Ernest Winch fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64651
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1898-1961
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 15 cm of textual records and 31 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs, political leaflets, postcards, publications, correspondence and a scrapbook documenting the political careers of Ernest and Harold Winch.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1898-1961
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Physical Description
- 15 cm of textual records and 31 photographs
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2010-06
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs, political leaflets, postcards, publications, correspondence and a scrapbook documenting the political careers of Ernest and Harold Winch.
- History
- Ernest Edward (Ernie) Winch was born at Harlow, Essex, England on March 22, 1879. Ernest was one of seven children; Walter, Albert, Alfred, Horace, Ernest, Emma and Caroline (Carrie). In 1898, when he was 19 years old, Ernest immigrated to Canada with his friend Jack Holttum to work on a farm in Saskatchewan. Ernest’s brother Alfred followed soon after and together the Winch brothers worked in British Columbia, then in Australia. Unfortunately the country was at the height of a heavy drought and so Ernest returned to Harlow and followed in his father's footsteps, apprenticing as a bricklayer. In 1905 Ernest Winch met and married Australian born Linda Marian Hendy. While in England they had Harold, born June 18, 1907, and Eileen, born in 1908. Ernest sailed back to Canada alone in 1910, his young family following him months later. He quickly became a member of the Bricklayers and Masons International Union No. 1, Vancouver Branch. Ernest began studying socialism in 1910 and joined the Social-Democratic Party of Canada in 1911. The Burnaby local of the Social-Democratic Party nominated Ernest Winch as a candidate for School Trustee in 1914. He received seven votes. In 1915 he and his eldest son Harold left the rest of the family at their home in White Rock and went to Mission to establish a homestead. While living in the Dewdney area, he organized a small Social-Democratic group in Mission and became its Secretary. However, he did not stay long in Dewdney. In the summer of 1918, Ernest left the Social-Democratic Party to join the Socialist Party. Once back in Burnaby, now 38 years old and looking for a way to support his family, Ernest answered a call for new workers from the Longshoremen’s Union. He joined the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Auxiliary and soon was elected its Secretary. By 1917, he was a part of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council, serving as its President by 1918. In 1919, he joined the B.C. Loggers Union (later the Lumber-Workers Industrial Unit), serving as Secretary. Ernest endorsed both the Vancouver General Strike in 1918 and the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was active in his support of the One Big Union (O.B.U). After two and a half years, Ernest left the ILA and rejoined the Longshoremen’s Union along with his former O.B.U. brother, William A. Pritchard. Soon after, a strike broke out and its unsuccessful end caused Winch to go back to bricklaying. By this time, the four youngest Winch children had been born: Charlie, Grace, Alan and Eric. Ernest re-founded the Socialist Party of Canada (British Columbia) in 1932 and, with it, joined the new Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. In the 1933 provincial election he, his son Harold Winch, and five others became the first CCF Members of Legislative Assembly. As a CCF MLA for Burnaby, Ernest became a resolute advocate for immediate reform, exposing abuses and inadequacies in BC's social welfare and correctional institutions (including Oakalla) and taking a special interest in the problems of the aged. One of his many notable contributions was the creation of the New Vista Society, first developed to ease the problem of overcrowding in mental hospitals at the time. Ernest Winch held his seat in the legislature continuously until his death on January 11, 1957. One of his legacies left to the people of Burnaby are the New Vista Society senior citizens homes. He also founded the New Westminster branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.). Ernest and Linda’s eldest son Harold Edward, an electrician by trade, married Dorothy Ada Hutchinson on May 11, 1929. At 26 years old, he was elected CCF MLA for Vancouver East (in 1933) and became provincial party leader by 1938, serving as leader of the Opposition from 1941 to 1953. When the CCF was defeated in the controversial election of 1953, which saw W.A.C. Bennet come to power, Harold abandoned provincial politics for the House of Commons, where he represented Vancouver East until his retirement in 1972.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Creator
- Winch, Ernest "Ernie"
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- MSS129, photo catalogue 514
![Brick Houses under Construction, [between 1899 and 1910] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/513/514-002.jpg?width=280)
Brick Houses under Construction
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64653
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1899 and 1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w cabinet card ; 10 x 14.5 cm, mounted on card 10.5 x 16.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two brick houses under construction on High Street at Epping, Essex, England. These buildings were constructed by Ernest E. Winch.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1899 and 1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w cabinet card ; 10 x 14.5 cm, mounted on card 10.5 x 16.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 514-002
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2010-06
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two brick houses under construction on High Street at Epping, Essex, England. These buildings were constructed by Ernest E. Winch.
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Challoner-Courtenay, E.J.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Brick Houses under Construction, [between 1899 and 1910] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/513/514-002.jpg)
![Brick Houses under Construction, [between 1899 and 1910] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/513/514-003.jpg?width=280)
Brick Houses under Construction
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64654
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1899 and 1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w cabinet card ; 10 x 14.5 cm, mounted on card 10.5 x 16.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two brick houses under construction on High Street at Epping, Essex, England. These buildings were constructed by Ernest E. Winch.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- [between 1899 and 1910]
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w cabinet card ; 10 x 14.5 cm, mounted on card 10.5 x 16.5 cm
- Description Level
- Item
- Record No.
- 514-003
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2010-06
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of two brick houses under construction on High Street at Epping, Essex, England. These buildings were constructed by Ernest E. Winch.
- Subjects
- Construction
- Buildings - Residential - Houses
- Construction Tools and Equipment
- Occupations - Labourers
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Photographer
- Challoner-Courtenay, E.J.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of photograph
Images
![Brick Houses under Construction, [between 1899 and 1910] thumbnail](/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Images/_Unrestricted/513/514-003.jpg)
Correspondence
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64758
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1898-1952
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 file of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence from Ernest Winch sent from Canada to his mother and sister Carolyn (Carrie) in England. As well, correspondence from Ernest to his brothers Alfred and Walter, containing many of Ernest's early Socialist ideas.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1898-1952
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 file of textual records
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- MSS129-004
- Accession Number
- 2010-06
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence from Ernest Winch sent from Canada to his mother and sister Carolyn (Carrie) in England. As well, correspondence from Ernest to his brothers Alfred and Walter, containing many of Ernest's early Socialist ideas.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
Political pamphlets
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription64761
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1899-1957
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 file of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of political pamphlets and other paper records pertaining to Ernest E. (Ernie) Winch and his eldest son, Harold. Ernest was a long-time Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Burnaby. Harold served as Member of Parliament f…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1899-1957
- Collection/Fonds
- Ernest Winch fonds
- Physical Description
- 1 file of textual records
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- MSS129-006
- Accession Number
- 2010-06
- Scope and Content
- File consists of political pamphlets and other paper records pertaining to Ernest E. (Ernie) Winch and his eldest son, Harold. Ernest was a long-time Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Burnaby. Harold served as Member of Parliament for Vancouver East and together they set a Guinness world record for the longest father-and-son parliamentary tenure.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
Interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon July 9, 1975 - Track 1
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/oralhistory91
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date Range
- 1904-1932
- Length
- 0:08:08
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to Charles A. Purdon's employment history and first years of marriage to May E. Purdon.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Summary
- This portion of the interview pertains to Charles A. Purdon's employment history and first years of marriage to May E. Purdon.
- Date Range
- 1904-1932
- Length
- 0:08:08
- Subjects
- Transportation - Rail
- Interviewer
- Bradbury, Dr. Bettina
- Interview Date
- July 9, 1975
- Scope and Content
- Recording is a taped interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon by SFU graduate student Bettina Bradbury July 9, 1975. Major themes discussed are: the Depression and Canadian politics. To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".
- Biographical Notes
- May Eliza was born in London, England in 1907. She came out to Regina with her family when she was eleven. Charles A. Purdon was born February 28, 1904 in London, England. He came to Canada in 1925 from China where he had been working as an accountant for the previous three years. Charles first came to Vancouver and joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) but within a week he was sent to Regina. This is where he met May. May and Charles got married in 1926 and Charles began working as an accountant for the Saskatchewan Wheat Growers, then for the Canadian Wool Growers before being laid off. In October of 1930, Charles and May left Regina for Vancouver Island. Charles drove himself out and May rode the train with her children; twin boys and a daughter, only one year apart. They settled at May’s parent’s second house in Coombs. The Purdons arrived in Burnaby in December of 1932 and rented a house on Edmonds Street. Charles was unable to do road work and instead found work through the Liberal Party and also with the Municipal engineers indoors on a number of projects. In 1938 the Purdons were able to get into a reverted house built by Ernie Winch at Maple Avenue (then Jubilee) and Nelson Avenue that had nine bedrooms. They paid ten dollars a month to the municipality for use of this property. May Eliza Purdon died April 6, 1983 at the age of seventy-six.
- Total Length
- 1:40:03
- Interviewee Name
- Purdon, Charles A.
- Purdon, May Eliza
- Interviewer Bio
- Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Oral history subseries
- 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.
Audio Tracks
Track one of interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon
Track one of interview with Charles A. Purdon and May E. Purdon
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-19/100-13-19_Track_1.mp3