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![Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears building, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2019_0018_0004_013.jpg?width=280)
Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears building
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10644
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (1 min., 30 sec.) : digital, 23 fps, col., si.
- Scope and Content
- Film segment documenting the construction of the Simpsons-Sears building located at 3660 Kingsway in Burnaby (address changed to 4750 Kingsway after 1958). The film footage is shot by Andy Digney from his backyard at 2698 Bonsor Avenue (address changed to 6521 Bonsor Avenue after 1958).
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (1 min., 30 sec.) : digital, 23 fps, col., si.
- Scope and Content
- Film segment documenting the construction of the Simpsons-Sears building located at 3660 Kingsway in Burnaby (address changed to 4750 Kingsway after 1958). The film footage is shot by Andy Digney from his backyard at 2698 Bonsor Avenue (address changed to 6521 Bonsor Avenue after 1958).
- Creator
- Digney, Andy
- Names
- Simpsons-Sears Limited
- Geographic Access
- Kingsway
- Street Address
- 4750 Kingsway
- Accession Code
- BV019.18.4.13
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
- Photographer
- Digney, Andy
- Notes
- Title based on contents of film segment
- Film segment originates from digitized version of original 8 mm film (See BV019.18.4)
Images
![Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears building, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2019_0018_0004_013.jpg)
Video
Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears building, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears building, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2019_0018_0004_013.mp4Digney film 2 - Family in Burnaby, Construction of Simpsons-Sears building and wedding
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10598
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1954 and 1964] (date of original), copied 2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (26 min., 51 sec.) : digital, 16 fps, col., si.
- Scope and Content
- Film compilation created by Andy Digney and his son Ernest "Dig" Digney. The film opens with scenes of different dogs playing outside; exterior of Andy and Alice Digney’s house on Kaymar Drive; interior of the Digney bowling alley with pins being reset; interior of Andy Digney’s greenhouse at his h…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (26 min., 51 sec.) : digital, 16 fps, col., si.
- Scope and Content
- Film compilation created by Andy Digney and his son Ernest "Dig" Digney. The film opens with scenes of different dogs playing outside; exterior of Andy and Alice Digney’s house on Kaymar Drive; interior of the Digney bowling alley with pins being reset; interior of Andy Digney’s greenhouse at his house on Kaymar Drive; construction of the Simpsons-Sears building in 1954 behind the Digney home at 3698 Bonsor Street; unidentified outdoor wedding attended by the Digney's and Swans; Campbell family gathering in Victoria; gathering of friends and family inside Alice and Andy Digney’s home on Kaymar Drive before they leave for their World tour in 1964.
- Creator
- Digney, Andy
- Geographic Access
- Bonsor Avenue
- Kaymar Drive
- Accession Code
- BV019.18.4
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [between 1954 and 1964] (date of original), copied 2019
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Photographer
- Digney, Andy
- Digney, Ernest Frank "Dig"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of film
- Digitized film is a copy from original 8 mm film
- 9 film clips from this compilation are described at item level and available for viewing on Heritage Burnaby
- Contact Burnaby Village Museum to view entire content
![Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2019_0018_0004_009.jpg?width=280)
Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10640
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (5 sec.) : digital, 23 fps, col., si.
- Scope and Content
- Short Film clip of a view from the Digney's backyard at 3698 Bonsor Avenue (address changed to 6521 Bonsor Ave. after 1958) of the construction of the Simpsons-Sears building on Kingsway in Burnaby.
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 video recording (mp4) (5 sec.) : digital, 23 fps, col., si.
- Scope and Content
- Short Film clip of a view from the Digney's backyard at 3698 Bonsor Avenue (address changed to 6521 Bonsor Ave. after 1958) of the construction of the Simpsons-Sears building on Kingsway in Burnaby.
- Creator
- Digney, Andy
- Subjects
- Buildings - Commercial - Malls
- Names
- Simpsons-Sears Limited
- Geographic Access
- Bonsor Avenue
- Street Address
- 6521 Bonsor Avenue
- Accession Code
- BV019.18.4.9
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Historic Neighbourhood
- Central Park (Historic Neighbourhood)
- Planning Study Area
- Maywood Area
- Photographer
- Digney, Andy
- Notes
- Title based on contents of film segment
- Film segment originates from digitized version of original 8 mm film (See BV019.18.4)
Images
![Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019 thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2019_0018_0004_009.jpg)
Video
Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
Digney film 2 - Construction of Simpsons-Sears, [1954] (date of original), copied 2019
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Moving_Images/2019_0018_0004_009.mp4Simpsons-Sears Limited Burnaby fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription17413
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1954-1959, predominant 1954-1955
- Collection/Fonds
- Simpsons-Sears Limited Burnaby fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 114 photographs + 15 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs and textual records from a scrapbook documenting the early years of the Simpsons-Sears store located at 3660 Kingsway (after 1959 - 4750 Kingsway) in Burnaby including the opening day and staff events. Many of the photographs depict, Manager of Simpsons-Sears, Burnaby,…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Simpsons-Sears Limited Burnaby fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 114 photographs + 15 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs and textual records from a scrapbook documenting the early years of the Simpsons-Sears store located at 3660 Kingsway (after 1959 - 4750 Kingsway) in Burnaby including the opening day and staff events. Many of the photographs depict, Manager of Simpsons-Sears, Burnaby, T. Boyd Haskell and include photographs regarding activities of the Greater Vancouver Tourist Association in which T. Boyd Haskell was president 1958-1959. Textual records within fonds include a financial ledger (1954-1956) as well as congratulatory telegrams and cards addressed to Simpsons-Sears staff and managers regarding the Simpsons-Sears store opening in May 1954 along with lists of names of Simpsons-Sears and Sears-Roebuck executive members who visited the store. Records are arranged into the following series: 1) Simpsons-Sears scrapbook series 2) Burnaby Simpsons-Sears adminstrative records series
- History
- In 1952, U.S. Chairman of Sears-Roebuck and Company, General Robert E.Wood, contacted President of Robert Simpson Company, Edgar G. Burton proposing a partnership between the two companies to serve the Canadian retail market. In September 1952, a merger was signed between the two to create Simpsons-Sears Limited. The terms of the agreement were 50-50. The two main objectives were to expand the Simpsons’ mail order business which was sold to the new company and to build new retail stores across Canada that were modelled on the Sears, Roebuck’s design. In early 1953, operations began with the first Simpsons-Sears Spring/Summer catalogue that was delivered to 300,00 homes across Canada. In September 1953, the first Simpsons-Sears retail store opened in Stratford Ontario and in December 1953 the second store opened in Kamloops, B.C. In 1953, with a 7.6 million dollar investment, construction began on the Simpsons-Sears store located at 3660 Kingsway in Burnaby. This was the second Simpsons-Sears store to be built in British Columbia. The store was designed by two Vancouver architectural firms Sharp, Thompson, Berwick and Pratt and Gardiner and Thornton. The new Burnaby Simpsons-Sears was touted as the most modern mall in Canada with the facing of the store consisting of Travertine marble imported from Italy and the main floor included fourty eight miles of brass strips incorporated in the terrazzo floor which was made from marble chips mixed with white Portland concrete. An exterior promenade, built from British Columbia fir and bolted with copper and brass was built around the exterior of the store. The promenade provided an outdoor display area for garden furniture and other large items. The retail store officially opened on May 5, 1954 with Simpsons-Sears executive members, managers and the Reeve of Burnaby in attendance. T. Boyd Haskell, from Spokane, Washington was hired as the Burnaby retail store manager and C.W. Jaggs, former Simpsons' general manager for British Columbia became manager of the Simpsons-Sears mail order business in British Columbia. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place during the opening event with Burnaby Reeve Charles W. MacSorley in attendance along with other dignitaries from Simpsons-Sears including President of Simpsons-Sears, E.G. Burton; Chairman of the board of Simpsons-Sears, Charles W. Burton; Vice President of Simpsons-Sears, G.F. Trotter; Mail Order Manager for Simpsons-Sears, B.C., C.W. Jaggs and Manager of Simpsons-Sears, Burnaby, T. Boyd Haskell. Over 10,000 people attended the opening of the store at 11:00 a.m. and it is believed that throughout the day, over 75,000 people went through the new store. T. Boyd Haskell was manager of the Burnaby Simpsons-Sears store between 1953 and 1962. After graduating from college, Haskell joined the Sears-Roebuck department store chain. In 1953 he moved to Vancouver from Washington State to set up the new store in Burnaby. In 1962, Haskell left Simpsons-Sears in Burnaby and transferred to the Sears store in Los Angeles. During his time in British Columbia, Haskell served as the President of the Greater Vancouver Tourist Association (1958-1959), President of the Community Chest and Councils of Greater Vancouver (1960) and was also a member of the board of directors of the B.C. Lions football team. Haskell died in Arizona in 1969 at the age of 54 years. In 1978, the Hudson’s Bay Company purchased “Simpsons” and converted many of the department stores into The Bay, including the store in downtown Toronto. Sears stores continued to carry the name “Simpsons-Sears” until 1984 when the named changed to “Sears Canada”. The Simpsons-Sears store (later named "Sears") located at 4750 Kingsway (Metropolis at Metrotown) closed it's doors in 2018.
- Creator
- Simpsons-Sears Limited
- Accession Code
- BV021.26
- BV022.17
- Date
- 1954-1959, predominant 1954-1955
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Related Material
- See also: memorial program for T.B. Haskell in Burnaby Village Museum artifact collection BV021.26.166
- Arrangement
- Arrangement of records is based on original order of scrapbook and financial ledger by creator(s). Photographs and textual records were described in the order that they were arranged within original scrapbook prior to being removed.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Digney Family fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10597
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1954 and 1964] (date of originals), copied in 2016 and 2019
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 6 video recordings (mp4) (approx. 3hr., 18 min.) : digital, 23 fps
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of compilation of six films (including film clips) created by Andy Digney and his son Ernest "Dig" Digney. Film content includes footage of members of the Digney family and friends in Burnaby; the Digney homes on Bonsor Avenue and Kaymar Drive; construction of the Digney Bowling Alle…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Digney Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 6 video recordings (mp4) (approx. 3hr., 18 min.) : digital, 23 fps
- Material Details
- Films were digitized in 2019 from original 8 mm format
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of compilation of six films (including film clips) created by Andy Digney and his son Ernest "Dig" Digney. Film content includes footage of members of the Digney family and friends in Burnaby; the Digney homes on Bonsor Avenue and Kaymar Drive; construction of the Digney Bowling Alley and the Simpsons-Sears building; Lawn bowling at Central Park as well as various family events, gatherings, vacations and trips.
- History
- Andy Digney was born in London, England on July 27, 1886. His given names were Andrew Charles and in 1905, he immigrated with his elder brother to Raymore Saskatchewan and worked on a farm. In 1914, he met and married Alice Swan and in 1920 they had their one and only child, Ernest ('Dig'). The young family lived in Beatty Saskatchewan where they ran a small general store with a pool hall over the top. Andy sold the store and they moved to Carberry Manitoba where Andy worked selling lightening rods and hanging wallpaper. At this time he met and formed a partnership with someone who owned a hand cranked move projector and in the evenings, he and his wife, traveled to church halls in neighbouring towns showing movies. Eventually, he purchased his own movie projector and opened a small theatre in Carberry. He worked odd jobs during the daytime and projected movies in his small theatre at night. Eventually he made enough money to move to Brandon, Manitoba where he purchased a restaurant which he turned into a theatre with living quarters above. Andy called the theatre 'The Oak' since the mighty oak was strong and stood forever. After starting the first Oak Theatre in Brandon, Manitoba when talking pictures came along, Andy Digney, his wife Alice and son Ernest ('Dig') moved to Burnaby in 1936 and chose the site of their new theatre and home at the corner of Kingsway and Marlborough. The Oak Theatre - which opened on August 4, 1937 - was hailed as an artistic masterpiece for its ultra modern white stucco exterior, floodlights and pink-and-green neon marquee. The interior featured a mirrored ceiling, fireplace, and aquarium and had a colour scheme of orchid, royal blue, silver and black. Andy was a very involved member of the Burnaby community becoming the founding president of the Lion's club and the chairman of the committee raising money for war bonds during World War II. In 1944, Andy suffered a severe heart attack, forcing him to retire, so in 1945 he sold the theatre to Odeon Theatres of Canada who continued to operate at this location until 1968 when competition forced its closure and demolition. Andy and his family relocated to a house at 2698 Bonsor Avenue (after 1959-6521 Bonsor Ave.) on 3/4 acres where he spent much of his time cultivating a lovely garden. In about 1946, Andy was approached by the B.C. Midget Auto Racing Association, who were looking for a good location to race the smaller, racing cars, popular at the time. Andy was interested and purchased 10 acres of property located near the corner of Irmin Street and MacPherson Avenue and built a race track. The Digney Speedway opened on July 8, 1948 with stands that had capacity of holding 4500 people. In 1949, when the popularity of midget racing declined, Digney started racing roadsters. However, he struggled to find local drivers, and it was expensive to bring in drivers from elsewhere. In 1951 Digney found a winner: jalopy racing. Local men would buy 1930s cars and strip them down, remove the glass, and weld the doors shut. By early 1952 over forty cars were showing up for jalopy races. By the early 1950s the Speedway was well established, with coverage in the sports pages and on radio. Andy's son Ernest Digney (also known as Dig) worked at the race track but moved away with his wife in 1951 to work in Seattle. Dig and his wife Joyce, along with their two young sons, Paul and Bruce returned to Burnaby in 1953 moving into a 550 square foot apartment located above the Digney Speedway restrooms. In 1954 Simpsons-Sears built a large store on Kingsway and their parking lot came up to the back garden of the family home on Bonsor Avenue. Andy thought of building small stores on his property but in the end decided to build a bowling alley, clearing out his beautiful garden. The Digney Bowl opened on August 19,1955 and Andy Digney, his wife Alice, son 'Dig' and daughter in law Joyce all worked at both the Speedway and the Bowling Alley. In 1956 Andy decided to finally retire and sold the bowling alley and home to his son 'Dig' which he paid for over time. 'Dig' and his family moved into the house on Bonsor Avenue and ran the bowling alley until their son Bruce took over in 1980. Andy Digney died in England in 1964 while on his world tour. His wife Alice died on June 3, 1982 and their son, Ernest ('Dig') died November 27, 2009.
- Accession Code
- BV019.18
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- May be restricted by third party rights
- Date
- [between 1954 and 1964] (date of originals), copied in 2016 and 2019
- Media Type
- Moving Images
- Related Material
- See also City of Burnaby Archives Digney Family fonds Photo/MI catalogue 562
- Arrangement
- Films are arranged and described at item level along with film clip segments. Master film footage numbered BV019.18.3 through BV019.18.8 were described in original order at item level. Digitized film content within the master film footage was also broken down into shorter film clips according to natural breaks within the original content and described separately as film clips (accession parts) in their original order: BV019.8.3.1 to BV019.8.3.28; BV019.8.4.1 to BV019.8.4.16; BV019.18.5.1 to BV019.8.5.7; BV019.18.6.1 to BV019.18.6.8; BV019.18.7.1 to BV019.18.7.15; BV019.18.8.1 to BV019.18.8.20
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds