Ada" Bingham.

History: Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Angus McLean and Percy Little worked ten-hour days to build a shingle mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, a carpenter and millwright (and author of “The History of Burnaby”), also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lockdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920, Alfred married Mary Jane "Ada" Reynolds. Alfred and Mary Jane often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. The couple also had a dog named Bess. The Binghams were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth who were suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression. The Army was in operation for ten years and during that time, the members organised the credit union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union Act through the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started co-op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also the Secretary of the Burnaby Housing Committee. In 1946, he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane died on August 9, 1969. Alfred died on April 29, 1979.

Media Type: Textual Record; Sound Recording

Creator: Bingham, Alfred "Alf"

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds MSS142

Alfred Bingham's writings - Track 8

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory258

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date Range: 1892-1963

Length: 0:07:05

Summary: This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's continuation of reading his series of short stories. He reads; "THE RUM RUNNERS AND BOOTLEG WHISKY IN BURNABY" and "BURNABY. NORTH. SOUTH. EAST? AND WEST 1892---1943" both written in 1963.

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the recording includes Alfred Bingham's continuation of reading his series of short stories. He reads; "THE RUM RUNNERS AND BOOTLEG WHISKY IN BURNABY" and "BURNABY. NORTH. SOUTH. EAST? AND WEST 1892---1943" both written in 1963.

Date Range: 1892-1963

Photo Info: Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066

Length: 0:07:05

Names: Hawthorn, Mary

Scope and Content: Recording is of Alfred Bingham's writings, as read by Alfred Bingham. Major themes discussed are: Pioneers, early days in Burnaby and the Co-op Movement. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: Alfred "Alf" Bingham was born in England in 1892 and moved to Canada in 1912. His first job in Canada was laying track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) from Edmonton to McBride in 1912. His second was in Vancouver at the Rat Portage Mill on False Creek, working on the Resaw machine. He quit after one week due to poor working conditions. After taking part in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike as a delegate of the Retail and Mailorder Union (A.F.L.) on the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council, Alfred moved to Burnaby where he and fellow Burnaby residents Aungus McLean and Percy Little worked ten hour days to build a Shingle Mill on the edge of Burnaby Lake for Simpson & Giberson. George Green, carpenter and millwright (author of “The History of Burnaby”) also helped in the construction of the mill. Alfred built his own home from lumber cut from the mill in the Lochdale area on Sherlock Street between Curtis Street and Kitchener Street. On April 10, 1920 Alfred married Mary Jane “Ada” Reynolds. Alfred and Ada often took in foster children during their marriage. Due to her nursing experience, Ada was often called upon to deliver babies in the Burnaby area. Alfred and Ada Bingham were instrumental members of the Army of the Common Good, collecting vegetables and grains from growers in the area and even producing over 125 tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed children and youth suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The army was in operation for ten years and during that time the members organised the Credit Union movement of British Columbia and drew up the Credit Union act thorough the Vancouver Co-operative Council. They also started Co-Op stores and the Co-Op Wholesale Society. Alfred was also Secretary of the Burnaby Housing committee and in 1946 he became the Secretary of the North Burnaby Labour Progressive Party (LPP). Mary Jane “Ada” (Reynolds) Bingham died on August 9, 1969. Her husband Alfred died on April 29, 1979.

Total Tracks: 12

Total Length: 1:38:06

Interviewee Name: Bingham, Alfred "Alf"

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Oral history subseries

Transcript Available: MSS142-001 contains transcripts for each of the short stories

Media Type: Sound Recording

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

Images

Alfred Bingham, April 20, 1947. Item no. 010-066 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track eight of recording of Alfred Bingham's writings

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-20-2/100-13-20-2_Track_8.mp3

Burnaby Historical Society fonds

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription97124

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1892-2018

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: ca. 130 linear feet of textual records 30 linear feet of graphic and other material

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of the Burnaby Historical Society's administrative records and community archives collection.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: 1892-2018

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Physical Description: ca. 130 linear feet of textual records 30 linear feet of graphic and other material

Description Level: Fonds

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of the Burnaby Historical Society's administrative records and community archives collection.

History: The Burnaby Historical Society was founded in 1957. The Historical Society developed a community archives by collecting, compiling and preserving various materials with historical value to the City of Burnaby. It gathered miscellaneous documents, photographs and other items while also soliciting and acquiring entire collections or groups of archival records. In 1991, the Historical Society was provided a permanent space to house their growing collection at the Burnaby Village Museum and they continued to collect and expand their holdings. After the creation of the City of Burnaby Archives in 2001, the Burnaby Historical Society and the City of Burnaby began discussing the possibility of uniting the two collections. In February 2007, an agreement was signed between the two institutions which resulted in the merger of the Society's Community Archives with the City Archives. All records and photographs that had been collected by the Historical Society were transferred into the custody of the City and were moved from the Burnaby Village Museum to the City Archives in the McGill Branch of the Burnaby Public Library. The Burnaby Historical Society disbanded in 2018.

Names: Burnaby Historical Society

Media Type: Textual Record; Photograph; Sound Recording

Creator: Burnaby Historical Society

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds

Burnaby Retired Teachers subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription21

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1900-1928] (date of originals), photocopied [1990]-[1991]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Description Level: Subseries

Physical Description: Textual records and other material

Scope and Content: Subseries consists of records created by the Burnaby Retired Teachers group in relation to their work in various Burnaby schools. Records include information booklets, photographs, statistics, and other research materials collected by the Burnaby Retired Teachers' Association.

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Date: [1900-1928] (date of originals), photocopied [1990]-[1991]

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Burnaby Retired Teachers subseries

Physical Description: Textual records and other material

Description Level: Subseries

Accession Number: BHS2002-11

Scope and Content: Subseries consists of records created by the Burnaby Retired Teachers group in relation to their work in various Burnaby schools. Records include information booklets, photographs, statistics, and other research materials collected by the Burnaby Retired Teachers' Association.

History: Concerned that Burnaby might be losing its educational history, the Retired Teachers’ Association of Burnaby formed the History of Education Committee. The Committee made efforts to assemble types of information that could help in the preparation of school histories, and once this information was assembled, they wrote the “Introductory Resource Materials on Burnaby Schools / 1894-1991” report which gives a one page "introduction" to each school in the Burnaby district, past and present.